Page 54 of Into the Isle

“She’s more than that. She’s the answer.”

“To what?”

I vaguely gestured at his three friends, at the table, at the longhouse. “All of this.”

Eirik put his hands on his hips. “You know this from one interaction with her?”

“I sense it.”

He took a step toward me, thrusting a finger against my bare chest. “Then maybe you should be the one to protect—”

“You know I can’t. Not forever.”

He paused, eyes narrowing. “That’s right. I do know. So don’t come charging in here because of your own faults and—”

I grabbed his finger two inches from my chest, twisting his wrist.

“Fuck!” Eirik cried out, shocked at my sudden outburst.

I didn’t need him reminding me what I was. It changed nothing about his sister.

Ayla cursed and jumped into action, grabbing a sword perched against the wall near the table. She ran at us while I kept Eirik hand-tied.

She leveled the sword at my neck. “Let him go, you fucking barbarian!”

I turned my head slowly—looked at her face, marred with thinly veiled fear. Then I lunged with my free arm, wrapping my hand around the blade of her sword. The edges cut into my palms in two places as I squeezed the blade, twisted my wrist, and yanked the sword out of Ayla’s grip.

I tossed the weapon aside with a clang, droplets of blood flying with it.

“Fucking hell! You’re crazy!” the now-swordless woman cried out.

I pushed Eirik away from me and did as he’d done, thrusting a finger toward him. “Her eyes lit up when I mentioned your name.”

Eirik’s hard expression softened. “What?”

“Don’t let her faith in you be misplaced, Halldan. Like it was me.”

He winced. Slowly, he gazed toward the ground. Ashamed, perhaps.

Awkwardness settled in the room like a thick fog.

I relished it, basked in it. Then I glanced over at the table, where I saw papers and maps strewn about. “What are you lot planning?”

Eirik looked up from the ground. His defensive posture returned, eyes narrowing. “You don’t need to know, Grim. You’re not part of us anymore.”

I grunted, examining him. “Thank the gods for that,” I grunted.

I spun and stormed out of the longhouse.

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