Page 91 of Viktor at Sea

“You can and you will,” she ordered, offended at my refusal. “Consider this only temporary. When you come back, you can give it back to me,” she said, unclasping the necklace from around her neck and dropping it into my hands.

The beautiful blue of the gem sparkled in the sunlight as I held it in my palm before circling my fingers around it. I reached behind my neck to fasten the necklace.

I had never worn a necklace before, but I would wear this all the time until I finally returned to Jorvik, and Astrid would be the one to take it off me.

“I’ll guard it with my life,” I promised.

“Until I see you again, husband,” Astrid whispered, taking a small step back.

“Until I see you again, wife,” I whispered in return, reaching for her hand and pressing one last kiss to the back of it. “I love you, Astrid,” I whispered against her skin, for her ears only.“Look after yourself. Don’t be too sad and don’t miss me too much. And try not to get into too much trouble while I’m gone, okay?”

The sound of her laughter was music to my ears, but the tears streaming down her face made the moment bittersweet.

Before the heart-breaking sight of my wife’s watery eyes stopped me from leaving, I turned around to board The Serpent. All the crew were already on, and I could see them all lined up at the sides, peering down at us. I caught all their pitiful expressions but ignored them. Instead, I kept my head down as I walked up the ramp, forcing one foot in front of the other.

I knew everyone was watching. Barden. Josephine. Daewon and Katarina. Dustin and Freja. The crew and all of Jorvik.

But it was only Astrid’s eyes that mattered to me. Each tear that rolled down her porcelain cheeks was a stab to the hollow heart-shaped space in my chest, making each step forward that much heavier.

I didn’t even make it halfway before I couldn’t imagine taking another step forward. Not without Astrid.

I gulped and stopped, my mind made up.

Turning around, the heaviness of my feet suddenly disappeared as I rushed down the ramp and ran toward Astrid, wrapping my arms around her waist and lifting her into the air as I held onto her for dear life.

“What are you doing, pirate?” Astrid giggled, immediately wrapping her arms around my neck as if afraid I would drop her. I scoffed at the offending notion. As if I would ever risk dropping something so valuable to me. “I know you’re sad. I am, too,” she whispered, furiously wiping away her tears. “But you need to leave now, Viktor. Everyone is waiting for you.” When I refused to move, only tightening my arms around her, she sighed and dropped her hands to my hair, gently running her fingers through it, immediately calming me down. But it wasn’tenough. It would never be enough. “I’ll be here when you come back. I’ll wait by this shore every day until you come back. The sooner you leave now, the sooner you return to me.”

I shook my head furiously, refusing to listen.

I couldn’t do it.

I couldn’t leave her behind.

How was a man expected to function without his heart?

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Iknew it was unconventional, but I didn’t care. I also didn’t care what anyone thought or had to say.

I had made my mind up.

The two things that mattered most to me were Astrid and being Captain of The Serpent. Barden made me choose between them both, but he had never said I couldn’t have them both.

“Viktor?” Astrid called out to me in a small, questioning voice, but I could barely focus on anything but her wet tears against my chest. They soaked through my shirt, and each tear was like acid being poured onto my heart. “You need to let go of me and get back on the ship, Viktor. The whole crew is waiting for you.”

“I don’t care if the whole world is waiting for me,” I whispered against her temple before lowering her onto her feet. “All I care is if you’ll wait for me. Will you wait for me, Astrid?” I asked, pinching her chin and tilting her head back to meet my eyes.

“Yes,” she whispered, nodding her head just slightly as her eyes remained on mine. “I’ll wait for you forever if I have to, Viktor. That shouldn’t even be a question.”

I held her eyes and gave her a nod, her answer more than satisfactory.

An outburst broke out as I pushed through the crowd to get off the beach. I didn’t care that people were whispering or that they all wanted to know where I was going.

All I knew was that I refused to choose, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop me.

If I were forced to leave Astrid for so long, I would return an empty vessel of a man, if even that, for a man without a heart was hardly a man at all.

And Astrid wholly and completely owned my heart.

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