Page 31 of A Curse Carved in Bone
The huldra loomed over me, eyes glowing with a deadly light. I reached desperately and caught hold of my shield, gasping Hlin’s name just before its hooves slammed against the glowing surface.
The huldra exploded backward and landed heavily in the brush. If the beast was injured, it didn’t show it as it clambered upright. But I’d gained enough time to snatch up my sword from where it had fallen in the water.
Back and forth we warred, and for all my magic, my strength faltered.
The wolves kept up their attacks, biting and tripping the creature.
Knock it down,I willed them, and as though they could hear my thoughts, they flung themselves at the huldra’s legs.
It stumbled and fell. Blocking a swipe from its tail, I let go of my shield to lift my sword. With two hands, I brought the blade down as hard as I could.
Severing the neck.
The head rolled toward me to stop near my feet. Teeth gnashed and an awful scream exited from between its fangs. The headless body staggered upright, lashing out at me as though it could yet see out of its awful eyes.
I did not know how to kill it. Didn’t know how to put down something that grew back all its parts. That could fight on even with its head severed.
Snatching up my shield, I braced for an attack, wondering if it might be better to run. Better to race downstream and pull Bjorn from the water before he was lost tome.
Knock it down, then run.
Bracing, I stepped into the huldra’s wild swings. The impact of it striking my magic caused it to soar backward—
And a flaming axe exploded through its chest.
Like the driest of tinder, the huldra burst into flame, dancing and screaming. A macabre parody of how it had tried to seduce Bjorn.
Then it dropped to the ground and exploded into ash.
Bjorn stood on the far side of the stream, breathing hard, his hair loose and dripping river water. He was also naked as the day he was born, every inch of hard muscle and tattooed skin illuminated by the light of my shield.
I love her.
His words to the huldra filled my head, and with a curse, I vanquished my magic.
Darkness fell, rendering Bjorn and his muscles just a solid shadow in the night. “You’re an idiot!” I shouted. “You’re the one who is supposed to know the ways of these wilds, but you allowed yourself to almost be seduced by a monster that was half cow and half tree!”
Almost.
“In my defense, she did not look like that at first,” he said, and though I couldn’t see his face in the dark, I couldfeelhis grin.
“She had a cow’s tail, you arse!” I shrieked. “Or could you not see beyond her massive breasts?”
“There is only one woman I cannot see beyond, and it is not the huldra.”
I only want her. Only Freya.
I made a rude noise because I didn’t trust what I might say. Spinning on my heel, I stumbled up the riverbank. Not wanting to risk another look at his bare skin, I did not use magic to light my way and only found the path leading back up to camp when I tripped over Bjorn’s boots and nearly fell face-first into the dirt.
I followed the faint glow of the dying campfire, adding more wood to it immediately and holding my hands over the flames, as they were icy despite my exertion. My heart hammered, my stomach a twist of panic and anger, but when Bjorn appeared, he had a faint smile on his face.
“What have you to be happy about?” I demanded.
“You saved my life, Born-in-Fire,” he said. “Which was only possible because you were worried enough about me to come looking.”
“Do not flatter yourself.” I fussed with my bedroll knowing that the rush of blood in my veins would give me little sleep tonight. “I saved you because I do not know the way to your mother’s home. If you had died, I would have had to go back to tell Harald that his beloved son was killed because he let his cock do his thinking. Then I’d have to wait for him to bring me to your mother, to whom I’d have to relay the same story. I was merely sparing myself.”
“Of course.” He hooked his thumbs on his belt. “How foolish of me to think it might be residual sentiment.”
