Odin's Shadow (Sons Of Odin Book 1) (9th Century Viking Romance) by Erin S. Riley Page B
Authors: Erin S. Riley
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Adult, Historical Romance, Brothers, Ireland, secrets, Norway, Viking, 9th Century, Viking Ship, Hasty Marriage, Irish Bride, Viking Warlord Husband
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who he had married. The bigger question was what he would do about it now that he knew. Ulfrik knelt to run his hand over the spot Alrik indicated. There, hidden by Selia's hair, was a small but unmistakable divot in the bone of her skull. He parted her hair, seeking the area in question, and revealed an old, thickened scar.
Alrik's face drained of color as he met his brother's gaze over Selia's head. He thrust Selia's limp body into Ulfrik's arms, then stood as if he had been burned. "No," he whispered.
Ulfrik was careful to keep his face neutral, but his brother’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did you know this?” Alrik demanded.
Ulfrik looked down at Selia as the drizzling rain pattered against her skin. He leaned over her slightly, trying to keep her dry with his body. "I suspected, yes."
"You suspected." Alrik's voice rose in timbre. "But you didn't think to share your suspicions with me?"
"You had already married her. What was I to do?"
"Did you tell her?"
"Of course not."
Alrik grunted, unconvinced. "Why else would she have run?"
Ulfrik stared at him for several seconds. "Why else. Why else, Alrik. You don't think you've given her any other reason to be afraid of you?"
Alrik swallowed as he reached out to brush a muddy lock of hair from Selia's forehead. "Those eyes . . . I should have known her from her eyes. I kept thinking there was something familiar about her."
Ulfrik again kept his face expressionless. "What are you going to do?"
Alrik didn't answer immediately. "When we saw her in Dubhlinn I knew I had to have her. There was something about her that drew me. Now I know she came back to me for a reason."
"A reason?"
"She is meant for me. She is a gift from Odin. He has placed her in my path twice."
Ulfrik turned the thought over in his mind. His brother was not known to have pangs of conscience, so it was doubtful this was his guilt speaking. But Alrik had never been one to think deeply about spiritual matters. To claim divine intervention in meeting Selia again was almost as out of character as the guilty conscience would be.
Selia moaned. Ulfrik shifted her, and her head rolled and settled against his chest. She weighed nothing in his arms, like a child, yet there seemed a strength to this girl that defied her size. The blow to her head that had caused the dent in her skull should have killed her. The fall from the embankment and a second head wound, not to mention lying insensate in the cold rain for hours, should have killed her. And yet she lived.
But truly, how long would she last as Alrik's wife? How long would it be before he snapped again?
Ulfrik's memories of his father were fraught with Ragnarr's delusions and paranoia, and his eventual descent into madness. At the end, his ranting had taken a decidedly religious turn. It would be dangerous to encourage this line of thinking in his brother, but what other way was there to keep Selia from getting hurt?
Ulfrik chose his words with care. "I think you're right." The quickest way to appease Alrik was to let him think you were agreeing with him. "Odin is testing you."
Alrik drew his brows together in a scowl.
"Odin gave you a second chance. Why else would she have survived that?" Ulfrik motioned to Selia's head.
As Alrik studied his wife, Ulfrik moved in for the kill. "If you keep Odin's gift safe you'll prove yourself worthy of his favor."
Alrik reached his arms out for her, and Ulfrik transferred Selia's limp body back to his brother. Little bird. He had done all he could for her. For now.
He turned to go but Alrik called out to him.
"Wait. Swear to me you'll never tell her," Alrik commanded.
Ulfrik met his brother's gaze and nodded, but it wasn't enough for Alrik. " Swear it, right now."
He hesitated, and Alrik's face grew hard. "This is not the time to defy me, Ulfrik. Swear it or I'll run Muirin through the second we step off the ship."
It was all Ulfrik could do to maintain his mask of impassivity. He breathed through his
Alrik's face drained of color as he met his brother's gaze over Selia's head. He thrust Selia's limp body into Ulfrik's arms, then stood as if he had been burned. "No," he whispered.
Ulfrik was careful to keep his face neutral, but his brother’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did you know this?” Alrik demanded.
Ulfrik looked down at Selia as the drizzling rain pattered against her skin. He leaned over her slightly, trying to keep her dry with his body. "I suspected, yes."
"You suspected." Alrik's voice rose in timbre. "But you didn't think to share your suspicions with me?"
"You had already married her. What was I to do?"
"Did you tell her?"
"Of course not."
Alrik grunted, unconvinced. "Why else would she have run?"
Ulfrik stared at him for several seconds. "Why else. Why else, Alrik. You don't think you've given her any other reason to be afraid of you?"
Alrik swallowed as he reached out to brush a muddy lock of hair from Selia's forehead. "Those eyes . . . I should have known her from her eyes. I kept thinking there was something familiar about her."
Ulfrik again kept his face expressionless. "What are you going to do?"
Alrik didn't answer immediately. "When we saw her in Dubhlinn I knew I had to have her. There was something about her that drew me. Now I know she came back to me for a reason."
"A reason?"
"She is meant for me. She is a gift from Odin. He has placed her in my path twice."
Ulfrik turned the thought over in his mind. His brother was not known to have pangs of conscience, so it was doubtful this was his guilt speaking. But Alrik had never been one to think deeply about spiritual matters. To claim divine intervention in meeting Selia again was almost as out of character as the guilty conscience would be.
Selia moaned. Ulfrik shifted her, and her head rolled and settled against his chest. She weighed nothing in his arms, like a child, yet there seemed a strength to this girl that defied her size. The blow to her head that had caused the dent in her skull should have killed her. The fall from the embankment and a second head wound, not to mention lying insensate in the cold rain for hours, should have killed her. And yet she lived.
But truly, how long would she last as Alrik's wife? How long would it be before he snapped again?
Ulfrik's memories of his father were fraught with Ragnarr's delusions and paranoia, and his eventual descent into madness. At the end, his ranting had taken a decidedly religious turn. It would be dangerous to encourage this line of thinking in his brother, but what other way was there to keep Selia from getting hurt?
Ulfrik chose his words with care. "I think you're right." The quickest way to appease Alrik was to let him think you were agreeing with him. "Odin is testing you."
Alrik drew his brows together in a scowl.
"Odin gave you a second chance. Why else would she have survived that?" Ulfrik motioned to Selia's head.
As Alrik studied his wife, Ulfrik moved in for the kill. "If you keep Odin's gift safe you'll prove yourself worthy of his favor."
Alrik reached his arms out for her, and Ulfrik transferred Selia's limp body back to his brother. Little bird. He had done all he could for her. For now.
He turned to go but Alrik called out to him.
"Wait. Swear to me you'll never tell her," Alrik commanded.
Ulfrik met his brother's gaze and nodded, but it wasn't enough for Alrik. " Swear it, right now."
He hesitated, and Alrik's face grew hard. "This is not the time to defy me, Ulfrik. Swear it or I'll run Muirin through the second we step off the ship."
It was all Ulfrik could do to maintain his mask of impassivity. He breathed through his
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