Page 91 of Come the Morning

“Again, I say, it was Vikings who attacked.”

“Vikings are not all one people, they are not one happy set of countrymen!” she reminded him angrily.

“Pity, no one of the enemy survived to tell us from where they had come.”

“I’m not the one who slaughtered them,” she reminded him.

He shrugged.

To her surprise, she took a step toward him. “Daro did not do this. Daro would not do this!” she said angrily.

“I did not accuse Daro.”

“You accused me.”

His brow shot up. “You think that I should trust you?” he demanded.

She hesitated, and he could see her effort to control her temper. “When I thought I could escape you, no. But I do find this prize worth the effort. It is my home. These are my people. I love them. I depend on them, and they depend on me. To me, it is everything. I find this prize well worth every effort, even if you don’t.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t find it worth the effort.”

“You said—”

“I’ve yet to really explore the whole of the prize,” he told her pointedly, and he bowed to her and started to exit the room.

“Waryk,” she said, rushing forward to stop him.

She touched his arm, coming before him, then quickly withdrew her hand. He paused, staring down at her. She waved a hand around, indicating the room. “I’ve never slept here. These were my father’s rooms. They are quite well decorated with his weaponry. Since you don’t trust me, perhaps you’d be happier if I kept my own chambers, they are just opposite from here, facing the courtyard rather than the sea—”

“Your father is dead, Mellyora,” he said. “And you may honor his memory, but this is the king’s fortress and not a shrine.”

“I didn’t intend to make it a shrine—”

“You’re the lady of the castle. You’ll sleep here.”

“And where will you sleep, Laird Lion?”

“Milady, I will sleep here.”

“Will you? But do you dare? Have you decided that you can trust my past?”

She was taunting him, he thought. Her eyes were bright, challenging, touched with a humorous fire. Pity he was so damned determined. He was tempted to sweep her up and see how quickly her good humor faded if he chose to act like hersaintedfather then and there.

But he smiled at her, shrugging as if the nights were of no difference to him. “Fine, my lady, I will sleep wherever I choose.”

He pushed her aside and exited the room, slamming the door.

In the great hall, he found Phagin, Angus, and Ewan seated at a huge carved table. A fire burned in the hearth, and wine had been served. He helped himself to a chalice of the wine and took a seat at the head of the table. He looked from Phagin to Ewan. “No one knows from where this attack came?” he demanded.

“Nay, Laird Waryk. They came from out of the clouds. I told you, we’ve not seen a Viking attack in years and years. What Viking would come against Adin?”

“But they were Vikings,” Phagin said, and sounded distressed.

“Aye, that they were,” Waryk agreed.

“Mercenaries, perhaps …” Ewan suggested, looking puzzled.

“Maybe it isn’t so strange,” Phagin said. “While Adin lived, Vikings would not attack.”