A Flame Put Out Read Online Free Page A

Irishmen I would grant them the gift of their lives, which is more than they should hope for after such treachery. If your brother does not make it to Ireland safely, I will find and kill every one of those men, and I will take their women as my thralls. This was my vow.”
    She shuddered, knowing the threat was not exaggerated. “Why did Ingrid scream?” she asked.
    Alrik glared at her for several moments. “Because she knows I will never allow Ainnileas to have her. I swore on Odin’s blood if your brother or any one of those Irishmen sets foot upon Norse soil, it will be the last step they will ever take. I will not show mercy a second time to those who would steal from me.”
    Selia drew her breath in sharply as realization dawned on her. So this was it, then. She would never see her brother again. She felt a sense of lightheadedness that had nothing to do with the child growing in her belly, and she moved away from Alrik to steady herself on the edge of the table.
    Although he had said earlier he would not allow Ainnileas to return to Norway if he helped him, she had assumed Alrik’s statement was simply a product of his anger, and that when it burned off she would be able to reason with him. But no, this was final. Her husband was furious that his honor had been compromised, and he would never forget nor forgive.
    Ainnileas, her twin, her once-constant companion, would very soon be on the Irish ship sailing away from Norway. Forever. She had not even said a proper goodbye, and now would never be able to. The bitter words they had exchanged when she departed from Ulfrik’s house clawed at her mind, refusing to be pushed away.
    A suffocating panic rose inside her and she had difficulty forming the Norse words. “I did not get to tell Ainnileas goodbye—”
    “No, Selia,” he growled, as if he already understood what she was about to ask.
    “Alrik! If you are to keep him from returning to Norway, I must go to him. I must see him one last time. He is my brother. He is my twin.” Selia sank onto the chair, forcing air into her lungs. Breathe.
    He studied her for a moment, his expression fierce. “Why should I do this? Tell me why I should let you see that traitorous boy. A boy who deserves nothing from me other than a blade through his belly.”
    “Because there is good in you,” she pleaded. “And because you love me.”
    Alrik took a very long time to respond. He looked away, and when he turned back to her his face was shuttered. “If I take you, then this will be the end of it,” he vowed. “You will never ask me to reconsider. Ever. Understood?”
    “Yes,” she whispered.
    The trip that had taken Selia so long by foot was made much faster by horse. Alrik had asked Olaf to accompany them in case the Irishmen decided to try to take her after all, despite his grim threats.
    She rode in front of Alrik as they galloped at full speed, the horses churning up clumps of dirt with their hooves. She gripped the saddle with white knuckles as the wind forced tears from her eyes. The power of the animal beneath her was terrifying, and she was grateful for Alrik’s strong arm holding her tightly to his body. But even traveling at such a breakneck speed, there was a good chance they wouldn’t make it in time and would arrive to find an empty house. The ship could travel much faster than the horses.
    As they drew near the dwelling, she saw another horse tied to a tree. It danced with a nervous whinny as they approached. Selia’s stomach tightened. Was it Ulfrik’s horse? She had assumed he had gone back to Ketill’s farmstead after she had refused him. Why would he have stayed here? And more importantly, what was she going to do when she saw him?
    Alrik reined the horse, then dismounted, turning to lift Selia down as well. She rushed to the edge of the cliff, leaving the men to tie the horses to the tree, and let her breath out as she saw the Irish ship. The fact that the Irishmen were sailing through unfamiliar