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.“In the garden, we were alone.I could’ve knocked you out and thrown you over my shoulder, then taken you back to the King.He would’ve spared me if I had.“But I didn’t.” He stepped closer to me, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body.“He told me what he’d do to me if I didn’t return you to him, but I couldn’t do it.”He lifted his other hand, so he held my face in his hands.His skin was warm against mine, and even if he wasn’t holding me, I wouldn’t have looked away.There was something in his eyes, a longing and warmth, that took my breath away.“Do you understand now?” Loki asked, his voice husky.“I would do it again for you, Wendy.I would go through hell and back for you.Even knowing how much you hate me right now.”I was so caught up in the moment I didn’t even notice how close the passing SUV had gotten until it squealed to a stop next to us, nearly hitting our Cadillac.Loki moved toward me, and Tove jumped out of the driver’s seat.Finn ran around the car and charged at Loki.FOURTEENconfrontationFinn punched Loki in the face, and Loki raised his fist like he meant to strike back.That wouldn’t have been so bad, except Loki was about fifty times stronger than Finn and would bust his face in.“Loki!” I yelled.“Don’t you dare hit him!”“You are so lucky.” Loki glared at Finn and wiped the blood from his nose.“What the hell were you doing?” Finn shouted at him.“What’s wrong with you? You had no right to take her anywhere!”“Finn,” Tove said.“Stop.Calm down.She’s fine.”Duncan and Willa climbed out of the backseat of the SUV, and my heart sank.Loki had been right.They had been part of the rescue mission too, and if we’d left Ondarike an hour later, Duncan, Willa, Tove, and Finn would all be dead.“Like this was my idea!” Loki yelled back at Finn.“She’s the Princess.She commanded, and I obeyed!”“You don’t obey a suicide mission!” Finn shouted.“It wasn’t a suicide mission,” I said, loud enough to be heard over their yelling.They stood in front of the Cadillac, staring at each other, and, strangely, I was grateful that Loki was so much stronger than Finn.If they were equally matched, Loki probably wouldn’t hold back, and there would be a hell of a fistfight.“Are you okay?” Willa asked, walking over to me.“Why are you on the side of the road?” Duncan asked.“I needed fresh air,” I said.“Everything’s fine.I got the Vittra to back off until I’m Queen.They won’t attack any of us, no matter where we are.”“What the hell did you agree to?” Finn asked, breaking his icy stare-down with Loki to look at me.“It doesn’t matter,” I said.“We’ll stop them before it comes to that.”“Wendy.” Finn sighed and shook his head, then turned back to Loki.“And you, Markis, I lost any respect I had for you.”“She was going to go whether I went with her or not,” Loki said.“I thought it would be better if she didn’t go alone.”“She shouldn’t have gone at all!” Finn yelled.“Yes, I should have!” I shouted at him.“If I hadn’t, the Vittra would still be killing our people.I bought us more time, and I saved lives.That is my job, Finn.I did what I had to do, and I would do it again.”“You didn’t have to do it like this,” Finn said.“It doesn’t matter,” I said.“It’s done.Now I’ve had a very long day, and I would just like to go home.”“Come on, Wendy.” Willa put her arm around me.“Duncan, would you mind riding with Loki?” Tove asked.“I’d like to talk to my wife.”Duncan nodded.“Yeah, sure.”Willa led me around the SUV, and I glanced back over my shoulder at Loki.He was still standing in the road, watching me walk away.Something in his eyes broke my heart, and I looked away from him.I climbed into the SUV, and Willa got in the seat behind me.Finn stayed outside, and it looked like he wanted to say something to Loki, but Tove sent him to the car.When he climbed in back next to Willa, Finn was still seething and glared out the window.Tove stayed outside a bit longer, talking to Loki, and I wished I could read lips.“What were you thinking, Wendy?” Finn asked, barely restraining the anger in his voice.“I did what was best for the kingdom,” I said simply.“Isn’t that what you always told me to do?”“Not at your own peril,” Finn said.I looked in the rearview mirror so I could meet his eyes.“You’ve told me over and over again that I shouldn’t make decisions because of you.That I should think of the greater good of the kingdom.You were right, but this isn’t about me either.”“I’m glad you’re safe,” Willa said, breaking the tension.“And I know that you’re badass and all that, but you don’t have to do this alone.You could’ve asked for help.”“I had help,” I said, watching Loki out the car window.“Loki was with me.”Finn scoffed at that, but at least he didn’t say anything.Outside, I saw Loki nod and get in the driver’s side of the car [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]