Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 163(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 163(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Placing his cock back inside his pants, he said, “Very good, my queen. I think you have earned yourself a warm meal…something besides just the warmth of my seed,” he said with a wink and devilish grin. He then reached out and stroked my hair in a loving fashion. It reminded me of how I would stroke Hrafn who still sat on the windowsill watching. I just hoped that with the angle, and the bed blocking some of his view, he was not able to truly see how Sigmun had debased my mouth.
Sigmun stood up and walked over to the fire to stoke it. “Regin will be here later with your meal. Consider this a small reprieve, my queen. We will not be through with you until you tell us what we want to know.”
I remained kneeling until Sigmun had left the room. The moment the door closed behind him, I stood and walked over to the window. Opening it up, I spoke before Hrafn could. I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say anyway. “I have a mission for you, Hrafn. You must be fast. Go retrieve these items for me at once. A bite of Snow’s apple, water from the hot spring, soil from my mother’s grave, and fur from the enchanted wolves.” When Hrafn didn’t leave right away, I hissed between my teeth, “Go! Hurry, before it’s too late.”
CHAPTER 6
Over the whistling of the wind outside I could hear the slight, hesitant scrape against the windowpane. Sparing a glance at my bedchamber door, I crept off the bed. Giving my leg a shake to straighten the heavy iron manacle around my ankle, I bent to lift the chain. It wouldn’t do for one of the men to hear it drag along the stone floor. Stepping to the window ledge, I undid the latch, bracing myself for the blast of frigid air. A dark shape flew over my shoulder into the room. Landing on the mantle above the lit fireplace, Hrafn gave his feathers a shake, sending small ice crystals floating to the floor.
“Did you get what I asked for?”
Twitching his head to the side, he made a clicking sound with his beak. “Have I ever failed, my queen?”
Smiling, I stroked my warm hand down his chilled, sleek back. “No, my pet.”
I carefully untied the scarlet ribbon around his leg which held a brown suede pouch.
“I nearly lost my tail getting the tuft of wolf’s fur. Did you know they have a new mate?”
I nodded. “I believe she is called Red.”
“Vicious little thing. You would think she was the one supposed to protect the wolves instead of the other way around. She launched rocks at me when she caught me in their den.”
“Yes, I hear she is very protective of them and that she is with child. Perhaps it is time to return the dark force to the time of the ancients.”
Hrafn fluffed his feathers as his claws tapped the mantle. “Is my queen softening?”
I bristled. It was true my time spent as a mortal had enlightened me to the powerful sensations that one could experience when feeling both pleasure and pain. That I learned it was both exhilarating and frustrating to be forced to submit to one of superior strength. Still, I resented the idea that it was making me weak.
“Nothing of the sort. I merely meant that if the wolves have time to fuck and create a spawn then perhaps the dark force is no longer powerful enough to keep them occupied.”
Hrafn made another clucking sound with his beak.
“Stop that,” I snapped, annoyed he knew me so well. Turning my back on him, I reached into the bag. Seeing that all was as it should be, I returned to Hrafn.
“You have done well, my pet. Now go back to the forest where it is safe. I will join you as soon as I can.”
“Can I not wait here with you?”
“No. I don’t want to risk them seeing you. Now do as I command.” I opened the window and gestured for him to leave.
With a bow of his shiny black head, Hrafn obeyed.
As soon as he was gone, I walked back to the fire, giving my chain an irritated yank as it pulled tight. It was no matter. As soon as my powers returned, I would make short work of my shackles.
Kneeling before the fire, I used the tip of my finger to trace an intricate symbol in the scattered ashes. Soon the swirls and slashes began to take shape.
“Hear me now, oh ancient ones. I call upon the spirit of the forests to free one of your own.”
I tossed the soil taken from the grave of my mother into the fire.
The flames turned from a bright orange to a weak, milky green.
“Hear me now, oh ancient ones. I call upon the spirit of the forests to free one of your own.”