Viking Passion (40 page)

He bent his head and kissed her. Enclosed in
their own private world, in the sweet rapture of that embrace,
neither of them noticed Eirena, standing in the open door of the
villa, watching them.

* * *

In late afternoon Eirena let Snorri into the
house.

“Leave your men outside,” she said. “That is
what we agreed upon.”

“And let your guards slaughter them?”

“So long as their swords remain in their
sheaths, my men will not strike.”

Snorri squinted at her, hating the strong
southern sunshine that bounced off the white walls of the villa and
hurt his eyes.

“I don’t like taking orders from women,” he
said.

“If you follow my plan, you will have what
you want,” Eirena told him. “Erik is here, and he is unarmed.”

“All right. You win. For now.” Snorri
motioned to his men to remain behind and followed Eirena into the
soothing dimness of the entrance hall.

Erik and Lenora were sitting in an upper room
that overlooked the Bosporus. They had been talking intently,
huddled over a brazier for warmth, and at first they did not notice
Snorri. Then Lenora gasped.

“A pretty sight,” Snorri drawled. “I thought
you would have tired of that wench by now, cripple.”

“You let him in, didn’t you, Eirena?”
Lenora’s face was white, her dark gray eyes wide. “Don’t you know
he wants to kill Erik?”

“No, he doesn’t.” Eirena was completely
assured. “He wants Erik to give him back the silver he stole from
their father, and he wants you. In return for my help, Erik is
mine.”

“You talk about Erik as though he were a bolt
of silk,” Lenora said contemptuously.

Eirena looked at Erik, who had risen from his
chair and now stood, halfway across the room from her, with an easy
grace that did not mask his readiness to deal with whatever
happened next. Eirena’s eyes lingered over every detail of Erik’s
body, while Snorri chuckled beside her.

“I want him,” Eirena said, her voice low and
throbbing with barely restrained passion, her painted face clearly
revealing the obsession that motivated her.

“I don’t think much of your choice in men,”
Snorri told her.

Eirena ignored him and spoke directly to
Erik. “Give Snorri the silver hoard you stole from your father,”
she said.

While Erik’s attention was focused on Eirena,
Snorri lunged at Lenora, catching her by the wrist. Lenora cried
out as he pulled her back against him, but ceased her struggles
when she felt Snorri’s sharp dagger pricking at her throat. The
rancid smell of his hot body nearly choked her. She thought she
would faint from terror.

“Let her go,” Erik demanded.

“Give me the silver.”

“Give me Lenora first.”

There followed a tense silence during which
Erik and Snorri faced each other across the brazier while Lenora
held her breath. Snorri’s muscular arm encircled her waist,
pressing her tightly against him. Her every nerve revolted at his
touch. She tried to pull away and she felt a trickle of blood as
his dagger pushed deeper into her throat.

There was something else, something worse
than the threat of having her throat cut. She could feel Snorri
rubbing himself against her with obvious, obscene intent. His hand
slid down across her abdomen and pushed her back harder against
him. Unable to control her reaction, she felt her stomach heave.
She retched, bending away from him.

Suddenly Snorri twisted her arm cruelly and
thrust her at Erik. Lenora stumbled and nearly fell against the
red-hot brazier. Erik caught her and steadied her.

“Tie them to the chairs,” Snorri ordered.

“What?” Eirena clearly had not expected
this.

“I said, tie them up, woman!” Snorri roared
at her.

“How?”

“With the cords from those draperies, idiot.
Put their arms behind them. Do it!”

Eirena, visibly shaken, bound Erik and Lenora
to two heavy wooden chairs while Snorri stood threatening them with
his sword. At last, satisfied the knots were secure, he poked at
Erik with the point of his sword.

“Now the silver, cripple. Where is it?”

“The silver is safe at Limfjord. Freydis has
it. Your long journey was for nothing, brother.”

“You lie.”

Erik shrugged beneath the cords holding him.
“Believe what you will, Snorri.”

Snorri looked at the brazier with a
reflective air.

“Perhaps a few hot coals applied to a
sensitive place will open your mouth.”

“No!” The cry was wrung from Lenora. “He’s
telling the truth. Don’t hurt him.”

“I do what I please,” Snorri told her. “You
there.” With his free hand, Snorri motioned to Eirena. “How many
bundles did he have when he arrived?”

“Erik came to my brother’s house with only
the clothes he wore and the two women,” Eirena said. “I believe he
has left the silver with Harald the merchant, or else buried it
somewhere.”

“You told me the silver was in this house.”
Snorri was growing angry.

“I told you Erik was here, and that he could
tell you where the silver is hidden.”

“I don’t like women lying to me.”

“I haven’t lied. I brought you to Erik.”

“And no silver.” Snorri regarded Eirena
thoughtfully. “Your brother is a wealthy man.”

“There is no gold in this house.”

“You are mistaken. There is a fortune here.
You.” Snorri walked around Eirena, appraising her in much the same
way she had looked at Erik earlier. “You don’t look like you’d give
a man much pleasure, but we’ll see about that later.”

“What are you going to do?” Eirena’s
carefully composed veneer had begun to crack in the face of
Snorri’s menacing attitude. Her voice trembled.

“I’ll hold you for ransom. Your rich brother
will pay well to get you back. In the meantime, you can share my
blanket.”

“This is treachery!” Eirena was outraged.

“You dare to speak of treachery?” Erik
accused her. “You let him in here, betraying me.”

“I wanted you for my own. I wanted to be rid
of Lenora.”

Erik’s voice was bitter. ”A woman of your
accomplishments should have known better than to trust Snorri.”

“I should have known better than to trust any
Norseman.”

“Be quiet, all of you,” Snorri growled,
brandishing his sword. “I could kill you right now, Erik, but I
have other plans for you. You will die slowly and painfully, and as
you die, you will watch me using your precious Lenora. I’ll have
her over and over again before your eyes, and you won’t be able to
do anything to stop me. Then I’ll give her to my men. If she’s
still alive when you die, she’ll join you soon enough.”

“You told me I could have Erik,” Eirena said
angrily. “You said you wouldn’t hurt him.”

“And you said my silver hoard was in this
house.”

Eirena stared at him, unable to speak for
rage.

“Now, woman,” Snorri went on, “you must call
off your guards so we can all leave here. And we will send a
message to your brother demanding gold for your release.”

“I won t do it.”

“Oh, you’ll do it.” Snorri advanced on Eirena
with a threatening gesture. She stood her ground.

“I have a better idea. We needn’t hurry,
Snorri.”

“I don’t trust you, woman.”

“I have never known a man with a beard.”
Eirena’s voice was suddenly seductive. She moved closer to Snorri.
“Must we leave at once?”

“What are you up to?” Snorri stepped back,
looking at her suspiciously.

Eirena laughed, spreading her arms wide as
though to prove she was no danger to the guarded man before
her.

“What could I, a tiny, helpless woman, do
against someone so large and strong as you?” she asked. “You
wondered whether I would give you pleasure. Let me show you how I
will receive you.”

“I don’t trust you,” Snorri repeated. “Get
away from me.”

“If you won’t touch me, how will you take me
to your bed?”

Snorri did not answer.

“You are so clever,” Eirena cooed. “You have
tricked us all. I admire cleverness in a man.”

“I am known for my crafty ways,” Snorri told
her, flattered in spite of his reservations about this devious
woman.

“I am sure you are. And you are so handsome,
too.”

Snorri pulled himself up, puffing out his
chest.

Eirena drew nearer. She put out her little
hand and stroked Snorri’s sword arm, and this time he did not draw
away from her.

“How strong you are, Snorri.” Her hand slid
up his arm, squeezing at his bulging biceps.

“Oh-h, Snorri.” Eirena’s voice was a
carefully modulated moan of naked desire. “How could I ever have
imagined I wanted Erik?”

Snorri grinned down at her, completely
distracted by her open admiration.

“I will show you the most intimate secrets of
Greek women,” Eirena promised,

“I’ll show you a few secrets too,” Snorri
told her.

Eirena’s small, claw-like left hand caressed
Snorri’s blond beard, then moved to tangle in his long hair.

“I have never kissed a bearded man.”

“Never kissed a man at all, I’ll wager.”

“You will be the first.”

“Good. I like virgins. They always
scream.”

“I promise to scream for you, my beautiful
Snorri.”

“I’ll see to it that you do.” Snorri grabbed
at Eirena’s hips, pulling her hard against the bulge that strained
at his breeches.

“Kiss me, Snorri,” she whispered.

He lowered his head and Eirena reached up to
him. Their lips met, as Lenora and Erik watched, frozen in
astonishment.

Lenora saw Eirena’s right hand slide between
the folds of her dress and emerge with a long, thin, wicked-looking
knife. She slid her arm around Snorri’s waist.

“Again, please,” she murmured, and Snorri
kissed her once more.

Eirena’s arm moved suddenly, like a snake
striking its victim, and her knife found its target between
Snorri’s ribs.

He knew something had happened, but he wasn’t
sure what. He released Eirena and staggered backward, staring at
her with disbelief in his rapidly glazing eyes. She stabbed him
again.

He tried to speak, but no sound came from his
lips. He raised his sword arm to strike her, but the sword slipped
out of his numb fingers and fell to the marble floor with a loud
clatter. It was the last sound Snorri ever heard.

He crashed face-forward onto the floor,
falling into the brazier and sending red-hot charcoal scattering
across the polished surface.

Lenora, gaping at the scene before her, heard
echoing through her mind the words of a long-ago prophecy:
“Treachery and double treachery ... death at the hands of a
woman.”

Eirena stepped back with a dainty little
movement, just in time to avoid having her gown splattered with
Snorri’s blood.

“Filth,” she muttered, wiping her mouth as if
to erase Snorri’s imprint. “How dirty he was. An evil-smelling
man.”

She turned to Erik and Lenora, still bound to
their chairs.

“I should kill you two and blame it on him,”
she said in a conversational tone.

“Release me, Eirena.” Erik’s voice was quiet
but commanding.

“Not yet.”

Eirena approached Erik, smiling. Suddenly she
sat on his lap, wound her arms around his neck, and kissed him. It
was a long kiss, and, on Eirena‘s part, a passionate one. At last
she drew away and smoothed down his hair. Her fingers traced the
outline of his mouth.

“That will take away part of the stain Snorri
put on me,” she said, “even though I finally know you don’t want
me. You never did.”

“Let me go.”

“Now I will.”

Eirena worked at the knots in the heavy cord
until Erik’s hands were free. Then, while he rubbed at his wrists,
she went to Lenora and loosened her ropes.

“Thank you,” Lenora said.

“Don’t thank me. Just go. I have had enough
of you Rus barbarians.”

Erik’s steel-strong hands caught Eirena by
the wrists.

“You betrayed me twice, Eirena. First to your
brother and then to Snorri. Now it’s time for you to pay.”

“What do you want of me?”

“Gold.”

Eirena bared her teeth in an angry
grimace.

“You Norse are all alike. All you think about
is gold.”

“Are you Greeks any different? We will go
away and you will never be bothered by us again, but we need money
for the trip.”

“I don’t have any gold.”

“Basil keeps money here. I want it.”

“No.”

Erik twisted her arm behind her back. Eirena
cried out in pain, and then screamed in real fear as she saw
Lenora.

Lenora had pounced on Snorri’s sword. Holding
it before her with both hands, she advanced toward Erik and
Eirena.

“You witch,” Lenora said slowly. “You
terrified Maura, and you were going to give me to that monster. I
should slice you into little pieces.”

“I did you a favor,” Eirena snarled back at
her. “I killed him for you.”

Lenora lowered the sword a bit.

“Yes, you did.” She looked at Erik. “Now only
you are left. You are the last unpunished member of the family on
whom I once swore vengeance.”

Erik thrust Eirena aside and stood still
before Lenora, his arms down at his sides.

“Kill me if you want,” he said. “It is your
right. Exact your revenge.”

“I – I – Erik?” The sword in Lenora’s hand
wavered. Did he truly believe she could want to harm him after all
they had endured together?

“I love you, Lenora. I did not want to, and I
have never said it before, but I do. I love you with all my heart
and soul. Now do what you will. I’ll not fight you.”

Lenora swayed, the weight of Snorri’s great
sword pulling at her. Her lips parted, but no words passed them.
Love
. He had said
love
. She cast the sword away, and
with it the last traces of old hatreds and the desire for
vengeance.