Free Oath Breaker (Sons of Odin Book 3) by Erin S. Riley Page B

Bahati pressed on. “I think you do care for this Northman. I think it frightens you.”
    Selia gestured with an impatient hand. Bahati knew nothing. She imagined tender feelings where none existed.
    Bahati set the pails of milk next to her on the ground, favoring Selia with her penetrating gaze. Selia had been surprised to discover Bahati was only eighteen, and not simply because she had a five year-old daughter. The woman’s enigmatic eyes seemed ancient; wise beyond her years.
    “Did he tell you Oengul dipped him in the water?”
    Selia drew her brows together. “I don’t know what you mean, Bahati.”
    “The water of the Christ god. He dipped the Northman in it.”
    Realization dawned on Selia as another wave of queasiness hit her hard. “Ulfrik was baptized?” she whispered.
    Bahati nodded. “Oengul did not want a Norse dog on the island. Your Ulfrik said he would be dipped in the water if he could stay.”
    “Oh.” Selia released a breath. So it had nothing to do with her. He’d just wanted Father Oengul to trust him.
    “He said there was another reason. So he could one day marry you.”
    Years before, Ainnileas had been set to marry her off to Ulfrik in return for enough silver to get them home to Ireland. No matter that she was already married to his brother; Ainnileas had always asserted the marriage hadn’t been legitimate since Alrik wasn’t baptized. And he’d vowed Ulfrik’s willingness to be baptized to ensure the legitimacy of his marriage to Selia.
    But what did Ainnileas know? He followed the rules he liked and ignored the rest, as he’d done his entire life.
    Before she could answer Bahati, a shadow darkened the doorway. Faolan. Selia turned to her son with relief. “Good morning,” she said as he approached, his face still flushed with sleep. “Did Eithne send you to fetch me? I’m sure she’s wondering why I haven’t brought the milk.”
    “Yes, Mother,” Faolan nodded with a yawn, holding his hand out for the pail. Selia didn’t give it over, instead studying the small figure of her son.
    He and Geirr had stopped calling her Mamai after coming to the island. It seemed as if they grew in fits and spurts, without warning. Growing away from her. It surprised Selia how much the switch to the more formal mode of address hurt, reminding her in a way of how it had felt when Faolan weaned himself from her breast. One day he’d been nursing happily, twirling a lock of her hair around his chubby finger, and the next he was finished.
    It seemed to Selia she would awaken some future morning to find her little boys suddenly replaced by grown men. The impermanence of them as children gave her such a feeling of melancholy.
    But she smiled at Faolan now as she rose with the pail. “Well, I’m off to the cave with the milk. You can go fishing with Geirr and Ingrid, if you like. Are they awake yet?”
    Ingrid and Ainnileas had taken to sneaking off late at night to be alone in the woods together, obviously finding the lack of privacy in the cave to be a damper on their passion. But this meant Ingrid slept even later than usual in the mornings, and was even less helpful when she finally arose from her pallet.
    Faolan scowled. “Ulfrik took the boat out by himself. He said we couldn’t come today.”
    “Oh.” Selia averted her gaze from Bahati’s knowing stare.
    There was a fine breeze this morning but Ulfrik kept the sail lowered, preferring to row the small boat instead. He needed to burn off the restlessness that paced inside him, swirling his mind and body into turmoil.
    It had been a long time since he’d been this close to eruption, and the thought of losing control was frightening. Selia and her boys had run from a man who couldn’t control himself. Ulfrik couldn’t let them see that the man they had run to was nearly as volatile. So he’d taken the boat out, ensuring he could be completely alone until he calmed.
    He was furious with Selia for offering herself to him like a common