His perfectly arched brow confirmed that thought.
“That’s ridiculous,” she chuckled. “I would never.”
“Good, because men of the Northlands don’t sleep around.” Magni’s eyes pinned me with his last words and I cringed.
“I’m just floored that people still marry in the Northlands. That’s so strange.”
“Of course we marry.” Magni lowered his brows. “Would you like to get married? We could have a tournament and you could choose your own husband.”
“That…” Kya swung her eyes to me silently asking a thousand questions. “Sounds very tempting, but I’m a teacher and we don’t really do that sort of thing.”
What an odd thing to say. No one did that sort of thing in the Motherlands, but I didn’t blame her for coming up with a polite excuse on the spot – weak or not.
Magni blew out a breath. “What a shame. You’re a beautiful woman and so exotic with your looks. Men would have fought bravely to secure your hand in marriage.”
“Really?” Kya glanced at me and Boulder standing closely together. “This is crazy,” she whispered. “I can’t believe you married him and didn’t tell me.”
“How do you tell something like that?” I asked her softly.
“Christina, have you seen Laura?” Magni asked sharply.
“No, I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen her.”
Disappointment filled his blue eyes.
“Laura, wait, I’ve heard of her,” Kya said. “Who is she again?”
“My wife,” Magni said shortly while I reminded her.
“The woman I met who decided to come here… you know, martial arts.” My eyes bulged in my attempt to signal that it was a sensitive subject and now wasn’t a good time.
“We need to go,” Boulder said. “Get dressed and pack what you need. Our ride is waiting outside.”
The men stepped outside my bedroom and Kya helped me fill a bag while I quickly pulled on my favorite sweater and pants.
“I’ll miss you so much,” I told Kya and hugged her fiercely.
“Will this be the last time I see you?” she asked, her voice choked up with emotions.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “But if it is, I want you to know that I love you.”
“I love you too.” She sniffled, those adorable expressive doe eyes full of tears.
“Be careful,” she whispered when I opened the door. “And call me if you can.”
“I will, sister,” I said giving her the highest compliment a woman could give another.
“Sister,” she whispered back, shoulders bobbing from suppressed sobbing.
Magni and Boulder had the grace not to say anything. They kept quiet as we ran down the stairs and didn’t introduce me to the two men waiting by the drone parked on the street. Instead Boulder followed me to the back seat and placed me in his lap, folding his arms protectively around me and kissing me on my hair.
I could have told him the drone wouldn’t take off with me in his lap. I needed to be in my own seat, safely buckled in.
One of the men turned and told Boulder that the system had detected an unsafe passenger and that I needed to be next to him instead of on top of him. Boulder told him in Northland style what he thought of that stupid rule.
CHAPTER 34
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