Blind Redemption by Violetta Rand Read Free Book Online

demands without question.”
    Aaron grunted, withdrawing his knife. “I’m glad we’ve reached an understanding.” he said. “I expect to see your men assembled and ready to ride by sunrise.”
    “I’ll need an extra day to make preparations,” Erik added. “I’m going with you.”
    Aaron wiped his blade on his breeches, then sheathed it. Why would the jarl travel with him? “Perhaps we should speak alone.”
    Erik gestured for Aaron to follow him to his solar. The elder scratched his head. “Peace between pagans and Christians . . .” His deep-set eyes met Aaron’s. “You’re a dreamer. And a bloody Scotsman.”
    “My birth is of no importance. I follow orders.”
    “Aye.” Erik took a swig of wine from a cup on his desk. “I bear you no malice as a servant to the king. Olaf is methodical, and may be a capable ruler someday. Until the kingdom is at peace, I’ll be watching.”
    “Goddamnit, Erik.” The man was relentless—just when he believed things were reasonably settled. “How long will you seek to keep this kingdom divided? Men of influence should rally around Olaf. Whether you wear Thor’s hammer or the cross, that shouldn’t determine the country’s future—not now.”
    Erik’s heavy brows rose. “It matters greatly.”
    “To whom?”
    “The gods.”
    Aaron despised fear mongers. The war had crippled Norway, robbed the younger generation of hope. Only unity could heal this country. “Where are the gods now?” Aaron looked about the tent. “Who is here? Two men, flesh and bone and blood.”
    “And where is our young king? Sitting on his cushioned throne in Oslo. Instead of showing his face, he sends an outlander to convey his demands.”
    Aaron fisted his hands at his sides. Silence hovered between them. This was no longer a conversation, but a pissing match. Erik wanted to intimidate him, not support the crown. The old man despised Aaron’s past and would use it as leverage against him if he could. His mouth sagged in disappointment.
    “Remember my original thoughts, Jarl McNally? If I divulge your past to the young men outside, they’ll resist you.”
    “Aye.” Aaron couldn’t deny it. “But I’ll offer your bloody head on a pike as a deterrent for future disobedience if you do.”
    Men with extensive assets could afford to be critics. Erik’s title, wealth, and comitatus offered him protection . The boys Aaron recruited were vulnerable, easily manipulated by whatever politics dominated the moment.
    “Perhaps you will.” Erik gulped his wine like water. “All men, free or thrall, deserve truth. Your character will be revealed soon enough.”
    Infuriated by his sudden change in attitude, Aaron shook his head. “Is your disapproval solely based on my behavior with my cousin? If so, I was punished and have since repaid my debt. How can you judge me when you too are a deceiver?”
    Erik pounded his hands on the desk. “Dressing my daughter in armor to make a fool out of you doesn’t compare to your misdeeds.”
    “A liar is a liar—the sum of your flawed philosophy. Men can’t change, milord, isn’t that how you feel?”
    “My actions were meant to humiliate, not destroy you.”
    Aaron turned his back. Hatred had dominated his life four years ago. He’d been driven mad by it. Damn his past. “I cannot deny it.” He faced his accuser again. “You eagerly remind me of my faults. And I have no defense. All of it is true.”
    Erik seemed to be reassessing him. “Few men own their crimes so easily.”
    “Does it make any difference?”
    “Maybe.” Erik stood, then paced. “My daughter—”
    The thought of her made Aaron’s loins ache.
    “We need not discuss her.”
    “Why? She played a large part in my deception, as you call it.”
    “She’s blameless.”
    Erik blinked. “If you do not wish me to offer an explanation, what do you want from me?”
    “Nothing.”
    The look Erik gave him made him think the jarl didn’t believe him. “You scrutinize