by Shea Balik
The kiss that followed had Logan rethinking the need to talk to the others. After all, Samhain wasn’t for another couple of weeks.
“I’m sorry, Logan, but I have to know,” Cullen sat huddled so close to Ulf, he might as well have been on the man’s lap. “Did you heal Kyleigh?” His eyes were wide as saucers and his hands were linked so tightly with one of Ulf’s, Logan was surprised he hadn’t cut off all circulation.
That really wasn’t something he wanted to answer. At the same time, he understood their concern. “Have you talked to her since…” Logan didn’t finish the sentence, but he figured he didn’t really need to.
Cullen and Ulf both nodded. “Yeah, she spoke right after, but she also came down for lunch for about an hour before going back up to her room.”
Tears shimmered in Cullen’s eyes but he blinked them back. “She didn’t come down for dinner, but she did take the food I brought up to her and even had a small conversation.” Cullen’s gaze went to Ulf’s as if silently pleading for help.
“What Cullen is trying to say is, we can’t tell if she’s better or not.” Logan had learned that Ulf tended to speak plainly instead of skirting around the issue, which he proved in the next sentence. “I mean, at least she’s not talking about killing herself for that scumbag Omri, but does that mean she won’t, or should one of us stay in her room to be sure she doesn’t try anything?”
Can’t have been more clear than that in Logan’s book. “Honestly? I can’t tell you if she is going to try and hurt herself or not.” He hated that he didn’t know, but Logan also wasn’t about to lie. Kyleigh still needed a lot of support if she was going to heal.
When Cullen’s glance went to the stairs that led to the second floor and all of their rooms, Logan knew he needed to be completely honest. “That said, she did make progress.” At least Omri didn’t have claws attached to her brain at this point. “But because she hasn’t dealt with the guilt she feels regarding her parents’ death, as well as some of her outbursts since then, Omri’s magic still has a foothold over her.”
He would have loved to have kicked the asshole’s residual enthrallment out for good, but only Kyleigh would be able to do that. “She is going to need therapy.” He held up his hand when several people started to object. “I get it. The last one didn’t work out, but that doesn’t negate the fact that Kyleigh needs someone to talk to who can help her with her emotions.”
When several of the men sitting around the large living room were still scowling as if that was terrible idea, Logan played his last card when it came to Kyleigh. “Until she is able to overcome her guilt, Omri will always be there in her head, waiting for the perfect opportunity to take over.”
Having given his opinion, which was all he could do, Logan held on a little tighter to Brandr’s hand. He loved that Brandr pulled him a bit closer with his other arm, as if he knew just how much Logan needed his strength at the moment.
“Now,” Logan said. “The reason I had Brandr call this meeting was what I found out while I was in Kyleigh’s head.”
“Wait a minute,” Ulf started to demand, but Logan stopped him.
“This isn’t directly about Kyleigh,” he told them. “It’s about Omri, or, more importantly, the magic of the Fae. The same magic that was used to create the Veil in the first place.”
The room went eerily silent as all eyes were on Logan.
“There was a reason why Aed hadn’t been able to seal the Veil.” Logan barely got the words out when the room erupted with most of the inhabitants speaking at once.
But it was Brandr’s voice Logan was able to pick out above all the others. “According to Aed, we were that reason. It’s why we were cursed.”
Logan’s heart ached at the thought of these eight Viking men, mere boys at the time, blamed for something Aed had gotten wrong all along. “Obviously, I have no idea if the raid would have made a difference as far as the ritual was concerned, but the fact was, the ritual wasn’t enough.”
Once more they all started to talk over each other as questions and demands were directed at Logan. Unable to keep up with them all, Logan decided the only way to get through this was to just tell what he knew. If there were any more questions at the end, they could ask then.
“Look,” he said loud enough to be heard over the din. “I get that you all have things you want to know, but how about you let me tell you what I learned before you start interrogating me.”
It wasn’t until everyone was silent once again that Logan started to speak. He wasn’t about to have to shout to be heard, after all. Either they wanted to know what he’d discovered, or they didn’t.
For him, the biggest concern was where to start. “I’m going to start at the beginning. It will mean stating some things that don’t exactly pertain to sealing the Veil, but I still feel they are important.”
Several of the men nodded, others just continued to stare at him expectantly. Taking a breath, Logan began telling them what he’d found.
“When I first entered Kyleigh’s mind, there were several factors that became clear. First of all, Omri, which I’m assuming includes all the Fae, uses our own fears in the enthrallment to keep us under their control.” He hadn’t really expected anyone to interrupt yet, but that’s exactly what happened.
All the Vikings spoke up about that being impossible. “I’m immortal,” Arne said the most loudly. “What the fuck do I have to be afraid of?”
Logan’s gaze flicked to Dermot, who was equally objecting but stopped when he noticed Logan pointedly looking at him. “Oh, come on,” Dermot said. “I’m immortal, too,” he stated as if that made all the difference in the world. “It’s not like Arne has to worry about my dying, so why would I be his fear?”
Instead of speaking, Logan glanced back at Arne and waited.
A soft blush, as well as a mumbled curse were Arne’s first responses. “Just because you’re immortal doesn’t mean you can’t be hurt.” Then Arne waved his hand toward the second floor. “And Gillie isn’t immortal. Let’s face it, if anything happened to him, you’d be…” Arne sighed as if he just couldn’t finish that incomplete truth. “We’d be devastated.”
“Okay,” Bjorn said. “I get that they have the fear of losing Gillie, but Kegan and I don’t have that problem. We’re both immortal, yet that son of a bitch managed to enthrall us.”
It was like talking to a wall when he mentioned fear. None of them wanted to admit that could be something that was real. It was as if the fact that they were Vikings and immortal made it impossible for something like being afraid to control them.
“Really?” Logan asked. “Because after watching Brandr get his head cut off, I have to say, even now that I know he’s immortal, I’d be terrified to see that again.” He pinned Bjorn with a look that dared the man to try and refute his next words. “Are you telling me that wouldn’t bother you?”
Bjorn remained stubbornly silent after that, but he did at least blush.
“Now, if we can continue?” Logan looked each person in the eye, to see if there was anyone else who was going to interrupt him.
“Good. Now the second thing I noticed was the magic was able to feed the fear that resided inside Kyleigh.” According to her description of what happened, that was Logan’s best description. “So, every time she tried to find a way free, it would intensify her fears, causing her prison to become that much stronger.”
Cullen had curled deeper into Ulf’s embrace. “What does any of this have to do with the Veil?”
It took effort for Logan not to tell Cullen to shut the hell up and let him finish, but he managed to refrain. “It doesn’t.” Several groans of frustration erupted. “I told you I was starting at the beginning,” Logan said. “And like it or not, this was important. Not for the Veil, but in case anyone else becomes enthralled, there is a way to heal that person, which, assuming we seal the Veil, will be important for future druids.”
“Wait,” Ryley sat up and leaned toward him. “Why future drui
ds?”
This was really the part that he hadn’t wanted to have to tell them. For Logan saw the truth when he’d been studying Omri’s magic. It was going to shock them all, just as much as it had Logan.
“Yes, we will seal the Veil, or assuming we’re not stopped, it can be done,” Logan told them. “But…” he got in before the four who had opened their mouths to say more could speak. “It isn’t permanent like we thought.” He wished it could be different, but this wasn’t something Logan could change. “The Veil is made of magic that, like the fabric we often associate it with, will unravel, allowing holes to once more appear.”
Just like he had expected, the room erupted in shouts. But there wasn’t anything Logan could do about the Veil eventually opening again. They would at least have some time of peace. More than likely several hundred years. For now, that would have to be enough.
CHAPTER 17
It had been a week since that meeting after Logan had helped Kyleigh break free of Omri’s enthrallment, Brandr was still reeling from what they’d learned. He wasn’t quite sure he was comfortable with anything Logan had told them. Even the part about Kyleigh.
They had managed to find her another therapist, although now both Ulf and Cullen stayed through the whole session right outside the door. Whenever they arrived home, Logan had to try and ferret out if there was any chance she’d been enthralled again while out of their sight.
It was a bit intrusive for Kyleigh, but she was still so damn terrified about it happening again that she put up with it. Brandr just wished he was as accepting about Logan having to use his ability on her. The things he’d told them about the Fae magic scared the crap out of him.
If it were up to him, Logan wouldn’t go anywhere near Kyleigh. The rational part of him knew that wasn’t good either, but… damn… that shit wasn’t something he wanted Logan dealing with.
“Why you angry?” Leith came up to Brandr and stood there with his arms crossed as if he were ready to fight whoever had caused Brandr to be upset.
If only it were that easy. Brandr would have punched Omri in the mouth already if he’d thought it would help. Of course, that would mean they would have had to see the Fae since the autumn solstice, which thankfully, they hadn’t.
Then again, the fact that there hadn’t been any Seelie or Unseelie trying to open the Veil also had him on edge. Since the Fae had figured out how to put holes in it between rituals, it had been one attack after another. Yet now, right before what could be the last one – at least for a long time if Logan was right about it not being forever – why were neither side of the Fae trying to stop them?
It didn’t sound right. Hell, it didn’t feel right.
“I’m not angry, Leith, just wishing Samhain would get here sooner.” Maybe then he would feel able to breathe.
Logan had been right when he’d said that just because they were all immortal, didn’t mean they didn’t worry about each other. He was terrified for Logan. That the others, like Leith and his brother Tyree, were mortal made it that much worse.
“Do you know where Logan is, Leith?” he asked of the little boy who had become his shadow when he wasn’t tracking Logan down for him.
Leith huffed out a sigh. “He’s practicing again with his friends.”
That Logan felt the need to spend hours each day working with the other druids on their magic was a point of contention with certain members of their group. Leith, Tyree, Maisie, and Joffrey were the most vocal. Although, Ruth often put her two cents in at times.
“Tell you what,” he said to the little boy as he knelt down on one knee so he was more on Leith’s level. “Can you go find Oluf and see if he’d be willing to help us make a picnic?”
Leith’s eyes nearly bugged right out of his head. “A picnic? Really? You mean it?”
With a reaction like that, Brandr was determined to make it happen. “Yes. We’ll set it up on the grassy spot near the vegetable garden and ask if anyone else wants to join us.”
Leith actually jumped up and down, clapping wildly. “A picnic. I’ve never been on a picnic before.”
Brandr wanted to cry for the little boy. At the same time, at only four, he wasn’t sure how many kids that age would have had time for something like that. “You know what?” he said, getting somewhat excited himself. “What if we do a campfire with hotdogs? Then, for dessert, we’ll have s’mores.”
Leith’s eyes somehow managed to get even bigger. “With marmellows?” he asked.
Even with the mispronunciation, it was hard to miss what Leith was asking. “Yes, with marshmallows.”
Leith grabbed Brandr’s hand and started to drag him toward the kitchen. “Do you think Oluf will help?”
That was never a guarantee any longer. Since Oluf had claimed Mingus, the man made sure they were all fed, but he no longer was willing to spend all his time in the kitchen cooking. Not that Brandr could blame him. Even he had slowed down on his reading of the dozens of medical journals that were sent to him.
He would always remain their doctor, and he would take time to read up on new procedures, but Brandr was no longer willing to spend all his time – outside of training, of course – studying the latest techniques. Logan was too important to him.
If it was the difference between spending his free time reading articles on medicine, or being with the man he loved, Logan would win every damn time.
“All we can do is ask Oluf. But I bet if we invited him and Mingus to the cookout, he might be willing to pitch in and give us a hand.” Brandr found it best to give Leith a nudge when inviting others to join in their fun.
It wasn’t so much that Leith didn’t want to include others, but that he had trouble speaking up and asking. Logan had warned him that Leith hadn’t said a single word in the months Logan had known him. It hadn’t been until Brandr had shown up that the little boy had spoken.
They weren’t sure if it had been the trauma of watching the rest of his family die, or if the boy was just shy. Although, now that Leith started to speak, Brandr had trouble believing the kid was shy. He was too demanding for that to be true. The only one he didn’t give orders to was Brandr. Everyone else was fair game.
Yet, when it came to asking others to do something with Leith, the boy found it often impossible to voice his request. Brandr was confident, in time, he would grow out of that phase.
“Oluf,” Leith said excitedly when they entered the kitchen to find Oluf, Arne, and Hrafn sitting around the kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee. He went right to Oluf’s side, his little body practically vibrating in anticipation. “We want to have s’mores. Can you help us? You can come,” Leith added at the end.
Brandr bit back the laugh that threatened to erupt at the way Leith only mentioned the s’mores and not the rest. Typical kid, not that he could blame Leith.
“What I think Leith meant to say is we were hoping to have a big old fashioned campfire with hot dogs for dinner and s’mores for dessert.” All three men sat up a bit straighter as their eyes practically sparkled with their own excitement at the prospect of enjoying a little down time.
“Obviously, we would all help to get things ready, but we,” he waved a finger between himself and Leith, “were hoping you would organize what we would need for food.”
Oluf stood up quickly, heading right for the refrigerator. “I’d be happy to. We’re going to need someone to be in charge of getting people to help with the various tasks.” As Oluf pulled out several packages of hotdogs, he looked over at Leith. “Do you think you could do that, Leith?”
The little boy stood there with his back straight and his shoulders squared. “I can do that.”
Oluf gave him a nod of approval that had Leith beaming with pride. “First, I need you to get five adults and maybe a few of the kids to gather up enough outdoor seating for everyone. When you’ve gotten enough people to do that, come back here so I can tell you the next group we need to work on.”
Leith took off running, his voice carrying th
roughout the house. “We’re gonna make s’mores.”
The four men in the kitchen chuckled.
“Want to tell us what brought this on a week before the ritual?” Arne asked as he got up and went to the pantry for hot dog buns. “Not that I’m complaining, but all I can think about is how often I can get Dermot upstairs and into bed.” He cocked his head as he put the buns down on the large kitchen island. “Not that I need a bed, but you get the point.”
Brandr considered not admitting what really brought all this on, but if there was anyone he could trust, it was these guys. They’d been together pretty much since birth. No one would ever understand what he’d been through, or the feeling in his gut, as well as the men he’d grown up with and fought beside for the past twelve hundred years.
“Two reasons,” he finally said as he helped to pull out the bags of marshmallows and bars of chocolate from the pantry, while Hrafn piled a stack of graham cracker boxes and carried them to the island where the four men were starting to make a decent pile of food for their cookout.
“The main reason has to do with Logan.” He glanced sheepishly in Arne’s direction. “I can’t deny, most days, I’m practically dragging him to our room as often as possible.” The sex between them was always mind blowing, but no matter how often he was buried inside Logan, it never seemed to be enough.
At the time it was, but he was constantly wanting more. He understood part of that had to do with fate bringing them together and the need to ensure their bond. But that wasn’t all that drove him to keep Logan in his arms every minute of every day.
“And the second reason?” Oluf had placed a bunch of condiments on the island and looked straight at Brandr, as if realizing something was up.
He shook his head, unsure how to state the unease that was growing within him. Just as he was opening his mouth, Eirik, Bjorn, Ulf, and Fritjof entered the kitchen.