“What are ye doing?” She could lose herself in those eyes. She didn’t want to look away, didn’t want to break the connection.
“I do not know,” he said. “But whatever you are doing, we’ll do it together to save our daughter.”
Our daughter. More tears spilled from Merewin’s eyes and she squeezed Dalla. This young girl was now hers to love and raise, and she wouldn’t let her go. Hauk and she would be strong enough to hold. They must.
Merewin’s resolve won out over the panic. Her voice, once more calm, gave direction. “Close yer eyes and concentrate on the heat you feel from the earth beneath yer bare arm. Pull at it, draw it into ye.” They both closed their eyes and Merewin once again began to channel the Earth Mother’s energy up and into her own body.
Dalla jerked and trembled. A quick internal read of her condition caught at Merewin’s chest. “Hauk, we have to do something now!”
“What do I do?” he said low, as if he were in battle.
Think Merewin, think. What should he do?
Merewin reached and grabbed Hauk’s arms, feeling the strong connection he had with the elements. The energy she felt in him would have killed a lesser man. It was raw and rich, not of earth but of fire.
“Ye hold fire magick, Hauk.” Together they pooled fire and earth energy together, ready to use. She drew the earth energy up and he held it with his own. His body burned like an iron, but Merewin held tight.
“That’s it, Hauk, hold onto it. Doona push it all in else ye kill her. Let me guide it,” she whispered, their mouths nearly touching over Dalla’s head. They hugged her between them, their own bodies cocooning the girl within their immense power. The combined strength of their love for her and for each other intensified their own abilities.
Merewin absorbed a thin ribbon of energy from Hauk, channeling it through Dalla’s heart, stripping the dark sludge from around it. The hemlock disintegrated at the touch of such pure love. Hauk’s energy was pure power while Merewin’s was finely tuned healing energy. Her’s was dampened by the poison within her body, but Hauk’s rejuvenated it. They worked together, he supplying the energy and Merewin using it like a honed blade, slicing the poison from Dalla’s young spine and organs.
The tremors quelled. The taint melted, vanishing.
“Hauk, ye can stop drawing the energy,” Merewin’s shallow breath sounded far away in her ears. Dalla was safe, that is what mattered. She felt consciousness melting away. But before she gave into the relief of darkness, Merewin pushed away from Dalla’s back so that she lay flat on the ground. Merewin sucked Hauk’s energy into her, throwing it out with the last bit of strength, out along the ground in the room, out to the other people spread upon the ground. The mix of Hauk’s strength and her healing flowed from her like a brilliant light of hope.
As darkness carried Merewin away she heard a collective sigh as poison dissolved. She smiled into oblivion. She hadn’t failed. Their love had saved their people. But would it be enough to save her?
****
“Bloody kerling!” Hauk swore at the image hovering over them as he carried Merewin through the night back to Bera’s house. “Where in middengard have you been? She needed you, she needs you.”
“I am not an old hag. I am Drakkina,” the witch corrected, but the worry in her face stopped Hauk’s further words. “What has happened? You are the protector.”
Hauk stared straight ahead. “She’s been poisoned, hemlock. She used her last strength to save Dalla and the townspeople.” Hauk’s heart pounded his chest, where he cradled Merewin against him. His breath hitched up high in his throat so that he thought he might not ever be able to suck in a full breath again.
She was so pale, pale like...like death. Hauk ducked into Bera’s empty house and dropped to his knees, lowering Merewin gently to the bare ground. He moved his lips over her forehead, her cheeks, her mouth. She was cold, too cold. He vaulted up, grabbing furs from Bera’s bed to cover Merewin’s still body. The fire in the central pit flared and snapped. He could warm her from the outside, but she was cold from within, cold in her core.
Hauk glared at the apparition floating near. “Help her.”
Drakkina hovered over Merewin, touching, feeling. The witch’s eyes grew round.
“You must save her,” she said. “And quickly before she passes.”
“How!” Hauk roared, his arms outstretched, his powerful hands in rock hard fists.
“Your magick, you have magick. You know you have magick.”
“What do I do with it?”
“Everyone’s is different,” Drakkina clipped impatiently, moving hands around and scattering the dragonflies that lay against her diaphanous body.
“You are useless,” Hauk yelled as he pulled off his blood stained shirt and tossed it. He threw off the heavy furs and scooped Merewin into his arms. He held her, stomach to stomach against him, and lay back along the ground. To Drakkina he demanded, “find her stones in Ragnar’s hall. Bring them. Can you do that?”
“I’ll make it happen,” Drakkina vanished.
Hauk was alone with Merewin in the house. He wrapped his large arms around her slender frame, cradling it, loving it. “Take my strength, Merewin.” He ran his hand down mud caked hair and along a soft cheek. “My beautiful warrior.” He lowered his mouth to her head. “Fight,” he breathed into her hair. “Fight and live. Fight to stay with me, Merewin.” He leaned his mouth down and brushed cold lips. “I love you.”
Bera appeared in the doorway, gaze narrow, arms stiff against her sides. She held Merewin’s bag of stones in one hand. “Which stones?” Bera said with a voice that was older, wiser, demanding.
Hauk looked hard. “Bera?”
“It was the quickest way to get the stones here,” Drakkina said through Bera’s lips. “Your sister will be fine when I leave her body.” She held out the bag. “Which ones?”
“You choose, else dump them all on top.” Hauk pressed his lips again to Merewin’s head. He rocked her in his arms against the ground and closed his eyes. He breathed as Merewin had instructed before. He imagined a flame above his stomach, deep in his body near the heart. As he inhaled the flame grew. He felt the fire energy growing, fed by the air, his lungs like great bellows. The fire in the central pit sparked, flaring high up into the air, mimicking the energy flowing inside him.
Hauk focused on the image of the flame. Fire magick, she’d called it. The hot power was familiar, the same energy he felt in battle, the same energy that made him invincible against foes. Pure strength, raw power, the beast. If he didn’t control it, the power would destroy them both. Hauk’s muscled shoulders twitched as he held the immense weight of it from crushing into Merewin.
“If you have any magick, witch, use it to funnel this energy into her,” Hauk gritted through clenched teeth.
Hauk watched Drakkina stretch out of Bera. Bera stood dumbly looking around.
Drakkina flew to them. She hovered over Merewin, ethereal hands washing down Merewin from stone to stone along her back. Hauk envisioned his power wrapping like a blanket around Merewin, a bath of warm magick to soak her in. Drakkina pulled from it.
The magick pressed gently into Merewin under Drakkina’s hands. For long moments Hauk pooled the energy there, afraid to force it into Merewin’s fragile body. In the background, he heard Bera crying and Gamal shouting. He continued to focus on the energy crushing in on them while Drakkina worked to cleanse Merewin inside. Sweat broke out along his forehead and he took short, controlling breaths, as if he held the weight of the world.
“Are you nearly done? Have you helped her?” He huffed through his teeth.
Drakkina continued to move her hands, chanting something he couldn’t hear.
“Witch!”
“Hold your tongue, man! I’m working!”
Hauk moved his face to Merewin, careful to still control the immense power wrapping around them. He felt her mother’s icy cold jade stone against his chest. “Merewin,” he mouthed against her tem
ple. “Live! I love you! I believe in you. I believe in us, in the magick that we have together. Live!” The stone against his skin warmed. Was it just the heat from his own body?
“I need you,” he whispered roughly into her ear. The stone grew warmer still. “Merewin.” He drew her face back to his.
Merewin’s eyes flickered behind her lids. Long lashes twitched. Hope thrashed through Hauk, scattering his concentration. Energy flew outwards from him causing the fire in the central pit to soar and scorch the ceiling. Voices shouted. Feet ran past, but Hauk just cradled Merewin closer.
“Open your eyes, Merewin. Come back to me.”
Her parted lips closed and the tip of her tongue touched their dryness. “Hauk?”
A multitude of ethereal dragonflies buzzed around them, but Hauk closed his eyes, closed out everything but the feel of Merewin gathered in his arms.
“Aye, Merewin,” Hauk breathed, and crushed her to him. “I’m here.” He held her rocking back and forth where they lay on the ground. “I will always be here.”
****
“Ye are certain that we are really alone for the whole week?” Merewin asked as Hauk ran the scented oil down her spine. She lay naked on the furs of their large sleeping platform. The fire cast shadows to dance along the walls.
Hauk leaned in, sweeping her hair to the side, and kissed the nape of Merewin’s neck. “Aye, all alone for the week. Dalla is with Bera and Vivien and Diarf went, too. Even your pet has gone with Dalla. We are completely alone. You may scream all week like you did earlier. No one will hear you.” Hauk couldn’t see the blush creep up Merewin’s face as she buried it in the furs.
“And Drakkina?” she asked, her words muffled in the thick pelts.
“We have an agreement,” Hauk said, rubbing his hands together. “She leaves us alone, and I promise to bring you to the stone circle in the west when she calls us.”
Merewin groaned tersely, “not overseas again.” She flicked her feet upwards, tapping his naked, toned backside with her toes.
Hauk caught a foot and rubbed it before letting it fall back to the bed. “We will work on finding a cure for your sickness.”
Hauk ran his large hands down the sides of Merewin’s back, massaging her muscles. Merewin moaned into the furs.
“Where did ye learn to do that?” She turned her head to the side so her cheek rubbed against the softness of the furs. “Nay, perhaps I doona want to know.”
Hauk chuckled deeply and pulled her hands up over her head. “My war horse likes me to rub his legs down after a long, hard ride.” He leaned forward until his breath tickled Merewin’s ear. “You seem to like it, too.”
Merewin neighed from her position on the bed, and Hauk laughed deeply. He ran his strong hands down her arms and along the sides of her breasts before continuing on to her buttocks. He massaged and rubbed, kissed and nibbled until Merewin felt her body relaxing into a sensual puddle of feminine softness. Hauk moved to get more oil, and Merewin rolled over, stretching languidly upon the pelts. She spread her bare toes, letting the fur tickle between them. Hauk turned and watched as Merewin let her own hands rub down her warm, full, well loved body. He groaned and the fire behind him surged upwards.
Merewin smiled saucily. “Ye best learn to control yer fire magick, husband, else ye burn down the house.”
Hauk straddled Merewin, breathing deeply for control, and the fire returned to normal. He poured the warm oil onto her naval and slowly rubbed it up and massaged her breasts.
“I’ve always been in control before,” he frowned. “Until you came along.”
Merewin pushed up and looped her arms around Hauk’s neck to pull him to her mouth. She kissed him as she snaked her hand down his muscled chest and taut belly. Boldly she stroked him. “I like ye out of control, like when ye scream my name, husband.”
“You may call me master,” he taunted as he ran his hand through her hair. She poked his arm and he laughed.
Merewin frowned as Hauk leaped up and moved to the fire pit. “What are ye doing, husband?”
Hauk picked up a bucket of melted snow and dumped it on the fire. He followed it with another until only moonlight from the smoke hole in the ceiling kept the room from complete blackness. Merewin gasped as Hauk’s warm body found hers again in the darkness. “I plan to get out of control,” he growled at her ear, sending shivers along the whole side of her body. “If there’s fire, I just might burn the whole dwelling to ashes.”
Merewin laughed. Hauk rolled them and settled her, sitting straddled across his naked hips. He ran both hands through her hair, fanning it out around her shoulders. “What color is your hair, woman?”
Merewin leaned forward so that her hair tickled against his chest. “Brown with a touch of gold,” she said with a smile in her voice. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he’d chased her between the soaring oaks of Northumbria.
Hauk twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “Do you miss your forest?” His words were cautious.
Merewin leaned forward and kissed him gently. “I thought I was free then, but I was trapped in loneliness. By capturing me, ye’ve freed me, Hauk.” She kissed him long and slow, stroking his cheek and jaw. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, the moonlight showed the strong outline of Hauk’s face.
“I captured your body,” he said, “but it was my soul that was trapped. Trapped in fury and suspicion.” He ran his thumb over her cheek, over her full bottom lip. “You have freed me, Merewin.” He cupped her face as if he were holding a most precious gem. “You used your magick to heal me, my family.”
Merewin shook her head, still held in his hands. “I used no magick on ye.”
“Your love, Merewin,” he whispered, his eyes catching the spark of moonlight. “Your love healed me.”
Merewin leaned forward, her soft belly against his hard stomach, and stretched out her long legs against his. Hauk’s arms came around her, adjusting her so that she lay intimately on top of him. Merewin traced her fingers over his firm jaw and leaned in until their noses touched. “I do believe,” she said, her lips against his, “love is the greatest magick of all.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
King Ragnar’s Great Hall
“I charge you with attempted murder, Svala Lothbrok,” Ragnar declared and indicated the hall of onlookers, “attempted murder of nearly everyone in this hall.”
Merewin watched Svala from her place next to Hauk. Svala stood on the platform holding her infant boy in her arms. Merewin had helped Svala through the last stages of childbirth six months ago. Svala had named him, Bjor, after her father.
Since Bjor’s birth, Merewin visited Svala and her son each week to ensure he progressed under Svala’s mothering. Svala had been held captive in her small house. She had been so weak after her near drowning and then the birth that Merewin had funneled healing magick into her several times. During these times, when Svala would allow Merewin to help her, Merewin had felt and tried to alleviate some inner imbalances in Svala’s brain. She seemed calmer now, healthier in spirit.
Now Svala cradled the baby in her arms, staring down at his little rosy cheeks as he grinned back up. Tears ran down her face, but she forced a smile for the child so as not to frighten him. She ran a finger through the little patch of red hair and over his flawless features as if memorizing them.
“I call for a sentence of death by fire,” Ragnar said grimly. “The child will be cared for by Matilda until he is fully weaned. Then Aslaug and I will raise the boy.”
Svala cooed softly to her son and cuddled him to her chest. She closed her eyes and nuzzled the soft hair, inhaling the scent like it was the most precious experience of her life. She said nothing to the people. She knew her guilt and the law.
Merewin moved her hand to her expanding abdomen as she felt the little kick from inside. She was six months along with Hauk’s child. The bairn turned and twisted gently in her womb. Merewin sang and spoke to it daily. She was steadfastly, absolutely, alrea
dy in love with their bairn.
“Is the babe bothersome?” Hauk asked with a gentle smile as he rubbed at Merewin’s lower back and placed one hand across her belly.
“Nay.” A tear trickling down her cheek as she watched Svala whisper to her bairn.
“I will find you a stool to sit upon.”
Merewin stilled him with her hand, but looked to Ragnar, who continued the sentence. She stepped forward. “King Ragnar Lothbrok, I would address ye and these good people of Ribe.” Ragnar nodded. Merewin walked to the center of the room and turned toward the people, her people. Hauk moved up to stand beside her, his support evident.
“I understand yer laws decree that Svala be put to death for her crimes.” Several men nodded firmly. Merewin noticed that Svein, his red hair the same shade as Svala’s bairn, did not. Merewin glanced at Svala who continued to cuddle the boy. “I have spent much time with Svala and Bjor.” She paused knowing that the people weighed her words. “People change, their minds heal.” She looked back at the woman who had tried to kill her, but she was a different woman now.
“Love,” Merewin said and felt Hauk squeeze her shoulder lightly. “Love changes a person, heals a person.” She pointed at Svala. “And she loves that bairn with all her heart.” Svala looked at Merewin and big tears gushed out of her eyes as she nodded. The small crowd mumbled, but Hauk held up his hand, and all quieted so Merewin could continue. “It is my opinion, because I am a healer and I am a mother,” she said moving her hand to her stomach and her gaze to Dalla near the back, “that Svala is a healed woman. She should be allowed to live.”
Whispers and comments broke out like leaves whipping around the room from a wind storm. It took Ragnar several shouts to calm the outburst. “Merewin,” Ragnar said, his voice still raised from overriding the onlookers. “You have become an important part of our community and I respect your thoughts, but this is our law, a law we have honored for a very long time.”
Magick (The Dragonfly Chronicles Book 2) Page 30