She crossed her legs, one booted foot jiggling up and down. How she managed to fight in those spiked heels was a mystery only the God of War would know. He’d have to ask Thor when he saw him next.
The blond Valkyrie sat contentedly while throwing triumphant glances at Ulf, who leaned against the wall by the large fireplace. Defiantly crossing his arms, he pretended not to notice her taunting or Harald’s grin.
Torvald and Sten sat on the sofa. Torvald leaned forward, elbows on knees, resting his chin and grizzly gray beard in his palm, unsuccessfully covering a grin.
Sten studied the ceiling, shoulders twitching. Leif wondered how long his youngest Viking would be able to hold on to the laughter that was so obviously trying to escape.
“Now this is one comfortable chair.” Astrid made a show of stretching her arms above her head.
Ulf ignored her.
“You better explain to our king why Ulf and you are switching seats,” Torvald said.
Leif walked to his desk. “Tell me.” He often found the rivalry between Ulf and Astrid tiresome, but today he could use some cheering up.
“Ulf lost a bet,” Sten interjected and then burst out in laughter. Except for Ulf, the rest of them joined in.
Leif shot Ulf a look, quirking a brow.
“I was hungover,” the buzz-cut Viking said. This merited another round of laughter from the others.
Leif sat down behind his desk. He shifted his gaze to Astrid.
“He bet he could beat me at any sword sport,” she explained.
Leif shook his head.
“How was I supposed to know she would pick sissy swords?” Ulf exclaimed.
Astrid was a champion fighter with any sword, but with rapiers she was unbeatable. She claimed a former lover, a noble Frenchman, had taught her. Apparently, Ulf had not paid attention during battle practice.
“Decent enough to make a pincushion out of you,” Torvald shot in. More laughter erupted.
Leif waited a short while before holding up his hand. One by one, his warriors calmed down. “You better have a seat, Ulf. This might be a long meeting.”
Throwing one last petulant look at Astrid, who grinned and winked at him, Ulf sat in one of the loungers next to the couch.
“Where’s Per?” Leif asked.
Harald frowned. “He went to pick up the new weapons. He should be here by now.”
“I’ll text him, min kung.” Sten fished a phone out of his pocket.
The door opened just enough to allow Irja to slip in. She quietly took a position in the back of the room, leaning against the far wall.
Leif considered telling her to have a seat, but changed his mind. She wouldn’t like him calling attention to her.
Astrid nodded to Irja, as did Ulf. The healer returned their greetings. The rest of the men ignored her. They respected her preference for her own company.
“Let’s start,” Leif said. “Per will have to catch up when he gets here.” He looked at Irja. “Tell them what we know about the poison.”
As the Valkyrie explained her findings and how the poison broke the connection to their berserkers, his warriors’ faces displayed shock, then disgust, and finally outrage. Even Harald, who already knew the details, looked ready to kill.
“Those little fuckers,” Torvald said. “How can a man fight honorably against an enemy who uses trickery?”
“The point is,” Leif said, “our enemy has altered their combat style, and so must we.”
“I refuse to fight with poison.” Torvald slapped the armrest of the sofa. “It’s bad enough we use guns instead of a decent svärd.” The older Viking always grumbled about their swords being used in training and ceremonies, but rarely in battle. It was hard to blend in with a broadsword strapped to your belt, or in Astrid’s case, to her back.
The rest of the Vikings voiced their agreement.
Leif bellowed to be heard over the ruckus. “I’m not asking you to carry poison around.” At the sound of his voice, his warriors quieted down. “I’m asking you to be vigilant. Our enemies are getting stronger.”
“Those cowards wouldn’t know strong if it bit them in the ass,” Harald said. “Why won’t Odin rein in Loki? His creatures are getting out of hand.” He directed the last comments to Leif.
“You know Odin’s position already. He sent us back to Midgard to prevent Ragnarök and he can aid us in our quest, but he cannot take the fight to Asgard without solid proof that these creatures belong to Loki. Freya excepted, his alliances with the other gods are not strong enough yet, and Loki has a lot of allies among the half gods.”
Astrid uncrossed her legs and clunked her boots on the floor. “The rune stones predicting the battle are so vague, they could mean anything.”
“But the Icelandic Prose and Poetic Eddas are not vague,” Irja said.
The whole room quieted. The Finnish Valkyrie rarely offered a strong opinion.
Leif broke the silence. “The Icelandic sagas and the Nordic rune stones say the same thing. Loki will take away mankind’s free will and trick them into instigating Ragnarök. But only a few of the Norse gods believe the rune stone that predicts Loki to be the only surviving deity. Unfortunately, Loki is one of them. Stop arguing about things we can’t change. Plan for things we have control over.”
A murmur of agreement spread through the warriors.
Leif turned to Ulf. “What was on my phone?”
The man shook his head. “You took some pictures, but the images are too dark and blurry to tell what’s going on. I can clean them up, but it’s going to take a while.”
Leif nodded. “Keep working on it.”
“Can you remember why you took these images?” Harald asked.
“I wish to the gods I did.” Leif pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wanted to show you the wolverines, but there’s something I can’t remember about the poison.” He looked up. “Until we’ve figured out the details of this new threat, nobody leaves the fortress by themselves. Whenever you go into town or on patrol you do so in pairs, preferably in groups of three.”
He heard muttered protests.
“I’m not insulting your strength or your courage,” he said. “I’m giving you an order to keep yourselves safe.”
“So that you may keep your king safe,” Harald interjected.
The Vikings sat up straighter, and Leif sent his second-in-command a grateful look. Leave it to his stallare to know the words that would appeal to his warriors’ honor. Although he hated the idea of staying behind. He should be out there fighting with them, protecting them.
“I want to find out where these wolverines sleep and eat. We’ll strike on their turf next time. I’m not waiting for them to attack us.”
His warriors nodded.
“Use any resources you have to find their dwelling. I want these creatures extinct.”
Harald turned toward Irja. “Is there anything you can tell us about the poison that would give us a clue to finding their home?”
“The plants grow only in spring and summer.”
“That doesn’t help us,” Harald said.
Irja wasn’t finished. “But the poison has a short half-life. They need permanent access to the plants.” She flushed when heads turned her way. “They will have a greenhouse or grow room where plants can survive in winter.”
Excitement rose in Leif’s chest. “If we find their grove, we find them.”
“Yes,” Irja confirmed. “But these plants can grow in artificial light, so they could cultivate them anywhere, in any house.”
Harald rose. “We look for dwellings with higher than normal energy consumption. If we eliminate the illegal pot growers in the area from the list, we’ll have a decent starting place.”
Finally a plan of action. The warriors filed out, talking loudly among themselves.
Leif asked Irja to stay.
“What can I do for you, min kung?” she asked as she stood in front of his desk.
“Please sit.” Leif gestured toward
the chair Astrid and Ulf had fought over.
Irja sat, watching him calmly. She looked like she could wait for hours. She might have to. The words would not come to him. The black-haired woman with the midnight eyes could not be his själsfrände. She was human. The gods—the universe—were playing evil tricks.
Leif cleared his throat. “Some tea maybe?”
“No thank you.”
He rose and went to the sideboard opposite the fireplace. If this wasn’t a side effect of the poison, he had to complete the själsfrände bond—soon. As if wolverines and poison were not enough to worry about, now he had to seduce this woman. She had to come to his bed willingly in order for the bond to complete. If not, Leif’s berserker would take over and he’d be overrun by battle fury. He had enough trouble controlling the berserker already; he didn’t need a woman to agitate his inner warrior further.
Various decanters and a large pitcher of water stood on a tray. Another tray contained large crystal tumblers. He felt like whiskey, but opted for water instead. “Would you like some?” He held up the pitcher.
Irja sighed. “Please just tell me what’s on your mind.”
Leif returned to his desk. “Is it possible—” He took a drink of water. “Could the poison have side effects?”
“Are you in pain?” Irja leaned forward.
“No,” he hastened to assure her. “I have other…symptoms.”
She waited for him to continue.
“I am unusually restless.”
“Can you reach your berserker?” she asked.
Leif nodded. “The bond is weak, but it’s there.”
“Is your berserker hungry?”
Leif swallowed. “It is more of a…a sexual appetite.” He had no trouble seducing women, but committing to them was another story. His duty did not allow time for romance. The själsfrände bond required complete surrender and trust from both parties. The last time he thought he could handle both love and duty, it had ended badly. He forced the images of Solveig’s and the twins’ broken bodies out of his mind.
Irja studied him for a moment, her dark eyes unreadable. “Is there a particular person you are drawn to?”
“The female who rescued me.” He couldn’t look at her. “The berserker has never taken an interest in a human woman. Perhaps the poison is to blame.” To meet your soul mate was a rare occurrence, and Leif had never heard of it happening when one of the partners was not a Valkyrie or Viking. He raised his head.
Irja watched him with calm eyes. There was nothing to do but show her. He pulled up his shirtsleeve and exposed his wrist. The black ink of the serpent’s tail now showed clearly against his skin. The tip curved toward his smallest finger and then widened into two lines that faded into nothing before reaching his wrist. Between them, faint runes appeared, not yet clear enough to be read.
Irja didn’t react as he’d expected. “It’s going to be beautiful,” she said.
“Can you cure it?” His tone was sharper than he meant.
She blinked a few times. “You think the poison caused this.” It was a statement rather than a question.
“Of course,” Leif said. “What else can it be?”
“It will be awhile before the tail travels up your arm and completes the serpent. You will have some time to get to know your new true love.” Her eyes were soft.
“Don’t call her that.” The hardness of his voice surprised him. This couldn’t be happening. “How long?”
Irja shrugged. “One never knows. This happens so rarely, and each couple is different.”
“Guess,” he demanded.
“Two weeks? Maybe a month?”
No time at all. “Thank you. Don’t tell anybody else.”
She stood. “Of course. You didn’t have to ask.”
“I know.” He met her gaze.
She nodded once and walked out of the room. As she opened the door, Harald came through.
Harald bowed to Leif and then planted his butt in a chair. “Did she have more information?”
Leif didn’t look up from the tumbler he was turning in his fingers, swirling the water inside, creating a maelstrom. Just like the one he was getting sucked down into. “No, not as such.”
“Something’s been bothering me since your attack.”
Leif sat up straighter. “Yes?” Leif needed to pay attention or Harald would figure out something was wrong.
“How did Loki’s wolverines know you would be out and unprotected?”
Leif studied the man opposite him. “What are you saying?”
“You told me they knew you’d be in the alley. On your walks, do you always go to the same club?”
Leif considered lying about how often he went walking at night, but now was not the time. “No, and I make sure there are several weeks between visits. I don’t want the humans to become suspicious.”
Harald scratched his beard. “Those bastards would have known you were on your own only if they were watching the fortress, or if someone fed them the information.”
“We would know if someone broke through the enchantments.”
“Exactly. The creatures would have to wait by the main road and then follow you.”
Leif sat silent as the enormity of what Harald was telling him sank in. The roads to and from the fortress were magically obscured. The road from the dwelling intersected the main road at a different point each time. And the end of the road only appeared when someone left the fortress.
The wolverines had gotten to one of his warriors. But which one?
“Whom do you suspect?” His friend wouldn’t have raised the issue if he didn’t have a culprit in mind.
“I don’t have any evidence.” Harald didn’t look him in the eye.
“But there is someone on the top of your list.” He waited.
“You know who I suspect. I’ve always questioned her loyalty.”
Leif stood. “Irja.”
Harald sprung out of the chair. “Min kung, listen to me before you dismiss what I have to say.”
“You are wrong.” Leif thumped his knuckles on the desk and leaned forward. “She is loyal to all of us.”
“She is the only one who was here when you left the fortress that night,” Harald protested.
Leif stopped mid-stride. When he’d left that evening the warriors had been out on patrol, but Irja had been in her lab. She’d stopped by his office on her way to the kitchen and he’d told her he was going out. “I only told her I was heading downtown.”
“Although there are many bars downtown, only two offer dancing and have back alley access. I’ve checked.” Harald’s eyes darkened.
Leif still couldn’t believe what Harald was saying. “She would not betray her people.”
“We are not her people,” Harald said quietly. She’s not Norse, he meant.
“She is a Valkyrie. She was sent back to Midgard by Freya and Odin. They would not have picked someone unworthy.”
The other Viking wouldn’t meet his gaze. “You know she is not as we are.”
She had not betrayed them, of that Leif was sure. Harald was convinced of the opposite. Until they had concrete evidence of her innocence, arguing would serve nothing. But somehow the wolverines had known where he would be that night. “I don’t want anybody else to know of your…our suspicions.”
Harald opened his mouth, but Leif interrupted him. “It’s unthinkable. We’re discussing treason.”
Harald nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what we’re talking about.”
Chapter 5
Although she’d been awake for a while, Naya kept her eyes closed and forced her breathing to remain even. The last thing she remembered was a man with a bloody nose. Then some confusing stuff about a silver Escalade. Maybe she’d been drugged.
Metal clinked against metal, then glass against metal. She opened her eyes just enough to detect shapes and movement. All she saw was a bright window next to the bed and the whiteness of the walls and the sheet.
She could be
in a hospital, or maybe a clinic.
Sniffing the air, she tested for antiseptic and disinfectant. There were none.
“You don’t have to be afraid. It’s safe here,” a female said in a melodic accent.
“I’m not afraid.” Her voice sounded exactly like that of a petulant twelve-year-old. She cringed.
“Good.”
Naya opened her eyes fully, turning her head toward the voice. A striking woman stood at the foot of the bed. Her black straight hair ended at her waist and she had eyes darker than coal. High cheekbones and a strong nose hinted at Native American ancestry, but not quite. “Who are you?” Naya asked.
“My name is Irja.” A shroud of calm surrounded the woman, but her eyes belied the stillness of her posture. In them, dark shadows swirled.
“What is this place?”
“A safe place where you can rest.”
“Talk in riddles much?” Naya regretted the bitchy comment as soon as it slipped out. The woman was not only tall, she was muscular. Pissing off the amazon would be wiser when Naya was back to normal strength.
The woman, Irja, cocked her head. “Why does your body react differently compared to regular human biology?”
Talk about cutting to the chase. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” Naya looked her straight in the eye.
The corner of the woman’s mouth twitched for a microsecond. “You are a bad liar.”
“Why would I lie?”
“I don’t know. You are a stranger to me.”
“As you are to me.”
The woman held Naya’s gaze for a few beats, but then she walked to the dresser opposite the foot of the bed and picked up a tray with some gauze and bottles. “I’ve put on a clean bandage and will be back later to check on your injuries. The poison is almost purged from your body. Since your fever broke and you seem to have stopped sweating, I took the liberty of dressing you as well.”
Distracted by Irja, Naya hadn’t noticed that she no longer ached with fever or that the maddening beat in her side had stopped. She slid a hand down to check the wound. Underneath an oversize T-shirt, a new bandage covered most of her hip. Lower down, her fingers met her own cotton panties. “Thank you,” she said and actually meant it.
Viking Warrior Rising Page 5