Rise of a Viking (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin Book 1)

by Sky Purington

  “He is a figment of your imagination,” she said softly and stoked the fire at the center of the cave with her walking stick, her eyes firmly on the flames. “He is a figment of mine as well.”

  Heidrek might want answers, but he respected few people as much as Kjar and Aella, so he would give them their privacy. He carefully set Cybil down, still convinced she might fall apart. “We should go.”

  “No, I need to speak to you,” Aella said firmly and met Kjar’s eyes. “See his men and your kin cared for so that our nephew does not need to leave his woman after such an ordeal.”

  Harsh prisms of color fluctuated around Kjar he was so upset. It was the first time Heidrek had seen his uncle unconsciously summon Heimdall’s Rainbow Bridge as he fought the need to whisk his wife out of there and share precisely what was on his mind.

  When Aella’s eyes narrowed, Kjar growled under his breath and left but not before Heidrek saw the deep love that flashed between them. Because of their beginnings, they never separated without expressing their love in case they were once again torn apart.

  Aella gestured to a nearby table and the mugs upon it. “Please drink and calm your nerves.”

  “We are truly safe then, Aunt?” Heidrek said. “Because I will not dull my nerves otherwise.”

  “You are safe,” she confirmed softly, her eyes on Cybil. “And there is hope.”

  Heidrek felt Cybil’s response to the word. How recently she had compared him to it. How much she prayed it was true.

  “Please.” Aella nodded at the mugs. “Find some solace and let us speak.”

  Though he knew Cybil was typically opposed to imbibing much, he was pleased to see her take a few hearty swigs before she set aside the mug and waited for Aella to continue.

  “My apologies that we were not properly introduced,” his aunt began, her eyes warm as they met Cybil’s. “But then some introductions are meant to go a certain way, are they not?”

  Cybil nodded. “I imagine they are. It’s nice to meet you, Aella. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

  Though a smile didn’t touch her lips, it lit Aella’s eyes. “And thank you for coming to Heidrek’s.”

  Accustomed to Aunt Aella’s riddles and vague ways, Heidrek did not dwell on her response. His guess was that she was happy Cybil was here and willing to protect him and his kin.

  “What do you mean there is hope?” he asked.

  “Your enemy is more powerful than most and under any other circumstance, I would see great defeat on the horizon,” Aella said. “But what is forming between you and Cybil, what you two are becoming, means our people might stand a chance.”

  “What are we becoming exactly?” Cybil said. “Heidrek has been pretty vague.”

  “That is because he only knows so much and cannot guess with any certainty what our deities have planned for you.” Aella’s eyes went between them. “But I am starting to sense it and soon it will be confirmed by the gods.”

  “Gods that are not happy with me for trapping the Celts in the tapestry,” Heidrek reminded.

  “Or with me for having Celtic demi-god blood,” Cybil murmured.

  “Maybe some gods but clearly not all.” Aella’s eyes went to Heidrek’s sword before she looked at Cybil. “As I’m sure you both realize, it is a very good sign that Thor stepped in. That he is willing to back you.”

  “It’s pretty incredible,” Cybil agreed, her eyes widening when Aella tapped her cane, and the fire twisted higher and higher.

  “And now the Celtic gods are involved,” Aella said. “Without question, Fionn and Brigit will support you, Cybil. What worries me is that they will do so whether or not the Norse gods approve.”

  Heidrek slid his hand into Cybil’s. “You cannot blame them for protecting their own, Aunt.”

  “And I do not. Any more than Thor does.” She eyed them as the flames grew taller and fanned around the stalactites staggered throughout the cavernous ceiling. “But Thor is but one god and there are many. Yet I sense…”

  When her words trailed off, and her eyes rolled back in her head, Heidrek squeezed Cybil’s hand in reassurance. His aunt was connecting with the gods. Soon they would find out if any other Norse gods supported them. More than that, they would learn if their union could move forward.

  If they were meant to be together.

  What would he do if they said no? It was one thing to let her go if she chose to return to the future. But it would be something else altogether if she was meant for another man. Perhaps even one of his brethren. It was difficult enough to imagine when she first arrived. Now it was impossible.

  When the ground started trembling, he wrapped an arm around Cybil and brought her against his side. Though tempted to embrace her fully, he knew it was in their best interest to face what came head-on. Nonetheless, he intended they do so together.

  The trembling turned to a low vibration before the fire fizzled abruptly and became a long winding trail of smoke that started to take shape.

  Aella pulled on her hood, fell to her knees and lowered her head in worship, her voice reverent when she spoke. “You do us a great honor by being here, Goddess Fjorgyn.”

  Fjorgyn? It couldn’t be.

  Lover of Odin and mother to Thor?

  There could be no greater honor than if the All-Father himself appeared. So Heidrek did the same as Aella and fell to his knees, urging Cybil to do the same. The smoke shifted and warped as the face and body of the goddess became more apparent.

  “I ask the Celt to look at me,” came a melodious feminine rumble. “And no other.”

  This time, Cybil did not close her mind off to him as she raised her head but let him see through her eyes. Fjorgyn undulated on the drifting smoke, her eyes glowing white as she studied Cybil. “Though I ask for one to raise her head, she allows the other to raise his head in her mind’s eye.”

  “I mean no disrespect,” Cybil said, her voice unwavering. He was impressed by how strong she was when faced with such a powerful god. “But Heidrek and I are one.”

  “Yet you disobeyed.”

  “No,” Cybil said. “I did exactly as you asked. I’m looking at you. Had you asked me to look at you alone, I would have.”

  Heidrek inhaled, not sure if she was approaching this well. But then, Cybil had her own mind, and if she handled things in any manner other than her own, the gods would know it. And that would be lying.

  A long silence passed before the goddess spoke again. “You say you are one with the Dragon Seer demi-god but you are not. You would turn from him if your people needed you.”

  “Yes,” Cybil said. “And I would expect him to do the same.” She paused before continuing. “But that doesn’t stop us from being one. Because even separated our souls remain joined and will come together again when and if it’s meant to be. No matter what, our connection will strengthen whether or not we’re together.”

  He was humbled by her response. Touched.

  Again, silence fell before Fjorgyn responded. “You are from separate worlds, both Earthly and in the Land of Gods. It is unlikely you will stay together on this plane. Impossible when you leave your mortal bodies behind and are amongst the gods. What say you to that, Celt?”

  “The time I’ve had with Heidrek is worth more than all the inevitabilities we face,” Cybil said. “It’s changed me. Made me stronger. Not just in the sense of godly powers but something far deeper. A connection that even if I were to lose him tomorrow, would sustain me through everything I’ll be facing.”

  “And do you understand all you are facing, Celt?”

  “No, I don’t, but I have faith…” she hesitated, searching for the right words. “I have faith that when I do find out, I’ll be ready for it. That I’m more courageous and less afraid than ever before because of my time spent with Heidrek. And because of my time spent with his family and people.”

  “So you think you were a coward before you traveled through time?”

  “In some ways, yes,” Cybil admitted. �
�In other ways, no.”

  The goddess shifted closer. “Explain.”

  Cybil contemplated before she continued. “I think I was right to always stand by my sisters and watch over them, but I also lacked courage. There are things I now realize I should’ve done sooner.”

  “And what is that?” the goddess said, her voice less intense.

  “I should have told them what I was,” Cybil said. “And I should have found a way to tell them what they were. It might’ve changed the dynamics of our relationships.”

  Heidrek was surprised by her words, by her absolute conviction.

  Fjorgyn grew silent as she considered Cybil’s confession. “Let me ask you a question, Celt.”

  “Anything.”

  “I cannot look inside your heart because you are not of my kind so I must rely on you to be absolutely truthful,” Fjorgyn said softly. “Knowing you may very well be separated for all eternity, do you want to be mated with Heidrek? Do you want your Fate and destiny to be forever tied to his?” Her voice grew even softer. “Think carefully because if you say yes, there can be no other love for you.”

  Heidrek barely breathed as silence fell again and Cybil’s thoughts skirted every which way, impossible for him to make sense of.

  This was a lot to ask of anyone.

  Yet he knew what he would say if the same was asked of him.

  Yes.

  Without question, without doubt, yes.

  He wanted Cybil that much. Her support, strength, her equality. Her friendship, love, and devotion. But this wasn’t about what he wanted.

  Her thoughts were in such a whirlwind that he had to put a stop to it. She didn’t deserve this pressure. Yet when he started to speak, she touched his arm and shook her head. “I’m okay, Heidrek.” Her eyes went to the goddess. “Yes, I want to be mated with Heidrek.”

  “You do not have to say that, Cybil,” he murmured, his emotions hard to control. This was too much to ask of her for the sake of saving their families. A sacrifice well beyond the scope of what she owed anyone.

  “I want to,” she said softly. “Because I mean it.”

  Heidrek disregarded the pledge he made to the goddess to keep his head down and met Cybil’s eyes. “I do not think you fully understand. Committing to something like this is—”

  She put a finger to his lips and cut him off. “I understand exactly what I’m committing to and while protecting our families is an added bonus, that’s not why I’m doing it.”

  He dared not hope and kept emotion from his face. This had to be her decision without influence. Yet he wondered how clearly she was thinking based on her thoughts.

  “I did that on purpose.” She pulled her finger away. “I created a smokescreen and scrambled my thoughts so I could think about what I truly wanted without influence.”

  “Why, when you could have just closed off your mind?”

  “Because I don’t want to do that to you anymore.”

  “Is this ‘smokescreen’ not the same thing?”

  A soft smile tugged at her lips. “I suppose it is.”

  “So why did you answer as you did, Cybil?” he murmured. “Why do you want to be mated with me?”

  “For several reasons,” she said. “But I suppose none of them matter as much as the main one.”

  His heart leapt into his throat. “And that is?”

  “Love,” she whispered. “For you, Heidrek.”

  Their eyes held for a long moment before he stood, pulled her into his arms and kissed her with everything he had…no, more than he knew he had.

  Nothing compared to how he felt.

  How happy he was.

  It might all vanish in a moment, but for now, this split second in time, he finally found what he had been so wary of but wasn’t anymore.

  Love.

  Both of them had found it.

  And that was worth everything.

  The fire roared to life, and a cane tapped loudly, yet they didn’t pull away they were so caught up in each other. In a kiss that outdid all kisses. Only when Aella’s firm voice rang across the cave, did anything get through.

  “The gods have deemed that you are meant for one other. Your destinies are now forever intertwined.”

  Their lips pulled away a scant fraction and their eyes met. What he saw there was everything. She completely opened herself up to him as their gazes held. Cybil meant what she said. She wanted this.

  Him.

  Would she return to the future if her sisters needed her? Yes. Would she do anything to protect them? Yes. She had been very clear about that. But what he saw in her eyes, what she would remain devoted to despite their love, made her precisely the right mate for him.

  The perfect woman.

  His woman.

  His queen.

  When their lips met again, the kiss turned tender and affectionate. They fully appreciated the scant time they had left before it might be gone forever.

  “Cybil?” came a confused feminine voice. “Is that you?”

  Cybil yanked away and spun, her eyes wide, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at a red-headed woman with smoke swirling around her feet.

  “Oh my God,” Cybil whispered. “Samantha?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  CYBIL WAS SO caught up in what had just happened between her and Heidrek that she could barely believe that Samantha stood nearby. In fact, she did not believe it. Her eyes shot to the goddess to confirm Sam was an illusion only to find her gone, and the fire returned to normal.

  “Cybil?” Samantha repeated. “Is that really you?”

  She wasn’t an illusion.

  Not at all.

  Her sister was actually standing several feet away.

  “Sam,” Cybil cried as she closed the distance and pulled her into her arms. “It’s really you, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” Sam whispered and embraced her tightly. “And it’s really you, right, Cyb?”

  “Yeah,” she murmured and squeezed her sister just as tightly, finally coming to grips with what she had feared all along. That her sisters were meant to be here.

  “Good to see you but...” Sam gasped, “I think you might be squeezing the life outta me, Sis.”

  Cybil nodded and pulled away, looking her sister over to make sure she was okay before she stepped back and shook her head. “Why are you here? How are you here?”

  Always quick to bounce back despite the circumstances, Samantha looked around then eyed Heidrek up and down before her gaze returned to Cybil. “I have no idea…or at least I don’t think I do.” Her eyes raked over everything again, and she murmured, “Where am I exactly?”

  Cybil inhaled deeply and nearly fell back into her past mistakes by creating a story that would explain everything away. But as she looked into her sister’s eyes, she knew those days were over. Everything she told the Norse goddess was true.

  She had changed.

  And she was no longer going to shelter her sisters.

  So she took Sam’s hand and spoke with calm authority. “You might find this hard to believe, but you’ve traveled back in time to tenth-century Scandinavia.”

  “I know. I learned that outside, but I wasn’t sure until…” Sam again looked Cybil and Heidrek over before she shook her head. “So is what Tait said true? You’re some sort of warrior goddess who hooked up with a Viking King?”

  Huh? What?

  Tait?

  Uh oh.

  Cybil asked the obvious so she could assess what sort of impact Heidrek’s flirtatious cousin already had on her sister. “So you already met Tait?”

  “I did. He’s hot as hell,” Sam confirmed, still looking at Heidrek with curiosity. “And it seems he’s not the only one.” Her eyes went to Cybil’s. “He’s the guy in the picture back home, isn’t he?”

  “Yes.” Cybil made introductions. “Heidrek this is my sister, Samantha. Sam, this is my…”

  When her words trailed off, Sam looked between them and said, “He’s your what, Cyb?
”

  What was he exactly? How could she explain things in a way her sister would comprehend?

  “Is everything okay?” Sam looked between them. “Who is he, Sis?”

  Cybil’s eyes met Heidrek’s and a smile curled her lips before she looked her sister’s way again. “He’s my future, Sam. He’s everything.”

  Samantha’s brows shot up as her eyes flickered between them. Moments later, she smiled at Cybil. “Really?”

  Cybil nodded and introduced him again, ending with the fact that he was her mate.

  “Mate?” Sam kept grinning. “What exactly does that mean? That you’ve already slept together?” Sam made an appreciative sound as her gaze roamed over him again. “Or that you hope to?”

  “None of your business.” Cybil shook her head and apologized to Heidrek telepathically for her sister’s rudeness before her eyes met Sam’s. “Mate means he’s the guy I’m meant for.”

  “Meant for?”

  “Sam,” she groaned. “I’ll explain later, okay? Meanwhile, how exactly are you here?”

  “I have no idea. We’ve all been pretty worried about you back home, and Sean thought maybe the tree had something to do with it so I—”

  “Wait, how long have I been gone?” Cybil interrupted. “And what did Sean say specifically?”

  “You’ve been gone a day or so and Sean’s shared a lot.” Sam’s voice grew a little softer as she watched Cybil’s reaction closely. “He told us about the women who used to live in the house and how they vanished back in time. He explained a little bit about Grant MacLomain and how he had wanted us to move in. Then he told us about the ash tree in the front yard and how it might be related to where you went…back in time.”

  Had Sean mentioned what Cybil was? What her sisters were? “Was that all?”

  “Um, yeah.” Sam’s eyes widened. “I’d say that’s enough, wouldn’t you?”

  “For now.” Cybil took a measured breath. “But there’s more, Samantha. As soon as we get settled wherever it’s safest, I’ll explain.”