Storm Guardian: Viking Soul Book 3

by Rachel Medhurst

  *

  “His name is Professor David Morris. He studied Norse Mythology at university and went on to teach it himself. I found one of his books when I was studying. That was what got me hooked on myth. I’ve heard he’s in Prague, researching his next book. Here, you can have these.” Serenity handed me a pile of books.

  I pulled them across the bar, looking at the titles on the spines. Ah, Norse Mythology, a human’s view.

  The cleaners buzzed around us as we sat at the bar. The club had closed for its daily spruce up. I had sought Serenity in the hope that she had some answers about the man who apparently knew all about me. Maybe he could help me find the rest of the Fallen Ones. It was a ridiculously long shot, but worth investing the time.

  “Thank you. I’m sorry I’ve been shitty to you since…” I waved my hand, gesturing towards the door to the basement.

  Serenity shook her head as she leant her elbows on the bar. Her shift would start in an hour or so. She had promised to make it up to Jack, so he was allowing her to.

  “I know you don’t trust me. I don’t blame you. But, I really do…I mean, I’m….one of your biggest fans. I want you to succeed. This underworld shit? I wouldn’t worry so much about it. As far as I’m aware, you’ve stayed disconnected forever, so why get involved now?”

  My mind skipped back five hundred years when I had lived in Germany. The local community suffered a sudden shocking amount of deaths in one go. Something was draining the blood from little children. Suffice to say, it had been the first time I had ever wanted to help the humans by intervening. So, I hunted, knowing full well it was a vampire. Killing him hadn’t been easy, but the reward was worth it. For a while, anyway.

  It seemed that no matter how hard I tried to help, it always came back to bite me in the arse. The vampire’s relatives decided to seek their revenge. They couldn’t track me, I had moved on. However, I got word a few weeks after I had left that the whole town had been wiped out. Sucked dry. Thanks to me.

  I vowed to never get involved with others problems again. Not if it caused more damage than good.

  “You may have a point. I need to meet this David, it sounds like he knows far too much about me.”

  Shaking her head, Serenity smiled as she pushed away from the bar. “You’re super paranoid, Trygger. I don’t know if he even knows that you actually exist.”

  Frowning, I got up from my seat, ready to face Hannah down in the basement. “He’s getting information from somewhere. I just want to know how.”

  Cracking my knuckles, I moved around the bar. Maybe it was time to let go of a few of my problems, starting with Hannah. Serenity waved me away as I went through the door and made my way downstairs.

  The door to the basement opened soundlessly. Jack kept it locked tight, but had given me a key.

  Peeking my head into the basement, I paused. Hannah was…crying? The sound of sobs was almost drowned out by the television, which showed some rubbish show.

  Moving slowly, I approached the sofa where Hannah lay, her head in her hands. Was it a trick? The young woman had had a tough time. Her father obviously didn’t treat her how he should. Yet, why did I care?

  “Hannah?” I said, my tone cold.

  She looked at me, her face pale. “What do you want?”

  The sharp reply was deserved; I had done nothing but cause her grief. too. Not that she hadn’t invited it. Working with her father hadn’t been her wisest choice.

  “I was going to use you as bait. Your father deserves to die, but…not by my hands.”

  Her frown increased as she got to her feet. “What do you mean? You can’t let him live.”

  Balled fists raised as she approached me, ready to fight. Not to harm me, but to get her point across.

  Taking hold of her hands, I gripped them hard. Her big eyes stared at me, the rims red and puffy. But, it didn’t matter. There was no point being soft for anyone, no matter how much shit they had dealt with.

  “Hannah, your father isn’t as powerful as he likes to think. Odin…it’s a fantasy in his head, a sign of psychiatric problems.”

  Even if Odin was visiting Martin, I refused to worry about the puny human. My attention was being distracted by the stupid man’s games. He hadn’t made a move to kill either me or Chloe, and if he did, we would flatten him. Besides, there were others that wanted the man dead. Maybe I would just let the underworld deal with him.

  “You don’t understand, he’s obsessed. He will stop at nothing until he’s completed his mission. Much like you.” She spat out her words, laced with contempt.

  Did my story influence her father? Would Martin use me as an excuse to keep trying to end the underworld and rid all Norse descendants?

  My phone started to ring, distracting me as Hannah threw her hands in the air and went back to the sofa.

  “What?” I snapped as I answered.

  “Trygger, you need to get to Senior’s shop. Apparently there’s something going down. I ain’t got no more info, but I’m obviously stuck here with Chloe.” Jack spoke fast, his words flowing from him.

  Glancing around the basement, I clocked the bed in the corner, the television and a small door that wasn’t there before. Jack had assured me that Hannah had an adequate bathroom. It seemed the woman had a nice little pad.

  “Alright, I’ll go there now.”

  Hanging up, I turned to leave. Hannah jumped up, ready to stop me.

  “Please…let me go.”

  I glanced at her over my shoulder, my ponytail sticking to my chin. “No, you’re not safe out there. Even less so now. Your father will want you killed for attempting to end his life.”

  Her scoff made me smile. She would never believe that I would keep her locked up for her own safety…and, she would be right not to.

  “I’ve always been a pawn. Never a person. Fuck you, Trygger!” Plonking herself on the sofa again, she resumed her tears.

  Leaving her to it, I locked the door as I left. There was no point in trying to comfort her, it wouldn’t be sincere. Hannah chose the path she did. Her actions towards her father would have consequences. I had taken an opportunity, but I didn’t know what to do with it, yet. Or, what to do with her. Maybe I should just let her go. That way, if anything did happen to her, it would have nothing to do with me.

  Pushing my way back into the club, I paused when I went to rush past the bar. “Serenity,” I called, gesturing for her to come to me with a flick of my hand. “Can you get your shift covered? Now?”

  The little American woman may be handy to have at my side.

  Glancing at the man she was talking to, she raised her eyebrows. He nodded, his eyes looking between the pair of us. All of Jack’s employee’s knew me. They would always obey their boss, and he had told them to always listen to me.

  “Good, come with me.”

  As Serenity flustered herself trying to get ready, I stormed off. I had no time to waste. Jack had sounded worried on the phone, which wasn’t like him. He knew that something wasn’t right. How he knew that baffled me, but his gut instinct was rarely wrong.

  The cool air hit my face as I went into the street. Serenity finally caught up with me as she tugged on her jacket.

  “Where are we going?” she puffed.

  Not bothering to look at her, I sped up my steps, ready to hail a taxi to take us to Senior’s shop. “We’re going into the unknown. Make sure you keep up. We just might be faced with a fight.”

  Chapter 8

  It’s all my Fault

  “Jack said something’s going down in Senior’s shop, but I can’t see anything…”

  The loud blast resounded down the street, shutting me up. Okay, there was the sign I needed.

  Glancing back at Serenity, I motioned for her to stay hidden in the doorway of a shop further down the road. She nodded. Sensible girl. If I had to keep her alive, well, let’s just say, she probably wouldn’t survive. I didn’t have time to protect anyone.

  My feet stepped lightly as I jogged do
wn the road. People screamed as they ran away from the site of the explosion. Such a forceful event would bring the police raining down on us. That wasn’t a good thing.

  Dodging my way through the crowd as they tried to get away, I froze when they suddenly calmed. Their footsteps slowed and they resumed their normal chattering, as if nothing had happened. Oh, how I loved magic.

  “Trygger!”

  Kalic called to me from ahead. I spotted him standing outside Senior’s shop. A moment ago, smoke had been rising from it, but now…it looked normal.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, amazed at how quickly the wizard had obviously fixed the explosion.

  People crossed the road as they neared the shop, avoiding the pavement outside. Okay, something wasn’t quite right.

  “It’s Senior…and Devon.”

  Scowling low in my throat, I stormed past him, stalling when the scene in front of me changed suddenly. Ah, they had shielded the shop with magic to hide the blast.

  The glass from the windows was spread all over the pavement, tiny shards in piles from the blast. Bits of Senior’s trinkets and shelves were scattered inside the shop, where the door stood hanging by one of its hinges.

  “What happened?” Moving into the shop, I crunched everything underfoot, not paying attention to anything other than the sound of voices that came from the back of the shop.

  Kalic followed me, his eyes flaring red when we heard Devon’s raised voice. “She escaped, the little bitch. I followed her here. She was shouting at the wizard, but I didn’t hear what she said. She had put a spell over the shop so I couldn’t get in.”

  Speeding up, I rounded the now ruined counter and went straight into the corridor that led outside. I could see the old man, standing just by the exit. Shoving my way out, I stalked straight in front of him, blocking his view of Devon.

  She stood with her hands on her hips, her black hair scruffy and matted from constant anxious tugging, which she did when her gaze met mine.

  “What’s going on?” I ordered, looking between the pair.

  Devon tilted her head to the side before glancing at Senior. “He’s refusing to teach me anymore. He said that I stink…”

  “You do,” Kalic said, coming out of the building. “You’re a Dark Crawler now.”

  Devon’s lips pursed together as she shook her head. “No, I’m a witch, a wizard and a Dark Crawler. Bet you’ve never seen one of those.”

  Her state of mind was pretty stable, considering the fact that she was right. Or, at least partially. She was currently Devon, her mind in control of the Crawler.

  “I think you’ll find you’re not a wizard.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Senior coughed behind me, making me face him. He looked at the ground, his frail face creased, drooping from old age. “Actually, her father was a friend of mine. Her mother…a witch. It’s illegal, but it happened. I promised to look after her when her parents…”

  “Buggered off without me,” Devon interrupted.

  Great, and now the family domestics were erupting. And, I was here because…?

  “Look, you’ve caused enough grief, Devon. I think it’s time to…”

  “I don’t think so.” The voice was deep, not hers.

  As Devon’s hands rose, I slipped my blade from my pocket and tackled her, bowling her to the ground. If I could help it, I would keep her alive. She may be one of the most powerful women in London. One that could be useful on my side.

  “Let me go!” she ordered through clenched teeth as I pinned her to the ground.

  I ignored her as the others rushed over, obviously wanting to make sure no one was hurt. Or, in Kalic’s case, probably hoping I would kill her.

  She suddenly stopped moving and looked straight into my eyes. “Please, help me get rid of him. It was Senior who told me how to use your sword to release a human from the Dark Crawler once it’s inside them.”

  It was her talking, not the evil spirit. I could see the clarity in her eyes, the truth that resonated. It made me want to help. An emotion I hadn’t felt for a long time. To genuinely want to alleviate someone’s suffering.

  “If you promise to leave Senior alone, I will hear you out.”

  I didn’t for one moment believe that what she claimed was truth. I had never heard of another way to rid a human of a Crawler or Fallen One. It was kill them or be killed.

  “I promise.”

  The sincerity in her tone, her posture, it alerted me to her word. She would keep it.

  Climbing up, I pulled her to her feet. Senior watched, his dark eyes following our every move. He knew something, something that he had kept from me. Why would he not tell me about the sword if he believed it to be true? Ah, I knew why…because the underworld now hated me.

  “She…needs to be healed from this creature. Her bloodline is the next in line to rule the coven. Since Isaac died, Devon has been the heir.”

  Well, that made things more interesting and challenging. There was no way Devon could lead a coven of Wizards in the state she was in.

  “How did she get out?” I asked Kalic, who stood open mouthed.

  “Antonia was too kind to her, she’s learnt her lesson, which is why she’s not here.” The man’s expression was less than impressed by his woman’s actions. There would no doubt be a domestic later in the day.

  “Senior, Devon claims I can remove a Crawler or Fallen One from a human without killing them. What is she talking about?”

  The wizard had the grace to shuffle on his feet. He knew something, alright. It was just a matter of whether he was going to tell me.

  “Trygger?” Serenity’s voice came through the shop.

  Shit, I had forgotten about Serenity. The last thing I needed was for her to see Devon right now. I wanted to work out what I would do with her before telling the others.

  Opening my mouth, I took in a deep breath. In the second it took me to do that, Devon ducked behind me. I spun, following her, but a gun was raised in her hand, aiming straight at Senior’s head. The bullet lodged before I reached her.

  Wrenching her arm behind her back, I snapped the bone in her hand to get her to release the gun. It went skidding to the ground. She screeched, the sound vibrating in my ear as she tried to buck her way out of my grip. It didn’t work.

  My heart thundered in my chest as Senior slumped to the ground. Serenity screamed from the back door, while Kalic tried to catch the wizard. It was too late. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head. He was gone.

  “I’m the leader now,” Devon crowed, her fight for freedom relaxed as I stared at what she had just done.

  Spinning her, I placed my hand on the back of her head and pushed her down, forcing her to look into the face of the dead wizard. Senior had been a harmless man. An elderly person who had been kind and giving. Who had trained and looked after her.

  A sob escaped Devon’s mouth. “No!” she whispered.

  The Crawler had a much stronger hold on her than she realised. Just because it had been in her friend’s grandfather, didn’t make it any less evil. She had reason to believe that it did. But, it had just proved her wrong.

  “Help me,” she begged, turning and clinging to my arms. “Lock me up. Get your sword. All you have to do is call Thor’s power and touch the tip of the sword to my third eye. It will draw out the Crawler. Please!”

  As our gaze clashed, I froze. The woman, the witch, the wizard. She was still there, so very strong. And, the way she pleaded. I couldn’t refuse, not anymore. If she had asked me six months ago, I would have killed her without even hearing her. But, something had got into me. My conscience. It was growing, awakening. Shit, just what I didn’t need.

  “Kalic,” I said, un-attaching Devon from me and pushing her towards him. “Take her and lock her up properly. I’ll deal with Senior, then get my sword.”

  The vampire dragged Devon, who went willingly without saying a word. There was no harm in trying her theory. I had no proof, but either way, if my sword touc
hed her, and she was wrong…then, it would kill her, anyway.

  Serenity moved out of the shop, her steps slow. “What happened?”

  As the others disappeared, I bent to Senior and put my arms under him. Lifting his lifeless body from the ground, I cringed when blood smeared on my shirt. The poor man had ended the day in a pool of his own blood, when he hadn’t even done a thing to deserve it. And, it was my fault.

  “Why did you let her live?” Serenity asked me, her eyes searching around when my phone rang in my pocket.

  “Answer it,” I snapped, tilting my hip towards her so she could dig it out.

  “It says Kalic, I don’t…”

  “Just fucking answer it and put it on speaker.”

  She did as I said, her hands shaking as she held the phone towards me.

  “What is it?” I asked the vampire.

  The sound of people talking fast came down the phone. “The spell Senior used to hide the state of the place, it’s gone. You better get out of there fast.”

  The phone went dead as he hung up. Looking behind me, I immediately moved over to Senior’s car. We would have to drive him away from the building. The police would find him shot and question everything. Although, the blast would be investigated, that was unavoidable.

  Serenity was by my side without me asking, wrenching open the back door. Putting Senior on the seat, I slammed the door shut behind him.

  “Get in the passenger’s side, I’ll be right back.”

  Rushing back inside as Serenity did as she was told, I searched the pipes in the hallway leading back to the shop. They were gas, thank God. Maybe I could make it look like there had been a leak. Not that it would cover the crime very well considering Senior would become a missing person.

  My footsteps slowed. Why the hell was I trying to cover up an underworld crime? I never had before. This whole thing had nothing to do with me. I usually went on my merry way, not giving a fuck what they all got up to.

  This was the last straw, I was no longer going to care. Senior had died because I hadn’t killed Devon straight away. And, because I had trusted her word. Which was foolish. No more. It was time to get back to my real mission. Freya had told me to get rid of Martin and leave. So, I would. Hannah didn’t need to know. I would kill him so she could be free.