Verena's Whistle: Varangian Descendants Book I

by K. Panikian

  “Right,” he said. “Noted. Don’t get disarmed.” He rolled onto his back and ran his hand along my cheek to cradle the back of my head. “Does this thing ever shut off?”

  “It was definitely off for a little while,” I answered with a smile and bent forward, kissing him lingeringly. My hands wandered lower and I started to slide down his lean and muscled body. His breath hitched.

  I stopped when I heard a banging sounds from the kitchen and then, “What’s with the video cameras?”

  “Looks like the gang’s all up,” I said and sighed. I sat up and stretched, the sheet falling to my waist. Owen groaned. His hands ran up my sides before he stopped himself and sat up too.

  “You go ahead,” he said. “I’ll be along in a couple of minutes.”

  I grinned at him and quickly got dressed, then leaned across for one more kiss, before leaving the room and shutting the door behind me. I ducked into the hall bathroom and brushed my hair before making my way to the kitchen.

  Julian was holding one of the receivers and saying, “It’s definitely the crater.” He stopped when I came in and I nodded.

  “Yeah, Owen and I set up two cameras at the crater and on the trail this morning.”

  “And they’re working?” Theo called out from the living room.

  “So far,” I answered. “Anyone want a sandwich?” I asked as I started pulling stuff from the fridge. I got no takers so started making one for me and two for Owen.

  I updated Julian on what happened when Owen transformed again and my idea of the two of them sparring later. Julian agreed and then started peppering me with questions about the shifting process. I started to answer with what I’d observed, but then stopped when Owen came into the room. I’d let him respond.

  I passed over his two sandwiches and he brushed his hand over mine. I left him to Julian’s interrogation and took my sandwich into the living room to update Theo.

  Theo was laying back on the couch, phone in the air over his head. I shoved his feet aside to sit next to him and told him about the cameras and the berserker experiment while I ate.

  “Where’s Zasha?” I asked when I was done

  “She had to get back to her job. They’re doing experiments on the meteorites now at the university lab.”

  “When are you going to see her again?”

  Theo looked unhappy. “Probably not until the weekend. It’s a long train ride back and forth for her, and she knows I need to be here.”

  “Maybe you could meet her for lunch or something before then,” I suggested and he brightened.

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

  Julian and Owen came into the living room. “We’re ready to spar,” Julian said.

  I looked at Owen and said, concerned “Are you sure you want to try it today? That’s three transformations in less than 24 hours.”

  “I feel great,” Owen answered. “Yeah, I was really tired immediately after, but I feel energized now.” He grinned at me. I rolled my eyes.

  “Wait, before you start tramping around out there, let me measure that footprint.” I ran and found measuring tape in the garage. Outside, I measured Owen’s bare footprint in the snow and when I turned back to the house, Julian and Owen were talking on the deck, holding their swords.

  Julian was saying, “I know we were talking last night about how berserker legends are probably mostly false, but I agree with Very that there may be some truth as well. If you start to feel like you’re really angry, or you want to hurt me, I need you to stay in control and back off.” He stopped and said seriously, “I’m trusting you with my life, man.”

  Owen nodded, his face grave. “I understand.”

  I felt a kick of fear go through me as they stepped off the deck and into the yard. Owen stripped and handed me his clothes; I backed up and sat on the deck steps again, pulling my sword onto my lap. Theo stepped out the sliding door, holding his sovnya, and sat beside me.

  “How does it work,” he asked me in a whisper.

  “Just watch,” I whispered back.

  Owen seized the pommel of his sword, vanished, and the wolf berserker stood in his place. Theo sucked in a breath next to me. “Whoa. He’s huge.”

  Julian, who was not a small man, looked slight next to Owen’s hulking half-wolf form.

  “It’s still me,” Owen said through his wolf jaws.

  Julian started to weave his sword through the air, moving his feet to circle around Owen. Owen stood still, his sword at the ready. When Julian moved to strike, the berserker took over. Owen spun away and in a flurry of moves, disarmed Julian, picked him up, and tossed him to the side. He moved so fast that I didn’t even see how he did it. Julian was just suddenly in the snow by the foot of the deck, looking dazed.

  Owen stood in front of him, holding the sword ready, and waited.

  “Everything okay?” I called down.

  Owen looked up at me and waved. “I’m in control. Do you want to go again?” he asked Julian.

  Julian gamely climbed to his feet, “Sure.”

  They stood in the center of the yard again and this time, Owen attacked first. He started with a two-handed strike diagonally down to the right and when Julian moved to parry, he released one hand and spun the sword around to slash at Julian’s neck. I sucked in a breath and Owen stopped the blade before making contact.

  “I can’t handle this,” I said to Theo.

  “They’re doing great,” Theo responded. “Just relax. He slowed that one down a lot, but Julian still couldn’t parry it.”

  Julian said, “Again.”

  I watched them go back and forth across the yard for another few minutes before I stopped gasping every time Owen struck. I could tell that Julian was going full-out; he was moving very fast and using his super strength to push back against Owen’s blows. It was still obvious though, that Owen was holding back. Finally, Julian stepped back, breathing heavily and asked for a break.

  “My turn!” Theo jumped to his feet and landed in the snowy yard. He started spinning his sovnya in front of him and then, when Owen lunged, he spun to the side and swept down with the bladed end. It whistled through the air, not making contact, because Owen leapt into the air and the blade passed harmlessly under his feet. My mouth dropped open. His body was too big to jump that high but he’d done it effortlessly.

  Theo laughed and then tried another pass. This time, moving forward with slashing diagonal strikes, alternating sides, he ran at Owen. Owen waited until the last moment and then caught the sovnya against his sword’s edge and pushed; the sovnya flew through the air and Theo was disarmed.

  Julian clapped and Owen bowed. He looked at me and I clapped too. His wolf ears flickered.

  “Are you coming?” he asked me and I got to my feet. Theo and Julian took my spot on the deck stairs.

  I held my saber in my right hand and my nightingale knife in my left. I knew I was sacrificing my defensive options by holding two weapons, but I also knew that against his superior size, strength, and speed, I didn’t have a lot of defensive options to begin with.

  I charged forward suddenly, closing the distance between us with my saber raised, feinting a mighty overhead strike. When Owen lifted his longsword to block it, I delivered a hard kick instead to his midsection. I put my weight behind it but Owen didn’t even stagger. And now my foot hurt.

  I spun away from his parry and followed up with a slash from my knife at his foremost leg. I realized that he wasn’t going to block it and so pulled my attack.

  “Point to Very,” Julian called from the deck.

  Owen swung his longsword in a two-handed strike to the lower left side of my body. He moved slowly. I parried by turning my wrist so that it faced outward and swept the attack aside. I could tell he let me do it.

  “Point to Owen,” I said that time.

  I brandished my saber, trying to draw Owen’s attention, and then lunged forward with the saber extended. When Owen started to parry it, I stabbed my knife hand forward and underneath th
e saber lunge. In a split second Owen, instead of parrying the saber with both hands on the longsword, dropped one hand to grab my left wrist. He parried the saber thrust easily one-handed and continued to hold my wrist loosely. I knew I wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Fight to Owen,” Theo called.

  I smiled up at his wolf face, looming over me from his new great height. One glowing yellow eye winked at me. “Okay, I’m convinced that in a sparring situation, you’re not going to turn insane. I’m withholding judgment on what will happen in an actual battle.”

  “Fair enough,” Owen said. He let go of me and sheathed his sword. When he let go of the pommel though, his eyes rolled back in his head and he hit the snow hard.

  I helped Julian hoist him up and carry him into the house. “Next time,” I panted, “we should remind him to wait to let go of the sword until he’s inside the house.”

  We placed him on the couch and I covered him with a couple of blankets. He snored softly.

  I went into the kitchen to make some tea and think about dinner. We had the stuff for a couple of different meals. Theo was at the counter on his laptop and I asked him, “Chicken or shrimp?”

  “Chicken.”

  I started a brine and got the chicken inside and then pulled some green beans out of the fridge, washed them, and started trimming them.

  “I’ll do that,” Theo said and washed his hands.

  I left him to the beans and checked the pantry for spices to make a rub for the chicken. We had lots of rice in there too, so I got the stuff out for pilaf.

  Theo and I were companionably silent when Julian came in, looking freshly showered.

  “Any aches and pains?” I asked. “You went down hard a few times.”

  “Yeah, I’m thinking about getting in the hot tub later.” He grabbed the stuff to set the table. He came back into the kitchen a minute later and went to get a glass of water. “Owen’s awake,” he said.

  “I’ll take it to him,” I said and took the water from Julian. He smirked at me.

  “Theo, you got the rice?” I asked and got a head nod back.

  I found Owen sitting on the couch, looking groggy. I handed him the glass of water and he downed it thirstily. I sat next to him and ran my hand through his messy hair. “That one looked like it took more out of you,” I said.

  He nuzzled his cheek into my hand. “Yeah,” he answered, his voice raspy. “I was in the form a lot longer, I guess.”

  “You looked amazing,” I told him. “After I stopped being scared, it was really astonishing to watch. I’ve never seen anyone move that like.”

  He smiled at me in delight.

  “How did you know what to do?”

  “I didn’t think at all; I just moved. It’s all instinct.”

  “Well, it’s looking this is one of those divine gifts without terrible consequences. I stand corrected.”

  “I feel like I should record this historic moment,” he responded and I leaned over and kissed his nose.

  I stood up and helped him get to his feet. “We’re working on dinner. You have time for a shower first, if you want.”

  “Do you have time to join me?” he wiggled his eyebrows.

  I laughed. “No, I have to get the chicken in the oven. Next time,” I promised.

  “Probably for the best,” he answered and staggered a little when he took a step. “I still feel a little weak.”

  “If I hear a crash, I’ll come check on you,” I said and headed back into the kitchen.

  AFTER dinner, we had our council of war. If Theo’s original count of 20 besy was correct, and we’d killed 10 of them with Greek fire, plus the psoglav on the trail and the azhdaya by the lake, and 5 went back through the gate, that left 3 besy unaccounted for. We needed to start hunting them.

  There were also, at some unknown point, going to be more besy to track and fight, but we didn’t know how many or when they would come through the portal. The best we could do right now was try and monitor the crater for magic.

  Finally, we had instructions from Mesyats to close the gate for good. This last task daunted me the most. I had no idea how we would do it. So far, the only thing we knew for sure about the portal was that a piece of meteor from our side of the gate had blown through the worlds in the initial blast, and that piece allowed someone to open the magic door from either side. And currently, that piece was in the portal world, out of reach.

  “If we just got that fragment from the bes commander, wouldn’t that stop them from opening it again? That would close the portal to all traffic. Then we could crush the key or something and no one could use it again?” Theo asked.

  “What if they open it more carefully next time?” I countered. “One bes stays in the portal world with the key and opens it and closes it for groups to come through. How will we get it?” I asked. “Or what if more than one meteorite piece blew through the gate?”

  Julian added, “And what if some other magic object that we don’t know about could force it open? I think the god was pretty clear it needed to be permanently shut down.”

  I agreed. “Yeah, maybe stealing the key is a good first step, but we need more.”

  “But how do we destroy a mystical gate?” Owen asked.

  No one answered.

  “I guess we could try some research,” Julian offered. “Put the aunts and uncles on it. Ask them to search for myths and folklore stories that have magic gates in them.”

  “That’s a great idea, Julian,” I said excitedly. “Like stuff about Stonehenge, or that place in Peru.”

  “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” added Theo and Julian thumped him on the back of the head.

  “How do they destroy the Stargate portal in the movie?” Owen asked. “I forget.”

  “They don’t destroy it; they bury it.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Bury it,” I mused out loud. “I feel like that idea has potential….”

  Chapter 22

  I woke up to a pulse of blue light in my bedroom. I sat up, groggy, and looked around. The video receiver on my nightstand was glowing blue. I remembered we split up the two receivers last night before bed. I took the one of the trail and Julian took the one focused on the crater.

  I nudged Owen, still asleep beside me, and he made an “Unnhh” sound before a clearer, “What?” He rolled over and repeated, “What? I’m awake.”

  “The trail,” I said. “The camera is picking up a blue glow.”

  Owen sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. His stubble made a scratching sound under his fingernails. “What does that mean?”

  “The gate’s open, I think.”

  “Do we go now? What time is it?”

  I picked up my phone. “It’s a little after two in the morning.” I thought for a second. “I’m going to check with Julian.”

  I climbed out of bed and threw on my sweatshirt and yoga pants. I padded down the hall and knocked on Julian’s door. I went in when I heard a muffled, “What?”

  Julian was sitting in his bed, scratching his chest. “What’s up,” he asked, yawning.

  “My camera is blue,” I answered. “Where’s your receiver?”

  He pointed to his bedside table and I picked up the device. It was black. I hit a button and saw, “No camera found.”

  “Your camera is gone,” I told Julian, “and mine is glowing blue. The portal is open.”

  “Are we rolling out?”

  “By the time we get up there, whatever came through will be gone. We’ll be able to follow tracks better in the daylight. Let’s hit the ski trail a little before dawn.” I looked at my phone and checked. “I’ll be knocking on doors at 6am.”

  Julian nodded and fell back on his pillows. I left and went back to my room. I set my phone alarm and updated Owen with a murmur. He fell back asleep immediately but I couldn’t quiet my thoughts. There were so many unknowns with this situation. How many came through? What if they scattered in different directions? How could we possibly close the g
ate?

  I ended up getting up around 4 and going to the kitchen. I texted my mom and when I got the recipe back, started chopping potatoes and bell peppers. I decided to double the recipe, just in case. Owen packed away his dinner last night. I guessed turning into a wolf berserker burned some calories.

  I had the casseroles in the oven by 5 and then took a shower. When I made it back to the kitchen, Owen was up and starting the coffee.

  I watched him, standing by the machine, bleary-eyed, with rumpled hair, his sweatpants low on his slim hips, and felt my heart thump hard. He turned, saw me, and walked to me. He enveloped me in a hug, tucking my head into his neck, and just held me. I breathed in his scent.

  “You got this,” he whispered. I lifted my head and he kissed me softly. “We got this.”

  IT was just dawn when we left the two snow machines alongside the ski trail. The pale pink sky had slowly brightened as we drove up the mountain and now, I could see some distance into the trees along the trail.

  I motioned everyone close and reminded them, “First, we have no idea what came through, how many came through, and in which direction they traveled. There are also three unaccounted for besy from the previous troop. So, we need eyes wide open now. I’m point; Julian and Theo, you follow me and choose a flank to watch; Owen, you’re the rear guard.

  “You see anything, any movement, any tracks, you immediately report it,” I told everyone.

  “Any questions?”

  No one said anything.

  “Owen, get your dangerous clothes on. Let’s use those powerful ears and nose.”

  Owen stripped and dropped his clothes into my backpack, seized his sword, and changed shapes. Man, I thought to myself, we still need to fix his boot situation ASAP. His poor toes.

  I held my crossbow ready; Theo and Julian drew their swords too.

  We moved down the trail. I kept the pace slow, scanning the trees and path in front of me. We made it to the tree where we’d left the camera and everything looked the same. I knew the crater was just ahead.