The little sailboat wavered and heeled over. The sail grazed the sea. Lexi slid sideways on her bench. She clutched the baby. Theo shouted at Jareth. He adjusted the sheet in the tackle block and the mainsail filled and the ship righted itself. Water lapped in the bottom of the boat.
High in the sky, Iliana saw the approaching figure of a faceless, insubstantial warrior draped in black. The wraith swung a gigantic curved sword over its head. Iliana spurred her horses on and raced toward her doom. The screeching resolved into words. Or at least her ears could make sense of them.
“Stand aside, Nixie. These dragons are my lawful prey. Mine. Mine. Mine. They will dine in Hel tonight.”
Not on her watch.
Iliana stood on Windfaxi’s broad back, spread her arms, assumed her largest size and rose to her full height. “Avaunt, Specter,” she commanded.
The wight whirled its sword and hacked through Windfaxi’s thick neck, severing his head from his body. Iliana laughed. For nothing could destroy the white horses of mighty Aegir. Windfaxi reformed instantly. The waves smoothed out around them and the wind fell to a deadly calm.
Iliana spared a glance at the little vessel. Theo, oblivious to their peril, had left his course unaltered. Jareth had recovered from his fear and was urging his cousin to use the motor and quickly return to Severn Island.
Lexi however was now transfixed. Whether by the approaching battle, or because as always she could see Iliana, there was no time to determine. Iliana willed Theo to go back to dock, and turned again to challenge the evil spirit.
“Stand aside, Nixie,” repeated the wraith. Even as the winds failed, a fierce gale seemed to billow its ragged vestments.
Iliana raised the sea in a mighty waterspout. The wraith seemed prepared for this for she flung her sword directly at Iliana before vaulting over the whirling water. Iliana prepared to die. But an enormous clawed hand reached out and caught the sword in midair, before dropping it hilt first into her mailed hand.
Normally she faced all foes weaponless. But the enemy’s sword had been given to her by Jareth. ‘Twas hers to use. She whispered to the waterspout and let it sink back into the cold sea. Scenting blood, her steeds whinnied loudly. The wraith dove toward Iliana yelling a battle cry that would have struck terror into her soul – had she had one.
Jareth flew at the specter, snatching at the trailing black garment. His talons passed through the darkness. He wheeled in the sky and blasted his enemy with fire. The wraith ducked to escape being singed. It swept past Iliana and her sword.
It took but one slash of that enchanted sword to unbind the wight. The shining blade shattered and sparks flew. Instantly Iliana released her steeds. She grappled with the limp residue of evil, binding the wraith’s spirit tightly with a spell.
She was weary, but she knew what she must do. She was no longer under the protection of Rán. Had never been appointed to convey the dead to Hel. But there was no other safe stowage for this evil spirit. Even as she chained it with words of power, it squirmed and fought to be free.
Jareth circled overhead calling loudly and beating his leathery wings. He wanted her to abandon the wraith to drown. But the dead could not drown. This soul was steeped in wickedness and must go where there was only nothingness. Only the void of Hel could neutralize her forever.
For this soul was female. A kind of mockery of femininity clung to its rotten spirit. Iliana feared she would never be clean. Not that it mattered. Without Rán’s protection, she could not return from Hel. Jareth’s brassy notes grew more urgent.
She looked up. “I am going into Hel, to end this fiend’s evil once and for all.”
He circled once and then seemed to come to some decision for he landed beside the wraith. The waves foamed around his scaly form.
CHAPTER TEN
Jareth~
It was obvious that while Lexi eventually saw or sensed something approaching the little yacht, Theo saw only the mild spring morning. His cousin’s stolid expression did not change. But Jareth could see the black phantasm that had tormented him since childhood, as well as the nixie from his dream.
The shapeless wraith seemed to be approaching faster than the wind – he knew not how. Its ghastly presence was charged with the same menace that he faced nightly. Although it had terrorized him since he was six, this was the first time it had directly threatened him by day. He sensed that this time it meant to kill him, as it had killed his parents and little Brede.
Spellbound, he watched the female from his dream summon white water horses like those she had ridden the night before. She was girded like an Amazon in steel armor. With one powerful bound she mounted the middle horse. She was preparing to do battle with the black phantasm. To defend him as she had defended Mamma, Papa, and Brede last night. He glanced sideways. Theo and Lexi remained blissfully oblivious to their peril.
“Go home,” he shouted back to Theo, who was being remarkably forbearing, considering that Jareth had nearly let the sailboat capsize when he lost control of the boom.
A sudden eerie, calm descended as the wind died. Lexi’s face immediately went rigid. She raised her voice and joined Jareth in urging Theo to return to dock.
“Use the motor,” Jareth cried as he leaped into the air and took dragon on the wing. He might not be as large as his cousins, and he might be a coward at heart, but he was still a dragon armed with talons, horns and a poisoned tail-dart.
His nixie was tall and muscular. A goddess among women. Her red hair foamed beneath her glittering steel helm. The saddled and bridled waves that were her rearing stallions charged toward the apparition.
The apparition addressed her. The nixie somehow climbed upright on the impermanent back of her middle steed. She faced the terrifying specter with a resolute countenance and dismissed it with a gesture and a single decree. “Avaunt, Specter!”
The apparition swung a sword at his protectress’ mount, decapitating it. His valiant nixie nimbly stepped onto the next horse. The headless horse reformed and the nixie immediately resumed her place. As she had done in his nightmare, she raised a waterspout.
Seemingly, the apparition was prepared this morning. It easily evaded the jet of water. Turned its malevolence on the Amazon. It ignored Jareth as if he was not worthy of its notice. He was grateful not to have that malice focused on him. But he could not watch while his nemesis destroyed the nixie.
He managed to seize its flung sword in one set of talons. He passed the heavy weapon to the Amazon. She swung her newly acquired sword in a mighty arc, testing its reach. The apparition regrouped and dove for the woman’s stern face, uncaring of the blade in her adversary’s hand.
With both his hind feet, he struck at the mist-like garments that shrouded the apparition. His talons slid through it like a hot knife through butter. The evil exuded by the being clung to him like filth, but the phantasm was merely distracted. He had utterly failed to destroy his enemy.
His defender stood taller. She thrust the wight’s own blade through it. The sword instantly splintered. The specter became a limp heap of rags floating on the ocean. The Amazon threw the hilt away as if it burned her hand.
Jareth called to his reckless sword maiden, summoning her to safety. He was prepared to carry her away. But she threw her head back, her black eyes blazing like shooting stars. She spoke to him in the same dispassionate tone she had used to address their foe. “I’m going into Hel, to deliver this fiend to the goddess.”
His heart quailed. Hel! No one returned from the underworld. Yet he could not let this brave female descend into Hel alone. It was not to be thought of. He landed on the sea beside the apparition, which was struggling violently but without effect, as if it had been bound hand and foot with invisible chains or ropes.
The hate it felt for him rippled through the water and leeched all courage from his heart. He felt paralyzed with fear. The terror he had felt through all the long nights this creature had sought and tormented him returned to subdue his spirit.
His
sword maiden’s voice pulled him from his craven misery. “Hel is no place for a living man like you, Jareth Lindorm. Return to Severn Island while I dispose of this demon permanently.”
A demon? His torturer was a demon?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lexi~
She could see Iliana charging the horizon on three of Aegir’s white horses. The nixie was wearing battledress and spurred her mounts onward as if to meet a foe. But what she defended them from Lexi did not know. Jareth might. He was mouth was a thin white line and he stared transfixed at Iliana’s invisible enemy.
The wind failed. The yacht was becalmed.
“Go home. Use the motor.” Jareth cried before flinging himself into the sky, heedless of his clothes. Scraps of fabric fluttered around the yacht as he flew to Iliana’s side.
Lexi hugged Sofie more tightly, protecting her from she knew not what. She only knew that she felt a crushing dread. Time seemed to have slowed down, for Theo was still looking puzzled. “Take us home,” she shrieked at him.
Finally Theo engaged the engine and they zipped away from the one-sided battle. She could see Iliana armored but weaponless confronting a black cloud. Jareth flew toward her. And then Jareth had a silvery object in his talons which he passed to the nixie.
“What is it?” Theo asked.
Lexi’s throat seized. She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Theo grinned and the yacht shot forward, skimming rapidly toward Severn Island. Her sense of impending doom diminished the closer they got to home. It was still an enormous relief when they docked. Theo tied up securely, scanning the sky with his usual calm.
He helped her ashore with his usual carefulness. “Are you going to tell me what that was all about?”
“We were threatened by something evil,” she managed. “Iliana is dealing with it.”
“Who or what is Iliana, my dear?”
“Our nixie.”
“Hmm. We have a nixie?” Theo unbuckled Sofie from Lexi’s chest and held her while Lexi removed their daughter’s life vest. The baby woke up and looked around her with guileless blue eyes.
Lexi held out her arms for her. “Yes. She guards the island, makes sure the channels stay clear and keeps intruders away.”
They began to walk back to the house. “How long have we had a nixie?” Theo asked casually.
Lexi thought. “I’m not sure. Two hundred years? Give or take a decade or so.”
“Two hundred years? I thought you didn’t like nixies?”
Lexi scowled at him over Sofie’s head. “I don’t. But I felt sorry for Iliana, more fool me, so I accepted her service and let her live in the stream.”
“Her service?” Theo opened the side door and helped Lexi out of her jacket.
“Nixies usually serve the goddess Rán. But Iliana permitted the valuables she was guarding for the goddess to fall into an abyss. Rán dismissed her and left her to wander the world. She wound up here. I accepted her as my vassal and gave her a home in exchange for her keeping the island safe from the sea.”
“And today?”
“I don’t know. I have never seen her when we sailed before. And never seen her mount Aegir’s stallions and ride into battle. I saw no foe, only a black cloud.”
“Jareth saw something,” Theo said. “I’m afraid I saw neither nixie nor enemy.”
“I hope he’s all right,” she rocked Sofie who decided she was hungry. “Let’s sit in the study.”
Theo nodded. “Sure, and you can tell me all you know about nixies in general, and Iliana in particular.”
Sofie was soon guzzling hungrily at her breast. Theo lit the fire and brought her a drink of water. He sat on the floor at her feet. “I’m all ears.”
“Nixies are the servants of Rán. She is the goddess responsible for those dead at sea. They say she drowns sailors when there are not wrecks enough. The nixies help her transport the dead to Hel or Valhalla, as the Valkyries take those slain in battle.”
“A sensible division of labor,” Theo said dryly.
She knew that tone. “You don’t believe me.”
“Let’s just say, that there are many legends associated with death. What about our nixie?”
Lexi shrugged. “When she arrived here, Iliana had a long tale of woe, but I assumed that she was simply careless and lost the goddess’ treasures and her place. She had no home. I let her live in the stream out of pure kindness.”
“A restricted life.”
“Probably. Nixies take the form of fish, so I didn’t see much of her for many years. But once you dragons built a house here and sailed these waters, she made sure the sandbars stayed put, and the winds were never too rough.” Should she tell Theo about Iliana’s treachery?
“So you were not friends with Iliana?”
Lexi stared at him. “She’s a nixie,” she repeated. “Created to do the goddess’ dirty work. Elves don’t have anything to do with such as she.”
“Oh, Lexi, this is the twenty-first century and you are now a Swede. You can’t keep vassals. Or your elven prejudices.”
“Can’t I? Let me tell you, Theo, that creature is not to be trusted. When we were married, and built this house, I let her come inside. Such a whining about being cold and wet – as if she were not a water sprite – and no sooner did she come indoors when she begin to set snares for Gunner.”
Theo laughed. “He’s barely sixteen.”
“He was fifteen last year. She didn’t care. And when Sofie was born, she asked me for her. As a boon, if you please.” She cradled the baby’s head as if to shield her from Iliana’s mischief.
“Asked for Sofie?” Theo was incredulous. As well he might be.
“Indeed. Heaven only knows what Iliana wanted to do with her. But whenever she looks at Sofie, I am afraid. I sent her back to live in the stream. And now she wants Jareth.” Surely Theo would understand that the nixie had to be stopped?
“You are afraid of her, yet you say she has protected the island for you for the bare reward of a home in our brook. It doesn’t seem as though she is much of a threat. Do you think she was trying to ensnare Jareth out at sea?”
Lexi swallowed hard. “I don’t know what she was doing. But Jareth saw whatever she was fighting. And I too felt the evil.”
He patted her knee. “I believe you. I wonder if I should go provide some backup?”
“Fight an enemy you can’t see?” Her voice was a screech. “Don’t even think of it.”
“And yet this nixie you so distrust is fighting what frightens you, on our behalf.”
“She is sworn to do so,” Lexi said stiffly. “She is my vassal.”
“Hmm. I wonder if your nixie is why the Eldest sent Jareth to stay with us?”
“I thought that was so he could ask you to dress him for his declaration,” Lexi said.
Theo shook his head. “Jareth could have asked me in a text. It’s true a more formal approach is traditional for such an important task, but it took him twenty seconds to ask, and me one to say yes. Nope, for the Eldest to intrude on my leave in such a way, there had to be some other purpose.”
She looked at him in exasperation. His bulk at her side was such a comfort always. But his reverence for Lord Lindorm was perplexing. “Didn’t you ask Uncle Thorvald?”
“If he had wished me to know, he would have told me.” Theo shrugged. “Jareth’s a nice kid. Smart. Brave as bag of wild cats. He’s welcome. Isn’t he?”
“Your family is my family,” she answered dutifully. “I too like Jareth. But you are the one that is brave, Theo. Didn’t you see Jareth’s face before he took dragon? He was terrified.”
Theo laughed. He shook his head. “Yet he flew off to deal with the thing that terrified him. Bravery consists of doing things that make you shudder. You see your peril, but you do your duty anyway. By that measure, I’m not brave at all and Jareth is.”
“You certainly are. And you have a chestful of medals to prove it!”
“I always feel like such a
fraud to be honored for doing things I thoroughly enjoyed. Do you know why I’m good at Special Ops, Lexi?”
“You like the danger,” she said in resignation. She wished he did not, because she missed him when he was gone, and worried about him constantly.
“I like the action,” he corrected. “And I know the things I’m asked to do are often dangerous. At least, I know it intellectually. But I don’t feel the danger.”
He laid his huge hand over his heart. “I’m good at our operations because I can coolly weigh my chances and pick the best course. And then carry it out. If I were scared it would interfere with my ability to perform.”
She sighed. “I’m scared enough for both of us.”
He patted her knee again. “I’m like a bad penny. I just keep turning up. You won’t be rid of me anytime soon.”
She smiled weakly. “I’m glad to hear it. Do you think Jareth will be all right out there – or will fear make him seize up as he did when he tried out for Special Ops?”
“You know about that?” he sounded surprised – and disapproving.
“Your cousins talked of nothing else at Christmas!”
Theo looked even more disapproving. “They shouldn’t have been gossiping in front of you. Jareth had the misfortune to run into a series of tiger sharks while he was doing his night swim. Do you know how unusual it would be to encounter two? Let alone dozens?”
“They don’t school?”
“Tiger sharks are top-of-the-food-chain predators. They hunt alone. The Eldest believes someone, or something, is trying to kill Jareth as his parents were killed.”
“He’s an orphan?”
“His parents and brother all drowned at sea when he was six. He came to live with Uncle Thor and Aunt Inge. It wasn’t ideal, because they were so old and their own children were already grown, but Uncle Thor’s island was the safest place for him.”
“But who wants him dead?”
“We don’t know. The Eldest has his suspicions, but no proof.”
Dragon Ensnared: A Viking Dragon Fairy Tale (Lords of the Dragon Islands Book 7) Page 4