Iliana was bewildered by this conversation. “Where is Helsinki?”
“It’s the capital of Finland,” said Lexi. “Here,” she handed Sofie to Iliana.
She was so surprised at the squirmy baby in her arms that she plunked down on the bed in total silence. Sofie was as soft and fragrant as she always was. Holding her felt as wonderful as Iliana had known it would. The baby wriggled around until she could see Iliana’s face and patted it with her little starfish hands.
Iliana cautiously tickled the baby’s belly as Theo did, and was rewarded by a squeal of delight. She did it again. The baby chuckled rapturously and tugged at Iliana’s hair. She wrestled it out of Sofie’s tight grip and resumed their game, losing herself in the infant’s joy.
“Then that’s settled.” Lady Severn broke into their play. “We will go in the helicopter and Theo may look after his daughter.”
Iliana gathered Sofie closer and breathed in her delicious scent. “What about Jareth?” she wondered aloud.
“We won’t need him.”
Didn’t she? How else was she to get a baby like Sofie?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Jareth~
Aunt Inge and Uncle Thorvald were trying to maintain their usual dignity. But they wore their grief on their faces. Jareth’s gut tightened. But he had already apologized three times.
“Are you okay?” Aunt Inge’s smile wobbled.
“I am now,” Jareth assured her. He apologized a fourth time. “I’m afraid that we lost track of time. Until we got back we didn’t even know how long we had been away. I’m sorry you were worried, but even if I had known how fast time was passing, I had no means of communication.”
“We?” The Eldest pounced.
“My mate was with me, sir. I have transformed the nixie, Iliana.”
Their questions came thick and fast. Jareth had to go over every aspect of the battle, the identity of the wraith, Iliana’s use of magic and Hel. To say nothing of their conversation with the goddess. It was obvious that the Eldest was making connections and reframing history in the light of Jareth’s experiences.
Aunt Inge was more troubled that they had never guessed that he had been having nightmares since his parents’ death. “You should have told us,” she repeated like a mantra, dabbing at her eyes.
“I knew your parents had been attacked, but I was never able to determine why or by whom,” Uncle Thorvald said. He shook his head in sorrow. “I thought that bringing you to Lind Island had made you safe. Now I discover that the countess knew where you were all along, and was able to target you within my walls.”
“But do you know why Vladimir the Enforcer would have wanted to kill Mama and Papa?” Jareth asked. “Or me? Was Brede just collateral damage?”
“Their death has always seemed inexplicable,” said the Eldest. “Of course they were rich – even by our standards.”
The House of Lindorm was the richest in Dragonry. And Johann and Nadia among the richest of the rich. As their sole heir, so was Jareth.
“But killing you would not have allowed Montenegro to claim your fortune,” continued Uncle Thor. “I’m afraid, that we must conclude that they were feeding on your fear.”
“That’s what psychopaths enjoy most,” agreed Aunt Inge.
It was an unsatisfactory explanation. But Jareth had to admit that he could not imagine a satisfactory one. “I slept so deeply last night,” he said, “That it was a revelation.” As it had been. Despite his morning sleepiness, he now felt invigorated.
“No dreams?” asked the Eldest.
“None that I recall, sir.”
“Probably for the best,” said Uncle Thorvald, but Jareth thought he seemed somehow disappointed. “We will expect you to bring your mate to Lind Island when we return home. As much as I would like to announce your betrothal at the ball, I think Iliana is not ready to meet so many dragons at once.”
“No, indeed,” said Aunt Inge. “Not yet. We will discuss the wedding when she has found her feet. I hope Lexi is making sure that her transition to mortal life goes smoothly.”
“I think so. They were discussing clothes at breakfast.”
“Clothes are the least of it, young man,” said Inge. “It is bad enough that she has lost her powers but I would imagine that regaining her soul has left her floundering.”
“Now, Inge, don’t interfere,” Thorvald covered his wife’s hand. “Jareth is perfectly aware of how to treat his mate. We will speak again tomorrow, nephew.” His image blinked out.
“I’m glad that’s over,” Jareth told Theo who had been sitting silent through the interview. “I’ve never seen Aunt Inge cry before. And I never want to again.”
“Tears of joy,” said Theo bracingly. “Next time you see her, she will have a new trinket as a memento of your adventure.”
This was true. The Eldest was undoubtedly having Aunt Inge’s tears gathered at this very instant, preparatory to having them polished and made into another spectacular piece of jewelry for his wife.
“Speaking of which,” Jareth said, “I need to find a ring for Iliana.”
“A word of advice, cousin. Iliana has a lot of adjustments to make, and while I appreciate your need to deck her in jewels, she probably would prefer a different sort of gift. Something that proves the depth of your feelings for her.”
Shift. He had transformed Iliana out of duty. He knew she appealed to his senses and he was eager to introduce her to sensual pleasure, but he wasn’t sure he felt anything like the love the Eldest felt for his wife, or Theo for Lexi. He needed to work on that.
“Like what?” Jareth asked. “You saw how withdrawn she was at breakfast. I don’t know if she’s like this because of her transformation or because she got her soul back. She needs cheering up.”
“Hmm. What does she like best?”
“She seems to want most to be warm and have a baby,” Jareth muttered. Was he stuck with a mate who didn’t want him, just what he had to offer? He was fabulously wealthy, and naturally his wealth was at Iliana’s disposal. But how many warm houses would it take to make her happy?
“She’s warm in this house,” Theo assured him dryly. “And you can take care of the baby later. What else ignites her passion?”
Jareth thought. He wished he knew his mate better. He knew her character, of course, but her history was still largely a blank. “She had a twin sister. Hel told us where Myst is. But even the Eldest thought that the NorthAtlantic Ridge was not a precise location.”
The Eldest had been interested in Hel’s words and in the fact that the Countess Montenegro had been in pursuit of Jareth all these long years. Myst had been very much a side issue.
Theo clapped him on the shoulder. “There’s your bride gift, cousin. Find Myst and reunite her with Iliana.”
Jareth laughed hollowly. “The Reykjanes Ridge is where the volcanoes grow in the North Atlantic, but it is long and the ocean deep. I have as much chance of finding a single barrel in that region as of locating the Fountain of Youth.”
“Or of finding the Gateway to Hel?” asked Theo pointedly.
“Huh.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Helsinki
Iliana~
“You won’t need money,” Anna Lindorm assured her. “It’s our pleasure and our treat.”
“It is indeed,” Lexi confirmed. “You are no longer my vassal, Iliana. And Theo says you are entitled to be paid for all your years of service.”
“Paid?” Iliana squeaked.
“Paid,” said Anna firmly.
“Thank you,” Iliana returned, now completely confused. She didn’t quite belong to Jareth, and Lexi didn’t want her either. What would become of her?
The other dragonesses proceeded to explain to her how money worked. Iliana wanted to see these riches for herself, but all they could show her were numbers on their magic pages. She did not know how these small, glowing seeing-stones they called celfones could change so rapidly, or how rows of numbers could transform into
the pretty shoes and prettier gowns they bought.
Her head spun with all the new words she was learning. Not breeches. Pants. Not gowns, dresses. Not under-breeches, panties. She did not want to wear breeches – leggings – all the time. Although they were warm, they did not seem feminine. Surely leggings were what men wore under their robes?
Panties, however, she thought a vast improvement on stockings alone. They kept the cold air out of her kunta admirably. Under their warm outdoor jackets, Anna and Lexi were both wearing leggings. They insisted they preferred the freedom of movement they permitted.
Iliana did not feel free. She was forced to move at the pace of human limbs that tired quickly. And when the dresses she tried on did not suit her, she was forced to remove them herself and try yet more. Conjuring clothes was far easier.
Lexi was sympathetic. “Dressing and undressing were the worst things for me too,” she whispered. “But you get used to it. And there are compensations.”
Iliana supposed she meant Sofie. She wished she had been allowed to remain behind with the infant. Holding her was so wonderful that she had momentarily forgotten all her troubles. But Anna and Lexi had laughed away that suggestion.
After they had accumulated a vast quantity of garments to tide her over until the ones ordered for her by Lexi were ready, they took her to a huge house for another meal. She had liked that. She was hungry again. Except that the room they were shown into was already occupied by many chattering strangers.
The food, however, made up for the crowd. Their courteous host greeted Anna and Lexi by name and brought them books with lists of things to eat. She couldn’t decide. Anna smiled and told him what to bring. They all ate the same delicious roast meat and vegetables. And drank the same hot and fragrant beverage. Anna and Lexi called it green tea, but it seemed more amber than green to her.
Their host was most welcoming but he did not stop to chat, nor did he dine with them. It was all very peculiar. These modern manners bewildered her.
“Spa time,” Lexi announced when their meal was over.
They piled into their marvelous conveyance again. The lim-o pulled them through the streets to yet another house. So the spa was a temple. At least it was full of white robed priestesses who escorted them from room to room. She was a little frightened when Anna and Lexi left her alone with one.
The priestess introduced herself as Nasa. Iliana was to remove all her clothes and lie down on a padded table. Nasa covered her with a sheet. Iliana was concerned that she would be cold, but the room was almost hot. Nasa oiled her all over until she felt limp and relaxed.
“It is time for your sauna,” Nasa said softly. Her words woke Iliana. She would have preferred to finish her nap, but she put on the white robe and slippers offered by Nasa and obediently followed the priestess.
Anna and Lexi were dressed the same way. Another priestess escorted all three of them to the sauna. Iliana knew about those. Even the barbarian Norsemen had had those. The priestess instructed them to stay only ten minutes, and not to raise the temperature above 110 degrees. Whatever that meant.
Inside there were smooth wooden benches to sit or lie on. Anna and Lexi loosened their robes and relaxed. “I saunaed every day when I was expecting,” Anna said. “But we will follow their guidelines.”
“Dragonesses don’t have problems with heat,” whispered Lexi. “Even when they’re pregnant.”
Iliana looked closely at Lexi. She seemed the same, but apparently she was going to have another child. She was so lucky. Well, if Jareth wanted more bed sport, Iliana was prepared to please him. It would be worth the discomfort to have a baby.
After the sauna they had cold showers which Iliana thought spoiled the whole experience. But then she was permitted to put her thick warm robe back on and sit in a magic chair. It reclined without permission and a priestess inspected her face.
“Such lovely skin,” she murmured. But she didn’t mean it for she rubbed more oil into Iliana’s face and dabbed something around her eyes. Once again Iliana fell asleep, once again she was not permitted to finish her nap.
Despite the priestess’ declaration that Iliana’s skin was lovely, when she looked in the mirror, her face had been entirely covered in gray muck. It did not seem an improvement. But Anna and Lexi looked the same, except that Anna’s face was green.
Another priestess led Iliana to a deep basin and washed her already wet hair. “You need a conditioner,” she announced. Whatever a conditioner was, it smelled wonderful. Sweet and spicy, sharp and mellow, all at once.
The priestess wrapped her head in a white turban and led her to yet another magic chair. “What did you have in mind?” she asked Iliana after she had combed out her hair.
“Another nap?” Iliana suggested. The priestess tittered.
“I think long layers around her face, and a shoulder length cut,” Lady Severn announced from the next chair. “She needs more body and something easy to manage.”
“Some highlights?” suggested the priestess.
“Let’s see what it looks like with a good cut before we play with the color,” said Anna.
Another body seemed like a good idea since this one was so inconvenient. But Iliana could not imagine what high lights might be or where she would put them. Yet apparently that was not what Anna meant for the priestess took out shears and snipped at sections of Iliana’s hair.
Her hair did look glossier and sleeker than before. But she could not believe that Jareth would prefer a gray-faced bride with short hair. She told Anna so.
“It gets washed off, and then we get some makeup.”
Make up? Had they been quarreling? She was now thoroughly confused. The gray paste was gently wiped off by yet another priestess. She clucked over Iliana’s eyebrows. They were too pale and narrow.
“Nonsense,” said Lexi. “They are fine. You can darken them just a tiny bit, but her features are too delicate for great heavy brows, no matter what the fashion is.”
The end result was better than Iliana had hoped for. She looked different, yet the same. Her cheeks were a deeper pink and her lips too. Or maybe they were just shinier like her hair. Her eyelashes were longer. Or they seemed so. They were stiff and a little spiky. Her eyes were still just the color of a pond on a cloudy day.
Lexi helped her put on her new clothes. Her hair got messed up by pulling her new gown over her head, but Lexi fluffed it with her fingers and it resumed its gleaming sleekness.
“Is it magic?” Iliana whispered.
“Not really. This is a really good cut. What do you think of mine?” Lexi shook her head.
It looked the same as before. Maybe a little bouncier. “It looks as it did before,” Iliana said truthfully.
Lexi chuckled. “It’s just a little shorter. So the curl springs more. Come on, it’s time to go home.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Bradur Island, Iceland
Myst~
It was voices that woke her. Myst took stock. She was cold and naked. And cramped. Her head ached. The dark was absolute and the air smelled faintly of the sea. She stretched out an arm and collided with a wooden wall.
“Did you hear that?” asked a deep masculine voice.
“That was a thump all right,” replied an almost identical male voice. “There’s something alive inside.”
She remembered men. Mostly dead ones. These two were alive. Very alive. Something vital about them communicated itself to her even in her prison. Should she ask for release? Was it even possible? The goddess Rán had been very angry with her. She had been banished for all eternity. Hadn’t she?
Yet here she was where she could hear men. They were arguing, but not angrily. She ran a hand over her nakedness, willing herself clothed. Nothing happened. Rán had taken her powers. How peculiar she felt. Her head throbbed dully and she was famished.
Something heavy struck the side of her prison so hard her ears rang. Sunlight blinded her. She ducked her head and covered her eyes against the dazzle.
>
“It’s a mermaid,” said the first voice.
“No tail,” said the second. “I claim her, brother.”
The first man laughed. The sound went right through her and made her soul vibrate. Myst clutched her breasts and sex. Astonishment vied with fear. Her soul! She had a soul. How was that possible?
“Valdar, you are overeager. Let us help her before we decide what to do with her.”
Large hands reached for her. She shrank back.
“Don’t be afraid, lady.” That was the first voice. As suddenly as the light had poured into her prison, she was clothed in breeches and tunic. Warm boots wrapped her stiff feet.
The big hands raised her gently and laid her on a soft pallet. She looked up blinking. The two men were blond giants clad in green, each one more splendid than the other.
One smiled at her. Her heart turned over. “I am Brand,” he said. “This is my brother, Valdar*.”
Valdar sniffed the air. “What or who are you, lady?” he demanded curtly.
“I am Myst, a nixie.” Or at least she had been a nixie. She wasn’t at all sure what she was now. Her voice sounded stiff and hoarse. Of course she had not spoken in centuries.
“Welcome to our island, Myst,” said Brand. “If you will permit it, we will take you to our sister.”
Another woman would be best. Longing for her own sister overrode even her pleasure in her freedom. Whatever had become of Iliana? “I would be grateful.”
“Remember, brother, she is mine,” said Valdar.
*Dragon Bewitched
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Severn Island
Jareth~
“Do you want to sleep alone?” he asked Iliana on the way to bed.
Iliana looked frightened. “Do you wish to rut?” she whispered back.
His heart sank. If he had needed further proof that their first time had been a fiasco, here it was. Rutting, for heaven’s sake! The familiar misery of his perpetual inadequacy engulfed him. He should have managed their first time better. Thought of a way to keep her safe without transforming her. Or found a means to make her first time special.
Dragon Ensnared: A Viking Dragon Fairy Tale (Lords of the Dragon Islands Book 7) Page 9