“All right.” His eyes met Kadlin. He knew how much she desired the human. “Use a very small amount of magic to help him breathe. Nothing more.”
Cameron looked between them, curious. “What more would she use?”
“A kind that would make you feel far better than merely breathing oxygen.” Kadlin gave him a promising look. “I will show you one day soon, yes?”
Cameron’s eyes widened. He knew precisely what she was referring to. “I can’t imagine anything better than breathing right now.”
A small knowing smile hovered on her lips. “That’s because you have not experienced a female dragon yet. More so, me.” Her gaze grew sultry. “Breathing will be the last thing on your mind.”
“Alrighty then,” Shannon interrupted, shooting Kadlin a look. “We’ve got a child very interested in your conversation so let’s focus on making Cameron better with oxygen so we can get moving.”
“It’s okay, Mama,” Emily piped up, smiling. “I know that Auntie Warrioress Kadlin wants to become mates with Uncle Cameron.”
Matthew followed Shannon’s every thought. How relieved she was that her daughter had said, “Wants to become mates,” rather than, “Wants to mate.” That was just too much for a mom to handle. Nevertheless, she bit her lower lip and shook her head. It seemed she had never seen her brother-in-law look so uncomfortable. More than that, she’d never seen that particular glint in his eyes when they brushed over Kadlin.
“So sorry,” she mouthed at Cameron before she ushered Emily away so that Kadlin could help him.
A few minutes later, he was doing much better, and they continued. As always, Matthew stayed close to Shannon and Emily as the cave flattened and became far easier to travel.
“There is a funny feeling about this place,” Emily said. “Like it’s upside down. Kind of like the waterfall that had no top and bottom.” She slanted a look at Matthew. “But it really did. I saw it when I was a dragon.”
“Did you?” He couldn’t help smiling. She had done well using her dragon senses considering it was her first time shifting. “Where were they then?”
“Way, way up through the mountain on top,” she said. “And way, way down to the bottom. I can see why humans would consider it without a top or bottom because it really seems that way.” She grinned. “But it’s not. I could see both ends in my mind’s eye thanks to my dragon.”
“Very good.” He kept smiling. “You are a quick learner, Emily.”
She beamed at the compliment. “Thank you.”
When his eyes met Shannon’s, she was smiling as well.
“And you are right to have a funny feeling about this place,” Matthew said to Emily. “We are still close to the Place of Seers, a powerful location that most cannot enter unless they have seer blood.”
“Okay.” Emily shrugged. “But I think this place might be more, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it might connect to home as well.” She stopped and pointed. “Why else would Auntie Erica be here?”
Chapter Eleven
SHANNON STOPPED BESIDE her daughter and peered through the darkness. The air had chilled, and their surroundings brightened. Helheim. At first, she could have sworn she saw an old man handing a pregnant woman the jagged-edged Gungnir blade. Half a breath later, both faded and another figure appeared.
Erica?
The figure became clearer and clearer. It was definitely Erica. Her twin turned in wonder as she looked at everything before her eyes locked on not Shannon but Kodran. He had stopped as well, his body tense as he peered in her general direction.
“He can’t see her,” Matthew said into Shannon’s mind. “But he can sense her.”
Erica walked slowly toward Kodran, her expression unreadable.
“Erica?” Shannon said. “What happened? How are you here?”
When Erica didn’t respond, Shannon made to speak again, but Emily beat her to it. “I don’t think she can hear or see us, Mama. I think the only one she can see is Uncle Kodran.”
Her daughter continued to surprise her with her abilities. As it was, it almost seemed like Emily saw Erica a few seconds before she and Matthew did. And now she seemed to understand what was happening better than they did.
When Erica stopped in front of Kodran, he pulled his dagger out, his voice low and dangerous. “Who is it this time, Shannon? Is it Freydis or Hallstein?”
She was somewhat shocked he sensed anything at all considering he wasn’t being attacked.
“Neither,” Shannon said softly. “It’s my sister, Erica.”
“Erica,” he murmured. He had become so still she wondered if he was still breathing. “Why can’t I see her?”
“Because she’s not here,” Cameron said, his eyes meeting Shannon’s with concern. “But in the land of the dead.”
“No.” Kodran’s dragon eyes flared, and he shook his head. “She can’t be gone.” There was no missing the emotion in his voice. “Not again.”
What did he mean by that?
“Matthew, may I have your dagger for a moment, please?” Emily said.
Some mothers would say absolutely not, it was too dangerous a weapon, but it was clear the blade was at the heart of all this. And Emily seemed to handle it well enough when Håkon had appeared. Speaking of…
“Why, sweetie?” she asked Emily. “Is Håkon close again too?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” She gave Matthew a sad look. “I’m sorry.” She held out her hand. “But I think the dagger can help in another way now.”
How could her daughter possibly know that? But then just look at everything else Emily had been capable of lately. From Lauren’s magical snow globe to making an unusual connection with a little boy she’d never even met.
“All right.” Shannon nodded at Matthew. “You can give it to her.” Her eyes returned to Emily. “But be very careful, okay?”
“I know, Mama.” As soon as Matthew handed it over, Emily headed for Kodran and held it out. “Here, Uncle Kodran. Try holding this.”
Kodran eyed the blade before he complied. The moment he did, his eyes widened on Erica. He could see her now. She hadn’t moved. Not an inch. Rather, she seemed as enraptured by him as he was by her.
“Kodran,” Erica whispered.
How did she know it was him?
“Now give the blade to her, Uncle Kodran,” Emily prompted. “So she can see the rest of us.”
When Kodran held out the blade, unease flickered across Erica’s face, and she shook her head. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
“Ready for what?” Kodran murmured.
“For you to remember everything,” she whispered. “For us to.”
Their eyes held as if they couldn’t look away.
“Will it help our kin if you do?” he asked, his voice hoarse with what Shannon supposed was lust.
“It likely will.” Erica clenched her jaw. “Einar wasn’t sure.”
Kodran’s pupils flared and his muscles tensed at the mention of their ancestor. The first of their lineage. His hand shook ever-so-slightly with emotion as he continued to hold out the blade. “If there’s any chance this can help our people, you need to take it.”
Shannon remembered the way Erica had been aware of the dagger when Tait and Lauren had it. Why hadn’t she just taken it then? What was this all about? But deep down, she suspected she knew.
Erica had once been Maeva.
Hallstein was Bard.
And Kodran? It seemed more and more likely he might have been Einar. Maeva’s true love in a previous life. Just like Lauren had been Tait’s. Which made her wonder. How was Einar seemingly haunting everyone right now if he had been reborn in Kodran? But then again…just look at Matthew. Haunting a boat as a little boy while simultaneously here as a full grown man.
Erica, at last, nodded and took the blade.
Her eyes flickered to Shannon and Emily before they whipped back to Kodran. Something was happening between them. They w
ere remembering. Or at least he was. Because at first relief and joy flashed in his eyes but happiness soon fled. Now his eyes were narrowed and a frown settled on his face. “What did you do?”
A blink later, their surroundings completely transformed.
The cave vanished, and they stood out in the open. Matthew pulled Emily and Shannon close as the sky filled with dragons. Hundreds and hundreds of them. They weren’t attacking but flying as though either fleeing something or heading toward it.
“They are Sigdir dragons,” Matthew murmured, the pride obvious in his voice. “And they are heading toward something but…”
“But what?” Shannon whispered as he trailed off. A sudden sense of dread filled her.
“Oh no, Mama,” Emily whimpered as she pressed against Matthew and Shannon and started trembling. “This is gonna hurt you a lot.”
Shannon barely had time to get the word, “What?” out before tons of dragons were flying directly at them. Horror filled her when she realized they weren’t alive anymore but spirits. As they flew past and even through them, an immense sadness filled her, and she cried out. These spirits were not only Sigdir dragons but of her lineage too. Almost all of them.
“Oh God,” Shannon gasped as she pressed closer to Matthew and closed her eyes. “Most of them are Bjark’s.” She tried to fight back tears but couldn’t. “They’re the last dragons of my lineage. Slaughtered. All of them.”
She tried to get control of herself, but it was nearly impossible. So many thoughts. So much sadness, pain, fury, and confusion.
Then all grew very, very quiet.
Shannon lifted her head and peered around. Four dragon spirits surrounded the three of them. Two larger than the others.
So two males and two females.
The males raged and spit phantom fire at the sky while the females simply stared at them. One, in particular, caught Shannon’s attention because she was staring directly at her. When their eyes connected, she got the oddest sensation. She had no idea how to explain it. Almost like déjà vu. The female dragon’s eyes remained locked on hers, glowing, before she and the others took flight. She felt a tremendous sense of loss as they started to fade. But not before she caught a glimpse of what they flew toward.
A white mountain.
Or was it?
“Matthew, look,” she managed. “Look what they’re flying toward. What is that?”
“A mountain opposite Mt. Galdhøpiggen.” Understanding entered his eyes. “I had forgotten how it catches its sister mountain’s reflection at a certain time of day and appears snow-covered no matter the season. It’s a trick of light that can only happen when standing in the Place of Seers.” He frowned. “Someplace we shouldn’t be because there is no seer with us.”
A second later, everything returned to normal, and they stood in the cave once more.
Erica had vanished, as did the Gungnir blade. Kodran said nothing but crouched and held his head in his hands. Of all people, Cameron went to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Be strong. We will sort this out.”
Kodran nodded but didn’t meet his eyes when he murmured, “None of this is what it seems, is it?”
“Some of it,” Cameron murmured. “But not all.”
Shannon continued shaking as she held onto Emily and Matthew. It might sound like Cameron counseled someone who had just seen the dead, but she knew it wasn’t that. “What are you talking about, Cameron?”
His eyes went to hers. “It’s complicated.”
“What’s complicated?”
“Everyone is coming back and realizing who they are,” Emily whispered as her eyes rose to Shannon’s. “I think we’re going back to the beginning, Mama.”
Shannon shook her head, still confused. “What do you mean?”
“She means what she said,” Cameron said softly, his eyes locking with Emily’s. “We’re going back to the beginning.” Then his eyes met Shannon’s. “And rediscovering who we once were.”
“We’re going back and rediscovering?” Shannon started then stopped as she understood. “Are you telling me that Tait, Lauren, Matthew and Hallstein aren’t the only reincarnates?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But that we all are. Even you?”
“You told me that when dragons find their mates, it’s for eternity,” Cameron reminded. “So it stands to reason that you dragons might have been together before, right? Not just Tait and Lauren.”
“It does,” Shannon whispered. She pulled away from Matthew but kept an arm around Emily’s shoulders. “But it sounded like you were talking about yourself as well.” She looked at him curiously. “Were you a dragon in another life, Cameron?”
“Not quite I don’t think,” he said, his voice even softer than before. “But I have little doubt that I was there, one way or another.”
She sensed her brother-in-law kept secrets, but she wasn’t going to press him. Not right now. Not after everything that had just happened. Instead, she crouched, looked Emily over to make sure she was okay, and then met her eyes. “Are you all right, baby girl? That was…very scary.”
“I’m okay. I learned a lot.” Emily wrapped her arms around Shannon. “I’m more worried about you, Mama. Are you all right?”
Shannon had no idea what to make of her daughter’s behavior except that she was proud of her. The strength she was showing. The brave face she must be putting on.
“I’m fine, sweetheart.” She returned the hug. “As long as you are.”
“I’m just fine,” Emily assured and pulled away. “I can’t wait to tell daddy what happened.” A bit of sadness entered her eyes. “I hope he’ll understand that I still love him just as much.”
Shannon frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Emily shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Not right now.” Then, for whatever reason, she got a little teary. “Not yet, anyway.”
What on Earth did her daughter mean by that?
Matthew crouched as well, clearly just as concerned. “Emily, if something is happening we need to know about, you should tell us so we can keep you safe.” His expression grew more troubled. “So that I can keep you safe.”
Shannon had no idea what to make of the look Emily gave him. It was a strange mix of shyness and curiosity mixed with stubbornness and defiance. As if she were meeting him for the first time and had a lot of opinions as to what she thought of him. Somewhat like the first time she actually met him, but not. It was weird.
“Emily?” Shannon cocked her head. “What is it?”
Emily dragged her eyes away from Matthew and shrugged. “What is what?” Her brows drew together in concern. “Are you sure you’re okay, Mama?”
Her daughter had no intention of sharing anything yet.
“I’m sure,” Shannon said, willing to let it go for now. “Just rattled by everything that just happened.”
“I understand.” Emily dropped a kiss on Shannon’s cheek before she eyed Matthew again then declared, “I’d like to walk with Sven for a while if that’s okay?”
Both Matthew and Shannon found it strange that she had directed the question his way. More like told him.
“As long as your mother’s all right with it,” Matthew responded.
“Of course,” Shannon said. “Go ahead.”
Cameron and Kodran were already walking together. Kadlin fell in beside them, clearly curious about what had just happened. Sven took Emily’s hand, and though they said nothing, she knew they spoke within the mind.
“What was all that, Matthew?” Shannon murmured as they followed. “Emily knows a lot more than she’s sharing. Could you sense any of it?”
He shook his head, troubled. “Your daughter is very powerful, Shannon.” His eyes went to Sven. “I’m beginning to think Sven traveling with us had nothing to do with my muddled mind at the time but something else. He is very important to her.”
“I know.” Could it be as Cameron implied? That all the dragons coming together were reincarnates being drawn back to one another
? It was an extreme concept in some ways. Not so extreme in others. Her eyes slid to Matthew as they walked. “Do you think we lived another life together? What did you feel when all that happened?”
“Honestly?” His eyes met hers. “I felt aggression and anger.” He shook his head. “That male dragon spirit was challenging me, and I did not like it.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“He looked right at me and challenged me,” Matthew said. “Almost as if he knew I could not embrace my dragon and was weakened.”
“Perhaps it had nothing to do with you being weak,” she murmured as a nugget of understanding started to take root. “Maybe the challenge had more to do with making you feel like you needed to embrace your dragon. Maybe he was trying to help.”
“I don’t understand.” He frowned, as he took her hand and steered her closer to him. “Why would the spirit of one of our dragon ancestors challenge me to embrace my dragon? Moreover, how would he know it was repressed?”
“I don’t know, but I can speculate. Something sort of similar happened to me except it was one of the female dragons.” Her eyes went to his. “She looked directly at me as though trying to tell me something. Her eyes glowed. It felt really strange…but familiar.”
“That is odd,” he agreed. “Because as far as I could tell, the female dragons surrounding us were furious and roaring fire at the sky. Only the male dragons remained calm.”
“I saw the same thing except the males roared fire and the females remained calm,” Shannon murmured. “What if…” The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. “What if the dragon that looked at you was you in another life and the female who looked at me, was me?”
“That would be…hard to believe.” Matthew rubbed his forehead, clearly trying to come to terms with the idea. “But then who were the other two dragons?”
“I’m not sure.” Her eyes wandered to Emily. “But something tells me my daughter does.”
“I will ask Sven,” Matthew said. “Because I sense he often speaks with Emily without us knowing.”
Fury of a Viking (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin Book 4) Page 19