Needing something else to occupying his thoughts, he buried himself deep inside his vault. He would continue his search again for links to the whereabouts of Valkarin’s tomb. Perhaps he would see if he could compel Lars into giving him something. The Third Realm Vokteren were very strong. Then it struck him; instead of searching for references to Valkarin’s tomb, he should be looking for other Vokteren strongholds. The tomb would never be far from one of their nests.
He trawled through hundreds of references to the Third Realm, dismissing each one in turn. One name eventually showed more promise. Skallengaard. It was a small fishing village on the coast, virtually untouched by the passage of time. It sounded very similar to Frejboren and would be a perfect spot for the Vokteren. It took him another hour of searching to find its location. He was pleased it was in Vasmaar again, and he knew the rocks it was located in. Perhaps tomorrow when Sasha was still asleep, he would pay a visit to Skallengaard. It was certainly worth a look.
It caught his eye as he was putting the book away. He had not seen that ornately carved wooden box for a very long time. His stomach knotted as he went to lift the lid, but the memories were no longer painful. Inside, snugged into soft purple silk were two matching pewter wrist bands, one belonged to his mother, the other his father. They were to be worn by Brigid and him on their wedding day. He ran his hand over the smaller of the two, images of his mother flooded back into his mind. He snapped the box shut, it made perfect sense. He would bind Sasha to him permanently.
He flicked through the charts lying on a table. Hopefully, Angus had retrieved the second item and was on his way to Greenland to retrieve the next. It has surprised him that Erin had learnt of Aria’s bracelet, but then again she was becoming quite the accomplished sorceress herself. B y now she should be hot on Angus’ heels, but without the bracelet she was chasing shadows.
The noise coming from his study alerted him that someone was looking for him. He locked the vault door and headed back upstairs.
“General Selvig, you needed me?” he glared at his second in command.
Selvig looked incredibly nervous. “Sire, the prisoners have escaped.”
Heinrekh looked at him blankly. “Lars has escaped?”
“And Lodraill, Sire.”
A coldness crept over him he had not felt before. “Are you telling me Lodraill has escaped? But how? The shield is still holding.”
“We think it is the young Priestess. Wherever she is, she is cloaked.”
Heinrekh let out a huge roar of anger. Erin had struck when he least expected it, now she would pay dearly. He stormed out into the courtyard and stared up at the hole in the side of the tower. Of all the sneaky, underhand tricks. The brat wasn’t in Iceland, she had played him like an amateur. He headed through the archway from the courtyard. His guards lay scattered about, battered and bruise. Erin’s powers were growing by the minute it seemed. He would make sure they got no further.
“How many does Erin have with her?”
“Just two we think.”
Magnus and Wilhelm, he thought. He saw them riding off in the distance, they were headed to Torrlin woods, where the gate to Skallengaard was located. They were taking the known route, but there was one shorter. He would take that and head them off before they got there. It irritated him that one so young could already have discovered the gateway before he did.
“Have my horse brought around the front now. I want thirty guards ready to ride out with me in five minutes.” He could see General Selvig hesitating. “Yes?”
“They appeared to be carrying someone,” he took a step back out of self-preservation. “I think it might have been Sasha.”
His roar echoed across the plain. They would all die, he would see to that personally. Well, all but Erin, Sasha would have to negotiate hard for her to be spared. At least he knew Sasha would not be harmed.
Birdie paced up and down on the jetty, the seaplane was too cramped for her to stay in. Jasper had rustled up some warm food for her, but she was just a bundle of nervous energy.
“The worst part is not knowing,” she groaned as Jasper tried to calm her. “She could already be captured, or about to set foot through the gate. We are completely blind here.”
“Have faith in Erin,” he consoled her. “I have never met anyone who possesses the power she does. She is truly formidable.”
“But she is young, she has no idea what she is getting herself in to.”
“I think she does,” he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “She is also very bright and quick thinking.”
“And rash and hot headed,” Birdie snapped.
“That too, but it all serves her well.”
Birdie caught a glimpse of a couple of Vokteren lurking at the end of the jetty. A thought occurred to her. “There is a chance Erin might exit via another gateway if she is trapped. Are you able to call Isafor to ask him to advise the other locations?”
“Of course,” Jasper pulled out his phone.
“Including Isleberg.”
Jasper lowered the phone. “How the hell do you know about Isleberg?” She had never heard his voice so deep.
“Erin.”
“There is no mention of it in any book. How did she discover its location?”
“It is in one book.”
Jasper was quite rigid. “She does have it, doesn’t she? The Book of Gateways.”
“Yes. But it is not something one really wants. People kill just to catch a glimpse of it.”
“No-one has seen it for centuries.”
Birdie watched Jasper stalk along the jetty, he was angry. With her, Erin or himself, she was not sure. She heard him on the phone, getting quite heated with Isafor.
He eventually returned. “Their safe passage through all locations will be guaranteed. Remember also that they have a member of the Voktere family with them.”
“That is no guarantee, Jasper. Lars will not be aware of the truces that have been called for this mission to occur.”
“He is my son, he will do what is right.”
Birdie prayed that Jasper’s faith in his son was warranted.
CHAPTER 31
Erin had so much adrenaline pumping through her veins, she thought she might explode. Riding across the expanse of land between the castle and the woods at full gallop was exhilarating. Her mother was one side, Lars the other, and they were flanked by Magnus and Wilhelm.
Glancing behind, Erin was surprised that Vasmaarian troops weren’t following. Surely Heinrekh wasn’t going to give up without a fight? She hoped not anyway, she was kind of looking forward to getting into a tussle with him.
“Am I missing something?” she shouted across to Wilhelm. “Why is Heinrekh not following?”
“My guess is he knows where we’re going and plans to get there before us.”
“How could he know about Skallengaard without that volume?”
“He’s an evil sorcerer,” Wilhelm shrugged.
“Is someone dissing my man?” Sasha glowered at Magnus. “And I’m so going to kick your ass for drugging me.”
“I’m sorry, I panicked,” Magnus winced.
“Welcome back,” Erin laughed. “We thought it easier to bring you with us than put you in an awkward situation. I know you’ve already met Lars,” she gave her friend a wink. “Have you met my mum before?”
“I remember Sasha when she was still a toddler,” Lodraill smiled. “Running around our house half naked, weeing on the carpet when she got over excited.”
“Thanks for that memory, Mrs McLomard,” Sasha retorted.
“You’ll be glad to know nothing’s change,” Erin snickered.
“Will you guys just drop me here. I’m happy to walk back,” Sasha scowled.
Lodraill pushed back the hood of her cloak. “God, you’ve no idea who wonderful it is to feel the breeze on my face again.”
They slowed as they entered the forest.
“If Wilhelm is right, Heinrekh could be waiting for us at the Gate. We need
to continue on foot, he will be expecting riders,” Erin instructed.
“You abduct me then expect me to walk?” Sasha hissed.
“Quit your bitching,” Erin grinned. “I could always ask Magnus to throw you over his shoulder again in true Viking style.”
“Again?” she glared at Magnus.
“Whose side are you on, Erin?” Magnus grunted.
“Quit bitching as well. Now let’s crack on, we are expected on the other side.”
Night was fast approaching and visibility was limited, which worked quite well for them as they made their way through the woods. It was slow going as they weren’t on one of the main pathways.
“I understand you know my father, “Lars spoke to Erin.
“Yes, he’s been my tutor in blue energy these past few weeks.”
“A Voktere teaching a priestess is unusual.”
“It’s not the first time our families have called a truce, this alliance goes way back.”
“What’s your connection with Sasha?”
“She’s my closest friend and neighbour. And yes I get the irony of it considering who she is dating, but I have to begrudgingly admit, Heinrekh is not all bad.” Erin lowered her voice. “And if you ever think about putting your hand around her neck again, I will kill you.”
Lars stared at her in shock. “How do you know?”
“I can get inside your head without you even knowing about it. And if Heinrekh knew what you did, he would definitely have terminated you. He’s very possessive.”
Wilhelm raised his hand indicating trouble up ahead. “We have a small scouting party.”
“Stay here,” she ordered, “Wilhelm you’re with me.” She held out her hand, he understood immediately. “Majorin.”
Swords drawn, they approached and guards and killed them before they even knew they were there.
“I kind of like being invisible,” Wilhelm slipped his arms around Erin and kissed her. “I can do all manner of things to you and no-one will know it.”
She let out a girlie squeal. “Behave,” she tapped his shoulder.
“I’m a Viking, we aren’t known for our good behaviour.”
“I’m dropping the shield.”
“Spoil sport.”
Lodraill looked at her daughter with admiration. “You are indeed skilled.”
“It’s down to my black blood apparently.”
They carried on until the cave was in sight. All looked reasonably quiet but Erin was expecting an ambush. She was going to draw Heinrekh’s men out from hiding. Heinrekh was sure to detect blue energy if he was close enough, so cloaking was out the question.
She angled her hand to the trees on the far side of the cave. “Severig,” she moved her hand fractionally, so the trees cracked. It worked. Troops emerged from the woods, all heading in the direction of the noise.
“We can’t risk going for the Gate. I can guarantee Heinrekh’s inside.”
“You don’t want to take him on?”
“Not really.” She reached inside her backpack and pulled out a couple of sheets of paper. “Wilhelm, how do we get here?”
“It will be about an hour’s walk from here, due west. We should be able to stay in the woods for the majority of it.”
“Would you mind enlightening the rest of us as to where we’re going?” Magnus asked.
Erin passed him the pages of the map. “Another gateway. One I’m pretty sure Heinrekh does not know about.”
“Where did this come from?” Magnus asked.
“The Book of Gateways,” Erin replied.
Lodraill snatched the sheets out of Magnus’ hand. “Your tore these out the Book of Gateways?” she asked incredulously.
“Yeah. I could hardly bring the entire thing. I only needed those pages.”
“A nine hundred year old book and she rips out its pages,” Lodraill shook her head in dismay.
“Before I get taken to task for vandalising a book no-one has seen in centuries, can we get going? Her man is going to be hot on our heels.”
“He’s just hot,” Sasha whispered in her ear.
“Definitely faulty genetics,” Erin sighed. “Wilhelm, you’re on lead.”
Magnus noticed Erin hanging back. “Dare I ask what’s you’re about to do?”
“Heinrekh is in the cave, I can sense it. I’m just going to antagonise him.” She threw a few balls of Loxhadrin at the rocks above the entrance to the cave. A few seconds later the opening was concealed.
“It won’t hold him for long,” Magnus grunted.
“I know, but it will piss him off,” Erin chuckled. “Hey, we have to find amusement where we can.” She caught up with the others.
It was a strange group by any standard. Wilhelm was up front, accompanied by Lodraill. Lars and Sasha were next to each other, and she was bringing up the rear with her ever faithful guardian. She so wanted to talk with her mum, but now was not the time. She needed to concentrate on getting them all home. She’d waited fourteen years to talk to Lodraill, a few more hours wouldn’t hurt.
Lars felt like he was in a bizarre dream. The people around him were supposedly his enemies, yet he owed them his freedom. The only person who was vaguely neutral was Sasha. She was the most laid back hostage he had ever seen; perhaps it was due to the nature of her relationship with Erin. Now, with her walking next to him, that strange feeling he experienced in the dungeons was back. There was something about her that made his pulse beat just that little bit faster.
“How did you mixed up with Heinrekh?” he asked out the blue.
Sasha gave a wistful smile. “I was taken hostage by him, he was trying to lure Erin to Vasmaar.”
“Did it work?”
“Yes. She got me out, not that I was in any great hurry to leave. But by then the damage was done, I was hooked.”
“On an evil sorcerer?”
“He is a completely different person around me, he is not the sorcerer, just a man. And I see the good in him. You never did answer my question on how you were captured.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to ask Erin to beat it out of you?”
He laughed softly. “Don’t you do your own wet work?”
“No, I’m far too well bred for that,” she responded.
“Heinrekh came through the gateway at Frejboren. He thought he had finally found Valkarin’s tomb and was a little upset when he realised it was just a decoy. He decimated the guard except for one whom he thought could withstand interrogation.”
“You?”
“Yes, I had that honour.”
“How long ago did he take you?”
“A few months.”
“I’m surprised he was so gentle on you, if he is supposed to be as evil as everyone says.”
“He recognised one of noble birth. And even sorcerers cannot ignore etiquette.”
They heard a strange rumbling drawing quickly through the woods.
“Snow storm incoming,” Erin shouted.
He grabbed Sasha and pushed her to the ground, his body protecting hers as a shower of snow descended on them. Within a few seconds they were literally buried. It was obviously Heinrekh’s work.
“Are you alright?” he whispered in the darkness to Sasha.
“Yes,” she murmured.
The weird feeling was racing through his body and he could not stop himself. His mouth was on hers, she was so soft, so irresistible. And an incredible pain was racing through his groin. Sasha had just brought up her knee hard.
“Kiss me without my permission again and I will castrate you.” She rolled him off her and sat up, shaking off the layers of snow.
Wilhelm was checking on everyone. “What’s up with Lars?” he asked as Lars was groaning in pain.
Sasha shrugged. “I might have kneed him in the nuts.”
Erin pulled out her symbology instruction manual from the back pack. She knew she’d seen something on controlling the elements. Her hand glowed blue
, shedding light on the book in the darkness.
“Here it is,” she exclaimed. “Magnus, what’s the word for this symbol.”
“Malareg.”
Realms Gate: A Realm Divided Page 22