by Lisa Olsen
“Have you told Maeja that we’re coming to see her?” Bishop asked, standing beside my chair as there were no others at the small kitchen table.
“I tell her that you have arrived, there is no keeping this from her. I did not share that Jakob is among our party.”
“We’re going to ambush her, huh?” Why did the idea send my stomach into knots? “That doesn’t always work out so well on Jerry Springer.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Bishop shrugged. “Telling her is one thing, but letting her see Jakob here, ready to beg for her forgiveness, that’s something else. It’s much harder to say no to someone in person.”
“That’s true,” I allowed. “Then we’re ready to go?”
Nell nodded, scrubbing furiously at a spot on her tiled counter. “Yes, I tell her you are wishing to petition her for a boon this evening. We can go at any time.”
“Cool beans.”
Bishop laid a hand on my shoulder, and I smiled up at him, grateful for the steady support. His face told me everything I needed to know with one look – it’d be okay in the end.
Jakob noticed the brief exchange, and his eyes filled with resignation. “If I can not be with her, I’m glad she chose you, Ulrik. If the curse reactivates, I will do my best to save your life.”
“Thanks,” Bishop nodded. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Somehow I’d put that possibility out of my mind, and my anxiety ratcheted up another level. “But we’re thinking that won’t happen, right?”
Bishop brushed the hair back over my ear, mustering a tight smile. “Try not to worry about it, Anja. If it happens, we’ll deal with it.”
Uh huh, sure. Because that idea wasn’t as scary as reavers.
Mason clomped down the stairs in his big boots, Hanna’s limp form in his arms. “Fuck, you guys, it looks like a stripper’s funeral in here. Why is everyone so damn gloomy? Tonight’s the night!”
It was hard to resist his optimism, but worry for Bishop kept me from smiling back.
Mason stroked my hair with Hanna’s floppy hand. “Don’t worry, sis, everything will be peachy keen,” he said in a high falsetto voice.
“Okay, that’s just creepy,” I snorted, unable to keep from smiling as he worked her arms like a life sized puppet.
“That’s me, tall, dark, and creepy,” Mason grinned. “Are we ready to make some magic happen?”
I tossed back the rest of my cider. “Let’s do this.”
*
Nelleke led the way to Maeja’s place, taking us south of the village, the entrance hidden by row of ginormous spruce trees. The hall bore the traditional Viking architecture of sloped oval walls and a thatched roof over huge wooden beams.
Nell had changed into a more traditional garb, an ankle length dress of blue wool, with a sizeable dagger strapped to her waist. “Let me enter first, I will tell you when she is ready to receive you.”
My toes wiggled inside my shoes, tapping out the theme to the Imperial March from Star Wars. As soon as I caught myself doing it, I tried to change it to something less ominous, but those damn notes kept popping back into my head.
Nell’s head poked out. “She is ready.” It was impossible to gauge her mood from her bland expression.
“Just hang out here for a bit, okay?” I whispered to Jakob, laying my hand on his chest when he would’ve entered. “Let’s see how she does with our request to heal Hanna first.” He nodded, taking a seat on an old stump nearby.
The inside of the hall was largely bare, with several large oil lamps and fat yellow candles providing the light. A massive wooden throne sat in the rear of the building, ornately carved with runes and knot work. Perched primly on the edge of the throne sat a woman, apple cheeked and rosy with dark eyes that shone with excitement at our arrival. Long flaxen hair hung to her waist, the front braided back from her brow and held in place with a circlet of hammered gold. The perfect picture of eternally youthful beauty.
She greeted us with a benevolent smile. “Welcome, Anja Evans, daughter of Jakob, son of Thor, son of Odin. Who have you brought before me?”
“This is Bishop, son of Carys, son of Jakob, etcetera, etcetera,” I waved my hand, not wanting to go through the rest of it. “And this is my sister, Hanna and her man, Mason. You remember her from the picture on my phone, right?”
Maeja studied her with vague interest. “She is dead?”
“No, she’s undead like us.”
Her face scrunched up with distaste. “Vampyr.”
“Yes, but she’s a good one, like me, like the rest of us. She’s sweet and kind, and well, she needs your help.”
“You seek my blood?” She didn’t look the least bit surprised.
“It is my fault she is being like this, Maeja,” Nell said, going down to one knee. “I cast a spell, and she has not stirred since.”
“What sort of magics were you casting, datter?”
“A powerful magic, but I am making a mistake.”
“It’s not her fault, she didn’t have all the facts at the time she cast it,” I added, not wanting her to ask too many questions about what the spell was for. “We humbly request your blood to save her life.”
“Of course,” she smiled smoothly, producing a small vial. “Take it with my thanks. I owe you far more than this for your service, shieldmaiden.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her I was pretty sure she had me confused with someone else. I wasn’t a shieldmaiden. But I mashed my lips together into a grateful smile, instead snatching up the vial and taking it to Hanna. “Let’s hope this works,” I murmured, handing it over to Mason.
Mason took the blood and made the sign of the cross before kissing the vial and pouring it into Hanna’s mouth. “Here you go, kitten, a shot of the good stuff,” he crooned, holding her so the blood wouldn’t spill right out.
At first nothing happened. The blood stayed in her mouth, and Hanna remained just as still. But then her throat worked.
“Ooh, there you go, everyone likes a girl who swallows.” Mason got excited, his smile a mile wide when she opened her eyes and squinted up at him. “Hello, beautiful.”
She blinked at him, dazed, but not upset. “Well, hello there,” she said back, the corner of her mouth tilting up into a bemused smile. “You’re a handsome devil, who might you be?”
“It worked,” Mason sighed, pulling her into a tight hug, which she didn’t seem to mind at all. “Holy fuck-knuckles, it worked!”
“Should I be worried that I can’t breathe, but it doesn’t seem to bother me?” Hanna called out, her voice muffled by his chest, and Mason eased his hold on her.
“Sorry.”
“You’ll be fine,” I assured her. “The amnesia’s a temporary side effect. We’re all just glad to see you awake again.”
“Ah, okay,” Hanna nodded. “And you are?”
“Your sister, Anja. You’re Hanna, that’s Mason, this is Bishop and Nell, and that nice lady over there is Maeja.” I pointed to everyone in turn. “She’s the one that cured you.”
“Yeah, I’m never gonna remember all of those without nametags. But thanks, and, ah… nice to meet you all.”
“I am glad you are recovered,” Maeja replied with a regal wave. She would’ve been right at home on a parade float.
“Stick with me and I’ll explain everything, kitten,” Mason said, pulling Hanna up to her feet, his arm wrapped around her tiny waist for support. “How about we go back to Nelly’s house? I’ll make you a cup of coffee with a side of Skittles, and I’ll tell you the whole story.”
Hanna shot him a flirtatious smile. “You keep calling me kitten and I’ll go wherever you want me to, big boy.” With or without her memories, it was easy to see the attraction was still there.
“There she is, that’s the spirit,” Mason grinned, barely managing a wave in my direction. “Catch you later, sis.”
“I thought she was my sister?” Hanna frowned as they started for the door.
“She i
s, but seeing as how you’re the love of my life, she’s kind of my sister too.”
“Okay, as long as it’s not a weird incest thing.”
“No, I’m not into sisters like that.”
“Bye,” I called out, but neither one of them acknowledged me, they were both too into each other.
“See, first, the Earth cooled…”
The door slammed after them, and I turned my attention back to Maeja. One down, one to go.
“I am pleased your sister had been restored,” she said with a benevolent nod “We will celebrate, yes? Where is that delectable man you brought with you last time?”
I stared at her blankly, not sure who she meant. Rob?
“Lee has departed for Helgafjell,” Nell said, her eyes downcast, and Maeja’s forehead crumpled in sympathy.
“Oh, I am saddened to hear of his passing. He will be missed.”
I nodded gravely, sad for the loss, but still not remembering the man himself.
“We will drink and feast tonight in his honor then.”
“Ah, before we do that, there’s one more thing we need to ask you,” I said, backing up to my place next to Bishop. His hand rested on the small of my back, and I took comfort from it.
“You have only to ask,” Maeja smiled. “You rid the world of Lodinn, I am in your debt.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” I took in a shaky breath. “There’s someone else who needs your help.”
“Who? Your new man?” She looked Bishop up and down. “He seems virile enough.”
“No.” I figured it was probably better to show her than to tell her. “Nell, you’d better let him in now.”
Jakob stepped in, shoulders bowed, his face drawn with apprehension.
“Hva forræderi er dette?” she demanded, jumping to her feet.
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it didn’t sound good.
“There is no treachery, I swear it,” Jakob cried out, falling to his knees before the throne. “See, see how I humble myself before you, älskling?”
“Don’t call me that, you don’t know the meaning of the word love,” Maeja screamed, her eyes blazing with fury as she whirled on Nelleke. “How could you do this? How could you bring him before me?”
Nelleke’s eyes were downcast, her entire posture apologetic. “He needs your help, Maeja. Without it he will surely die.”
“Then let him die,” she spat out, turning to leave, but I zipped forward in the blink of an eye to block her path.
“Please, please listen to him, Maeja,” I begged. “He honestly does need your help. And he’s sorry, just look at him.”
Maeja recovered from being startled by my sudden appearance in her path smoothly. “He has no idea what I’ve suffered,” she scowled.
“He actually doesn’t,” I insisted. “He hardly remembers his name. Jakob lost his memory.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Do you seek to trick me?”
“No, it’s true. We all lost our memories. Another side effect of Nelleke’s spell.” I motioned to the others, wanting them to back me up, and they all nodded.
Maeja didn’t seem to care. “That only makes his suffering all that more meaningless, because he won’t realize the true error of his ways.”
“No, you’re right, it is meaningless. So why not end it? Heal him and make him spend the rest of his life begging for your forgiveness.” Never mind the fact that I was pretty sure Jakob wouldn’t agree to be her whipping boy for all eternity, it was all I could think of to appeal to her.
“Jakob submit to me?” she laughed.
“Yes, I would,” he piped up, crawling toward us on his knees. “Restore my life, and I will spend it in your shadow, worshipping your eternal beauty.”
“As if I could believe a single word that falls from your deceitful mouth,” she scoffed. “The second you had what you wanted of me, you would abandon me as you did before. If you truly desired my forgiveness, you should’ve asked for it when you needed nothing from me.”
“It’s true, I should have,” Jakob agreed. “And I can’t speak for why I haven’t come to you before. I can only assume I was so ashamed for treating you badly, I thought you would not wish to see me, and I couldn’t stand to see your lovely countenance again only to face shame and rejection.”
“Very pretty words, but my heart is cold to you, Jakob. It has been for over two centuries. Live or die, I care not.” Maeja whirled again, staring me down with an icy glare. For a split second, I thought about trying to get her in a headlock and letting Jakob steal a drink, but I had no idea how strong she was. I didn’t want to end up as goo under her soft leather boots. In the end, I stepped aside, figuring maybe we could wear her down and eventually get Jakob what he needed.
“Mor vennligst,” Nell cried out, and Maeja stopped in her tracks. “I never ask you for anything, but I am pleading to you now. If you are not forgiving Jakob, instead accept my sacrifice in his stead. My life for his. I will stay with you, never to leave the vale again.”
Maeja’s head tilted to one side as she studied her daughter. “You would do this? I know what your freedom means to you. You owe him nothing.”
“He is my father, and I have come to love him. I believe he is worthy of your gift. Give him the chance to prove he is sorry for the pain he cause you.”
For long seconds the hall was deathly quiet, all of our breaths waiting for her response. Maeja’s brow twisted with emotion at Nelleke’s impassioned plea, but I saw it the instant we were lost, a dreadful calm settling over her cold beauty.
“Stay or go, but I will not spare a drop to save his life. Not now or in a thousand years.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“There’s seriously nothing we can do?” It seemed awfully anticlimactic to have come so far only to be shut down like that. We sat around Nelleke’s living room, the pall of failure heavy in the room. Mason and Hanna had already retired for the night, and I occasionally heard a brief spot of laughter coming from upstairs. I couldn’t imagine how that conversation was going, considering the fact that he was a complete stranger to her, but Mason was charming enough that she wasn’t afraid of being alone with him. In any case, I was glad they were happy.
“There must be some other spell, or if we went somewhere with more vampires. Then he’d get stronger if he kept feeding from them, right?” I asked.
“That would be signing my death warrant,” Jakob said with a weak shake of the head.
“I don’t get it. Wouldn’t drinking vampire blood make you last longer?”
“Showing that kind of a weakness in front of other vampires would be an open invitation to anyone looking to amass more power,” Bishop explained. “Anyone who killed an Ellri would immediately gain status, as well as his personal wealth.”
“I thought it was illegal to kill an Ellri.”
“It is, but that kind of power would be difficult to resist. And it’s been done before,” he added. “Bakareh killed his Sire, and he was an Ellri. He rules his entire region now, unopposed.”
“How do you know that?” I frowned, and Bishop shrugged.
“I don’t know, I just do.”
It resonated as the truth though. The name Bakareh was familiar to me too, and after a few moments, it came to me – the Child King. Man, what a pain in the rear he’d been. I sat lost in thought trying to sort through what I did and didn’t remember. More of it was coming back, not just the bits and pieces that hit out of the blue, but a general knowledge of vampire society.
And then another memory struck with perfect clarity.
The rod felt impossibly light, despite the silver tip, little more than a twig. If I grasped it too hard it might snap, and I forced myself to hold it gently, like an egg. This man had caused me a world of pain and there he lay, trusting me with his life – and I didn’t want that trust.
“This won’t work,” I murmured. “I don’t love him.” There was a time when I would’ve willingly flung those words at him like a weapon,
but now all I felt was pity and sorrow that it had come to this.
The corner of Jakob’s lips tugged up in amusement. “But I love you, Anja, from the moment I first beheld your delicate beauty. And that love has only grown as I learned to appreciate your strength and goodness. Only your hand will do.” His eyes held mine for a long moment before he let out a long, drawn out sigh.
I could still feel the rod in my hand before I plunged it into his shoulder. I felt the knife slice through flesh and bone, and the sickening plop of his heart into the bowl. Jakob had traded his life for mine when he’d volunteered to take part in the ritual. If he’d suffered this much over all those months, the spell would’ve killed me for sure.
Whatever his mistakes might’ve been, Jakob was my Sire, and he’d sacrificed everything for my happiness. I couldn’t let him die, not when there was a single chance of saving him. I just had to figure out what it was.
“Fine, but we can’t give up. We’ll hunt down Carys and Aubrey, and sit on them if we have to, to make the spell work this time. And Rob will come if I ask him to, he owes me that at least.”
“Your optimism is touching, petal,” Jakob smiled. “But I fear my time grows short. No, I shall not leave my homeland again. I was born here, I will die here. It’s only fitting.”
“What if we tried the spell without them? With Bishop and I, would that work?”
Bishop’s brows drew together into a single, dark line. “Anja, stop and think about what you’re saying.”
“It would drain you equally,” Nell replied, her expression thoughtful. “You would survive, but you would be greatly diminished. It would take years to recover.”
“But we would recover, right?” Okay, so it wasn’t the best option, and we might end up in a coma or worse, but we had eternity.
“I cannot ask you to do this, älskling,” Jakob said, stronger, almost sounding like his old voice. “But I am deeply moved by the offer. I tire, dóttir,” he added to Nell. “Please help me to my room.”
“I’m not done with this,” I said to Jakob, catching hold of his hand in passing. “I’m going to figure out a way to Macgyver our way out of this.” Jakob squeezed my hand weakly, and then continued on upstairs.