“Accepting my help is different,” she replied. “You must understand, I am you. We share the same energies. This has not occurred in a very long time. You’re different from the Vaettir, special. I’ve waited for this day, but had begun to fear it would never come. I feared I was to remain one of a kind, and I was too weak to come back to this earth without aid. I explained to you that coming together with the key was fate. It was meant to be a part of you as much as anything else. You were brought into this world at this time on purpose.”
I shook my head. None of what she was saying made sense, or did it? “Say you’re right,” I began, “what does it change? I’m going to do my best to part myself with the key regardless of whether or not I’m fated to do so.”
I hadn’t expected the look of sympathy that crossed the Morrigan’s face. “I must remember that you are still very young. You have not seen the world as I have, so I cannot expect you to view things clearly.”
I frowned, feeling like I’d missed something. “If we’re to leave first thing in the morning, we should get some rest.”
The Morrigan nodded. “I do not require rest, but go if you must. Just remember what I told you.”
I crossed my arms, so ready to go to bed, but needing to clarify something first. “I trust Alaric,” I stated.
The Morrigan offered me a humoring smile. “Just see that your trust does not come back to bite you. A lady should not depend on anyone more than she depends on herself.”
With that, she walked off into the darkness. I had no idea where she was planning on going, but I thought it best not to question her. I just had to trust she wouldn’t run off and tell Estus or Aislin where we were.
I shook my head as I began walking back toward our camp. The Morrigan didn’t want me to trust Alaric, yet expected me to blindly trust her. The thing about blind trust, is that it can only be given by fools. Trust is earned by actions, not words, and I knew exactly who had gained mine, and who hadn’t.
Alaric shook me awake early the next morning. I groaned as the warm sleeping bag was pulled down from my shoulders, exposing me to the harsh morning air.
He crouched and placed a light kiss on my cheek. “Everyone is ready to leave,” he explained. “The Morrigan demanded that we let you sleep in.”
I groaned and pushed the bedding the rest of the way down my body. The cold within the tent was a shock, but it was nothing compared to how it would be outside. I sat up and quickly slid myself into my coat, zipping it up to my neck, then searched around for my boots.
Alaric grabbed them from the other end of the tent, then handed them to me one by one.
“You should have argued with her,” I groaned, irritated that everyone would now be waiting on me.
Not offended, Alaric smiled, then crouched down to kiss my slight baby bump through my coat. “Rest is important,” he muttered.
I groaned again and moved away from him to begin lacing up my boots. I was not looking forward to the day’s travels. The wind was incredibly cold with the speed of the snow mobiles, and the seats were hard and uncomfortable.
We hadn’t discussed where we would go next, since Mikael and the others would have only learned we needed to leave that morning, presumably. Of course, they’d probably figured everything out while I was still in the tent, snoring away.
Alaric held open the tent door for me so I could struggle out into the blinding whiteness. You’d think sunny days would be welcome in such a cold area, but the glare on the surrounding white was a discomfort, even with sunglasses.
Mikael was suddenly there, offering me a hand up out of the tent. His long, auburn hair was once again loose in the cold air, but his reddish eyes were hidden behind a pair of expensive looking sunglasses. The sunglasses made me smile. He could feel human discomforts after all.
Alaric climbed out of the tent after me, his black stocking cap now on his head, but no sunglasses to be seen.
I looked past Mikael to the others. All the other tents had been packed up, and their previous occupants were now cooking breakfast around a small fire. I didn’t see the Morrigan.
As if sensing my forthcoming question, Mikael explained, “She went to see how close we are to being discovered. We’ll depart as soon as she returns.”
He still held on to my hand. I looked down in question.
With an uneasy air, he gave my hand a squeeze. “I want you to be careful around her,” he advised, referring to the Morrigan.
That I could sense his unease even around his shields meant he was very nervous indeed.
“I’m careful around everyone,” I assured, half joking.
Alaric moved close to my side and Mikael’s hand dropped.
Mikael’s gaze moved to encompass both of us. “There are many myths surrounding the Morrigan,” he explained. “She’s more human than the other gods, if she’s even a god at all. If the tales are true, she’s driven by human emotions and motivations. We have no idea what her true agenda might be.”
“So you not only tell lies, but you sense them too?” Alaric replied snarkily.
While the rivalry between Mikael and Alaric had temporarily lightened due to our present circumstances, they occasionally let everyone know it wasn’t forgotten. It was irritating, but it was better than them trying to kill each other.
I didn’t blame Alaric for wanting Mikael to pay for the death of his and Sophie’s mother, but now really wasn’t the time. I hoped never would be the time, since one of them would probably end up dead. I briefly wondered if Mikael would kill the father of my child, knowing what it would do to me. Of course, Alaric might not give him a choice. Then again, maybe Alaric would win.
I shivered. According to the Morrigan, I was stronger than I knew. Maybe I could stop them altogether. It would be worth a shot, given that I’d try regardless.
Ignoring Alaric’s rude comment, Mikael angled his face to me to say something, then suddenly his lips shut tight as his shielded gaze looked past me.
I glanced over my shoulder to see the Morrigan approaching, still in the red-headed corpse. I really couldn’t imagine her turning into a crow to scout for us, and wouldn’t fully believe it until I saw it. Even with all that had happened, there were still some things I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around.
“They are not far off,” the Morrigan said as she closed the distance between us. She tossed her dark cloak back over her shoulder to reveal the plain black dress underneath. “But they approach on foot. We should be able to stay ahead of them. For now.”
Mikael’s tension kicked up a notch at the Morrigan’s appearance, giving me the sensation of tiny ants crawling across my skin.
The Morrigan waited for my response, staring only at me, as if I was somehow in charge.
“Do we have time to eat?” I questioned.
I didn’t like the idea of letting the other Vaettir gain on us any more than necessary, but my stomach was growling painfully, and it would be nearly impossible to eat while atop the snow mobiles.
The Morrigan nodded sharply, then led the way to the fire where James, Tabitha, Faas, Sophie, and Aila waited. I followed with Mikael and Alaric walking on either side of me.
Mikael leaned his 6’5” frame toward my shoulder. “Promise me?” he questioned.
I nodded. “I’ll be careful,” I whispered back.
Alaric took my gloved hand and gave it a squeeze. I had a thirteen-hundred year old Viking, and a five-hundred year old descendant of a war goddess to protect me. What could go wrong?
I shook my head at my own thoughts. The answer was everything. Like usual.
5
I had to admit, even with the discomfort, gliding across the ice on the snow mobiles was fun. I sat behind Alaric with my arms wrapped tightly around his waist. I watched the sparkling scenery drifting by until my nose was numb with cold, then ducked behind Alaric’s broad shoulders to peer upward at a crow flying overhead.
My eyes narrowed into a glare as I watched the Morrigan’s crow form drifting
easily up and down on currents of chill air. I wouldn’t have believed it was her if she hadn’t changed right in front of us. The shift hadn’t been the horrible limbs popping and cracking like in so many werewolf movies, rather, it was more like magic. The transformation only took seconds, and seemed painless. The result was a crow the size of a bald eagle, with gleaming black feathers slick as oil. Intelligence danced in those beady eyes, much more than was characteristic for the already intelligent species of bird.
I sighed and ducked my head back behind Alaric. If I was truly descended from the Morrigan, it would have been nice to inherit that bit of magic. Flying above everything where my enemies would never even recognize me was appealing . . . as long as I avoided any low-flying planes.
The machine beneath us slowed as the snow mobiles ahead of us came to a stop. I hoped it was lunchtime. We’d been riding for several hours. I’d grown hungry after one.
I swung my leg over the snow mobile, climbing down ahead of Alaric. I stretched my arms over my head, then flinched as a black shape swooped near. Just before hitting the ground, the Morrigan effortlessly transitioned back into human form, making me more than just a little jealous at how effortless the change was. Nothing was that effortless for me. Not even walking.
Sophie moved to stand at my side, glancing warily at the Morrigan. She tugged her black coat straight where it had bunched during her ride on the snowmobile, then leaned near my shoulder. “Are you absolutely sure she won’t try to possess me again?”
I smirked. “Why don’t you ask her?”
Sophie grumbled under her breath, dutifully ignoring the Morrigan’s curious gaze.
Aila, who’d been riding with Sophie, joined us next. She seemed cranky, as usual, but didn’t speak.
Finally Mikael joined us, glaring back at James. I refused the urge to smile patronizingly at them for being stuck together on the snow mobile when Sophie refused either of their company. Faas and Tabitha had ridden together, creepy siblings that they were.
Without a word, Mikael dug through a satchel slung across his shoulder, then began doling out protein bars. I took mine with a frown, then glared down at the brightly colored packaging. While we’d cooked much of our food during our time at camp, the protein bars had been our extra ration. They were thick, hard to chew, and tasted delightfully like wet cardboard.
I started to open the bar, then jumped when I realized the Morrigan was standing right beside me. “A moment, please?” she questioned.
I lowered the bar to my side. I was getting tired of these moments. Interacting with the Morrigan at all was unnerving, and speaking alone with her increased that anxiety tenfold. Of course, since we needed her help, I couldn’t exactly say no. We had, after all, summoned her to us, and not the other way around.
I nodded, but Mikael caught my eye before we could walk away. His look said it all, be careful. Alaric watched me with much the same look, except with the added effect of biting his lip to keep himself from speaking. I could sense how much it cost him to hold himself back as I turned away with the Morrigan at my side.
Uncomfortable with everyone’s worried gazes on my back, I followed the Morrigan out into the crisp white expanse. The stiffness slowly left my legs as we walked, and I grew more comfortable with every crunching step.
I looked at our feet as I realized I couldn’t even hear the Morrigan’s boots on the snow. My own gait in my heavy snow boots made an annoying crunch with every step, while she glided along like a dainty ballerina.
My shoulders slumped. Someday I’d meet another clumsy supernatural being. There had to be another one out there.
Unsure of how far we were going to walk, I unwrapped my protein bar and took a bite. I wasn’t about to miss my only chance at sustenance.
My bar was half gone by the time she finally turned to me. I glanced back, even though I knew the others would be out of sight. Suddenly I felt nervous, Mikael’s words echoing in my mind.
“We probably shouldn’t be out here much longer,” I said weakly, fiddling with the half-eaten bar in my gloved hands. “We want to be far away from our last camp before we end our travels for the night.”
The Morrigan’s dark eyes peered into mine for several seconds, then she held out her hand. “Take my hand, please,” she instructed. “I will not harm you.”
My instincts screamed at me to run. I took a step back instead. “Why do I feel like your version of harm is different from mine?”
She frowned, her hand still outstretched. “I’m here to help you. I would not do anything to keep my sole descendant from greatness.”
I did not like the way she’d said greatness. I didn’t want any greatness, period. I just wanted to stay, you know . . . alive.
I lifted my foot to take another step back, then stumbled as she lunged forward, latching on to my hand.
“Hey!” someone shouted.
We both turned.
James ran toward us. “Let her go!”
Even though he was James, he looked for the life of me like a angel in that moment.
“Why did you follow us?” the Morrigan snapped, dropping my hand.
James looked smug as he reached us. “Everyone can keep me in the dark all they want. I’m not helpless, and I can find out information on my own.”
“So you came to spy?” the Morrigan hissed.
I sighed. James wasn’t a very good spy if he revealed himself at the first sign of trouble, not that I wasn’t grateful for the interruption.
My gratitude came to a screeching halt as the Morrigan waved a hand in front of James’ face, and he instantly dropped to the ground.
My jaw wide open, I looked from James’ prostrate form, then back to the Morrigan. Before I could react, she grabbed my hand again. I tugged against her grip, but my limbs felt incredibly weak, then I couldn’t feel anything at all.
My vision shifted like I was falling forward, but instead of hitting the ground, I was being pulled away from it. I watched the ground in horror as I rose higher and higher. I could see black wings in my peripheral vision, moving up and down as I gained altitude.
Though I could feel little else, I felt it as my heart sank down in realization. I was part of a crow, but I had no control. The Morrigan was steering. I was just an unwilling passenger along for the ride.
I screamed in my mind, but had no mouth to actually express it. She was taking me away from Alaric, and Mikael, and everyone, yet all I could think about was my baby. If I was no longer in my natural form, where had my baby gone? Could it be a part of the bird too? I cried with no eyes to shed tears as the Morrigan carried me farther away from everything I held dear.
“They’ve been gone for far too long,” Alaric announced, restless for Madeline’s return. He knew he never should have let Madeline walk off with the Morrigan to begin with. They’d done it twice before, but each time was still a risk, a risk he was a fool to take.
Mikael nodded, peering in the direction Madeline had gone. “Agreed.”
Alaric hated that he and the Viking were agreeing on most things lately, but he could swallow his pride for now if it meant helping Madeline. He internally chastised himself again for letting her go. He’d convinced himself it was safe, but now they hadn’t returned, and he couldn’t argue with the sick feeling in his gut.
“Let’s go,” Mikael ordered, needing no further prompting.
Alaric did not appreciate how much Mikael had grown to care for Madeline, but if it meant extra protection for her, well, he could bear that too. For now. Madeline needed all the allies she could get.
Scenting the air for Maddy, Alaric hurried across the snow with Mikael at his side. Footsteps trotted up behind them, then Sophie was at his other side. The others stayed with the snow mobiles, not that there was anyone around the barren, frozen wasteland to steal them.
The snowy ground was hard packed enough that footprints were barely visible, but Alaric could smell where Madeline had walked. Her smell had become more familiar to him than any othe
r, save that of his sister.
Sophie inhaled deeply through her nose. “Did anyone notice where James went? His scent is in this direction.”
“He claimed he was going for a short walk,” Mikael replied. “I thought little of it.”
Alaric’s eyes narrowed. There was little doubting by this point that James’ memory was truly lost, it was no act, but what if it had suddenly returned to him? Would he try to harm or kidnap Madeline?
He walked faster, then picked up speed to run. Mikael and Sophie both kept pace with him easily. Something was very wrong. He shouldn’t have let Madeline walk off without him.
A crumpled form came into view, but it was too big to be Madeline. James. Alaric looked down as he reached him. He was clearly still alive, but unconscious. Beside him was a half-eaten protein bar. Alaric picked it up and could smell Madeline all over it, yet her scent ended there. It did not lead off into any other direction.
At first, he couldn’t help but look around their snowy surroundings for some other clue, then he thought of the Morrigan’s crow form, and how easily she shifted. Protein bar still gripped in his hand, he looked up at the sky as the pieces fell into place.
It seemed like we had flown for days, with me silently screaming all the while. The Morrigan never seemed to tire. We’d flown over the ocean, across an expanse of land, then another large expanse of water. Eventually a green, rocky coastline came into view. We continued onward, then began to lose altitude over a circular, rocky outcropping.
The moment we touched down, we separated. I fell to the loamy earth coughing and gasping for breath, shocked to have my body back.
“My baby!” I croaked, cradling my stomach.
The Morrigan looked down at me, her red hair whipping about in the wind. “The child is fine, though you could have told me of her presence sooner. It was quite a shock to realize we had an extra passenger.”
Tears flowed down my face, as hard as I fought them. “I wasn’t planning on being turned into a bird!” I shouted. Then it clicked what the Morrigan had just said. “Her?” I questioned weakly.
Rock, Paper, Shivers Page 4