“Sven,” she whimpered, her dragon eyes meeting his in the concave of his wings. “Let me go. Let me help you fight.”
“No.” Tangled in roots and bombarded by the enemy, he refused her. “I cannot. I will not.”
Though the pain was excruciating, he felt separated from it as his eyes stayed with hers. As he remembered looking into those eyes for the first time and so many times since. If this was his moment to die, then he was right where he wanted to be. With her. In truth, the only thing that kept him holding on as long as he could was her doomed fate once his heart beat for the last time. The horror she would face.
“No.” She clung desperately to him as Skáld's dragons ripped into him. “Hel said we should always stay together. That I should remain by your side. And I intend to do that.”
He had no idea of her intentions until she did the unthinkable and pushed him away. That's when he realized what she was up to as she scrambled sideways through the roots. She was drawing them away. Trying to save him. Weakened, almost gone, his inner dragon roared with anguish as far too many enemy dragons pounced on her.
Yet instead of her cries of pain being the last thing he heard, something else came through. A distant voice. Hel? His eyes met Emily’s one last time as his heart thumped a final beat and he was once again in Helheim.
Emily was still there.
He could still see her.
Not just in front of him but in his mind’s eye as she lifted her dragon head to meet his eyes like she had on the boat. This time, however, when he heard her heart thump for the first time, he realized it was his own.
In the blink of his mind's eye, all the various ways her dragon had looked at him on their adventure fell away to be replaced with another look altogether. Not rage or indifference or even the powerful connection they had made when he healed her but something else entirely.
Acceptance.
Pure joy.
“Sven,” she whispered into his mind. “I see your dragon. I feel him...”
Moments later, Helheim fell away, death was left behind, and an incomparable feeling blew through him. Almost like the euphoria he felt when he found release inside her mixed with a surge of power unlike any other. His dragon roared with pleasure moments before the enemy dragons fell back as though barred. He and Emily became more entrenched in the roots as lightning crackled around them before everything changed entirely yet again, going bright white then jet black.
Then silence fell.
Liquid surrounded them.
Then life.
“Sven?” Emily murmured.
For a moment when he opened his eyes, it seemed as though he was looking up from underwater. A blink later, the water fell away and was replaced with a familiar canine face.
“Fenrir?” he managed, his mouth bone dry and still smoking from the fire he had roared. “Am I in Helheim?”
“No,” he replied. “You are on Midgard.”
“Emily?” Having shifted back to his human form fully dressed, Sven struggled to sit up, worried as he looked around until he spied her next to him. Their blades lay in the grass nearby, the metal still smoking as the last of Thor’s lightning sizzled away. Never so grateful to see anyone in his life, he pulled her into her arms for a long moment before the others joined them and he released her.
Just as happy to see him alive and well, her eyes lingered on his before she braced her head. “Gods, I feel like I drank one too many ales.”
“Are you all right, Sister?” Håkon crouched beside her, his brows deeply furrowed in concern as he handed her a skin of water. “What happened?”
Sven nodded his thanks as Kjar handed him a skin of water as well. From what he could tell everyone was here and they were all a safe distance away from Skáld’s Ash. Or so he hoped.
Emily looked at Sage as she explained what they had just experienced.
“It was unbelievable.” Emily’s eyes welled a little, hopeful as they met his. “Do you think...”
He knew first and foremost she was wondering about his father and Heidrek. What had happened to them? Tempering his emotions, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her against his side. “I think they would want us to focus on the future. To be strong.” He refused to be without hope though. “And I think if any two dragons can survive Skáld and Múspellsheimr, it is Heidrek and Bjorn.”
She nodded and released a ragged breath before she looked at Fenrir who hadn’t been with them since they first boarded their new boat. “Glad to see you again, friend. Where did you vanish to this time?”
“A bit of everywhere,” he grumbled as he looked from Emily to Sven. “I am sorry. Protecting Emily is proving difficult on this journey.”
“Actually,” Sven said, sensing something. “Though you may be having trouble staying manifested, I think you being here now was all part of helping us break free. Your need to protect Emily helped pull us through.”
“I agree,” she said, offering Fenrir a thankful smile. “So no worries. You’ve come through for us a lot.”
Though Fenrir offered no reply, he could tell the wolf was pleased with her praise.
“I believe many played a part,” Sage said, surprisingly enough following their conversation with the wolf. “Halla used her magic to cloak you...” She cocked her head. “That helped you initially didn’t it?”
“It did,” Sven confirmed. He offered Halla a grateful look as he recalled leaping into the hole around the tree and against all the odds breaking through Skáld's dragons. “Thank you, Cousin.”
Though it was dangerous and she shouldn’t have done it, he wouldn’t reprimand her. She didn’t deserve it. Not at all.
“Just glad I could help.” Halla grinned and eyed the ocean then the waterfall. “Good thing for all the water. I’m pretty sure it helped hide my magic.”
“I knew the water was going to come in handy.” Emily shot him a small smile. “The enemy may have chosen this location to skew their own magic, but it works both ways.”
Halla crouched beside him, rather humble for now though he suspected she would use her heroic actions as an excuse to go on future adventures. She kept grinning as she gestured at his arm. “Your tattoo has changed again, and I would say in the best way possible.”
Emily’s eyes lit up when she looked at it. “The sword’s gone, and the dragons are wrapped around each other.” Her moist gaze met his. “Nothing bars us anymore...that was what that amazing feeling was at the end...you and me. Our dragons.”
“Yes.” He brushed his lips across hers, still reveling in the untouchable feeling of being together in all ways Odin intended. “Mated at long last.”
“And your rings have changed some too, have they not?” Davyn asked.
They had. Engraved with flames, Sven’s was now made of the shiny black metal forged on Múspellsheimr. More interesting though? The ring had become a dragon wrapped around his finger consuming its own tail. As was Emily’s though it retained its flowers.
“You have seen through Níðhöggr’s message via the symbol of Jörmungandr on your sail,” Vigdis said softly, her eyes hazing over. “He who encircled the world then gave way to Ragnarök.” She nodded once, still in a daze. “As you passed through the Nine Worlds you encircled Midgard then faced death for one another to be born anew and fertile. Reborn in the roots of the Yggdrasill, you rose up. You have proven to the Great Serpent that you are worthy leaders for his cause. You are the Viking King destined to oversee his vendetta. One with a strong and worthy queen by his side.”
The seer’s eyes returned to normal as they went from Emily to Sven. “Though I do not like that you’ve been sucked into such a war I am very proud of you both. Not just your individual courage but your devotion to one another got you through this. And in turn, bonded you in such a way that we all stand a much better chance than we did before.”
In full agreement and never so grateful, he brushed his lips across Emily's a few times before finally helping her to her feet.
> “Why do you suppose Skáld’s Ash still looks so sinister?” Emily said, eying it. Little had changed about the tree except for the roots which seemed more normal in appearance now. “And though I hate to see the tree still standing,” she continued, “I hope it is so that Uncle Heidrek and Uncle Bjorn can eventually find their way out.” She shook her head, back to dwelling on its appearance as she met his eyes. “Didn't you think it might look a little different after everything we just went through beneath it?”
Unfortunately, he had no chance to reply before Årud warriors came out of nowhere and started attacking. An army’s worth by the looks of it.
“Are you kidding me?” Emily exclaimed. “More fighting?”
“Yes,” Håkon said with relish, not possessed in the least as he pulled free a sword and ax, eying the oncoming warriors with uncharacteristic battle lust.
“No, we must flee again,” Sven ordered even as they began fighting. “We are far outnumbered even for us.”
Håkon and Leif seemed of the opposite mind as they engaged man after man with fire in their eyes. Though they still protected Sage, Sven got the impression it was no longer at the whim of whatever had controlled them before.
“We should get back to the boat,” Sage said into Sven’s mind. “The sooner, the better. I think I know another way. A faster one.”
In full agreement, he relayed the message to the others, and they started down the shore, protecting Sage all the while. Too many warriors kept coming to count. Endless swarms.
Yet something had changed.
Håkon wasn’t the only one fighting better.
So were Sven and Emily. Now that their dragons had claimed one another, their human halves were enjoying the added power of being dragon mates. He could tell that like him, she wasn't all that concerned with fleeing for her life. After all, she was enjoying herself as she fought more ferociously than ever.
Even so, they needed to keep moving.
By the time they made it around the bend and spied their ship, they had left an admirable trail of broken Årud warriors in their wake. Nevertheless, there was more fighting to be had as they continued on.
“Where’s Leif?” Sven roared as they closed in on the ship. The man had been fighting alongside them moments ago but seemed to have vanished.
“There!” Emily pointed back a ways. “They’ve got him.”
Sure as Loki’s cock, Leif hadn’t been slain but captured. Held with a dagger to his throat, his eyes met Sage’s across the distance.
“We have to go,” Sage murmured, blinking several times as if in shock. “Right now.”
Emily met Sven’s eyes.
“Should we leave him?” she asked within the mind. “He might seem off, but he’s come in handy.”
“Now,” Sage insisted. “Leif can take care of himself.”
Sven glanced back the way they had come. Though they’d fought well and come this far, going back would most certainly mean death. While not a fan of leaving a man behind, it seemed he had no choice. Yet as he did he kept having the nagging feeling that Leif should be dealt with...and not necessarily saved.
In the end, his kingdoms and kin came first, so they left Leif and boarded the ship, all the while still fighting off Årud warriors. Thankfully, the wind blew in their favor, and soon enough they were sailing south down the coast. If that weren’t enough good luck, the further away they got from Skáld’s Ash, the less pain Håkon and Davyn felt in their tattoos until it all but disappeared.
Sage had gone eerily silent, requesting time alone as her sad eyes remained on the north. Eventually, Håkon joined her, but as far as they could tell, remained silent.
“Something’s troubling her,” Emily said softly as she joined Sven. “Do you think it was leaving Leif behind?”
“Maybe,” he murmured. “I don’t think it was easy for her, but I sensed she did it for the greater good. Because she had no choice.”
“But she did...” Her eyes went to Sven's as she sensed his thoughts. “You would have gone back for him if she had asked you to. A part of you wanted her to.” She narrowed her eyes as she got to the crux of it. “But you didn’t necessarily want to go back to save him, did you? You thought about killing him once and for all.”
“Yes,” he admitted. “I remain very wary of him. Untrusting. And we don't need that with what might lie ahead.”
She frowned. “What does lie ahead?”
“More than I would have liked,” Sage cut into their conversation as she and Håkon joined them. “It’s not nearly over yet...especially not for Håkon and your male kin.” Her eyes flickered from Håkon’s back to theirs. “The reason Skáld’s Ash still looks the way it does despite the gateway being closed is because not all of his dragons remain in Múspellsheimr. One is here on Midgard.” Her eyes drifted north again. “And we just left him behind with his allies, the Årud warriors.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“WHY DOES IT almost sound like you’re sad Leif turned out to be the enemy.” Emily frowned at Sage. “More so, that we left him behind.”
While Emily and Sven had their doubts all along, it was still somewhat shocking to realize they’d been with one of Skáld’s dragons for days now. But then it made sense, didn’t it? They knew he was different. More than that? She knew when she first dreamt about him that he was trouble.
“I’m sad that Leif turned out to be...who he is,” Sage said softly. “The connection I made with him through Níðhöggr is strong.” Her eyes went to Håkon. “Just like my connection with your brother.”
“Right, they can see you,” Emily quipped, still not entirely sure what that meant.
“They can,” Sage replied as her eyes returned to Emily. “Because they were chosen as the best matches for me.”
“Excuse me?” Emily perked her brows. “Chosen by whom?”
“I would say Níðhöggr and Skáld,” Sven murmured, catching on faster than her. But then she had a blind spot when it came to her brother. One that disallowed him from being chosen by some ancient vendetta seeking serpent.
“Yes, by Níðhöggr and Skáld,” Sage confirmed. “Níðhöggr chooses a Sigdir and Skáld a dragon well matched in strength, wit and...well, taste in women...not to mention dragons that I would be attracted to as well.”
Emily narrowed her eyes. “So they're pitted against each other to what, win you over?”
For the first time since all this began, Sage finally appeared uncomfortable as her eyes didn’t quite meet Håkon’s. “So to speak, yes, that’s exactly what’s happened.”
“I don’t think so.” Emily shook her head and stepped closer to Håkon. “My brother isn’t going to fight some dragon you might end up having the hots for just to win you over.”
“You don’t know what I will do, Sister,” Håkon said softly, his eyes on Sage. “But know this, if Leif is one of Skáld’s dragons, I will track him to the ends of Midgard and finish him.”
She could tell by the way Sven’s eyes narrowed on Håkon that trouble was already afoot. Her brother was most assuredly acting more aggressive than usual, and it didn’t help that he was already taken by Sage. The question remained, though, was she taken by him too?
“Níðhöggr planned all of this from the very start,” Sage continued as everyone joined them, having caught on to the conversation. “From Emily going into heat when she did to Hvergelmir’s River feeding into his realm to all the unexplained amorous behavior.” Her eyes went between Emily and Sven. “He chose very wisely with you two, seeing a love that could make it all the way to Múspellsheimr and back. A bond so strong, it would seal the gateway between worlds just enough that he would have time to strengthen his position on Midgard.”
“Wait, rewind. I think it’s time to get some things straight.” Emily narrowed her eyes. “What was the point of me going into heat? Was it necessary to bring Sven and me together?”
“It couldn’t hurt,” Sage responded. “But no, the main reason was to help the others thi
nk clearer when they were in Níðhöggr’s Realm and Skáld’s Domain. Otherwise, the women would have been a mess in Níðhöggr’s Realm and the men a mess in Skáld’s Domain.” She frowned at Emily when she looked at her in confusion. “We’re dealing with not only exceptionally powerful original ancient dragons but amongst the first of their kind.”
When Emily continued to look at her in confusion, Sage said, “Dragons born on Midgard can’t help but feel a heightened sexual awareness around anything related to Níðhöggr or Skáld. Their prowess on their home world is epic.” She shrugged. “I can’t say why women experience it more around Níðhöggr and men when they’re around Skáld, but I don’t suppose it matters. What did matter this go around, was that Emily being in heat tempered it a bit. Like it dulled the signal a little.”
Even Sven appeared stunned at this point as he frowned at Sage. “Then explain why Vigdis, a seer, experienced it as well.”
“My guess is because Níðhöggr harnessed Mt. Galdhøpiggen’s power to create his realm,” she said. “So seers would be susceptible too.” Her eyes slid to Vigdis. “Especially those with a particular fondness for male dragons.”
“I knew it,” Vigdis declared, a triumphant gleam in her eyes before her lips curled down at confirmation that the mountain was, indeed, used in such a fashion.
“So our bet to keep you from sleeping with Vigdis was sort of pointless,” Emily muttered into Håkon’s mind. “Seeing how there’s a higher power at work with these dragons.”
“No it wasn’t pointless,” Sage murmured, evidently catching their telepathic conversation. “If anything your magic was at work protecting him, Emily.” She blushed a little as she kept her eyes from Håkon. “If your brother had slept with Vigdis in Níðhöggr’s Realm, my dragon would have known about it and spurned him on contact. And I have a feeling that would’ve been really bad for our cause.” Her cheeks grew even redder when she realized she had implied his dragon was destined for hers. That they were meant to sleep together. “It would’ve been bad in the long run I mean.”
Viking King's Vendetta Page 24