“I’ll take it.”
Steph slips out of my embrace and hugs Etienne. “Does this mean you are a real Superman?”
Laughter erupts in the room, knowing Steph just wanted to break the tension. “I have to ask, what's with this Superman/Xena thing?” Seeing these two fight over fictional characters is one thing, but these characters seem to have cemented a bond between them that is unbreakable.
“When we were kids, I saw Etienne pretending to be Superman, and when he heard my banshee cry, he ran inside thinking I was in trouble. He didn’t expect to find a girl dressed in fake leather, throwing a fake toy around, killing her enemies. He said I was being ridiculous and that the chakrum was a stupid weapon. We argued for hours, and it’s how our relationship started. Every day, we would dress up and pretend to fight bad guys, and when shit went sour, we would just say Superman and Xena forever. It reminds us of the good times and that life can get better.” Steph shrugs, thinking it’s no big deal.
“You guys never told me that story,” Sam whispers, feeling out of the loop. Etienne grabs her hand and kisses her cheek.
“I don’t like people knowing my soft side.”
Sam playfully slaps his chest and nestles her head against his chest.
Clearing my throat, I motion for the other two to leave and give us a few. “I need to talk to Steph.” Etienne and Sam give Steph a hug and leave the room. The look on their faces tells me they are both relieved she finally knows something.
Grabbing both of Steph’s hands, I lead her to the bed and motion for her to sit down. She gives me a quizzical look but doesn’t move. “Finn?”
“One sec.”
Reaching inside my bag, which is sitting on the edge of the bed, I pull out the gift I made for Stephanie before she got here. To say I am nervous, is an understatement. I made this knowing I would give it to the woman who stole my heart and tamed the beast inside me. I will always be a killer and an avenger of those who cannot defend themselves, but she is the first person to look past that. She didn’t scream or lash out when we told her the truth, and right now, I am putting it all out there.
She knows every secret about my past. A man with a daunting past, who has killed hundreds of people, and who will do anything to protect innocents from this life, and the next. She broke all my barriers and wrapped her small hands around my heart, healing the darkness that had taken over.
Making sure the leather pouch still secured her gift, I sit down on the bed next to her. Taking a deep breath, I set her gift on her lap.
It took me the whole three weeks we’ve been traveling around Norway to finish this thing, but it was worth every second. Each night since she arrived, I have worked on this until it was done. I just finished it the night before we arrived here, but I’m nervous as hell to give it to her.
“Finn?” She breathes softly, as her hands start to pull the leather twine off the pouch. The wrapping gives way, and she gasps when her eyes see what I made.
“Oh, Finn.” Her hands tremble slightly as they lightly graze the wooden chakram, which is an exact replica from Xena. Each indentation and marking resembles the original, but on the inside, I added a little something special.
She turns the chakram in circles, eyeing each detail, and pauses when she sees it. Her eyes dart towards me, as tears start to pool in her eyes.
Cupping her cheeks, I gently wipe away the tear that escaped.
“What does this mean?” She whispers, pointing to the words, which are written in the old language.
Pulling her onto my lap, I nuzzle her neck. “It’s the language of our people. It means, ‘a warrior pure of heart, keeper of light, and slayer of evil.’”
Turning in my arms, her lips find mine. Wrapping her legs around my waist, she pushes me onto my back, never breaking our kiss.
“Fuck me.” She whispers against my lips.
A guttural growl forms in my throat as I flip her onto her back. “Your wish is my command.”
My lips devour her, as I make love to the one and only woman I have ever loved.
Chapter 29
~ Stephanie ~
For three days and two nights, I’ve been stuck in this hell hole.The night he gave me the chakrum, I knew it was a sign he loved me. He has never uttered the words, but I can see it in his eyes. And I am okay with that. Finn is a hard person to crack and he will say it when he his ready. Being here with him, has cracked several walls I have built to protect myself. Xena used to be used as a defense mechanism to protect me from the outside world, but right now. It seems she may no longer be needed anymore.
Thinking back to what Finn told me about his past, there are a lot of holes missing. I am okay with that. But the fact that my so-called grandmother keeps interfering and making it impossible for us to see each other isn’t helping. I trust him, and after receiving his gift, I knew I couldn’t leave. A part of me wants to run for the hills, but a bit of danger and excitement never hurt anyone.
Packing the last of my suitcases, tears continue to roll down my cheeks. I was so stupid to think that I had family who would want anything to do with me. Finn assured me that I would be safe and welcomed with open arms, but that was the biggest bunch of bullshit I have ever heard. Since being here, all I have felt like is an outcast. Someone they wish was dead and never stumbled on their doorstep.
Eira goes out of her way to make me miserable, my grandfather avoids me like the plague, several of my cousins have talked about finding me in a corner and showing me what a real man is like, and don’t get me started on the staff. My best friend is currently MIA, and the man I love is completely wrapped around Eira’s finger; it’s disgusting.
The only person who even gives a damn that I am here is Kari. I originally thought she was a complete wackadoodle, but she is pretty cool in my book. I don’t even have Sam here anymore, because she left the other night on Hrothgier business, and couldn’t tell me what was going on.
“Pendant. Killer of evil. All my fault. Blood. So much blood. Never forgive.” Kari’s eyes scan the room wildly as she runs into my room and wraps her arms tightly around my neck. “All my fault. Never meant to do it.”
“Kari, what didn’t you mean to do? Talk to me.” Keeping my voice calm, I remove her arms from around my neck, and grip her hands, showing her a sign of support instead of someone who will rat her out once she confesses some sin or whatever.
“Can’t. Will kill me and my child. Not safe. Get out of here. Don’t let it happen again.” With trembling hands, she yanks her hands out of mine and starts to itch her skin uncontrollably. “The Iseley name, not what it seems. Finn not stop until he seeks revenge. Crest is not what it seems. The crest is not what it seems.”
The crest is not what it seems? I take a step towards her and pull her back. “Find the letter. Stop them. Do not let history repeat itself. It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Rubbing my hands in a circular motion on her back, I hold her until her words start to die out. She keeps mumbling ‘it’s all my fault’ over and over again. I try to get her to tell me what’s going on. But she only shakes her head and holds me tighter.
Finn had told me Kari is a wild child that can’t be tamed, no matter what people do. Her laughter is infectious, and her beauty is out of this world. But since we met, I have not witnessed this ‘wild child.’ Her eyes take on a haunted look every time they land on me, but the look vanishes anytime someone else comes into view.
I have no idea how long we are in each other’s embrace before the cold hearted bitch comes to find us. I hear her voice before her footsteps stop outside my door. I don’t know what it is about her, but my skin crawls every time she looks at me.
Her cold and demeaning stature towards me does not go unnoticed. Finn loves her and is loyal to a fault when it comes to her, but I haven’t had a chance to tell him anything since we got here. The night he gave me the chakrum was the last time I got to talk to him. Eira has been keeping him busy with whatever Hrothgier business the
y have, and the only time we have seen each other is at night.
And no. We haven’t even had time for crazy intense sex. He passes out on the bed within minutes. I can see the exhaustion and pain in his eyes every night. Every time I get him alone, to finally have a few moments to ourselves, she swoops in and takes him away.
I’m starting to think she hates my guts and wants nothing to do with me. She has a look of disgust whenever she sees me touching Finn and does everything in power to keep us apart, so he will have nothing to do with me. She keeps him busy all hours of the day and never gives him a break. Yeah, she is a bitch.
At this point, I wish we could be back on our trip around Norway. Those nights spent with him were some of the best moments of my life. I fell hard, and fast.
“Kari, darling. Where are you?” The ice queen’s voice snaps whatever spell Kari was under. She stops her muttering and complete meltdown and turns into the woman I have heard stories about. The only thing is, I just saw the real Kari.
“I am in here, Grandmother,” Kari calls out and starts to make her way towards the door. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she turns to look back at me, with sorrow and pain in her eyes. “Don’t tell Finn. Can’t know until the time is right. You have to know the truth before it’s too late. I will hold them off as long as I can, Steph.” And with that last statement, she opens the door and runs out.
What the actual bloody hell? Talk about cryptic and confusing. Hold them off as long as she can? Pushing off the bed, I start to go run after Kari but am stopped dead in my tracks.
The hair on my arms stand tall, and I swear the temperature in the room plummets. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”
The same eyes as mine are staring down at me with pure hatred. The mask Eira wears for the Hrothgier warriors is gone. The hatred she has for me is all over her face. What the hell did I ever do to her?
I take a page out of Etienne’s book. “What the hell did I ever do to you?”
Cocking an eyebrow, her smile reminds me of Satan. “You were born.”
“Excuse me?” I snap, feeling rage start to flow through my veins. This woman has no idea who I am, and yet she judged me the moment I walked up to her door.
“You are a smart girl. So, I will warn you. Stay away from Finn and the Hrothgier Warriors. That is my only warning.” And just like that, she walks out of the room and slams the door in my face.
Chapter 30
~ Stephanie ~
“Steph, wake up. I need to show you something.”
Finn’s voice causes me to stir as the car comes to a stop. We left at six o’clock this morning, to go to this mysterious location Finn wants to show me. He refused to give me any clues as to where we are going. I begged to stay in bed and have him ravish me some more, but he just chuckled and threw me over his shoulders. Last night was the first time we had been together since we got to Skorraey, and I took full advantage.
One minute I was in dry clothes and the next we were getting hot and heavy in the shower. Finn demanded my mouth, as he devoured me for the hundredth time. His lips caused my body to explode in heat, my nipples hard as his lips grazed my skin.
I rub my hand softly behind my neck, remembering the way his lips felt against my skin. I hate leaving our little sanctuary, but his voice and demeanor had told me this was important.
Rolling my shoulders to release the tension from sleeping in the car, I turn to see Finn getting out of the car with his body rigid and face void of emotion. I look at the dashboard, which reads 8:02 AM. What the hell happened in the last two hours?
Pulling the handle to get out of the car, I run to catch up with Finn. With his long strides, he is several feet in front of me, walking towards seven large mounds in the middle of nowhere. Trees surround the mounds, making it look like they are protecting what lies beneath them.
“Finn, wait!” I call out, but Finn’s steps never falter. He keeps walking with his hands in his jacket.
Zipping up my jacket, I pick up my pace. With each breath I take, you can see white puffs coming out of my mouth. The weather is a whopping negative two degrees, and my tits are colder than a witch’s tits in a brass bra. This is not my kind of weather. I love snow and cold, but this is insane.
“Finn, what is going on?” I finally reach Finn and cross my arms, to stop them from shaking.
I lean against Finn, only to have him take a step away from me.
“What the hell?”
“I’m sorry, Steph. But you need to know the truth.” Finn turns to face me with his hands still in his jacket and huge white puffs coming out of his mouth with each breath.
“What truth?” I am not liking the sound of this.
“I was hired by your father to protect you from your enemies. Hrothgier told me not to tell you any of this. But fuck it. You need to know. Your enemies are coming for you.” Finn says, cutting me off from my babble.
Hrothgier told him what? I stand there, shocked, processing what he just said, but nothing is sinking in. “Come again?”
“When I was just a child, I was trained on how to kill. Every weapon known to man, I know how to use. All I knew growing up was how to hunt, kill, and erase my target. No one can know what happened or who they were. Your family created this group over a thousand years ago so no one would know who you are.”
Snow begins to fall with heavy snowflakes, casting us in a sea of white. We both stand by one of the mounds in the middle of nowhere as Finn shatters everything I have ever known.
“Your father was sick. He had cancer, but he also had to protect the last in the line of the Iseley’s. You are descendant from a noble family who was slaughtered and killed before the Viking’s downfall. Historians say this place was a great place of power, and it was. Your family stood by the Viking’s side since day one. Your family fought alongside Ragnar Lothbrok when he was in a place of power. With each passing king or play for power, your family stood by and protected its secrets. Your family preserved this information for centuries. Ragnar asked your family to look over his line and protect his people.
“After his death, many sought to take new lands and pillage. Olav, Erik the Red, Hardrada, and many others, sought the wisdom of your family’s counsel and tasked them with protecting our secrets. But on Jan 6th, 1066 AD, when William, Duke of Normandy, defeated the Saxon King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, the history books state that is when the Viking’s time ended. But it’s not.
“History states the raids stopped because the times changed, but that is not the case. Vikings were not about raiding or stealing lands. Times did change, but we changed with it. Raids were no longer profitable, so we merged with the Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, Icelanders, and Greenlanders. We never stopped calling ourselves Vikings. We never lost the language that was spoken by our forefathers. People may view us as barbarian raiders, but what they fail to see, is who we really are. Skilled traders and explorers, who opened trade routes and discovered several new lands, during our reign as a prominent empire of early Europe. Because of us, a lot of things were able to happen.
“And we continue it to this day. We are all over the world, practicing our old ways to make sure the world thrives and doesn’t fall prey like it once did. My family has sworn to protect yours since the massacre in 1067. There were a few Viking’s who knew about your family and what power they held. The Iseley’s were massacred and left for dead. Only two survived, and they vowed to avenge your family and put a stop to this. They buried your family here, so they would never forget what happened that night. Your father spent his entire life traveling the world, looking for lost artifacts and making sure they didn’t fall into the wrong hands. He used to visit this place once a year and pray to those who were taken too soon.”
I stare at the mounds in front of me, as Finn tells me the story of my family. I feel a weird draw to these mounds, and a single tear escapes my eye. So many people lost, because of one person’s greed. As the temperature drops and the snowflakes start to thicken
, I pray for those who were killed so long ago.
Questions start to form in my head. Who were my family? Why would they be hunted down and killed? Why did Father keep this from me? All the questions I have had since I was a child, are finally being answered. The random trips, the meetings with weird men, the random men following us wherever we went… All of it.
I have always acted like nothing was wrong when I saw things that didn’t make sense, but that doesn’t mean I was naïve. Something was up, and when I questioned my father, he would downplay everything. But I always had one question in the back of my mind.
“Steph?” Finn takes a step closer to me, which causes me to recoil.
“Why did Hrothgier not want you to tell me this?” I ask, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice.
“They wanted to protect you. We are so close to finding Bjarne’s hideout that they didn’t think you needed to know. But things have escalated, and I made the choice. Etienne and my brothers will be furious, but frankly, I don’t give a fuck.”
I feel Finn’s presence behind my back, but I can’t look at him. “Was this all a game? Win over my heart and then shatter it into a million pieces? You call yourself a killer. Do you get off on doing this to women? Use them and then toss them aside for your next victim?”
“Steph, I have never used you.” I look over my shoulder to see Finn reaching towards me, which causes me to sidestep.
“Steph?”
“Answer the question, Finn.”
Finn continues to take steps closer to me, but for every step he takes, I take another one back. We do this same dance until my back is against a tree and his arms are pinning me, so I can’t move.
“I would never hurt you, Stephanie. Hell, I fucking fell in love with you years ago. Your stubborn nature, the way your smile lights the darkness in my heart, the way you love with your entire heart and don’t give a fuck what people think. You think it is weakness, but it is strength. Your resilience to get things done astounds me. When we were in Alta, you still did everything you could to get answers, and when people told you no, you never stopped. You are brave, kind, smart, stubborn as hell, resilient, blunt, and the woman I have waited a long time for.” Finn leans in closer, his scent infiltrating my body, causing it to respond in ways I wish it wouldn’t right now.
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