Julia gave Rachelle a reassuring grin. “Nigel won’t dare come near me.”
“Good.”
“What do you say we talk about our big project?”
Rachelle nodded and pulled out her tablet.
Julia silently thanked her friend for the distraction and perfect timing. She no longer wanted to think about her regrets. With each passing moment, Ragnvald crossed her mind. The image of his handsome face made her heart sing. Part of her wanted him back in her life. To hell with Nigel.
She loved Ragnvald and would love him forever, no matter how much time they had together. But reason wouldn’t let her put his life in danger because of Nigel’s blind jealousy. And it wouldn’t be fair for her to keep him from finding the woman who would release him from his curse. She pushed the thoughts aside. She couldn’t think about it right now. It made her head hurt too bad.
“Are you all right? You look pale.” Rachelle’s voice pierced through her reverie.
Julia nodded. “A bit of a headache is all,” she reassured her friend.
“If you need to talk, please know I’m a good listener.”
“Thank you.”
Julia wanted to tell someone about her loss. The pain in her heart hurt, and some days became unbearable. Yet life went on. It had to go on without Ragnvald in it.
“How did you ever get on with your life after losing your fiancé?” Julia wondered aloud.
“It was terrible,” Rachelle replied with grief in her voice. “Andrew was the love of my life and my best friend. When he died, I never thought I could live again.”
A breath stuck in Julia’s throat. Was this what she would go through for the rest of her life?
“How did you manage?”
“My family helped me a lot. I did plunge myself into work.”
Julia remembered seeing Rachelle a year ago at a party. Her pale face and forced smile had worried Julia. She had offered her friend an ear and a shoulder to cry on. But Rachelle kindly declined. Then she worked herself until she burned out.
“I’m happy you’re feeling better.” Julia patted her friend’s hand.
Rachelle smiled. “You know you can tell me anything.”
Julia nodded, wondering if she could confide in Rachelle. The pain was still too raw. Then she blurted, “I miss him.” Tears followed.
Rachelle sat in the chair beside Julia and wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, love. You’ll see him again. I’m sure of it.”
“He’s gone forever,” Julia murmured. “I had to let him go.”
“What happened?” Rachelle rubbed her back.
Julia knew she couldn’t reveal Ragnvald’s curse, or that she’d rather keep him safe against Nigel’s wrath of jealousy, but she decided to say, “He’s meant to be with someone else. That cannot be me.”
“Why not?”
Words stuck in her throat. She started reconsidering all the reasons for not spending the rest of her life with Ragnvald.
* * * *
Ragnvald’s heart sank in his chest. The airplane climbed over London under a cloudy sky. Sadness filled him as he thought of Colin, his wife, their children, and Julia’s parents. Before he left this morning, Ragnvald had stopped at the Williamson’s home to bid them all farewell.
“I’m sorry I failed you all,” he told them.
“Nonsense, my boy,” Mr. Williamson reassured him. “Our daughter can be very stubborn.” He patted Ragnvald’s shoulder. “She’s safe here. That’s what matters to us. You did all you could.”
Did he? Ragnvald had let Julia go once more without a fight. And now her life remained in danger until the police caught Nigel. He cursed under his breath. Stubborn woman! But he loved her. By Thor’s hammer, he would love Julia until the day he died. She stirred feelings in him he never thought existed. He had no idea how to live without her now that he knew her.
His gut twisted. His breath shortened. His heart demanded that he return to London and find Julia and beg her to take him back. But reason and pride wouldn’t let him. The last thing he wanted was to disobey her wishes. Fordømt! Dammit! Confusion hurt his head. He needed a strong drink to calm his nerves.
“A scotch whiskey, please,” he said to the passing flight attendant. “Neat.”
The young man nodded. “Coming right up, sir.”
When the steward returned with his drink, Ragnvald thanked him. He took a sip and then another. The smooth alcohol felt good in his mouth. Yet he knew no amount of liquor could soothe him.
He pulled out his phone and looked at the picture on the screen. His beautiful, beloved Julia’s warm smile caused him to smile and his heart to flutter.
“She’s a pretty one,” the female passenger beside him noted.
Ragnvald glanced at the gray-haired lady and nodded.
“Is that your wife?”
“I thought she would be. But life had other plans for us.”
“Such a pity,” the woman said. “If you two love each other like I’m sure you do, you will find a way back to each other.”
He wanted to believe this kind woman’s words. Yet it was too late. Or was it? All he could do for now was go on with his life as best as possible. “Maybe one day,” he decided to say, closing his phone.
The thought of never seeing his beloved again proved to be more than he could handle. He couldn’t wait to return home and put some distance between him and temptation. Staying in London would be too tempting. And she would be angry with him for sure if she knew he had stayed in the city. The last thing he wanted was to lose his chance to win her back someday.
“Don’t give up on her,” the woman said before she closed her eyes for a nap.
He would never give up on Julia. But for now he had to stay away from her. He had no choice. Colin promised to stay in touch with him. They had become good friends and would remain so despite the circumstances.
“My sister and you are meant for each other,” Colin told him last night over a drink. “Just give her some time.”
And that’s exactly what he would do. If he found Julia once, he would find her again. He hoped.
* * * *
“He’s gone back home,” Colin told Julia.
Reality hit her. She would never see Ragnvald again. He had let her go.
“Isn’t that what you wanted?” her brother asked as he poured himself another cup of tea.
She nodded, hearing her brother’s harsh tone. “I never wanted our relationship to end.”
“But you did end it.”
“Yes, because Ragnvald deserves better than me.”
Her brother’s stare burned through her. “Did you decide this because of Nigel?”
Julia shook her head. “I have my reasons.”
“Well, my dear sister, whatever your reasons, Ragnvald is miserable without you,” he said, taking a sip of his tea.
Guilt tightened her gut. Her reasons for letting him go no longer made sense anymore after all this time without him. But she knew it was for the best. It was the only way for him to break his curse. She couldn’t be the one to stop of him from obtaining the freedom he deserved.
“How did you know Ragnvald had returned home?” she asked.
Colin looked at her. “He told me. I drove him to Heathrow this morning.”
“You two are best chums now?”
He shrugged. “He’s a good man.”
“I know,” she murmured, staring out her father’s study window. “I know.” Unshed tears filled her eyes.
Chapter 13
“Hello, love.”
Julia recognized her father’s low baritone. She put down her book and looked at him. “Hello, Dad.”
“How are you feeling?” he asked, sitting in the chair beside her.
“Better.”
Her father took a sip of his tea. Julia could see the serious look of concern in his eyes. Before she could utter a word, he asked, “What are you going to do about that nice young man, Ragnvald?”
Dad was always a direct man. An
d this time was no different. She took a deep breath. “There’s nothing to do. It’s over between us. He’s gone home, and I’ll never see him again.”
“You still didn’t tell us the reason you broke it off with him.”
She sipped her tea. “I didn’t think it mattered,” she replied with care.
Dad set his cup on the table. “It does matter. Ragnvald loves you. He went all the way to Scotland to find you and keep you safe. We thought you loved him too.”
“I do,” she murmured. “But there’s more to this than you know.”
He touched her hand. “Tell me.”
Julia closed her eyes, trying to decide if she should tell her father about Ragnvald’s curse. Her father was, after all, a descendant of the Viking people, and a scholar. If anyone would understand her decision and Ragnvald’s curse, it would be her father.
“Ragnvald is immortal,” she said.
Her father’s eyes widened. He remained silent.
She rubbed her neck. “I know it sounds unbelievable, ridiculous even. But I believe him. I saw his skin heal before my eyes.”
“Are you sure you saw that happen?”
Doubt invaded Julia’s head as she recalled the moment with Ragnvald. If truth be told, she had assumed his skin had healed when she no longer felt the stickiness of fresh blood against her palm. “I’m not sure. I didn’t actually see his skin close up.”
Dad stood. He rested one hand on his hip while the other one raked through his hair. “During my studies at Oxford, I heard of such a curse amongst the Vikings. But I never really thought it could be true.” Her father faced her. “How did this curse start?”
Julia told him the story. “Since then he’s been searching for his one true love while living all these centuries with his curse.”
“Poor soul.”
Sadness mixed with guilt boiled within Julia. She felt terrible for leaving Ragnvald. All the Highlander movies she’d watched as a child had built up her fantasies about immortality. She never thought the possibility could exist. Yet reason insisted she had no other choice but to leave the only man she would ever love. It was for the best, she told herself for the umpteenth time.
“How is he going to lift this curse—if it exists?” her father asked, sitting down.
“He must find the one he’s meant to be with,” Julia said with a heavy heart.
Dad touched her cheek. “Maybe that is you, love.”
Unshed tears filled her eyes. Deep down, she knew somehow that he was the one for her, and she was for him. “I’m not sure.”
“Why not? You said yourself you didn’t see his skin heal.”
Julia felt ashamed for not knowing for sure if his wrist had healed. It didn’t matter. With her life in danger, she couldn’t risk anyone else’s. And above all, she didn’t want to risk another broken heart.
She stood and walked to the nearest window. She stared outside for a moment, hoping the confusion raging within her would cease.
“Go to him, dear.” Her father laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“I don’t want to be the one to stop him from lifting his curse.”
“If you believe that, then you aren’t the one for him, whether his curse has been lifted or not.”
The thought brought shivers through her body. I am the one for him. Her heart swelled as a smile formed on her lips. A tear glided down her cheek. She turned into her father’s warm embrace. “What if it’s too late?”
“Too late for what, love?”
She looked at her father. “For me and him. What if he no longer wants me?”
“Go to him. It’s the only way you will know.”
Julia squeezed her father. Fear and doubt wouldn’t leave her despite her father’s reassuring words.
He added, “You love Ragnvald, right?”
“With all my heart and soul,” she responded, looking into her father’s eyes.
He cupped her face. “Then trust that he loves you too. Trust in your love for each other.” Dad wiped her cheeks. “Come now.” He took her hand and started walking out of the study.
“Where are we going?”
He stopped. “Our dinner party, remember?”
“Oh, Dad. I don’t know if I’m up to talking to people.”
“Nonsense. It will be good for you to get out of the house. Then, in the morning, you’ll go to Ragnvald and hope for the best.”
Julia couldn’t disagree with her father. He was right. Getting dressed and meeting new people could be good for her spirits. “I’ll be ready in a bit,” she told her father before kissing his cheek. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, love.” He smiled at her.
Julia walked upstairs, feeling more like herself again. Dad’s reassuring words sank in with every passing moment. Besides, she reasoned, she had nothing to lose in seeing Ragnvald. Though she needed to ready herself for a possible rejection.
Julia gathered the items she needed, then went into the bathroom to get dressed. Once she returned to her bedroom she looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror, straightening the simple black shift dress. Her face held no rosy color. She could barely smile. Tears threatened to leave her eyes. She missed Ragnvald. Heaven help me! I made a huge mistake! Why did I let him go? No longer holding back the sadness and emptiness invading her heart, Julia walked to her bed but then slid to the floor.
“Julia. Are you all right?” Colin rushed to her side and brought her in his arms.
Julia closed her eyes and let herself cry. She could no longer keep the pain inside.
“What’s wrong, love?”
Words stuck in her throat.
“Is it Ragnvald?”
She nodded.
“Go to him, sis.”
Her brother’s words gave her more courage. “Dad told me the same thing.”
“He’s a wise man.”
She chuckled. “Yes, he is.”
“When are you leaving?” Colin asked.
“I’m not sure yet. We have that party tonight.”
Colin took out his cellphone, and within minutes, he had booked a flight to Copenhagen. “There. You’re leaving in an hour.”
“What about the party?”
Colin stood and offered his hand. “I’ll take care of that. Let’s get you to the airport.”
“I need to change and pack a few things first,” Julia said, heading to her closet.
“Of course. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
Julia’s heart exploded with excitement. She couldn’t keep her lips from curling upward in a smile. Part of her remembered that she risked rejection. You can still change your mind. She shook her head. With a shaky hand, she threw a few tops and jeans into her leather backpack. She grabbed her passport and wallet, and then looked at her reflection once more in the mirror. This time she noticed her rosy complexion.
She smiled. “Let’s do this.”
Julia took her bag and closed her bedroom door before doubt and fear changed her mind.
* * * *
Hues of orange and blues kissed the late afternoon sky. Ragnvald sat on his backyard deck, enjoying the view. With a steaming cup of coffee in hand, he let his thoughts travel to Julia. He had tried erasing her from his mind, chasing her from his heart. But all his efforts served to prove that he loved her and he wanted her in his life.
To hell with this curse! He had lived with it for centuries. What’s one more lifetime? If Julia wasn’t the one who would end his immortality, as long as he shared a part of it with the woman he loved, it didn’t matter. He didn’t care about anything else. But reality reminded him that Julia wouldn’t return to him. He groaned against the chilled air.
For centuries, his damned curse had consumed him despite all his efforts to forget it. And now he had lost the only woman since Arnora he ever loved. Why did he let the village seer put the curse on him? Why did he go see her in the first place? All in the name of love, he recalled. If he had known the curse would damn him for eternity, he never wo
uld have drank the potion.
As Ragnvald stared into the frozen horizon, memories resurfaced. His curse had weighed on him since that fateful day twelve hundred years ago. When he’d drank the potion, he’d believed the seer when she’d said he’d be reunited with Arnora. Resolved to die in order to be reunited with his beloved, he’d waited for death to take him, but that moment never came. Ragnvald sought out the seer, but she was nowhere to be found.
“Where is she?” Ragnvald searched the outskirts of the village for the seer.
His clansmen stared at him with a mixture of confusion and fright. “What are you doing?”
“Looking for the seer.”
“No one knows where she has gone.”
Ragnvald felt lost for the first time in his life. He couldn’t imagine his life without the woman he loved. The only way he knew for sure he could reunite with Arnora was to die on the battlefield. When he fought against the English, Ragnvald let the enemy attack him. Wounded, he saw Odin and his beloved awaiting him. He had thought the potion had finally worked and the seer had kept her promise. But that wasn’t the case.
“You’re alive.”
Ragnvald faced his clansmen. “Of course I am. Why shouldn’t I be?”
“We all thought you died of your wounds when we brought you back from England.”
“I am well.” Except for a splitting headache, Ragnvald felt the gods within him. “Where is the seer?”
“Gone, Ragnvald. No one has seen her for a fortnight.”
He raked a hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. The seer had promised him a reunion with his beloved Arnora. But instead she had made a fool of him when he awoke from life-threatening battle injuries. He knew he had somehow angered all the gods in Valhalla. He cursed himself for believing that witch when she had assured him the potion would reunite him with his beloved.
He should’ve known the seer was a fraud—which was something he had told himself numerous times over the centuries. He should’ve known better than to believe the foolish notions the seer had told him. He was a fool then and now. All he wanted was to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved. But that was no longer possible. Julia was gone forever. If only he could find the witch and reverse his curse. Ha! That wasn’t possible even if he went back to his village today.
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