Lightning Seeker: Viking Soul Book 2 (Viking Soul Series)

by Rachel Medhurst

  My phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. If anyone could disturb me at that exact moment, it would be Jack. Chloe’s information ran through my head as I answered him.

  “Before you speak, just know that I have you on speaker. I’m here with a man named Jerry. A very nice man if I do say so myself.”

  “Shut up,” came the voice of Jerry, I assumed.

  Jack cleared his throat. “Alright, mate, no need to be so tetchy. Anyway, Trygger,” he called down to me unnecessarily. “Jerry has come to my club for a visit and…”

  “Get on with it, will you?”

  Swiping my jeans from a drawer, I put my phone on speaker and tugged them on as quickly as I could. Jack had been in my life for a decade. I knew when the bastard needed help. Sounded like the fellow, Jerry, was threatening my friend.

  “Well, Jerry works for a woman named Theresa. A simple name, don’t you think? Considering she’s the head of the witch coven.”

  Shoving a black T-shirt over my head, I grappled with my socks, hopping to put them on. Why couldn’t Jack have waited five minutes until I was ready? Rushing to get dressed wasn’t in my nature.

  “Ah, okay,” I said, just to let them know that I still listened to them.

  More reports had supposedly come to Jack about the various leaders going missing. I had let him get on with it. I didn’t have an interest in those people. My only concern was the Fallen One, if it had been the heat I had tasted, and the Hagalaz cult. Just because Martin had basically threatened me and Chloe.

  My jacket and boots were on. Swiping my phone from the bed, I went to the gym, waving at Chloe, who was on the running machine, as I made my way over to the magic room.

  “Well, Jerry seems to think I…well, we…may know something about the whereabouts of the lovely Theresa. I tried to tell him that I ain’t seen her…ever in my life, I might add…but, he doesn’t believe me. Trygger, there’s something you need to see.” Jack’s voice had quietened on the last part of his sentence.

  For whatever reason, Jack had decided to alert me to his problem. He wasn’t one to get me involved in something usually. His own dealings were exactly that, his own. He didn’t need me as a saviour. He had plenty of witch bodyguards…

  My mind was wrapped up as I grabbed a dagger from the wall, tucked it in the waistband of my jeans and left the room. Chloe stood, hands on hips, sweat evident on her shirt. She was listening to the conversation between me and Jack. I was tempted to turn it off, but figured that it would be easier to let her hear.

  “Does Jerry want to meet me?” I asked, marching out the room, Chloe on my heels.

  She rushed into her room as I trotted down the stairs, Rusty right behind me for once. I would take the dog with me this time, I could use his staring power with the deviant witches that surrounded Jack. The only thing more powerful to Jack’s employees would be their own leader. If the man, Jerry, had gone there to intimidate him, Jack would be unprotected.

  “Yes, Jerry does want to meet you. Tonight, at the club…come alone.”

  The phone went dead. I tucked it away, cursing when I grabbed Rusty’s lead and headed for the door. If that man dared to hurt Jack, I would…

  “Wait!” Chloe flew down the stairs, almost tripping over the last one.

  It was good to see that she hadn’t completely lost her scatterbrain. I frowned at her, shaking my head when she tucked her arm into her leather jacket.

  “Really?”

  She nodded, not letting me fight with her as she thrust past and out the front door. “I would have thought you would have learnt by now, Thunder Hunter,” she called.

  I followed her, a scowl refusing to leave my face no matter how much I tried to clear my expression as we rushed to the boat.

  “Firstly, don’t call me that,” I said, overtaking her, just to make a point. “And, secondly, I will never willingly let you come on a mission, so don’t get used to it, woman.”

  *

  “Is that witch’s magic I can feel?” Chloe asked, her hand clutching the gun I had picked up on the way out.

  Her own weapon was still in training. Although she had become pretty handy at shooting targets with her magic, she hadn’t had a chance to practice it properly, on a person. The woman had become pretty confident in the month she had been training with me. However, experience was the only thing that would test a person’s strength. Just the fact that she had asked me a question about witch’s magic said a lot.

  “Yes. They’re still in there. Jerry probably didn’t expect me to pop in so soon.”

  We stood just inside the artists’ entrance. Jack had given me a key a while ago. I waited for a moment, trying to hear if anything was going on inside the club. Jack’s office was too far away for me to investigate first.

  “Are we going to storm in?”

  I bit my tongue on my response. It was my fault, I hadn’t got to the stealth training yet. The woman insisted on pushing her own limits before she had the chance to really understand what she was getting herself into.

  “Remember when I went to rescue Jack at that barn? It’s all about being quiet. So…shut the fuck up.”

  “I think you’ll find that I was the one who rescued Jack,” she said, sticking her tongue out at me in a rare show of immature indignation.

  Rolling my eyes, I moved towards the corridor. Jack’s men were powerful. However, I wasn’t sure if they were currently working for Jack or Jerry. Feeling Chloe’s hot breath on my back, I stalled, grinning when she smacked into me, a small grunt releasing from her mouth.

  Turning, I raised my eyebrows and leant forward to whisper in her ear. “We can’t talk once we’re out there. Stay behind me at all times and don’t do anything.”

  “Don’t do anything?” she hissed. “Why the fuck did you let me come if I’m just going to be a spare part, hugging your arse?”

  Hugging my arse? Well, that was a strategy I could get down with. Except, having her so close to my arse would hinder me. I bloody missed the days of working alone, I really did.

  “Don’t hug my arse, just stay behind me and be quiet, will you?”

  She huffed, the breath sending a strand of her hair flying between us. Tapping her on the nose, I smiled. “Thank you.”

  Turning, I sneaked into the corridor, checking that no one was around. A low hum alerted me to the amount of magic being used in the club. Thor’s power was strangely quiet considering how much of it was in the air.

  No music played, which was eerie in itself. Jack rarely allowed the club to be silent, even during the day. The club was meant to be closing in a couple of hours to get ready for the night rush.

  I could feel Chloe behind me, hugging my arse, just like she had promised. When the time came for us to move, I would have to trust that she could stay where she was. I didn’t want her to get caught in any crossfire.

  The main clubroom was just on the other side of the door at the end of the corridor. Moving slowly, I kept my ears open for anyone on guard. The front door must be locked if no one was out here.

  “We’ve got to do something,” someone said on the other side of the door. “I know Jerry’s our…”

  “Be quiet, if they hear us, they’ll kill us for conspiring against the coven,” someone else chimed in.

  They were Jack’s two strongest bouncers. His truest employees. If I could get them to work with me, I would have an even bigger chance to down Jerry and his cronies. However, if they were seen as going against them, they would be cast out. That wasn’t something Jack would want. Even I knew that.

  “Wait,” one of them said, pulling the door open.

  His gaze landed on me before he slammed the door shut again, holding up four fingers just before he went out of view. He must have felt me nearby. I had known him for the whole ten years I had worked with Jack.

  Chloe’s fingers fluttered against my arm, causing the hairs to stand on end. She had seen too. Four witches. Was that including Jerry? It had to be.

  My heart
steadied in my chest. For a moment, I hadn’t been sure if Jack’s man would defy his stand-in leader, yet, he was working both sides. He wouldn’t fight against them…that much I knew without evidence, but he wouldn’t fight against us either. Staying neutral was in his best interest.

  Taking a deep breath, I let it out when their talking moved away from the door. The bouncer was leaving the way clear for us to go in. The smell of the club swirled around me, increasing when I cracked open the door to look inside.

  The lingering scent of perfume, smoke machines and alcohol blended to make a distinct smell only available in Jack’s club. In a way, it was a comfort. A memory of a level of safety over the last ten years. However, that was now being compromised with Jerry, the witch, keeping my friend hostage.

  The club was empty apart from the two bouncers and an unfamiliar woman standing in front of the door leading to Jack’s office. The barman wasn’t even standing in his usual place. They had obviously evacuated the club, which was a good thing.

  Sliding through the door, I kept to the shadows of the wall, deciding to move behind the booths towards the bored looking gatekeeper. The lights were still low, leaving the room in darkness. I had to trust that Chloe was behind me, but I wouldn’t engage with her. I had to be aware of my surroundings without worrying whether she would…

  “Trygger,” she hissed.

  Spinning, I raised my dagger, ready to fight. Chloe had been grabbed by a tall muscular man. He grinned at me as he wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her back close to his front.

  “Who have we got here, then?” he asked in a typically deep-throated voice.

  He looked the part, completely stereotypical. Was he as stupid as the bad guys in the films? Somehow, I doubted it considering he had known exactly where we were. And, I was usually so good at blending in. Her blonde hair probably didn’t help. It stuck up all over the place, the lights of the room highlighting the strands. Was that…?

  “You’ve got pretty hair,” he said, stroking thick fingers through her blonde mass.

  Chloe’s hair glowed different colours under the UV light. What the hell had she done? Why would she put stupid colours in her hair?

  “Get off her,” I bit through my teeth.

  Placing my feet slightly apart, I held firm as I faced him, ready to fight. He might have been a hefty man, but so was I. And, I had faced much worse in my past. Vikings could be brutal bastards, trust me.

  “I’m sorry, is this your girlfriend? She’s too good for you, aren’t you, princess?”

  Chloe yelled a war cry as she wrapped a hand around his thick thigh. I frowned, about to rush forward when his solid body jerked and shook. Chloe’s fingers glowed orange where her magic filtered into him.

  I spun, checking to see if anyone approached. We were pretty well hidden behind the booths, yet, why had no one heard the big brut speaking? And, Chloe’s poor attempt at being brave?

  The man released Chloe at the same time as she threw her head back, her skull cracking against his face. She stumbled forward, almost into my arms. I grabbed her shoulders, righting her before she fell flat on her face.

  “You…witch…” the man gasped, clutching at his throat as he dropped to his knees.

  Backing up, I checked around a booth to see if the others were coming. A smile spread my lips when I saw Jack’s two bouncers chatting up the woman on guard. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth as one of them serenaded her with a love song. Those boys would get a bonus in their pay packets, even if I had to pay it myself.

  “Chloe, are you okay? He didn’t hurt you?” I found myself whispering as I checked her over.

  She batted me away, grabbing my arms and squeezing. “I’m fine, I told you, I can take care of myself. Let’s go get Jack.”

  I nodded, shrugging her off when she refused to let me go for a moment. Had I really just worried about her? In all my life, or certainly the last three hundred years, I hadn’t bothered to care about a woman. The feeling of protectiveness had not been strong in me. My dead heart was…

  Shaking my head, I ploughed on, pausing when I heard people speaking in one of the booths. Ah, so there were still people there. Chloe took my arm, drawing my attention back to her. Waving her hand, she released a tiny bit of golden magic, indicating that they were holding the people in the booth with their power. Ah, they had taken hostages, the bastards.

  Creeping the rest of the way, I waited behind the last booth as the two bouncers were sent away. It was better that they were the opposite side of the room when we attacked the one by the door. I wouldn’t let a measly witch stop me from getting to Jack.

  Stretching my fingers around the handle of my dagger, I moved out from behind the booths. Keeping my steps light, I almost laughed when I came face to face with the short woman. Her hands were just about to raise in the air when a shot of Chloe’s gold magic barely missed me and hit her.

  “What are you doing?” The woman laughed, only mildly effected by my apprentice’s attempt at magic.

  The witch, who was a fair bit younger than us, in witch years anyway, threw her head back and raised her hands in the air. That was the problem with witches. They so rarely had to fight, they assumed their magic would protect them at all times. However, they didn’t ever have to face me.

  My eyes zoomed in on her exposed throat. Crouching ever so slightly, I pushed off my feet as a ball of green magic formed between her hands. She was about to look forward, her throat slowly moving down, but I had my target in sight. My arm raised, I leapt on her, ripping the blade through her jugular.

  Shuddering myself as the green magic made contact with my chest, I kept going, even as blood squirted in my face and her body vibrated. The magic flowed out of her with the life force that drained away.

  A few screams slashed the air as the people in the booth obviously saw what I had done. I gritted my teeth as I wiped the blade on my jeans and shoved away from the witch. The magic from Thor’s power was the only reason her body now slouched on the ground. If I didn’t have it, her magic would have killed me before I could get the blade in her throat.

  “What’s going on?” someone shouted in the corridor leading to Jack’s office.

  The two bouncers ran to the booth as the mix of people that had got caught up in the hostage situation tried to run out.

  “Are you ready?” I asked Chloe as I stood to the side of the door.

  She nodded, her concentration on the task at hand. Her pale cheeks were evident in the UV light above us. I would have to ask about the UV colours in her hair. When had she intended to go somewhere she could show them off?

  When the door opened, Chloe’s hand reached out, connecting with a man’s arm. Her magic disabled the male witch long enough for her to bring the gun up with her other hand, place the nozzle against his temple, and pull the trigger. The shot made everyone in the booth freeze. At least it had been good for something.

  However, the sound would bring attention we didn’t need. That was two down, two to go. As the body of the latest victim fell on top of his friend, we waited, our breath held.

  “Do you really think I’m going to make the same mistake in coming out there?” a female voice called from the corridor. “If you want Jack, you’ll have to find him.”

  A loud explosion came from the back of the building. Bursting through the door before Chloe could pull me back, I ran, almost grinning when I saw the hole in the wall, leading to the alley behind the club. Jack was being pulled out of his office by a burly man. Jerry? The man’s grey hair matted against his head from the sweat that I had caused him.

  A tiny little lady stood in front of the hole, her smug grin aimed at me as I rushed towards them. I would not let them take Jack.

  I was about to tackle the man when the woman held up her hand and recited a spell. I froze, my body in place. Crap, where was Rusty when I needed him? Chloe had the whistle to call him in from outside. A bark alerted me to his presence. Chloe shouted my name as Rusty flew in the co
rridor through the gaping hole in the wall from outside. He stopped, staring at the man who held Jack. A growl resounded in his throat when the small lady witch went to move nearer to him.

  She backed up, clearly scared of dogs. Now that was unusual for a powerful person. Usually they weren’t afraid of anyone. The man stilled when he looked down at Rusty. Jack managed to spin out of his grip, turning to the woman who reached towards him.

  “No, you don’t,” Chloe screamed from behind me.

  Coming forward, she shot the woman with her magic, square in the chest. She stumbled back, falling through the hole and onto the ground outside. As she did, her spell on me lifted, allowing me to rush at her as Jack retreated out of the way, his hands visibly shaking as I charged over the new exit.

  “You’ll pay for this,” the woman said, her eyes filling with black liquid that overtook the white.

  The darkness went well with her jet black hair, and the swirling vine tattoo’s that spiralled up her arms, over her shoulders and ended on her neck. She certainly looked the part.

  And…another enemy made. She threw her hand in the air at the same time I reached her. A puff of air resounded around me as I landed flat on my face, my cheek smacking against the ground. Bitch.

  Shoving up from my place on the cold floor, I checked that Rusty still kept Jerry frozen. No, Jerry was gone. The sorceress had taken him with her. Rusty went to Chloe, rubbing against her side as she praised him. She had obviously used her whistle after all.

  “Well, thank fuck for that. You turned up just in time. There was no way he was going to wait until tonight, the wanker. He was going to lure you into a trap.” Jack slapped his thighs as if he were dusting himself down. Not that there was any dirt anywhere on his perfectly clad figure.