My mind slipped back to that same day as Serenity and Kalic agreed to go outside. Their retreating footsteps gave my mind permission to go back to the day I had ruined my life.
After my brother had died in my arms, I scooped him up and ran back down to the village. My mother had been by the well, retrieving water. Her eyes grew huge when she saw the blood dripping from us.
“Trygger, what have you done?”
Her words sent me into a panic. What had I done? My whole body shook as I lowered my brother to the floor. My mother threw herself on him, wailing so hard, that it hurt my head. Oh, the pain that radiated from her. It added to my own and as other families came out of their wooden homes, I backed up, not able to face the disgust in their faces.
Someone ordered the men of the village to apprehend me. I stumbled as tears soaked my tunic, the grief burning my chest. My brothers filtered out of our home and surrounded me, ready to defend their sibling. Shaking my head, I tried to get them to move away.
The men of the village would never accept what I had done, even though they knew my story. We never hurt one of our own, not in temper, not in passion. It was the motto of our village. And, I had broken it. Without either temper or passion. But, sheer carelessness.
My mother suddenly sprung up from the ground, coming over to join her boys in the protection of her favourite. Ever since I had come home from the heavens, she had treated me better than them. And, there they were, defending me with their lives.
I had ordered them to go. There was no way I would let the villagers punish my whole family for what I had done. It was my responsibility. I had to face it. So, as I stood, shouting at the people I loved the most, I stamped my foot as hard as I could, just to release my frustration. But, instead, a thunderous earthquake shook the ground beneath us. The soil separated and a hole opened up, swallowing my family in one.
Gone, just like that. Me, with them. However… I couldn’t die, not anymore. So, when the villagers dug us up, I spluttered and gasped as oxygen entered my lungs…but the air had gone from my brothers’ and mother’s lungs. They were dead. I had killed my whole family in one day.
A thumping on the bedroom door brought me back to 2016. Oh, boy, how I had avoided thinking about that day. My whole body shivered as a familiar voice shouted from the other side of the door.
“Trygger, stand back from the door.” Jack. “Okay, go for it.”
The sound of electricity hummed. The handle glowed red. “Shit, it’s a fucking strong spell.” Chloe.
I never thought there would be a day when I would be pleased to hear them both. My emotions were raw, brought to the surface with one memory. With one allowance of thinking about how my power had wiped out Thor’s descendants in one go.
“Concentrate,” Jack said.
“I am.” Chloe’s whinging made me snap out of my sorrow-fest.
Going to the side of the door, I swallowed the lump in throat. “Chloe, remember your training. Close your eyes, open your mind. Filter the power you have deep inside you. See it moving through you and out your finger, see it breaking the spell that…”
A crack resounded next to me and the door handle fell off. I grinned as Kalic crashed through the door, revealing the rest of them on the other side.
“You did it!” My gaze sought Chloe.
My chest puffed up as she giggled, rubbing her finger. The power probably stung her delicate body, but she was getting better. Her eyes were puffy from where she had been crying over Natalia. The ripped jeans she wore hung low on her hips. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun and was that…?
“Ignore my pyjama top, I didn’t have time to change completely!”
She hugged herself, the pink pigs on a green background morphing as she moved. I stepped forward and slapped her on the back. “Good job.”
Jack frowned when I turned to him. “No need to cry, mate, we weren’t going to leave you behind, were we?”
Wiping my face, I ducked my head and headed down the stairs without saying anything. They had never seen me show any type of emotion, let alone tears. That wasn’t something I had wanted them to see.
“Trygger?” Kalic called, eyeing Chloe with raised eyebrows. “Who the fuck are these people?”
I grinned as they trotted down the stairs after me. “These are my motley crew. The bastards somehow have my back.”
Chloe pursed her lips, trying her hardest not to smile. If she did, it would go against her distain for the Viking warrior she pretended to hate. Jack laughed, clapping Kalic’s back…then backing away when Kalic grinned, revealing his long canine teeth.
“Shit, I’ve heard of you!”
We sauntered outside. I had one goal in mind. Find Kitty, kill her. Then get on with my mission. I rubbed my chest…the heat had gone. In the midst of my memory, I hadn’t noticed when the Fallen One had moved out of a ten-mile radius. That was fine, as soon as Kitty was downed, I would find them…and end them for good.
12
Dancing Distraction
“SOMETHING HAPPENEDto you.” Chloe sat next to me on the boat.
I let Jack drive. Apparently, he had become adept at steering my prized possession. I wasn’t about to take away his excitement, not when he called me every two minutes to show off.
“Look, Try, I can do hands free!” I nodded at him as he used his knees to steer. The fucking child.
I glanced at Kalic and Serenity, who both sat at the back of the boat. Serenity had ducked her head as soon as she climbed on, the guilt written all over her pretty human face. Kalic watched the lights of London, his eyes flitting from here to there. Did he not get out that much?
“I…a memory came back to me when I was in that room.”
Why I told Chloe, I had no idea. She placed a hand on my arm, squeezing gently. I ignored the movement, glad when she pulled away. I looked her over, waiting for her to nudge me to go on. She didn’t. Apparently, she had been paying attention and used my own tactics against me.
“I killed my family, Chloe. You may think I’m cold, heartless…and I am. But, it’s because the day I killed my family with Thor’s power, I switched off my emotion. If I let it overrun me, it’s stronger than ever.” I huffed out the air from my lungs as I sat back on the seat, lifting my leg to rest my ankle on my other knee.
I could feel her gaze searching me as I stared ahead, listening to the soft sound of the water rush underneath us. Jack had gone quiet, his concentration taken up by navigating the river at night. He had suggested that we go to his club. There was no way I was taking Serenity and Kalic to my home.
“I understand.” Chloe’s words were heavy with sorrow.
Swallowing, I looked at her. Our gaze clashed, most uncomfortably. She had tears in her eyes, hovering on the brim of her lids.
“Don’t feel sorry for me. I have a mission. You lot may have completely fucked my strategic, emotionless way of doing things…but…” I let my sentence trail off.
Where the hell had all the emotion come from? I didn’t like the feeling that was bubbling in my chest. It felt foreign, strange.
“I don’t feel sorry…actually, that’s bollocks, I do feel sorry for you.”
Laughing, I slapped my knee. “It’s not like you to swear, young lady.”
“I’m not that young, remember. Plus, I did just break your arse out of somewhere even you couldn’t get out of. So, don’t go calling me that.”
Nodding, I didn’t argue. She had done a good job breaking me out. I would have been able to get out eventually by causing an earthquake big enough to knock the house down, but there was no telling if I would bring the surrounding buildings down too. Which would have put other people in danger. As I did my family…
“Thank you.”
Getting to my feet, I went over to Jack. “Are you sure going to your club is a good idea? Kitty is your father’s business partner.”
“About that,” Jack said, turning serious as he aimed the boat to a jetty not far from our destination. “I had a
little discussion with daddy…and it turns out, he had no idea that Kitty had sold some of her shares to Martin. In fact, he was fucking furious. It ain’t like he’s ever liked the woman. He had to have her on board because of her father’s money or something. That was all back in the day, when I was nothing but a well behaved young lad.”
“You?” I said, spluttering. “Well behaved? You’ve got to be joking, dick brain.”
“Mature, Trygger, really mature.” He grinned as he took hold of the wheel and docked the boat.
The others started to move as I jumped up to secure the rope. Now that I’d had time to gather myself, my strength had returned.
Staring towards the city, I took a deep breath and forced the emotion back down. Shutting my eyes, I waited for the others as I cleared my head, deliberately putting myself back into warrior mode. No emotion, no loss of control. Easy as that.
Chloe came to stand next to me, her shoulders sagging. The jacket that covered her fluffy pyjama top swamped her. Where had she got it from?
“It was nice to meet the real Trygger for a second there,” she muttered.
Biting on my lip to stop a smile, I marched on, letting them follow me. The club was only a moment’s walk away. When we got there, I had a few choice words to say to Serenity.
Looking back at the group, I raised my eyebrows when Jack moved to talk to her.
“What were you doing at that house?” he asked.
Facing forward again, I listened to her answer.
“Kitty forced me to do things I didn’t want to do.” Her voice was sincere, she wasn’t lying.
My empathy emotion had switched off at the same time as my others. I had no sympathy for the young girl, no matter how pretty she was…and how much Jack liked her.
“Go easy on her,” Chloe said, her voice low so the others couldn’t hear.
As we rounded onto the main street, I eyed her. There was no way I was going to let her command what I did. If I wanted to torture information out of Serenity, I would. No more Mr Nice Man, he was gone. A harsh reality check had been instilled in the room back at Kitty’s house. When I feel, I get hurt. Really fucking hurt. Especially when it came to those connected to me.
Jack’s club came into view. There was a queue outside. The line stretched right around the corner. The club was always busy, but why so many people?
“That’s…good for business,” Jack said, stepping next to me. “But…unusual.”
Nodding, I agreed. Something was up. Word must have got out about something. Or, someone else…
“Kitty,” both Chloe and Jack said at the same time.
“Where’s Rusty?” I asked, suddenly aware that our doggy friend was nowhere to be seen.
Chloe shook her head, her eyes darting to a couple as they started to shout at each other. “I left him at home, just in case. He wasn’t happy.”
Smiling to myself, I imagined the dog whining at the door. As long as he didn’t bark, I didn’t want him to gain attention. But, he would miss being in on the action.
The bouncers noticed Jack as we approached the front of the line. A few people moaned when we were waved straight through the doors. The bouncer shouted that the owner of the club was allowed entrance, shutting everyone up.
The loud beat of house music rattled through my bones. It had been an intense evening, yet, I was ready to fight if needed.
The whole club was bouncing when we walked through the door.
“What the fuck?” Jack muttered.
The stink of Dark Crawlers hit my nose as he uttered the words. Fucking wankers had somehow got into the club. Why hadn’t the bouncers stopped them?
“Something’s going on.” Chloe growled at a man when he bumped into her.
He turned, his eyes widening when he saw her. “I know you…” Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a flyer.
Holding it up, he went to open his mouth. Stepping forward, I paused when Chloe wrapped her hand around his wrist, wrenching it so he would release the Wanted poster. Yes, a full on, old fashioned, Wanted poster. With Chloe’s face on it.
The man squeaked as he looked at us for support. It was not forthcoming. Kalic and Serenity stood close by, knowing that if Kitty found out they had helped us, they would get killed. Although, Kalic was more powerful than most of the people in the room. Bar me, of course.
“You need to forget you saw me, okay? If not, my friend would be most happy to erase that memory for you.” Chloe pointed at me.
My chest may have puffed up, just a little. She had never used me as her protector before. No, no, I couldn’t allow myself to want to protect her. And, the others. No! I had to take care of me, only. They could take care of themselves.
“Okay, I promise. Please, let me go.” The man stumbled over his words, his eyes bulging when her fingers turned gold.
I followed his gaze to where she still gripped him. He swallowed before his mouth opened, his face screwing up in pain. Yet, he made no sound.
“Good.” Letting go, Chloe shoved him away.
Picking up the poster, she barked a laugh. “That’s not a flattering picture at all. She must have got it from Natalia somehow.”
“That’s exactly what you look like,” Jack said, winking when her gaze narrowed on him.
The photo offered a reward for anyone who brought Chloe to the club. Tonight. Ah, so Kitty had extended her search to the underworld minions. Even humans were involved with the scheming bitch. What the hell was wrong with the woman?
“There’s Gavin.” Jack strode around the dance floor to his bouncer, greeting people when they waved to him.
Chloe kept her head bowed, her eyes on the ground. If everyone was there because of the flyer, they wouldn’t have any problems trying to attack her. The reward of fifty thousand pounds was pretty inviting, even to me. I smiled at myself when a pretty lady bumped into me, her rear backing straight into my hand.
She looked up at me, her small mouth rounding into a circle. “Hello.”
Her sudden change of expression made me harden all over. Desire pulsed off her and wound itself around me. She was human, her wide blue eyes intoxicated by alcohol and evil energy. It was amazing what a few Dark Crawlers could do to a place.
Nodding, I moved away from the woman, feeling the burn of her gaze in my back as she watched me go. It had been far too long since I had relaxed enough to enjoy an evening on the prowl, being picky about who I chose to bed.
Jack reached the other side of the dance floor before us. I paused as searing fire flamed my chest, alerting me to the Fallen One. Again.
Reaching out, I squeezed Chloe’s arm. Bending down to whisper in her ear, I stopped her from walking. “A Fallen One is nearby. I…I have a feeling that I might need my sword. People are starting to look at you. Can I…?” I hesitated. Was I really about to trust her to help me in the most important way? “Can you go and get my sword?”
Her head snapped back, her gaze slamming into mine. “You trust me?”
Looking around, I pulled her close to me, keeping my head bent so she looked down at the floor again. No one paid attention as I moved us into the throbbing crowd, but I didn’t want to risk it.
“If I go, there’s a chance the Fallen One will get away. It’s got to be close because of all the fucking Dark Crawlers in here. I’ll grab him if you’re not back in time, then wait until you’re here. But, you need to be really bloody careful.”
Chloe clung to my arms, squeezing my muscle. Leaning up, she put her mouth next to my ear, sending all sorts of tingles over me when her breath hit the skin on my lobe. “I’ve been practicing a cloaking spell, I’ll use it now to get out. I’ll bring Rusty back with me. Can I have the key to the boat?”
Jack had passed it to me as soon as we had docked. He knew better than to keep my little baby hostage from me. I swallowed, unsure if I could trust her as far as driving my boat. However, I didn’t have much choice. There was no way I was going to let Serenity or Kalic go with her, and it would take f
ar too long for her to get there and back on foot. Plus, she was the only other person who could hold the sword.
“Here.” Handing her the key, I patted her arm awkwardly, resisting the urge to prize her off me. I wasn’t used to so much platonic physical contact. “Tell the others you’re going to get a drink or something.”
As she turned, I sent up a request to Freya to protect her and make sure she got back to me with the sword.
Chloe murmured something to Serenity as she passed them. Delving into the crowd, she glanced over her shoulder at me before her figure disappeared. The cloaking spell had worked.
“Trygger,” Jack called, his Odin costume going completely ignored by those around him.
Striding over, I waited for the other two to catch up. “Okay, why are you still with us?”
Kalic took out his phone, showing me the screen. A message read that Kitty had fooled everyone. They were all in the basement of the club, the leaders…and now their minions. All trapped.
“Fuck!”
Jack read the text too, raising his eyebrows as he looked at the floor. “Stupid bitch, using my club as the hideout all along. She’s going to pay, ain’t she, Thunder Hunter?”
“It is true, then,” Serenity said, perking up for the first time. “You’re the Viking warrior who carries Thor’s thunder in his chest!”
The glow of her cheeks increased when my gaze skipped over her. I still hadn’t forgiven her for the part she played in my kidnapping. There was innocence there, I could deduce that from her actions and reactions since helping me escape. However, her interest in me put me on edge. Why the fascination?
“Not just his thunder,” I replied, eyeing Kalic when his eyes burned red.
Seemed the vampire was interested in that knowledge too. Everyone knew far more about me than I had ever allowed before. What had changed?
“Gavin said that the wizard spelled the bouncers to allow anyone in, including the Dark Crawlers.” Jack indicated with his head that he wanted us to follow him.
Lightning Seeker: Viking Soul Book 2 (Viking Soul Series) Page 13