On silent feet, she moved to the closet and got inside. Her parents’ death had terrified her enough to ensure that she was never caught unawares like that ever. As soon as she made enough money from modelling jobs, she approached an ex-Navy Seal to train her. This year would be her tenth year training under him and Roger was proud of the fact that she had managed to best him a couple times in hand to hand combat. Her weaponry capability even surpassed her close combat skills.
Whoever was lurking outside her home was in for a rude surprise, if he thought she would be an easy victim.
When after an hour, there was no sign of her would-be attacker, she settled in for the night. She’d booked a non-stop flight to Reykjavik, which gave her a little over five hours to take a nap. Bo was eager to get out of New York for a while and excited to see her grandmother again. But it was the cryptic message that professor Whitaker left for her with Lisa that made her itch to get to Iceland.
She put the safety on the gun and leaned back against the wall. If after another hour the person didn’t make a move, she’d go back to bed. She’ll check the surveillance footage tomorrow to see who her late-night visitor was. Roger had set her up with military-grade surveillance equipment, which was difficult to spot, unless you knew where to look. One of the eleven cameras would’ve picked up the peeper.
***
It helped to know where the cameras were, Hlif thought as she picked her way around the surveillance to the entrance of the tomb. The interior looked rather barren now that most of the items had been removed for labelling. She’d heard rumours that Shawn was considering the site for a museum an idea Hlif wholly supported. The move would cement Gurith’s place in history. The woman deserved the tribute.
Hlif stopped under the camera that covered a wide-angle of the interior. Her eyes were riveted on the spot where Gurith body had lain for two millennia. The pain was still as cutting as it was the day she lost her beloved. Some days, it made it almost impossible for her to lift her head and greet the new day. Other times, she simply locked herself in a dark room and allowed her tears free rein. Most days, she remembered the love they’d shared and savoured the fact that Gurith was back in her life, thus she could move about during the daylight hours. Today was one of those days. For tomorrow, her beloved would be within touching range. She took a deep breath and felt her eyes well up. Finally, she could keep her promise to Gurith.
Find me, beloved, and remind me of our love.
“I will not stop until you are back in my arms and my heart, where you belong,” she murmured and turned to leave.
“You make it sound so easy.”
Hlif’s jaw tightened. “What do you want this time?” she hissed.
“Since when does a father need an excuse to look in on his daughter?” Odin’s voice sounded different and Hlif turned to face him. Ah, old age was taking a toll on the man.
“What happened? Has Idunn’s garden dried up completely?” she taunted the once formidable man, who was now a shadow of his former self.
“That girl is twice as stubborn as you.”
Hlif snorted. Idunn was the goddess of youth and beauty. She also kept a garden, where she grew magical apples, which kept the gods young and beautiful. Seems Odin had pissed off the woman too and was paying a great price. He wasn’t going to die, but weakened by age, his title as the Allfather could be challenged by lesser gods.
“Good for her.” She turned away, but Odin’s voice stopped her.
“I did not order Loki to kill your beloved. He acted on his own and I punished him for it. You were right when you said that murder had no place in Valhalla.”
She stared at him. “Am I mistaken or is that an attempt at an apology?”
“Yes, it is,” Odin admitted quietly.
“In that case, it’s too late. Two thousand years too late. Goodbye, Odin, and do not come back.” She quickly left the tomb. Hlif didn’t want to spend one more moment than necessary in that man’s presence. She was so incensed by the man’s nerve that she forgot entirely about the cameras as she strode straight through the door and across the open plain to her car.
What was he thinking, coming to see her after all this time; issuing a lame apology and expected her to accept? She got into her car and was about to start the engine when she noticed her hands were shaking badly. Driving in this state would endanger fellow road users, so she leaned back and closed her eyes to relax.
“I’m sorry, Hlif.”
“Why?”
“I should have done something a long time ago.”
Hlif smiled and rolled her head to the side to look at the dazzling woman sitting in the passenger seat. “I never held it against you, Idunn.”
“But you should have. I was not as brave as you.” A crystal tear ran down the goddess’ cheek and Hlif wiped at it. “I was scared of being exiled.”
“As you should’ve been,” Hlif said gently. “A woman of your beauty would’ve started many wars down here.”
Idunn giggled and Hlif grinned. “You always know how to make me laugh.” She brought Hlif’s hand to her lips. “If that Warrior Queen had not stolen your heart, I would not have let you go.”
Hlif and Idunn were engaged in a long love affair before Hlif met Gurith. It had been love at first sight with the mortal queen and after that, Hlif couldn’t bring herself to bear the touch of another. Idunn had been heartbroken, but their affection for each other survived the breakup.
“Now take me for a ride in your automobile. I love when you go fast.”
“With pleasure, goddess. But first, you need to buckle up.”
***
Shawn couldn’t bring himself to cave in to the urgings of his wife and Aeron to hand over his granddaughter so she could be tucked in. It was as if a part of him would shrivel up and die if he had to give up the precious cargo. The toddler was fast asleep, her tiny lips slightly open as she breathed evenly. She was the most beautiful gift ever bestowed upon him. He felt his throat tighten with emotion the longer he stared at his little miracle and swallowed convulsively. A presence next to him made him look up into the deep, dark gaze of his daughter in law.
“You hold on to her for as long as you want, Shawn. She sleeps better when she’s surrounded by familiar voices.”
He smiled his gratitude at the beautiful woman and she squeezed his shoulder before she moved over to where Aeron and Jennifer sat before the fire with their drinks. The rooms were nice and cosy with a small sitting area and large fireplace for the cooler evenings, but the present company made the room homely.
He caught his wife’s eye and returned the warm look. They haven’t seen each other in over two months and tonight he wanted to thank her properly for her patience and trust. Jennifer blushed faintly and lowered her head, but not before Aspen had seen the blush and Shawn saw a slow smile curl up the corners of the woman’s lips. It was impossible to think that she had been alive for two thousand years. She looked younger than Aeron, who was only thirty years old. Speaking of Aeron and her alter ego, Phage, Shawn glanced at his sleeping granddaughter. Cleo’s heritage can be traced to ancient Egyptian and Amazonian royalty. She was the granddaughter of two powerful historical female figures. How could this child not be destined for greatness? He ran his finger down the silky cheek and smiled. Shawn Whitaker, the son of a schoolteacher and store clerk was the grandfather of such a special child. He would give everything to live long enough to see Cleo achieve her full potential.
“You’ve been awfully quiet about your find, Dad.”
Shawn looked up and smiled. “I thought you might want to see it for yourself.”
“Yes, I would. It’s rather strange that in your search of Hlif you stumbled upon Gurith the Warrior Queen instead.”
He felt Aspen’s eyes on him. “Yes, I would’ve loved to have opened that tomb and found Hlif, but Gurith is a not a bad alternative at all.”
“Didn’t you find any statues in the tomb?” Aspen asked as she took a sip of her wine.
&nb
sp; “Statues? No? I don’t think the Vikings were big on statues,” he said cautiously. “Should there have been one?”
Aspen shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Baby, are you implying that…?” Aeron began, her eyes wide, but Aspen interrupted her.
“I’m not implying anything, my love. I only asked a question,” Aspen said firmly.
Feeling the hair in his nape prickle, Shawn watched his daughter and her spouse closely. They are not saying much, but something was being said.
“What is it you’re not saying, Aspen?”
The sultana’s black eyes were unreadable. “What I’m saying, Shawn, is that there were rumours of a large statue in the tomb. But that was a long time ago.”
“How long ago precisely?” Shawn asked slowly, his heart thudding in his chest.
“A millennium or two. I’m not sure.”
Shawn was stumped by what he had just heard. If people were talking about a statue, then where was it? There were no signs that the tomb had been unearthed before. Or even looted, for that matter. Too many priceless pieces were left untouched. He needed to talk to Hanna tomorrow. Maybe she had it removed it and forgot to inform him. Before he got too excited, Shawn reminded himself that it could all just be a rumour. There was no point in working himself into a frenzy over what could be nothing.
After all, Aspen did say it had been almost two thousand years ago when she last heard the tales. People were very superstitious back then.
***
Bo was flipping through the surveillance footage as she sipped on a strong cup of coffee. It had been difficult to fall asleep again and by five, she was up. She typed in a time code and allowed the footage of the four cameras installed around the house to run in real-time. She took a sip from her cup and rubbed her eyes. Maybe she should take a sleeping pill once she was on the plane. First class offered a semblance of privacy and unlike the economy class, she wouldn’t be bothered by sharp elbows and snoring men.
A movement broke the monotonous imagery of the garden, the back veranda, and the swimming pool area. The tall, powerful shape of a man came into view. He looked at the house for a long moment, before moving closer. He still wasn’t close enough for her to make out his face.
Bo placed her cup down and zoomed in the footage. The man was careful as he approached the house. If he had been staking out her house for burglary, he would know that she had no motion sensor lights or a dog. Why the wariness? Unless, of course, he knew about the cameras. Which could not be possible. Roger installed them himself, because he trusted no one else with the job. The man moved closer and in direct line of a camera. That confirmed that he definitely didn’t know about the camera. She paused the image and zoomed in some more. She blinked in surprise when she recognized her night visitor. Bo let the tape roll again and watched as he peered through the window just as the dim light of the fridge lit up the kitchen. That was when she’d noticed that there was someone outside. He ducked and stayed like that until she had left the room. Then, to her surprise, he didn’t leave. Instead, he went to sit on the bench in the garden, watching at the house.
The hair on her nape bristled as she looked at the man sitting there. He only left when the horizon lightened, coinciding with the time that the neighbourhood woke up. Early joggers would soon be out on the pavements and parents would get ready for the day ahead. It would seem that the man was aware of that, at least.
Bo wondered if she should call Roger. He would be able to deal with this quickly. He still had contacts in the army who could track this guy down within minutes. On the other hand, maybe she should go on her trip, keep the cameras recording, and monitor the footage from Iceland. If he returned, she would give Roger a call.
In the meantime, Bo needed to finish packing. She completed her tasks and took a quick shower. Forty minutes later, she was in her car on her way to the airport. She loved her neighbourhood. It was relatively safe and kids could still ride their bikes on the pavement during the day. That said a lot in today’s world. The only problem she had was that she was stuck in traffic on a regular basis and unless she got used to it, she’d have to consider closer to the office. She might find something she liked near the office, but over the past five years, Bo had become used to the sound of children’s voices and laughter drifting through her windows. She would miss the street parties and the neighbourly greetings shared in passing. First things first. She needed to get rid of her stalker and then she could see whether she could live somewhere else. The shrill ringing of her phone interrupted her reverie.
“Witteman.”
“Good, you’re up. I was worried you’d oversleep after those painkillers knocked you out.” Marion stifled a yawn. “You’ll have to get a move on if you want to dodge the morning traffic.”
Bo smiled with affection. “I’m already on my way to the airport. But thanks for making sure I’m up and ready to go.”
“Yeah. After yesterday, I think you need a break from New York. You could do with some fresh air and flirting with some Nordic beauties. They’ll probably queue up for your attention.”
Bo laughed at Marion’s silliness so early in the morning. “I’ll probably just blend in over there with my own Nordic features.”
“I doubt that, boss lady.” Marion yawned again. “Have a safe flight and don’t forget to bring us something nice from Iceland.”
“I won’t forget. Thanks for staying with me yesterday, Marion. You didn’t have to, but…”
“None of that, Bo. I realized yesterday after your accident, that it’s about time that we salvage what’s left of our friendship before it’s too late. I’m willing to try if you’re game.”
Bo swallowed to clear the knot in her throat. “I am. Thank you for this chance.”
“No problem,” Marion said warmly. “You’re a good person and I almost lost sight of that in my selfishness to blame you for something we both wanted at the time. I have another thirty minutes to sleep. Take care.”
“You, too.”
Suddenly, her day was looking up.
Chapter 7
Shawn watched his daughter with unabashed glee as she rushed, wide-eyed, from item to item. This was the Aeron he knew. The one in stained jeans and trainers as opposed to the pantsuit-clad executive he often saw nowadays. He knows that she loved what she was doing in her new position, but he also knew that she missed the dirt under her nails. The same couldn’t be said about her wife, though. Aspen appeared completely unfazed by the items surrounding them. Shawn guessed if one had lived through the era then it wouldn’t hold the same wonderment as it did for them, mere mortals.
Jennifer and Cleo had decided to try out the gastronomic treasures of Iceland under the watchful eye of one of Hlif’s bodyguards. Aeron came to stand next to him, sipping from her coffee cup.
“So? What do you think?”
“It’s a great discovery. Queen Gurith was a revered leader. Have you dated the objects yet?”
He shook his head. “We will, but for now, we operate within the historical timeline that it couldn’t be older than the 9th century.”
“I’m not so sure about that, Dad. Let me show you something.” She walked over to a table where the smaller finds, like coins and jewellery pieces, were kept under a locked, see-through double glass case. “See that coin next to the gold earrings. I found an exact one in Aspen’s collection and when I had it dated, it was found to be a little over two thousand years old.”
Shawn gawked at the coin. Two thousand years? That’s impossible. He looked at Aeron. “There must be an explanation for this. Maybe it was a collector’s item. Some kind of a family heirloom?”
“Could be. But I’d still date all these items to be on the safe side, Dad.” She walked over to where Aspen was squinting at an inscription on a tablet.
Shawn looked back at the coins. If the coin was in circulation circa 19 AD, that means that there was human activity in Iceland long before the monks or the Vikings arrived in the 8th and 9th centur
ies, respectively. He needed to find Hanna. They might have to start on the dating process earlier than they’d thought.
“Dad, I think you have to see this.” Shawn rushed over to where Aeron and Aspen stood. “This is an account of a battle fought on the Faroe Islands in the 1st century.”
Oh no! As exciting as it all was, it was also overwhelming. “How do you know that? I’m not even sure what language that is.”
“It’s an ancient Finnic dialect,” Aspen said as she stood up straight. “Gurith’s father was of Finnic descent. Both Maxima and I considered fighting under Gurith’s banner, but we were held up in Europe at the time.”
“You… you knew Gurith?” Shawn gaped as his daughter in law. The woman was a vault of information.
“I’ve heard of her and I admired her. There weren’t many revered, female warlords during that time period.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier? You knew I was looking for her. For Hlif, actually.”
Aspen grinned and her dimples showed, giving her an impish look. “And spoil it for you? That would’ve been cruel.” She patted his shoulder and moved away.
Shawn gave Aeron a poisonous look. “I take it you knew?”
“Nope. She doesn’t talk much about the past, except when it pertains to her and Phage.”
“I need to get her to sit down with me for a long talk.”
“You could try, but I doubt she will.”
“Maybe you could…?”
“No, Dad. This is between the two of you.” She squeezed his shoulder and went back to study the items on display. Shawn took a deep breath. He needed to find Hanna and now was as good a time as any to go in search of her.
***
Hlif studied the image closely. It was a beautiful house. She could actually see herself living there. Some would say she was jumping the gun here, but Hlif didn’t care. She was shopping for houses in New York without knowing if Bo would want to live there with her. Iceland had been her home for the past two millennia only because she had to protect Gurith’s tomb. With professor Whitaker in charge, she was convinced that he would take care of the items and that the tomb wouldn’t be desecrated.
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