Norse Fire: A Fantasy Romance filled with Norse Gods, Valkyries and Druids (The Guardian Series Book 3)

by S. Lawrence

  "We can stop here for the night," he murmurs. I smile at the outrage that takes over her delicate face.

  "Not for me, we aren't. I'm fine." She is still gasping and the words come out on puffs of air.

  "Cora...," I start, and her angry glare whips my way. I hold up my hands in surrender.

  "We have to make it much farther. I don't know when it's going to happen so we have to hurry, just in case. Don't you understand? If they kill Loki, it all will be for nothing. The shit that happened to Aislin and your friend's death. Me watching you two idiots blow your heads off. All the shit we had to face from our pasts. NONE of it will matter because the bad guys will win." She is gritting her teeth and looking up, trying not to cry.

  "Okay, lass. Dinna fash yerself; we will continue. Did you happen to see where they are?" I ask.

  "No. But that's what your here for, right?" I stare at her in confusion. "Use you doggy nose. You are going to be our bloodhound." An impish grin curls the corners of her lips. I don't reply, hating that I didn't think of my new form first. Michael is smirking up at me, and I snap my teeth at him, sending her into a peal of laughter. I turn away to hide the grin on my face.

  We rest until she is no longer panting and climb to our feet. We continue at an easy jog and then slow to a fast walk until early evening. We have covered half of the distance and should reach the base of the mountains tomorrow. She is asleep before we can set up camp, curled in a ball on the cold ground. Michael lifts her gently and moves her onto the sleeping bag after we set everything up. I light a fire and cook some soup before waking her to make her eat. She growls and grumbles but fairly inhales the food before sliding back down into the bag, a whispered thank you drifting out as she pulls it over her head. Michael smiles before shifting into the great cat, fading into the darkness, only the eerie icy blue eyes reflected in the firelight. He turns on silent feet and pads away. I can just make out his form as he leaps into the branches of a massive tree nearby and lays down watching for predators, doing what he always does - protecting us.

  I move to my bag and lay down; it doesn't take long before sleep takes me. My dreams are of a pale beauty -- her hands running over my body and her mouth latching onto mine. Somewhere in the night, the passion turns to blood. I see her wings stained with it and I wake, panting, ready to run for her.

  Michael is standing over me, eyes sliding over the terrain. "Ye alright?" He murmurs.

  I nod while drawing a deep breath. "I'm afraid I agree with our wee charge. We need to hurry." His eyes cut down to my face, and whatever he sees there convinces him.

  "You take watch. I'll grab a few hours of sleep and then we can get moving." He slides into his own bag, and I listen as he slows his breathing and forces his body into sleep, something we learned long ago in sniper school - sleep while you can. I stretch as I rise to my feet, pacing to burn off the feelings that linger from the dream. After longer than I care for, I'm finally settled enough to change and I call the magic, shifting into Cu Sith. I shake my gigantic body and pad away. I patrol in a great circle around the camp. The sky turns a beautiful pink as I move back closer to those sleeping. I sit and then let out a long howl. Cora flies up, fighting her bag, trying to claw free, eyes widened in fear, which quickly turns to aggravation when she sees me.

  Michael calmly rolls over and raises an eyebrow at the noise. "Really, asshole. You can't just wake us up like a normal person?" I yip at her in reply. Her eyes narrow before she untangles herself from the bag and rises. Slowly. Groaning the whole time. "Oh my God, kill me now." She takes a step gingerly and grimaces.

  "Sore?" Michael asks, not even trying to hide the laughter in his voice. She doesn't respond just hobbles closer to the fire. "They will loosen up once we get moving." She grunts noncommittally.

  I shift back and then move to make some breakfast. Well, I am only heating some water for the oatmeal we brought. Cora sits staring at the mountains, lost in her thoughts. Worry creases her brow. Michael and I share a look before he begins to gather and pack the gear from the night. I place a cup of oatmeal in her hands, drawing her attention back to us.

  "We'll make it, lass. I promise ye."

  "Don't make promises you don't know if you can keep, Sean," she admonishes me.

  "I don't. I won't lose Raven… We won't. And we won't let you lose Loki." She sputters as her cheeks flush. I lock eyes with her, daring her to deny what we all know.

  Chapter 31

  MICHAEL

  I let them banter back and forth as we walk. I remain silent, thinking of my brother and Raven. I wonder how this is going to play out. We've shared women but only for a night. How do you have a real relationship like that? I'm sure people do all the time. Hell, you hear about men with many wives, but how does it work? Will it work with our personalities? Three alphas trying to all love one another. I shake my head trying to free myself from the thoughts, knowing it is useless to worry on it now. A small hand curves around my elbow startling me, proof that I need to stop and focus. I glance down at her.

  "She is what will join you. She will be the center, giving you both what you need. Drawing what she needs from each of you," Cora whispers through a mischievous grin. I glance back at Sean before I look back at her, a question on my face. She taps her temple. "POWERS!" She replies, in what I assume is supposed to be a spooky voice. I think I just rolled my eyes. Oh man, she turned me into a teenage girl. She giggles, and I grimace at her, making her laugh more. I quickly find myself joining her, happy to let my worries go for at least a moment.

  We reach the base of the mountains and stop, making a plan of attack. I'm worried that someone is going to be waiting for us. We are about to start the search when lightning lights the sky, pounding the ground over and over.

  "It's been doing that off and on since you both died,"Cora states. I peer up at the high peak it seems centered on.

  "In the same place?" I ask her, looking at Sean. He too is studying the phenomenon. She tilts her head looking closely, scrunching up her face before looking at us both.

  "Maybe...," she draws the word out.

  "Don't worry, Cora. We weren't paying attention to it at all." Sean pats her on the head. The action immediately wipes the look of shame from her face, just like he knew it would. "You thinking what I am, brother?"

  "I think someone is VERY pissed off."

  "You think it is y'alls girl?" Cora chimes in, bumping into my arm with her shoulder, her eyebrows going up and down.

  I look at Sean and nod. He shifts the next instant and stands, shaking his shaggy green tinted fur. He moves in front of Cora and lowers to his belly. She stares at him. "What are you doing?" She asks, her tone says she knows the answer.

  "You need to get on," I say quietly, waiting for the outburst that is surely to follow.

  Her fingers reach out and touch the beads that are woven into Sean's fur before she turns her head and grins. "Fuck yeah!" She squeals as she climbs on. That was way easier than I thought it was going to be. I grab my bag. Having condensed everything into one, I leave the other two on the ground. She looks over her shoulder at me, a mischievous look on her face before yelling. "Giddy-up!" Sean turns his massive jaws and nips at her as she laughs gleefully. This is going to be a long day.

  "Hold on, Cora. He's going to run," I warn as Sean bounds away, and she tips precariously to one side, her laughter dying in her throat. Sean's chortle sounds a lot like a laugh, and I race to catch up as she cusses him while struggling to right herself. I just shake my head... And we are the ones that are supposed to save the world or something, God help us all.

  We run for hours until we start the climb up. The lightning stops, and so do we. I lean over drawing air, trying to catch my breath as Cora slides off Sean's back. His sides are heaving, tongue hanging out as he pants. She takes the bag from me and pours water into a cup for Sean, sitting it on the ground before passing the bottle to me. I lean my head back and let the cool water slide down my throat, trying not to gulp.

 
"You don't think something happened, do you?" She inquires as she searches the sky. I shake my head, still drinking. Sean growls, and she looks down at him. Pulling another bottle out, she pours another cupful for him. "If that was her, we need to find her. Bloodhound time, Sean." She reaches up to his face, and I realize that when he stands, he towers over her. Her fingers thread through his fur before pulling his muzzle down so she can look in his eyes.

  "You can do this; it was why she chose you, why they both did. You can find her. Use your nose and your magic. Both with lead you to her." Her eyes have turned more silver as she spoke, and they slowly slide my way. "Michael, you will know when we need your cat and need him, we will. The one that built her prison doesn't want her freed. It will be a battle, but they are not ready for the Chosen."

  The hair on my arms raises at her words, and I look at Sean; his hackles are also raised. "It's time to hunt, brother." My words are quiet and deadly. I take the backpack from her and throw it over my shoulder. "Slow and silent." She falls in behind Sean as he moves away with his nose to the ground, and I stumble as he releases his magic. I am awed at the amount of power. He had been holding back during our training… Just as I had.

  Chapter 32

  RAVEN

  I have long given up on breaking free and cried until I feel I'll never shed another tear. I'm sitting against the wall, wings tucked away, holding the black feather in my hand. I'm running my finger along the edge when my mother appears at the mouth of the cave. Her eye shine when she sees the feather in my hand.

  "I didn't believe him," she murmurs. "I didn't believe you had that much power and anger inside you. You've always been so weak." She practically spits out the last word.

  I push up and walk toward her, stopping right in front of her. Mere inches and ancient magic separate us. The magic saves her. I said we were a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions and, the fact that I plan to kill her only solidifies it.

  She gasps, and I ask her softly, "Finally see yourself in me, mother?" Her death is in my eyes, and I can't drum up one single regret. I tried for so long but now I'm done trying. "I was never weak. I was kind, and there is a huge difference. I know how to love, and you stole that love from me. You and Odin stole them from me. Both of you, and everyone helping you, will discover just how strong I truly am."

  "Who did we take? Those stupid Druids? Those weak humans? Yes, we did arrange for them to run into Nidhogg, as you know." She grins, and I blink slowly at her, waiting, but she says nothing else. I don't understand. Yggdrasill sent them help with Nidhogg, so they didn't die there. I turn away from her and pace to the back of the cave, knowing something is wrong. They didn't kill Sean and Michael, so who did? I felt them leave, one after the other. My stomach starts to churn. We each have a part to play, that's what she told me. She said their part was crucial to me, that she brought them for me. My power was unleashed, my wings changed. I fall to my knees - I killed them. She brought them to free me from the chains on my magic. They are dead because of me, for me. Those tears I thought would never fall again begin to slide down my cheeks.

  "Weak. Always. Next, we are going to kill the abomination that is your brother. Soon after," she sneers, "your father will be alone, and there will be no one to stop us." She cackles, and it sounds crazy. I don't turn around, and the laughter fades.

  "Yggdrasill?" I call to her, wanting her to answer me. She doesn't. I curl on my side, hating myself and everyone that set them on this course. I want to be angry, I want to rage, but here I sit. "Fenrir?" I call out, unable to stop myself, even knowing he can't hear me. I'm still lying here, hours later, wallowing in my own self hatred and helplessness when I feel a tickle of power seep through the barrier. I roll over and push up, searching the trees beyond the opening of the cave. Looking for the source, I wonder if Odin sent someone to watch me. I rise to my feet and free my wings. Stalking forward on silent feet, I glare out to the opening, daring anyone to show themselves.

  The power caresses over my skin, and I pause, searching within myself, feeling a part of my own magic reaching out for this somehow familiar touch. I peer around the clearing beyond the barrier before the trees but see nothing. I close my eyes as another power touches me, different from the first but again, familiar. I don't understand and step back. I sense movement before I see anything, I can feel the magic and its source drawing closer. I'm being stalked. I crouch down into a fighting stance, readying myself for anything that walks in to that clearing. Or so I thought… I was wrong.

  I was not ready to see a tiny woman with rainbow hair and silver eyes peek around a tree trunk and wink at me. Cora? How did she find me? How did she survive? She looks around the clearing before mouthing at me, 'Anyone?' Her hand gesturing to the clearing. I shake my head and then shrug, hoping she understands that I have no idea. She grins before leaning back behind the tree. I move right up to the barrier and slide my hands over it. My heart pounds. If someone is watching, they will kill her. I shake my head again as she looks back around, but she just grins like a lunatic.

  "Oh my God, thank God!" She gasps as she launches herself from behind the tree. She suddenly appears worried and shaken, also out of breath, like she had been running. I look around again. "Raven. Thank God I found you." She winks again. What the fuck is going on?

  "Cora, you need to go. They will kill you!" I yell at her and still, she keeps moving forward. She is now in the center of the clearing and I scream as Set, from the clan that settled in Egypt, appears behind her. He is in his human form, and death is in his eyes. I've seen him many times on battlefields. The Egyptians worshipped him as the God of, among other things, Disorder and Violence. His hunger for those things is showing as he moves in closer behind Cora. She hasn't turned or ran, even with my screaming. His hand reaches out, but before it touches her, it falls to the ground as a massive black cat tears it from his body. The beast is a mix of all the great cats, solid black like a leopard but so much bigger. Set screams in rage and is about to attack when a wolf, larger than even Fenrir, leaps through the air and grabs Set in his massive jaws, ripping his throat apart, even as the cat slices his stomach open with claws at least six inches long. I stand staring as Cora calmly walks to the barrier and lays her hand on it.

  "We're here to save you." She glances back at the destruction and grimaces.

  "Who’s we?" I murmur, unable to look away.

  She looks at me in confusion. "You don't know?"

  "Know what?"

  "Oh, boys?" she calls in a singsong voice. "He's dead. Come here and show her your trick." The beasts walk to her side and peer in at me. The next instant, they stand before me, and I think, well damn, before I hit the floor.

  Chapter 33

  SEAN

  "Shit, she's going down." I lunge for her but hit whatever it is keeping her locked in there rebounding and hitting the ground hard. Cora laughs, and I give her a look.

  "Sorry, but that shit was funny."

  "We need her to tell us how to free her," Michael states.

  "No, we don't," Cora responds. "Didn't you feel your magic rubbing up against hers? I sure did. Combined, it will be strong enough. I know it."

  "And just how will we do that?" I ask.

  "Just let it go." She sings. Twirling around, she stops when she sees our blank looks. "You know? Frozen? Let your emotions go, like Elsa." Michael shakes his head. "You guys never saw Frozen?" She screeches at us.

  "No, lass, we haven't," I answer for us both, knowing Michael is on the same page.

  "Only the best Disney movie ever."

  "You're yelling at us over a feckin' cartoon?!" Michael roars.

  "It was so good," she mumbles.

  "Tell us again please, without movie references," I plead with her, struggling with patience.

  "You need to let your emotions go. Let all those feelings you both shove down just blow out of you. Everything you feel for her needs to be freed and when you do, she will be freed as well." She sounds so sure. I look at my brother and
see that he turned a odd shade of green.

  "We can do this, brother. I'm with you all the way. I can let my lust out, no problem," I say to him, and he looks at me wide-eyed.

  A throat clearing draws my eyes back to Cora. "Not lust, you big idiot, your F-E-E-L-I-N-G-S. You know… Love." She smiles sweetly, and I feel a little sick myself when I look at Michael. I don't love. I pace away before turning back to them. My hands are raised slightly, and I stare, unable to voice my defeat.

  "You are an idiot," Cora murmurs as she walks forward, stopping in front of me. "I can feel your love for her. It's there. It's new and shiny and just waiting for you to acknowledge it. It will grow in to something you can't even imagine if you just give it a chance. But you must be brave, braver than ever before because you aren't just risking your body, you are risking your soul. But listen to me, both of you." She looks back at Michael. "It is going to be so worth it. I promise." She taps her head with her finger and smiles gently, knowing our hesitancy.

  I stand, unable to move or breathe. The very thought of unlocking whatever feelings I may have for Raven terrifies me. I lock eyes with Michael and I realize his face is mirroring my feelings, terror at letting someone have that kind of power over us. Make no mistake, to love someone is to give them power over you. They will then have the power to destroy you.

  "Or set you free," Cora whispers, and I whip my eyes to her upturned face. She smiles sadly at us. "It's your choice, of course. I would never force you. I would never try but, just like everyone else in your lives that loves you, I want to see you happy. I want to see you free from your demons."