Enchanted Damnation: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (The Accursed Saga Book 4)

by Eva Brandt

  How had I missed the moment when Theuderic had disarmed Gunther? Considering my skills, it shouldn’t have been possible. It was an important question, and it completely disappeared from my mind the moment Theuderic looked up at me. Our eyes met, and a new wave of questions assaulted my mind.

  How would it feel like, to have a man like that inside me, on top of me? How would it feel like, to have him brush his lips against my own? How would my skin respond to the touch of his undoubtedly calloused hands?

  Why was I even asking myself these questions?

  We looked away from one another, and just like that, the moment broke. “Winner: Theuderic, son of Otker, of the Salian Franks,” the crier declared as if I hadn’t already seen that with my own eyes.

  Theuderic bowed and brought his arm to his chest in a salute that was obviously unfamiliar to him. “With your permission, Your Royal Majesties.”

  I didn’t say anything, but fortunately, I didn’t have to. My parents were already dismissing Theuderic and moving on to the next contestant.

  As I watched Theuderic rejoin his red-headed friend and the ax-wielder, the strange sensation reemerged inside me, so unfamiliar I found myself forced to brutally suppress it. Something odd was going on, something that involved those three men. I didn’t know where they had come from, but I doubted Theuderic was a simple Frank warrior, and I suspected his companions were just as dangerous.

  He had shown potential during the battle, but if he was a threat for me and my plans, he would just have to be removed before he became an issue.

  Stormy Beaches

  Thrandur

  “I know that look. You’re up to something, and I have a feeling that whatever it is, I won’t like it.”

  Halvar defensively crossed his arms over his chest and clenched his jaw in his classical ‘you’re-right-about-this-Thrand-but-I’m-going-to-be-stubborn-about-it-anyway’ pose. “I have absolutely no idea what you mean, Thrand.”

  In the light of the full moon, he looked more handsome than ever, and I had the desperate urge to touch him once again. But there was no convenient place for a tryst here, not even a stable. I’d dragged him onto the beach to steal a private moment with him, but suffice to say, it was not a place we could use for more scandalous activities.

  Pushing back my lust, I shot him a look of disbelief, which earned me a grimace from my lover. “All right, all right. It’s not anything serious. I just…” He licked his lips in obvious nervousness. “I wanted to look into the princess’s history a little bit. You know, her background, her likes, her dislikes. Things like that.”

  I should have been more surprised about the comment than I was. Instead, the explanation relieved me. “You felt it too. The strange lure.”

  Halvar nodded. “Yes. I don’t know what it is about her, but I want to…”

  He trailed off, now visibly struggling with putting his thoughts into words. “I understand,” I told him. “I’ve been thinking about it too. Maybe she’s a seiðkona. Or at least, Kerys’s version of a seiðkona. The tales only mention her mother’s magic, not hers, but it’s not that unusual for mothers to teach their daughters their craft.”

  Halvar blinked, as if the idea hadn’t occurred to him. Perhaps it hadn’t. His skills, while significant, bore very little resemblance to the magic of the völur, so he wasn’t as familiar with seiðr as I was. “Why would she cast a spell on us alone, though? Everyone else seemed to miss it.”

  “I’m not sure, but I agree that it is necessary to look into it.”

  In the Northern lands, it wasn’t unusual for a seiðkona to be involved in sex magic. I had never been involved in the practice, but I’d heard my father’s warriors speak of it. I actually suspected that my mother—whoever she had been—must have been a seiðkona, although my father had never admitted it.

  Either way, it was much too soon to draw any conclusions. The magic of other lands was different from our own, and making an unwarranted association might hinder us instead of helping. Other than that indistinct feeling, there was no real reason to suspect Dahud was a witch, and even if she did have magic, it didn’t mean anything about her nature.

  Halvar sighed, and something in the defeated sound made me suspect his concerns might be more complicated than he’d admitted. Turning away from me, he sat on the sand and stared out at the ocean, in the general direction of our homeland. “Do you ever regret it?” he asked. “Coming here? Being… with me?”

  Ah. So this was what had been troubling him. Halvar had started to get some of his odd notions again.

  “You’re being an idiot, Halvar,” I replied, plopping down by his side. “When are you going to understand that I don’t find it humiliating to be with you, in any way?”

  I leaned in a little closer and threaded our fingers together to emphasize the meaning of my words. It was too dark to see him properly, but even so, I could tell that his face had already flamed in response to my scandalous actions.

  Just the same, Halvar was nothing if not stubborn. “You’re my prince. I should have known better.”

  “You do know,” I replied, brushing my lips over his in a ghost of a kiss. “You’ve always given me everything that I want and I need.”

  “And Dahud?” he asked as I pulled away. “Do you want her? Assuming this isn’t an enchantment… Would you want her?”

  Perhaps it would have been better to deny it, but I’d always been horrible at lying to Halvar. “You know that I would, but not over you. It’s not a trade.”

  “I wouldn’t actually blame you. I would be jealous, yes, but I would understand. You know that, right?”

  “I do know, but I have no intention of taking you up on it.”

  In a relationship like ours, words of love didn’t come easily, so I didn’t bother saying anything more. Instead, I crushed our mouths together in a kiss that was far more insistent and passionate than our first one. Halvar’s reluctance dissipated like smoke in the wind, and he responded with the same fierce brutality, so much so that I probably lost a few strands of my beard due to his enthusiasm. Uncaring, I buried my hands in his long hair and tumbled him onto the sand, covering his body with my own.

  We would’ve probably done something idiotic had the sound of approaching footsteps not interrupted the intimate moment. I tore my mouth away from Halvar’s, cursing under my breath as I ducked behind a rock. Halvar quickly followed me, still a little out of breath and just as annoyed. I didn’t know what I hated more, the fact that we had been forced to stop, or my knowledge that it was for the best.

  The intruder turned out to be the handsome woodcutter we’d met earlier that day. He was alone, walking aimlessly across the beach, unarmed and barefoot. What was he doing here? Why had he left the tents?

  Scowling, I waited for him to pass us by and hopefully return to our improvised shelter. He didn’t. Instead, he stopped right in front of our hiding spot and turned toward us. “You do realize I can see you, right?”

  I emerged from behind the rock, suppressing the urge to reach for the dagger in my boot. If this man had seen too much and posed a threat to us, he would not get the chance to participate in the competition. “I’d hoped we’d managed to avoid getting spotted,” I said, “but you don’t get everything you want in life.”

  “No, I suppose you don’t,” he replied. “I have to ask, though, why compete for the princess’s hand if the two of you are involved? Do you expect to continue your relationship after?”

  “What’s it to you? If we were to do that, it wouldn’t have anything to do with you.”

  The woodcutter laughed. “I can’t argue with that, but at the same time, I can’t allow you to dishonor the princess in such a way. She deserves better than to have her husband cheat on her.”

  I remembered Dahud, as she had been earlier today, so very beautiful, almost glowing, like a distant star I had wanted to touch so badly. Enchantress or not, she had convinced her father to throw a tournament that included everyone, not just the people of Ke
rys, and had defended me from her father’s warrior, even if she assumed I was just a lowly Frank tribesman.

  I didn’t owe this man any explanations, but even so, I felt that for some reason, he understood how Halvar and I felt. “She does deserve better,” I agreed, “and we never actually intended to win the tournament. We merely wanted to gain a position on the king’s guard.”

  The stranger’s eyes widened at my confession. “Ah. My apologies then. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

  “No, you were in your right to call us out on our behavior,” Halvar replied. “We shouldn’t have been acting like this anyway, especially not here.”

  “I won’t say a word, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He shot us a quick, roguish smile and walked up to us. “I’m Mathias, son of Ninian, of Andvale.”

  When Mathias offered me his hand, I took it, but even so, I introduced myself and Halvar with the fake names we had already decided to use. “I am Theuderic, son of Otker, and this is Hartmut, son of Nordbert. We appreciate your discretion.”

  Mathias shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal. Taking a male lover isn’t unusual here. Many men prefer it. And it’s an advantage for me, since you’ll make it easier and faster for me to reach my goal.”

  So the rumors about the traditions of Kerys had been true. Not knowing what to make of this, I focused on the latter part of his explanation. “And that goal is marrying the princess, I take it?” I asked him.

  It should have been an easy question, and Mathias should have easily responded with a simple yes. He didn’t. “I’m not sure yet. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to. Of course I would. But it’s complicated. Mostly, I’m looking for some answers, and I think Her Highness is the key. It’s strange, but when I was there and I saw her, I…”

  He trailed off, as if he’d just realized who he was talking to and that he shouldn’t have been sharing these things with two random strangers. I took pity on him and answered, “We know. We felt it too. We believe the princess might have some sort of magical skill, perhaps inherited from her mother.”

  “That would make sense. I don’t think it’s a problem, though. It didn’t feel threatening.”

  He sounded like he spoke from experience. I’d deemed him a simple man, but appearances could be deceiving. Right now, Halvar and I didn’t look like much either. “You are a mage then?”

  “Oh, no, not at all.” Mathias smiled and shook his head as if bemused by the concept. “My aunt is the one with the mystical skills. I just happen to have some knowledge about it, because I’ve seen her workings. I’m just a humble woodcutter.”

  “Somehow, I very much doubt that,” a familiar female voice said.

  We all turned, only to find Princess Dahud emerge from the shadows. “In fact,” she continued, “I think none of you are what you appear to be. Isn’t that right, Thrand?”

  * * *

  Mathias

  When I had come to the beach to go for a swim, the last thing I had expected was to find the two Frankish warriors I’d spoken with earlier engaged in a passionate embrace. I’d only wanted to walk off my anxiety and discontent, since I had anticipated some incoming, powerful nightmares.

  The conversation with my fellow competitors had been surprising, to the point that it had helped soothe the tension that had accumulated throughout the day. Unfortunately, my tentative peace of mind vanished in an instant when Dahud manifested in front of us.

  I didn’t know where she had come from and how long she had been there. It must’ve been a while, because she was observing all of us with shrewd, dark eyes that seemed to see straight into our souls. My heart started to race as she approached, my mouth going dry as I took in my first proper sight of her beauty.

  The white gown she wore was far more revealing than the outfit she had chosen for the tournament. It left her shoulders and arms bare, caressing the swell of her breasts in a way that made a million filthy fantasies spring into my head. It certainly did not help that the veil had disappeared as well, and her loose, dark-brown hair flowed over her pale neck in gentle waves, beckoning me closer.

  She had been lovely and enchanting earlier, but now, she was almost ethereal, a creature not meant for mortal men to touch.

  She also knew a little more about my fellow competitors than they would have liked. The moment she uttered that word, that name, the blond warrior went rigid, like he had received a physical blow. Even so, when he spoke, his voice showed no sign of any turmoil. “How much did you hear, Your Highness?”

  “Enough to piece together your true identity,” she answered with a tiny, mysterious smile. “A prince of the Northern Lands, and not just a random one at that. Odin’s grandchild, if the legends are to be believed. Why did you come here, Thrandur Sæmingrson? What are you running from?”

  “A life I didn’t want,” Theuderic—or rather, Thrandur—replied without missing a beat. “I apologize for the deception. We never meant for it to get so far.”

  “Indeed. You came here for your lover. Halvar, isn’t that right?”

  Thrandur’s companion let out a slow breath, but didn’t argue with her. “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “Wonderful. It’s a good, strong name. It certainly suits you better than the fake one, considering your little secret.”

  I wasn’t sure what that meant, but Halvar understood because he flinched. “Your Highness, we don’t pose a threat to you.”

  “Somehow, I doubt that. I’ve heard a great deal about the fierce Ulfheðnar, and I think you’d tear my throat out with your teeth if you deemed me a threat to your… friend.” She smiled again, an unpleasant twist of lips that held no amusement, only a threat. “Or at least, you’d try. It would not work out very well for you.”

  I had no doubt that she was telling the truth. Normally, an unarmed woman—even one trained in combat—wouldn’t have had much of a chance against warriors, but she wasn’t just anyone. She had been rumored to be sickly for years, but that was obviously not true. Something else was hiding behind her beautiful facade, the power my aunt had tried to caution me against, the danger I’d embraced even if I knew it could easily consume me.

  “Don’t look so concerned,” she said. “I won’t say or do anything as long as you’re not a problem to my plans. However, I do have a request.” She glided up to us on silent feet and leaned in closer, into Thrandur’s space. “May I?”

  Thrandur swallowed audibly, understanding the question even if she didn’t elaborate on what she wanted to do. She rewarded him with another small smile and then brushed the tip of her finger over his cheek.

  It was an insignificant touch. It shouldn’t have had any effect, least of all on me, a passive observer. And yet, when her finger made contact with his skin, a strange sensation exploded over me, similar to what I had experienced when Aunt Anna had cast her spell, but far more intense. That single, barely-there caress sufficed to make every inch of my body flare and respond. My knees went weak, and the only reason why I didn’t fall was because of Princess Dahud’s reaction to the whole thing.

  With a low cry, she snatched her hand away from Thrandur’s cheek and stumbled back, her previously cool facade nowhere to be seen. Her skin was glowing even brighter than before, and this time, I knew it was not an illusion caused by her surreal beauty. It also wasn’t a good sign, because she collapsed a few feet away from us, shaking and clutching her chest as if she was having trouble breathing.

  Forgoing my own comfort, I rushed forward, almost tripping over my own feet in my haste to get to her side. Thrandur and Halvar weren’t doing much better, although they were still somewhat faster than me. It didn’t help them much, since the moment Halvar knelt next to her, everything turned even stranger. “Princess Dahud, what’s wrong?” he asked, alarmed.

  Halvar reached for Dahud, perhaps intending to provide comfort. He never got the chance to even make contact with her. “Don’t touch me!” she snarled without looking at him. Waves of gold erupted from her fingertips in angry spirals,
pushing us away with the fierce violence of a thunderstorm. “Don’t… Don’t come any closer! What have you done to me?”

  We hadn’t done anything. She had been the one to touch Thrandur, which appeared to have triggered the whole thing. But I didn’t think saying that would help, so instead, I tried to come up with another solution for her predicament.

  The wind started to pick up, and under Dahud’s fingertips, the sand turned to glass. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, hiding the moon, and the ocean itself responded to Dahud’s angry magic. I’d never seen such power in my life, but I didn’t let it distract me. “Your Highness, you need to let us approach,” I said. “Or is there someone else who can help you? One of us can go to the palace.”

  “No,” Dahud replied between gritted teeth. “Don’t get anyone. I… They can’t know that I… that I’m here.”

  I could understand where she was coming from. She’d obviously sneaked out from the palace, and she was not supposed to be spending time in the company of three random strangers, all of whom were competing for her hand. But some things were more important than others and her condition seemed to be getting more serious by the second.

  I didn’t get the chance to make her see sense. Mere seconds later, Dahud’s eyes rolled in her head and she started to seize so badly that her body began to contort at unnatural angles. In a twisted mimicry of my aunt’s enchantment, a kaleidoscope of colors started to flash wildly through the air, swallowing up the golden glow of her aura. A blast of fire emerged from her fingertips and missed me only by a few inches. A flying rock came very close to splitting Thrandur’s head open. The clouds parted, unleashing an angry torrent of water and hail upon us.