“On that day, I threw down my arms, and myself upon the mercy of the Host. I was prepared for them to end my existence but they stayed their hand. They returned my weapons, my sword and my shield and they told me, the path to redemption would be a long one. They told me that I fought on the side of the angels now. I became no better than a grunt in Heaven’s army but I was pleased to be there.
“I spent the next five hundred and thirty years fighting, climbing throughout the ranks, working on becoming the type of man I should have been from the start.” He drew back and looked into my face.
“My point is, I know now that I have spent that time becoming the man you needed me to be for you. I feel that in my damned state I am wholly undeserving of you, your kindness, your love and I am twice damned for bringing you the burden, the pain, of loving a man that cannot completely give himself too you. My punishment for my deeds has come full circle, I now feel the agony a thousand fold that I dealt to innocence in my mortal span, with every look, with every touch, knowing that I cannot have you and that I have ruined you for future happiness with my purely selfish deeds. Yet I cannot bring myself to give you up until I am forced to.” He smoothed my tears away with his thumbs and for the first time ever, I did the same for him.
God’s work, the Devil’s work, I didn’t care. Right then I just wanted with everything in my heart and everything in my soul for Alaric to know even a slice of the happiness I felt when in his arms. I stood on tiptoe abruptly and placed a gentle, chaste kiss on his lips then backed away quickly.
I left him standing in my entryway and went into my kitchen, filling the empty mead bottle I’d kept with water and placing the long stem of the rose into it. I turned to find him watching me and I smiled.
Chapter 22
I was excited. I had just emailed the images of the completed runes to Jared’s Norse language specialist and would likely know what they meant in a few days’ time. My excitement was a bit tempered by the fact that Gunnar Volund likely deserved a call to update him on the progress. I heaved a big sigh and waited for Skype to connect. I sat in front of my workstation’s computer anxiously awaiting the call to go through. Though it was six in the afternoon here, it was midnight in Denmark and when the call connected there he was, looking as relaxed as I’d ever seen him.
His suit jacket was missing and the cuffs of his expensive dress shirt were rolled back over his forearms. He was leaned back in his expensive looking leather desk chair and a highball glass of amber liquid was held loosely in one hand. I smiled.
“Mr. Volund! Long day?” I asked.
“Very, and what I have I told you about calling me Mr. Volund?” he chided, but it wasn’t playful or warm, in fact even through the image on the screen his eyes turned into chips of ice. I suppressed a shudder.
“Apologies,” I said, “Habit of the profession.” He inclined his head and took a sip from his glass.
“So what is it you have to tell me Gracelyn?” he asked.
I cleared my throat, “Well, uh, I completed cleaning the Viking blade as best I could and uncovered what runes there were, we went through extra measures of scanning a three dimensional representation of the hilt into the computer as well as subjecting the surface of the metal to several alternative light sources, carefully photographing all the way. One of our technical genius’, Germaine…”
“Yes, yes, this is all well and good, please get to the point!” he snapped and I swallowed back the bitter bite of anger that almost came free of my mouth.
“Yes, well the point is that compiling these images has yielded a clear result and the runes are indeed readable. The images have been sent to a Norse language expert…”
“And what do they say?” he asked. I frowned at the interruption.
“We should know in a few days.” I terminated the call before he could say anything, my computer immediately began the notification process that he was trying to reconnect the call. Well forget that. I turned off my speakers and my monitor and gathered my things, I just wanted to be home.
Chapter 23
“Did you hang up on Gunnar Volund?” Jared screeched in my ear as I let myself in to my apartment.
“Yep.” I answered.
“Oh my God Gracelyn why!?” he sounded like this was a total disaster.
“He was rude.” I answered simply.
“He’s threatening to pull our funding.” Jared wailed.
“Oh for goodness sakes!” I scoffed. What a big damned baby.
“You need to apologize.” He said.
“This coming from Jared my boss or Jared my friend?” I asked.
“Your boss…” and then, “Your friend says ‘well done’ for hanging up on that arrogant S.O.B., still, make it right Gracie. As much as I hate to say it we need that money.” I sighed and rolled my shoulders. I wished for Alaric and sighed into the phone.
“You got it boss.” I said dejectedly and hung up the phone after some quick good byes.
I opened up my lap top and drafted an email apologizing and making some excuse or other about a tough day. My inbox pinged almost immediately with a response.
I will be in New York next week. Dinner. I will send a car. Accept and all will be forgiven.
Pushy bastard. I heaved a sigh, and hung my head, okay fine. I could deal with one more dinner if it meant saving our funding, even though I was loathe to accept. I emailed back with my acceptance though with the stipulation I would meet him. Again with an instant return.
I will send a car, I believe you are in no position to make any stipulations.
What a child! I ground my teeth and replied as sweetly as possible that that was fine. I huffed out a sigh and shut down my computer. I didn’t think I was being totally unreasonable but to-ma-to ta-mah-to I suppose.
To top my evening off, it was one of those rare nights there was no Alaric. I tried not to worry and got ready for bed after a quick dinner of salad and leftover lemon pepper chicken breast. Tomorrow was another day, right?
Chapter 24
The week flew by. Alaric had returned the next night with word that the fighting had intensified and that meant there would be nights he couldn’t come. I’d nodded and said I’d understood but a small part of me mourned a little. I knew in my head that this wouldn’t… couldn’t last forever but I wasn’t one to ever give up until the bitter end. I leaned back and took stock of myself in the mirror.
Lavender satin blouse, gray pencil skirt, smoke colored hose and business like black pumps. I’d tortured my long, long dishwater blonde hair up into a business like French twist and pinned it in place to within an inch of its life. My makeup was conservative and I nodded to myself. There would be no mistaking this for a romantic dinner. I’d made sure of it. I looked nice, professional and businesslike and professional was what I was going for.
I stuck my tube of pale lipstick into my clutch along with my ID, debit card and what little cash I carried in case of an emergency cab ride or what have you just as a resounding knock came at my door. I pulled down my lighter spring raincoat and shrugged into it. The gray complimented my skirt. I opened the door to a dour Maximillian and gave him a dazzling thousand watt smile.
We went down to the lobby and there was the black Lincoln town car. I felt a little sullen as I got into the back. Mostly because this little misadventure had been the catalyst for mine and Alaric’s first real disagreement. He had not wanted me to go, had wanted me to cancel and honestly I had wanted to do what he’d suggested, but I would be letting Jared, and an entire department of people down if I had.
When people hear that money goes for research they never really appreciate what that means. Sure it sometimes means more fancy gadgets or a new method of dating an object, or imaging something to check out what is under the surface and sure some of those toys can be expensive, but what that donation sometimes really means is that you are paying someone’s wage. Allowing them to tinker, restore, promote a project, write about it all so that future generations can learn
from it and not repeat things that have already been done. So that new information can be brought to light, the story can be fully told and the people whose lives were integral during the time that history was made, well so that they will never be forgotten. Immortality is real and attainable by the action of really living during the time we are alive. If that makes any sense.
People like me, people like Jared and even people like Germaine with all of his uber fancy modern technology get that. I was pretty certain that people like Gunnar Volund didn’t have a freaking clue. His donation was a means to his own end, of finding out if one of his relations had been on that distant shore, sure, which I suppose had a certain sense of nobility to it, but mostly I was pretty certain, that withstanding, that his donation was nothing more than a tax write off that he could honestly get anywhere else.
I was snapped out of my reverie when the door to the town car popped open and I was ushered out. We were at a fancy place on Broadway near Central park. So not far from either my museum or home. A few subway stops or a long walk… well long in these heels. I allowed Volund’s security muscle to escort me to his table, which again, though it was a different restaurant, was still as secluded as you could get.
Volund rose and acting the perfect gentleman, took my coat, hanging on the back of my seat. I tried my best to school my face into a pleasant and professional mask and took the seat, allowing him to shove it into the backs of my knees. Sometimes I wish I could just scoot in my own damned chair. My thoughts drifted back to Alaric and I think my face fell.
“Oh come now Gracelyn. As I said before, attending this dinner ensures my forgiveness for your rude behavior.” He chuckled and it kind of oozed arrogance. Maybe I was just being unforgiving. Ending the Skype call had been kind of rude, and unprofessional… I knew I’d be eating crow. Blargh.
“Apologies Mr. Volund, that look had nothing to do with you, or dinner.” I attempted a small smile, which fell flat at his darkened expression. I realized my error and said lightly,
“Ah, sorry, Gunnar.” His expression smoothed, if only a little and he took his seat.
“What bothers you?” he asked.
“Well I was hoping that I would have something to tell you by now on what the runes might say but alas, nothing yet. Our language expert hasn’t gotten back to us yet.” I took sip of water.
“As you can tell. I am not always a patient man.” He smiled, but I wasn’t fooled. I think that was supposed to be an apology, but what he said next chilled me right to the bone.
“But that is alright. I always get what I want in the end.” He gave me a pointed look and I all but squirmed in my seat.
“So your work with the sword, it is done?” he asked as the server poured the wine.
“No, no, I have a long ways to go yet. Weeks, maybe months.” I took another sip of water.
“Please, taste the wine. It is an excellent vintage.” He took a sip and watched me over the rim of his glass. I took a hesitant sip just to please him, though I wanted desperately to keep my wits about me. Something about this meeting was just plain off, though I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was.
“It’s excellent.” I said and I wasn’t lying. He nodded as if satisfied.
“So, what do you do when you are not playing with your little artifacts? Hmm?” He asked as the appetizer was served. I gritted my teeth and bit back what I wanted to say which was that I didn’t appreciate his condescending tone.
“Read mostly.” I answered vaguely and he gave me a plaintive look. I took in a breath and let it out slowly.
“Poetry, I read poetry.” He nodded and finished chewing.
“Fools, the lot of them, but I will humor you. What is your favorite poet?” he asked.
“I like Frost.” I replied tersely and couldn’t help myself, I added “…and it’s not foolish. Poetry is part of what makes us human.” He laughed outright.
“Tell me a poem by this Frost then.” And he sat back expectantly. I suddenly wished I’d kept my mouth shut and longed to be safe and sound back at home with Alaric, curled in my bed, reading Frost to one another by candle light. I sighed.
“I have been one, acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain – and back in rain.
I have out walked the furthest city light.
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,
But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still, at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.”
I took a careful sip of wine. The poem was Alaric’s favorite and a deep ache had settled in my heart at the recitation. I missed him.
“And just what is that supposed to mean?” he asked. I fiddled with the scale from Alaric’s mail and twisted my lips back and forth as I thought about it.
“What do you think it means?” I asked finally, taking a bite of my cuisine. He pondered this a moment.
“I think the man is a weak, maudlin fool who cannot do for himself.” He said finally.
“I don’t think so.” I said.
“To me it speaks of great pain, of loneliness. He walks the night alone, sees things the rest of us don’t see under a great burden of…” Volund’s roar of laughter stopped me mid-sentence.
“You have a soft heart.” He said, and the way he said it, it so was not a compliment. I’m not one hundred percent sure what it was that flipped his switch from wolf in sheep’s clothing to just full on not even trying to hide it predator with me, but he had and I was not impressed.
“I think the world needs more people with soft hearts.” I said and leveled him with my gaze. His eyes narrowed.
“Do not think to insult me.” His voice was low, menacing even.
“I wouldn’t dream of it Gunnar.” I said and at that particular moment with him, looking at me, like that… I meant it.
Dinner was of course, fabulous. Company not withstanding I enjoyed the food, which was something I guess. Volund took a few more pot shots at me and I let him, without remark though I was simmering and wondering what he was trying to play at. We exited the restraint and I was surprised, there was no car waiting.
“I thought you might join me for a walk in the park.” He said, holding out his arm.
“I really must be going…” I attempted.
“Nonsense, you will walk with me.” He said in his imperious tone and I’d pretty much had it with his bullying ways.
“You know, I appreciate greatly your donations to the museum I work for but I am really not caring much for this,” I waved my hand by way of emphasis, “Or whatever this is. From now on I think it best that you go through Jared, my boss for any information regarding your ancestor or his involvement in the raid we are researching. Thank you for dinner, the food was lovely. Good night.” With that, I turned on my heel and strode up the side walk in the direction of the park.
I should have taken the subway, gotten lost in the crowd, but I didn’t. I needed to cool my head and walking among the trees, through the park had always done the trick before so I strode into the park and down the path towards home. I was lost inside my own head bitter and furious in my thinking when a hand crushed over my mouth and yanked me hard back against a solid chest. I bit down savagely on the hand and heard Volund curse, He dragged me kicking off the path and I lost a shoe. I was equal amounts furious and scared as we delved back deeper into shadow across the grass.
“I told you Gracelyn. I get what I want, and I am not accustomed to anyone getting in my way, telling me no, or giving me disrespect. You have done all three. I would have liked to have waited but I th
ink your lesson must be learnt now.”
Adrenaline spiked through my veins and I fought like a wild cat, but I had nothing on him, not size, not weight, muscle mass… nothing. I mean if I could get loose, which I couldn’t I’d most definitely have speed, and maybe endurance on keeping that speed up but right now I was sunk.
I never dreamed he would come for me, that he would risk so much, but he did and it was both terrifying and beautiful. We were deep in shadow beneath a copse of trees and Volund had spun me, slamming my back against the gnarled bark. I dropped my clutch as pain radiated out from my back into my chest and ribs. I thought I imagined it when I saw the twin points of red over Volund’s shoulder but no, it was him, and relief flooded through my veins, making my knees go weak.
A deep intimidating growl emitted from Alaric’s chest and Volund was ripped off of me. He stumbled back and ass planted in the beauty bark around the base of the trees. Alaric towered over him in his scale mail, his pauldrons and greaves were absent but he still made one hell of an imposing figure. Volund went white and put up his hand as if to ward off the vision of his impending doom.
“You dare to try and sully that which is innocent and pure?” Alaric asked in a snarl I have never heard come from him before.
“What are you?” Volund sounded scared and for a split second I was scared for him. Alaric advanced on him. I stopped and grabbed up my clutch. I went forward and wrapped both of my arms around one of Alaric’s.
“No.” I said and gave a tug, but it was like pulling on a granite statue. He was fixated on Volund and the look on his face… it was like he was going to rip him apart.
“No!” I repeated a bit more forcefully and leaned my full weight on pulling him back, “He’s not worth it. Please! I’m okay.” Alaric turned to me and his face softened. He touched the side of my face and tracked his fingertips through the dampness on my cheeks.
Heaven, Hell & the Love In Between Page 10
