Fury of a Viking (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin Book 4)

by Sky Purington

  “But it is right,” Anthony said softly as if he followed every thought. He crouched in front of his daughter and cupped her cheek. “You know I can’t be here much longer, right, sweetheart? That I’ve done what I needed to do and it’s time for me to move on.”

  Tears started sliding down Emily’s cheeks. “But I don’t want you to go, Daddy.”

  “I know, honey.” Emotion cracked his voice. “But I have to for you to be okay. In order for you to move on too. It’s the only way.” His lips curled up as he tried to stay strong. “But I know you’re going to be all right.” His eyes flickered from Sven to Shannon to Matthew. “You have very strong dragons watching over you. They’ll never let anything hurt you.”

  Emily’s lower lip wobbled, and more tears fell.

  “Hey, none of that.” Anthony tilted up her chin. “You’re the strongest, bravest little girl I know. You can do this. Because I’ll never be far from you. Not ever. Just ask for strength, and I’ll give it to you.” He winked. “After all, besides Eluf, I became one of the most powerful seers on Midgard.”

  “You did, didn’t you, Daddy?” she whispered.

  “You bet I did.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “So I’ll always be able to find you if you need me.”

  “You promise?”

  “I promise.”

  They hugged for several moments before Anthony wiped away her tears, kissed her forehead then stood. When his eyes met Matthew’s, the message was clear. You better protect her with your life, or he would find a way to haunt Matthew to Midgard’s edge and beyond.

  Matthew, meanwhile, forced himself to temper the rage his dragon had started to feel. This man had mated with his woman in another life and given birth to his child. But Emily didn’t need to see him get angry at her father. So he wouldn’t. Yet still, he couldn’t help but find it curious that Anthony had wanted Shannon in one life then managed to have her in another.

  Seers.

  They weren’t to be trusted.

  Especially not the powerful ones.

  Matthew had to reign in his aggravation even more when Anthony pulled Shannon into his arms and murmured, “Goodbye.”

  As it turned out, it was easier than he thought it would be to watch them hold each other. Though he couldn’t detect Anthony’s true feelings, Shannon felt no desire. None at all. Whatever they shared now was platonic. At least on her part.

  After Anthony pulled away from Shannon, he hugged Cameron. “I will miss you, Brother. May Odin let us find each other again someday.”

  “Bless the All-Father,” Cameron murmured as Anthony looked at Emily one last time before he turned, introduced himself to Sigrunn then held out the crook of his elbow. “Will you join me in Valhalla?” His brows perked in invitation at Freydis. “Perhaps the both of you?”

  While Matthew got the sense his sister had every intention of staying behind and causing havoc, it seemed Anthony had a way with women.

  “Perhaps,” she conceded before she narrowed her eyes on Kodran, then spoke within the mind, likely to keep from upsetting Sigrunn. “Why did you desert us in battle, Cousin? Because I know you did.”

  “I did not.” Kodran shook his head. “I was there through it all.”

  When she frowned and shook her head as well, Matthew added to the conversation. “Kodran was there the entire time, Sister. He never deserted us.”

  Or so he assumed. After all, Matthew technically couldn’t account for where Kodran was when he was in Helheim.

  “But I saw him desert us,” Freydis ground out. “One moment he was there, the next, gone.”

  Had Kodran crossed over too?

  “It only seemed like Kodran vanished, Freydis,” Shannon said, her voice still soothing even within the mind. “The truth is, you vanished momentarily when you died. When you gained awareness again, it is hard to know who you could really see and who you couldn’t.” There was compassion in her voice. “I’ve seen the battle, and I can confirm Kodran was there. That he fought hard. All of you did the best you could and stuck by each other every step of the way.”

  He knew she said that not only for Freydis’ benefit but his.

  However unconvinced Freydis might have been, it was clear as her eyes met Shannon’s that they had formed a bond. Shannon could get through to her in a way her brethren no longer could. “You have been kind to Sigrunn and I. Tolerant. And for that I am grateful.” She nodded. “I believe you are telling me the truth. I also believe you are a good match for my brother. Take care of him, dragon.” Her eyes went to Kodran and held before she appeared to come to a decision. “I am tired of being angry.” She shook her head. “It is time to let this go and join my All-Father.”

  Kodran offered no reply but embraced her tightly before she turned to Matthew.

  “I am ready to celebrate in Valhalla with Odin.” Emotion thickened her voice. “But I will miss you, Brother. And I will be waiting to welcome you when it is your time to join me.” Her eyes dampened. “Tell Heidrek, mother, and father that I have visited them often since I died and will save a place for them at Odin’s table.”

  Matthew bit back his own strong emotions as he embraced her. “I will tell them, Sister.” Then he held her at arm’s length and looked into her eyes for what he knew would be the last time in this life. “Your kin misses you. We look forward to reuniting someday. Travel well, warrior.”

  She nodded, her stance strong as she turned away for the final time and joined Anthony and Sigrunn. If he wasn’t mistaken, he heard the faint echo of Odin’s horn calling them home. Before she and the others slowly vanished, his wife’s eyes met his, and she offered one last smile.

  No sooner did they vanish, then something deep inside changed.

  He grew lighter.

  Less repressed.

  When his eyes went to Shannon, she nodded once. She knew. She felt it too.

  He wanted to pull both her and Emily into his arms and never let go but knew they needed to keep moving. That their son was still out there. Håkon would always be Sigrunn’s, but now they knew he was also Shannon’s. And based on the intense look in her eyes, and the thoughts going through her mind, she was more desperate than ever to wrap her arms around him.

  But that wasn’t all.

  She felt anger too, and it showed as her dragon eyes flickered on and off.

  So after she made sure her daughter was okay and they resumed their journey toward the white mountain, he wasn’t surprised when she urged the others to walk ahead. She needed to speak with Cameron and Kodran. Naturally, Matthew remained by her side. He couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Not now. Not ever again.

  She was his.

  And he was hers.

  “I’m sorry your brother’s gone, Cameron,” Shannon said. “I really am.” She shook her head. “But I’m running out of patience.” There was an edge to her voice. “I need to know everything. From both you and Kodran. Everything you’re not telling us. Anything that might help us get to Håkon faster.”

  It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Kodran’s mind was closed to them now. Whatever he knew, he had no intention of sharing. Not with Matthew or Shannon. Perhaps with none of his kin. Because whatever it was had him off-kilter. Confused. Even angry.

  “Whatever you’re hiding better not be something that can help me find my son,” Matthew growled into Kodran’s mind. “Or something that will hurt our kin if you do not share.”

  “We will find Håkon, Cousin. I will make sure of it.” Kodran scowled. “And that’s all you need from me right now.”

  Matthew narrowed his eyes, not pleased with his cousin’s evasiveness.

  “Well,” Shannon said, her eyes on Cameron first as she continued. “You clearly figured out a lot when we arrived here in the Place of Seers, but I get the feeling you were starting to figure things out before that.”

  For the first time since he met her, Shannon wasn’t trying to remain calm in the least.

  “You know everything I know,”
Cameron assured.

  “I find that hard to believe.” Her eyes went to Kodran. “And you. What did you discover when you gave Erica that dagger?”

  Kodran shook his head. “Just that I had known her before.”

  “And?” She cocked her head. “Were you Einar? Did you two finally remember everything that had happened in your previous life?”

  “Yes, we remembered.” His eyes never met hers, and his expression only grew more troubled. “And we are not fated to be together.”

  Shannon’s eyes widened as he strode ahead. When she started to go after him, Matthew took her hand and shook his head. “He is very closed off right now. We will not get anything from him that he does not wish to give.”

  Her chin jutted out in aggravation before her eyes swung back to Cameron. “After all I’ve done to help you, you won’t help me now, will you?”

  He was about to respond when something shifted ahead, and they heard a roar of anguish. His blood froze in his veins and every muscle locked up. Was that who he thought it was? It couldn’t be. His uncle didn’t sound like that. Not ever.

  But when the roar of pain and sadness came again there was no mistaking it.

  Uncle Kjar was calling for help.

  Worse than that? It sounded like it was already too late.

  Chapter Thirteen

  SHANNON FELT LIKE her insides ripped apart as Matthew roared at Kodran to protect Shannon then scooped up Emily before Sven had a chance. Something horrible was happening, and she couldn’t figure out where it was coming from or how to stop it.

  The next thing she knew, Kodran tossed her over his shoulder, drew his sword and was running. What felt like hours later but was likely only minutes, he was running uphill then they were in another cave.

  “You can put me down now, Kodran,” she managed. “I know how to run.”

  “But not as fast as me.”

  So she held on tight and prayed Emily was all right. No, she did more than that. She tried to speak within her daughter’s mind and hoped it would work when she was human, not dragon. “Emily, are you okay, sweetheart?”

  “Oh, I’m fine, Mama. I just hope Håkon is too,” Emily returned. “But Matthew runs really fast, so that’s good.”

  Outside of hearing Matthew in her mind for the first time, nothing felt as good as hearing her daughter’s voice. It was sweet and self-assured. Confident. Just like it had been when she was a dragon.

  “Well, I’m right behind you,” Shannon responded. “Stay close to Matthew when you get wherever we’re going, okay?”

  “Okay,” Emily agreed.

  “You promise?”

  “I promise, Mama.”

  Thankfully, they didn’t go too much further before Kodran set her down. They’d entered a huge cavern dimly lit by something overhead. She peered up. A gash across the ceiling let in light from the rising sun. The Vikings had their blades drawn as they surrounded Emily, Shannon, and Cameron.

  Matthew’s eyes were narrowed as they swept over the area. She heard him calling out for Kjar within the mind. Only then did she catch snippets of what had started this mad dash into the mountain. His Uncle Kjar was in trouble.

  And he was the one who was supposed to be protecting Håkon.

  Shannon tensed, wished she had a weapon, and then absently thanked whoever handed her one. It took her a second to realize it was her daughter. When her eyes widened on Emily, she merely shrugged and whispered, “It’s really easy to lift them off of both Sven and Uncle Kodran.”

  Lift? When had her daughter learned to speak like that?

  “I think I get it from Auntie Erin,” Emily explained, her voice still a whisper. “It comes in handy.”

  Erin? Shannon frowned. As in Erin who had come to live with Shannon and her sisters after her father died? Daughter to a man who had been best friends with Shannon’s father? Erin, as it turned out, ended up being a time-traveling dragon shifter who married a medieval Scotsman named Rònan. She knew about all those things thanks to Megan.

  But how did Emily know?

  She had never even met Erin and Shannon knew Megan wouldn’t have told her all that.

  “I also know about Auntie Erin’s friends who traveled back to medieval Scotland,” Emily said into her mind. “Uncle Wizard Grant told me about them and their adventures.” She winked. “And what he forgot to tell me, Uncle Wizard Adlin made sure to share.”

  What the hell was her daughter talking about? She knew those names. Both were powerful MacLomain wizards. One was still alive in medieval Scotland. The other deceased. So how and when had Emily spoken to them?

  “They talk to me in my dreams,” Emily said, obviously following Shannon’s thoughts.

  Shannon was about to continue questioning Emily when a voice echoed through the cave. “Is that you, Father? Did you really come?”

  Both Matthew and Shannon tensed.

  Håkon.

  Where was he? She scanned the cave but saw no sign of him. Yet she felt him. Her heart raced as she gripped her blade tighter. Now she knew why she felt such a strong draw to him.

  Håkon had been hers.

  He had been her son in another life.

  Emily’s brother.

  It had been an incredible revelation learning everything Cameron and Anthony had shared. From her deep connection with Matthew to their children. The life they led before. How close they all were.

  She clenched her jaw and inhaled deeply. Since she had been shown everything, her inclination toward staying calm was declining. Rapidly. While she would always care for Anthony, deep down she was furious. An anger fueled by confusion. Why hadn’t she, Matthew and their children come back together? Why had their children been reborn to other parents? Because she and her dragon family had been tight.

  They had lived together.

  Died together.

  They were extremely close as seen when the four dragon spirits surrounded them. Her, Emily, Matthew and Håkon. Even in death, they came together as a family and tried to reach out to their future incarnates.

  They stayed strong.

  United.

  So what went wrong?

  Or was this how it was all supposed to happen?

  Her nostrils flared again as her dragon simmered to the surface. What gods would allow them to be ripped apart in such a way? Because they had been. She knew it like she knew her own soul. How else could it be when they were part of her. As she told Emily, you could have more than one soul mate. And Shannon had three.

  Matthew, Emily, and Håkon.

  They might have gone by different names in another life, but they were her dragons.

  Her kin.

  Her family.

  Now, though she tried to remain calm, her dragon was downright pissed off.

  “It’s okay, Mama.” Emily shifted closer. “I don’t blame you for being so angry but maybe right now’s not the best time. I think Matthew needs you to be strong and calm.”

  Again, her eyes widened on Emily. Was her daughter some sort of super dragon? Funny, as their eyes held and she finally managed to tap into her inner calm, she started to think she really might be.

  One thing was for sure. Her daughter was right. Anger wouldn’t help anyone right now. So she pulled herself together.

  “I’m okay.” She managed a wink for good measure “But thank you, sweetie.”

  Emily nodded before her attention again turned to the cave. “He’s here, Mama. Håkon’s close.”

  “I know, baby girl.”

  And she did.

  She felt him right down to her core.

  “Kodran, Kadlin, Sven,” Matthew murmured before he shot them a look. “Protect Shannon and Emily with your lives.”

  Shannon shook her head, and Emily whimpered as Matthew prepared himself. Although her daughter seemed calm, she clearly didn’t like Matthew setting out on his own. Shannon wrapped her arm around Emily and assured her he would be okay as he discarded his cloak, readied his weapons and made his way deeper into t
he cave.

  “Håkon?” Matthew called out, a sword braced in one hand, and a dagger in the other as he moved forward. “I am here. I have come for you.” His eyes swept over everything. “Where are you, Son?”

  Shannon frowned when the air started to chill.

  Oh no.

  Not Helheim.

  Not right now.

  When it became so icy that their breath came out in foggy puffs, she fully expected to hear the whistling wind-voice of Hel, but didn’t. Instead, two animals appeared on either side of Matthew as he continued forward.

  The bear who had given him fur cloaks when Shannon and Emily first arrived.

  And the white wolf with blue eyes.

  He acknowledged both, thankful, before he flexed his muscles, gripped his weapons tighter and roared, “Håkon, I am here. Where are you, Son?”

  “Here, Father,” Håkon replied. “Right here.”

  Everything stilled inside her at the sound of Håkon’s voice.

  And not in a good way.

  Something was wrong.

  While it was Håkon before, it wasn’t now. She just knew it. More than that, her dragon knew. Motherly instincts born of another life. Something else was here now. Something that had figured out they were heading this way.

  It was a trap.

  And Matthew was in trouble.

  What happened after that transcended all logical explanation.

  Something changed.

  Warped.

  Shannon was no longer in her right mind or even part of herself but saw red and raced forward. She had a one-track mind. Her mate was in mortal danger, and she had to save him. A few steps later she realized she was already to Matthew. He had been almost thirty feet away. Even more astounding? She was looking down at him.

  His words filtered through her mind. He was telling his fellow dragons not to shift but to get Emily out of there. To protect her at all cost.

  “Shannon,” Matthew murmured into her mind as his eyes met hers. “Do you know what happened? Do you know what you are now?”

  Before she had a chance to respond, something massive crashed down beside her. That’s when she began to understand. A huge black dragon with red eyes towered over her, yet still she towered over Matthew.