“Hang on. Wait a sec,” Sam murmured and tried the same. She had no issues walking out the door.
“What is going on?” Lauren said as her face grew more flushed. “I do not understand.”
“Tait, Sven, Sean, everyone,” Sam said. “Try walking out this door.”
So they did. And all had no problems.
Except Tait.
He was able to walk outside just fine but hit an unseen barrier when he tried to walk in. Frustrated, he headed around back and tried to come in that way. No such luck. Meanwhile, Lauren tried to walk out onto the deck and could not. The same rules applied to both of them in regards to the garage exit as well.
For all intents and purposes, Lauren was locked in, and Tait was locked out.
“This is insane,” Lauren whispered as she continued trying to get out. “This makes no sense.”
“No, but it will eventually, dear,” Mema Angie said softly as she appeared on the balcony. “Have no fear of that.”
A funny chill ran through Sam at the look in Angie’s eyes. “What is it, Mema? What’s going on?”
“We need to talk, Samantha.” She headed downstairs. “I have something to tell you.”
She was about to respond when the last voice she expected to hear rang through the house. “Auntie Sam!”
Emily? Her niece?
Sam’s eyes widened when a little girl with a thick mop of black curls and big pale blue eyes raced into her arms. “Oh my goodness, Emily,” she cried as she lifted her up. “I didn’t know you were coming!”
And Lord above, the timing couldn’t be worse.
“It was very last minute,” Emily gushed, her personality as encompassing as ever. “Mama even broke the speed limit to get here.”
“Did she really?” Sam had only seen Shannon once since they signed the paperwork on this house. As a general rule, her sister wanted very little to do with her own family. Instead, she spent the majority of time with her husband’s family.
Her deceased husband.
Emily’s father had died two years ago in a car accident. One that happened when he was pulling out of the last place anyone expected. Shannon’s fraternal twin sister, Erica’s apartment complex. Though nothing had been confirmed, Shannon remained convinced they were having an affair. In a strange twist of events, his brother became her sole source of comfort afterward. Sam had long speculated that perhaps Shannon’s husband wasn’t the only one being unfaithful.
“Lauren? I got here as fast as I could,” Shannon called out as she entered. “Is everything all right?”
Shannon slowed, her words dying off as she stepped into the living room and her eyes met Tait’s through the window. “I know you,” she whispered.
Like all her sisters, Shannon was stunning with her shoulder-length, wavy black hair and pale blue eyes. That alone should have brought out the flirt in Tait. Instead, he resumed pacing, just like Lauren did, their eyes narrowed on one another.
“I do not know what you mean, Shannon,” Lauren said though her furious eyes never left Tait. “I never called you.”
“What?” Shannon whispered, still staring at Tait.
Sam’s head was downright spinning at this point.
What on Earth was going on?
“We really need to talk, Samantha,” Mema Angie reiterated as she said hello to Shannon and Emily then urged them to make themselves at home. She pointed out freshly baked muffins on the counter before she took Sam’s hand and pulled her outside. God love him, Sean gave her a cup of coffee and a supportive pat on the shoulder in passing.
Sven followed but kept his distance. Was he guarding her?
Mema Angie didn’t resume speaking until they reached the ash tree. Only then did Sam realize Megan sat on the other side, her sad eyes to the sea.
“Megan, I didn’t know you were out here.” She crouched beside her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she responded softly. “Just missing my son. I wish he could have stayed longer.”
So she already knew he was gone? Had she seen him off? Sam sank down beside her as Mema Angie sat on the other side.
“You say that as though he’s still alive.” It almost took more than she was capable of to keep her voice level. To not sound panicked or fearful. “Is he…still alive?”
“He is.” Megan squeezed her hand. “And desperate to find you.”
“I don’t understand.” Sam shook her head, hurting just as much as him. “Why did he leave? Where is he?”
“He’s in the mountains behind the Fortress,” Megan said. “He will not leave the site of the Yggdrasill tree you used to transport me here. He’s waiting for you to return to him.”
“How did he get there?”
“I helped him,” Mema Angie said softly as she handed over the Gungnir dagger. “I did as he asked.”
Totally confused, she frowned at Angie. “So you know everything that’s going on?”
“Of course, I do, darling,” she said. “I always have.”
Sam sensed something. More so, her dragon did. “Who are you?”
“Why I’m Mema Angie,” she replied. “I truly am.”
“Yet I get the feeling you’re far more,” Sam murmured.
“Perhaps,” Mema agreed. “But it’s nothing for you to worry about right now, dear. Instead, you must focus on your mate. You must find your way back to him.”
“I’d like nothing more,” she said, not denying the word mate. “But first I want to know how you helped him? Why he asked you to.”
Mema Angie nodded. “Yes, of course. It was early on you see.”
“How early on?” she said. “When we arrived yesterday?”
“Oh no. Far earlier.” She shook her head. “It was the night before Cybil disappeared back in time. That’s why I hung his picture in your room. His dragon spoke to me from within the image. It was looking for you.”
Sam stared at her, speechless. “I hadn’t even met him yet.”
“No, but his dragon knew you were coming. It knew you were meant for one another.” Mema patted her hand. “Apparently, the only way it could reconnect with Bjorn was through that picture as long as you both were there. And only if you came together.”
“I’ll be damned,” Sam whispered, her eyes widening. “So he’s reconnected with his dragon? He’s shifted?”
“He has,” Megan confirmed, a small smile on her face.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m his mother.” A soft light came to her eyes. “I might not be half dragon, but I birthed one. That means even across time, I can sense him.”
Sam blinked back tears, so happy for him. So pleased he was once again whole. She wanted to be there. Hold him. Celebrate with him. “I need to go back.”
She stood, eager to figure out how to do that. Then she remembered why she shouldn’t and leaned against the tree.
“Oh no,” she whispered.
“What is it?” Mema said as she and Megan stood.
“What if the seers are right?” Her eyes drifted between them as a horrible feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. “What if I really am a conduit for the enemy? What if I’ll lead him straight to Bjorn and in turn, his people?” Her eyes held Megan’s. “Your people.”
It was clear Megan knew the details of her situation. The seers’ folklore on this matter. Their prophecy. So Sam needed her feedback. Her opinion. After all, she had been the queen.
“My advice is no different for you than it was for my son when he mentioned something similar last night,” Megan said softly and took her hand. “You need to follow your heart, Sam. If what you feel for my son is real, if you love him, then I have faith that you two will find a way to overcome this. One thing I know for certain is if you stay here, then the enemy wins. Maybe not the war, but a battle that will surely weaken our tribe.”
Her eyes held Sam’s as she continued. “When love is denied, spirits wither. And your spirits don’t deserve that. Spirits such as yours can only ever streng
then my people…but only if they remain strong.” She squeezed Sam’s hand. “And I can’t imagine stronger spirits than yours and my son’s. But only if you embrace the love you feel rather than deny it for what you assume is a greater good.”
“Love,” Sam whispered and tried not to flinch. “I’m not so sure…”
She didn’t want to be in love again. There was too much risk in it. Too much that could go wrong. Now more than ever. Not the chance of infidelity, but something far more important. The endangerment of Megan and her people.
What if loving him destroyed everything he cared about?
Sam didn’t realize she had whispered that aloud until Megan murmured, “Love does not destroy. Love strengthens.” She squeezed Sam’s hand again until their eyes met. “Do you love him, Samantha?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered. But she did. She knew. What else could it be based on how she felt right now? How she had felt since the moment she awoke and found him gone? Somehow the moody Viking had worked his way right into her heart.
“You really should go to him, dear,” Mema Angie said softly. “He needs you.”
Sam’s eyes drifted to Sven, who now stood on the end of the dock. It might appear that he was watching the ocean, but she knew he kept an eye on her.
“I’m not the only one he needs,” she murmured before heading his way.
As remarkably good at brooding as his father, Sven’s brows lowered and his frown deepened at her approach. Unlike his father, his expression had nothing to do with her.
“Hey, kid.” She handed him her mug and tried to muster up a smile. “Ever try coffee?”
His brows lowered even further as he sniffed the liquid then sipped.
“Not bad, eh?” she said when the intensity of his expression lightened some.
“It is good,” he confirmed and tried to give it back.
“No, keep it and enjoy.”
She urged him to join her when she sat, set aside the dagger and stuck her feet in the water. If he was concerned about or even upset with his father, then his dragon was probably heating him up, and this would help cool things down. Maybe.
Sam patted the dock beside her. “Join me, Sven. Please.”
When he seemed reluctant, she flashed him a smile. “I won’t bite. I promise. You didn’t get hurt dancing with me last night, right?”
Sven hesitated another moment before he nodded, pulled off his boots and sat down. Like Bjorn, he didn’t bother rolling up his pants when he stuck his feet in the water. Before she could say a word, he spoke. “He is gone again, is he not? He left you behind as well?”
Good, they were going to get right to it.
“Your father didn’t leave either of us intentionally, Sven.” She explained the picture in her room then shared what Mema Angie had told her. “He wants both of us to return to him.”
Sven didn’t need to know he had only said her. Based on the odd set of circumstances, her bet was Bjorn’s dragon didn’t know his son would be here when he’d made his request to Mema Angie.
“You are lying to me,” he grunted. “Why?”
Surprised, Sam’s brows shot up. How did he know that?
Sven didn’t look at her directly when he said, “It seems I am not only in Bjorn’s mind more but yours.”
“Ah,” she murmured. “Because of my connection to your father?”
Sven nodded.
“Then you know I lied to you because I think had he known you were here when he contacted Angie, he would’ve wanted both of us to return.” She tried to meet his eyes. “He misses you, Sven. He loves you.”
“You have not known him long enough to say that,” Sven grumbled.
“I don’t need to know him long,” she countered. “It’s plain as day by the way he looks at you. By the way he tried to save you when my dragon rained fire down on everyone.”
“He did that for my mother,” he said darkly. “I know they are friends.”
“I thought maybe you did,” she said softly. “Isn’t that a good thing, though? Especially considering everything you two went through? Having your father back in her life has to be beneficial considering…your stepfather.”
“Back in her life, not mine,” Sven reminded. “Never once did he try to talk to me. My dragon tried to reach out to him many times those first few years.” He shook his head. “But there was no response.” He clenched his jaw. “I was alone.”
“But you weren’t,” she said. “He was always watching…waiting for you to return.”
“He was a coward,” Sven bit out. “He might have seen me, but I did not see him. Those were the years I needed his strength. I was young and frightened, and mother was oppressed. So I was alone.”
Sam was somewhat surprised he was opening up to her and wondered if it didn’t have something to do with their dragons connecting. “But you’re not alone now.” Her eyes stayed on him. “And you’re not a little boy anymore.”
Before he could respond, she continued. “You’re a man now, Sven. I know life hasn’t been easy, and I get that you’re still mad at your dad, but bad things are on the horizon for his people…your people. And I have a feeling, one way or another, that the trouble coming down on the Sigdir’s will affect its neighboring kingdoms. Because this sort of enemy isn’t going to stop with your father’s clan if they win.” She shook her head. “They’re going to want more land, resources, and wealth. That means hitting your mother’s tribe next.”
“Then I will fight them when they come,” he mumbled before he downed half the coffee.
“Will you then?” Her brows shot up. “Alongside that tyrant I know damn well you got us all away from? The guy you now call father?”
“Agnar is not my father,” he ground out. “He is nearly the monster his brother was.”
“Yeah, I got that.” She studied him. “So what’s your angle? Why’d you really do it?”
“Because I did not see a favorable outcome for mother or Uncle Tait,” he said. “And you did not deserve what would have happened to you.”
“So it had absolutely nothing to do with your father?” She narrowed her eyes. “That perhaps you saw a chance to get closer to him by drawing out my dragon?”
“I do not have that kind of foresight,” he murmured.
“No, but you have two eyes in your head and strategize just as well as your father,” she said, purposefully saying your father as much as possible rather than Bjorn. “You must have seen something between your father and me. You knew I would defend him.” Her eyes narrowed again. “And I bet you even knew it’d bring out my dragon.”
“How could I have known that, woman?”
“Sam,” she said. “Call me woman again, and I’ll bat you upside the head like I should’ve done to your father.”
The corner of Sven’s lip inched up. “Sam.”
“I don’t think you knew for sure my dragon would come out,” she continued. “That’s why you were the one to put a knife to my throat. To rile everyone up and control the situation the best you could. Then you made sure you ran toward me instead of away when my dragon let loose. You did that because you knew I would get us out of there and you wanted to come.”
“And leave my mother behind?” He frowned. “That does not sound like a very good plan.”
“Unless you know something we don’t.” Sam considered him. “She had a strange look on her face before we left. Any idea why?”
Though he remained silent, Sam knew she was onto something. “Just tell me, Sven. Please.”
His eyes met hers. “Will you tell Bjorn?”
“Not if you don’t want me to,” she fibbed. Hey, it was for the greater good. “But you should remember that he’s in my mind. And in yours too for that matter, right?”
Sven scowled and shrugged. For one who thought ahead well, he clearly hadn’t taken that into consideration. But then he was a teenager and telepathy or not, that meant by default his parent couldn’t possibly know what he was thinking.
&
nbsp; “So that probably means he already knows what you’re up to,” she added.
Sven sighed and finished his coffee before he said, “My mother and I will defend the Sigdir’s. They are our kin. She has chosen to remain behind so that she can keep an eye on things from within the kingdom. So that she can report who they ally themselves with. Who they’ve already allied themselves with.”
Samantha frowned as a chill raced through her. “What do you mean already?”
“It is rumored that the kingdom north of the Sigdir’s, the clan that killed my cousin, Freydis, has allied themselves with this new threat. This new dragon tribe.” His frown deepened. “And now there is rumor Agnar is doing the same.”
“And you’re the kingdom south of the Fortress,” she whispered. “Which means the Sigdir’s would have enemies on two borders?”
“Yes, the third tribe is over the mountains and a good distance away,” Sven said. “If they ally themselves as well, there will be no hope for the Sigdir tribe. They will have to flee or die.”
Well, hell. Sam released a shaky breath and eyed the horizon. “You should’ve told your father this, Sven.” She shook her head and looked at him. “Does Tait know?”
“No. I believed the fewer people who knew, the safer my mother would be,” he said. “It has been my experience that keeping my plans secret is the best way to keep rumors from spreading.”
“I get it,” she murmured. “But they’re your family, Sven, and they need to know. Remember, they’re all about protecting the tribe too. That means it’ll stay in the family. I haven’t known them long, but I can promise you that.”
Sven offered a tepid nod and was about to reply when Sam hissed in pain and put her hand over her tattoo. It was burning something fierce, and she knew what that meant. Her eyes shot to the ash tree. “Hurry up and get your boots on, sweetie. Something’s happening.”
He looked at her with concern and helped her up as she clenched her teeth against the pain and strode down the dock.
“What’s happening, Sam?” Megan said, her eyes wide on Samantha’s hip.
Vengeance of a Viking (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin Book 2) Page 21
