“And what am I supposed to do to keep Jasper enthralled?”
“You’re the mature female. Lure him to the library, or give him the come-on signals. Whatever you can think of that will work.”
“A man like Jasper does not get lured by a woman. He is oblivious to anything like that.”
“I disagree. He might not be used to it, but he’s male.”
Birdie looked up at the darkening skies. “We should head back to the house. Not that I’m concerned about any creatures attacking, that would be quite fruitless, but we should not be out after dark.”
“Perhaps if we had a decent guard dog?” Erin looked at the lolloping Jacques. “I supposed he could drown an assailant in slobber.”
Jacques carried on his way, quite oblivious to the remarks aimed his way.
“Mrs McDowell must be wanting a pay rise with all the extra cooking she’s been doing.” Erin hoped she wasn’t putting her under too much strain.
“Actually she’s loving it. It’s been an age since the house had so many people in it and she could show off her culinary skills. Did Gudrun say how long she was staying?”
“No, it seemed rude to ask. But I got the impression it was just for a day or two. I imagine Olav won’t let her go for long.”
“Did you not know, Gudrun left Olav the day after Wilhelm was exiled?”
“She didn’t?” Erin was shocked.
“Yes, she was so livid over Olav’s treatment of their only son and heir, that she said she was leaving him unless he apologised to Wilhelm and re-instated him.”
“And let me guess, Viking kings don’t apologise to anyone.”
“Correct. Olav is in a perilously weak position at the moment, so the sooner we move to free Lodraill the better. Else Lokranor could be under another’s rule.”
“We need to have a serious talk about this tomorrow, all of us. I want to move when Sasha is next there. We have less than two weeks to prepare.”
“Is that long enough?”
“Yes. I already know the castle layout. I have a fair idea which gateway we’ll use. It’s largely just practicing my arts so I can release mum. We also need to try and work out where Lars is being held.”
“My guess is the dungeons.”
Erin laughed. “Sadly blueprints of Vasmaar Castle are not widely available on the internet. I have no idea where the dungeons are and we can hardly stop and ask for directions.”
CHAPTER 23
Heinrekh was feeling positively put out. It appeared the world was converging on the McLomards and he had received no invitation. From the numbers that seemed to be amassing, Erin was either opening a homeless shelter or about to plan a rescue for her mother. His money was on the latter.
And if a rescue was being attempted, perhaps he would increase the guard for Lars also. He was in the mood for some light entertainment, so paid a visit to Lodraill.
“I do wish Sasha would come back,” Lodraill glanced up from the chaise. “I feel she can entertain you far better than I.”
“I would agree. But as she is not, you can lighten my mood.”
“And why are you so down?”
“It’s seems Erin is throwing a house party and my name is not on the guest list.”
“You poor dear. It must hurt not being wanted.”
“I care not for popularity,” he shrugged. “It is just boring not having anyone engage me in a fight. But I have a feeling that will all change before too long. This is the calm before the storm, I think.”
“Is Olav breathing down your neck?”
Heinrekh snorted with derision. “Oh please. I could take down Olav without disturbing a strand of hair. I meant your daughter.”
“What about Erin?”
“She has a new tutor, so I am expecting to see the fruits of his labours soon.”
“Who is it?” Lodraill’s curiosity had been roused.
“I am not sure, I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on him.”
“Sadly not. But Erin would need an army to invade and last time we spoke, I understood Lokranor’s was no longer at her disposal.”
“You have absolutely no idea of your daughter’s capabilities, do you?” Heinrekh chuckled. “She could flatten this castle in a matter of minutes with just one hand should she want to. This is no longer about invasion, it is about who has the greatest power sources. And at the moment, that would be me.” Perhaps he would be well served to continue his search for Valkarin’s tomb if he was to maintain that top spot.
“How about if I combined my powers with Erin’s? Would that not challenge you?” Lodraill was very interested in the way the conversation was going.
“It would. I would relish the chance to defeat both of you together. That really would give my victory extra kudos.”
“And what then, after you’ve shown you are the most powerful?”
“I will make my claim for Lokranor.”
“You could do that anytime. Why wait?”
“There is one more thing I need from Vasmaar before relocating to my new palace,” he smiled. Valkarin’s powers.
“Which is?”
“That, my dear, is not for sharing. Now I hate to show favouritism, so I should go talk to my other guest.”
“Another guest?” Lodraill raised an eyebrow. “And who is the lucky person to have your attention?”
“A member of the Vokteren. And a very engaging young man. Perhaps I should put you two in the same holding cell, then you would not get so lonely.”
“Only if you do not have the stomach to kill your captive yourself,” Lodraill hissed. Just the mention of the Vokteren made her skin crawl. “I would not breathe the same air as those vile creatures.”
“I imagine he thinks the same about you,” Heinrekh laughed. It was rare to see such a reaction from Lodraill. If he did not admire Lars’ courage, he would most certainly put them together and watch the carnage.
He found Lars in his usual position lying on the bed, he looked exceedingly relaxed. He knew this was just a façade.
“My other guest has just insulted you,” Heinrekh approached the bars grinning. “Where she not the High Priestess of Lokranor, I would let you out to seek satisfaction.”
“You could always let me out anyway,” Lars responded. “Although I would enjoy disposing of a High Priestess.”
Heinrekh was pleased to see millennia of hatred still going strong. “If you tell me something worthwhile about the Vokteren, I would.”
“You know that is not going to happen. Maybe if you loan me Sasha for the night, or perhaps two, I might accidently pass on some vital bit of information in the throes of passion.”
“That is not going to happen. Sasha is mine and I do not share.”
“What about all those fit, young men at University? I remember my first year at University, I regularly woke up in another’s bed after a heavy night of drinking and partying.”
The blue energy wound its way tight around Lars’ neck. “I am the only one in her life.” He tightened his hold until Lars was on the verge of blacking out. “Suggest otherwise and I will inflict incredible pain just for thinking it. Are we clear?”
Lars made a strangled sound and gasped for breath when Heinrekh released him. “I can take you to the very edge of death and back again. Don’t forget that. Sully Sasha’s name and the pain you felt this afternoon will be trebled next time.”
Heinrekh headed back to his study to continue research into Valkarin. He was looking in particular to references about Vokteren in Norway. Frejboren was their stronghold, but if there were mention of them in other villages along the coast, there was as good chance he might find a gateway. His mind however had other things on it. Lars’ words had buried themselves in his head and he couldn’t shake off his jealousy. Sasha was young and naïve, what if someone got her deliberately drunk and took advantage of her. He would not there to protect her. It was no good, he needed to see her, albeit just via Baldoren crystal. As he rode out towards the gatewa
y he gave a wry smile, Lars had succeeded in getting to him. The boy was clever.
Erin loved her father’s old bedroom. She had cleared out most of his stuff, storing it up in one of the attics; she could never get rid of it. With a quick refresh, his room now had her Gothic meets Scottish look. Birdie was going to show her the passageway which linked to his concealed chamber behind the study. She had tried to find it herself, but as the entire room was heavily panelled, she had drawn a blank.
“It’s behind the mirrored panel,” Birdie pointed to the wall.
“The one place I didn’t try,” Erin puffed.
“It’s actually a two way mirror. So you can see if anyone is in the room before reappearing like a ghost.”
“Neat. Perfect also for spying.”
“Yes, it’s probably been used many a time to check up on errant spouses.” Birdie twisted a decorative dragon on the panel and it clicked open.
Erin was about to call up some Loxhadrin to light the way when Birdie grabbed her hand. “Remember blue energy leaves a trail. Someone like Heinrekh could pick it up. If you want that volume to stay concealed, you need to keep this passage clean.”
“Fine,” Erin grunted and retrieved a torch. “There aren’t any large spiders along here are there? If so, I’m not going in.”
Birdie laughed and propelled Erin forward. “Probably hundreds.” They shut the panel behind them and followed a winding stone staircase down to the ground floor. At the bottom was another tiny chamber. Erin’s eyes were like saucers, she’d hit the jackpot again. There was a stack of very old volumes but the one she really wanted to read was about the McLomard-Voktere connection. As she moved the books, another smaller one dropped on the floor.
“Oh…My….God,” she breathed looking at the contents.
“What it is?” Birdie could not interpret it.
“It’s a book of commands. Energy commands.”
“Really? It looks like a series of squiggles.”
“Can’t you read it?”
“No. It’s not in a language I recognise. But for some reason, you can.”
“Maybe dad taught it to me, along with the Norse, when I was little.” She snapped the book shut. “Whatever was wrong with nursery rhymes and fairy tales?”
“Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty would not much use to you now,” Birdie retorted.
“Yeah,” Erin giggled. “Instead of waiting for my prince to rescue me, I went and kicked his butt.”
“See, you weren’t given any false ideologies.”
“Stop trying to validate my father’s bizarre parenting skills. At least now I know where to hide the book. Down here should be fine.” She stared at the wall in front of her. “Is Dad’s chamber the other side of this?”
“Yes. Push the latch there,” Birdie instructed and the doorway sprung open.
“Cool. How does it open from inside the chamber?”
“Same as upstairs. Just twist the McLomard dragon.”
“I’m, starting to feel a pattern here. The dragon isn’t just decorative, is it?”
“No. You just have to know which ones have secrets behind them.”
“How many more secrets does this house hold?”
“I haven’t a clue. Hundreds probably considering its age. You could spend a lifetime trying to find them. But sometimes it does help knowing where to look and what the hidden signs are.”
“After this latest mission is over, you can start to show me. The library, for instance, must contain something more than just books.”
“Perhaps it does, but the library is always such an obviously choice,” Birdie grinned knowingly. “You will just have to be patient.”
“Patience is not a McLomard trait, as you have told me numerous times,” Erin gave her aunt a dark look.
CHAPTER 24
Erin sat in the middle of the huge bed, engrossed in the volume about the McLomards and Vokteres. Drago was the son of Broslin Voktere, and had been captured during a raid on the Realms Gate. It was the Vokteren’s plan to try and destroy the Gate, to stop help coming from the First Realm to the Second.
Nine hundred years ago, the journey from Norway to Scotland would have been perilous enough. Being of noble birth, Alexander McLomard was loath to execute Drago and kept him prisoner in the South Tower of the house until he could negotiate a ransom with his father. During the many months that Drago was at the house, he fell in love with Alexander’s daughter, Isobel. By the time Broslin arrived in Muirhead, they were discussing a settlement of a different kind. Drago married Isobel and the pair stayed in Muirhead, forging a bond between the two families.
Broslin was an ardent supporter of Odin and believed it was his wish that the two families form an alliance, not just through their children. They agreed that between them they would keep the most sacred volumes of the three Realms’ history safe, to be brought to life only in times of dire need. This alliance was, however, to remain a secret itself to protect both families, but the truth would be passed down from generation to generation, so the bond that started with Drago and Isobel, would be carried through the centuries.
Erin put the book down. Now she knew why Isafor was so helpful; he was bound by a nine hundred year old treaty to offer his assistance.
Then she had a brain wave. Jasper was pressurising her for what she found in the South Tower. Here was an ancient book, one that was worth protecting. It could certainly throw him off the scent. After all the two families were supposed to keep the alliance secret. It was a perfect decoy.
She went looking for Jasper; Birdie had obviously detained him well, wherever he was. The library was the last room to search. As she pushed open the door, Jasper and Birdie seemed to jump apart.
“Erin,” Birdie appeared positively flustered. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes. I was after Jasper.” Erin’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. What were those two up to? Then it hit her. She’d told her aunt to side track Jasper, and that appeared to have been what they were doing. It really was irritating when her aunt was getting more action that she was.
Jasper looked a tad ruffled. “You needed me?”
“Yes. You were asking about a book we might have found in the South Tower. It’s not the one you thought it might be, but I think you’ll find it interesting nonetheless.” She shoved the volume into his hands and left. The less she knew about what was going on between him and Birdie the better. It seemed her aunt really did like the studious type.
Next on Erin’s list was Magnus. She knew he’d be in the South Tower with the other refugees from Lokranor. They should be back in their homeland, not displaced in another realm altogether; all this was down to Olav’s poor judgement, and not Heinrekh’s doing.
“Can I borrow you for a moment, Magnus?” Erin popped into the living room.
“No, I come at an extortionate price,” he retorted.
“Really. I thought you could be bought for a can of Coke.”
“The witch has me there,” he grimaced and stood up. “I’m all yours.” He followed her to the kitchen and retrieved his Coke. “And how can I help you, my lady?”
“I want to try out some energy commands tomorrow.”
“No, thanks,” Magnus grunted. “I’ve had enough of your blue energy.”
“This is something new,” Erin played with her hands. “I’ve come across a book that details so many different commands. I want to try some out.”
“What sort of book is it?”
Erin took him to the study and showed him.
“Bloody hell. This stuff is serious,” Magnus wasn’t so obstructive any more. “You can read this?”
“Yeah. And something tells me you recognise it too.”
“I’ve seen some of these symbols before. This is more than blue energy. This borders on sorcery.”
“I know. But if I can add several new skills to my repertoire that Heinrekh won’t expect, I stand a greater chance of beating him.”
“And why do you need me not Jasper?�
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“I’m still not sure how much I trust him. A book like this, to someone who can decipher it, is dangerous.”
“Anything in your hands is dangerous,” Magnus moaned. “But yes, I will help you tomorrow. I suggest we meet in the weapons room around 6am. Have you ever seen that hour before?”
“A regular comedian,” Erin retorted. She’d best get some sleep if she was going to be waking up with the crows.
Realms Gate: A Realm Divided Page 17
