Chapter Nine
TAIT HAD NO idea why he did it only that his dragon was in charge as he swiped Lauren’s jagged-edged blade, pulled her back against him, put it to her throat and narrowed his eyes at the enemy. “Step any closer, and I will end her life.”
Hallstein ‘the wise,’ as he called himself, put up a hand and stopped dozens of men as they appeared out of the forest and surrounded them. “Now, you know you will not go through all that again, Dragon.”
Again? What did he mean by that?
“I will do what it takes to keep her out of your hands,” he growled, unsure why he said it because he would never harm Lauren. Hel, he had given up a piece of his soul to save her.
“You think the child in my womb is gonna let you anywhere near my family?” Sam said, stepping in front of Lauren and Tait even as Bjorn tried to defend her. “Don’t you remember what happened last time you tried an ambush? It didn’t go so well, did it?”
“Not as well as I would have liked,” Hallstein conceded. “But then you sprang a little surprise on me. This time, however,” the corner of his mouth curled into a salacious grin, “I have sprung one on you.”
“Tait,” Lauren said softly and put her hand over his on the dagger. “Let me have the blade and let me go.”
Tait frowned. “No.”
“I remember who he is,” she murmured and tightened her grip. “More importantly, I remember who I was.”
Sam frowned and glanced over her shoulder at Lauren before her eyes returned to the enemy. “We’re gonna be heading out of here soon. I say you do the same, so we don’t deplete your numbers considerably.”
“I have only a fraction of my army with me,” Hallstein remarked.
“But I would imagine they are amongst your best,” Bjorn said as his eyes scanned the warriors. He was assessing their weapons and potential skills just as readily as Tait was. “Which tells me you are willing to sacrifice much for Lauren. Why?”
“Because she is likely a better fit for my Maeva than your woman was,” Hallstein said bluntly as he looked Lauren over with approval. “There might not be much to her stature but on the inside,” he licked his lips, “she is a perfect fit in ways you could not imagine.”
“Give me the blade, Tait,” Lauren repeated softly through clenched teeth. “If you do not, he will slaughter all of you and I cannot live with that.”
“What are you talking about?” Tait said telepathically, but his words only seemed to echo down the hallway of her mind. Somehow she had put a great deal of distance between them, and he could not reach her.
What she did next caught them all by surprise. Faster than the eye could follow, she seized the blade from him, spun away and strode for Hallstein before anybody could stop her.
“Ah, there you are,” the enemy said with pleasure as several men rushed forward and held her at sword point before she could reach him. “But do not think I trust you now any more than I did then.”
“But you should, wise one,” she said, a polite edge to her voice. “Look inside and see who I am now. See how much I crave a position of power and prestige. I am far different than I was last time.”
Tait spoke within Samantha’s mind, more upset by the moment. It was hard to stand by with Lauren so vulnerable. “What is she talking about? Do you know?”
“No,” Samantha responded, her distress as great as his.
“I see that you have changed,” Hallstein said softly to Lauren as he made a flourish with his hand at his men. “Let her by.”
No sooner did they pull their blades away from Lauren than they redirected them at Sam, Bjorn, and Tait. Meanwhile, Lauren sauntered forward and stopped mere feet away from Hallstein, her chin notched. “I will give you what you want so long as you allow my friends and family to leave unharmed.”
Tait could barely comprehend Lauren’s actions. How differently she was acting. But then her dragon had surfaced, and even he could admit, she was a glorious little beast. And more courageous than most by the looks of it. Or at least that’s what he kept hoping rather than entertaining the alternative.
That she might have embraced her dragon only to discover herself in league with the enemy.
That she was on the wrong side of this war.
He knew by the tension resonating off of Sam and Bjorn’s dragons that they were wondering the same. Had the very last person they suspected be the one who could possibly bring them down? Tait ignored the pain in his chest at the thought. The overwhelming sadness he felt.
“Maeva will be thankful for your sacrifice, Sister Dragon.” Hallstein bared his teeth in a wolfish grin as he wrapped his hand over hers on the dagger and pulled her close. “But then you owe it to her at the very least, do you not?”
“Yes,” she purred and pulled his head down until their lips were inches apart. “Might I be able to feel you through her this time?”
Hallstein’s eyes flashed red with his dragon’s desire before Lauren ran the tip of her tongue along the seam of his lips. Tait’s dragon roared in rage at the erotic sight seconds before everything erupted in violence. Cool, smooth violence unleashed solely by Lauren.
He had never seen anything so impressive.
“What the fuck?” Sam whispered in awe as Lauren moved so quickly the enemy seemingly had no chance to slow down time. She hissed and spit in his face before she drove a knee into his groin then turned sideways and fell to one knee, swiped her blade across his upper thigh then zig-zagged it methodically down crucial tendons in his legs.
Tait had no chance to enjoy her skills as all Hel broke loose. The enemy’s warriors attacked as Hallstein roared in pain and rage. When Tait tried to shift, Sam shook her head and started fighting. “It won’t work here. We’re in between.” She ducked beneath a blade. “Defend me so I can get us out of here.”
He did as asked and started cutting down men alongside Bjorn. They fought well together and despite the talent rushing them, kept Samantha free of harm.
In the meantime, Lauren handled herself just fine as she used Sam and Bjorn’s Gungnir blade with astounding finesse. It took a particular type of warrior to fight with a weapon like that, mainly because it was meant to be messy. Typically, you couldn’t move quickly with such a thing unless you were very strong. It took muscle to thrust it deep, pull it out then move on to the next victim.
Yet Lauren did, and her expertise did not come from him but something else. Her dragon or a part of her dragon they would soon learn about. Because the way she fought was mesmerizing. It was almost as if she danced and the blade became an extension. Yet for all her elegance, he had never seen anything so vicious.
Fierce.
Lauren never thrust the blade into anybody but carved and skimmed in all the right places. She seemed to know exactly where to nick and scrape to draw an amazing amount of blood and bring men to their knees. What she was doing was an art in warfare. She became a lethal weapon.
“Lauren, let’s go!” Sam roared. “Now!”
Wind gusted through the forest and twisted around them as the enemy released a mighty roar of denial. Bleeding profusely, he still had his hands on his groin as he narrowed his eyes at Lauren. “You will return to me, Sister Dragon. In the end, you’ll have no choice.”
Lauren’s eyes narrowed on his before she held up the Gungnir and offered a wicked grin of promise. Something only she seemed to understand. “We will see, won’t we?”
Before he could respond, Samantha’s magic swooped around them and the world got swept away. Tait tried to race toward Lauren, but everything became still and caught in the deep pressure of time travel.
As soon as it fell away, he was by her side.
“Why are we here, Samantha?” Bjorn said, upset. “You should not have brought us to the Dragon Lair.”
“I didn’t.” Her eyes remained trained on Lauren as did those in front of them. His mother and father. His sisters, Runa and Kadlin. Even Sven was here.
Apparently in a state of shock, Lauren fell t
o her knees and started shaking, her eyes wide as splattered blood trickled down her face, neck, and chest. The blade fell from one hand, and of all things, her snowglobe fell from the other.
He scooped her up and sat in front of the fire. He knew his father was communicating with Bjorn within the mind about what had happened.
Tait gently wiped the blood off Lauren then pressed her cheek against his chest and stroked her hair, so worried he couldn’t think straight. She never had a chance to embrace her dragon because it downright embraced and used her. At least it looked that way. And she was far too vulnerable for that.
“Lauren, can you hear me?” he said as his mother gave him a skin and urged him to bring it to her lips. When Lauren didn’t respond, he repeated it within her mind. Anything to get through to her. Anything to help.
All was quiet at first…then he heard a faint whisper in his thoughts.
“What did I do, Tait?”
He rested his chin on top of her head, closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. She was in there somewhere, and self-aware. “You fought bravely, Lauren. You helped defend your kin.”
“She is all right then?” his father said as he sat on one side and his mother sat on the other. Both had a mixture of concern and interest on their faces as they watched them.
“I think so.” His eyes went to Bjorn who sat nearby with his sisters and Sven. When he nodded at his cousin’s son in greeting, Sven nodded back.
Tait looked at Runa. “What happened? Where are the others? Kodran and Matthew?”
“Everyone’s safe,” Runa said. “When you vanished, the mountain returned to normal. Aunt Aella was there as well as Vigdis and Näv. Somehow they knew we were coming but knew little else except that you were safe. Kodran and Matthew are out hunting.”
Tait scowled. “Hunting while the enemy is about?”
“We need to eat, Brother,” Kadlin said. “Enemy or not.”
He nodded, grateful at least that the enemy was a little less of a threat for now because of Lauren. Even a demi-god dragon could only heal so quickly from the type of wounds she inflicted. He still couldn’t believe she moved faster than the enemy’s ability to slow down time.
“What of those at the Fortress? Are they well?” Tait kept frowning. “Was the imposter who disguised himself as Kodran the enemy?”
“We do not know.” Runa shook her head. “After we vanished, they saw no sign of Kodran again. So we can only assume whoever it was, meant us no harm.”
“Or he was assessing the strength of our Fortress and people,” Tait remarked, unsettled.
“Kjar and Aella did not sense that any type of evil had been there,” his father said. “Not after Lauren’s experience with Einar and that strange woman nor after all of you vanished.”
“Lauren and I saw the Nidstang before we ended up nearly meeting our demise in the ocean. And after I fought my own brother.” Tait’s brows flew together. “You’re saying there was no evil involved in that? That Uncle Kjar and Aunt Aella sensed nothing harmful?”
His mother shook her head. “No. Nothing harmful. But a type of magic which is unfamiliar.”
He shared what Eluf had said to them about keeping Bjark’s blood safe to keep safe Einar’s, but no one seemed to know what it meant outside the obvious. That perhaps by keeping safe Lauren and her sisters they would somehow keep safe their own kin. Because they were of Bjark’s lineage and Tait and his family, of Einar’s.
Tait sighed as he mulled things over. The seer’s revelation seemed, if nothing else, transparent. Of course, they would keep Lauren and her sisters safe. Some of them were already mates. And his aunt and uncle sensed nothing overly threatening in the Nidstang? How could that be? But he supposed it fed into the theory that their curse might not be a curse after all. Yet the Nidstang liked to appear before traumatic events. It made no sense. His eyes dropped to Lauren who still trembled against him. Curse or no curse, he would feel better once she came out of her state of shock.
“My sister has one hell of a fierce dragon inside her.” Samantha crouched in front of Lauren and brushed her hair away from her face. “You could have bet me a million dollars to believe as much, and I wouldn’t have.” She shook her head as she touched her sister’s cheek and whispered, “I underestimated the hell out of her.”
“It happens to the best of us,” his mother assured.
“Does it, Amber?” Sam murmured as she kept her eyes glued on Lauren and stroked her hair. “Because even though I’m learning about being a seer and dragon, I feel like a complete failure when it comes to Lauren.” She swallowed hard and blinked away the moisture in her eyes. “I knew she repressed a lot, but I had no idea…the rage.” She wiped away a tear and snorted. “Talented rage but rage nonetheless.”
“You cannot blame yourself for not knowing your sibling as well as you thought,” Bjorn said softly as he pulled Samantha up and urged her to join him. “I have learned much about Heidrek and even Tait that I did not realize. There are parts of them surfacing that remind me that things change.” He pulled her close. “But it’s for the better just like it is with your sisters.”
“I hope so,” she murmured.
Tait was about to speak when Lauren’s trembling became more of a shiver. His mother wrapped a fur around them both, crouched in front of her, brought a skin to Lauren’s lips, and said firmly, “Drink. Now.”
Thankfully, Lauren did and took several deep swallows before she blinked a few times and focused on his mother. “I know you,” she whispered.
“Without a doubt.” His mother smiled warmly. “I’m Megan’s sister, Amber.” She urged Lauren to drink again. “Either you know me from being inside my son’s head, or you saw my picture in Maine.”
“Pictures,” Lauren answered after she thanked her for the water. “But only because I was curious who Svala was so jealous of.”
“My niece?” Amber pressed her lips together and nodded with sudden understanding as she murmured, “Because of Sean, then, I assume.”
“Yes.” Lauren cleared her throat and tried to get off Tait’s lap, but he shook his head.
It seemed she was feeling better by the moment.
“There is an attraction between Sean and Svala, but neither will acknowledge it,” Lauren said, continuing the conversation with his mother.
“I’m sure.” His mother sat next to his father, smiling as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Tait was surprised to realize it was a possessive gesture. But then his mother had once spent time with Sean, hadn’t she? They had been close. Intimate. He had never given it much thought until now. Until the curious way Lauren looked at his parents.
“So you are Kol,” Lauren murmured, her eyes firmly on his father as she tried to find a more stable position on Tait’s lap. For the most part, that meant folding her hands together neatly. He supposed she would always be somewhat uptight. Yet the old Lauren would have been appalled at being stuck on his lap while meeting his parents. This version didn’t seem all that concerned.
Not yet anyway.
“It is nice to meet you,” she said to his father before her eyes went to his mother. “Both of you.”
“You as well.” His mother handed Lauren a mug. “Would you like some mead?”
While he fully expected her to turn it away, she said, “Yes, thank you,” and took a sip before she held it on her lap and refocused on his sisters. “It is good to see you again, Runa.” Then her eyes went to Kadlin. “Hello, I am Lauren.”
“I caught that,” Kadlin said, a pleasant enough expression on her face. “Welcome.”
Kadlin had always been her own dragon with her own ideas. Tait often thought she struggled with the idea of belonging to a family in general. Though close with their parents, she was free-spirited and independent, preferring time alone to time with her kin. He felt it jarring and hard to relate with. His dragon preferred to be as close to kin as possible. So all and all, he and Kadlin had never particularly connected.
Runa was
more his type of dragon.
Lauren eyed Kadlin for a stretch before she caught him off guard and said, “I look forward to getting to know you better, Sister Dragon.”
He wasn’t the only person she caught unaware. Everyone looked between Lauren and Kadlin with surprise. Bjorn even drew his blade and narrowed his eyes on Lauren. “Why did you call her, Sister Dragon? That’s what the enemy called you.”
Tait drew his blade as well and narrowed his eyes on Bjorn. “Be careful, Cousin.”
“Enough. Both of you,” his mother bit out. “Put away your weapons or else.”
Both listened but not before they narrowed their eyes further. Bjorn might be one of his favorite cousins, but that didn’t mean he had a right to draw a blade on his woman. Tait flinched.
Not his woman but Lauren.
As if she heard his thoughts and likely did, Lauren met Tait’s eyes. “I am sorry,” she whispered. “I do not entirely understand why I just said that.” Another shiver raked her. “But I have some things to share.” Her eyes turned back to his family. “With everyone.”
This time when she shifted forward, he felt secure enough to let her go. As it turned out, he didn’t need to because she brushed him off and merely readjusted herself on his lap. That meant crossing her legs primly and placing her hands neatly on top of one another while she leaned back against his chest.
Tait didn’t miss the way Sam’s eyes widened in surprise.
Lauren had cozied down and seemed content right where she was.
It appeared Samantha wasn’t the only one to notice as his mother perked an amused brow at him. Tait wasn’t sure what to make of any of this. While he wanted Lauren nowhere but tight against him, he also felt an uncomfortable sense of commitment he wasn’t sure he liked. This time it was his father that winked at him and gave him a knowing grin that told Tait all he needed to know.
He was in big trouble, and a woman was at the heart of it.
Lauren to be specific.
“Okay, Sis,” Samantha said. “What’s going on? What happened back there because I’m all ears.”
Soul of a Viking (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin Book 3) Page 13
