“But Kaia—”
“Will be safe with me.” Vidar spoke with authority, as if used to getting his way.
Anders nodded and left without saying goodbye. I watched him navigate between the trees until he disappeared.
“We have a lot to discuss.” Vidar placed his hand on my lower back and guided me up the bank and into the forest, away from the lake. We stopped before a tree that had a tall opening in its trunk. “Follow me.” He grinned as he stepped inside and vanished from sight.
“Vidar?” He didn’t respond. Not keen on being left alone in the forest, I ducked my head and went in after him, unable to see anything inside the dark tree trunk. Something grabbed my waist, and I screamed.
Vidar laughed. “Jumpy little thing, aren’t you?”
I whacked him. “You scared me.”
“You’re a Kriger. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
“Speaking of which, I have questions.”
“I’m sure you do,” he said. “For now, up.”
He took my hands and guided them to a rope ladder. I clutched onto a rung and started climbing, thankful beyond belief I had pants on. The ladder finally ended at a wooden platform, and I hoisted myself on top of it.
The sight astounded me. Three separate bridges were attached to the platform. Each led to a different tree. Those trees had additional bridges connecting to more trees. Built around each trunk were small, wooden structures complete with windows and chimneys.
Vidar joined me. “Welcome,” he said. “I’ll show you to the main house where you can rest and have something to eat.”
I followed him along one of the bridges as it swayed from our weight. Clutching onto the rope railing, I judiciously made my way across. A bird flew below me—we had to be at least five stories in the air. “This is amazing,” I said, the wind caressing my face. “How long have you lived here?”
“A while. It took years to acquire all the necessary supplies and build these structures.”
Vidar appeared to be about twenty years old. Since it took years to build, perhaps his father was the one who built this place. “Who else lives here?”
“Just Anders and me.”
We reached the end of the bridge and stepped onto another platform. Vidar opened the door to the house and ushered me inside. It was a cozy sitting room complete with couches, tables, and books. Off to the side, a door led into another room. Through there I spotted an oven, cabinets, and a table. This was nicer than any apartment I’d ever seen.
“Who built this?” I asked, fascinated by the luxury of this house hidden among the treetops.
“I did. Please make yourself comfortable. Once your belly is full, we’ll talk.”
Plopping on the couch, my body practically melted against the supple cushions. Vidar went into the kitchen whistling a tune I’d never heard before. He returned a few minutes later, handing me a plate piled high with bread and cheese.
He sat on the floor before the fire, resting his elbows on his legs.
I finished eating and said, “Why am I the only female Kriger?”
Vidar chuckled. “You are rather direct, aren’t you?” He stood, then sat next to me on the couch. “In all my years, I’ve never met a female Kriger.” He tapped his hand on his leg. “Of course, I’ve never known all twelve Krigers at once either. As soon as we got close to finding them all, one died and another was born. Then we had to wait eighteen years to discover the new Kriger.”
“How do you know so much about us?”
He smiled, his piercing blue eyes drawing me in. “Well … that’s a complicated question and it’s getting rather late.” He went over to the shelves, pulling down a black, leather-bound book. “This has a complete history of the Krigers. Can you read?” Vidar handed me the heavy book.
I nodded. My father had taught me years ago. We used to stay up late at night reading books and discussing politics. One of my favorite stories was about a far-off land where a young peasant girl discovered she was the true heir to a kingdom and fell in love with the evil king’s son.
“Come,” Vidar said, interrupting my thoughts. “I’ll show you to an extra bedchamber. You can read the book in there.”
Following him out of the house, he led me across another swaying bridge to a small wooden structure attached to a different tree trunk. Sturdy branches surrounded the house. He opened the door and ushered me inside. There was a bed, dresser, and a chair situated between two large windows.
“Is this for me?” I’d never had a room of my own before.
“Yes.” His eyes roamed over my body, making me flush. “Do you have any other clothes?”
“No.” I carefully laid the book on the bed and removed my jacket, placing it on the chair.
“Some of my old shirts are in the dresser. You can wear one of them for tonight. Tomorrow we’ll go to the nearby village. I’ll purchase some appropriate clothing for you.”
“You don’t have to do that.” I fidgeted with the end of my shirtsleeve.
“I know, but you’ve been through a lot. It’s the least I can do.” He turned to leave. “Oh, and if you need anything, my room is the next house over.” He pointed to the right. “I have a few things to tend to before I retire for the night. I advise you to stay inside where it’s safe from brunbjorns.” He smiled sardonically and left.
Shaking my head to clear it, I went over to the bed and sat down, eager to read the book. Engraved on the front was the title: The Order of the Krigers. Peeling open the cover, the front page contained sketches of twelve weapons. My fingers trailed over each of them. When I came to the bo staff, a pulsing sensation bloomed in my chest, expanding to my hands and feet. I quickly turned the page. At the top was the title: Known Krigers, followed by a list of names. Reading through them, I felt my eyelids grow heavy.
Blackness surrounded me. Air started to whirl, whipping my hair every which direction.
“Help me, Kaia!” a man yelled.
Hands tried to grab hold of my legs, but they kept losing their grip. I squatted down and reached out, wanting to help the person. Warm, solid fingers found mine. The wind immediately died, and the darkness receded. I found myself sitting on the forest floor, Morlet in front of me, our hands clasped together.
“You did it,” he said, a hint of awe in his voice. “I knew you could.”
“Did what?” I asked, trying to pull my hands away. He squeezed them tighter, keeping me in place.
“You sensed me searching for you. Your own power reached out to help forge our connection.”
There was no way my power did this. “You’re the one communicating with me,” I insisted. I didn’t even know how to use my power. The only time I’d tried was in the pool with Anders, and even then I wasn’t certain what I’d done.
“You mean to tell me you aren’t even aware of what you’re doing?”
“Please let me go,” I begged, trying to pull away from him.
He released me. “You must be a good distance from the capital. In order to find you, I had to use a tremendous amount of energy. Luckily, the block I felt earlier is gone. Did you figure out what it is?”
“I’m not certain.”
“But you have some ideas as to what it could be?” he asked.
We were sitting crossed-legged facing each other. Me, a peasant girl Kriger, and him, the evil king of Nelebek.
Certainty filled me—Morlet couldn’t find out about the medallion. “You told me I could ask the questions the next time we met.”
“Ah,” he mused, “I did. But I wasn’t finished with you when you so rudely disappeared.”
No animals lurked in the surrounding forest. “Where are we?” The air was unnaturally still.
“Somewhere between your location and mine,” he answered. “Would you like to go somewhere else? I can take you back to my castle now that we’ve established a connection.”
“Here is fine, thank you.”
“A
re you alone?” he asked, his voice etched with curiosity and something else I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
Like before, my gut told me to keep Anders and Vidar a secret. “No, I’m here with you.”
He reached out, as if to touch my face. I leaned back, and he dropped his hand onto his lap.
“Why do you wear that black cape? Is there something wrong with your face?”
“I never let anyone see me,” he answered.
“Why?”
Morlet laughed. “No more questions from you. Not until I’m done asking mine.” He leaned forward. “My dear Kaia,” he murmured, his face only a few inches from mine. Blue eyes glowed beneath the hood, and I sat mesmerized by the two pools of light. “I want you to come to me.”
A pull emanated from his body, and I leaned toward him.
“That’s right,” he purred. “Come to the capital. I need you, and I have something you need, too.” He placed his finger on my cheek, and desire flooded into me. “I’m waiting for you.”
I wanted nothing more than to do as he said. “Yes,” I replied. “I’m coming.”
Something shook my body, waking me. I was lying with my cheek on the book.
“Kaia,” Vidar said, kneeling next to the bed. “What’s the matter?” His face was creased with worry.
Sitting up, I felt horrible; my hands shook and my head pounded. “Morlet,” I croaked. “He wants me to go to him.” I half expected to see him lurking in the corner of my room.
Vidar sat on the bed next to me, his face turning as white as his shirt. “Morlet?”
“He’s communicating with me when I sleep.”
“First a female Kriger and now this,” he said, gently patting my back. “You’re changing everything.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, welcoming the warmth and steadiness of his body. “The only time Morlet contacts me is when I’m asleep, and the medallion isn’t nearby.”
“Have you worn the medallion?”
“No.”
“So just being near it is enough?” I nodded. “Unfortunately, Anders left with it. He won’t be gone long though. Until then, we need to be careful. I have no idea what power Morlet has over you when you’re in a dream state.”
Remembering my lack of control in the dream, I shivered. “If you hadn’t woken me up, I probably would have left and gone back to the capital.”
Vidar rubbed his face. “This complicates matters. Morlet can’t get his hands on you. If he does, it’s over.”
“I’ll just try and stay awake until Anders returns.” I yawned.
He smiled, his eyes kind and gentle. “He could be gone a few days. You look exhausted.” Vidar placed his hands on my shoulders. “Why don’t you sleep in my bed?”
I shook my head.
“I’ll sit at my desk, working, and watch over you. If you become restless, I’ll wake you.”
“What about when you need to sleep?” He’d already given me an entire room to stay in; sleeping in his bed would be far too much of an imposition. Not to mention skirting the line of impropriety.
“I’ll stay up all night,” he insisted. Before I could object, he stood and scooped me up in his arms.
“I am perfectly capable of walking.” I wasn’t a child who had to be coddled.
“Oh, I know,” he chuckled while shouldering past the door.
“Put me down.” My face turned red.
He carried me as if I weighed nothing. “Sorry,” Vidar said, suddenly serious. “Anders told me you fell and hit your head. I can’t have you walking around an unfamiliar place late at night when it’s difficult to see and we’re high up in the treetops.”
I rolled my eyes. Anders managed to irritate me without even being here.
Vidar pushed the door open and stepped inside his room. It was large, perhaps five times the size of my room, and packed with items. Shelves filled with hundreds of books, statues, and rocks covered one of the walls. Another wall had several swords, daggers, and bows hanging on it. Area rugs littered the floor while a massive desk piled high with papers took up an entire corner of the room. Maps and diagrams were strewn all over his bed. A small fireplace was situated near the bed, although it wasn’t lit. A few candles burned, illuminating the room.
Vidar set me on my feet. He went to his bed, rolling up the papers and placing them on his desk. “As I said before, I have some work to do.” Pointing to his bed, now cleared off, he said, “Make yourself comfortable.”
I crawled onto the enormous feather mattress and slid under the silky sheets that smelled of pine. Vidar blew out all the candles except for the ones on his desk before sitting down and reading through some papers.
I decided to close my eyes and rest—not that I’d be able to fall asleep in his room with him watching me, no matter how comfortable the bed was.
“Kaia, come to me.” My body felt as if it were tied to a rope, being tugged toward the voice. “That’s right, come.”
“No.” I kicked the invisible force, but I wasn’t strong enough to break free. Morlet’s arms wrapped around me, and I stiffened. This felt wrong. I needed to sever the connection.
He stroked my hair. “My Kaia.”
“Wake up.”
My eyes flew open.
Vidar rested his hand on my forehead. “You were mumbling that you needed help to break free.”
“Morlet used his magic on me.” Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes. “When he communicates with me, each time it’s becoming difficult to remember who and where I am.” What was I going to do?
Vidar kicked off his boots and climbed under the covers.
“What are you doing?” I swiftly scooted to the other side of the bed.
“I’m going to sleep next to you. Perhaps you’ll dream of me instead of Morlet.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Even though Anders and I had slept side by side in caves, there hadn’t been any romantic inclinations between us. However, being in the same bed as Vidar felt forbidden. I crawled on top of the blankets, wanting to put space between us.
The corners of his mouth pulled up into a devious smile. “You know, usually when I tell a woman I’ll sleep with her, she’s thrilled.” He chuckled. “I’ve never had your reaction before.”
I bolted out of bed. My father would be furious if he found out I was alone in a room with a man, let alone in his bed.
“I’m just teasing you,” Vidar said. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself. You’re adorable when you’re embarrassed.”
Folding my arms, I wanted nothing more than to go back to my own room, away from this man with beautiful blue eyes that were constantly looking at me as if I were interesting.
“Come on.” He patted the bed. “I won’t bite. Much.”
“I’ll take my chances in the other room,” I whispered, refusing to banter with him. He made me uncomfortable, made me feel things and think about things I’d never experienced before.
“Fine.” He stood and walked to the door. “At least allow me to escort you to your room.”
Remembering how he’d carried me here, my face flushed, not wanting him to hold me so intimately again. “Very well,” I said. “But I’m walking on my own this time.”
“Suit yourself.”
Crossing the bridge, I saw thousands of stars dotted the sky. An owl hooted, and a soft breeze rustled the leaves.
“Just so you know, I’m sitting in a chair and watching over you, whether you like it or not.”
I didn’t care for the idea of him looking at me all night. However, if Morlet returned, I needed someone to wake me. “Thank you,” I said, trying to sound sincere.
“The pleasure is all mine.”
I preferred the assassin’s aloof demeanor to Vidar’s blatant flirting. It was going to be a long couple of days until Anders returned.
Chapter Six
When I peeled my eyelids open, the sun shone bright outside. I sat up and observed the disarray before me. The lowe
r portions of my legs were tied with rope to Vidar’s hands and arms.
Lying on the bottom half of my bed, he looked up at me. “Morning,” he said, his voice gravelly.
“What happened?” I asked, not sure I really wanted to know.
He smiled. “After you fell asleep, you tried to leave. Several times, as a matter of fact. When I started to doze off, I tied myself to you to make sure you didn’t go anywhere.”
“What if I untied myself once you fell asleep?”
“I didn’t think of that.” Vidar chuckled. “Care to untie me now? Unless you prefer to stay this way?”
Heat coursed through my entire body. Taking a deep breath, I blew a stray hair off my cheek, trying to act nonchalant. “You mean to tell me you can’t undo a few knots?”
“I can.” He shrugged. “It’s just easier for you since your hands are free.”
I reached down and worked on the complicated knots. His face was only inches from mine as he sat there staring at me. “Stop watching me.”
“Why?”
“You’re making me nervous,” I admitted, pulling a knot free.
“Better?” he asked, facing the ceiling.
“Much. Do you know if there’s a way I can use my own power to block Morlet?” That way we wouldn’t have to resort to drastic measures—like being tied together—just to sleep.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Vidar answered. “It’s your power that allows him to connect to you in the first place.”
The last knot on my right leg came free. I moved to the left one, working as fast as possible. “So you’re saying the only way to stop him is with the medallion?”
“Correct.”
“How am I supposed to defeat someone so powerful?”
“You’re not,” he said, looking back at me. “That’s why there are twelve Krigers. It takes each Kriger with his own weapon, his own power, working together. Then, and only then, can Morlet be destroyed.”
I undid the remaining knot and moved away from Vidar, rubbing my ankles. “The other eleven Krigers are all imprisoned?” He nodded. “What about their weapons?”
“I suspect Morlet has stashed them somewhere in the castle.”
Rise Page 7
