“Because, as a wise man named Grant once told me, it’s always less about the outcome and more about the journey that got you there.” A twinkle lit Adlin’s eyes. “Or mayhap it was me who told him. I cannae recall anymore.” He tapped his temple. “Old age in a young mind. ‘Tis a bloody odd thing.”
“I would imagine,” Eydis agreed.
Adlin nodded, grateful for her sympathy before he perked up. “Speaking of old age.” His eyes went to Kodran. “It seems Eluf will soon head down that path, aye?”
“Yes, we all know he will,” Cybil said, her voice firm. “But before we get to whatever you say next and we’re distracted, we need you to elaborate on what you said before.” She cocked her head in question. “While I like the sound of your idea, I can’t help but wonder if the enemy won’t enjoy the same pleasure and be inside every one of our minds too. And if he is, that means we really have no element of surprise, right?”
“Aye, see,” Adlin said with approval to Eydis as he gestured at Cybil. “That right there is why she’s a queen.”
Eydis nodded with approval.
“Please answer her question,” Sam said. “Because I’m a queen too and this sounds shady as hell.”
Eydis looked from Samantha to Adlin in question and murmured, “Is she really? She seems a bit...”
Lauren’s chuckle interrupted Eydis. “Yes, I tend to think it was a stretch making her Viking royalty.” She winked at Sam. “But she and King Bjorn were recently married, and outside of her vulgar language she seems to be loved by her people.”
Erica’s eyes rounded on Sam. “You’re married?”
“And pregnant.” Samantha rested her hand on her stomach and smiled. “Though the two are unrelated.”
“Well, shit, how did I not know either of those things?”
“I do have a little bit of my own power, Sis and can keep secrets too.” Sam squeezed her hand. “Besides, you’ve had more than enough to deal with, wouldn’t you say?”
“I wish I hadn’t.” Erica fought emotions. “I wish all of this could have been more normal. You sharing the biggest news of your life when you got pregnant...and married.” Her eyes went from sister to sister. “When each of you met your dragon mates and all the firsts I know you’ve experienced since then. Hell...” She shook her head. “What I wouldn’t have done to be there when each of you embraced your dragons for the first time.”
“But you are now, Erica.” Cybil’s eyes met hers. “Can’t you see us in your mind’s eye?”
Erica’s eyes widened as their thoughts became clearer to her. As she saw each of her sisters shift for the first time, then even Kage. They had all been intense moments. Life-changing moments.
And now she was part of it.
Her eyes went to each of them again, and she smiled. “It’s nice to...” She choked back emotion. “It’s good to finally reconnect.”
“Yes, it is,” Shannon whispered before they all gave her a group hug. Even Kage, tough guy that he was.
Yet when they pulled away, her eyes went to Kodran. He might not be immediate kin, but he should always be part of a family group hug. He was part of her.
“I’ll always be close to you, Erica,” he said into her mind. “Never worry about that.”
She wasn’t...was she? But it occurred to her as their eyes held, that deep down she must be. She had been a loner for a long time, and now she wasn’t anymore. And while some of that had to do with her family, a great deal more had to do with him.
Not just her dragon mate but her seer soul mate.
“I’d like to refocus on what Cybil was concerned about,” Kage said. “If we’re in Hallstein’s mind when we return to the tenth century, shouldn’t we expect trouble right away?”
“Now that...” Adlin gave Kodran a look. “Might just be where you and Erica mating comes in handy after all.”
Kodran frowned. “Might?”
“Aye.” Adlin nodded. “Your journey here isnae quite over. You’ve more to discover.”
“And there is someone who might be able to offer more help,” Eydis said softly. “But he is caught now...until he is freed.”
“What does that mean?” Cybil said. “Who?”
“Aye, how cryptic,” Adlin said with a grin before he promptly started to fade.
All frowned with dismay when he vanished.
“Of whom do you speak, Eydis?” Lauren continued. “Because I get the feeling he is someone important.”
“Yes,” she agreed as her eyes met Erica’s. “You knew him as your grandfather, Bjark.” Her eyes returned to the others. “But all of you now know him as someone caught in an unnatural slumber. Your former king, Naðr Véurr Sigdir.”
Chapter Twelve
KODRAN HAD DEALT with a lot of shocking moments since all this began but knowing that his uncle was Bjark’s reincarnate was truly unexpected. He supposed in some ways, it shouldn’t come as all that much of a surprise. After all, while Einar had started the Sigdir lineage in another life, his twenty-first century incarnate became Erica and her sibling’s father. So why shouldn’t their own ancestor become so entrenched as a Sigdir in another life?
“So where is my father-in-law now?” Samantha frowned at Eydis. “How do we save him?”
“You do not.” The seer’s eyes went to Kodran and Erica. “They do.”
“How?” He suddenly felt pent up. As though he wanted to shake answers out of the serene woman. “And why would you not say it right away when you knew it was Maeva’s reincarnate at stake?”
“Because it is not my place,” Eydis murmured.
“But I thought the whole point of having you along was to direct us,” Erica said before she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful I’m just...”
“Scared,” Eydis supplied as Erica seemed to gather herself. “And that is understandable. So you will continue on your journey to find answers, yes?” The seer’s eyes went to Cybil and clouded over. She was foreseeing something. “And you will make sure that a good friend of mine makes her way back to her king.”
Cybil considered her. “You’re talking about Megan, aren’t you?”
“I speak of she who can hear Naðr Véurr Sigdir best,” Eydis said respectfully.
“Okay. We can do that,” Cybil said. “We will do that.”
She was about to say more when the blade at Kodran’s side began to heat, and white light swallowed everything. By the time it faded, he and Erica once against stood in the cave at the base of the Gungnir, and everyone was gone.
“Jesus,” she whispered and sank onto the edge of the bed. “They’re gone? Just like that?” Her eyes met his. “Do you think they’re okay? Do you think they got home all right?”
“Yes.” He sat next to her and took her hand. “I don’t doubt it for a second.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No.” Kodran shook his head and met her eyes. “I truly don’t.”
“Why?”
“Because if they didn’t I don’t think you and I would be here anymore,” he said and believed it. “I’m starting to think that we wouldn’t exist if they didn’t. If all hope were gone, Eluf and Maeva would have never reached out to us.”
Her eyes stayed with his. “Do you think that’s what Eluf meant when he said we received their message? That there was still hope and we could win?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. While he hated seeing Erica so unsure, he understood why she felt that way after everything they had just witnessed. How cruel Bard had been.
“It was one thing to deal with Hallstein in the twenty-first century,” she whispered, in tune with his thoughts. “Another thing entirely to see what he did as Bard to Maeva, to feel it firsthand, then his contempt for all those around him.” She shook her head. “And I don’t know why the difference is impacting me so much now. Hallstein is the same sort of evil jackass.”
“I do.” Kodran squeezed her hand. “The difference now is that you’ve reconnected not only wit
h me but your kin. That is everything, Erica. You are finally part of something you’ve long denied yourself.”
“You make it sound like I deserve it when I’m not so sure.” She shook her head. “I knew I had to travel back in time, but I could have found a way to escape you when I arrived. I could’ve gotten to Hallstein, and he might already be dead.”
“You and I both know it would not have happened like that.” He was about to say more when he spied something resting in the corner. “Loki’s cock, is that what I think it is?”
She narrowed her eyes. “That old animal skin bag?”
Kodran scooped it up and smelled its contents. “Loki’s Hel,” he muttered before he took a deep swig.
“Oh, no way. Tell me that’s alcohol.” Erica joined him, took a swig and didn’t flinch a bit at the rough mead. “Hell, that tastes good right now.”
He couldn’t agree more so he invited her to sit and enjoy it while he lit a fire.
“Here we are again,” she murmured and held up the skin in a toast. “But ever the wiser.”
“And here I thought Eluf couldn’t get much wiser,” he mocked as he started the fire then sat down beside her. He let her keep the mead to drink as much or little as she wanted. The whole thing if need be. Anything to help her find comfort after all she had just witnessed.
“Everything we witnessed,” she murmured, rephrasing his thoughts as she handed him the skin. “Don’t forget, we’re in this together, and it’s not easy on either of us.”
Kodran took the skin but didn’t drink as he watched her eye the fire. She was adjusting to reconnecting with her kin. To losing her grandfather in one life only to realize he had been reborn in another and was now a well-known king in an unnatural slumber.
Following his thoughts, she murmured, “While I have a whole lot I should be thinking about right now, all I can focus on is Megan.” Her eyes met his. “I never should have sold her the house. If anything, I gave her one more excuse to stay in the twenty-first century. She needs to return home to be with her family before she dies. And what if connecting with Bjark somehow wakes Naðr up?” She shook her head. “I don’t care what her reasons, she should be with him in her final hours...and I should have realized that before I sold anything to her.”
“You were thinking about protecting your sisters, Erica.” He took her hand. “And what Aunt Megan ultimately does and doesn’t wish in the end is out of your hands. She’s a strong woman with her own mind.” He cocked his head. “And what makes you think all of us, including Naðr, won’t go to her if we have to? Because rest assured when my uncle awakes he will search her out. Nothing will stop him.”
She nodded and whispered, “I hope so.”
“Don’t doubt it.” He shook his head. “She won’t be alone.”
Erica stared at the fire for a long moment before she murmured, “I don’t think we got much rest before all that. But honestly, I don’t think sleep is what I need right now.” She never let go of his hand as she stood and met his eyes. “No more floor for you. Join me in bed, Kodran.”
Nothing sounded better. In fact, at this juncture the more they laid together, the better. Especially if it ultimately kept her safer when they returned home. So he stood, cupped her cheeks, kissed her and slowly walked her backward until the back of her knees hit the bed.
Now that he knew they could use magic safely here, he didn’t waste time but murmured a chant and removed their clothing. Outside of undressing her quickly, this time there would be no rushing. He intended to take his time and give her what she had long deserved.
Affection and worship.
“You don’t have to,” she whispered. “Because I know how good it’ll feel no matter what.”
He might be in her mind a great deal, but things were still shadowed. Things she either kept repressed on purpose or considered them so insignificant that she barely thought about them. They didn’t really matter all that much. Unfortunately, he realized that was the case when he figured out that even before Hallstein, sex had always been cut and dry for her. She had been too worried about her inner dragon surfacing and then about protecting her sisters.
It was time that changed.
He started with her lips then worked his way down her neck before he kissed along her collarbone until he slowly made his way down her arm. All the while, he tracked in his mind’s eye where bruises and breaks had once scarred her smooth skin and spent extra time on those spots. Sometimes he blew lightly, other times he nibbled or licked then kissed some more. Sometimes her breath caught, and other times she released a low moan. By the time he was finished, he had soothed every last long gone wound and found every little sensitive spot before he made his way to the other arm where he started all over.
Once he made his way to her breasts, her breathing was ragged. He continued to do the same thing there and did his best to keep rage out of his mind. Hallstein had done horrible things to her poor body, and he would pay a million times over for it.
She started trembling as he pulled her nipple into his mouth, swirled his tongue around it then suckled.
“Oh shit,” she whispered before her knees started shaking as well. When she began to sink, he braced his hands on her hips and kept her perched on the edge of the bed. He continued down her stomach, all the while replacing the stain of Hallstein’s rough touch with gentle, affectionate touches accompanied by dragon magic that he pushed into her mind. Bit by bit, he was making those memories fade away and replacing them with what he was doing now. Like soothing balm on a wound that was, at last, healed.
Her eyes slid shut in both arousal and relief.
Next, he started on her hips, thighs and all the way down her long, beautiful legs. Naturally, he saved the best for last. The sweet juncture between her thighs. He was so aroused by her scent he would be lucky if he didn’t release too soon.
Her eyes were on him as he made his way up her calf, knee, then spread her legs as he ran his tongue along her inner thigh. There was no mistaking her desire when he finally tasted her. As he finally licked what he had longed to taste since the moment he laid eyes on her. She tasted every bit as good as he knew she would.
Erica dug her hands into his hair and groaned loudly this time. After that, she didn’t last long but half fought, half embraced the pleasure as she clenched his hair tighter to stop him then ended up falling back onto the bed in acceptance. He would have stopped if she wanted but after a few shakes of her head then nods, she started rolling her hips in need.
So he showed her just how good it could be.
And he didn’t stop until she had released several times over.
While he intended to stay there for as long as possible, she eventually murmured, “Get up here, Kodran. Right now.”
He grinned at her husky tone, at the demand he knew was her dragon’s. Of course his dragon responded. By the time he made it back up, he was seeing red and wanted to flip her. But he wouldn’t. That seemed too animalistic, and she deserved anything but that right now.
“No,” she rasped then cleared her throat before her half-mast eyes met his. “I want it that way.” She bit her lower lip and shook her head. “I just can’t seem to find the...”
When she trailed off, he understood. She was so spent, she could barely move. So he lifted her, then lay her down on her stomach before he proceeded to do everything to her backside that he had done to her front. As she groaned and whispered random words of pleasure, he slowly bunched fur beneath her stomach until she was in a better position.
By the time he penetrated her, she was whimpering with pleasure and impatience. Though it took everything he had, he kept his movements slow as he rolled his hips and touched every sensitive nerve ending she had.
Again, he was healing her.
This time from the inside out.
All the while, he dropped small kisses on her shoulders and neck as he kept caressing her. His dragon clearly sensed its mate needed this and didn’t press him to go any faster. They m
ight be slick with sweat and breathing heavily, but he kept the same steady pace as she clenched then twisted the furs.
It was taking every last ounce of strength he had to keep from releasing. Strength he knew his dragon was providing because he couldn’t stop a deep chested growl of need. That, it seemed, was all her dragon was waiting for because she started shaking then cried out. Half a breath later, he pressed deep and groaned in the most satisfying release of his life.
Then images started flashing in his mind.
A beautiful multi-colored dragon stared directly at him before she launched into the air. The next thing he knew he was soaring with her. Part of her. She landed beside the great ash, watching as Eluf laid Bjark’s body beneath it. Then he and his seers formed a circle and held hands. Somehow, Kodran knew this took place after Bjark’s death, but his body still looked like it had happened recently.
The head seer didn’t seem to know she was there...or did he?
Suddenly, he started chanting as did the others.
What was he doing?
The tree trunk ignited in gold then so did every last branch and leaf. When that happened, Kodran began to understand the words Eluf was saying. He was directing Bjark’s spirit first to Odin and then asking it for help. Giving it a choice to remain partly tethered to this reality to help Maeva. To free her from Bard’s clutches and to give her peace. At least part of her. Not only that but he was calling on the gods of his home world for help in exchange for releasing more of his power and growing old even faster.
Wind started to rush in as it seemed Eluf’s prayers were being answered.
Everything twisted sharply before Kodran felt Maeva’s insides pull apart. At first, it was painful, but seconds later, there was nothing but peace and everything faded away.
“Kodran?” Maeva whispered.
He frowned, confused, only to open his eyes not to Maeva but Erica lying next to him. She was on her side, eyes trained on his face.
“Hey,” she whispered and ran her finger lazily along his jaw. “Did you catch all that?”
Pride of a Viking Page 15
