Flight of Dragons

by Elianne Adams, Sadie Haller, Zoe York, Shelley Munro, Zara Keane, LC Alleyne, Skye Jones, Evanne Lorraine, Ann Gimpel

  A few tourists wandered the main gallery and the smaller halls, but no one resembled Ti’s description. They reached the back of the museum without incident.

  “Sir, do you copy?” Svensson asked.

  “Loud and clear.” Thorsson’s voice echoed in her ear.

  “Evaldsson, you copy?” Svensson whispered into his earpiece.

  “Roger. Miss Haraldsdóttir, can you hear us clearly?”

  She touched her ear. “Roger.”

  Svensson nodded. “Let’s do this. And try not to touch your ear—it’ll give you away.”

  “All right.” She walked quickly down a narrow hallway, turned left, and finally stood in front of the large, triple glazed panel of glass where tourists could watch her colleagues study and identify their findings. Luckily, no one was in the room.

  She punched in the six-digit passcode, and the door opened on a hiss as the vacuum seal was disengaged. “You’ll have to wait outside,” she told Svensson. “The artifacts are very delicate, and I don’t want anything disturbed.”

  Svensson opened the door wider and looked around. “Is there another exit?”

  “Yes.” Eva pointed to the emergency exit on the right-hand wall at the back of the room.

  “If anything happens, you get your ass out that way.”

  Eva nodded, but she was scared. “I’ll lock the door behind me.”

  “Get back to Evaldsson as fast as you can. Don’t worry about me.”

  “I promise. But I’d rather do this quickly so we can both get away.”

  Eva locked the door, then quickly pulled on a lab coat, mask and a pair of surgical gloves. It was silent in the room except for her frantic breathing. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, then opened the drawers marked Lysuhóll Volcano. Besides the beautiful dragon vase, she and Papa had also found a Viking shield, bronze and gold plates, swords and spears. Another drawer contained precious stones, coins, and jewelry from a Viking grave. The Viking skeleton was in another room.

  Based on Lancelot’s description of a dragon scale, the Viking shield and plates looked promising. “Shit.” Under normal circumstances, she would apply a mild acid solution to see what lay beneath the metal and wood. But there was no time.

  Eva looked at the vase. Its vivid scene of the dragon battle drew her to it, and she picked up the stone artifact. Something glinted from a crack near its neck, and upon closer inspection, revealed itself as silver. This was a silver jug.

  She turned it over in her hands, checking it carefully, but she had no way of knowing its true nature unless she destroyed the stone and mural, and she wasn’t going to do that unless she absolutely had to. In the end, Eva grabbed a large plastic bag from under the table, carefully wrapped the artifacts, and stuffed them into the bag. She hoped that Papa would forgive her.

  Suddenly, her earpiece crackled with static. “A man is entering the museum. He fits Lord Ti’s description.” Evaldsson’s voice, filled with tension.

  “Miss Haraldsdóttir, collect the items and go out the back door,” Svensson commanded.

  “What about you?”

  “If it’s Lord Ti, I’ll distract him, but you must get out.” Through the window, she saw the guard pull out a gun and walk slowly down the hallway.

  Eva yanked off her mask, threw the lab coat over a chair, grabbed the bag, and hoisted it over her shoulder. As she opened the emergency exit, the sharp bark of a gunshot echoed into the room, followed by an agonized cry and screams.

  “Svensson? Svensson!” Evaldsson shouted through the earpiece.

  A shadow darkened the hallway beyond the window, and a pair of glowing red eyes stared at her. Swearing, she dashed through the emergency door and into the hallway. Just as she reached the door leading outside, the sound of broken glass startled her. Ti had broken into the lab room.

  Thorsson’s voice crackled through her earpiece. “Miss Haraldsdóttir, where are you?”

  “I’m outside.” She took off down the alleyway, not daring to look back until she reached the main road. Eva risked a glance over her shoulder and held back a scream as she saw Ti walk casually towards her.

  She ran across the street and dodged several cars that screeched to a sudden halt or weaved wildly to avoid hitting her. She ran down another alley, but the heavy bag slowed her down, and the items clanging against each other revealed her whereabouts.

  “Miss Haraldsdóttir, talk! Where are you now?” Evaldsson demanded through the earpiece.

  “I’m on Laugavegur Street,” she yelled. “He’s after me.”

  “I’m coming for you now.”

  “No! Ti wants me, but you must get the artifacts to Balthazar.”

  Thorsson swore loudly. “Miss Haraldsdóttir…”

  “Look, there’s no time to argue.” Eva spotted a large, half-empty garbage bin and placed the bag inside it. “The artifacts are in a white plastic bag in a green bin beside the Icelandic Pub. Just get them and go!”

  She ran across another street and slowed to a fast walk, looking over her shoulder occasionally. She didn’t see Ti. “I think I lost him.”

  “Don’t be arrogant,” Thorsson warned her. “This is a dragon you’re talking about. Keep moving and stay on the busy streets.”

  Eva jumped as a couple appeared suddenly from the alley in front of her. Fighting to control her racing heart, she reached the end of the block and turned a corner. Ti stood halfway down the street, looking straight at her. Eva screamed and backpedaled furiously before turning to sprint down another alley. “He saw me!”

  “Keep moving. Get someplace where there’s lots of people.”

  Eva ran until she saw the entrance to the Blue Lagoon Hot Springs. Amongst the tourists, she should be safe until someone came for her. “I don’t want Ti to hear me,” she whispered urgently, “but the vase holds the clue.” She looked over her shoulder and saw a flash of red in the crowd. “Shit.” Eva had reached the hot springs’ entrance and fumbled in her pocket for change.

  “Allow me.”

  The deep voice startled her, and Eva looked over her shoulder and froze. Auburn hair and green eyes that flashed red stared back at her.

  “I’m fine, thank you.” She fought hard to remain calm.

  Ti Anda reached past her, giving the cashier money to pay their entrance fee. “Oh, but I insist. You gave me a good chase through the city streets. It’s the least I can do.”

  Eva hoped Thorsson was listening to their conversation as Ti linked her arm with his. She had no choice but to follow him into the tourist site and towards a small café to their right.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” Thorsson warned her over the communications link.

  “Ah, is that Thorsson’s voice I hear?” Ti held out his hand. “I’m sorry, but this conversation is between Miss Haraldsdóttir and myself.”

  She licked her lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Eva hissed in pain when he squeezed her hand tightly. “Don’t fuck with me,” he growled.

  She took the communications link out of her ear and handed it to him, and watched with dismay as he threw it to the ground and destroyed it under the heel of his shoe.

  ***

  Ti sat down on her left. His burnished auburn hair was tied into a ponytail, and as he stared at her, his green eyes flashed with a hint of red. “When my colleague hadn’t returned my phone calls, I traced his last location to a hotel in London. Imagine my surprise when I found Emilio without a head, the hotel surrounded by police, and the distinctive smell of Emilio’s brand in the air.”

  He lifted his hand and asked for herbal tea before looking at her.

  “Coffee please.” Eva wished for something stronger.

  “The scent eluded me several times, but once I took to the air, I managed to track you here.

  “Of course, I didn’t want to intrude on my brother’s personal space. Balthazar’s security detail would have torn me to shreds while he watched before I had the chance to transform.” Ti lean
ed close towards her and sniffed. “You have my brother’s scent all over you. Have you been intimate with him?”

  Eva almost shot back with a snarky reply, but bit her tongue. “What do you want?”

  “What rightfully belongs to me.”

  “The family hoard?” She waited until the waitress had left. “Balthazar defeated you in a fair fight.”

  “Lancelot sided with him.”

  “That was Lancelot’s choice.”

  “I’ve returned to claim what is mine.”

  “Why now?” Of course she knew, but wanted to see if he would answer.

  Ti sipped his tea. “That’s none of your business.”

  “I was dragged into this shit, so it is my business.” Her hands shook, and Eva placed them on her lap to hide her nervousness.

  “You’ll come with me, Miss Eva Haraldsdóttir.” He glanced at her. “Don’t look so surprised—Emilio was most efficient. Adopted daughter of Professor Harald Símonarson.” He finished his drink and stood up. “I know that your father isn’t involved, but if you don’t cooperate, I may have to use him as persuasion.”

  ***

  “You let Eva do what?” Balthazar snared Thorsson’s collar and slammed him into the wall. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Who’s with her?”

  “Svensson and Evaldsson.” Thorsson swallowed audibly.

  “Have you heard from them?”

  “Evaldsson radioed that Miss Haraldsdóttir and Svensson had entered the museum.”

  He growled fiercely and released him. “I should rip your throat out right now,” he hissed. “How could you let her leave?”

  “She was convinced that one of her artifacts is your scale, my lord.”

  He rubbed his forehead. “And you believed her?”

  “Yes, my lord, I did.”

  Balthazar glanced at him. Thorsson stood like a rock, large, unmoving, and slightly intimidating. His expression displayed the determination and fierceness of his Viking ancestors—he would have protected Eva with his life if he had to. Thorsson’s belief in Eva must have been strong if he allowed her to leave without him.

  Balthazar shook his head. “How long have they’ve been gone?”

  “Just over an hour.”

  “Call Svensson now. I want to know what’s going on. And put him on speakerphone.”

  Thorsson pulled out his cellphone and hit a number. It rang several times before it went to voicemail.

  “Shit.” Thorsson hung up and dialed another number.

  “Sir.”

  “Evaldsson, I need a report.” Thorsson glanced at him. “I have you on speaker. Lord Balthazar is here with me.”

  An anxious cough at the other end. “My lord.”

  “What’s going on?” Balthazar demanded. “Where’s Eva?”

  “Miss Haraldsdóttir and Svensson have just entered the museum, my lord. There’s no sign of Lord Ti.”

  Which didn’t mean he wasn’t nearby—the mark on Eva’s arm may still act as a signal. “If my brother appears, you only have one chance. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Thorsson hung up. “I can join them my lord, if that is what you wish.”

  “No, you’re staying here. If Ti makes an appearance, I need you and Lancelot. Get the others and begin barricading the house.”

  Several minutes later, Thorsson appeared. “My lord.” His expression held concern.

  “What is it, man? Out with it.”

  The blond man took a deep breath. “Evaldsson is on the phone. Lord Ti is in the museum.”

  Balthazar snatched the phone from Thorsson’s hand. “Evaldsson, you had better give me an update on where the hell Eva is.”

  “My lord, Miss Haraldsdóttir is out of the museum. Svensson’s been killed.”

  He closed his eyes. “Fucking hell.”

  “She still has the communication link on.” A pause. “She’s on the run.”

  “Get her out of there!”

  “She won’t tell me where she is.” Another pause. “She’s told me where to pick up the artifacts.”

  “Eva has to be in the area. Get over there, grab her, and get back here.”

  “Yes sir.” The phone disconnected.

  “You know Miss Haraldsdóttir made a wise choice in separating herself from the artifacts,” Thorsson said quietly.

  “She was stupid to go to the museum without telling me!” Balthazar threw the phone at Thorsson.

  “Wait.” Thorsson touched his ear. “She’s still wearing the com link.” He was silent for several moments. “She doesn’t see Lord Ti. She’s also told me that the vase holds the clue.”

  Balthazar moved closer to listen, his keen hearing picking up Eva’s frightened voice. By Odin, had she found his scale?

  Another voice, deep and all too familiar, suddenly spoke over the com link. “That’s Ti,” he said flatly.

  Thorsson’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you certain?”

  Balthazar nodded. His body slumped in defeat—it was too late.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” Thorsson whispered into the com link. Moments later, he yelled and quickly pulled it out of his ear. Loud, screeching static echoed around them.

  “He’s destroyed Miss Haraldsdóttir’s com link,” Thorsson said, tossing his own onto a table.

  Balthazar headed for the door. “I have to get to the city.”

  “No, my lord.” Thorsson crossed his arms. “It’s suicide.”

  “And I’m supposed to let Ti kill her?”

  “Thorsson’s right and you know it.” Lancelot had appeared at the top of the stairs. “You can’t fight Ti without getting yourself killed, and with the Equinox almost here, you’re a prime target. Don’t give Ti the satisfaction of finishing you off.”

  Balthazar roared in fury, which shook the house and made Thorsson stumble around wildly. “I want Eva back, no matter what it costs.”

  “Don’t you think Ti might know that?”

  He looked at his brother, fear flooding his body. Eva a hostage?

  ***

  Evaldsson’s jeep slipped into the back garage, and he pulled out a large garbage bag when Balthazar and the others arrived. “I couldn’t find her, sir,” he said. “But she had time to say that Lord Ti was with her.”

  Balthazar couldn’t fathom what his brother might do to Eva—kill her and dump her body somewhere, or as Lancelot had suggested, use her as a hostage to demand terms. Either way, even with Lancelot’s help, his chances of remaining alive and keeping her safe were slim to none. “What’s in the bag?”

  “A vase, shield and some bronze and gold plates.”

  “Bring them inside.” He looked in the direction of Reykjavík. It shouldn’t be long before Ti showed up—with or without Eva. The thought chilled him to the bone.

  In the foyer, Thorsson took the artifacts out and arranged them carefully on the floor. “Miss Haraldsdóttir mentioned the vase,” he said.

  Balthazar picked it up. It certainly was a beautiful piece, the colors vibrant and detailed. He stared at the scenes as he turned it around in his hands, the memory of that fight haunting him even now. Whoever had drawn this must have been there to witness it—possibly one of the stick figures painted near the bottom. When he saw the stick figure bent over his scale, his shoulder throbbed in pain. He turned it over—there were several runes at the bottom, which he read, but they didn’t make any sense to him.

  “I don’t see anything.” He handed the vase to Thorsson. “I don’t see any clues at all.”

  Thorsson stared at the vase for several minutes before giving it to Lancelot.

  “Did Eva say anything else at all? Anything?”

  “No, my lord. She didn’t have time. Only that the vase held the answer.”

  Balthazar’s gaze skimmed over the remaining artifacts. Then in a fury, he picked up the plates and smashed them onto the floor. The shield followed, splintering into thousands of pieces. Something slashed his cheek, but he didn’t notice the pain.
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  All he could do now was wait.

  Chapter 6

  The powerful roar of an engine caught Balthazar’s attention. He opened the door and watched as the luxury Range Rover drew nearer. Its driver handled the rough road with ease as the large vehicle kept its course.

  He waited, finally spying Eva in the passenger seat. The sight of his older brother after so many years set his teeth on edge. Ti could have remained hidden for the rest of his natural days, and Balthazar would have left him alone. It was obvious Ti kept track of time after he had lost his scale. He wouldn’t have known if it had been found—he only cared about the chance of defeating him to claim their family hoard. A flash of sadness filled Balthazar’s heart. Greed was a very powerful motivator in dragons, and Ti had shown himself to be a classic case.

  The jeep didn’t stop at the house, and he saw Eva’s worried expression through the window as it drove past.

  “Lancelot, Thorsson, get your battle faces on. Ti’s made his appearance.”

  Lancelot looked over his shoulder. “Where are they?”

  “Ti’s heading for the volcano.” He stepped outside. “Come on.”

  Ti’s abandoned Jeep sat in front of their parents’ graves. Balthazar left his vehicle beside his brother’s and looked around. He finally spotted them standing on the extensive flat landscape south of the volcano. “Thorsson, I want you and Lancelot to stay here.”

  “My lord.” The big man lowered himself on one knee. “Please reconsider. Let me accompany you.”

  Balthazar glanced at Lancelot. His younger brother’s skin had started to transform into scales. “Don’t be too eager.”

  Lancelot stared at him in surprise. “He’s going to kill you if I don’t go with you.”

  “He’ll try. I need you to stay here with Thorsson. Ti knows you’re a threat. He’ll kill Eva long before we’re halfway across.”

  “You’re not going by yourself, Balthazar. It’s either me or Thorsson.”

  “Fine.” He had never imagined himself in such an unforgiving situation. He couldn’t fight on his own, and the woman he cared for was a hostage. The possibility of dying at Ti’s feet grew greater as he weighed his options and realized that he had none. “Thorsson, come with me. If anything happens, get Eva out of there.”