Story Overview
Determined to help her sisters navigate an unraveling prophecy, Ava sets aside the sins of her past and heads to Winter Harbor only to discover she and her fated mate are the key to everything. The missing piece in an ancient vendetta that launches them on a revealing journey. A quest through time that heals old wounds and brings them closer together yet fuels the ruthless monster eager to claim her.
Pursued by their powerful enemy, Viking Soren Sigdir and Ava make their way back to what they left behind in another life. Not just a risky plot against their foe but the deep love they sacrificed so that other dragons might mate. Yet war still rages, threatening humanity. Rising up once more, they must face the darkness of dragonkind’s home world and relive the crusade they once led if they hope to succeed.
Will they finally see through the Great Serpent's vendetta and win the war? Or will they have to forfeit love again to prevent their nemesis from unleashing his wrath on Midgard? Find out in Viking’s Crusade, the action-packed epic conclusion of Viking Ancestors: Rise of the Dragon.
Viking’s Crusade
Viking Ancestors
Rise of the Dragon
Book Six
Sky Purington
COPYRIGHT © 2019
Viking’s Crusade
Sky Purington
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Edited by Cathy McElhaney
Cover Art by Tara West
Published in the United States of America
Contents
Story Overview
Pronunciations
Series Overview
Introduction
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
Coming Soon
Just Curious?
Exclusive Invitation
Midgard Locations Glossary
Nine Worlds
Previous Releases-Best Reading Order
Family Trees
About the Author
Pronunciations
Alfheimr (olv-himmr)
Aðísla (ahd-ee-slah)
Årud (a-row-oo-do)
Eirik (eye-rick)
Håkon (hawk-ohn)
Helheim (hel-himm)
Hvergelmir (vur-gel-mur)
Jörmungandr (yor-mun-gun-der)
Jotunheim (yo-den-himm)
Kaðlín (ˈkʰaðlin)
Midgard (mid-gard)
Múspellsheimr (moo-spell-shay-mm)
Mt. Galdhøpiggen (gall-ter-peegan)
Naðr Véurr (nahdr vuu-ah)
Niflheim (nee-full-himm)
Níðhöggr (neathe-högr or neathe-herd)
Ragnarök (rag-nar-ock)
Shea (shay)
Svartalfheim (svaret-ah-ul-fu-himm)
Vanaheim (van-a-himm)
Series Overview
Long before the dawn of time on Midgard, or Middle Earth, war raged on the fiery world of Múspellsheimr. Dominant, restless creatures that were half man, half dragon forever struggled for more power. Two factions rose above the rest, crushing their opponents until none rivaled them but one another. Of equal strength and might, they fought for hundreds of years until the great serpent Níðhöggr met his end in the jaws of his double-headed rival. As he lay dying, the mighty dragon used the last of his magic to ensure his lineage would not be extinguished but resurrected by a dark prophecy. In his need for vengeance, Níðhöggr vowed his serpent offspring would someday destroy all trace of his nemesis. Therefore, he might from the afterlife, at last taste the glory of victory through his descendants. And so the story goes...
Introduction
The ongoing war between Níðhöggr's ancestors and Skáld's dragons has already brought five couples together, the last being Rokar and Tess who defeated their nemesis. Now Ava, with help from her new ally Tiernan, is trying to stay out of enemy hands. Yet there’s no avoiding destiny and her fated mate from a previous life. With Soren's arrival, she has no choice but to face mistakes of the past in order to save humankind’s future. And so the truth reveals itself in more ways than one...
Chapter One
Winter Harbor, Maine
Present Day
“I HOPE THEY made it okay.” Ava white-knuckled the deck railing and glanced from the ash tree in the backyard to Tiernan. “You’re sure we made the right decision?”
“Aye.” He nodded. “Sending your parents back to tenth century Scandinavia with Jessie was a good move. They will be safer at the Fortress.”
“Even though I’m not safe there.” She sighed. “Because despite Jessie confirming that all four of my sisters are mated with Sigdirs and pretty damn powerful it’s still not enough.”
She had already traveled back in time with Tiernan to the Sigdir’s Fortress while Tess and Rokar were on their adventure, but apparently, her newfound friend felt they needed to leave again. Tiernan, as it happened, was a fourteenth century Scottish wizard who had traveled through time to help out his Viking ancestors in the ongoing war against Skáld.
“What seeks you now is a great threat against humanity and dragonkind alike.” Tiernan’s light blue eyes narrowed on the horizon. “The best place for you will be in Níðhöggr’s Realm, as well as Skáld’s Domain at some point I imagine.”
“Right,” she murmured, reflecting on everything happening in tenth century Scandinavia.
Níðhöggr was her ancestor, and his Realm was a place that had manifested at the start of the war alongside Skáld's Domain. The Realm had since helped her sisters and their mates find their way to each other, then in some cases, Skáld’s Domain was where they fought their ultimate battle. Where they speculated the Domain was created in part by drawing power from Helheim, and Múspellsheimr, Níðhöggr’s Realm was created using the power of Mt. Galdhøpiggen. In essence, using the magical power of seers and Vanaheim.
“So I head to the Realm and Domain to essentially mate, come into my fullest power then lure the beast,” she murmured, still trying to come to terms with everything.
Unwilling to leave Ava alone, Tiernan had called on Sage's twin sister Jessie to see their pa
rents safely back in time to the Sigdir Fortress. Jessie then returned here and filled them in on what Tess and Rokar had learned on their adventure before she headed back to medieval Scotland. What she revealed was eye-opening. Tess and Rokar had created a portal between Múspellsheimr and Earth—Midgard—in their previous life together. Then at some point after, Ava and Soren had led dragons infected with love to this world, so they could start a new life in peace.
Or so that was the assumption.
Honestly, it was a lot to swallow but undoubtedly happened. At least Tess and Rokar's role in it. As to Ava and Soren’s part? She had no idea what to make of it. Did she approve of leading dragons to a place without war? Of course. It just sounded so far-fetched. At least that part. As to her being fated mates with Soren, a perfect stranger, she couldn't deny it was possible, even probable.
Especially considering her dreams.
“From what I’ve been able to gather from Níðhöggr’s Realm, you and Soren will find your truths there like your kin before you,” Tiernan went on. “After that, I suspect you will need to utilize Skáld’s Domain in a way no other has before.” He shook his head, grim despite his usual upbeat personality. “Many things will come into play to defeat Skáld, but we must.” His eyes met hers. “We must stop him before he makes his way here and destroys everything.”
“Tall order.” Ava eyed the tree. It hadn’t done anything unusual since Tess left on her adventure, but she was sure it was only a matter of time. “I can’t imagine how I’m going to defeat Skáld when even Níðhöggr couldn’t.”
“With Soren’s help,” Tiernan reminded. “And the First Blade.”
Ava crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the railing, her tone dry. “Right, the Viking I’m destined for, and a magical blade manifested from the past thanks to Rokar and Tess.”
She was glad her sisters had found true love but wasn’t necessarily thrilled she was next. Naturally, she would do what she had to, but relationships had long stopped being a priority. Her job had required her to travel a lot, and peacekeeping or people in need came first. Her potential partners never understood that. So she’d pretty much backburnered men years ago. Now a man had to take priority in order to accomplish her goals? A medieval Viking dragon at that?
It was a lot to wrap her mind around.
The idea that the man who’d haunted her dreams for years was the same one she’d glimpsed when the worlds crossed over on Kenzie and Eirik’s adventure pretty much blew her mind. As it were, she had only caught fleeting images of him in her dreams. Bits and pieces. It had been enough, though, to give her a compelling sense of déjà vu when she saw him.
Nonetheless, she tended to deal in logic rather than flights of fancy, so she tried to take everything in stride. Most importantly, she needed to stay grounded rather than let her emotions get the better of her. So for now, she preferred to view Soren as a means to an end. A comrade-in-arms with the same goals. Someone she wouldn't dwell on but rather work alongside for the greater good.
Yet her mind kept wandering back to him.
Strangely, she had gotten the impression the guy who haunted her was forward-thinking, even modern. But then, Soren’s mother and grandmother were from the twenty-first century so who knows.
She focused on the tree again rather than think about him...her destined mate. Though it had been from a distance and beneath this very ash, it was safe to say he was as good-looking as his brethren. A gene clearly handed down to his Scottish descendants by the looks of Tiernan. Complete in Highland garb with handsome features and a tall, muscular build, he was a shining example of how smoking hot the Sigdir bloodline really was. Not that looks had ever been all that important to her. There were always more pressing things to worry about.
Her mission, whatever that may be, was all that had ever mattered.
Now, more than ever, it was all that could matter with the fate of the world at stake.
Which, yet again, brought her logical mind back around to Soren because, in truth, the only way to complete her mission was to get closer to him. Intimate with him. How was she supposed to do that in such a short amount of time, though? It was impossible to imagine falling for a guy that fast. Having sex with him so quickly.
Yet imagine she did, her traitorous mind envisioning him up close...between her thighs. Fire flared beneath her skin. Would his face be as chiseled as it had appeared from a distance? His eyes so intense? His body as pleasurable as it had been in her dreams?
“You have that look on your face again,” Tiernan remarked, amused despite their circumstances.
She perked a brow. “And what look is that?”
“The same one you wear every time your mate is mentioned.”
“My mate?”
“Soren.”
“Ah.” Rather than reject the idea—which Tiernan would ignore anyway—she kept with civil curiosity. “And what sort of look does he invoke?”
“’Tis a bit o’ wry indifference.” He winked and pointed at his cheek. “Mixed with a wee bit o’ pink in your cheeks.”
She and Tiernan had hit it off fairly quickly, but then he had a way about him. He was good at adjusting to what people needed him to be while at the same time, gently authoritative. No doubt being his clan's chieftain suited him well. Because despite the heavy responsibility that went with it, he was not tense as a rule, but rather laid back and quick to humor. Even with his magic fluctuating over the past day or so. Something she knew greatly troubled him, yet he remained focused on her plight. Her safety.
“As you can surely empathize with,” she said in answer to his comment about her blushing when she thought about Soren, “the wry indifference of my expression is because my current situation is what it is. There’ll be no stopping it.” She cocked her head, fully aware his set of circumstances weren’t all that different. “The same way I imagine you feel about likely being destined for a woman from the future like the men in your family before you.” She shrugged. “Better to just accept it so you can focus on whatever trials your kin are going through at the time.”
“Aye,” he grunted, leaving it at that. It hadn't taken long to figure out he already had a woman on his mind. So said the way he consistently steered the conversation back to Ava when this came up. Just like he did now.
“What of your blush when you think of Soren, though?” he mused.
“I don’t blush,” she denied but again remained logical. “And if I do, it’s likely my inner dragon’s response to him more than my human half’s.”
His eyes twinkled. “And here I always thought the two were interconnected.”
“I wouldn’t know because I don’t pay attention to my dragon.”
“Yet you will have to now,” he reminded, contemplating her. “’Tis the only way to get through this.”
“So they say,” she murmured, bracing for the inevitable. “No worries. I’ll manage.”
She would too. Just like she managed through everything. Or so she kept telling herself. Because in all honesty, a few years back, she had done no such thing. She had let herself down, and it cost her dearly. Then, to make matters worse, she fled and hid like a coward.
As to her inner dragon, she suspected it was going to be a period of adjustment letting it out of the cage she’d kept it in for so long. A cage that had been weakening since this all began. More so since she spied Soren through the rift between worlds. Or in their case, across time.
“Something is happening to the tree,” Tiernan said. “We should go.”
He was right. The trunk had started to darken, and random leaves smoked as if ready to go up in flames.
“Maybe we should go where the tree leads us.” She glanced at him. “Could be that’s the whole idea.”
“Is that what your dragon instincts are telling you?”
“I’m not sure.” She shook her head, trying to focus on her inner dragon where for so long her human instincts were all she paid attention to. “I’ve spent so long ignori
ng it, I’m not sure I trust my ‘dragon gut’ so to speak.”
“Well, my wizardly gut’s telling me you’re not ready for what that tree has in store just yet,” he replied. “Not to mention, I’ll lose control over where you end up. Worse yet, it’ll likely be somewhere without me.”
“That wouldn't be good.” She glanced from the tree to him and stepped closer. “I’m all yours.”
“She is not all yours, wizard,” came a sharp voice.
She might have thought it would take time letting her dragon out of its mental cage, but the complete opposite happened when she laid eyes on the man who'd just appeared beside the ash. Her inner beast roared to the surface, and her vision hazed red for the first time in years.
A few inches taller than Tiernan, she would put him at six-foot eight. Broad shouldered and well-muscled, with black hair and equally dark eyes, his looks were classically handsome like the Scotsman’s but edged with a fierceness that was unmistakably dragon.
“Soren,” she said, her voice hoarse as she struggled with the overwhelming feeling of seeing him so close. Feeling him nearby.
When she spied the axe he gripped so savagely, she shifted closer to Tiernan. Hopefully, her fated mate would think twice about whipping it at her friend with her right next to him. The Scotsman might typically be amazing with magic, but his powers weren’t a sure thing at the moment. Even if they were, she'd probably do the same thing based on the possessive fury in Soren's eyes. Because chances were good that blade would meet its mark no matter what stood in its way.
“You really do need to listen to your dragon, lass,” Tiernan said out of the corner of his mouth. “Because I guarantee it would have told you not to move any closer to a man your mate considers a threat.”
She ignored Tiernan and spoke to the Viking, glad her voice was back on track. Glad that she could think clearly at all. But then at one time, she had been very good at this. Remaining calm and focused during a crisis had been her strongpoint.
“Stand down, Soren.” She kept her tone firm, treating this like a negotiation because, in all honesty, it was a situation that needed to be diffused. “Tiernan’s no threat. As I’m sure you know by now, he’s only trying to protect me.”
Viking's Crusade (Viking Ancestors: Rise of the Dragon, #6) Page 1
