Seconds later, someone else stood in her place.
Chapter Eight
“TESS?” ROKAR ROARED, aware she was gone the moment she vanished. Everyone was swift on his heels as he strode down the tunnel and into his lair only to find Kenzie standing there alone. “Where is she? What happened?”
But he already knew. She was in Helheim. Vanished right before Kenzie’s eyes. While aware he was reacting strongly, he couldn't help it. Alarmingly enough, his inner dragon’s distress was stronger than it had ever been.
Stronger, even, than when he lost Bjárr and Helga.
After he left Tess alone earlier, he had listened absently to her at first, thinking of the only time he had brought his son to his lair. How Bjárr had urged him to create a bathing area for Helga so that she might finally want to come here. So she would realize it was as much a place for humans as it was for dragons.
“How should I go about it then, Son?” he had asked. “And where should I put it?”
Bjárr had contemplated the cave, his big blue eyes alight as he pointed at an area between the bed and entrance overlooking the ocean. “Right there, Father. Not too close to the sea, but close enough she can enjoy it.” Then he half smiled, half snarled, raking the air with his little fingernails. “Your dragon just has to make a gash in the ground, yes?”
He chuckled and conceded, “That would do it.”
Bjárr nodded, pleased. “Then you should do just that and woo Mother to your lair.” He kept smiling, his eyes as bright as ever. “She will love it every bit as much as I do and come here all the time!”
Yet, as it turned out, she had not, claiming it was no place for humans but somewhere for him to be his other half. To soar free when he needed to. He never understood that. Why would he want to soar anywhere without her? But to a degree, he understood her hesitation. Not everyone felt the same way his grandmother Amber did about dragons. Or Elders Megan and Veronica who were also entirely human.
Nevertheless, he held out hope that his wife might someday want to bathe in the hole his dragon had carved for her. Instead, another woman entirely had enjoyed it. Reveled in it by the looks of it as Rokar discreetly watched Tess bathe.
Though conflicted because of the memories attached to it, he couldn't tear his eyes from her when she undressed and submerged herself. Her body was every bit as lush as he knew it would be, her breasts round and firm, with pebbled nipples that made moisture pool on his tongue. He wanted to lick, kiss, and pull them into his mouth until she cried out.
He scowled at himself and abruptly shut his thoughts down. How had he so easily gone from thoughts of his family to erotic thoughts of Tess? What was happening to him?
“I can’t sense Tess at all.” Kenzie interrupted his self-loathing. “So she’s definitely gone somewhere beyond the here and now.”
“Is this what I can expect then?” Rokar said to Eirik when they entered his lair. “Her vanishing like Kenzie did on your adventure?”
As disgruntled as the rest of them, Eirik shook his head. “She should not be crossing over into Helheim so easily unless...”
When he trailed off, Rokar scowled at him. “Unless she’s been there before, yes?” He looked at him in question. “How do I get there? How do I protect her?”
Eirik shook his head again before Kenzie’s eyes went to her mate, and the two shared a distressed look. One, as it turned out, that debated getting their son involved.
“Dagr can summon Hel,” Kenzie said. “And Hel would know if Tess is in her realm.”
Eirik’s brows furrowed. “But do we want to put him through seeing her again so soon?”
“I think he’ll be fine.” Fear flared in her eyes. “We need to do whatever it takes to get to Tess because right now she’s in Big Red’s playing field all by herself. And that fucker is seriously dangerous.”
“I agree,” Leviathan said at the same time as Rokar.
Eirik’s eyes went to Rokar. “We will talk to Dagr first then go from there.”
“I would expect nothing else,” Rokar said. “Don’t forget I once had a son of my own, cousin.”
Eirik nodded, compassion in his gaze. In truth, Rokar would rather not involve the child, but he was desperate. Unable to think clearly knowing Tess was so vulnerable to the enemy. A monstrous dragon that could easily overpower her.
“Go back to the Fortress and talk to Dagr,” Leviathan said. “I will remain here lest Tess return.”
Rokar nodded in agreement. While tempted to stay as well, he was too impatient. He needed to act. Which meant with any luck seeking out Hel sooner rather than later.
Thanks to his former connection to Helheim, Eirik swiftly transported them to the Fortress. Within moments of their arrival, his parents and grandparents were there, eager to see him as always. Not surprising considering he rarely spent time here. When he did, his mind was elsewhere, and he ran reclusive. There were just too many memories. Too much heartache.
His father Kodran rested a supportive hand on his shoulder. “Sven already caught us up on what’s happening, Son.”
“How did Sven?” he barely got out before his mother Erica ushered him along, explaining that Eirik had brought him up to date.
“You know how brothers can be,” Grandmother Amber said as they brought him into his own lodge of all places where Grandfather Kol clasped his shoulder and made him sit in front of a fire.
He frowned at them. “What is happening?”
“What do you mean?” his mother asked, plunking down beside him with a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes.
“You never greet me quite like this,” he began before his grandmother cut him off.
“We always greet you somewhat like this Rokar.” Her tender eyes met his. “You just don’t see us.”
“Of course I see you,” he grumbled about to stand before Kol’s hand landed more firmly on his shoulder and kept him down.
“No, you do not, Grandson.” Grandfather met his eyes. “And while no, we do not usually greet you in bulk like we are now, we think it’s best.”
“Why?”
“Because we know we don’t have much time.” Father sat beside him, his eyes worried. “And we wanted you to know that we support you no matter what.”
“That's right,” Mother agreed, her eyes warm when they found his. “No matter where this leads you, we stand by your side every step of the way.”
He narrowed his eyes as a nugget of understanding dawned. They were letting him know they were all right with him taking a mate. Finding love again. Honestly, he was surprised, not so much by their sentiment but because they supported Tess after she spent the night in Soren’s lodge.
But then they knew something about that, didn’t they? Something he suspected he would not get out of them. The question remained, however, did they want him to move on because they approved of her actions or in spite of her actions? Because he had little doubt, they knew precisely what had happened.
“I have to say I like Tess.” Grandmother met his eyes and sat. “She reminds me of myself at that age.”
Would you have slept with Grandfather’s kin, he nearly asked but bit his tongue because he was determined not to care. Even so, his mental wheels were spinning. Perhaps that had been her way of telling him discreetly Tess had behaved? Or warning him, his mate was truly a rambunctious sort.
“Tess does remind me of you at that age, Amber,” Kol agreed. He took her hand and gazed at her affectionately.
“I’ve seen memories of you in your youth, Amber.” His mother chuckled. “So I see why you’d like Tess. Fun, flirtatious, and beautiful.”
“And missing,” Rokar ground out, frowning at them.
“We’ll find her, Son,” his mother assured. “Besides, I don’t think Níðhöggr would allow her to be taken so easily.”
“I don’t think the Great Serpent has any control over Helheim,” he countered. “Or he would have been there assisting Kenzie on her adventure.”
“Actually,”
Kol reminded. “Was it not said that both Skáld and Níðhöggr utilized Helheim one way or another? Skáld to create his marks and the Great Serpent to communicate with all of you?”
Technically, Níðhöggr used something called Ancient Matter, which was, in fact, a channel that seemingly went through Helheim. Or so they assumed considering Níðhöggr had died in battle, therefore, dwelled in that world. So perhaps he could reach out to Tess in Helheim. Maybe even assist her.
“Rokar?” Kenzie called out before she stuck her head in, nodded hello to everyone then looked his way. “Mind joining me?”
He nodded to his kin that he appreciated their support then followed Kenzie only to find not just his cousins and their mates in Eirik’s lodge, but Halla and Pierce too.
“We decided to leave Dagr out of this after all,” Eirik said.
“It’s too risky with Big Red lurking on the other side somewhere,” Kenzie added.
“I understand.” Now he realized why they were all gathered here. “So you think everyone together has enough power to summon Hel?”
“We have enough power to enter Múspellsheimr without Skáld knowing,” Emily said. “That, combined with everybody else’s power might just do it.”
Rokar frowned, not as convinced.
“We will be able to do this,” Sven assured, as confident as the rest of them.
In truth, though they might be stronger, outside of Davyn and Shea’s Gateway Magic, their powers were not specific to accessing any other world, but Múspellsheimr never mind summoning gods. Outside of Pierce, that is, and his ability to contact the elves, which wasn’t nearly the same thing.
“What am I missing?” a young voice rang out before Dagr flew into the lodge followed by an exasperated Kaðlín who shook her head and mouthed sorry.
“I am far better suited to the sea than babysitting,” she muttered though her eyes were fond as they followed Dagr. “He was convinced something must be happening in here.”
“A reasonable assumption if he saw all of us enter.” Kenzie grinned and shook her head. “But no, Dagr, you are not missing anything exciting.”
“Then why is Mother here, Other Mother?”
Eirik and Kenzie glanced at each other in surprise before Eirik said, “Hel is here?”
“Yes, I saw her outside,” Dagr revealed, rather chipper about the whole experience. “She said she loved me, and we would talk soon, but she needed to see Rokar first and headed this way.”
Rokar looked around but saw nothing. “So...she’s here?”
“Yes.” Dagr pointed beside Rokar. “She’s right there and...” He cocked his head as though listening to something. “She said the red dragon is wreaking havoc in her world.” His eyes met Rokar’s and widened. “She also says you need to get to the fiery ash before it’s too late and your mate becomes his.”
Chapter Nine
FROZEN IN PLACE, unable to catch her breath, Tess knew almost immediately who the shifting, shadowy form standing in Kenzie’s place was. Not because she had been told what to expect but because she’d seen her before.
“Goddess Hel.”
“I wondered if you would recognize me.” Hel’s eyes were piercing, and her presence strong despite not being solid. “If you would remember.”
Shivers raced through her, and she rallied her courage when every bone in her body urged her to run in the opposite direction. The truth was she had done well to forget the creature standing beside her. To escape the torment Hel led her to. The grief she had brought. How could she possibly be a champion to their cause? Mother to her sister’s son in a previous life?
“Where’s Kenzie?” Tess managed hoarsely. She took a step back, then held her ground.
“Still standing where I am,” Hel divulged. “On Midgard.”
How damn crazy was that?
“Why do you keep pulling me into this world?” She shook her head when memories threatened to bubble up. “Put me back on Earth. Leave me alone.” Eyes narrowed, anger took over. “Leave everyone I care about alone.”
“You know I cannot do that,” Hel replied. “You need me too much...they all do.”
“I dunno.” She shook her head, braver by the moment, fueled by old rage. “From what I hear, you probably need us more.”
“We all need each other,” Hel began before her words were cut off by a ferocious roar.
If Tess weren’t terrified before, what appeared on the horizon did the trick. Seeing Big Red through Rokar’s mind’s eye paled in comparison to witnessing him firsthand. Badly scarred and massive, she had never seen a more frightening sight. He raced in her direction, with his long incisors bared.
“Go,” Hel roared at her, the sound deafening. She was caught in an unnatural wind that swept her right over the cliff. “Fly hard dragon. Fly for the fiery ash!”
Not needing to be told twice, she shifted, pumped her wings like crazy, and flew north. What did Hel mean? Did she want her to fly to Skáld’s Ash? No, impossible. The bastard on her tail would be more powerful there not to mention she would never make it in time.
“Where do you think you are going, little slave,” screeched through her mind, Big Red's words curdling like acid in her soul. “Do you know all the trouble you have caused me? How much I am going to enjoy torturing you for all eternity?”
Frantic and fueled by terror, she pumped her wings even harder but wondered how she was ever going to escape him. He was too huge, his wingspan more than doubling hers as he closed in. How was she supposed to get away? And where the hell was she going? What blasted fiery tree? But she knew, didn’t she? Or at least her dragon did as an image of the fiery tree from her youth arose in her mind. The same one that plagued her during the worst of times.
Strangely enough, as she envisioned the fiery tree, the air shifted around her, and the wind propelled her far faster, keeping her just ahead of Big Red. The coast flew by in bright swaths of color before all of a sudden a fiery tunnel rose up in front of her.
Then, miraculously enough, a fiery ash appeared at the end of it.
Recognizing Sage’s magic, she flew into the tunnel before she burst out over a lake with Big Red right behind her. Seconds later, Rokar’s dragon slammed into the enemy before they crashed into the water.
“Rokar,” she roared. Not thinking twice about helping him, she swooped down to land on Big Red’s back only for the enemy to scramble away and take off.
“Crap, not again,” she barely got out before she crashed into Rokar, yet again.
They sputtered, their wings flailing about, sloshing water all over the place as waves pummeled the shore. By the time they got their footing, Big Red was gone. Nowhere to be found. Or so it appeared. Because Helheim was the mirror image of Midgard, Big Red could be right here, and they wouldn’t see him.
“Are you okay, Sis?” Shea exclaimed, wrapping her up in a big hug the moment she landed on the shore and shifted.
“Yeah, I think so.” She cursed her shaky voice and looked to the sky. “He’s back in Helheim then?”
“Thanks to Hel,” Sage said. “And Rokar’s quick thinking.”
She was surprised how happy she was to see Rokar. More so, how glad she felt to be in the same world as him again. He, in turn, seemed both disgruntled and maybe a little happy to see her too as their eyes met.
“Thanks for helping.” She flinched. “Sorry about slamming into you again.”
“Again?” Shea echoed, grinning between the two of them as though she found something romantic about mid-air collisions.
“So Hel was with me...and you guys?” Tess frowned at everyone. “How is that possible?”
“She can be anywhere at any time,” Sage began, but Tess barely caught her words when her eyes landed on the monstrous ash sitting on a cliff back-dropped by a grassy hill.
“That’s it,” she whispered admiring the delicate flames curling gracefully around its trunk and branches. Fiery wisps flickered from each leaf as if candlelight caressed them. “I knew it was mesmeri
zing but had no idea how beautiful...”
Sage stopped talking as everyone looked from the tree to Tess.
“What do you see when you look at that tree, Sis?” Sage said. “Because though the tree’s definitely magnificent, I get the feeling you see something we don’t.”
“Sure do,” she murmured, awe-struck. “Skáld’s Ash looked nasty in your mind’s eye, but that’s not how I see it...” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything so unbelievable beautiful and welcoming.”
“Uh...that’s not Skáld’s Ash, sweets,” Shea said softly. “That’s Níðhöggr’s Ash...you're in his Realm right now.”
She blinked, unable to tear her eyes from the tree. “Yeah, right.”
“That is not the double-headed serpent’s tree,” a gruff voice seconded. “I would know because I look at it often enough.”
A strange sensation rolled through her. She tore her eyes from the tree and looked at who had spoken. With a lightning bolt scar on his cheek and a patch over his eye, she knew who he was immediately and understood why her sisters found him so attractive. Powerful Demon Sorcerer that he was, the man oozed raw sex appeal. But then there was so much more to him, wasn’t there? Or should she say more to his bloodline?
“Magnus,” she murmured, trying to understand why she had such a strong reaction to him. Not sexually, but more a sense of him being a kindred spirit she supposed. But how could that be? They were different species.
His eyes narrowed as though he felt it too before Shea spoke up. “Yup, this is Magnus, Tess.” She looked between them, evidently feeling the need to remind Tess of his status. “Former husband to Vigdis, the most powerful seer on Midgard.”
“Magnus is a very good friend,” Davyn added. “Agreeing to help us drive away your enemy on such short notice.”
“With demon fire,” Tess whispered. Another chill swept over her.
“Yes,” Rokar said, drawing her eyes his way. “Hel sent everyone here then we worked together to pull you back. After that, we tried to end our enemy with help from Magnus.”
“That’s why Big Red flew out of here so fast,” Tess murmured, getting it now. Sage had used her fiery tunnel to bring them here, Rokar had attacked Big Red, then Magnus tried to scorch him with the only fire that did any real damage to dragons.
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