“Yes.” A small smile curled his lips. “I was actually referring to the tattoo your sisters received after my kin’s tattoos vanished.”
“That’s right!” She’d completely spaced that. Curious, she pulled off her shirt and inspected herself. “I don’t see anything.”
“It’s right here.” Awe lit his voice, and he touched her upper back. “Exactly where the First Blade was on me.”
“A dragon then?”
“No.” He showed it to her through his mind’s eye. “The flaming ash.”
“Oh, wow,” she whispered, not sure what to make of it other than it filled her with warmth and hope. “That’s intense...and beautiful.”
The tree wasn’t completely consumed but delicately afire in blue flames. “It looks a lot like the ash Níðhöggr tethered my soul to, but that one didn’t have blue flames. None of them do.”
“No, but though hers was two dragons wrapped together, Emily’s tattoo is flaming blue as well.” His voice was telling. “And she and Sven came into the Blade first.”
“True.” She met his eyes over her shoulder, more than aware he hadn’t taken his fingers off of her back. “Speaking of Emily, didn’t she get a sword on her adventure too? One just like Sven’s but smaller?”
He nodded. “Yes, and a ring.”
“I wonder if her blade has anything do to with all this.”
“If it does, I’m sure we will find out eventually.”
“No doubt.” She continued mulling things over, understanding more by the moment. “I get why Soren didn’t see Níðhöggr’s Ash afire now.” She shook her head. “He wasn’t part of the magic that led to the Transition. Somehow it was your magic and mine combined with the elf’s, possibly Thor or Odin and Magnus’s ancestor.”
Her eyes whipped to Rokar’s as she saw it so clearly now. “That’s why Magnus and I share such a connection...he possesses the bloodline of that demon.” She frowned. “So I guess I can kinda see why Magnus gives me credit for his existence here but why not you? You were just as much a part of it.”
“In truth, though we still don’t know how we discovered a way to transport infected dragons out of there,” Rokar said, “from what I saw and remember, you were the one who recruited everyone and convinced them that it was possible. That we could open a portal. You sought out the elf...” His eyes narrowed as more memories came to him. “Tess, you sought out not just the elf, but the fire demon and even Soren. You convinced him.”
“That’s the connection between him and I,” she said, convinced of it. “He might not have been part of the magic of the Transition, but because of his love for Ava we were connected...he’s like a long lost brother because of it.” Her eyes stayed with his. “And I’ll bet it’s also because of what we enabled him and Ava to accomplish...we just weren’t around long enough to learn what that was.”
“I imagine we’ll learn once they go down their destined path,” he said. “When they remember their truth.”
She blinked, on the verge of a memory that remained just out of reach. One meant for Ava to recall. “I think Ava discovered how to get infected dragons out of there and I barreled off to make it happen.” She flinched. “I was definitely as free spirited and headstrong in that life as I am in this one.”
“Which is what it took to get this far,” he reminded then winked. “Auntie Fierce Spirit.”
“Well, when you put it like that.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I wasn't all that admirable though. Seen clearly in the bitch I could be in that life. Which makes me wonder if the Transition really did cause my personality to fluctuate in this life. Like Kenz said, I started changing after I saw the fiery tree. And that directly connected me to all this...to who I once was.”
“It sounds very possible,” he said. “But don't judge the dragon you were in that life too harshly. I was no better before the infection. No dragon was.”
“Very true,” she conceded.
Rokar stepped closer, brushed her hair aside, and peppered kisses down the side of her neck, his intent more than obvious not to mention welcome. “I think for now it's best we make sure we come into our fullest power, yes? That we are mated as we should be.”
“Ah, I forgot about that.” She pressed her ass against his unfailing erection, eager for what he could offer. If it sealed the deal on them being fully mated, all the more power to it. “I suppose we ought to get busy then.”
Clearly, in full agreement, he scooped her up then laid her on the fur. As impatient as her, they were nude a chant later, and he was on her. She could tell not only by the look in his eyes but how she felt bone deep that it would be different this time.
Slower.
More romantic.
Without the frenzy that typically took them.
But that certainly didn’t mean it would be any less gratifying. He kissed her with a passion that warmed her heart. With desire that wrapped around her soul. She had never had sex or ‘made love’ like this. With so many emotions involved. It was different but addicting as they touched and explored each other.
This was love. Real, genuine untouchable love. Tears leaked from her eyes by the time he spread her thighs and pressed deep. His gaze stayed with hers at first, his inner dragon flaring while he moved just right, bringing waves of pleasure with every slow, deep thrust.
“Rokar,” she whispered, lost in his eyes, lost in everything he made her feel as she said a word she never thought she’d say. “Mate.”
Naturally, that brought out the aggressor in both of their dragons, and slow, easy, heart-drenching passion dialed up a notch to a whole new kind of hunger. Starved for everything he offered, for the way he made her feel, she groaned in approval when he rolled them on their sides and entered her from a spooning position.
After that, she was a goner when he not only manipulated the flesh between her thighs but hit all the right spots on the inside. More than one to be sure. Again and again, until her groans turned to cries. Until her tears turned to a mix of happy sobs mixed with moans of pleasure. Sensations built quickly before she let go when he pressed deep one last time, and they both found an overwhelming release. Trembling, awash in more pleasure than she’d ever dreamed possible, she basked in the unique afterglow. One saturated with certainty.
They were fully mated.
She could barely breathe let alone speak at the revelation, so she simply relished the untouchable feeling of being so deeply connected to another person. Eventually, he pulled a fur over them, wrapped his hand around her and they drifted off. Or so she assumed because the next thing she knew Rokar’s rumbled words brought her to awareness. Though still holding her from behind, he spoke to Magnus who stood at the entranceway.
“We’ll be there shortly,” Rokar said. “And we will finish our enemy off once and for all.”
After Magnus nodded and vanished, she rolled onto her back and met Rokar’s eyes. Glad to see him, be with him, she could seriously get used to waking up like this. “G’morning, handsome.”
“Good morn,” he murmured, brushing his lips across hers.
“I assume it’s time to take out Big Red.”
“The sun is rising,” Rokar revealed. “Magnus feels the time is right.”
“Are we powerful enough then?” she said softly, knowing full well they were.
“You know we are.” He ran his fingers along her jaw, his gaze tender. He opened his mind’s eye to her once again and showed her the changes that had happened to her tattoo overnight.
“Look at that,” she whispered in admiration. The tree was the same; only now two fiery dragons curled around the trunk and each other. Clearly depicting a male and female, the design was gorgeous, showing how much love the dragons felt for one another.
“It is very beautiful.” His eyes roamed her face. “As are you, mate.”
Normally, she didn’t do mushy, but when Rokar said it, when he looked at her like that, she wanted mushy for the rest of her life.
“Mate,” she
murmured, enjoying the word on her tongue as much as he seemed to. “I like that.”
“Me too,” he rumbled, clearly up for picking up where they left off the night before as his bedroom eyes continued admiring her.
Regrettably, she had a feeling they didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy each other at the moment. The sooner they wiped out Big Red, the better.
“Though I truly hate to say it, enemy first,” she murmured, not taking her own advice just yet but savoring a few more minutes alone. She fingered one of his braids and no sooner said, “I like these,” when his memory brushed her mind.
One of his son sitting on his lap braiding them.
“One braid is for me,” Bjárr had said, grinning. “And one is for Mother.” His grin turned into a wide smile. “That way, you always have us with you.”
“That’s so sweet,” she said softly, trying not to tear up yet again, apologetic as her eyes met his. “Sorry, it’s impossible to block your thoughts sometimes...”
“Never block my thoughts.” He didn’t frown at her intrusion but remained open in a way she knew he always would be with her. “My past is as open to you as my future. That you can know my son and wife as I did, is good.” His brows furrowed ever-so-slightly as he touched his braids. He’d used magic to keep them at the exact length they had been when Bjárr weaved them. “If they bother you because of Helga I can cut—”
“No.” She shook her head. “Your son weaved those so keep them as long as you want.” Never more serious, she went on. “I’m not jealous of Helga’s memory. She was a part of your life and loved you.” She sighed, remembering once again the losses they had suffered. “Though it truly sucks for Axle, I’m glad to know he wasn’t a monster after all. That what we had was real...” She rested her hand on her belly. “That he didn’t hate his daughter.”
Rokar rested his hand over hers, compassion in his eyes. “No, I believe he loved Leah and you a great deal based on your initial memories of him.”
She nodded, finding closure that brought a sense of peace she never thought she would feel. Her only regret, of course, was Axle’s ultimate fate. He didn’t deserve it any more than the other lives affected by all this. But she couldn’t change what was and knew that. She had to move on, hoping he was in a better place.
Though they would have loved lying around all day chatting and making love, their journey wasn’t over quite yet. So they finally put themselves together and joined the others. It didn’t go over her head that Magnus and Vigdis could hardly keep their eyes off each other as everyone left the willow cave behind. Had they hooked up last night? Because it had been a long road between them.
“So how do you want to finish off Big Red?” she asked Rokar then frowned when another thought occurred to her. “And how do you suppose he finally broke through Helheim to get here anyway?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know because I only ever fought him in Helheim.”
“Because you were part of the rift on Kenzie and Eirik’s adventure.”
He nodded. “That's the assumption.”
“Hmm.” She gave it some thought. “So on every adventure, an enemy dragon slips through from Múspellsheimr to here or Helheim somehow.” She shook her head, not liking the feel of things. Her eyes went to Soren. “Yet I get the feeling nothing’s slipped through this time. Soren and Ava’s enemy hasn’t arrived.”
“That could be very good,” Rokar said.
“Or very bad,” she murmured, remembering the way Ava’s dragon had defended Skáld. The dangerous game her sister had been playing. “We need to finish Big Red and get back to Ava. See if she’s sensed anything. Talk to her and make sure she’s okay.”
“I agree,” Soren said, his disposition nowhere near what it had been when she first met him. And she couldn’t fault him for it. He had been Skáld’s brother in another life and fallen in love with a dragon who most definitely put herself in harm’s way.
“What matters most right now,” Magnus said, looking from Tess to Rokar, “is that you have come into your fullest power and your enemy is here on Midgard. It’s time to put an end to this, so we are one step closer to seeing this prophecy through.”
Fully intending to do as much, they made their way back to the ship.
What greeted them there, however, was the last thing they expected to see.
Chapter Thirty-Two
EAGER FOR WHAT lay ahead Rokar narrowed his eyes on the boiling sea beyond the cove. “He challenges me from underwater. He thinks I will be weakened by fear.”
“Were you the first time, though?” Tess asked, aware that the enemy had already lured him via a dream and battled him on the sea floor before going after Kenzie and Dagr.
“Not that I recall,” he said. “Yet I wasn’t at my best either.” His eyes went to hers. “He should never have gotten free of my clutches.” He shook his head, recalling how furious with himself he had been. “He should never have been able to attack your sister like that.”
“But he did, and she survived,” she reminded. “And though it was scary as shit, I’ll bet anything it was a necessary part of her and Eirik’s journey. Which means you only did what Fate intended.” She looked to the boiling water. “Now it’s time to wipe this shithead out.” She perked a brow at him. “So what do you say? Are you ready?”
He had never been more ready for anything.
Though he would rather she stay safe here on the ship with the others, she deserved her vengeance too. Not only that but they were stronger together. He could feel it in his blood. His very soul. And the feeling was incomparable.
The love he felt for her was unique and the first of its kind.
His kin were right. There was no way to understand the depth of love or inherent connection dragon mates felt until it happened. Until their souls merged yet remained independent. They strengthened each other, whether together or apart.
Right now, however, remaining together was the key to ending their enemy
Tess grinned at the others, said, “Be right back!” then leapt off the side of the ship and shifted.
Right on her tail, he shifted and followed, his dragon reveling in the feel of being with hers.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” she said into his mind, humor in her voice. “Especially when we’re not crashing into each other.”
“At least not mid-air,” he returned, offering her the same humor. “I liked the way our former dragons crashed together in a certain cave.”
She chuckled. “I look forward to our dragons giving it a shot in this life.”
“Your dragon has never lain with another?”
“Don’t sound so shocked,” she replied with amusement as they sailed alongside each other. “But no, I never did. Not even with Axle. He tended to lean more toward human interaction and tendencies. Hence hunting.”
“I have not lain with another dragon either,” he revealed. “And I find myself grateful now that I didn’t.”
Her dragon scales rippled in approval, her thoughts in sync with his, pleased they would be each other’s first. Based on how well their dragons sensed one another’s needs and intentions as they split off—knowing how they would attack the enemy without ever saying a word—intimacy with her dragon should prove very good.
They flew in a wide arc away from each other before they headed for the boiling water from opposite directions, ready to end a dragon who had caused far too much trouble.
He felt no more kinship to his former brother in this life than he did in that life. But then how could he when love didn’t exist? It was hard to imagine such a thing, but he’d seen it with his own two eyes. A place with creatures bereft of love filled only with loathing and hatred, not to mention an insatiable need to war with one another. Beings that never felt the warmth of peace but a never-ending need to outdo the other.
Focusing on the moment at hand, eager to leave Múspellsheimr behind, Rokar dove beneath the water at the same time as Tess and headed straight for ‘Big Red.’ Fo
r a split second, he remembered slicing down into the water after Bjárr, but the gentle brush of Tess’s mind against his turned the memory to diving after his son during the many happy times they swam together.
He knew then that Skáld’s curse had truly lifted. It was in the way Tess’s soul felt like warm sunshine against his. How sad memories melted away to be replaced with good ones.
And the future only became brighter as he sped toward the enemy.
Meanwhile, Big Red who’d been roaring fire beneath the water so it would boil and draw them his way never took into consideration that even dragons could only stay under water for so long. Therefore, when they attacked, nipping and clawing at him in well-orchestrated swim-bys, his former brother was weaker than he should have been.
“Such a coward,” Big Red roared, slashing back at Rokar when he bashed him upside the head with his tail. “You dared not fight me without your female!”
“I am proud to fight alongside my female,” he growled. “Rather than fight to take her.”
“Take her?” the enemy drawled, incredulous, trying to fight them off but having no luck as they attacked him mercilessly. “She was willing to give herself to us both!” Venom laced his voice. “To Father!”
“We both know her true intentions,” Rokar replied. He and Tess kept battering Big Red. “She was mine from the start not because I forced her but because I loved her.”
“Love,” the enemy seethed. “Infection.” He sneered. “That is all it was, Brother. Infection. Because that is not who you were. You enjoyed females as much as I. Took them at will however you wanted to.”
“I did,” he agreed, disgusted with what he once was. “But not anymore. Never again.” He whacked Big Red hard with his wing in passing. “My female is my equal, to be respected and cherished.”
The enemy released a peel of evil laughter before he surprised them with an unexpected lunge and grabbed Tess’s tail in passing. She struggled, but he got a good grip and slammed her to the ocean floor.
“Don’t worry about me,” she muttered to Rokar, calmer than she probably should be considering the monster pinning her down. “Just take him out.”
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