Viking Heart (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors Book 3) (26 page)

Amber eyed Matthew. “Then wouldn’t it have made more sense to keep the baby in the dragon lair?”

“No.” Veronica shook her head. “Whatever happens at this point, my gut and apparently Naðr’s and Raknar’s, tells me Matthew is safest wherever Adlin MacLomain is and that’s
here
.”

Amber wasn’t so sure but she sure as heck wouldn’t argue with a mother’s intuition…or the brothers. They were fiercely protective when it came to the baby so if they believed Matthew remaining here was the safest place for him, then that was that.

She had just pulled on her boots when she heard Kol and Kjar. Alert, Megan was heading for the door when the shipwright called out, “Can we enter?”

“Yes,” Megan said.

Amber might have spent the night in his arms, but her heart skipped a few dozen beats when Kol entered and his eyes locked with hers. It felt like the wind was knocked right out of her.

“As Naðr knew would happen, war has come to our doorstep,” Kjar said.

Megan’s eyes narrowed. “What’s happening?”

Kjar’s next words made the blood freeze in her veins.

“There are at least forty enemy ships on the horizon.”

Though she expected complete pandemonium, all were calm despite Kjar’s news.

“Naðr has sent a fleet out but has kept in port those warriors best suited to protect you.” Kjar's eyes went to Veronica. “For you and the babe, the Drekkar. Heidrek is already onboard waiting.” His eyes went to Megan. “For you, the largest in the fleet. Your longship.”

“No, my sisters and I stay together,” Megan said as she started pulling weapons off the wall.

“No.” Kjar grabbed her arm and stopped her in her tracks, eyes thin slits. “You will obey your King’s wishes, my Queen.”

Megan ground her jaw and glared up at him. “This is
bullshit
.”

The demi-god straightened to his full height, towering over her. “You will not disobey orders like you did on the seer’s mountain, my Queen. If you do not listen to this request, you will put the survival of your people at great risk.”

“I trust Naðr, Megan.” Veronica swaddled Matthew in an extra fur and shook her head as she strode for the door. “This time we listen.”

Her older sister scowled then reluctantly nodded her agreement as she eyed Kjar. “What about Amber?”

“She is safe on either ship.” But if she wasn’t mistaken, there was a flicker of unease in Kjar’s eyes when they passed over her.

Kol swung a cloak around Amber’s shoulders as everyone left.

Every breath she took felt icy, as if death was right around the corner. “This is it isn’t it?” Amber whispered. “The grand finale.”

His fingers lingered on the string that kept her cloak together as he wrapped a firm hand around the back of her neck, eyes locked with hers. While stern enough, there was a softening in his gaze. “The Web of Wyrd is upon us, woman. Destiny. Everything that happens is meant to be and will affect many outcomes.”

Why did it suddenly feel like he was willing to let her go?

“You make it all sound so easy,” she whispered.

Kol’s hands encased not only the sides of her neck but jaw, reminding her how simultaneously powerful and gentle he could be. While there was sadness in his gaze, there was also a tremendous amount of strength. His words almost echoed Adlin’s. “Whatever happens, follow your heart, Amber.” He swallowed. “Even if it doesn’t lead you back to me.”

“So you think I’m going home soon,” she said, voice wobbly.

“Home.” He clearly struggled with the word as he nodded. Whatever weakness he might have felt vanished as he clenched his jaw. “I don’t know. All I know is that war is here and it’s time to fight for what matters most.”

“You are what matters most,"
whispered through her mind.
“Since the moment I saw you until the moment I die.”

Did I think that or did he? She wondered.

Then Kol cringed, put a closed fist to his head and stepped back.

“Oh no,” she murmured and reached for him. “Your headache’s back.”

Kol shook his head, turned away and started grabbing weapons off the wall. “We need to go. Now.”

Though she had no idea how to use it, she grabbed a dagger as he strapped multiple weapons to his body then pulled her after him. The air was cold and the sky leaden gray as they made their way through the village toward the docks. All was quiet, but she noticed men and women alike standing guard outside cottages, faces grim but determined as they held their weapons tight.

The closer they got to the fortress walls, the more warriors there were. Hundreds upon hundreds then far more when they got beyond the gates. A large fleet of Naðr’s ships was heading out, but her eyes went instantly to the solid wall of enemy ships spanning the horizon.

“Holy crap,” she whispered, true fear welling up.

“We are as strong as them if not stronger,” Kol reassured as he led her out onto one of the docks.

“Are we?” She frowned. “And is it really such a good idea to put Veronica and the baby out here on one of the ships?”

“Kjar is of the gods and his passion, the source of his magic, are the ships he built. If he could have had you and your sisters here when last we were attacked, he would have.” Kol stopped and clasped her arms, forcing her to face him. “Nothing can touch Naðr and Raknar’s ships. They are safe from
anything
. No matter what happens, remember that.”

“Even evil?” she challenged.

“If anything can be.” His eyes roamed her face quickly, as though he were soaking up his last moments, committing her image to memory. “Whatever you do, don’t leave the ship you choose. Promise me that.”

“Of course I won’t.” Her eyes searched his, a whole new type of fear surfacing. “You’ll be joining me, right?”

“If I have to. No sooner.”

What?
But any further concern she might have had was drowned out by the wind as he pulled her down the long dock. Warriors were everywhere. Kjar and the Scotsmen stood at the end, eyes to the sea. She scanned the great longship on their left then the Drekkar on their right. “Where are your brothers?”

Kol’s eyes were thunderous as he looked out over the water. “Already out there.” His eyes shot to Kjar. “They didn’t wait for me?”

“You’re needed here, lad." Adlin started striding back down the dock with Grant alongside. “Dark magic comes. We each need to be on a different dock.”

Kjar nodded and strolled after them.

“What does that mean?” Her heart was racing as she tried to make sense of everything.

Not only was Kol not answering her but he’d gone still…way too still as his eyes narrowed on the horizon. The air turned oppressive. Heavy. The weather, mixed of sleet, rain and icy wind, swamped half the ocean and warmth seemed to push back at it from the other side.

She had felt this sensation only once before when she’d been visiting her grandparents in Florida. A tornado hit the next town over and she remembered watching it on the horizon. While it wasn’t cold in the least and there was no sleet, the mad mix of weather and sense that something terrible was right around the corner was the same.

Kol swung around, yanked her to the largest ship in the fleet, and pushed her toward one of the warriors standing guard. “Get her down there. Now!”

Caught off guard by his rash actions, Amber didn’t fight the guy as he pulled her down into the ship. Stunned, she staggered back, barely aware of Megan’s words as her eyes followed Kol. He was screaming at the men. Frantic, yet still somehow in control, ordering them to run toward shore while flinging others in the direction of the various ships that were still docked. What? Why?

“Holy
shit
,” Megan whispered.

“What?” Her panicked eyes were still on Kol as he returned to the end of the dock and braced his legs, eyes still on the horizon.

“The water.”

Amber’s eyes swung to the horizon. The ship was lowering, for that matter so was the entire sea as the water grew more and more shallow. Oh God, no. It couldn’t be. Please no.

But she knew it was.

The enemy was creating a tidal wave.

She gasped.

Why the hell was Kol just standing there? Why wasn’t he jumping into a boat to protect himself? Amber didn’t pay attention to her sister but dodged around the warrior that had hauled her down and flew up the ladder as a massive wall of water buckled up against the sky.

“Kol!” she cried and raced to him.

His gaze met hers, dazed, confused. The torturous pain of a headache flickered in his eyes.

“Kol? C’mon," she screamed and tried to drag him toward the ship.

He blinked a few times and his eyes cleared, moments before they shot to the horizon.

“No.” He shook his head and pulled her close, words so soft she barely heard them over the roar of incoming water. “It’s too late.”

Everything seemed to swing into slow motion after that. The way he tucked her against him and turned his back to the sea. The way his arm wrapped around her and his hand cupped the back of her neck, trying to offer her solace. The way he murmured, “I promised my brothers I wouldn’t embrace the dragon, but I can still save you.”

It was then, in that singular moment, that she realized
this
was the scene she had sketched back in Winter Harbor. Kol had
always
been the man. And she had
always
been the woman he meant to protect.

“I love you, Amber,” he whispered.

From somewhere in the distance she heard her sisters’ scream before a roar unlike any other drowned out everything. There were only bits and pieces after that.

Her back slamming against the dock.

Kol covering her.

Pressure. So much pressure.

His face twisted in pain.

Whispers. Voices. Then screams.

Water. Salty. Freezing. Too much. In her throat. Gagging her. Hard to breathe.

Then silence. Eerie, deafening silence.

So much of it and for far too long.

Was Kol okay? Her sisters? His brothers? Kjar?

The baby and Heidrek?

Then she lost all sense of time.

She sputtered, vaguely aware of icy water trickling from the corner of her mouth, vaguely aware of the faces blurring around her.

“Amber, are you okay?” Megan cried.

“Amber, come on Sis,” Veronica pleaded.

“Please,” Megan whimpered. “
Breathe
.”

But she was, wasn’t she?

Then she gagged and more water poured from her mouth.

“Kol...where’s Kol?” she sputtered.

“You’re okay,” Megan said. “Thank God.”

Amber blinked seawater from her eyes and brushed her sisters off, not wanting comfort but answers, her throat stinging as she spoke. “Where’s Kol. Is he all right?”

But she knew even before they responded, even before she could see clearly, that something was very, very wrong. Then her eyes focused on his lifeless body by her side, on Kjar kneeling over him, grief-stricken.

“No, no, no,” she moaned and crawled over to him. “He just has water in his lungs.” Her eyes shot to Kjar. “Help him!”

She closed her shaking hands over Kol’s hand and again screamed at Kjar. “He’s not dead. I wasn’t and neither is he.”

“He didn’t embrace the dragon but used its magic to protect you the only way he knew how,” Adlin said softly as he crouched next to Kol. “In human form. Forfeiting his own life.”

“
No
,” Amber sobbed and leaned against Kol. “I’m not worth that. I’m not worth him doing that.” She shook her head and pulled his closed fist against her mouth. For the first time since she was a child, tears poured down her face as she whimpered against his icy skin, “Why did you do this?”

Though frigid, the pressure of her lips made his fingers open. So she pressed her cheek against his palm, tears still falling, until something warmed against her skin and dim light flickered against her closed eyelids. Pulling back slightly, she swallowed hard as her eyes locked on what he held so tightly.

Her cylinder.

Shades of varying brown, two rune staves glowed up and down its small length.

The Valknut and the Web of Wyrd.

Her head started to swim and dizziness swamped her, but she didn’t care. Hope sparked. “Megan, Veronica, do you see this?”

But when she looked up everything was gone.

Kol.

Her sisters.

The dock. Ships.

Everything.

Then
wham
, bright light flashed.

Discombobulated, she peered around as the light abated.

She was sitting at a bar. Liquor bottles lined the wall back-dropped by mirrors. Beer taps lined the counter. The smell of fried seafood hung in the air. The crowd was rowdy.

“Hey, cousin. Glad you could make it.”

Way past the point of being startled, her eyes shot to Dayna as she slid onto the bar stool next to her.

“You look great tonight.” Dayna winked. “But when don’t you?”

Amber exhaled a long breath and looked down. She wasn’t soaking wet. Not in the least. No, she was wearing her favorite pair of stonewashed jeans and a sweater she had to toss a few years ago because it got caught on…

Her eyes widened.

What the
hell
?

“Are you okay?” Dayna asked. “Because though Megan’s clearly dragging her feet, I was hoping to introduce you to Sean tonight.”

Again, everything seemed to go into slow motion and Dayna’s words became a distant buzz as her eyes swung to the end of the bar.

“Yup, that’s him. He’s not himself. A little lost since the accident, but he’ll be okay. Good looking though, right?”

Sean
.

Subdued, eyes staring aimlessly at the television perched above the bar, he was right where she remembered meeting him for the first time. Moments before she knew she needed to introduce herself…