Viking's Valor, page 21
part #2 of Viking Ancestors: Rise of the Dragon Series
“So what do we do once we get there?” Sage murmured, just as unsure as him as they drew close. “How do we...” she swallowed hard. “How do we give ourselves over?”
“I don’t know,” he replied, following her ancestral DNA. Something that came easily to him now that they were mated. A strange but very convenient sensation. “But we will be giving ourselves over.” He squeezed her hand after he set her down just feet from the tree. “Vigdis almost had it right but not quite.”
She nodded, her eyes moist as they met his. “We have to willingly sacrifice our dragon magic...”
She pressed her trembling lips together, emotional.
Shea kept trying to get to them but hit an invisible wall. Nothing could help them now. Nothing could stop this.
“We have to willingly sacrifice our dragon spirits to save the trees,” Sage managed to continue, “to ensure the connections between our kin do happen.” She chocked back a small sob then stood up straighter, determined to do the right thing. “We have to let our dragons go even though they’ve only just found each other again. Even though we’ve only just found each other.”
“Yes,” he murmured, reeling her closer. “We have found each other, and that will not change, Sage.” He cupped her cheek again. “Because my human half loves you as much as my dragon half ever did.”
“Mine too,” she whispered, kissing his palm. “I do love you, Håkon...I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”
“Why when we only just met,” he murmured, drowning in her stunning eyes one last time.
Hoping his plan would work.
Hoping that what he intended to do might make all the difference for their kin.
But hoping above all else, that he was blocking his thoughts well enough that she didn’t catch on before it was too late.
“What is it, Håkon?” She frowned, suddenly aware he was keeping something from her. “What is that look in your eyes?” She tilted her head in question. “What are you up to?”
He didn’t respond instead pulled her close, kissed her then stepped away and touched the tree, praying he was right. That he would gain access to Múspellsheimr and finish what Leif had started so long ago.
When he mated with Sage, memories began to slowly emerge that only he seemed to be able to access. Memories directly related to a tribe he used to call his kin. To a dragon he used to call his brother. Long, long ago when he was only beginning to understand that dragonkind could be something more than ruthless killers. That they could be more than beasts who craved only to conquer and defeat.
To claim and to own their mate until she was broken.
Sage had done that for him in that life so long ago. She had taught him. Shown him. And because she had, he broke all the rules and rose up against his kin. He rose up against a brother determined to have his mate at all costs so he could torture and abuse her. So that he could break her until she was the submissive serpent Skáld’s dragons expected women to be.
Yet Sage and her kin, Níðhöggr’s offspring, not just in this life but that one, saw things differently. The Great Serpent raised his little female dragons to be as vicious as his males. To be as cunning and ferocious and independent. That was why it came as no surprise to Håkon that while yes, Níðhöggr had subjected his distant offspring to fight a battle they didn’t deserve, he thought nothing of seeing his DNA activate within female dragons versus male.
He saw equality in anything born of his loins. He saw his females fighting alongside his males despite their size differences. He saw both sexes drawing strength from one another and working together to grow his tribe stronger. Better. Different.
A concept the world of Múspellsheimr would never embrace.
But Midgard would.
Vikings would.
And Håkon needed to make sure that kept happening. That Viking dragons remained on their home world, Midgard. That meant he needed to see Leif ended once and for all. And he needed to do it before this war intensified any more. Before Uncle Bjorn and Uncle Heidrek were corrupted by Skáld, and they lost them forever.
“Håkon.” Sage’s eyes rounded as wind began to whip around the tree and they lost sight of everything around them. “No.” She was starting to catch snippets of his intentions. “You told me our kin deserved to find each other...”
“And they will because the trees will be saved,” he vowed. “But not at the expense of you sacrificing yourself.” He shook his head. “I will not let you sacrifice your inner dragon...not one bit of it...not if I can help it.”
He stepped away, flung back his head and roared, “Come get me, Leif. Come see if you can end me once again!”
Sage screamed no and leapt toward him, but it was too late.
Wherever Leif was now, his arrogance and vengeance alone would compel him to come. Not to mention the spark of power that told him yet again, Håkon had mated with Sage. That nothing could stop them lifetime after lifetime.
Especially Leif.
“No,” Sage cried, but Håkon was already being sucked into an abyss he knew full well was Múspellsheimr. A place where he would face off with not only Leif but his long lost Skáld siblings if and only if he defeated Leif. Either way, it would eventually be the end of him.
But what Håkon did would serve two purposes.
His would be the only sacrifice needed, so Sage didn’t lose her dragon magic or dragon spirit.
It would also be enough to revive the trees and perhaps end the war entirely.
What he didn’t realize until it was too late was how draining the fire demon’s influence was within the rift. How it tore through his defenses, weakening him so much that he free-fell into a situation that wouldn’t be a fair fight at all but a slaughter.
Worse yet, Sage was being sucked in after him.
He saw her. Felt her. Knew she was giving into it if only to pursue him. To fight alongside him. But something happened. Something grabbed her before she ended up where they had begun. A hell that never should have belonged to her.
Múspellsheimr.
“Håkon,” she roared into his mind, her word tortured as her dragon eyes flared in his mind’s eye before another snagged her away and pulled her free. But he knew who took her. She would be okay.
Empowered by that and likely even freed by it, knowing she was safer than she had ever been, fresh energy filled him. When it did, he flipped, embraced his dragon and roared as he raced downward straight into his dragon’s fiery blazing home world.
Now he would fight Leif.
Kill him.
Taste his blood and eat his heart.
Then he would suffer his own death beneath the wrath of Skáld, but he would do so knowing he had reunited with his mate. That he had found great love once again. More than all that though, he knew she was with the one person that could offer her just as much power as her dragon mate ever could.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
SAGE KEPT ROARING in denial as she was sucked out of wherever she was heading and spat out onto the ground.
“No, no, no.” She shook her head and scrambled toward the tree, whimpering as she fell to her knees in front of it and braced her hands on its roots. “Don’t you dare take him from me, you serpent bastard.” Trembling so hard, she could barely stay upright, she screamed, “Don’t you fucking dare!”
“Sage,” came a gentle voice followed by an equally gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right. We’ll get him back.”
“How can you say that?” she whispered. “When he was taken like that...gone like that?”
She yanked her shoulder away from the touch as she gripped the roots more firmly, lowered her head and began chanting. She tried to summon every last ounce of magic she possessed to open the rift and pursue Håkon.
“Sage,” Emily pleaded, her voice hoarse and heartbroken as she crouched on her left side and rested her hand on her shoulder. “We are going to get him back. You have the power to do that now.”
“How can you possibly know that,” she whimpered, drowning in misery. Lost in the agony of losing all connection with her mate. Suffering the same horrific, empty feeling that she had felt in another lifetime. “Håkon’s gone.” She shook her head. “He’s in Múspellsheimr at the mercy of Skáld’s dragons.” She kept shaking her head. “There’s no returning from that. He won’t make it out alive. Not without a great deal of magic...an amount I just don’t have without him. Even if I did, how could I possibly aid him from here?”
“But you do have the power,” Sven said softly as he crouched on Sage’s right hand side and rested his hand on her other shoulder. “Sage, look behind you.”
Only then, seeing the particular expression on Sven’s face, did she realize that the female voice that had tried to lend her comfort before was all too familiar.
“She’s got my voice,” she whispered, keeping her eyes with Sven’s. “She’s got...my...”
When she trailed off, caught in an overload of tortuous, conflicting emotions, Sven nodded. “She does.” He pulled her up and turned her to who stood behind her. Who he had vowed always supported her without her ever knowing. “Sage, meet your sister, Jessie.”
Speechless, Sage couldn’t move. Hell, she couldn’t compute anything but that she was standing across from a complete replica of herself except for her eye color. A woman she had only seen fleetingly on their last adventure. Someone she didn’t even get a chance to talk to before.
Her long lost twin sister who she was separated from at birth.
“How are you...” she whispered. “Are you really here this time...”
“I am.” Jessie nodded, compassion in her dark chocolate brown eyes. “And I’m not leaving until we fix this.”
“We?” Sage swallowed, her eyes never leaving her twin’s. “How are we a we?” She knew she didn’t make sense but couldn’t see straight never mind think straight with Håkon gone. “I don’t understand what’s going on...how are you here? Why are you here?” She shook her head, as everything seemed to spiral out of control. “I just don’t understand—”
That’s all she managed to get out before Jessie wrapped her arms around her and held on tight. That’s all. No words. Just a tight, strong embrace that calmed her almost instantly. An embrace she realized, that she had missed out on her whole life.
“Jessie,” she whispered, but nothing came out as she finally put power to her limbs and embraced her sister. Someone she never knew existed until recently. Someone she never knew she needed so much until this very moment.
She wasn’t sure how long she held onto her new sister. She only knew that it calmed her considerably. That it softened the terrible anguish churning in her heart, in her very soul. It was their magic. A magic they forged in the womb as dragons. A connection unlike any other.
“A magic that will save your mate from his foolhardy but very heroic quest,” Jessie said softly, pulling back enough that she could hold Sage at arm’s length and meet her eyes. “You and I and those lucky enough to be like us have a tendency to bond with strong males who will do anything to protect us no matter how dangerous.”
“Beyond dangerous,” Sage managed on a raspy sigh, still trying to find herself, to think clearly. “Certain death.”
“Certain death?” Jessie’s brows perked as she looked from Sven back to Sage. “Ask my good Viking friend about certain death.” The corner of her mouth curled up. “How love, in our circles, tends to overcome boundaries like that.”
“Yes, Sven can heal and even brought Emily back from the brink of death but—”
“I didn’t say anything about healing bringing anyone back from death,” Jessie interrupted softly. “But love.” Her eyes flickered to the canopy of leaves overhead then back to Sage. “And you and Håkon definitely have enough of that or that wouldn’t have happened.”
Sage looked up, startled by what she saw. The leaves were no longer orange but green and golden like before. No, more than that. The green leaves were a sparkling emerald, and the golden leaves were splintered through with brilliant mint green. Not only that but the canopy was even thicker than before. More vibrant and alive.
“You truly see each other,” Jessie whispered, her eyes rising to the canopy again along with Sage’s as she admired both Håkon’s and Sage’s eye colors in all the vibrancy. “And because of that, you will never lose the other. You will find each other once again.”
Would they? Could they? If so, how?
“But I don’t feel him anymore,” she whispered, swallowing hard, unable to tear her eyes from the emerald leaves overhead. “All connections have been severed.”
“No.” Jessie shook her head, determination in her voice. “I don’t believe that. Not for a second.”
“And when my lass doesnae believe something,” came a deep masculine brogue. “We all pay attention.”
Jessie squeezed Sage’s hands and offered her another warm smile of encouragement before she introduced the man who stood behind her.
“Sage, I’d like you to meet my dragon mate and husband, Bryce MacLeod.” Her eyes grew even warmer as they looked his way. “Without him, I never could have lifted the curse over Scotland which ignited the prophecy.” Her eyes returned to Sage. “Which led me to you.”
“Nice to meet you, Bryce.” Sage nodded hello. “Sven’s said good things.”
As tall and as tattooed as his Viking counterparts, Bryce wore a black and yellow plaid and was every inch a Scotsman with his striking good looks.
“’Tis a pleasure to meet ye, lassie.” Bryce winked at Sven then nodded at Sage. “’Twas verra good to have Sven along on our journey or else it could have bloody well gone differently.” His eyes softened as they met Jessie’s before returning to Sage. “As Sven helped us, allow us to help ye, aye? Allow me and your twin to help ye get your mate back. Because if Jessie says we can get him back, we can.”
Sage met Jessie’s eyes again and managed a jerky nod, her voice still hoarse her heart hurt so bad. “Yes...please...if you know of a way.” She bit back tears as she tried to gather herself, determined to stay strong for Håkon. “If you and Bryce can get him back, I’d give the world.”
“Funny you should say that.” Jessie handed her a skin of mead and led her away from the tree. “Because it might just come down to that.”
When Sage looked at her in confusion, she continued.
“Well, I might need you to give me the world, more specifically Múspellsheimr, or at least access to it.” Jessie urged Sage to take a few hearty swigs from the skin. “Once you do, you might be surprised how much you and I can accomplish on our own.”
“Access?” She glanced at Sven as worry flared anew. “The rift is completely closed now, isn't it?”
There was no need to ask. She knew it without question. Håkon was truly sealed off from this world.
“Yes, as far as we can tell the rift is closed,” Sven confirmed softly. “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to get him back.” His eyes flickered between her and Jessie. “Especially with the considerable power you two share. Power all that much stronger now that you have both mated.”
Sage nodded as her eyes returned to Jessie. It almost felt like her mind got clearer and sharper by the moment. Her sister nodded, smiling, apparently feeling the same thing. It was remarkable being reunited with her twin like this. Feeling such an intense connection with someone she had only just met. Which, in turn, brought her mind to the sister she had known since the beginning.
Clearly catching those thoughts, or more so, that Sage was coming around, Shea embraced her and held on tight. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” Then she kept muttering, “How am I supposed to protect you if you won’t let me? Utter bullshit!”
Sage hugged her back. But when she began to make introductions, Shea stopped her.
“We were already introduced when you were lost in the tree,” Shea informed, a little teary as she looked at Jessie. “After all, she’s my sister too.” She nodded. “And I think we’ll get along just fine.” Her eyes returned to Sage. “Any dragon who shared a womb with you has got to kick some serious ass.”
Sage smiled and squeezed Shea’s shoulder, grateful for her support.
“So how did you get here anyway?” Sage asked Jessie. “I was under the impression when we connected last time that it wasn’t so easy for you to time travel.”
“It wasn’t,” Jessie replied. “Until it was.” Her eyes met Sage’s. “I’ve been trying to travel through time to find you, for weeks, but only had luck now and I think it’s because you and Håkon have finally mated.” Her eyes returned to the ash. “I also think it had to do with the fiery orange dragon.”
“Håkon in another life,” Sage murmured, trying not to think of his burning body. Trying not to think of what might be happening to him at this very moment. “But what does that have to do with you being allowed to travel through time now?”
“I’m not entirely sure yet other than it’ll allow us access to Múspellsheimr,” Jessie replied. “More importantly, Håkon and Leif.”
Sage nodded, suddenly feeling the same. For that matter, suddenly feeling far more.
“We need to get moving,” she said. “We need to get to Håkon’s ship.”
“Yes,” Jessie agreed. “We also need to find Magnus.”
“Because he can control the fate of the fiery orange dragon,” Vigdis murmured, repeating what she had said earlier in the cave.
“Which means he can control Håkon,” Emily said.
Sage’s eyes turned the seer’s way as things became clearer by the moment. As hope sparked. “Which might just mean Håkon is still alive.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
AS HÅKON ROARED downward, Leif appeared and flew upward before they crashed into each other and began battling above the fiery landscape of Múspellsheimr.
“Ah, but to see you crushed again, Brother,” Leif said into his mind. “It will almost be as good as it was to learn that after all this time, you had returned. That I would have the thrill of watching you die again. To finally take your mate as my own so I can ride her and break her until there is nothing left of her body and even less of her spirit.”
