Bride of the Sea (The Prophecy of Sisters #2) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,82

too silent.

Lifting my head, I look up to find him gone. “Where is my víf?” I demand as I rise to my feet.

I will not chase after him in that damned forest. Not until I know where Liv is, if she is safe and on her way home.

“Your dragon came and took her,” Gunnar shouts from a few feet away from me.

Standing, I turn around to look at him. “Quest was here?” I rasp.

Hagen nods his head. “Quest burned Isolda to a crisp,” he says, lifting his hand to point to the charred ground. There is a skeleton there, and I didn’t even notice it before, I was so focused on Fiske, on the demon inside of him.

“What do we do now?” Kjeld asks.

Lifting my eyes to the sky, I shake my head. “I do not know,” I admit.

My men are all moaning and groaning as they gain their footing again. I look around them and know that I cannot ask them to help me fight a demon. I also cannot let him be free. Even if I leave him here on this isle, I do not know that he wouldn’t find his way to me, to kill me in my sleep—to harm my Liv.

“I need Runa and the seeress. I should have brought them with me.”

“You didn’t know,” Gunnar mumbles. “We had a plan.”

“The plan is done. We need another and Runa can aide us.”

Then, as if being summoned by one of the gods, I see him flying toward me. The men gasp, none having seen Quest before. I’m sure they saw him when he came here the first time, but this time he’s leisurely making his way toward us. A grand entrance of sorts.

Good to see you, old boy, I say to my friend.

Only I can speak with him telepathically. He can speak to others the same way, but they cannot converse back with him, not unless he allows it. It is a special bond that I have with the beast. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that I was chosen by the gods to fulfill this prophecy? I don’t know of any other men that speak with dragons.

She is with child, Aaric.

My body physically jerks at the news. He laughs in my head, a deep sound as he circles us.

Is it safe for me to land or shall I take her back to Attleview?

I have a dozen questions, but I do not voice them, not even to my friend. I instruct him to land here. There is no way I want my woman, pregnant with my child, riding on the back of a fucking dragon.

Down, Aaric. I would not harm her.

My lips curve into a grin as he gently glides down to the mud and lands as if he is a feather making his way down to the ground.

Apologies, Quest. I’ve only just found out.

Can you truly be surprised? It is foretold in the prophecy.

“Aaric,” Liv cries out.

Closing the distance between us, I reach up both of my arms catching her around her small waist as she slides down from Quest’s back.

“Liv, you are safe,” I rasp, touching my lips to her forehead.

“I am.”

Wrapping my arms around her, I hold her close against my chest, wishing that I could meld her body with my own so that she can always stay safe and warm within me.

We must speak about this prophecy. You know more than I do apparently.

Quest snorts. You have a favor to ask of me, Konungr?

I do.

I grunt aloud, Liv lifts her head. Her lips curve up into a grin. “You’re talking to him, aren’t you?”

“I am,” I admit.

“That is so freaking cool that you can talk telepathically to a fucking dragon,” she squeals.

Shaking my head once, I smile down at my woman. My safe and alive woman. Brushing my mouth across her forehead again, I let out a sigh. I want to keep her right here, forever, but I must speak to Quest.

Looking over my shoulder, I jerk my chin toward Gunnar. He takes a step forward, waiting for my next order.

“Can you take Liv and set up camp, have the men unload the ships?” I ask him. “I need to discuss some things with Quest.”

Gunnar grunts, dipping his chin in an affirmative. Passing her off to him, Liv doesn’t even hesitate to do as I wish. I don’t even have to say the words. Gunnar presses his hand to the small of her back and the two walk away as my men