Bride of the Sea (The Prophecy of Sisters #2) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,87
“Do I want to know why he wants you?”
It is this time that her lips curl up into a sly grin. “He is not always such a beast, Aaric.”
“What?”
She laughs softly. “He can take a human form if he wishes. He doesn’t often. When I was younger, we crossed paths. We had an affair, we were passionate in all things, including fighting. He wants me back because, like you, he wants an heir.”
“Seeress,” I murmur.
She shakes her head. “It is okay, Aaric. I was angry at first, but I understand and although Quest angers me, he will not physically harm me.”
Nodding my head, I lift my hand and touch her chin. “I could not do any of this without you, Seeress.”
Her sad smile is the only confirmation that I receive that she is okay with the circumstances of what is happening. Runa clears her throat and I turn my attention over to her.
“We have a problem, Aaric,” she mutters.
“Yes?”
Runa’s gaze flicks from me to Seeress then back to me. “We cannot simply burn Fiske, in fact, we cannot go much deeper into these woods that we travel. This is sacred völva land.”
“What do you mean sacred?” I demand.
She clears her throat, then lets out a sigh. “I mean that, this is where they convene, this is where they have rituals and rites. There are spirits here, evil ones.”
“Are there völvas here now?” I demand.
She shakes her head. “Just the elders who live here permanently.”
“And Fiske, where could he be, now?”
She clears her throat, her eyes focusing on mine and nowhere else. “He is here. The elders will not likely give him shelter, but he does not need it. His draugr is feral. He will live off of the land and he is strong. He thrives here.”
I want to curse. A strong demon is not what we need. Not now, not ever.
“What do we do to rid the earth of the draugr?” I ask.
She clears her throat. “We must capture him. We must do the Blood Eagle ritual on Fiske,” she whispers.
“It will kill him,” I murmur.
I knew this was the alternative, now that Isolda is not able to banish the demon, this is all that we have. I was hoping that Runa could come up with another way, but deep down, I knew the only way.
Runa nods. “I know, it was why I hoped he could just be captured and killed by some enemy. It is not a pretty fate, nor did I wish it on Fiske. He truly was innocent in all of this.”
“If I do not rid him of the draugr?” I ask, looking over to Seeress.
She presses her lips together. “If the draugr does not go back to his rightful place in the underworld, it will cause a rift that cannot be undone. It could change the outcome of everything, including the prophecy.”
Nodding my head, I clear my throat. “Then we must capture him,” I say.
“We must,” Runa states. “I will help in any way that I can.”
Jerking my chin up. “You will rest this eve. Tomorrow morning we prepare for battle. You will join us.”
LIV
I stretch, then groan as Aaric touches my shoulder. “It is time to matask, food is ready,” he murmurs. Reaching for his arm, I wrap my fingers around his wrist.
“Tell me,” I demand softly.
He tilts his head to the side, looking as confused as possible. It’s adorable. He’s adorable. A single night in his arms was not nearly enough. I want so much more, I want it all. We have to succeed, whatever that looks like, because I cannot lose him.
“Tell me that you love me, Aaric,” I beg.
A snort escapes his lips, he dips his chin to look down at me, those blue eyes changing to black right before my eyes. Flicking my gaze to his talisman marks, there is a low glow coming from them.
Releasing his wrist, I reach out and touch the blue glowing tattoos. I expect them to be hot, but they are no warmer than the rest of his skin. There is something just so mesmerizing about the way they glow, I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life and I don’t think I will ever get used to it, either.
“I love you, Liv. Just as I did last night,” he murmurs.
Grinning up at him, I push up to a seated position. “I love you too, Aaric.”
“Come and break your fast.”
I throw my legs over the side of the bed. Aaric tugs me toward him