a crack of lightning sounds seconds later nearby.
“You better get to work, draugr. My wife summons the gods to aid in our victory,” I laugh.
The demon’s eyes widen, then he lifts his hands to his mouth before he lets out an ear-piercing scream. Instead of cowering, as I’m sure he expects us to do, my men and I use this as our opportunity to rush him.
Unfortunately, we don’t capture him. He ducks, then moves with incredible speed away from the men, through two of them and toward the beach.
“He cannot get on a ship,” I shout.
I’m not sure if anyone has heard me, but I run after the demon. My feet move as quickly as they can. Calling out to Quest, I ask him to hold Fiske for me, to not allow him entry onto any of the ships that are docked. He grunts, but without a doubt does as I ask. He will do it or he will not have his new bride.
The beach comes into view and I grin as I see Quest in a fighting stance, his wings spread and smoke coming from his nostrils. He snorts as he sees me approach. My men join me, but it is Kjeld and Sten that grab Fiske.
He doesn’t fight, too mesmerized by the gigantic red dragon. Thank you, Quest.
Quest shakes his head, his snout going side to side. He didn’t even try. Although, I should have told you that I can physically paralyze a creature if need be.
How?
Quest laughs heartily in my head. I stand, staring at him as I wait for him to answer me. It is my secret to keep, Aaric. Just know that I would never use it on anyone that I respect.
Seeress?
Never.
Good.
The conversation is dropped as my men drag Fiske past me and back toward the burned camp. I will find out why he spared my tent, though I am grateful, I wish to know why. Quest doesn’t follow me, choosing to stay at the ships as my lookout.
Before I do a single thing, I head toward my tent while my men hold Fiske and Runa holds the völvas. I need to free my wife. Pushing back the tent flaps, I find the trunk. The Gnu is perched on the top of the lid.
I blink at the sight of the sparrow head hawk. It squawks at me, extending its massive wingspan before it jumps into the air and flies past me out of the tent’s flaps. My Liv’s protector, Ostus, the God of Weather, protects my brúõr. Looking back toward the trunk, I swiftly walk over to it, then flip the lid.
She is there, curled in a small ball. Before she can even look up, I reach in and pull her body from the tight space. Carrying her over to the bed, I set her down and hold her against me. Touching my mouth to the top of her head, I inhale her scent as if I hadn’t filled her body not long ago.
She lifts her head, looking up into my eyes. I expect to see a broken woman staring back at me, but that is not what greets me. She is no broken soul, my víf is strong. “I am going to finish this,” I rasp, looking into her green eyes.
Liv nods once, lifting her hand to cup my cheek. I feel her finger slide through the hair of my beard and her eyes stay connected to mine, completely focused as if there is nothing else in this world that she would rather look at.
I can’t deny that I appreciate the gaze, the way she watches me. “Have you ended him?” she breathes, speaking for the first time since I gathered her from that trunk.
“Not yet, it is a brutal process. I need you to stay in here.”
She shakes her head once. “I want to watch.”
I snort. “Nei.”
Her lips curl into a snarl. “I will watch, Aaric. This demon has terrorized us, more specifically you. I want to see its demise.”
“Are you bloodthirsty, Liv?” I ask, my lips twitching at the sight of her ferocity.
“Maybe.”
Nodding my head, I touch my forehead to hers. “Perhaps you are Wolfjourian after all. You may watch, but as soon as it is too much, you come straight back here and wait for me, já?”
“Yeah, Aaric,” she whispers before her hand falls from my beard and she slips from my lap. “Where is Hillevi?”
“She is safe, Quest assures me,” I rasp.
“Good.”
LIV
I should not want to see what is about