Calm. Quest demands.
Lifting my gaze to meet his, my mouth goes dry. His eyes are bright blue, like electric. They flash back to their black color as soon as I force myself to breathe and calm down. He shakes his head, his large snout going from side to side before his gaze finds mine again.
The prophecy. He begins. The four sisters’ hearts determine how their power will unfold on this earth. The love of their warriors also plays a part in the way their powers are wielded. True, pure love meant to last a lifetime always prevails over the Earth’s evildoings.
Their children, created in this love between the sister and her warrior, will become rulers of a new generation beyond compare. The sister and her warrior will have many obstacles to fight, inward and out, to bring these children to adulthood, but when they do, the world will celebrate and prosper under their strength and guidance.
I don’t say anything right away, neither does Quest as he watches me, no doubt waiting for a response. Dropping my chin, I look down at my belly.
A child created in love.
Could it be?
Do I love Aaric?
Even without admitting it aloud, or fully to myself, I know without a doubt that I do love that big stubborn beast of a man. Then, I start to tremble, because that big beast of a man, he might be dead.
“Take me to him, Quest,” I urge.
He shakes his head once. Nei, Liv. I cannot.
Leaning forward, I look into the dragon’s giant eye. “Take. Me. To. Him,” I demand.
If he could frown at me, I think that he would. Without a doubt, I am testing his patience right about now. He jerks his chin. Climb on my back. For the record, I do not agree with this, he announces.
I shrug as I walk over to him. “I don’t think Aaric agrees with a lot when it comes to me,” I murmur as I climb onto his smooth scales.
Quest laughs, his deep growly voice filling my mind. That I can see, Liv.
“You still don’t sense him?” I ask.
He grunts but doesn’t answer me. Instead, he changes the subject slightly. If it looks strange, if it feels strange, I will not leave you there, we will instead go straight to Wolfjour Ail.
“Okay,” I breathe.
Without another word, Quest starts to walk toward the opening of his cave. The wind whips around my face. He instructs me to hold on to him tightly, I do, with all of my might as he jumps off of the cave’s ledge, expands his wings and flies.
It’s exhilarating, terrifying, and beautiful all at the same time. Instead of panicking about the fact that I’m pregnant and Aaric could be gone. I push all of my anxieties to the side and I take the moment to just relish in the sweet freedom of this experience.
AARIC
The sky is painted red with the anger of Fiske’s demon. My men charge him with the intention of tying him to a tree and leaving him there as food for a hungry animal that happens to cross his path.
He lifts his hands and with an invisible force he pushes everyone away from him. We all fly to the muddy ground. I expect him to start attacking, but he doesn’t. Everything goes completely still and 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 get busy unloading all of the equipment.
Can you go to Attleview and collect Runa and Seeress?
There is a moment of silence and I think that perhaps he hasn’t heard me, but I watch as the smoke pours from his nostrils.