Chapter Twenty-Five
Bryn
Bryn lay against Sven’s chest, her body still tingly and sated with the afterglow of their lovemaking.
His arm curved protectively around her and his breath slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep.
She felt at peace, at least for the moment.
She let her eyes fall shut and let the beat of his heartbeat pull her into sleep.
But the peace was disturbed once she began to dream.
She flew again. Like the first dream, she had the same sensations of weightlessness and air rushing around her.
She had the freedom of endless sky. She tried to move her arms, but her body was different.
She had wings. She banked and flew over a calm lake so she could see her reflection.
She almost flew right into the lake as she got a good view of herself.
She didn’t just have wings. She had everything.
Scales gleamed along her body, creamy pearl with silvery blue tips.
Each one shone in iridescent hues as she flew along the water’s surface.
Her wings stretched wide and incorporated more shades of blue, but she still looked like a mountain top covered in snow and ice.
Each wing was immense and powerful, and they cut through the air with effortless strength.
The air rippled beneath her as she glided along before she climbed higher.
Every motion was natural and instinctive.
Her heart raced as knowledge set in. She wasn’t riding a dragon. She was the dragon.
The wind lifted her higher still, but the horizon dimmed as she flew and the bright sky darkened into shadows. The light faded until the air grew heavy and cold, and she knew where she was heading before she even saw it.
Frostfen Deep.
A shudder raked her scaled body as she recognized the jagged landscape with the sickly mist that curled upward from frozen marshes.
Her wings faltered. Below her she saw the broken place where she had been attacked and Sven had been injured and almost lost his life again.
The memory of the pain throbbed through her chest.
Then the vision shifted. A train whistle cut through the silence, sharp and lonely.
She turned her great head to watch as a train cut across the frozen terrain, its carriages familiar.
The metal wheels screeched against the tracks.
She remembered that journey during the ride that had carried her straight into danger.
She tried to fly away but something pulled her. Her dragon’s gaze swept the trees that bordered the deep. Dark pines. Scraggly shrubs with heavy underbrush knotted together as though to hide something.
She flew lower and landed. Even in her dream she could feel the cold snow on her feet as she moved closer to a particularly thick clump of brush. Something was hidden.
A door.
Not of natural design but camouflaged perfectly so that it was nearly invisible.
It would have been easy to miss had it not beckoned for her, something she didn’t understand.
There was something behind the door that called out for her, both in warning and in need.
When the door suddenly opened, somehow she plunged downward.
She dropped straight through the darkness into the earth itself.
An underground chamber stretched before her, cold and poorly lit.
She knew that she was not there in a physical sense, but she could feel and sense everything.
Her mind was wide awake as she took it all in.
A noise in the distance drew her attention.
She followed it through a maze of doorways and narrow hallways.
And then she saw him. Bound, bruised, but unmistakably alive.
Her seatmate from the plane, bound and shackled to a hook in the concrete.
Sven’s brother.
She tried to call out to Erik, but her voice would not cooperate. When she tried to move to help him, another presence rose up.
Across from him, with a predatory smile, stood Alitta. The woman who had betrayed Sven and probably tried to kill him. Her evil laughter carried through the chamber, high and sharp as it echoed off the concrete walls.
Bryn’s dragon snarled and fire rose in her throat. But before she could save Erik, the dream collapsed around her until only the laughter was left. It chased her back to consciousness and still echoed in her ears.
Bryn bolted awake and threw the covers off. She had to save him.
She leapt out of bed and her breath tore in and out of her lungs. Sweat dampened her skin, even though the air was cool. Sven stirred beside her and blinked at her sudden movement.
“Bryn?” His voice was thick with sleep, but concern sharpened it instantly. He sat up and rubbed his face. “What is it?”
She gripped his arm. Her mind whirled as she struggled to process everything that had just happened.. “I know where Erik is.”
His eyes widened and all his focus locked on her. “Tell me.”
She described everything from the train, the trees, the hidden door, the bunker, Alitta’s cruel smile. As she spoke, the last remnants of dream dissipated.
Sven didn’t question her. She knew that he didn’t know her gifts and was not about to doubt her vision if it could save Erik. He only nodded once and reached for his clothes. “Then we go now.”
Bryn insisted that they find Lars before they left the castle. He wasn’t quite as accepting as Sven had been.
“How do we know that Erik is really there? Dreams can be deceiving regardless of how real they seem.”
“I don’t know how to explain it,” she tried to tell him, “but he’s there. We’ll find that door and get him back.” She could read the doubt in his eyes but she was convinced.
Sven had backed her up. “We’re going. If you want to go, then do so. If not, then stay here and we’ll be back soon.”
Bryn grinned when Lars cursed both of them with a string of profanity before he threatened them. “If he’s not there, you will never live this down.”
The journey was a blur of speed and silence.
Sven’s pace was relentless and her cheeks felt frozen as the cold winds whipped around her.
She enjoyed riding on his back, but her dream had told her that she could fly on her own.
She just needed to figure out how to shift, but right now wasn’t the time.
She held on to Sven’s neck as he flew along.
Lars flew right next to him, and several guards were poised to provide back up if needed.
The landscape grew more desolate until Bryn recognized the line of trees from her vision.
Once they landed and Sven and Lars had two legs again, she studied the area. She closed her eyes and imagined the area where she had seen the door. There was nothing. They searched the bushes and no door materialized.
Lars grumbled but didn’t outright say anything. Sven also seemed a little discouraged and she couldn’t blame him. Had the dream been just that?
She finally moved a little ways away from them and stopped. She closed her eyes and released all thoughts from her head. Once she focused on her surroundings, she felt it. The pull she had dreamed about.
“What is it, Bryn?” Sven touched her arm but she shrugged him off.
“I can feel it. Like I dreamt. It’s pulling me.”
“Show me.”
No question, no skepticism. Just certainty. She loved him a little more for not doubting her.
She focused on the pull and moved toward a clump of trees. When she was sure, she led them straight to the spot in the brush and pointed.
The door was real.
A steel panel, disguised beneath bark and moss, was almost invisible until they were close enough to touch it. Bryn pressed her palm against its cold surface. “Here. This is it.”
Lars clasped her shoulder. “Well done.”
She wanted to hug the man for the first sign of acceptance that she had felt from him.
Sven grabbed her to stop her. “If your dream is correct, Alitta is waiting for us. She has to know by now that we have Magnus, so she has nothing to lose. You have to be careful.”
“I know you’re not going to tell me I have to stay out here.”
He kissed her hard. “I wouldn’t dream of it. It wouldn’t do me much good anyhow.”
Lars snorted. “Look who’s talking.”
“Are you ready for this?” Sven’s jaw clenched. He reached for the door and Lars gave him a nod. He wrenched it open, and the three of them slipped into the underground dark.
One thing her dream hadn’t prepared her for was the stench. The bunker stank of rust and damp air. Dim light glared overhead from fixtures that buzzed faintly. Somehow, Bryn led them through the corridors without a mishap. She stopped and pointed ahead.
“Up there is where Erik is.”
Lars growled. “I don’t like this. Where are all the Skelvarns? Why is this place deserted?”
“Either they don’t expect us to ever find this place,” Sven offered, “or we’re walking right into a bad situation.”
“That’s a given considering Alitta is right in front of us. Either way, we’re here,” Bryn snapped. “Let’s get your brother.”
They moved into the final room. At the far end, Erik was slumped against the wall, chained by wrists and ankles. His face was pale, but his eyes snapped open when he saw them.
“Erik,” Sven breathed . He surged forward before Bryn could stop him. But then the anticipated figure stepped from the shadows.
Alitta.
Her beautiful face was sharpened into something vicious. She leaned against a metal post, her smile slow and mocking.
“Well,” she purred. “The lovers arrive. How convenient.”
Bryn moved up alongside Sven and took his hand. He slipped free and tried to move around to confront Alitta but Bryn stepped in front of him.
“No. She’s mine.”
Alitta’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t possibly think you can defeat me.”
Bryn stepped forward. “Try me.”
“Hand to hand combat?” The woman’s eyebrows rose. “Rather barbaric, don’t you think?” Another evil laugh. “Although you are some half-breed something or other.”
“What was your game, Lita?” Sven asked. “First me, then Erik, now Bryn. If you’re going to make a point by assassination or kidnapping, someone should at least know what your purpose is. Otherwise it’s all for nothing.”
Her lip snarled. “You should be dead. I would find the one archer who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Everyone knew at that point that I was to be your queen. I could have used Magnus’ child to use the sympathy card that I carried your heir to take the crown. But then this little tramp interferes and heals our toxins. Erik was our back up plan until I realized that she has secrets of her own. Do you know what a dragon newbie would fetch on the black market?”
“You were going to sell me?” Bryn couldn’t believe her ears.
“It beats dissecting you, doesn’t it?” Alitta snarled. “I figured Sven would buy you and I’d still get all of his money. If he didn’t, then yeah, I’d have sold you.”
“But why?” Bryn truly wanted to understand. “I’ve heard you come from a powerful, rich family. Why go through all the trouble?”
“My parents cut me off when they found out about Magnus. They called me a traitor to our province and kicked me out.”
Sven snapped his fingers. “That’s why you arrived early. You had nowhere else to go.”
“Shut up!” Alitta ordered. “Enough talking.”
For a heartbeat, she and Bryn simply stared at one another. Then the air broke with movement.
Alitta lunged with a nasty looking blade in her hand. Bryn used a defensive mood that Sven had taught her and side stepped the attack.
Alitta stumbled but caught herself. She turned and started to launch herself again, but Bryn held up her hands. They glowed in the dim light. This time when Alitta attacked, Bryn sent her flying to the floor with the power of sparks.
“You won’t beat me, Alitta. I fight with the power of love behind me. With purpose. You have nothing left.”
Lars moved toward her. “She has a dungeon right next to Magnus waiting for her.”
A line of fire erupted from Alitta, and Lars crashed through a table as he rolled to the side to avoid the flame. Sven moved toward him, which made him her new target.
“Sven, lookout!” Bryn wasn’t about to let her hurt anyone. She launched herself forward with clenched fists, but this time when she made contact with the other woman, the sparks were more like lightning bolts. Alitta flew across the room and bounced off the wall.
Alitta sat up and shook her head. “You would have been so much fun to experiment on.” Before they could reach her, she pulled a syringe from her pocket. Unlike Magnus, however, Lars wasn’t close enough to stop her.
“No!”
But it was too late.
Alitta jammed the needle into her own arm and plunged the contents of the vial into her body hiss of satisfaction. Her smile was eerie and triumphant, even as her body seized.
“You’ll… never win,” she whispered. Her words slurred before her eyes rolled back and she crumpled.
Bryn froze. Her chest heaved and adrenaline crashed through her veins. “Is it over?”
Sven pulled her close and his hand steadied her shoulders. “It is for her.”
“A little help here,” Erik called out.
They hurried to him and had him free in seconds. He sagged forward and Sven caught him. When he looked up,
Tears ran down her cheeks as she watched the brothers reunite.
“.........I had to go to prove Dad wrong….”
“.........didn’t know where you were……”
“....... find our ancestors…..”
“......never doubted you for a minute….”
Lars stood in the background and Bryn swore he wiped a tear from his own eye.
Sven stepped back and Erik shook Lars’ hand. “I’m so sorry it took us so long. I had no idea where you were.”
“Not your fault, brother. They had me right from the start. I’m just glad you’re still alive. They never would tell me if they killed you or not.”
“I’m not that easy to kill. You can’t get away from me that easily.” Sven turned to her. “And this is Bryn, my mate. We found you just in time for our wedding.”
Erik’s eyes burned with purpose as he moved toward Bryn.
“I knew I’d find you.” He glanced around.
“Maybe not how I intended, but the end result is the same. I knew on the plane that you were the one I searched for. I felt like a fool for searching for two years and there you were, seated right next to me.”
“How did you know?”
“Your ring. I’ve searched for that crest for months on end.”
She grinned. “I think the ring has to find you, not the other way around.”
Lars clapped both men on the back. “This little getting to know you session is great, but come on. Let’s go home. It’s a good day.”
Bryn’s heart burst with happiness as she watched the men. When Sven held out his hand to her, she grabbed it and kissed him.
It was, indeed, a good day.