Chapter Seventeen
–Katana–
EVERY SECOND OF every moment, while Torsten’s darker side made love to me at the Dragon Lair, I struggled, trying to fight back my tears, but a few still rolled down my cheeks, whether he knew it or not.
They were there, each born out of my fear of losing him.
And even though he swore he risked his life so he could be the ultimate conqueror, I knew better.
He was determined to save our child and me, and I knew for sure that was what motivated him more than anything.
He might claim otherwise, staying true to his darker side’s desire for all the glory in the end, but if he was willing to save the Realm and give the honor to his other half if he survived, that told me his darker side's heart was just as noble.
Then there were the words he whispered to me at the peak of our lovemaking.
I knew when he finally admitted he loved our unborn child and me that he was letting go and was committed to giving his life for the cause. It made my heart ache in ways I didn’t know it could, and I loved him all the more.
Now we were going to Taro and Frey’s rescue, having no idea how they ended up in Skarde’s clutches to begin with or how much harm had come to them, other than it sounded like a lot.
Bracing myself for the worst, I white-knuckled the dagger in my hand and kept my eyes locked with Torsten’s as the tree washed us in a gold light and then tossed us out into what appeared to be a forest. Torsten scanned our surroundings, put a finger to his mouth to remind me to stay quiet, and gestured for me to follow him as we crept through the woodland, keeping to the shadows.
Sensing my friend before I saw him, I tapped Torsten’s arm and gestured down a path to our right, mouthing that Taro was that way. Nodding that he understood, we headed in that direction, keeping low when we heard Frey cursing up ahead.
Torsten cocked his head and listened, a small smile curling his mouth when that was the last thing I expected to see before I realized why. Somehow, her words were a signal between the siblings, and she was telling him things without Skarde ever being the wiser.
Torsten gestured for me to stay where I was, nodding to assure me that all would be well, then continued down the path.
Not trusting this one bit, I shook my head.
Pregnant or not, I was well armed and wasn’t about to let him face whatever lay ahead alone.
So I started after him into a small clearing, only for him to vanish in a familiar fog of darkness, not far from Taro, who was tied to a tree, looking a little beat up but still alive.
“No,” I roared, racing that way only to realize it wasn’t Torsten immersed in the darkness, but me.
With little or no time to react, I was yanked back against someone’s chest, and an icy blade came against my throat.
That’s when I realized it likely hadn't been Frey's voice Torsten heard, but Skarde’s luring us into a trap.
“’Tis good to finally hold you, mate,” Skarde said, his voice rough in my ear, drawing me to him even as I tried to break free of his spell, a potent one that was wrapping me up in his false allure. “Apologies for the blade, but I have little choice at the moment.”
A blink later, the darkness diminished just enough I could see my surroundings again, and Torsten reappeared, his expression so lethal I wasn’t surprised to see the ethereal crown on his head sparking darker than usual. Once again it seemed more transparent than before, as if it were slowly fading.
“I suggest you remove that blade from my mate’s throat,” Torsten warned, gripping the hilt of his dagger so tightly his hand trembled with barely contained rage.
“You mean my mate, ja?” Skarde taunted. “And soon-to-be queen, ja?”
When he inhaled my scent in the same way Torsten had, I knew without question Torsten was right. The two were somehow connected, undoubtedly through their darkness. That's why Skarde felt so much like my mate.
But even that knowledge didn't free me from his allure.
“Yet here you are, retrieving her without any men to aid you,” Torsten pointed out, gesturing at our quiet surroundings, likely fishing for signs of an ambush.
“’Tis odd for a king to travel alone, even if only a false proxy king, is it not?
” He tilted his head in curiosity. “Could it be you don’t want your people to see this side of you, warlock? ”
“This side of me will do anything for my kingdom.” Skarde tightened his arm around me, making Torsten’s eyes narrow. “This side will do what no other can. Unlock the key to the Realm, and with it, gain power over all its inhabitants so we need not suffer your kind anymore.”
Skarde was lying through his teeth, and I wanted to tell him so, but whatever part of Torsten he had soaked up kept me from being able to utter a single word against him.
He might not be half dragon, but my inner beast didn’t care.
It refused to go against the overwhelming power of whatever infected him and the influence it had over not just me but Torsten as well.
This made detaching it from us crucial, or the darkness would defeat us all.
Unfortunately, that meant giving Torsten the reins even though it was the last thing I wanted to do.
But, for that to happen, I needed to get away from Skarde if he had any chance of implementing his plan.
He wouldn’t risk doing anything with me in the enemy's clutches, and I suspected Skarde knew that.
“And you would be right,” he rumbled in my ear, catching my thoughts like we suspected he might be able to, sounding amused.
“So I would suggest you let me leave in peace, Torsten.” He wrapped a hand around my throat in warning and brought the blade to my stomach, confirming he knew everything.
“Or your offspring will die here and now along with your mate.” I could hear the devilish smile in his voice. “Once I’ve taken what I need from her.”
Despite my draw to Skarde, my blood chilled at the dark promise in his raspy voice, realizing why the crown was fading from Torsten’s head moments before it materialized in my hand, just as it had when we encountered Skarde’s darkness in our dream.
The crown wasn’t just Torsten’s to protect.
It was mine, too.
And now Skarde had possession of it because I wasn’t able to fight back, which allowed him to summon the ethereal crown from me to him, only for it to solidify once he had it in hand.
And he wasted no time placing it on his head.
While that was the last thing we wanted to happen, there was a silver lining because it freed me from Skarde’s spell.
I tried taking advantage of the moment by spinning and driving a knife through his chest, only to realize just how bad things were when I was knocked backward by an unseen force as he thrust out his hands.
He clearly possessed a new level of power born of the Viking sword.
The forest exploded with activity as my back hit the forest floor. áma, Drakkar, and Frey, of all people, came out of nowhere, along with a dozen warriors who had to be Drakkar’s men. Terrifyingly enough, when they tried to attack, they were met with an unseen wall surrounding Skarde.
When that happened, darkness seemed to cling to everyone before fading away, as if his power tried to infect everyone and everything it touched. Tossing back his head, he released a maniacal laugh, claiming no one could touch him now.
“Bow to your new Liege,” he roared, spreading his arms, seemingly drunk on his newfound power. “Or dare to try and defy me!”
“No, Torsten!” I screamed as he fearlessly strode Skarde’s way. I shook my head and stumbled to my feet. “Don’t do it!”
But even as I yelled, I knew it was too late. His darker side was determined to see this through, and there would be no stopping him.
Not even Skarde's unseen wall.
While everyone else stopped in their tracks, chant by chant, Torsten summoned his godly power and kept going, slowing down as if walking through water, yet getting ever closer, his blade at the ready.
Skarde did the same, appearing frustrated that someone could get past his defenses, but as confident as my mate with his weapon in hand, undoubtedly a seasoned warrior.
Something seen clearly enough when Torsten broke past his sluggish barrier, and their blades crashed into each other.
Both riveted by their fighting and terrified for my mate’s life, I was hypnotized by their blades, unable to look anywhere else.
Though desperate to get to Taro, I felt as if my feet were glued in place, so I was grateful when Frey raced to help him while everyone else kept fighting to get past the barrier surrounding them.
Even worse, no one could shift.
“’Tis from the dark magic touching us,” áma said telepathically, alarmed by its power. “Until it wears off, it's keeping our inner beasts from surfacing.”
“You think you can take my rightful throne from me?” Torsten growled at Skarde, his dragon eyes blazing. “You think you can rule my Realm? My dragons?”
“Ah, I do like this side of you, Torsten.” Skarde twirled away from Torsten’s blade only to charge at him harder, the crown on his head sparking black, just like it had on Torsten. “If ‘twas not for your need to usurp me, I think we could have been friends.”
Torsten dodged a series of Skarde’s near-supernatural thrusts and almost managed to nick his opponent’s sword arm, but Skarde moved just in time.
“Friends we will never be,” Torsten ground out, throwing more godly power at Skarde as the enemy's ever-darkening aura seemed to battle my mate right along with his weapons. “Only enemies until you fall this day.”
“Skarde’s using the darkness on purpose,” I realized, speaking telepathically not just to áma but to Frey and Drakkar too, hoping they could help somehow, using their demi-god powers. “He’s trying to drain him.”