Ruin=, page 8
The raptor perched on her forearm. She held the falcon close to her chest as she stroked its dark slate-gray and white feathers while looking into its dark eyes. Her lips spread into a smile before her gaze lifted to Rory. “Sheath your weapon.”
“There are wolves,” he warned her.
“There’s only one,” said a deep voice from Rory’s left. “His name is Valdr.”
Rory scanned the woods until he located the figure leaning against a tree with a staff in one hand. The man was tall and stood confidently, his gaze direct. A warrior, then. He wore brown leather pants and a jerkin. His long, blond hair fell to his shoulders, the top half bound behind his head. His eyes where the palest blue Rory had ever seen.
A rustle of leaves pulled his attention away from the newcomer to see the wolf leap over the stream to stand beside the man. The warrior sank his fingers into the wolf’s thick fur. The falcon cried out again before flying directly to the man and perching atop the staff.
“Jarin,” Asa said.
The warrior didn’t take his gaze from Rory. “You look as if you could hold your own. If there was time, I’d suggest we see just how long you could stay standing against me.”
Rory remembered where he had heard that name before. Asa had mentioned him, saying he was a Varroki. A warlock. “There’s always later.”
Jarin grinned and pushed away from the tree. “I like you.” Then he swung his head to Asa, his smile vanishing. “Brom told me everything. We came as soon as we could.” Jarin looked past Rory then.
Rory turned and saw a woman in a green cloak walking toward them. Her dark red hair was in two plaits that fell to her waist, one draped over each shoulder. Her green eyes looked from Rory to Asa.
“Helena,” Asa said and went to greet the woman.
Rory sheathed his sword as the two women embraced. Something about Helena reminded him of Asa. It wasn’t their coloring but how they held themselves. If she was another witch, then Asa would have the help she needed for the battle. Was there a need for him then?
He stopped himself from any more of those thoughts. It was something his father would’ve said. It had nothing to do with Asa or her magic, and everything to do with how lacking his father had found him.
“You care about her.”
His head swung around to find Jarin standing beside him. He hadn’t even heard the Varroki warrior move. He looked into Jarin’s pale eyes and nodded. “Deeply.”
The warlock studied Rory, his head tilting to the side. “You risked your life for her.”
“Aye.”
“Why?”
“Her sister asked it of me.”
Jarin quirked a blond brow. “We both know it’s more than that.”
Rory glanced at the women, who spoke quietly to each other. “I couldna put a name to it if I tried.”
“Aye, you can. It’s called destiny. She is yours.”
Rory didn’t deny it. How could he when that was exactly how it felt? “Asa was worried the Varroki wouldna help.”
“She told you of us, then?”
“I’d like to say that I’ve always known about witches, but my awakening to magic only happened during my stay in Norway.”
Jarin drew in a deep breath. “I wish I could say the people here revered those with special abilities as much as the Norse do.”
“The years I spent there opened my eyes to a great many things, no’ least of which was witches. I never intended to return to Scotland.”
“I’m no’ sure the laird of the Sutherlands would’ve been pleased about that.”
Rory studied him for a moment. “How do you know so much about me?”
“I have my ways.”
Rory shook his head before raking a hand down his face. “My father wouldna have cared. It doesna matter anyway. I’m dead to him now. I never fit in with my family. No’ really.”
“You do with Asa.”
“I thought I’d found a new family in Norway, but she’s my family now,” Rory said as he looked at her. Asa met his gaze and smiled.
Jarin put his hand on Rory’s shoulder and turned him. Rory allowed the warrior to lead him a few paces away from the women. The wolf lounged on the ground, while Abhain lazily munched on grass.
“How much has Asa told you?” Jarin asked.
“I know about the Coven, Blackglade, and the Varroki, the Witch Hunters, and the family she lost.”
A muscle ticked in Jarin’s jaw. “Has she spelled your blade?”
“She has.”
“Good. You’re going to need it.” Jarin’s lips flattened. “The Norsemen have arrived. They landed last night.”
Rory had expected it, but hearing it caused a surge of unease. “How many boats?”
“One. I counted sixty men.”
“Shite. I didna think he would bring that many.”
Jarin’s gaze was penetrating. “Tell me everything you know about Hosvir.”
“A few months ago, I considered him my brother. Then, he changed.”
“How so?”
“It happened with the arrival of the witch. He stopped eating and drinking with me and his men. He stayed holed up with her for days.”
“Are they lovers?” Jarin asked.
Rory shrugged and shook his head. “That, I doona know. He does anything she wants. The entire village saw the changes in him. His warriors began to grumble, and there was talk of killing him to find a new chieftain.”
“I take it that didna go well.”
“Hosvir found out. Whether the witch told him, or he learned another way, he put a stop to things immediately.”
Jarin’s nostrils flared. “I know how brutal Norsemen can be.”
“Aye. He bound those men and flayed the flesh from their backs while they were alive. I had begun to consider moving on and seeing more of the country in hopes Hosvir would be more himself when I returned. I never got the chance. I met Asa’s sister, Liss, when I first came to Norway. She left a few months before the witch arrived, and it was she who told me what they had planned for Asa.”
“Then you came home.”
“To kin I believed would help me. Instead, they betrayed me and left me for dead.”
Jarin’s brows rose at that.
“I refused to die until I found Asa to warn her.” Rory’s gaze sought her once more. “She saved me.”
“So she did.”
Rory glanced at the ground before returning his attention to Jarin. “I may no’ have magic, but I know Hosvir. I raided with him, fought beside him. I know what he’ll do.”
“No doubt his witch has spelled their weapons against us, but we have the advantage because they doona know we’ll be here. Tell me about the witch.”
“She’s verra powerful. She kept mostly to herself. I still remember when she entered the village. She ignored everyone and went right to Hosvir. I didna hear what she said to him when she leaned down, but it caused him to leave the feast and go off with her. We didna see him for three days. When he rejoined us, he said that he’d learned what fate awaited him. He mentioned a destiny that would change no’ just Norway, but other countries, as well.”
Jarin’s brow furrowed. “The Norse would’ve done everything to hold on to a witch, save imprisoning her. How did Liss leave?”
“She snuck away in the middle of the night. Hosvir was hurt and angry. Liss and Asa’s family was part of his village for generations. Their aunt is still there, and the fact that she remained and continued to support Hosvir with her magic eased him.”
“And once the newcomer arrived?”
“Hosvir pushed the aunt aside, but no’ the rest of the village. The new witch upended the entire community.”
Jarin moved his staff to the other hand. “Did you see the witch do magic?”
“She only allowed Hosvir to see what she could do, but he spoke of it in the early days.”
“And?” Jarin pushed.
“As I said, she’s powerful. According to Hosvir, there isna much she can no’ do. Liss warned me about the witch’s strength.”
Jarin shifted, the disquiet on his face smoothed away as Asa and Helena made their way to them. Rory inclined his head when Jarin introduced him to Helena.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Frida?” Asa demanded of Jarin.
Rory narrowed his eyes on the warlock. “What happened?”
“I was going to,” Jarin said. “Andi led me to where Frida was hiding last night. She has an injured wing and is now healing at Blackglade.”
Asa put a hand on her stomach. “She’s alive?”
“Aye.”
Helena cut her eyes to Jarin. “Barely. She was struck with magic.”
Rory watched as fury filled Asa’s face. She straightened her spine as a calmness stole over her. “The witch, I presume?”
“Unless Hosvir brought two with him, then aye.” Jarin sighed. “I didna see it, Asa. I doona know what happened. I found Frida and took her to Blackglade.”
Helena shared a look with Jarin. “He tried to leave without me, but I quickly remedied that. I don’t know who this witch is, but she’s going to learn her place. If the Coven didn’t beat us, she doesn’t stand a chance.”
Rory slid his fingers along Asa’s. She gripped his hand tightly, revealing only to him how upset she was.
12
“Why did you never tell me?” Helena asked as the four of them walked through the forest.
Asa felt Rory’s eyes on her. He and Jarin walked on either side of the women. Rory led Abhain, while Valdr stayed next to Jarin. Andi, the falcon, soared above them.
“Asa,” Helena pressed.
She shrugged. “The fact that I’m a descendant of a sister of the First Witch was a secret my family kept hidden from everyone. My father didn’t even know. It’s passed down from witch to witch.”
“For good reason, it seems,” Rory said.
Jarin grunted. “Aye.”
“But I’m a witch,” Helena added.
Asa drew in a breath and tried to find the right words. “No one here knew. Not Edra or even Malene.”
“If the Coven had gotten their hands on you…” Jarin began.
Helena shot him a sidelong look. “She would’ve fought, just as I did.”
“Why was the Coven after you?” Rory asked Helena.
“The Coven wanted the bones of the First Witch,” she explained. “She was the first and one of the most powerful. Everyone tried to use her. Norsemen from all over endeavored to win her favor.”
Asa glanced at him, her lips twisting. “But power corrupts. Her sisters also had magic, but nothing compared to hers. She knew that her bones might be used, even in death. So, she had her followers scatter them. Somehow, most ended up in Britain.”
“The Coven got a bone or two, but they wanted the Heart of the First Witch,” Jarin said. He nodded his head at Helena. “They wanted her. She is a descendant and alive. It would’ve given them immense power.”
Helena lifted one shoulder absently. “I ran for a while, but they gained on me quickly. Then an obnoxious Varroki warrior found me,” she said with a smile.
“She was stubborn and wouldn’t accept my help,” Jarin added.
Helena laughed. “We worked it out in the end.”
Asa looked at the two lovers, a tad bit of envy filling her. She glanced at Rory to find him staring at her, his lips curving up at the corners. She tried to pay attention as Helena talked, but all Asa could think about was the night she’d spent in Rory’s arms—and how right it had felt. She had said she wasn’t afraid to face the witch, and she hadn’t been then. But she was now. Because she didn’t want to lose what she had found with Rory. It was extraordinary and unique.
Just as he was.
He quirked a brow, silently asking her what was wrong. She had never thought to give her heart to another. She knew how precious love was, and it hadn’t entered her mind that she would get to experience what her parents had shared. She should be afraid after witnessing the loss her mother had felt. Asa hadn’t realized it as a child, but her mother had died of a broken heart.
She’d now put herself in a similar situation. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t had much time with Rory. She knew the feelings inside her. She knew that she and Rory were right together. They fit as if they had been made for each other.
And she had nearly lost him before discovering any of that.
Now that her body knew his and she had lain in his arms and bared her soul, she comprehended how deeply and irrevocably she had fallen for him. She was the reason he followed her toward a battle that could end his life.
“What is it?” Rory demanded as he brought them to a halt.
Asa swallowed, the words sticking in her throat. She waited as Jarin and Helena paused to look at them before continuing on. Once they were alone, Asa said, “I know what I’m heading toward. You don’t.”
“You think I doona know battle because I doona have magic?” he asked incredulously.
She shook her head. “That didn’t come out right.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “I saw and felt your scars. I know you’ve seen battle, but this will be something altogether different. The witch won’t have to get close to kill you.”
“Is it my skill you’re concerned about or the fact that I doona have magic, and you think you must protect me?”
Asa inwardly winced. Her words were coming out all wrong. She had offended him when that was the last thing she wanted. “I can’t lose you.”
“I’m a Highlander, Asa. I doona sit out a battle because there’s a chance I might die.”
“I’ve been fine on my own. I learned how to adapt and depend only on myself.”
His nostrils flared. “I thought I was your family. Is that no’ what you told me?”
“Aye,” she hurried to say. She glanced at the sky through the trees as she placed her hands on his chest. “What I’m trying to say is that I never thought to have someone like you in my life. I never thought I might know what it was to feel…like this.”
Rory searched her face before pulling her close with his free hand. “Are you trying to tell me you love me?”
Her heart was beating wildly as she gazed into his dark eyes. “Aye.”
A slow smile pulled at his lips as he lowered his head. Right before his lips claimed hers, he said, “I love you, too, lass.”
Asa sank against his hard chest, his kiss stirring the flames of her desire. She remained on her feet only because his arm held her upright. When he lifted his head, they were both breathing heavily.
His dark eyes held hers as they burned with promise. “You willna be rid of me that easily. We have a long life ahead of us. That I know.”
She nodded as he took her hand, and they continued walking. Asa grinned when she felt his gaze on her. She cast him a quick look.
“Say it,” he urged.
A soft laugh fell from her lips. “I love you, Rory Sutherland.”
“That wasna so hard, now, was it?”
She rolled her eyes. “I suppose not.”
When they reached Helena, Jarin and Valdr were nowhere to be seen. “He went ahead to scout,” Helena explained. “You haven’t seen Armir or Elin, have you?”
Asa nodded. “I heard of a witch battle no’ too far from here. I wanted to see if it was true, and I found Elin. She’s happily married. The clan knows about her magic, and they protect her since she’s the one who defeated the witch who had been killing them.”
“I heard something about that. I want to visit her. Perhaps we will after this.” Helena sighed loudly. “I had half-hoped to run into Armir.”
“Elin saw him briefly, but he didn’t stay.”
Helena wrinkled her nose. “Do you think he’s still in Scotland?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Perhaps he just needs time,” Rory said.
Asa looked at him. “He’s had time.”
“To mourn the loss of the woman he loved?” Rory asked, his brows raised.
Helena made an indistinct sound. “He regretted never telling Malene how he felt. Now, he’ll never get the chance.”
“Did you ever find a body?” Asa asked.
“There was nothing left. It was as if the magic took everything. It was devastating to all of us, but especially the Varroki who adored Malene.”
Rory nodded slowly. “Now I see why you believe she died. I would have, too.”
“She would’ve returned to Blackglade—to Armir—if she still lived,” Asa said.
Helena glanced at her. “Without a doubt. Armir left, and there’s no Lady of the Varroki to rule the city. The rest of us have been doing our best, but it isn’t enough. We need Armir to do his duty and find the next Lady.”
“Find her?” Rory asked. “The Varroki doona look to their own kind?”
Asa waited for Helena to walk ahead of her on the narrow, steep part of the land. “Armir, and his predecessors, search the world for a certain type of magic. The Ladies of the Varroki aren’t witches, not like the rest of us. But they do have magic.”
“They’re chosen,” Helena explained once the others were with her. “Malene fought against her fate for a long time. Most of those in her position do. They’re taken from their homes, thrust into a world they didn’t know existed, and kept separate from everyone. None of the previous Ladies lived as long as Malene, and I honestly think it had a lot to do with her love for Armir.”
Rory pulled a face. “Why did the two of them no’ get together?”
“It was prohibited,” Asa said. “At least, it was in the past. Malene changed the laws.”
“But Armir was too locked in tradition to change overnight.” Helena smiled sadly.
Asa hadn’t thought about Armir and Malene too much. It was such a sad story. Each of them had believed it was better to keep their feelings to themselves, and it had cost them happiness. It was one of the reasons she had wanted Rory to know she loved him. She wanted to be with him no matter how long she had.
Helena went on to talk about things in Blackglade. Asa listened with half an ear. Her thoughts were on Rory and how to win the battle. Sixty Norsemen was enough to concern anyone. But she wouldn’t be the one fighting them—Rory would. She would be locked in battle with the witch.
