Chapter Four

jorn HAD FELT the change in his inner beast the moment he'd flown away from Rune's home at Mt. Galdh?piggen's Peak that morning. An awakening of sorts that made putting distance between them excruciating. A feeling he did his best to repress as he and his brethren, as well as Zane, approached Rune and Rafe at Ulrik's coronation celebration. While it made his heart soar, it didn't help when he noticed she'd woven the tiny talismans he'd given her over the years into her hair, reminding both his human and beast that he was in her thoughts as much as she was in his.

Typically, jorn and Rune tried to avoid each other at festive events, but Zane insisted on bringing them together, without a doubt, to taunt Rafe. Something jorn knew his father and brother were just as wary of because these days one never knew what Zane would do or what he was capable of. His personality fluctuated more often than not, and his ruthless side seemed predominant of late.

Rune looked more beautiful than ever, with charcoal lining her captivating eyes and a long, flowing black dress that hugged curves made for pure sin. Curves and enchanting beauty, just about every man there tried to keep their eyes off of considering who she was.

He had long wished she'd dress less seductively, but that was her way as it was her mother Revna's before her and her grandmother Vigdis's before that. She was a seer with residual touches of Fire Demon, so there was no stopping her dark allure. Because it was dark, thickened by divinity and mysticism despite her kind heart. It was also part of the powerful magic that made up every part of her.

There was no looking at her without envisioning what she could do to a man beneath the furs and what he would do to her in return. No getting away from imagining how she could make him feel. All the pleasure she would offer. He had certainly fantasized about it over the years, forever praying word never got back to him about her lying with a fellow seer or, worse yet, a shifter. It was ultimately her choice, but it would have broken his heart.

"So good to see you again, Rune," Zane exclaimed, setting jorn on edge in a way that had his inner beast simmering close to the surface. Zane's appreciative gaze roamed over Rune languidly. "I do not know how it is, but you grow more beautiful by the day. By the very moment."

Rune offered Zane a gracious smile and nodded thanks to Rafe when he wrapped a black fur around her shoulders to ward off an icy wind. Gusts had begun blowing in off the sea that jorn suspected Rune had created herself to cover up what Zane so appreciated. Something she usually wouldn't do nor care about had she not undoubtedly sensed jorn's inner dragon growing possessive.

"You are lovelier than ever, Rune." His father, King Knud, lowered his head in respect of her status along with his brother, Magnus, who did the same. Naturally, jorn followed suit, pretending it had been many moons since last he saw her. All the while, he kept a discreet eye on his brother and Rafe, well aware of their love for her. He'd worried for a time she might return their affection, but it hadn't happened yet.

"Thank you, King Knud," Rune replied graciously before offering a wistful smile to everyone. "We are too long apart these days, my friends." Her gaze flickered over Magnus, Rafe, Zane, and jorn. "Too long since we frolicked as children and had great fun together."

"It has been," Zane agreed, aiming his next barb at Rafe with a wink. "But then, we are no longer children, and some of us prefer to separate ourselves from our brethren in mystical realms meant to keep others away." He shrugged. "So what are we to do?"

"Enjoy each other's company when we are able," Knud counseled, however warily, glancing back and forth between Zane and Rafe. Zane because he strove for unrest, and Rafe because Knud distrusted those of Celtic blood.

"But of course, we shall enjoy each other's company this eve," Zane boomed, downing half his horn of ale before glancing ever so briefly between jorn and Rune. "Mayhap some more than others?"

jorn had wanted to bring a blade to Zane's throat when he'd so openly admired Rune. Now, he wanted to sink his dragon teeth into his neck when he implied there might be something between them. An insinuation that could not only make life more difficult for Rune but keep them from seeing each other because the last thing jorn wanted was for her fellow seers to question her loyalties. Especially if tensions grew between kingdoms and species and seeds of distrust took root more permanently.

So while Zane's behavior, be it taunting Rafe or hinting there might be something between jorn and Rune, wasn't something he would typically let rile him, it did this time. The pure rage his inner beast felt made that more than apparent.

In fact, it was so strong he forced himself to lower his head cordially to everyone before pleading he needed to relieve himself. What else could he say? Nothing that would make sense given he walked away from a newly minted conversation with the head seer herself.

He made a point of not meeting her eyes before he left because he knew if he did, his dragon would surface with a sheer need to protect her. Be close to her. If that happened, he and Zane would fight to the death.

Of course, rather than relieve himself as there was no need, he made his way to the shore and stared out over the choppy water, darkened by an incoming storm, and longed to be alone with Rune. He didn't care if he never got to lie with her. He just wanted to be around her. Make her smile because they came so rarely these days. Make her laugh. He couldn't remember the last time she did, and the sound was magical. One of the sweetest things he had ever heard.

"Good eve, jorn," a soft voice said before Ulrik's sister, Mea, joined him. Always gentle and kind with a mystical way, she smiled warmly. Lovely with long blonde hair and delicate features, he was amazed she hadn't taken a mate yet. Then again, most of them who had played together as children hadn't.

"How are you, my friend?" she continued softly, eyeing him in a fashion that told him she likely already knew but would never say it aloud. "Did you enjoy the coronation?"

"I did." He met her smile. "Becoming a king, soon to be high king, if all goes well, suits your brother. I don't doubt for a moment he will excel at both positions."

"Nor I." Her gaze drifted to the white-tipped waves rolling in from the sea, and her smile faded. "Yet I worry..." Her voice dropped an octave. "As I know you worry."

Soon to apprentice under Rafe as a mystic dragon, he wasn't surprised she'd gleaned so much. Trouble would not just be upon them in little time, but jorn would only know that if Rune had shared it with him. A seer goddess his kind was spending less and less time around.

"It is not what you think," he said discreetly, lest their words catch on the wind. "It is not—"

"But it is," she said just as softly, her gaze compassionate when it returned to his face. "As it should be, my friend...as you both deserve." She rested a hand against his chest and inhaled deeply as if pulling in his inner struggle before she nodded once and offered him a small, reassuring smile. "Whatever happens, whatever goes wrong over the years, never stop feeling how you do now, jorn." She shook her head. "Never stop loving her, for her path is not an easy one...no easier than yours will be, I suspect."

Before he could reply, she bid him a good eve and wandered along the shore alone. But would she remain that way? Somehow, he doubted it when he caught Magnus's close friend Arne fade out of the shadows and make his way down the shore after her.

"You dare ," a boisterous female roared before her laughter rang out.

jorn couldn't help but grin as Tyr raced down the shore with ?se tossed over his shoulder. Long-time close friends, they had been devoted to Ulrik since the beginning. Tyr now ruled the Dragon Lair, and ?se would soon be promoted to Ulrik's second in command.

"I do dare," Tyr replied right before ?se punched him in the side, and he fell to a knee with a grunt. When he did, she flipped out of his arms, leapt to her feet, and held her blade at the ready.

Watching ?se, with her black braids and numerous weapons strapped to her fit body, and Tyr, with just as many weapons, his visage made fiercer by a facial scar, fight against each other was always a sight to behold. They were amongst dragonkind's mightiest warriors and lived to battle.

So said the way ?se lunged at Tyr with her blade, only for him to block her with a mighty battle axe. They proceeded to go at each other hard, slicing their blades this way and that, always barely avoiding the other's thrust, neither holding back.

If their blade met its mark, then so be it.

They were well-matched, and their battling became a well-orchestrated dance. ?se ducked when Tyr thrust. Tyr leapt when ?se swung and tried to hit him low. Again and again, beautiful in its way, they battled, sometimes roaring at each other, sometimes laughing. They mostly laughed until Tyr got the upper hand and slammed ?se to the ground. His laughter dwindled when their lips hovered close, a breath away, before ?se spied the pretty little cook picking up dishes off tables and shoved Tyr away.

"Come, my friend." ?se leapt to her feet and held her hand out to Tyr despite her appreciative gaze lingering on the cook, who eyed her with a blush and made her way back into the village. "Let us go feast."

" Ja ." Tyr grinned, grasped her hand, and stood, waving hello to jorn before they returned to the celebrations. jorn waved in return and went to look at the sea again until he spied Rune making her way through the shadows along the outer wall.

Moments later, he spied his little black dragon peeking out the gate. His dragon looked jorn's way, nodded, and scurried after her. Whether by Rune's design or not, he understood it was finally time to follow her and make their way back to a nightmare they needed to better understand.

Little did he expect it would take them on a journey he never could have imagined.