Chapter Fifteen

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Zoey asked groggily when she and Magnus were woken by a commotion outside. It sounded like people were running by.

"I don't know." Magnus chanted them into clothing, wrapped a fur cloak around her shoulders, and they opened the door only to find people gathered outside, chattering amongst themselves.

"What is it?" he asked one of them, eyeing the sky for trouble out of habit. "What's happening?"

"We don't know." The man gestured at the building beside Knud's lodge. "Our king and several of his men rushed that way with weapons drawn."

"That's his mate, Gunhild's lodge," Magnus explained as they headed that way. "Because father was originally supposed to wed Keira, she was not talked about much. Now, things are changing, and I suspect he will soon move her into his own lodge."

Magnus withdrew a dagger and slowed by the door, glancing in the window first, assessing what he would face inside.

"Hell," he muttered under his breath and sheathed his blade. "Come, min lille droning. It seems we might need your mediating skills."

Zoey understood what he meant when they stepped into the dimly lit lodge and saw Rafe and Quinn standing over a frail but lovely older woman with silvery blonde hair sleeping in a heavily fur-clad bed.

"Step away from her, Rafe," Knud growled, his blade at the ready. "Now."

"No," Quinn said softly. "Not when I sense he's needed...know he can help."

Before Knud could take action, Quinn wrapped one hand with Rafe's and rested her other hand on Gunhild's forehead.

"No, Father." Magnus grabbed Knud's arm when he started forward to stop Rafe, who suddenly wore long black robes and chanted something with Quinn only the two of them seemed to understand. "Rafe means no harm. He is..." Magnus appeared to feel out what was happening through the connection he shared with Rafe and Quinn. "Helping her." He seemed as shocked as the rest of them when color returned to Gunhild's pale cheeks. "Healing her."

Seeming to understand they could use his help, Magnus went to the other side of Gunhild, rested his hand on her shoulder, and looked from Quinn to Rafe before he echoed their chant. When he did, their dragon eyes ignited, and a dark aura pulsed around Rafe momentarily before fading.

Seconds later, Gunhild opened her eyes for the first time in weeks.

"Sheath your weapons and leave us be," Knud ordered his men, going to her.

Magnus, Quinn, and Rafe stepped back, giving him room to sit beside Gunhild and take her hand.

"Min kj?rlighet," Knud said softly, emotion obvious in his voice as he tenderly brushed hair back from her cheek. "I did not know if..."

When he trailed off, she seemed to understand because she murmured, "If I would wake again?"

"Ja." He pressed his forehead to Gunhild"s and murmured a prayer before looking at her once more. "It is so good to see your beautiful eyes again."

She gave him a small, loving smile before she seemed to realize others were in the room. When she did, Knud introduced them, nodding at Rafe, Quinn and Magnus with thanks as he explained how they had given her renewed strength.

"It was more than that," Zoey said, understanding through Magnus what had happened. Recognizing this situation could be healing in more ways than one, she stepped closer and greeted Gunhild with a warm smile. "They didn't just give you renewed strength, they healed you entirely of your illness." She looked from Rafe to Knud. "And they couldn"t have done it without Rafe's inner mystic. Without his Celtic magic."

Knud's eyes narrowed. "I do not understand."

"No more than I other than to say, at least in this circumstance, his Celtic side was able to help Magnus and Quinn overcome whatever illness this is." She looked from Rafe to Knud again, hoping he could finally see past his prejudice. "His Celtic magic was used to do good and heal a Norsewoman. Your Norsewoman." She shook her head and looked kindly at Gunhild before meeting Knud's eyes again. "There was no trickery here. Your mate is healed thanks to Rafe and the ancestry he carries. The Celt that is as much a part of him as the Norse."

Knud held her gaze for several long moments, clearly contemplating that before his attention turned to the others, and he seemed to come to terms with what she"d said.

"All three of you have my deepest thanks." Knud nodded affectionately at Magnus and Quinn before he stood and considered Rafe for a stretch. He took in his black robes and the mystical aura that every so often still flickered lightly around him. Eventually, however, he seemed to make up his mind about something because he clasped Rafe's shoulder and nodded with approval.

"Many thanks indeed." Knud squeezed Rafe's shoulder. "May this mark the beginning of a new friendship." He paused, thinking about that, and rephrased. "Better put, the start of a long overdue friendship."

"I would like that." Rafe clasped Knud's shoulder in return and nodded once. "Very much."

Having come far in little time, they gave Knud and Gunhild privacy, but not before Knud made clear they would be having a ceremony for Magnus and Zoey later that morning.

"First, however—" Magnus said as they left the lodge and announced all was well to the numerous people hovering outside— "we will break our fast and discuss what comes next." He gave his kin a pointed look. "At least for me."

Rafe narrowed his eyes. "I don't like the sound of that, cousin."

"Me neither," Quinn echoed, eyeing Magnus as they entered the great hall and joined Athena, Tyr, and ?se at one of the tables. "Why do I sense you intend to do something foolish?"

"It will not be foolish when I confront Zane over what he did." Magnus filled them in on what else he and Zoey had learned overnight. "If discovering he denied me the right to hold my child one last time and mourn her properly wasn't enough, now I know he was this all-powerful dragon who meant to have my mate in our last life."

"Who was promised to him in a childhood pre-arranged marriage just like you were to Quinn," Zoey corrected gently. "We don't know why he raced toward my cave when you were fighting my men. He might have thought I was in harm's way." She sighed and rested her hand over his on the table. "And we don't know why he carried your daughter off. What we do know is the grief and tenderness he showed your slain kin beforehand. We also now know you, Quinn, and Rafe might be able to cure other females of the illness plaguing them." She wrapped her fingers with his and looked at him as supportively as possible. "Those are the things you should keep in mind when you seek Zane out because those are things that could build a bridge rather than bring more warfare."

Because Magnus would seek out Zane. She knew it without question. And when he did, she would be there. She had to be because that, she suspected, would be the mediation of a lifetime for her. One that had to happen to try and heal all that had gone wrong.

When Magnus's expression darkened in frustration, Athena redirected the conversation. "So you heard Savannah, Zoey? Are you sure?"

"Positive." Zoey nodded. "She told me to wake up and find her." She shrugged. "I can only assume she referred to the little dragon present when we woke. Me in another life."

"Yet you didn't have to find her because she was right there," Quinn pointed out.

"True," Zoey conceded. "Maybe Savannah referred to me heading down the tunnel and finding my older incarnate? Wanted me to see her free Magnus and understand the position we were in?"

"Yet ultimately, you still don't know what that was," Athena said. "All you know so far is that you seemingly went up against a wall of dangerous dragons and fire to defend Magnus on a ship beneath the northern lights."

Athena cocked her head and thought about that as platters of meat, cheese, and bread were set down in front of them before she went on. "While I understand you Norse have one way of looking at the aurora borealis, as you know, we see things differently in the twenty-first century." She squeezed Tyr's hand and nestled a tad closer to him. "Naturally, your gods are undoubtedly somehow part of the wonder of it, but that doesn"t change the fact, scientifically speaking, of course, that the lights are, in fact, a solar flare hitting our magnetic field."

"Athena." Quinn gave her a look. "I get that you have a scientific mind, but still—" she flinched a little— "this isn't the place for too much of that."

"Very true," Athena conceded, understanding as much as Quinn and Zoey that science had to progress as it was meant to. So she spoke to everyone telepathically. "The point is, I can't help but wonder about its relevance in your dream, Zoey." She perked her eyebrows. "Because it was super relevant all the way around, right? You saw it at the Maine chalet, then in the circle of flames, and again when Magnus was on his ship. From what I've gathered, it lit up the night sky more intensely than usual." Athena glanced between Zoey and Magnus. "And I"m not sure if you've noticed, but your eye colors are both varying shades of that same turquoise. Literally a shade off from the northern lights you witnessed."

"What are you alluding to, my new sister?"?se wondered.

"Well, I'm just wondering how intense that solar flare was,"Athena replied. "Better still, if anything might have been affected by it? In our era, electronics can be affected. While I know they didn't have that kind of technology back then, what if it affected things that were around at the time?" She looked at Zoey. "What if it somehow interfered with, say, Valkyrie magic, but in a different way? Specifically, Valkyrie dragon magic?"

Zoey shook her head. "I would think it a stretch."

"Perhaps."Athena seemed stuck on the possibility, going on to explain to the others what solar flares did to satellites and electronics in the twenty-first century.

"When direct current is geomagnetically induced during solar storms, they may start to generate internal heat."Athena went to nudge up eyeglasses that were no longer there. "This results in increased, or so-called reactive, power consumption that disrupts the distribution grid, hence our electricity." She shrugged a shoulder at Quinn and Zoey. "We know dragons can handle it, or we would've heard something sooner, but what about a godly dragon?" She gestured at the shield strapped to her back and referred to its immense power. "I mean, we're clearly on a different wavelength than everyone else power-wise."

"So what exactly?"Zoey said. "You think my magic got screwed up by a solar flare when I tried to defend Magnus in our last life? If that were the case, I wouldn't have been able to defend him, and he wouldn't have survived to marry Quinn."

"Right," Quinn murmured aloud. "Survived." She narrowed her eyes at Magnus. "Survived despite such an angry swarm of Múspellsheimr dragons heading for you and your very vulnerable human warriors, meaning one of two things. Either Zoey managed to fight off all those dragons, leaving you to peacefully marry me, which seems unlikely because we all know nothing would've stopped you from being with her instead." She sighed and looked at Zoey. "Or, and we both know this is the more likely of the two scenarios, the blinding pain you felt in your nightmare was your death as you defeated Zane and his dragons, leaving Magnus with no other recourse but to marry me."

"What a thing that would have been, though," Magnus murmured. "What a war it would have started had Zoey been successful either way." He shook his head. "I may only remember bits and pieces from that life, but I know killing a dragon like Zane would not have sat well with dragonkind. It's hard to imagine I would have been free to marry another and not taken prisoner or, worse yet, made an example of."

"Yet you weren't." Quinn sounded certain. "We lived a full life together." She shook her head. "You were not absent from it, nor did I detect you were ever in danger."

"I suspect it will only be a matter of time before all is revealed." Tyr looked at Athena affectionately despite her rather grim scientific outlook on things. "Because it will be revealed." His attention returned to Magnus and Zoey, and he nodded, sounding certain. "And you two will only grow closer for it."

"Hard to imagine," Zoey said softly, sitting as close to Magnus as possible because she needed the feel of him against her. She glanced at him, and they exchanged a look of agreement because, in all honesty, they had never felt so close to one another as they did now. Moreover, they exchanged a look that told her he wished they were back in bed every bit as much as she did.

As it happened, Knud didn't end up joining them for breakfast but sent a message saying he would see them at sunset on the oceanfront. And as much as she saw that as the perfect opportunity to spend the afternoon in Magnus's arms, no such thing happened.

"This is how it is done before a Viking marriage, min lille droning," Magnus said later that day after they had mingled with Knud's people, and he escorted her to the door of his own lodge. "I will leave you to the women my father has chosen to assist you while you prepare for the ceremony this evening. Then, after this is over and peace is hopefully found, we will celebrate properly in our own kingdom with a week-long ceremony."

"Right," she forced past her lips, trying not to flinch, given she had a great deal of respect for how different cultures did things no matter the era. Even if those customs tore her from Magnus"s arms for the remainder of the day. "I look forward to it."

Magnus grinned. "You do not, but I appreciate you lying for my benefit." He reeled her close, cupped her backside, lifted her to accommodate his height, and walked until her back met the building. "In turn, I will make it worth your while." He dug his hand into her hair and murmured close to her lips. "Over and over until you lose the ability to walk properly."

Before she had a chance to reply how much she would like that, he closed his mouth over hers, and words no longer mattered. All that existed was him and the way his kisses made her feel. The explosion of need bursting through every inch of her. Desire that grew so quickly it was a wonder she heard someone clear her throat beside them.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how one looked at it, Magnus registered it and pulled back slowly, grinning at Astrid, of all people, who had just opened the door beside them. "Hello, Grandmother."

"Hello, Grandson." Dressed once again in tribal face paint and numerous charms, Astrid smiled warmly at Zoey and held out her hand. "And she who will soon be my new granddaughter." Her wise gaze went from Magnus to Zoey as she reminded Zoey what she'd said when they first met. "A woman who does, indeed, love my boy every bit as much as he loves you."

"Indeed, I do," she confirmed. Despite her warming cheeks at the position she'd been caught in, she managed to sort of wiggle out of Magnus's grasp to take Astrid's hand. "So good to see you again."

Or at least she thought so until Astrid bid farewell to Magnus for the both of them and led her into the lodge, where much awaited her. A steaming tub of water had been prepared, and several Viking women done up in some sort of tribal wedding gear stood ready to bathe and dress her.

"It'll be okay, my friend,"came Keira's much-welcomed voice in her mind. "I went through that too when I was getting ready to marry Knud. Just go with the flow and try to enjoy experiencing an authentic pre-wedding Viking dragon ritual."

"Can you come?"she asked. "I'd love to have all of you here, including Savannah, but I doubt that's possible."

In fact, she knew it wasn't even as she asked it and wasn't entirely sure why.

"I wish I could attend, but Ulrik and I need to maintain our presence over the various kingdoms in their patriarchs' absence," Keira replied. "As to Savannah, I think you sense as much as I do that she can't be here yet. Not until it's her time. But she's well, as far as I know. Worried about you, but well."

She didn't need to ask Keira if she was caught up on everything since they'd parted ways because she sensed she was. Felt it in her inner beast as they connected in a way they'd been unable to before embracing their dragons.

"Know this, though,"Keira went on. "Once this is all over, I'll most definitely be at your second ceremony in your kingdom. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, sweetie."

She smiled even though Keira couldn't see her and felt surprisingly at ease when Astrid and the other women set to bathing and dressing her. Granted, it was odd having strangers see to her personal needs, but somehow, they made it feel perfectly natural. As if they'd seen her nude and washed her hundreds of times before.

Once they dressed her in an off-white linen gown cinched at the waist with a dark silken belt, they proceeded to weave small braids into her hair and placed a ring of spruce, bones, and berries on her head.

After Astrid dismissed the women, she set to rimming Zoey's eyes with a light layer of dark charcoal, chanted a standup mirror into existence Zoey knew wouldn't remain there after they left because it didn't belong, and turned her so she could see herself.

"How very beautiful you are, my new granddaughter," Astrid said softly. "A proper Viking and Valkyrie shield-maiden."

She was startled by her appearance. By how much the medieval look suited her. How the charcoal Astrid had lined her eyes with made them pop and appear especially turquoise.

"This is..." There were no words. "Thank you." She shook her head. "But I'm no shield-maiden. I haven't fought once on my journey back to Magnus nor shown any sign that I'm even capable."

"Must a shield-maiden only ever fight with blades?" Astrid wrapped a lush black fur cloak around her shoulders she swore hadn't been in the room moments before and met Zoey's eyes in the mirror. "Or could it be her gift, her strength, lies in words? In the peace she can bring?" A small smile curled her mouth when Zoey's skin shimmered gold the moment the cloak touched her skin. "And it seems Magnus's mother agrees from the afterlife as this was once her cloak."

"I'm honored," she said softly. Respectfully. "Thank you."

She had talked quite a bit about his mother with Magnus last night and all were good memories. It sounded like she had been a strong, caring woman who only wanted the best for those around her. The sort Zoey would have gotten along with well.

"My grandson will not need me, his medicine woman, by his side anymore, but I will always be there for you both." Astrid cupped Zoey"s cheek and gazed into her eyes as if seeing straight into her soul. "Thanks to reconnecting with not just Quinn but you, his healing abilities no longer waiver but are stable and strong. A welcome thing, indeed."

No doubt it was because no matter the century, the more healers, the better.

Despite how brisk it was when they left Magnus's lodge, it seemed the whole village had come out for the occasion because endless people lined the streets as Astrid fell in behind her, and Knud proudly led her down a dirt road to the oceanfront.

"You look beyond beautiful, my new daughter," he said softly, noting the fur cloak she wore with approval. "A truly fitting bride for my son."

Nothing more was said as they approached Magnus, who stood by an archway made of bones, talismans, and feathers, remarkably handsome in his black Viking attire. The way he looked at her as she approached took her breath away almost as much as the sight of him.

Everything about what proceeded to happen left her winded, from all the amazing parts to what they would discover that very night.

A truth that told them so very much.