The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga) (71 page)

“Sigurd? Is that really you?”

“It’s me Lille øjesten…now let me through old man!” He said, calming his rage enough to speak softly to me.

I cried out at the sight, shouting,

“No, let him through! Please…I need him!” Draven’s head snapped round to face me and the jealous temper flaring there in his eyes was easy to spot, considering I’d had great experience with it not that long ago. Ragnar looked back to Draven, then to me and my heart melted at the sight of two men who had protected me with their very lives, time and time again.

But it was only when seeing these two stood side by side did the penny finally drop and my hands flew to my mouth in shock. I could barely believe it until the words came out and I saw the reaction to my assumption, which turned out to be a deeper level of betrayal…

“Ragnar’s your father!”

Chapter 62

Bad Blood

For a moment everyone seemed to be in a state of shock and it was obvious from different reasons for each of us. Draven looked as though he couldn’t believe I even knew who Sigurd was, let alone that I was trying to get round him to get to the man.

“You told her!?” Ragnar bellowed the question at his son and Sigurd rolled his eyes before answering his father.

“I think it’s obvious enough she figured it out without my help, old man.” He remarked dryly making Ragnar look even more pissed, which was a clear sign when his potted skin turned a deeper shade of red.

“Ok, can someone please tell me what’s going on h
ere?!” I said before the father/son bickering stepped up another notch.

“I second that…Ragnar, what is the meaning of this?” I turned to Draven who now had his arms folded
, looking even more pissed than Ragnar did. Well, at least I wasn’t the only who had no clue what the Hell was going on…which in this year seemed to be a first!

I side stepped Draven given
he now had his arms folded, but this turned out to be a mistake. Before I had even made one step to Sigurd he had wrapped his arms around me and picked me up, turning on one foot so that I was once again behind him.

“I think not…now stay
.” I frowned up at him and then snapped,

“Stay? What am I now, a damn dog?
” He growled down at me proving what I already knew about who was the dog in this picture…well he was the one who had hurt me after all, I think calling the man a dog was pretty fitting!

“Well said
, øjesten.” Sigurd said getting in on the action, which just aided in getting Draven more outraged.

“I suggest you control your child
, Ragnar as I will only grant so much patience your family’s way.” Draven threatened without looking away from my eyes, which I think were matched evenly on the pissed off scale.

“Child! Ha! Yeah
, well this child was the one saving your woman’s ass when you were taking this little vacation, so maybe you should add some fucking respect along with that patience, buddy!” Sigurd had clearly had enough and the tick in Draven’s jaw told me he had some time ago.

“You will hold your tongue
, boy and know your place in sight of the King!” Ragnar almost roared at his son but Sigurd didn’t look in the slightest concerned. He just turned his hooded head and snarled,

“He isn’t my fucking King
, Elder!” At this Draven lost all control and spun from me. He had Sigurd by the throat and in turn Sigurd did the same. They were quickly locked in this stronghold, both changing into their demons in a show of dominance. Draven’s veins flooded with pulsating purple and Sigurd unleashed his shadowed serpents that slithered in the air around by his shoulders.

The two provoked men were similar in height, with Sigurd being only an inch or so taller. Their bulky bodies were both tight with muscle giving in to the anger they displayed and seeing them opposite each other you could also see their height wasn’t the only similarity. Both of them were huge and both of them were acting like animals!

“Oh for Christ’s sake...! Stop it now!” I said rushing to try and split them up, but it was as if I wasn’t even here.

“You need to leave
, son.” Ragnar said trying to get him to back down.

“The
Hell I do! I have protected her and it looks like my job hasn’t finished yet!” Sigurd said making Draven react by bringing Sigurd’s face closer to his, to roar in his face,

“She doesn’t belong to you!”

“And she no longer belongs to you as you foolishly gave up that right when you relinquished your protection!” He argued back.

“She was safer without our kind being involved! Why do you think I ordered for no contact allowed and for it to be punishable by death!” Draven said this last part facing Ragnar.

“My Lord, you wouldn’t listen, but she was still in danger.” Ragnar tried but Draven shouted in denial,

“NO,
she wasn’t!”

“Why don’t you tell him just how much
, old man? You were with me that day.” I frowned taking this all in, feeling sick to my stomach at how much of my life was kept hidden from me.

“Explain!”  Draven snarled without looking at Ragnar.

“I know what you ordered, My Lord, but I owe the girl a life debt and in the ways of my people I could not just walk away leaving her unprotected.”

“She was in no danger
.” Draven was adamant in this but it was about time the guy got slapped with his own damn saying.

“Assumption is the mother through all mistakes are born”
I whispered making him glare at me through his anger, but before any of us got to say anything more Ragnar continued,

“At first I just sent my son there to make sure
, but then the killings started in the mountains.”

“What killings!?” This time it was Sigurd who answered, only he looked like he took greater pleasure in it than his father had,

“From the remains of what was left of the bodies, I would assume demon but there was something else.” Draven finally released Sigurd and I was thankful when Sigurd did the same.

“Tell me
!”
Draven looked as though he couldn’t believe this was happening but the leader in him continued to demand from those around him what he needed to know.

“It looked like both Angel and Demon were working together, but from the scorch marks I found near the bodies
, I would say the Demon had been summoned and was without a host.” I thought back to that day when Jack had first told me about the attacks on the hikers found. 

I had remembered feeling the same weak feeling of nausea I did now
, when hearing how they had needed too many body bags for just a few bodies. But this was the first I was hearing about it being supernatural, although at the time, given that Sigurd had dropped some evidence of his own, that being an Oreo cookie packet I had given him, I had thought he had been involved. Well, I guess I had been right in a way, but it would have been nice coming from the man himself!

“And how do you know it had anything to do with Keira and wasn’t just some random attack?” Even I knew with this question Draven was clutching at straws because let’s face it, if something supernatural is going down and I am anywhere within a fifty mile radius
, then it’s a given it would have something to do with me!  I was starting to wonder if the whole of the supernatural race didn’t consider me as a bad penny.

“Really
...? This is Keira we are talking about, Hell just her name should mean trouble!”

“Hey!” I said even though I was just thinking along the same lines not moments before.

“Sorry kid, but you know it’s true.” He said smiling down at me making me roll my eyes and bump my hip into his leg. Draven took in our exchange with a frown and his flashing eyes told me not to do that again for fear of Sigurd finding his throat ripped out.

“Whatever” I said for both their sakes.

“Anyway, I got there before the humans were all over the scene and found a picture of Keira that had no doubt fallen from the killer. It had obviously been taken by someone in her class and considering your sister isn’t the one sat next to her, I would say it was after your disappearing act.” Oh shit, and it was going so well! Sigurd looked smug when Draven took a step toward him in anger, but I quickly intervened by placing my hands on Draven’s chest that felt like I was pushing against a rolling boulder.

“Draven
, please.” I pleaded looking up at him trying to drill holes into Sigurd.

“No Keira, I would be happier if you let him
.” Sigurd said pulling his hood back giving us all a chance to see the serpent in his eyes start glowing.

“Knock it off big guy and quit being a big ass! He might have left me unpr
otected but so did you! I seem to remember you saying you would come back for me!” I challenged in an unbelievable turn of events…was I really kind of sticking up for Draven?! 

“And I seemed to remember you promising me you would keep your little ass in that hotel room until I did come back for you!” He growled back.

“You do not speak to the Chosen One like that, boy!” Ragnar almost roared and we both shouted back,

“I’m not the Chosen O
ne!”

“She’s a pain in the
ass!” Only one of those statements was said in earnest but Draven looked ready to blow at both of them.

“Enough!” H
e ordered shutting us all up.

“I will have the matter investigated but as far as I am concerned you are no longer required in your services, the girl will be protected from here on…Ragnar
, release your son of his duties.” Once again we both spoke out our annoyances at the same time.

“The Girl?!”

“The Hell I will!”

Draven ignored us both and nodded at Ragnar to continue
, but as soon as he put his hand on his son’s shoulder he shrugged it off aggressively.

“No
Viðara, it is not possible, you know the bond won’t allow it.” Sigurd said making Ragnar’s hand drop as if he had just remembered what his son said was true.

“I think everyone needs to just take a minute here
.” I said trying to diffuse the situation that I knew was about to erupt again any minute. Besides I didn’t think Draven was going to take the fact that Sigurd and I were still blood bound as a happy, happy, joy moment!

“What bond?”
This time it was his demon asking and I replaced a hand to Draven’s chest feeling the power there pulsing beneath my cold fingers. Wait…why was I suddenly feeling so cold? And my head felt like it wouldn’t stop moving…was it moving, or was it just my vision turning funny?

“I feel a bit strange here
.” I whispered but no-one heard me or rather they chose to ignore me in sight of their hatred for each other.

“
blóð auðit innan minn Ouroboros bók!”  (Means ‘Blood fated within my Ouroboros book’ in Old Norse) I didn’t know what Sigurd had said to him but it was enough for Draven to go ballistic!

“YOU LIE!” He roared and once again they were at each other’s throats! Only this time Draven had Sigurd up against the wall and pieces of the stone crumbled from the impact. There now looked to be a Sigurd shaped indent that would forever be decorating Draven’s Italian home, as the stone dust rained to the floor.

“Stop it!” I screamed as Draven was using his forearm against Sigurd’s neck, holding him there with what looked like little strain. Sigurd in response, wasn’t helping when he started smiling. The snake started to spin and I knew this was not a good sign as things were about to go from bad to destroyer worse in seconds.

“Do something!” I shouted at Ragnar who was simply standing there with his arms crossed like a disappointed parent watching two boys fighting.

“If you think what I saw is not the truth, then you should call upon your fates for you know they cannot lie, as who do you think it was that bound us!” Draven thundered a deeper roar than before at the ceiling making pieces of it crack with the force. I had covered my ears as the woozy feeling started to increase, making me feel like my head was going to fall right off. The pain in my stomach started to cramp and I desperately wanted to end this bickering and just lie back down, but first it looked like I was going to have set a few things straight.

“Draven it’s true, he’s not lying the Oracle…the Oracle
.” I couldn’t finish but Draven had heard all he needed to erupt once more. Sigurd pushed back and when I saw the tattoos on his hand start to spin I knew what that meant. I ran at them both…well more like fell into them and tried to pry them apart with what little strength I had.    

“I SAID STOP IT!” I screamed at them
both but then something strange happened. My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest and I couldn’t take air into my lungs quick enough. I felt the dizziness and nausea hit me like I was once again being punched in the face. Then I started to fall.

“Keira?”

“øjesten?”
Both Draven and Sigurd said my name which sounded slurred and stretched. My head was spinning or was it just my brain? I couldn’t tell, but soon the world was horizontal and my head fell back. I opened my eyes to see Ragnar holding me but his red face was blurred.

“Hey you
.” I said up at him but I didn’t receive a smile back for the one I gave him.

“What’s wrong with her!?” Sigurd asked just as it started to feel like someone had turned up the AC to the igloo setting. I felt myself being transferred to Draven’s arms before he said,

“She’s burning up.” Were they crazy, I was freezing!

“Keira
, can you hear me?” Draven asked, all anger now replaced with concern.

“
Cooold…sooo…so…cccold.” I tried to say but now my teeth were chattering.

“She has a fever, I need to bring her temperature down now!” I felt myself being carried somewhere but it was only when I heard the sound of water being run that I gathered it was the bathroom.