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Chapter Six
Astrid
I sit in my office trying to focus on my research project, but it’s pointless. I can feel Erik on the other side of the wall, and I can’t stop thinking about what happened down in the wine cellar.
Why had my shield flashed liked that when he entered the room?
My grandmother had given it to me fifteen years ago, and it had never done anything like that before. Never reacted to anyone, not even me. And it’s my family heirloom.
The look on Erik’s face after it happened… like he’d seen a ghost. Not just looking at the shield, but when he looked at me, he had the oddest expression on his face. It’s clear, however, that he doesn’t want to talk about it since he abruptly changed the subject and left the room.
He’d admitted he knew the previous owner, my relative from long, long ago. I’ve traced my heritage—historian is one of my job titles, after all—so I know that the shield originally belonged to a Völva Valkyrie named Kára. Back in those days, at least a thousand years ago, many of the witches with certain magical abilities served as Valkyries, ushering the Viking soldiers who died in battle, both men and women, across to the afterlife. The Valkyries had eventually become obsolete, their duties not needed once the battles of that age passed from this world. The Völva traditions remained, but the witches had evolved to serve other purposes.
I’m fascinated, both personally and professionally, by Erik’s knowledge of my ancestor. The burn of it pulses through my veins… like many in my line of work, I can become a bit obsessive when it comes to ferreting out the truth of the past. I’ll give Erik a bit of time to process what happened down there, and then I’ll ask him. I mean, the guy is going to be here for the next three days. There’s just no way I can resist.
Although…I do have another option. In addition to my expertise with magical runes, my other magical specialty is as a seer. I can see into both the future and the past. It’s a common practice among the Völva. If Erik isn’t forthcoming with details, I can find out another way.
I let out a sigh and get up, wandering to one of the bookshelves in my office. I take down several texts. Something about what Erik said about Darkness and Light becoming unbalanced is tickling my memory. I feel like I’ve seen tales about that in old Viking manuscripts. And a spell… I definitely remember some sort of spell about magical rebalancing. After I’ve picked a few books from the shelf, I sit back down and start flipping through them.
Despite the many thoughts previously churning in my head, I quickly lose myself to my work. An hour passes before I know it, which I only realize when my phone chimes and startles me. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for in my books. Perhaps if I—
There’s a scream from upstairs.
Lilli.
I jump out of my chair and bolt for the door, but Erik is way ahead of me. I see a blur as he moves past with unnatural speed, almost as fast as a vampire. By the time I hit the intersection of the hallways, he’s already racing up the stairs. My heart hammers as I run and time seems to slow, moving like thick honey.
When I finally reach the door to Lilli’s room, my chest feels like it’s going to explode.
My breath leaves my body in one big whoosh as I see Erik sitting on the edge of her bed, speaking softly to her. A glow of magic surrounds them, silver light from Erik, and a bright fuchsia from Lilli.
“Just a bad dream,” he calls, glancing over at me.
“You okay, bug?” I walk over and crouch down next to Erik, stroking her hair back from her forehead.
“I dreamed about a bad angel,” she says, sucking in a shuddering breath. “But the dragon saved me.”
Lilli looks up at Erik, seeming not in the least bit perturbed that a huge muscular man busted into her room. I’d planned to introduce them in the morning. Thank goodness for the adaptability of children.
“Yes, Erik is here to help us,” I say. “He’s a friend now. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“I’m not scared anymore.” Lilli yawns, her eyelids already growing heavy again. “I like dragons.”
Erik smiles and our eyes meet for a moment. My heart does a funny jump in my chest.
“I’m glad, little bug.” I lean forward and kiss her forehead. “You sleep tight the rest of the night, okay?”
She nods and closes her eyes. We sit in silence until she begins to snore softly again. Then we get up quietly and tiptoe back out of the room. Well, I tiptoe. Erik walks soundlessly as if his feet aren’t even touching the ground. When we get back downstairs to the sitting room, I turn and look up at him.
“Thanks for that.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“To help little girls with nightmares?” I smile and wiggle my nose.
He returns my smile. “I’m glad that’s all it was.”
“Me, too.” My brow furrows and I cross one arm over my torso and let out a deep breath. For a moment there, I’d been truly terrified. It had occurred to me for the first time what it could mean that the Night Guild is after me.
