Duck, Duck, Noose Read online

  Once in the bathroom, he dropped my hand to slip his into the shower to turn on and adjust the water, then repositioned himself in front of me. He put his hands on my waist, then slowly tugged my shirt up to my ribs.

  With a smile I lifted my arms, and he drew it the rest of the way up over my head, sliding the sleeves off my arms one by one. He let my shirt drop to the floor, his eyes intent on me, even as he began to undo the button of my jeans, snug under my belly. He paused, eyes cast downward as his hands encircled my waist.

  “Did it get bigger?” he asked, excitement in his tone.

  I smiled. “It’s only been a couple days, I don’t think it’s really changed much.”

  He shook his head, still staring down at my belly. “Nope. I’m pretty sure it’s grown.”

  I laughed, then glanced at the running water. “Are we going to shower or not?”

  He nodded, then quickly removed his shirt as I slid off my jeans.

  He frowned at me as I wiggled them down to the floor. “Hey, I wanted to do that.”

  I smirked. “Your going to have to do that when my belly is too big for me to bend over, and I’m wearing those fun maternity jeans with the big elastic waistband.”

  He pulled me close and kissed me, then pulled away enough to whisper, “I can’t wait.”

  The rest of our clothes fell away quickly, then we both stepped into the shower. He focused the stream of water on me, making no move to wash himself.

  I squinted my eyes against the water running down my face as I looked up at him. “You should probably get yourself clean if you hope to get any rest before we leave.”

  He shook his head. “No way. We are staying in this shower for the next hour. No arguments.”

  I laughed. “I knew there had to be some hidden benefit to the endless supply of hot water in large hotels.”

  He nodded and kissed me again. If he could go without sleep, so could I.

  24

  Alaric and I watched out the window of our hotel room as darkness slowly encased the world like a foreboding cloud. Time was up. The banshees would now be at full power, including Mara. It was finally time to storm the castle. This was our chance to regrow Yggdrasil and take down the key forever. Failure wasn’t an option. Only death for one side or the other.

  “We should go,” Alaric said softly in my ear as his arm encircled my lower back.

  I smiled. “We said that ten minutes ago.”

  A knock on the door drew both our gazes.

  “Damn,” Alaric muttered, then took my hand. We both padded barefoot across the carpet toward the door.

  Alaric had gotten dressed in Alejandro’s clothes. The black jeans fit him perfectly, but the black tee-shirt was a little snug in the shoulders. I’d begrudgingly pulled on leather pants for the umpteenth time since joining the Vaettir. I hated wearing them, but Alaric had made a very good point. We were going somewhere people might try to beat me up. My injuries would be less if the leather took some of the damage instead of my skin. I didn’t mind, however, slipping on a crimson silk blouse. We were going to a ball, after all. I wanted to look nice. Else I just liked the way Alaric looked at me when I wore the blouse. Silly, but true.

  We opened the door to reveal Aila, Mikael, and Sophie. Aila and Mikael were in their normal Viking gear. Mikael carried a long, canvas bundle under one arm. Sophie wore all black, like her brother. I didn’t know where she’d gotten fresh clothes, but I was pretty sure I recognized the top as one of Tabitha’s.

  “Time to go kids, get your shoes,” Mikael teased, glancing down at our bare feet.

  We both sighed, then led the way into our room. The others followed, shutting the door behind them. I searched around for my boots. I found them near the window, retrieved some socks from my nearby suitcase, then sat on the bed beside Alaric to tug them on.

  “Now you remember the plan, correct?” Mikael asked, standing by the foot of the bed looking down at me, the mysterious bundle still under his left arm.

  I nodded. “Waltz in like we own the place and don’t give Estus the chance to make the first move.”

  Mikael smiled. “And what else?”

  I sighed. “Let everyone else protect us from Estus’ people. Our main goal is luring Estus outside.”

  He nodded, then offered me a hand up as I finished putting on my black, low-heeled boots. “It will not be an easy task. He knows about the banshees, and thus will try to remain within the Salr. We must give him no choice but to follow us.”

  “Knowing he’s lost his leverage will help,” Alaric said as he finished lacing up his boots. He stood up beside me and took my hand. “The goal is to make him desperate enough to make a mistake.”

  I nodded. “The key’s energy combined with Estus’ power is terrifying—” I halted what I was about to say as what should have been a blaringly obvious thought struck me. “What if he tries to send us or our people back in time? He’d instantly regain his leverage.”

  Mikael shrugged. “It’s a possibility, but I’d say it’s not a likely one. Time travel takes a great deal of power, power the key will not want to waste when confronted with the banshees, along with the energies of the Morrigan and the Norns.”

  “It’s still a risk though.”

  He shrugged. “Everything is a risk. It doesn’t excuse us from doing what we must.”

  I sighed. “You’re right. I’m just stalling.”

  “But that still leaves us needing to lure him outside,” Alaric added.

  I nodded, then turned back to Mikael.

  He shrugged. “We have the numbers we need, so we’re as prepared as we’re going to get. I was just planning on winging it.”

  “Winging it?” Alaric asked skeptically.

  Mikael nodded, then turned to me with a smile. “From what I’ve observed, that’s how you function best. Though you may not agree, Lady Luck has been on your side. Statistically speaking, your best chance of success is to simply act on your gut instincts.”

  I had to swallow the sudden lump in my throat before I could speak. “You’re placing an awful lot of faith in me.”

  He continued to smile. “Madeline, if there’s one thing you’ve taught me in our time together, it’s that you must always have faith in your friends.”

  I let out a long breath, then answered, “If you say so.”

  “Don’t look so glum,” he chided. “I bought everyone new weapons.”

  Aila’s face lit up at the news.

  Mikael placed the bundle he’d been holding on the foot of the bed and unrolled it. Inside were two big-ass swords in leather sheaths, a one-sided axe, too big to be a hatchet, but still shorter than the swords, and a whole bunch of sheathed knives of varying sizes.

  I stroked my finger down the handle of the ax. It seemed to be made of smooth bone or ivory. The blade was a dark metal, ancient, but finely honed. “I recognize this,” I muttered, then the lightbulb came on in my head. I turned my gaze to Mikael. “This is the axe you brought back from the past.”

  When we’d gone back to Viking times to meet Mikael’s long-dead wife, Erykah, he’d brought the ax back with him. I’d never gotten a true explanation, and this was the first time I’d seen the weapon since then.

  “It was my father’s,” he explained distantly.

  Sophie let out an abrupt laugh.

  We all looked at her.

  She blushed. “Sorry, it’s just odd thinking about the ancient Viking’s father.” She turned her dark gaze to him. “No offense, but I can’t really imagine you as a child with parents.”

  Aila rolled her eyes. “Everyone has parents.”

  I looked down at the floor, hoping no one would realize Aila’s faux pas.

  “Except Madeline,” she added awkwardly, pointing out her own mistake before anyone else could.

  I blushed. I hadn’t fully discussed our theories with Alaric since his return.

  He and Sophie both stared at me.

  “Yeah,” I muttered, then forced my gaze up to the
m. “We’re not sure if I was really born, or somehow created, like the Morrigan and the Norns.”

  They both gasped.

  A million silly thoughts rushed through my mind. Would Alaric view me differently now, knowing I wasn’t like him? Would he worry that our daughter wouldn’t quite be Vaettir either? I should have trusted him to accept me for exactly what I was, or what I might be, but I was finding it difficult, which explained why I’d neglected to tell him.

  Taking in my unsure expression, Alaric stepped forward and reached his hand out, gently lifting my chin so I’d meet his gaze. “Madeline,” he said patiently, “I’ve always known you were special, and we’ve been questioning your lineage for some time. This changes nothing. Do you think of Mara as less of a person because of how she was created?”

  I frowned, then answered honestly, “Not in the slightest.”

  He smiled. “Then give me a little bit of credit here. I don’t care where you came from. I’m just grateful you exist.”

  Sophie started making exaggerated retching noises.

  I briefly considered stabbing her with one of the knives.

  With a laugh, Alaric pulled me into a half hug and we all turned our attention back to the weapons.

  “As I was saying,” Mikael continued, making it clear in his tone that he was dealing with a bunch of children, “I’ve purchased everyone new weapons. We’ll keep the larger ones wrapped up until we leave the hotel, but the knives can be donned now.”

  “I still have the two blades you gave me when we first landed,” I commented, “so I’m good.”

  Mikael rolled his eyes at me, then picked up two of the smaller knives. They were in sheaths of thick, black nylon, with adjustable loops at either end. “Hold out your arms,” he commanded.

  With a sigh, I did as I was asked, and he slipped a sheath on each of my wrists, securing them so they wouldn’t slip around.

  Meanwhile everyone put on their own knives. Some went on ankles, or around the waist underneath shirts.

  With my wrist sheaths secured, I turned to watch Alaric as he donned his own wrist blades. “I feel like if we’re to the point of needing all of these blades, we’re as good as dead.”

  “They may try taking our weapons when we enter the Salr,” Alaric explained. “The more we hide, the more likely they will be overlooked. Plus, a blade an enemy doesn’t know about is always better than one they can see.”

  My mouth formed an oh of understanding. When it came to matters of war and weaponry, I really needed to learn to stop asking questions and just let the professionals work.

  Once everyone was done securing their blades, Mikael wrapped up the few larger weapons. We all donned coats. My short black jacket barely covered the wrist sheaths, but since they were black too, they blended fairly well.

  We were officially ready. All we needed to do was drive to the Salr’s entrance, and pray we made it out alive.

  We all stared at each other for a moment.

  I felt like my heart was about to pop. We were really doing this. We were going to face the key and attempt to regrow Yggdrasil. We were going to reopen a highway straight to the old gods and other realms.

  I took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

  Alaric took my hand and gave it a squeeze, then Sophie, Mikael, and Aila turned to exit the room. I paused, my hand still in Alaric’s, to retrieve my purse from the floor. It contained the larger blades to be worn at my hips, my fake ID and passport, some chapstick, and that was it. To say I felt underprepared was a monumental understatement. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t face down an entire clan led by the key in Estus form. There was no way I could do this.

  I sucked in a breath and held it, waiting a few seconds to let it out. I had to do this.

  I’d been through a lot of terrifying experiences over the past few months, but I’d never been as scared as I was in that moment. This was the end. No more running. No more plotting.

  Alaric, seeming to sense my unease, pulled me into a tight hug. “I love you,” he whispered against my loose hair. “And I believe in you. I’ve never believed in anything more in my entire life.”

  I pulled away from him with a soft smile. “You always seem to know what I’m thinking.”

  He chuckled. “You’re an empath. I have to at least be a bit perceptive to stand any chance of leveling the playing field.”

  He took my hand once more and led me out of the open door and into the hall where the others waited patiently. As the door shut, I heard the click that confirmed it had locked behind us. Faas, Marcos, and Silver had joined our group. Faas was dressed like Aila and Mikael in Viking garb, while Marcos wore his usual black, and Silver what I’d come to think of as his usual white.

  The eight of us would be riding together, and would protect each other throughout the night. Everyone was divided into units like that, ensuring someone always had someone else to watch their back. Those who would wait above-ground with the banshees were divided in a similar way, groups of six to eight.

  With just a brief nod of acknowledgement to me, Silver led the way down the hall toward the elevator. We all followed his slender back silently.

  The ride down in the elevator was spent in silence. Was everyone as nervous as I, or were they just conceiving battle strategies in their minds? I was betting on the latter. Many of them had gone to war before.

  My only source of comfort was Alaric at my side, though part of me almost wished he’d remained in the past until after the battle. It would have been nice if he could have remained relatively safe until it was all over, then I could have used Yggdrasil to retrieve him. As it was, I was terrified something would happen to him and I wouldn’t be able to stop it.

  My thinking wasn’t fair though. I knew he held the same fears for me, and he was pushing forward. He deserved a chance to fight for a better world for his daughter just as much as I did. We were in this together, to the bitter end.

  More of our people were already waiting in the lobby as we arrived. The other hotel guests and staff cast us odd looks. No one’s weapons were visible, and most looked like fairly normal humans, but a large silent group, most dressed in leather, would stand out anywhere.

  Alaric and I led our group in continued silence toward the front exit. We entered a surprisingly crowded parking lot.

  A whole fleet of black SUVs were lined up to transport us to our destination. No wonder the hotel staff had been eyeing us. They probably thought we were a celebrity entourage, or members of the secret service. Else maybe they had all decided that the Men in Black were real, and we were all going out to hunt aliens. It was a more likely scenario than the truth. A truth they would eventually find out if we were successful.

  We approached the nearest SUV. This time Aila took the driver’s seat, with Sophie in the front passenger’s seat. I ended up sandwiched between Mikael and Alaric in the middle row, with Faas, Marcos, and Silver sitting behind us.

  Aila started the engine and found her place in the line of SUVs as they exited the parking lot. Soon we were on the highway, and all was silent in the vehicle’s dark interior. I watched as the frequently passing headlights lit up Alaric’s face one after another. The people within the vehicles were all on their way to have nice normal nights. Family dinners. First dates. You name it. Or who knew? Maybe some of them were serial killers searching for prey, or men and women on their way to the airport to fly off to a human war zone.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing away my dark thoughts. Alaric leaned over and kissed me on my cheek, but remained silent. We all did. Our planning was done. All we could do now was act.

  Our drive didn’t take long. We were going to an entrance I’d never been to. Aila slowed the SUV as we exited off the highway. We took a right, then continued on down the dark, one lane street. No lights of homes or businesses lit our way, which was for the best. Didn’t want the humans getting in the way of the phantom army.

  We pulled off onto another dark street that soon turned i
nto a bumpy, dark road. We were in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, where no one would hear us scream.

  The SUV bounced for several more minutes. It was almost bright outside with so many pairs of headlights, but farther off the land was encased in inky blackness, save the now distant lights of the highway. Another turnoff into a more wooded area, a few more minutes of driving, then one by one the SUVs came to a halt.

  We all spilled out into the darkness, accompanied by the sound of the doors opening and shutting on roughly fifteen other vehicles. As soon as my feet hit the ground, a cool wind blew the hair back from my face. The banshees. They were ready for war.

  Mara’s presence sent a minute shiver through my brain. She was pissed off. She wanted to go into the Salr with me, but would have to remain outside with the others. I didn’t blame her for being upset. I wanted her to come too.

  I took a moment to retrieve the blades from my purse, fastening the sheaths at either side of my belt before throwing the purse back into the SUV. My ID’s and chapstick wouldn’t be needed.

  Once everyone was out in the open, I shut the SUV door and thought of the banshees again, focusing my energy on them. Marcos came to stand by my side, then took my hand. I flinched, still as uncomfortable with his touch as ever, then slowly relaxed.

  His energy joined mine, and fed into the banshees, which in turn fed their own brand of power back into us. It was like a perfect symbiosis. We all fed off each other, but gained just as much, if not more, in return.

  Many among our large group gasped as the banshees began to take shape before us, followed by the other phantoms. I could feel the fear of our people like a cloying perfume on the back of my tongue. All we’d needed to make them join us was our shared hatred for Estus, but it was fear of my phantoms that would keep them in line after the fact.

  I turned my focus away from the banshees as more headlights illuminated the small backroad. I glanced at Mikael in question, who nodded, letting me know those headed our way were more of our new recruits. Including those around us, there had to be over one hundred.