BOOK 2 - Viktoria Ch. 03

The red-haired man stood as Ember made introductions. "Idris, Selene, this is Viktoria, Memory, and Dream. They're from Pohjola, and might be able to help Musette to wake up."

Dream stared at Musette, a frown on her face. "What happened to her?"

"We don't know." Ember sat on the other side of Musette and took her sister's hand. "We... well, we were kidnapped by a group of men who intended to sell us to mages and we got separated. Normally we can feel each other through our twin connection, but I haven't been able to feel her since I found her. I can call her and she can find me in my Draga space, but—"

"Draga? What's that?" Memory asked.

"A Draga is a witch a vampire can love. Like a soul mate. She can summon her vampire to her in a place only for them, but Ember uses it to bring her sister to her as well," Selene explained.

The image of Lurky, naked and braced over her saying those words to her flashed in Viktoria's mind. She shoved it away. "You're Stryx's Draga?"

Ember tossed her head and her silver eyes blazed. "He is my vampire."

Selene burst out in laughter and Idris' worry-creased face lit up with a grin.

Viktoria's lips twitched in a smile. That explained why the vampires would kill and die to protect her. And if Viktoria was interpreting the looks Idris gave Musette, she was his Draga. Relief washed through her. Ember and Musette weren't in any danger from the vampires. She could leave and not worry. Unless... "What's this about men kidnapping you to sell to mages?"

"One is dead. The mage that... Jael has a mage locked up. He can sometimes get information out of them. But he hasn't been able to find out what the mage who took Musette did to her."

"I'll see if I can find her dreams." Dream crawled onto the bed, laid in between Musette and Ember and intertwined their hands over her chest. She closed her eyes and dropped off to sleep.

Idris paced, raking his hands through his hair. Its disheveled state suggested he did this often.

"Musette will wake, Idris," Selene said.

"I know. I can feel her, I just can't find her. I hear her calling me, but I can't get to her." He clasped his hands on top of his head. "I don't know how to help her."

"Is Musette your Draga?" Viktoria asked.

His eyes fell to Musette's sleeping face. "When she wakes, I hope I can be her vampire."

Viktoria grinned at Selene. "I'm not sure about Stryx, but this one I believe can learn."

"Ember and Stryx will find their harmony." Selene shifted a pillow behind her and sat up. "How is your mother, Viktoria?"

Stunned, Viktoria blinked. "You know our mother?"

"In another lifetime. I have not always been so limited as to where I can go. The last time I saw her, she had only sons."

"She's fine. She doesn't leave home much anymore." Viktoria shrugged.

"She doesn't have to." Memory laughed. "Trouble still finds her often enough to make her happy."

"So Pohjola." Idris said. "You have vampires there? None of you seem surprised we exist."

"Not really anymore. We have again-walkers, draugar," Viktoria said. "They rise from their graves, are very strong and some of them can control the weather around them. They tend to haunt their barrows to guard their treasures, and can change their shapes and sizes. Vampires have been to Pohjola, but they weren't like the ones who live here."

"We keep our distance from them." Memory added. "One of our sisters let a vampire bite her once. He thought he owned her after that, and wouldn't leave her alone. Mother told him what he had to do to win her, but he tried to defy her. I can't remember her ever being so mad since her Sampo was stolen! She... well, after that, vampires stopped coming to Pohjola. And our sister is still grounded! She'll never leave Pohjola again."

"The men here are not like other vampires," Selene said. "They can—"

"Musette isn't asleep!" Dream opened her eyes and tension filled her voice. "She's separate. Memory, you will have to help her remember her way back. Ember remains with her. Join us."

Memory sat on the bed, placed one hand on Dream's forehead and closed her eyes.

"What did she mean Musette is 'separate'?" Idris asked.

"She's been blocked from herself somehow. Memory and Dream are good at what they do. They'll bring her back."

Dream opened her eyes again. "Shadow! Hurry!" Her gaze fell on Idris. "You have some muscles, come with me, too. Touch my skin."

Viktoria laid a hand on Dream's leg, gesturing for Idris to do the same. "What happened?"

"We found Musette, but there are so many shadows, and... Just come on! We need to fight!"

*****

Jael lay on his back in his room. It was an austere place, functional and unadorned. Having lost everything once, he found it easier to not have anything to lose again. Carved out from the cliff, his room contained a table with one chair, his bed with one blanket and a single pillow, and a fireplace he'd never used in the thousand years he'd occupied this space.

This far underground the temperature remained constant year-round and he didn't feel the cold anyway. He didn't feel anything. Until last night. That witch made him feel things. Crazy. Infuriated. Proud. Need. Worse, he felt the loss of his wife and daughter as if it had happened yesterday, and rage and grief urged him to hunt and hurt mages.

He cradled the small bottle of Viktoria's perfume in his hand. He'd intended to return it to her last night, but after she'd trapped him and had her way with him he'd kept it to spite her. He'd let her know he had it, and if she wanted it back, she'd have to...

Jael's thoughts broke off as he smelled her scent. Vanilla and that mysterious essence he couldn't identify before. But having seen her magic at work, he was positive that scent was what shadows smelled like. His eyes darted to the bottle he clutched in his fist. Worried he'd broken it, he spread his fingers.

The bottle was intact, its cap in place. Nothing had spilled. The scent was not coming from this source. He groaned. Now in addition to emotions he'd not had to feel in over three thousand years, he was losing control of his senses. He swore he smelled her scent, no, he did smell her scent. She was here, at the compound. Sitting up, he reached for his swords, slung the sheathed blades over his shoulders and sprinted from his room.

Tracking her scent through the house led him to the door of Selene's tower. Of course. He'd told her about Musette. He sprinted up the spiral staircase. As he neared the top, an unfamiliar female voice said, "We need to fight!"

Swords in hand, he shoved Selene's door open with his shoulder and scanned the room for threats. His eyes sought out and found Viktoria. She sat in a chair next to Musette's bed. Ember, two blonde women he didn't know, and Musette lay on the bed. Idris sat on the other side. All of them were touching the blonde woman in the middle, who clutched Ember and Musette's hands in her own.

"What the fuck?" He blinked. They all seemed like they had fallen asleep at the start of an orgy or playing some weird version of Twister. He took a step forward, reaching for his Draga. "Viktoria?"

"Oh." The single word from Selene was full of smug knowing and amusement. "I wondered which of you it would be."

Jael spun to face Selene, but wasn't ready to talk about Dragas with her. "I heard something about a fight." His eyes tracked back to Viktoria.

"Is that why you rushed in here?" Selene's tranquil smile mocked him.

"I have sworn to protect you and yours." Jael blustered, his voice rising. Selene always knew too much and her focus on him, especially about anything to do with his Draga made him feel like a schoolboy. "I will not fail you again."

"Hush, Jael. You have never failed me or mine." Selene's voice was soft. "Do not wake them. They are helping Musette."

"If they are fighting I can help."

Selene frowned. "Dream woke to bring others in with her before. But maybe your Draga can bring you to where they are. Sheath your swords and touch Viktoria and Dream, the one in the middle. Do not jostle them too much."

Jael bit back the protest about Viktoria being his Draga. It was no use arguing with Selene. He sheathed his swords and knelt by Viktoria, placing one hand on her thigh, and stretching his other arm across the bed to twine his fingers with Viktoria's on Dream's leg.

He fell into darkness.