“What do you mean? Arik is dead.”
The old woman closed her eyes again, rocking back and forth. “No. He will be the shield to protect you from what was never meant to be. But his life lies in your hands.”
The seer’s words troubled her. She tried to tell herself thatMóðirGerda was caught up in a vision, one that might not be true. There was no denying that Arik Thorgrim had once held more power than any man of this tribe. As the son of thejarl,he had been the one who was meant to rule them all.
But how could Arik’s life be in her hands? And what was she meant to do?
“At dawn, by the edge of the sea,” the old woman prophesied. “You must be there when he comes.”
OFF THE COAST OF NORWAY
ONE THOUSAND YEARS LATER
The moon glowed blood-red over the dark waters of the sea. It hung within the sky like an omen of death, and more than one sailor sent up a silent prayer for protection against evil. Eric Fielding, the Marquess of Thorgraham, knew it was only the moon—and yet this night held an otherworldly aura.
A cloud slid across the sky, and the winter wind began to shift and blow. The hair rose on his forearms, and the waves grew rough. Though he supposed it was only weather approaching, an air of tension tightened among the men. Eric approached the bos’n and asked, “Do you need help with the sails?”
“Mr. Thorgraham, stay out of the way,” the bos’n warned. “Our sailors know how to handle a storm. Go below deck where it’s safe.”
None of these men knew of his true identity as a nobleman. Eric had allowed them to believe that he was a merchant’s son, an ordinary passenger of no consequence. He preferred working among men who were content to earn their living with the sweat of their brow. They didn’t know what a gift it was to have that freedom. Many of his friends had envied his place as a future duke—he knew that. And yet, that life had never felt like his own.
The wind’s intensity heightened, whipping the sails and increasing their speed. The ship began to toss in the waves, and the night sky had turned so black, they could hardly see where the heavens met the sea.
“You need the help of every man,” Eric told the bos’n. “It’s not safe for any of us.”
After the man nodded permission, he joined one of the sailors and helped pull a rope tight, tying it off. But the ship lurched against a wave and tossed him backward. Eric struck his head hard against a barrel, and violent pain resonated through his skull.
Now the storm raged higher. The sea had become a monstrous being, spewing icy water while the wind howled.
You’re going to drown,an inner voice taunted.You turned your back on your estates and your father. Was this what you wanted?
No. But the idea of spending his days in Parliament, arguing over the laws and learning to become the Duke of Somerford, seemed like an excruciating fate. All his life, he’d been trapped among dusty ledgers and books, learning to govern the estates that his ancestors had built. The need for adventure, the fierce desire to sail across the sea, had burned within his veins. Even now, when he inhaled the sharp tang of the sea air, it held the scent of freedom.
It was possible that he might die this night if the storm continued to batter the vessel. He should have been afraid. But instead, Eric stared up at the moon, and a strange calm descended over him.
He ignored the throbbing in his head and seized a piece of rope. The hemp cut into his palms, but he tied himself to the upper deck, while the waves tossed the vessel within the tempest. An icy spray drenched him, and he shuddered against the frigid ocean water.
If the ship could not withstand the storm, all of them would die. And still, his uncertain fate felt preordained somehow.
The winds battered at his face, and he wondered if he would ever see his father again. His death would devastate Gregory, and Eric didn’t want to imagine how that grief would consume him. Regret cloaked him, along with stinging rain. He tried to imagine Gregory’s face, tried to hold the vision in his mind, as if it could push back the horrors of this night.
Bitter winds ripped the sail in half while waves pounded against his ship. The ship’s captain shouted orders to his men, but to no avail. The mast cracked, the wood shattering into jagged pieces. Salt water covered the deck, and all around him, men were praying for mercy.
But no pleas came to his lips. Instead, Eric turned his gaze to the clouded skies, his thoughts in turmoil. If the sea took him, there would be no redemption, no chance to see his father again. His father was the only family he had left, and he didn’t want to die with enmity between them.
A large wave crashed against the ship, and salt water sloshed against his mouth and nose. His ropes had come loose, and before he realized it, a second wave swept him overboard. The frigid water iced his limbs, dragging him under. For a moment, all grew still, and the cold seemed to freeze his very bones. Beneath the water, he saw the reflection of the moon, and the light was tinted red.
Eric clawed his way upward, fighting to break the surface.I will not die.
An unseen force seemed to hold him beneath the water as he struggled for life. The cold darkness surrounded him, like a ghostly embrace. He knew he ought to be terrified, but within his consciousness came the realization that he was not alone. Someone was with him, an unknown presence, speaking words in a foreign tongue.
He churned his arms, finally bursting through the waves and sucking down gulps of air. His body was numb, and when he looked around him, the storm had abated. The waves grew calmer, and the blood-red moon rose high above him, the rosy amber light illuminating the water.
Not yet,a woman’s voice whispered.
Eric took more breaths of air, not knowing if he’d imagined the sound. His skin tingled with awareness, as if something had parted the veil between life and death. Was this real? Had he survived the storm? Or was this his first glimpse of the afterworld?
He struggled to swim, not knowing where he was going. The water’s surface gleamed with the reflection of the blood moon. In the distance, the sky was transforming from dark blue to lavender. It would be dawn within an hour.
