“It beats dissecting you, doesn’t it?” Alitta snarled. “I figured Sven would buy you and I’d still get all of his money. If he didn’t, then yeah, I’d have sold you.”
“But why?” Bryn truly wanted to understand. “I’ve heard you come from a powerful, rich family. Why go through all the trouble?”
“My parents cut me off when they found out about Magnus. They called me a traitor to our province and kicked me out.”
Sven snapped his fingers. “That’s why you arrived early. You had nowhere else to go.”
“Shut up!” Alitta ordered. “Enough talking.”
For a heartbeat, she and Bryn simply stared at one another. Then the air broke with movement.
Alitta lunged with a nasty looking blade in her hand. Bryn used a defensive mood that Sven had taught her and side stepped the attack.
Alitta stumbled but caught herself. She turned and started to launch herself again, but Bryn held up her hands. They glowedin the dim light. This time when Alitta attacked, Bryn sent her flying to the floor with the power of sparks.
“You won’t beat me, Alitta. I fight with the power of love behind me. With purpose. You have nothing left.”
Lars moved toward her. “She has a dungeon right next to Magnus waiting for her.”
A line of fire erupted from Alitta, and Lars crashed through a table as he rolled to the side to avoid the flame. Sven moved toward him, which made him her new target.
“Sven, lookout!” Bryn wasn’t about to let her hurt anyone. She launched herself forward with clenched fists, but this time when she made contact with the other woman, the sparks were more like lightning bolts. Alitta flew across the room and bounced off the wall.
Alitta sat up and shook her head. “You would have been so much fun to experiment on.” Before they could reach her, she pulled a syringe from her pocket. Unlike Magnus, however, Lars wasn’t close enough to stop her.
“No!”
But it was too late.
Alitta jammed the needle into her own arm and plunged the contents of the vial into her body hiss of satisfaction. Her smile was eerie and triumphant, even as her body seized.
“You’ll… never win,” she whispered. Her words slurred before her eyes rolled back and she crumpled.
Bryn froze. Her chest heaved and adrenaline crashed through her veins. “Is it over?”
Sven pulled her close and his hand steadied her shoulders. “It is for her.”
“A little help here,” Erik called out.
They hurried to him and had him free in seconds. He sagged forward and Sven caught him. When he looked up,
Tears ran down her cheeks as she watched the brothers reunite.
“.........I had to go to prove Dad wrong….”
“.........didn’t know where you were……”
“....... find our ancestors…..”
“......never doubted you for a minute….”
Lars stood in the background and Bryn swore he wiped a tear from his own eye.
Sven stepped back and Erik shook Lars’ hand. “I’m so sorry it took us so long. I had no idea where you were.”
“Not your fault, brother. They had me right from the start. I’m just glad you’re still alive. They never would tell me if they killed you or not.”
“I’m not that easy to kill. You can’t get away from me that easily.” Sven turned to her. “And this is Bryn, my mate. We found you just in time for our wedding.”
