Bloodlust_A Harem Fantasy by April O'Malley

Author:April O'Malley [O'Malley, April]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 48657619
Published: 2019-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

It took a few moments for them to register what, exactly, had happened. An eerie calm befell Fen, Astrid, and Idona before it morphed into full-on panic. They raced around the perimeter of the vessel, searching the waters to no avail. Neither the warrior nor Dahlia resurfaced.

It was all Fen could do to hold Idona back—even with her injured arm—as she scrabbled to launch herself into the icy water.

“No!” He gripped her tight and shook her to bring her back to her senses. “If you go into the water, you’ll die! Between the cold and your injury, you’ll turn to stone and sink from the shock!”

Astrid sank to one of the rowing benches, head hung low.

Fen forced Idona down beside Astrid, holding her as she fought against his hold.

“We must do something, Fenris! We must!”

“What do you suggest?” Astrid’s expression was unreadable. Her fingers toyed with a chain of metal links.

“What do you have there?” Fen asked.

The warrior woman sighed and flexed her hand open. “I ripped it from the Viking’s neck before he went overboard.” She shook her head and tossed the chain to Fen. Then she scooted down the bench and hefted up the heavy oar there. “We need to stay on the move. If there were any friends of the men we stole this ship from, it won’t take them long to follow. The half-elf didn’t help us fight only to see us lose at the next turn. We honor her by continuing the journey.”

Fen ground his teeth, not wanting to leave the spot. To dive into the waters was to court death, though, and he knew it. He’d sailed through icy waters most of his life. On more than one occasion, a man overboard had been left behind, presumed dead upon being swallowed up by waters warmer than these. Fen’s feet and legs ached even now at the cold that had nipped at his boots while they’d fought for the ship.

Idona’s whole body trembled, but she followed Astrid’s instruction. She moved to the opposite bench and took up an oar on the other side of the boat, falling into rhythm with Astrid’s rowing. The Valkyrie winced with each pull. Her arm still bled from the rough and hurried stitch job Dahlia had done.

Fen strode to a bench several behind where Idona sat and sank down. He studied the chain in his hand. It was heavy with hand-forged links. The links were twisted open where it had torn from the Viking’s neck. Still dangling from the chain was a heavy medallion. The front bore the face of a roaring creature, its sharp teeth on display. Was it a bear? A wolf? Fen couldn’t be sure—the depiction was crudely carved. Turning it over, he found the back to be patterned like a turtle’s shell. He smoothed a thumb over it. It was still warm from where it had rested against the Viking’s body.

The talisman warmed even more as he rubbed it.

“Fen, we need to move!” Astrid shouted over her shoulder.

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