Page 7 of Captured in Love
Their father was the king of all Icelandic dragons, and when he married their mother—my mother—she became queen. But the king died when Tinna was barely three years old and Kiran just a baby, and our mother married my father, though she remained queen regent until Tinna turned eighteen. My father loved my mother and all three of us and tried his best to be a father to Tinna and Kiran as well as me, but somehow Kiran still got it in his head that he was better than me because royal blood flows through his veins.
And he never lets me forget it, either.
So when he managed to get an invitation to the Ballendial Games, then broke his legs, I’d allowed him to convince me that I was the best option for his substitute. I should have known he was full of shit, but here we are anyway. Locked in a stare-down over an issue that’s been gnawing at us since childhood.
I’m so tired of this. So godsdamned tired.
“Look,” I say finally, “I’m not dropping out of the competition. There’s something strange about the whole thing, and I think we need to find out what it is, especially if those witches are really lurking around Iceland. But I’m not in it for the glory, Kiran. That was never my intention.”
I stand despite not being dismissed. “I need to catch up on some sleep, then head on to Sjávarborg in the morning. The sooner I get this over with, the better.”
My sister gets up and pecks my cheek. “Be careful,” is all she says, her face still grim.
I know she has a lot on her plate, being both the leader of our clan and the queen of all five remaining Icelandic clans. She’s the one who keeps us in check, making sure humans have no idea that mythological creatures still exist right under their noses. Despite the Icelandic tradition of believing in elves and trolls and giants, they’d likely freak out if they learned about us.
But sometimes, a part of me still wishes she’d take my side. Tell Kiran to knock it off, like she had when we were kids and Kiran made my life hell at the village school. I’d adored my big sister, and she’d tolerated me tagging along. Then she became queen and set Kiran up as her right hand, even though he was as irresponsible then as he is now.
I guess blood is still worth more to her than competence and loyalty.
Letting out a low groan, I push my way through the heavy front doors of the hall and head back toward the shore. Maybe it’s time to let go of that bitterness and stop trying to fit in with my half-siblings. If Tinna wanted to give me a more important role in the clan, she could have done that years ago. I kept waiting for that to happen, staying on as an associate professor at the University of Iceland instead of taking one of the many grants that would have allowed me to teach elsewhere in the world.
After these Games end, I’ll spend some time applying to those. Or visit one of the other remaining sea dragon clans, travel to Norway or Alaska. Or learn more about the brown-eyed witch who kissed me back on the bank of the Nile, her magic sparking in the air around us.
I drag the old flannel shirt over my head and stuff it back into the bin on the pier. I should let go of all thoughts of Nora Moss and her companions. If things play out as I want them to, I’ll be on my way to Greece the day after tomorrow, going after the third token. Then it’s back to Scotland to try to claim the victory.
No time for distractions. No room in my life for anything that would keep me from bringing back our crown.
Three
Nora
Princessand I text back and forth all through our wait at customs.
I found Isak online. He’s a history professor. And he’shot! Go you!
Her enthusiasm has me smiling.
I thought you had a hot guy of your own? Besides, I need info on hismagic, not his looks.
I add a winking emoji and am about to tuck away the tablet when another text comes in.
Three guys, actually. I’ll talk to you as soon as I have any info!
Princess’ icon says she has logged out, but I stare at the screen for a long minute.Threeguys?And here I was, worried she might judge me for being in a relationship with both Levi and Raphaël. Not for the first time, I wish I could talk to Princess in person, have coffee—or a glass of wine—and justchat. As much as I love Levi as my best friend, sometimes a woman needs her girlfriends. And since my mom’s death, I’ve let most of my friendships go. Maybe it’s time to change that.
Maybe Princess needs a friend, too.
And maybe there are more women in my life who could become close friends, like Aline and Helena, the witches I met in Brazil and encountered again at the start of the Games in Scotland. I shoot a message to Aline, too, asking how their hunt for the tokens is going. They were headed for San Diego last I heard of them, and now that I’ve seen how difficult the tasks are, I’m worried about them.
I stow the tablet and find the guys waiting by the baggage claim, heads bent together as they talk softly. There’s an intimacy to standing that close to someone, and I love that they’re getting to know each other better.
But before I can step up to them and comment on it, Levi’s duffle bag appears on the conveyor belt, and Raphaël jumps to the side to catch it before it spins off the wrong way.
Levi gets a phone call that he sends to voicemail, and his mood doesn’t improve when we step outside and see it’s still pouring rain. Raphaël disappears for a moment and returns with a drugstore bag he stuffs into his bag, then takes the wheel of our rented Land Rover. We head east from Reykjavik Airport, passing through the gloomy city. We leave the last of the houses behind and enter the vast naked landscape of Iceland.
The country is stunning. Dark-gray rock faces are shrouded in mist and low-hanging clouds, and summer-green meadows roll out toward the sea. The rain adds to the mysterious, ancient atmosphere, and it’s not hard to imagine that creatures straight out of old folk tales still roam these desolate places.
It’s summertime, so we’re not the only people on the road, and from time to time, we see groups of raincoat-clad tourists huddled by their cars as though debating whether it’s worth hiking up the slopes to see some stunning waterfall. I’ve never been to Iceland, so I’m half tempted to call out to Raphaël to stop when we cross a massive river flowing from a glacier, but we’re here on a mission, and our time is running short.
