“What do you mean?” I demanded, already impatient with her cryptic answers. “What does that have to do with the storm?”
For once, she took pity on me and clarified. “A spy. Someone sent word to Fenris that the two of you set sail for Skien.”
Instantly I thought of the Celtic seer. Had his fear of me been an act? He was the only one who stood out in my mind, though it could have been anyone. “The j?tnar have such power?”
“They control as much magic as the gods when it comes to the elements, and the sea is no exception.” Her milky gaze shifted to Leif. “They will be steering you toward something worse than a storm. Be on your guard.”
An interrupted shout from the bow of the ship was our only warning as the prow slammed into a massive wave. Leif grabbed hold of me with one arm, the other clutching the mast. The rest of the Northmen braced themselves, holding on to the sides of the ship. Water collected rapidly in the hull, soaking our boots.
When next I looked at the remaining ships, they had all fallen back, with ours in the lead. Undead men upon each deck joined the rowers, adding their superior endurance. Following Leif’s lead, the oars split into black water, forcing the ships forward despite the strong winds. Still the waves crashed over us, soaking our clothes and hair as the falling rain did the same. The assault upon my senses was truly like nothing I had ever endured, and I longed for shelter.
I scanned the water as we made agonizingly slow progress forward, afraid of what I would see. The black sky seemed much too close, the waves mountainous. Lightning arced across the sky, and the biggest wave yet swelled before us. The ships rode it to the top, but as soon as we had crested, we plummeted back to the unforgiving water below.
In the next instant, I was airborne. I heard Leif scream my name as the wind and rain blinded me. I plunged into the freezing-cold waters, a wave burying me before I even had a chance to get my bearings. I struggled to the surface, gasping for breath only to have my mouth filled with rain and seawater. Sputtering and barely treading water, I watched as the ships continued on . . . and disappeared behind the massive waves.
The horror that I was now very much alone in a dark and stormy sea descended upon me, nearly sinking me with its weight. Again and again the waves hit me, and I had to kick furiously just to keep my head above water. I forced myself forward in the direction the ships had gone, my way only occasionally lit by bolts of lightning.
I cannot die here, I thought, though it seemed all of nature had turned against me.
That was when I felt something large brush against my leg.
I wanted to scream but could not; the rain and seawater would fill my mouth as soon as I opened it. Again, the unknown creature bumped against me, and this time, my boot scraped along it, giving me an indication of its size. This was no shark. The thing was bigger than the ship, and I knew at once this was a sea serpent.
Lightning lit the sky again, and I glanced behind me. From out of the water rose the end of a scaled tail, and it was only a moment before I realized the creature was headed in the direction of the ships. As it rushed by me, I grabbed on. Its scales bit into my hands, but if the creature realized I now clung to it, it gave no indication.
The sea serpent seemed to pick up speed. Waves slammed over my head, and I gritted my teeth. Lightning flashed again, and there, not far from us now, were the ships. The relief I felt was so powerful I nearly relaxed my hold on the serpent’s tail, but then I realized this same creature that was so generously giving me a ride was also dangerously close to the ships.
It continued on, so close now I could see the oars striking the water. Closer and closer I came until I could make out a form in the water. Leif was swimming toward me, a tether of rope swimming behind him. He must have jumped in after me, only he’d been smart enough to anchor himself to the ship first. I was so relieved that he’d come after me—that he hadn’t left me for dead.
“Leif!” I tried to shout, but received a mouthful of water for my efforts.
The serpent dragged me forward until I crashed into Leif and let go of the creature’s tail. Leif’s strong arm wrapped around me, the other still holding on to the rope.
“Ciara, thank the gods,” he shouted, waves and rain interrupting his words.
“Sea serpent!” I shouted back, pointing toward the ships, praying he could understand me.
His head jerked back toward the ships. “Hold on,” he said. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he pulled us along the length of the rope, hand over hand.
Water gushed over the side of the ship, and I glanced up. The sea serpent rose from the sea behind the ships, as massive as a mountain. Its head was like that of a dragon, its body of a snake. Its jaws opened wide, great swords instead of teeth, and I heard the shouts of men. The rowing stopped as everyone on board the ships grabbed their weapons.
Helplessly, I watched as the creature’s head descended toward the men on board.
22
Its teeth were met by the swords of the undead. They’d all moved as one to parry before the mortal men could even rise. Around us, the storm still raged. Rippling through the water came the sea serpent’s tail, and it coiled around the ships like an enormous chain.
We were almost to the ship. Leif grabbed hold of the rudder, and I reached out with my mind—through the wind and rain, past the grim and frightened minds of the men on board, until I could feel the creature’s noticeably different thoughts. There were no words in its mind, only images and emotions. The anticipated thrill of destroying the ships, the sweet taste of human flesh—something it so rarely chanced upon—and fury and confusion at being deflected in its goals by my undead army, tainted creatures it had never encountered.
I waded in and snatched control, wrapping its consciousness with hundreds of invisible chains. The tail around us froze.
The sea serpent sent a flood of threatening images through our connection: it would find me, and then it would bite my head from my neck. Nauseous and cold, I felt fear churn within me as I was forced to watch myself being killed and eaten repeatedly, but still I held fast.
Leif grabbed hold of the ship’s rudder and boosted me up to waiting hands. He followed behind me, collapsing beside me on the deck as we both gasped for breath. He recovered faster than I did and hauled us both to our feet.
“I would hold you just to assure myself you were safe if I could,” he said, “but for now, it will have to be a promise.”
My heart beat unsteadily in my chest.
The sea serpent’s consciousness fought mine, until I struggled to hold on. It was too strong; I was losing control. Below us, its tail wrapped around the ships.
I squeezed Leif’s waist to draw his attention. “The tail will crush the ships. Hold on to me!” I yelled, and Leif wrapped an arm like a band of iron around me.
I didn’t have time to explain my plan to Leif. All those nights of practice allowed me to instantly access the door in my mind: I separated myself from my body and fell limp against him.
I could see Leif shouting fearfully at me, scooping me off my feet and clutching me to his chest, but I couldn’t worry about that right now. I knew he would keep me safe.
Closer now, I could see just how large the serpent was. Its head was wider than the ship, its teeth as long as swords. It was green and blue, its scales iridescent in the flashes of lightning, wicked spikes running the length of its body.
If I didn’t crush it from the inside, it would easily destroy the ship and everyone on it.