Star of Daylight (Book Two of the Viking Series)

CHAPTER TWELVE - Star of Daylight

I wanted to kill him slowly. Vander did not deserve to breathe the same air as decent people. I could feel his slimy presence in the back of my mind. It felt like he was trying to crawl in there and take over, and I wanted nothing more than to rid myself of him. As the waves crashed around us, I watched the images rolling through my brain. If any of them were true then he deserved a criminal’s death. There was no one I could talk to about the things I saw. Who would have believed me?

The men around me were either sleeping or rowing furiously against the waves. Running Deer was in the front of the canoe, his back to me, but his rigid stance spoke volumes. I could tell he was upset with me.  We were always so in tune with each other that I felt a bit bereft. I knew he did not agree with my plans to kill Vander, but I had hoped he would have at least understood. I could not pinpoint exactly what bothered him. I had killed men before in battle and he knew that, but his attitude was different in this case. I could feel his disapproval pouring off of him in waves, and it rankled.

Being on the sea, even in this larger canoe, gave me a sense of fragility. We rode the waves that were getting higher as if our boat was nothing more than a stick in a raging river. Running Deer’s muscles flexed and tensed with each stroke of the oar. He had cast his fur aside, probably due to his strenuous activities. For a moment, my heart went out to him, but then I looked over at Raging Bear.

Night Moon’s husband looked like a broken man, his countenance completely ravaged. I could see the anger boiling just below the surface and all thoughts of Running Deer and swaying from my purpose disappeared. There was a deep sadness in his eyes and the way he held himself. He almost seemed defeated except for that anger; the same anger that drove me, fueling my need for revenge.

Liberty squawked overhead, then dove, flying straight for me. Even she seemed unsettled. She landed on my shoulder, immediately rubbing her greeting against my cheek.

As if her presence called him, Green Snake was suddenly by my side ruffling her feathers. He just loved that bird fiercely, though I did not know why. She had taken to him as well, and promptly shuffled over to his lap where she settled contentedly. He began cooing to her and the weight I was carrying seemed a little lighter for a second.

The baby felt heavy in my womb and I was more tired this time, but I pushed on. I was so disconnected from everything around me that I felt the loss keenly. I could see Night Moon suffering at the hands of my brother every time I closed my eyes, so I began fighting sleep. When I opened them, I could not avoid seeing the suffering of her husband.

The canoe was crowded, which did not help my mood any. It seemed that no matter what I did, I could not get comfortable either. My bulk was not the only problem, as there were limbs everywhere. I found myself irritated at the smallest things and snapped at more than one person since the journey began. Charging Bull was the only one to get sick, thankfully, as the waves were choppier in the canoe than they had been on the ship I traveled on to reach The People.

“You cannot let it destroy who you are, Star of Daylight.” Green Snake’s words were softly spoken, but they resounded in my skull like the church bells at matins. My head snapped to the side to look at him, and a crick in my neck appeared, causing a headache, which had become frequent visitors since these visions of Vander began.

“What do you mean, Green Snake?” I bit back a little more sharply than I intended, though a part pf me admitted to knowing what he was trying to say to me.

“This unfinished business with your brother has a hold on you because you let it.”

“Green Snake, you know these visions plague me and I have no control over them. How can you say that? I have tried everything I know of to stop them, as did Walking Clouds.”