Page 12 of Bats Out of Hell (Vikings Rock #1)

K enna had watched Haakon help old Mistress Knowles at the well, seen him act with patience and kindness. It had surprised her and she’d rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t still asleep and dreaming.

But no, the chill air caressing her cheeks and neck and the brisk scent of frost told her she was wide awake.

“My skull might be thick,” he said, pacing up to her and ignoring the dog’s growl. “But my determination is steely, and you”—he caught her chin in his palm—“will be my wife by nightfall.”

She stared up into his eyes and tried to beat down the coil of fear in her belly. He was so damn big, and wild, and strong. “I cannot marry you. It is not I who is refusing. It is God’s will that we do not.”

“It is my gods’ will that we do.”

She closed her eyes and reached for her cross.

He released her chin and his eyebrows drew together.

She kissed her cross.

“What is that?”

“It is the cross that Jesus Christ, our savior, was nailed upon to save us from our sins.”

“Sins? What is ‘sins’?” His eyebrows pulled together.

“An immoral act, shameful in the eyes of divine law.” She swallowed tightly and held his eye contact. “It would be a sin for me to marry a man who does not have my God in his heart.”

“Ah, so this is the problem.”

“It is more than a problem; it is a divine obstacle.” She took a step back. “One that cannot be overcome, so you must, Haakon, go and find another wife, one who has your gods in her heart, because I could never love another God. There is only one Holy Father. That is set out in the commandments.”

Haakon gnawed on his bottom lip and appeared deep in thought.

Kenna wished the cockerel would shut up; it was in full swing now just behind her.

“Kenna!” Hamish appeared from a doorway of a small roundhouse. “Get back in here.”

“We are speaking of important matters,” Haakon said.

Hamish pushed his hand through his mussed-up hair. His breath plumed in front of his face. “Like what?”

“Your sister declares she cannot marry me because I do not have your god in my heart.”

Hamish was quiet and Kenna sent a quick prayer heavenward that he would support her argument.

“Ah, I see.” Hamish nodded. “My sister is right, for it is true you have never been baptized.”

“‘Baptized’?”

“Aye, a sacred act to show you have turned from your old life of sin to a new life with Jesus Christ.”

“Who is this Jesus Christ?” Haakon looked around. “I should meet with him at once. Where is he?” He pointed to the carpenter’s home. “Does he live there?”

“Jesus, please forgive us.” Kenna raised her face to the gray sky. “For the heathen we have allowed into our village.”

Haakon looked upward, as though expecting to see Jesus above him.

“You cannot meet with him on Earth,” Hamish said. “He died for us. He now resides in heaven.”

“Heaven.” Haakon paused. “Ah, yes, I have heard of this. It is like Valhalla.”

“It is nothing like Valhalla.” Kenna bristled. Not that she’d heard of Valhalla, but she was sure Valhalla would be a mead-swilling, whore-filled, overindulgent festival that couldn’t have been more different to a peaceful and pure heaven.

Haakon shrugged. “I can be baptized. What do I have to do? Sacrifice something? Then there will be no stopping our marriage today.”

Kenna’s heart flipped. That was not what she’d been expecting him to say. “What? No…you can’t… I…”

“It is not that simple,” Hamish said. “You have to let God into your heart, so that He exists in your very soul.”

“I can do that.” Haakon spread his big hand over the leather tunic he wore. “In fact, I believe He is here already.”

“You blaspheme,” Kenna said with a shake of her head.

“I will do whatever I need to.” He winked at Kenna. “To make you mine.”

She scowled at him. “It is impossible for you to be baptized today.”

“I can assure you it is not. Tell me what it entails.” Haakon gestured to Hamish.

“Well…you…” Hamish glanced at Kenna. “You have to go to the bay, swear you forsake all gods except for God Almighty and that you will live as a Christian from this day on.”

“Why the bay?” Haakon frowned and placed his hands on his hips.

“You must be naked and dunked under the water so that your sins are washed away and you are reborn,” Kenna said. “And it is very cold.”

“I know the water is cold.” Haakon chuckled. “I was in that very ocean just yesterday, if you remember.”

“And our priest, Olaf, will have to consent to perform the ceremony,” Hamish went on.

“Did I hear my name?”

Kenna turned and saw Olaf and her father standing together. They each had worry lines plowed into their brows.

“Olaf.” Haakon stepped up to him and whacked him on the shoulder in greeting. “Just the man I need to speak with.”

Olaf staggered to the right and stared up at Haakon. “I feared as much.”

“You will baptize me now. At the bay. So that Kenna does not fear she is marrying a… What did you call me? A heathen.” He spun his hand through the air as though hurrying up the process of baptism. “And then we will marry. I will call her ‘wife’ and she will call me ‘husband’ by nightfall.”

“Lord, give us strength”—Noah set his gaze upon Kenna—“to follow the right path. Lord, give us wisdom to do what is best. Dear Lord, have mercy upon us.”

She knew what he was saying, that she must marry Haakon. He’d said it the night before too, as they’d eaten supper and argued. He’d said it over and over that she must do the Viking’s bidding in order to save the village and all of the villagers’ lives. For if she were stubborn and bloody-minded, as she tended to be on occasion, there would be many lives lost.

“Father.” Kenna frowned at him.

“Kenna,” Noah said. “Haakon has seen the light. He is willing to denounce his gods and put his faith in the Holy Father. That should be commended.”

“But—”

“The bay is this way,” Olaf said. “And as the sun is fresh in the sky, a new day dawns with the potential for redemption and unwavering service to God.”

“To the bay.” Haakon grinned and rubbed his belly. “I will eat upon my return.”

“What are you doing?” Orm appeared, Gunnar at his side.

“I am being baptized,” Haakon said. “Apparently, it is a requirement of my bride.”

“She’s got you wrapped ’round her littlest finger already?” Orm cackled and wriggled his pinkie at Haakon.

Haakon shrugged and said something in his native language. He then cupped his groin and looked at Kenna.

She rolled her eyes and turned away. But the moment she did, she was aware of a big hand wrapping around hers.

“Come, bride, come and watch. I do not wish you to have any doubts of my commitment to you and this marriage.”

“I have no interest in watching.” She tried to pull away, but he kept his hold tight. “This is a sham baptism. You know nothing of the Bible or God and our savior, Jesus Christ.”

“’Haps not, but as your priest said, this is a new dawn and anything is possible.” He started to walk toward the fortress gate, following Olaf, Noah, and Hamish.

Kenna had no choice but to trot at his side, taking two steps to each of his one.

Soon, Eliah Bay came into view. Like Clam Bay, it was a horseshoe shape with soft sand lined by pine forest. The water sparkled in the crisp dawn light and two small fishing boats bobbed against a wooden pier.

“I like this,” Haakon said as they stepped onto the sand. “And your boats are…”

“They are what?” Kenna tutted.

“They appear small but seaworthy.”

“Naturally. For sometimes, we visit the outer islands for trade.”

“What do you trade?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I am the ruler here now. I need to know everything.” He grinned at her. A cocky, smug grin that made her want to slap his face.

“Come,” Olaf said, removing his boots. “To the water’s edge. You must be naked. You are being cleansed of all sins, of which I am sure there are many.”

“Oh, dear Lord.” Kenna screwed up her eyes. Really? She had to witness this? This was surely the worst morning of her life.

“Open your eyes,” Haakon demanded.

“No.” She pressed her lips together.

“ Ja . Or my dagger will taste blood, right here, right now. I swear in the name of Odin…” He cleared his throat. “In the name of God. If you don’t open your eyes, I’ll…”

Kenna didn’t want him to finish the sentence, so she opened her eyes and stared up into his. She hoped he could see the hate in them.

He didn’t appear to and held up their joined hands. “You will stay here and watch. If I discover you have closed your eyes or you have slipped away, the baptism will be repeated. It is something you will witness.”

Kenna scowled. “Are you always this bossy?”

“ Ja .” He laughed and released her hand. “So get used to it.”

She stepped back as he bent his arm over his head and fisted his tunic between his shoulder blades. He drew it off and tossed it aside. It landed on a piece of driftwood.

The pale winter light caressed his muscular torso, dipping into each rise and fall of his abs and pecs. The boar fang hung to his sternum, tapping against his scribble of dark chest hair that started where his neck tattoo ended.

Next came his leather boots, also flung toward the driftwood and spraying up sand. His feet were pale, his toes long. After that, he shoved at his woolen pants, pushing them down his legs and kicking them away.

Kenna gasped and clutched her cross.

“You like what you see?” he said, standing straight and placing his hands on his hips. “I have a good cock, a king’s cock. You are a lucky woman, Kenna.”

“You… You are a monster.” She swallowed tightly, her throat feeling stuffed full of dry bread all of a sudden. His thick cock hung from a patch of dark hair and even flaccid, it was of eye-watering size. The skin of his shaft was darker than the rest of his body and something glinted from the tip.

She peered a little closer, feeling the blood drain from her cheeks. She clasped her hand to her mouth to hold in a gasp of horror.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry. You will be up close and personal with this mighty beast very soon.”

“What… What is that ?” she asked as the sun glinted off what appeared to be a metal ring in the end of his cock.

“It was a gift from my mother when I was fifteen summers,” he said. “It adds to a woman’s pleasure. She was a very thoughtful woman.”

“Lord have mercy,” Noah whispered, crossing himself. “I will pray for you, dear daughter.”

“She will not need your prayers.” Haakon fisted his cock and tugged the ring with his other hand. “For I will take care of her every need.”

“We should…get on with this…” Olaf said, rolling up his trousers and exposing skinny, pale ankles. His face was pale too.

“Indeed.” Haakon released his cock and strode down the beach.

His ass was high and tight, dimpled at each side, and another tattoo, of a snake, wound its way up his back. He had a scar on the back of his right leg, long and jagged, a little red.

A strange, fizzing sensation took hold of Kenna’s belly. It sparkled around her body, making her breasts tingle and her pussy clench. What had this warrior man seen during his lifetime? Where had he traveled? What did he know that she did not?

All of these questions and more bounced around her brain and she hugged herself, holding everything in tight.

Haakon strode into the freezing water without flinching and soon he was waist deep. “Now what?”

Olaf stood on the water’s edge, the waves tickling his ankles. Had it been summer, he’d have been deep, but clearly, he wasn’t feeling up to the icy chill. “May the Devil be expelled from you. May ye now go into all the world!” he shouted, holding up his right hand and making the sign of the cross. “And preach the gospel to every creature. He who believeth and is baptized shall be saved. From this moment on, you must denounce all but the real God and worship only his son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.” He paused and looked up at the sky. “Haakon Rhalson, son of King Urd Rhalson of Drangar, I now pronounce you Christian with the new Christian name of Rory.” He looked back at Haakon.

“New name?” Haakon scowled.

Kenna was pretty certain he wouldn’t go along with that plan. It was the disregard in his eyes and the quiet huff in his voice that told her he’d never answer to Rory.

“Aye, and now you must submerge yourself completely and be cleansed of all other gods and all of your sins.”

Haakon didn’t hesitate. He dropped down, low, his head disappearing beneath the waves.

All around her, Noah, Hamish, Gunnar, and Orm seemed to hold their breath. The moment went on and on. He didn’t appear. The waves lifted and dropped.

Kenna looked out at the water, wondering if he’d pop up somewhere else.

But he didn’t. After what felt like the longest time, he burst upward, shaking his head and flicking his hair from his face. He blew out a cloud of breath, which was instantly taken on the northerly wind.

“Amen, amen,” Olaf called. “I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit, and on this day, Haakon Rhalson, you are born again as a Christian, as Rory, and we welcome you to our fold.”

“What in the name of Thor is going on?”

Astrid’s voice came from a few feet behind Kenna. She turned.

“What is going on?” Astrid asked again, storming to the sea edge and pointing at Haakon.

“Your brother is now a fellow Christian,” Noah said. “The baptism has been performed.”

“What? No, he isn’t.” Astrid’s eyes were wide and her arms lifted high. “He is a loyal follower of the All Father and Thor and Freya. He understands how we wait for Ragnarok, how we must appease our gods with gifts and sacrifice and—”

“It cannot be undone,” Olaf said. “And I don’t believe he wants it to be.”

Haakon strode from the water, his flesh shining and the waves breaking around him.

Kenna swallowed the strange taste of anticipation, hating that a part of her admired Haakon’s obvious strength and virility. There was no man in the village to match him, not even Bryce or Hamish—though she was sure both men would object to that considerably.

“You bloody idiot!” Astrid stomped up to him, finger wagging. “What have you done?”

“I have done what my bride desires.” He grinned. “I’ve been baptized.”

“You have become a Christian. You have turned your back on the gods. You have invoked the anger of all the gods. Odin will never forgive you. You will pay for this. Their fury will know no bounds, crazy brother of mine.” She twisted her finger by her ear. “You have been addled by desire. Fooled by a pretty face. You are so fucking weak and stupid—”

He reached out and snatched her wrist, his smile dropping. “Do not speak of me that way, for it is I who is leader here. It is I who has found us new lands, a new home. Show some respect.”

“The way you respect Thor, Odin, and Freya?” She snorted. “You have brought shame upon our family.” She withdrew from his grip. “You are no brother of mine.”

Haakon’s heavy eyebrows pulled low. “Astrid.”

She let out a strangled squeal and stomped over the sand, only to be quickly swallowed by the forest.

Haakon pushed his wet hair back from his forehead. Streams of seawater trickled down his torso to his legs and his matted body hair held sparkling droplets. A lick of seaweed clung to his right calf muscle.

“Your clothes,” Hamish said, holding out Haakon’s pants. “Cover up, for God’s sake.”