Legacy of the Runes

Book 0: Runes

by Christina Courtenay

Genres: Romantic Fantasy; Action & Adventure; Viking Romance

Synopsis

Brimming with romance, adventure and vivid historical detail, Christina Courtenay does for the Vikings what Diana Gabaldon's Outlander and Clanlands does for Scottish history. Pre-order the epic conclusion to The Runes series now!

Inscribed Viking axe head. Good condition. Probably late 9th century. This was it, his passport to the past.

Storm Berger has never forgiven himself for his younger sister Madison's disappearance. Suspecting she's travelled back to the ninth century in the footsteps of other family members, Storm can only make sure she's safe by going after her.

Raised unconventionally as her father's only child, Freydis has never been content to simply accept her fate. So, when she's promised in marriage to a tyrant, she's determined to find a way out of the arrangement. Help comes in the form of a mysterious and attractive stranger stranded on her island's shores: Storm.

The only way Freydis can truly be free is for Storm to marry her himself. But that would mean entwining lives that, until now, have been separated by centuries. . .

Just some of the rich praise for Christina Courtenay's novels:

'An absorbing story, fast-paced and vividly imagined' PAMELA HARTSHORNE

'Prepare to be swept along in this treasure of an adventure!' KATE RYDER

'Whenever I need a break from the Twenty-First Century, I read one of Christina Courtenay's novels. She transports me effortlessly to a different time, where I feel I'm experiencing life in Viking settlements' SUE MOORCROFT

'I've been looking forward to this book . . . and it far exceeded my hopes and expectations. Romantic, fascinating and gripping, it's one of my favourites of the series' NICOLA CORNICK

Release date: August 15, 2024

Publisher: Headline

Print pages: 368

Sample

‘Why do I have to go? I don’t want to leave!’

Freydis Úlfsdóttir stared at her mother, Dagrun, while trying desperately to hold her tears at bay. Her father had taught her to be strong and never cry. Having seen ten winters, she was old enough to use her emotions to fuel her actions instead. But it was so much harder to follow his advice when he was no longer there to support and encourage her. How was she supposed to cope without him?

‘I told you why.’ Dagrun sighed impatiently and propelled her daughter towards the ship that waited by the small jetty. ‘My new husband doesn’t want to look at a reminder of my previous marriage every day. This is his domain now. I’m sending your portion with you to be used as a dowry eventually. You have no further claim, you know that.’

‘I never wish to marry! Father taught me to fight. Why can’t I stay here and do that? You can keep the dowry.’

‘Ridiculous! You are a girl and should behave as one. I don’t know what he was thinking, filling your head with such nonsense,’ Dagrun grumbled, huffing slightly from the effort of having to push her recalcitrant child along the path. ‘It’s all very well being able to defend yourself if necessary, but you’ll never be a warrior. Your place will be at home, looking after your future husband’s household and your children.’

‘But—’

‘Enough, child! You cannot stay here. Bjarni is not a patient man and I fear he might do you harm. He has a temper on him, have you not noticed? With you out of the way, I can concentrate on soothing him as a wife ought. Otherwise he might turn on me as well. Is that what you want?’

Her new stepfather had always seemed even-tempered to Freydis, although he’d thrashed her once for not doing as she was told. She didn’t blame him for that, though, as she had brought it on herself by disobeying. And she had never seen him raise his hand to her mother, but perhaps it was only a question of time. If it kept Dagrun safe, could she really refuse to do this? Her father would have wanted her to protect her mother as much as possible. It was her duty.

‘Very well.’ She swallowed down the misery.

‘You should think yourself fortunate that my cousin is willing to take you in and raise you as his own,’ Dagrun continued. ‘Be grateful. Assur is a good man. If you’re obedient and work hard, you’ll thrive. Mind your manners and listen to your elders.’

‘I will, but when can I come back?’

This farm near a small fjord was her home. The place where she had grown up and spent her happiest moments with a father who had treated her like the son he’d never had, teaching her to fight, hunt, fish and look after their domains. They’d done everything together from as far back as she could remember. She had thought she would inherit the farm and live here with a husband her father would choose for her. Now it all belonged to Bjarni through his marriage to Dagrun.

‘I don’t know. I will send word when it is safe. Now go, Freydis. My cousin’s kinsman is waiting.’

They had reached the end of the jetty, where a big bear of a man stood. Wild, unkempt red hair and a huge beard made him look fearsome, but he bent to greet her with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. That put her at ease somewhat.

‘Greetings, little one. I am Joalf, and I will have the pleasure of escorting you to the Orkneyjar. Come on board, do.’

Freydis jumped over the gunwale easily and sat down on her chest of belongings, which must have been loaded earlier. She knew it was hers because it had her name carved in runes on the lid. Reading and writing was yet another skill her father had taught her, and she was proud of her proficiency. She also knew how to count and haggle for goods to best advantage. Perhaps one day this would come in useful.

She lifted a hand to wave at her mother, schooling her features into an expression of calm acceptance, directly at odds with how she was feeling. ‘Farewell, Mother.’

Dagrun nodded. ‘May the gods go with you.’ Then she turned and walked up the path without waiting for the ship to cast off.

Freydis swallowed hard several times, but turned her head away so that no one would see. It hurt that her mother could dismiss her so easily, but they had never been close. Dagrun had despaired of her unwillingness to learn female tasks, and had often bemoaned the fact that she was allowed to run wild. It was something her parents had never seen eye to eye on, but now it was a moot point.

Her hands were shaking and she buried them in the folds of the smokkr her mother had forced her to wear. Underneath, she had on the tunic and trousers she was usually dressed in, which were more practical. As soon as the ship had moved out of sight of the settlement, she pulled the overdress off. She glanced defiantly at Joalf as she began to fold it, then stood up to place it in her kist.

‘You have something against women’s garments?’ the big man asked mildly, one eyebrow quirking up. He looked amused rather than annoyed.

‘Yes. My father raised me to be a fighter, not a girl. I cannot do that in skirts.’

Joalf nodded. ‘Fair enough.’

With those two words, Freydis knew she had found a friend. Perhaps life with her mother’s cousin would not be so bad after all. She would bide her time until she could return. Hopefully that would not be too long.



Storm Berger smiled and snaked a hand round the waist of the pretty girl who had just plonked herself down on his lap. He was in an Irish pub with some new friends he’d met during the ongoing Clontarf Viking Festival, held in St Anne’s Park every year. They’d all taken part as re-enactors, showing off their skills fighting with Viking weapons during carefully staged mock battles. Now it was time to relax, and he was pleasantly buzzed from the strong ale he’d consumed. There was music, laughter and loud voices. The tang of beer and bar food hung in the air, and everyone was having a good time. The girl, whose name he couldn’t recall right now, turned to wind her arms around his neck and gave him a sultry glance, then a kiss. She leaned back slightly to look at him, as if gauging his reaction, then smiled when he grinned at her.

Shona. Could that be right? Yes, he thought that was probably her name. They’d been introduced earlier, but he couldn’t quite remember. He was about to show her what a real kiss with him would feel like when his mobile vibrated in his pocket. As she was currently sitting on top of it, Shona must have felt it too. She raised her eyebrows at him.

‘Do you need to get that?’ Her Irish lilt was incredibly alluring, and he almost asked her to repeat her question just so he could listen to her talk. But talking wasn’t what either of them had in mind right now, and he shook his head.

‘No, it can wait.’

He’d pulled her closer and pressed his mouth to hers, about to dive in properly, when the phone vibrated again. Swearing under his breath, he sighed and made a face. ‘Sorry, I guess I’d better check in case it’s an emergency.’

‘Sure and I’ll wait for you.’

Obligingly she lifted her bottom so he could reach his pocket. The caller ID said Mum, so Storm hit reply. ‘Hello?’

‘There you are! Is Maddie with you?’ His mother’s voice sounded high-pitched and frantic, and his heart gave an uncomfortable flip.

‘No. She’s at the hotel. Why?’ He knew he sounded defensive. His sister, who at nineteen was younger than him by just over a year, had wanted to come with him this evening, but he’d told her he would take her another time. It was a bit lame, dragging your little sis along on a pub crawl with your new mates. She was socially awkward and he would have had to spend the evening keeping an eye on her. Usually he didn’t mind, but tonight he’d just needed to let loose without having to worry about her. It still made him feel guilty.

‘She’s not here. Your dad and I just got back, and when she wasn’t in her room, we asked the receptionist. Apparently she went out ages ago and hasn’t come back. She’s not answering her phone either. I was hoping she was with you.’

A feeling of dread began to build inside Storm’s chest, and he stood up, gently pushing Shona off his lap. He mouthed ‘sorry’ at her, then strode through the pub and outside the door, where he could hear his mother better.

‘I’m sure she’s just gone for a walk or something. She’ll be back soon.’

‘Storm, it’s after midnight! And as far as we’re aware, she doesn’t know anyone in Dublin. She should have been back ages ago.’

He tried to breathe slowly to stop the rising panic. His mother was right – this wasn’t like Maddie. Damn it all! Why couldn’t she have stayed put? Normally she’d be happy to just read a book or something. And he’d promised to take her out some other time. Surely she didn’t expect to hang out with him every night? But she had been annoyed with him for ditching her, he could tell. Was this her way of taking revenge?

She had been his responsibility while his parents attended some fancy dinner for archaeologists. He should have made sure she was safe. That she didn’t do anything stupid. Now he felt like a complete shit, but at the same time supremely irritated to have his fun ruined. If Maddie had done this deliberately, he was going to give her hell.

‘Hang on. I’ll come back and help you look. Let me just tell my friends I’m leaving.’

The evening was spoiled now in any case, so he might as well head off. He went in search of his new friends and told them something had come up and he had to leave. He promised to keep in touch. Shona sent him a confused look, hurt evident in her eyes, but he didn’t have time to deal with her. It wasn’t like he’d promised her anything anyway. He wasn’t in the market for a girlfriend, just a good time. Clearly that wouldn’t be happening tonight.

Their hotel wasn’t too far, and he was there in minutes. He and his dad, Haakon, spent the rest of the night searching for Maddie, but she was nowhere to be found. There was no trace of her or her mobile, which went to voicemail every time they tried calling. She had taken nothing but the clothes she’d been wearing – a Viking outfit she’d brought especially for the festival – and whatever was in the pouch hanging on her belt. As she had spent the day telling fortunes by casting the runes, she must have had those with her, but they wouldn’t be much use in an emergency.

‘Where the hell can she have gone? And why would she turn off her phone? It makes no sense. She’s not that stupid.’

Storm was exhausted, both mentally and physically, from walking around for hours in the dark searching for signs of his sister. He’d accosted random strangers, showing them a recent photo of Maddie and asking if they’d seen her. They’d all shaken their heads, and each time, he’d sunk further into despair. The longer she remained absent, the more the sense of doom built inside him. He was finding it hard to breathe, his lungs squeezed ever tighter by a vice of fear. And the guilt was weighing him down, crushing in its intensity. She was so young, and still a bit naïve. She didn’t have much experience with men – if any – and could perhaps have been taken in by some smooth talker. If only Storm had let her tag along, he could have prevented anyone from taking advantage of her. Protected her from predators just by letting everyone know she was his sister.

Damn it! He shouldn’t have left her on her own.

‘I don’t know.’ Haakon was pale in the dim glow of a nearby street light. His mouth was set in a grim line. ‘Maybe her phone ran out of battery and she didn’t have enough money for a taxi? She could be walking back from somewhere, or she’s lost. Her sense of direction has never been the best.’

‘True.’ But they both knew that neither of them believed any of these theories. Storm could feel in his bones that something had happened. Something he could have prevented if only he hadn’t been so selfish.

Haakon sighed. ‘She usually tells us if she’s off somewhere, but she didn’t leave a note or a text message. Your mum has searched her room twice. There’s nothing else for it – we’ll have to report it to the authorities. We need help.’

They contacted the Garda – the Irish police – who helped with the search, but there was no sign of Maddie anywhere. It was as if she’d never existed.

After yet another long look around, helped by some of his new friends, who had called in the morning to ask why he’d left so suddenly, Storm threw himself onto his hotel bed and groaned out loud.

His sister had vanished, and it was all his fault.

Stockholm

September 2021

Storm wasn’t massively surprised to receive a phone call from his parents telling him that his foster-brother, Ivar, was gone. That he had decided to try to time-travel to the ninth century, and had just upped and left without any warning. To tell the truth, he’d been expecting it for a while. And now it seemed it had happened.

Well, good for him.

‘We found a hand-delivered note in our letter box this morning,’ his mum was saying, sounding flustered over the phone. ‘For goodness’ sake, what was he thinking?’

‘What exactly did it say?’

He’d suspected something was up, as Ivar had been acting very suspiciously, both at a recent family dinner and when Storm had visited his house the following day. He wasn’t usually cagey about anything – he was a straight-talking kind of guy – so for him to sound vague and evasive had rung alarm bells. And the bear hug he’d given Storm when he’d left had felt final somehow. Extra fierce. But Ivar didn’t answer to him, so he had chosen not to say anything. He doubted he could have swayed his brother if his mind was made up.

‘Something about wanting to meet his ancestor. Thorald? He said that even though he has us, he’s been feeling like he doesn’t have any real family. That hurts, you know? I mean, your dad and I consider him our son, although obviously we’re not actual blood relatives.’

‘I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way. He loves you.’ Storm had no doubts about that whatsoever.

Ivar had been fourteen when his father had died and Storm’s parents, Mia and Haakon, had more or less adopted him. That was the same year Storm was born, but despite the big age gap, the two of them had always been as close as real brothers. They loved each other fiercely. Recently, Ivar had lost his only remaining blood relative, and Storm could see how that would make a man stop and think.

It was understandable that Ivar would be curious. His father had owned a real Viking sword with an inscription that said it had belonged to a man named Thorald, who was apparently his direct ancestor. Strange and unbelievable as it might seem, their sister Linnea had time-travelled a few years ago, met and fallen in love with a Viking and decided to stay in the ninth century. She occasionally visited, and one time she had let slip that she’d met that particular man. Or someone called Thorald, in any case. Of course, Ivar’s ears had pricked up. Storm would have been the same in that situation. Curious and excited. He’d want to time-travel too, if he had the chance.

‘Yes, well, anyway, he’s stolen some artefact from the museum – a magical one, I assume. That’s going to be mega embarrassing for your dad. And he’s gone back in time to try and meet this ancestor.’ Mia sighed. ‘I hope he won’t get hurt!’

‘Mum, stop worrying. He’s a grown man, strong and fit, and he can handle himself. Hell, he could beat the crap out of me any day, even after all the training I’ve done. And once he’s satisfied his curiosity, he’ll be back.’ Hopefully.

And with any luck, the museum wouldn’t hold the theft against him if he returned the magical object. Not that Ivar would be telling them what it could do. He would be wise to keep that to himself. The fact that time travel existed was a secret the entire Berger family guarded closely. They didn’t want to end up as experiments in a scientist’s lab, or find themselves famous and hounded by the press. Besides, none of them were sure if it was something that worked only for them. The magical items they had found so far appeared to be specific to each person, and didn’t always function when used by others.

‘I suppose you’re right. And maybe he’ll come across Maddie somewhere,’ Mia added in a hoarse whisper.

And there it was – the guilt trip he’d been expecting any moment. Storm flinched.

It had been nearly five months, and Maddie was still missing. She hadn’t been seen or heard from since that trip to Dublin back in the spring. She had simply vanished, as if into thin air, leaving no clues to her whereabouts. Just the thought of that made Storm’s stomach muscles clench. He heard the unspoken accusation in his mother’s voice. She held him responsible, no doubt about it. Both she and his father had been careful not to say anything outright, but they’d been quiet and withdrawn, and unconsciously tense in his presence. The looks they slanted him on occasion also told him plainly that deep down they blamed him for Maddie’s disappearance. So did he, and he wasn’t likely to forgive himself until she turned up, but he forced his mind to lock that subject away for now.

‘It’s just . . . No, never mind,’ Mia continued. ‘Don’t ever become a parent is all I can say! It’s the worst job in the world. You worry no matter how old your kids are . . . Wait, your dad wants a word.’ There was a muffled noise as she handed the phone to Haakon.

‘Storm? Did Ivar say anything when you went to see him yesterday?’

‘No, he was just as he always is.’ That was a lie, but he wasn’t going to tell his parents about the hunch he’d had.

‘And he seemed calm and rational?’

‘Yes, of course. Ivar is nothing if not rational. Knowing him, he’s been planning this for months. He’s not like me. I’d go off on a whim and end up in all sorts of trouble.’ Although come to think of it, that was probably something he should try to change.

‘OK. Thanks.’ It was Haakon’s turn to sigh. ‘Nothing we can do about it. It was Ivar’s decision and he’s a grown man. Will we see you tomorrow?’

‘Yes, I’ll be home in time for dinner. Bye, Dad.’

Storm was expected in a meeting within the next five minutes, but after disconnecting the call, he stood where he was for quite a while. His mother had brought up the elephant in the room – Maddie’s possible whereabouts. He was sure they had all been thinking the same thing – that she too could have time-travelled – but no one had said it out loud before. They needed to have a serious talk about this, because it was time to do something, and soon. Ivar wasn’t the only one who needed to go on a journey. If there was the slightest chance of finding his sister in the past, Storm had to look there. The guilt he’d felt the evening she vanished had only grown bigger for each day of her absence, until it was like a festering wound. He couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t make an attempt to exhaust every avenue in searching for her. And the ninth century was the only place they hadn’t looked.

Although he was tempted to act immediately, he knew he had to be smarter than that. Planning wasn’t his forte, but he was definitely getting better at it. He’d been in the Swedish army for two years, which had curbed some of his more impulsive tendencies. And now that he was training to become an officer, he was learning to be more organised and forward-thinking. He’d be damned if he couldn’t be as methodical as his brother.

Starting tonight, he’d make a spreadsheet of what he needed to do. Everyone in his family believed him to be immature and not capable of taking anything seriously. Well, they were wrong. He’d show them he had finally grown up and would take responsibility for his actions. And he wouldn’t rest until Maddie was safely back home.

‘Have you heard anything from the Garda recently?’

Storm was sitting with his parents the following evening sharing a Chinese takeaway. Mia used to always cook for them whenever they had a meal together, but lately she hadn’t been in the mood. With only three of them there, he couldn’t blame her – the large kitchen table seemed glaringly empty.

‘No, not since they sent us that report about Maddie’s phone.’ Haakon shrugged, his expression bleak.

Her mobile had never been found, and was presumed lost, but police technicians had been able to access the phone records. The last thing Maddie had done was to Google the tidal movements of the Liffey. And the Garda had found some grainy CCTV footage showing her passing one of the bridges over the river. They’d told the family that there were steps leading to the water’s edge nearby at low tide, and tentatively suggested she might have gone down there, only to be dragged in and submerged when the water came rushing back.

‘So we know she probably went down to the river, and maybe lost her phone there,’ Storm said. ‘I don’t buy the fact that she could have drowned. For one thing, the tide didn’t turn until long into the night, by which time we were already out looking for her. And for another, if she did go into the water, her body should have been found by now.’

Mia shuddered visibly. ‘It . . . it could have been swept out to sea.’

‘Or she was attacked and abducted,’ Haakon added quietly.

‘Maddie? Never! Come on, Dad, you know she’s a black belt in karate, and she’s trained in all sorts of other martial arts. Kick-boxing, judo, taekwondo, you name it.’ Ivar had had her trying everything to stop her being bullied at school. ‘There’s no way she would have let herself be captured without a massive fight, and someone would have seen that. Besides, she does tend to stand out in a crowd.’

Maddie wasn’t just tall for a woman, but she had striking curly copper-red hair reaching almost down to her waist. It made her hard to miss.

Haakon sighed. ‘I guess you’re right.’

Storm put down his fork. ‘Look, I think we all know what happened to her – she went back in time. She must have done. Although how, I have no idea. She never mentioned having a time-travel device. Where on earth would she have found one?’

‘The festival?’ Mia toyed with her food, as if she’d lost her appetite. ‘Can you remember if anyone there was selling Viking artefacts? There could have been something old among them. You know, stolen or found by metal detectorists.’

‘Perhaps. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to go after her,’ Storm announced. ‘As soon as I’m done with the officer training, I’ll take a leave of absence.’

‘What? No! Please don’t. Anything could happen to you.’ Mia’s eyes pleaded with him, the anguish clear. ‘I . . . I can’t bear to lose you all.’ A tear formed and rolled down her cheek.

Storm leaned over and hugged her. ‘Mum, I have to. This is all my fault and I need to make it right. If I’m not too late . . .’ He didn’t want to voice the fears that plagued him nightly. That the things that could have happened to Maddie in the ninth century were potentially much worse than anything that might have occurred in the twenty-first. They all knew it, and had probably imagined it in lurid detail. ‘Look, it’s the only way, and at least you’ll know where I am. And I will do everything in my power to return as soon as possible. Besides, Linnea will come for a visit soon, I’m sure. And Ivar will probably be back before you know it too. I mean, how long does it take to find one ancestor?’ He smiled, trying to lighten the mood a little, but his attempt fell flat so he added in a more serious tone, ‘I promise I’ll be careful.’ He looked at Haakon, whose mouth was set in a grim line. ‘Dad? Back me up here.’

Haakon shook his head. ‘I don’t know, Storm. You can be a bit reckless, and . . . your mum and I would worry.’

The fact that they hadn’t noticed the changes in him since his sister’s disappearance made Storm clench his teeth together, but he refrained from pointing out that he was doing his best to act responsibly. He hadn’t done a single reckless thing since that night.

‘I’ll be fine. We can’t afford to wait any longer.’ He decided to spell it out for them to make them understand they had no choice. ‘She could be suffering somewhere. Kept as a slave. Abused.’ He saw his mother shudder. ‘I know we don’t want to acknowledge this, but we’re talking about the Viking age here. Things were different then. There was no such thing as basic human rights if you were a thrall.’ He held up a hand. ‘I’m not saying that’s what’s become of her, but if it has, I can do something about it. She’s strong, she will have survived this long no matter what, but I have to go now, before it’s too late. There might still be a trail to pick up, but if not, I’ll come straight back, I swear.’

They both looked shaken and unhappy, but finally nodded their acceptance. Storm was glad, because he’d been planning to go in any case. It was so much better to have their blessing. They had been blaming him for Maddie’s disappearance, even though they’d never tell him so to his face, and he had to make things right. He was the one who’d left her alone. It was his fault she’d been angry enough to leave the hotel on her own.

He had to be the one to go after her.

Dublin

October 2021

‘Thanks for letting me crash on your sofa for a couple of days.’ Storm slapped Cian’s shoulder and smiled at him. The guy was a Viking re-enactor, just like himself, and was one of the new friends he’d made back in April when he was in Dublin with his parents and Maddie for the Viking Festival. They’d hit it off big-time, which was one of the reasons he’d been on a pub crawl instead of hanging out with his sister when she had disappeared.

It was something he’d regretted ever since.

‘No worries, man, you’re welcome any time. We’ll go meet up with the others a bit later on, but in the meantime, you said you wanted help with something?’

Storm shrugged out of his jacket and placed his backpack on the floor next to the sofa. ‘Yes. Last time I was here, you mentioned that you guys sometimes . . . er, find real Viking artefacts on the internet?’

The Irish re-enactors had shown him a few of their weapons, and he’d been impressed and appalled in equal measure. As the son of an archaeologist and a museum curator, he knew full well that buying proper antique items on the black market was a despicable practice. Illegal, and one he definitely shouldn’t be encouraging or participating in. But he’d drawn a blank at finding a magical object for time travelling any other way, and this was his last hope. So far, the devices used by other family members had all been ancient Viking artefacts either found in a museum or dug out of the ground. Storm didn’t have access to anything like that legally, but there had to be one out there somewhere, he just knew it. If this was the only way to find it, so be it.

‘Sure, yeah. What are you after?’ Cian didn’t seem fazed at the question. He clearly saw nothing wrong in this trade, which was lucky for Storm. He’d rather not have anyone question what he was doing.

‘I don’t know exactly, but some kind of weapon maybe? That would be awesome. I’ll know it if I come across it,’ he hedged. He needed to check each and every object to see if it had an inscription of any kind. A particular sentence written in runes that acted as some kind of spell or magical formula. All the other time-travel devices had had the same words, so nothing els. . .