Black Dog: A Christmas Story (Knights of Black Swan Book 13) Read online

  Ram blinked a few times. “Has been a while, but does no’ mean I can no’ do it.”

  “Okay. But I know I can do it.”

  “Helm, I’m proud as can be that you’re offerin’, but ‘tis black as pitch out tonight. A lot can happen goin’ cross country in the dark.”

  “I’ll turn on my 360.”

  Ram knew he could do it himself if he had to, but something made him hesitate to say no to Helm. Perhaps the idea that the kid who might be King of Ireland needed to prove that he was worthy of that to himself.

  Ram drew in a deep breath. “If I call, you pick up.” Helm nodded solemnly. “If you find him, we’ll come to you.”

  “Aye. Where’d you see him last?”

  Storm and Ram walked Helm and Dol to the gate where Blackie broke out. Ram watched Helm’s eyes go to the dog lying in the cage, but Helm said nothing. He showed the blanket to Dol, handed it off to his father and said, “Later.”

  Dol took off quickly, as he had at the farm, moving with nose to the ground.

  The darkness swallowed the forms of Helm and Dol within seconds, but Storm and Ram continued to look after them.

  “You made the right call,” Storm said.

  “Think Elora is goin’ to agree with you?”

  Storm laughed. “Not in a hundred years.”

  “Aye. ‘Tis what I think as well.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  The first time Helm stumbled and fell over rocks, he was rethinking the notion that there was romance in being the hero. The twentieth time, he was sure he was an idiot.

  Dol never stopped moving. Time and again they came to barriers that they could have climbed or jumped, but Dol followed Blackie’s path. And Helm was with Dol. No matter what.

  “Blackie. Where are ye?” he said to the night. The best thing he could think of to say about the mission he’d volunteered for was that the slow, but steady jog was keeping him warm.

  Right up until Dol stopped at the water’s edge of the River Foyle. It was fifty feet of rushing water and would have taken an epic effort for Blackie to swim across with his injury. Dolmen seemed to be claiming that’s what happened.

  “You have got to be kiddin’ me!” Helm said to himself, wishing that he’d let his da, the bona fide hero do his job. He thought about calling his da and changing places. A nice warm luxury vehicle instead of a cold, wet river. He entertained that thought for a few seconds. He knew his father would change places with him without saying a word. But he also knew his father would look at him like what he’d be. A quitter.

  He looked down at Dolmen. They could find a bridge, but would lose the trail in doing so. “This is no’ goin’ to be fun. But if Blackie did it, we can do it.”

  Helm gripped the leash tightly and started into the river. He had to clench his teeth together to keep from yelling out at the bite of the freezing water.

  Elora finally called. When Ram picked up she said, “Rammel. What’s going on?”

  “He’s alive, Elora. We have a lead and we’re chasin’ it down. Go on to bed. I’ll wake you when I have him.”

  “Okay.”

  They both knew she wouldn’t go to bed.

  “You should teach workshops on partial truths,” Storm said.

  “I may be teachin’ workshops on sleepin’ in the kennel.”

  Storm silently agreed.

  Rammel had his phone plugged into the charger and was watching Helm’s progress on the display. It was the furthest thing from a straight line. It was a zigzag course that doubled the distance.

  “He’s swimmin’ across the river, Stormy.”

  Storm thought Ram’s voice sounded a little raspy. If it was his child, he knew he’d feel the same way.

  Blackie’s wound continually protested against going any further. His body said lie down, curl into a ball, heal yourself. But he ignored it and continued the gait that could only be called a limping jog. He skirted the edge of Lough Foyle until it curved northward away from his trajectory. So he took another drink while he could and pointed his nose toward home.

  It was three in the morning when Helm and Dol reached the lough’s edge.

  Helm was amazed that Blackie had come so far so fast with the injury Ram and Storm had described. His admiration for Blackie was growing with each passing hour, each new bruise, and each temptation to feel sorry for himself.

  Just before sunrise, Elora made herself a hot cocoa and poured it into a thermos cup. She pulled on her boots, coat, hat, scarf and gloves, took the cocoa, and quietly shut the mudroom door so as not to wake Helm and the twins.

  She’d been inside for too long and needed to get outdoors for a walk along the lane. Maybe it would clear her head. Maybe it was time to confront facing life without Blackie. At that point she could no longer deny the possibility that she might never see him again. She wiped at a tear and took a sip of hot heavenly liquid.

  By the time she reached the lane the sky was turning gray. She turned left and began a slow stroll. A new dusting of snow had covered all sign of human activity. It was Sunday so there were no tire tracks. No footprints. It was entirely too pretty for her dark thoughts.

  When she reached the curve of the lane she kept going, thinking the fresh air could only do her good. And stopped when she rounded the curve. There was something. Dark. Canine. A quarter of a mile away.

  Elora opened her mouth to say, “Blackie”, but again his name froze in her throat as it had when she’d feared he was lost. Tears instantly began streaming down her face. She threw the thermos down and began running, being able to tell instantly when Blackie saw her because his pitiful pace picked up and he began hobbling faster, ears lying in a show of both deference and happiness.

  Without regard for someone witnessing her capability for speed, she rushed toward him throwing her gloves aside. Her horror at the sight of his wound warred with the joy she felt at feeling his fur between her fingers.

  “Blackie,” she finally managed to say. “I was so scared.” She laid her cheek next to his back and that was when she saw something unbelievable.

  Helm, who was supposedly upstairs sleeping in his bed, and Dolmen, who was supposedly sleeping in his kennel, were walking toward them looking like they’d been at war.

  “Helm?” Elora rose to her feet.

  “He’s here,” Helm said with a voice so hoarse it didn’t rise above a whisper.

  “Gods, Helm. What…?” Elora was torn between staying with her injured dog and going to see to her son, who looked like he was barely standing upright.

  The Tesla pulled up. Ram didn’t spare Elora or Blackie a glance. He went straight to Helm and took him into an embrace that warmed Helm’s heart and soul, if not his body, and said, “There are no words to say how proud I am to say you’re mine.”

  ~~

  Links to all Victoria’s books can be found here…

  www.VictoriaDanann.com

  THE KNIGHTS OF BLACK SWAN

  Knights of Black Swan 1. My Familiar Stranger

  Knights of Black Swan 2. The Witch’s Dream

  Knights of Black Swan 3. A Summoner’s Tale

  Knights of Black Swan 4. Moonlight

  Knights of Black Swan 5. Gathering Storm

  Knights of Black Swan 6. A Tale of Two Kingdoms

  Knights of Black Swan 7. Solomon’s Sieve

  Knights of Black Swan 8. Vampire Hunter

  Knights of Black Swan 9. Journey Man

  Knights of Black Swan 10. Falcon

  Knights of Black Swan 11. Jax

  Knights of Black Swan 12. Deliverance

  Knights of Black Swan 13. Black Dog

  Order of the Black Swan D.I.T.

  D.I.T. 1, Simon Says

  D.I.T. 2, Finngarick

  D.I.T. 3, Irish War Cry

  Order of the Black Swan Novels

  Black Swan Novel, Prince of Demons

  THE HYBRIDS

  Exiled 1. CARNAL

  Exiled 2. CRAVE

  Exiled 3. CHARMING


  THE WEREWOLVES

  Hotblooded 1. Stalk

  New Scotia Pack 1, Shield Wolf

  New Scotia Pack 2. Wolf Lover

  New Scotia Pack 3. Fire Wolf

  WITCHES

  Witches of Wimberley 1. Willem

  Witches of Wimberley 2. Witch Wants Forever

  Witches of Wimberley 3. Wednesday

  CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

  SSMC Austin, TX, Book 1. Two Princes

  SSMC Austin, TX, Book 2. The Biker’s Brother

  SSMC Austin, TX, Book 3. Nomad

  SSMC Austin, TX, Book 4. Devil’s Marker

  SSMC Austin, TX, Book 5. Roadhouse

  I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading Black Dog.

  Reviews are enormously helpful to me. Please take the time to follow a link back to the book you’ve just read and post your thoughts. A few words are often as powerful as many.

  Victoria Danann.com NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

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