The Sons of Adam: The sequel of The Immortal Collection (A Saga of the Ancient Family Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

deformed being have a decent life? Wouldn't it be more merciful to end a disastrous life right there?
    I looked at the newborn and something amazing happened.
    He lifted his arms from the thick wool blanket he was wrapped in and his tiny fists grabbed hold of the index finger on both of my hands. He raised his chin, opened his eyes and stared at me. He wasn't begging me, it was almost as though he was challenging me. Gunnarr squeezed his fists with a strength that was more typical of a bear cub than a human baby. I had seen other children like him before, ambidextrous straight from the crib, although I was sure that Gunnarr would become an exceptional human being.
    That was his first act of seduction. There would be many more to come. Right then I decided that I wouldn't leave him to a certain death.
     
     
    Days later I was walking around the barn with the baby in my arms, looking to alleviate the cold of that long winter with the heat of the animals, when I heard excited voices from outside the building. I peered through the gaps in the crooked wooden posts and could make out the blue cape of the old seidkona , with its white cat skin hood. She had a small knife in her hands and my father had confronted her, almost ignoring the weapon that the midwife was blandishing in front of him.
    "For the love of all the Gods, old woman! What do you think you're doing?" Nestor bellowed, pointing to the door of the skali .
    And that's when I saw it, and my blood ran cold. The old woman had carved a verndarrum on our front door, a wheel of protection with eight axes ending in pitchforks. It was the most powerful of all the runic spells.
    The seidkona spat on the door.
    "You didn't expose him, did you?"
    "You know the answer to that, don't make me lose my patience. How dare you carve something so powerful?"
    "It's for me. To make sure that I never come across him and don't have to be close to him."
    "To the child? Are you afraid of a newborn baby?"
    "He'll be like the rest of your family. And by Odin and his one eye I know what you are. You're the Wanderers, you are the Ancient People, the Ancient Clan, the Ancient Family. I heard my grandmother talk about you people once."
    I saw the bewilderment in my father's face, but also the fear, a horror that I could not define. He went over to her and pushed her against the wall of the barn, just a few centimeters away from where Gunnarr and I were secretly listening. I held the infant to my chest. I didn't want them to find out that we'd been listening, and Gunnarr didn't look like he was planning on interrupting anything.
    "The Ancient Clan? How many years ago did you hear that? Are you sure it was us?" he whispered in her ear, with his voice distorted by rage. It was very unusual to see my father like that.
    "Who else could it be?"
    "Quiet, old woman. You're delirious," he said, letting go of her throat.               "What must I do so as you don't come back here or talk to anyone about us?"
    "Give me one of those treasures you have buried underground. Loki showed me them in my dreams."
    My father didn't say a word, and ground his teeth. I could see how hard it was for him to give in to that witch.
    "So be it, old woman. But don't ever blackmail me or my family again. This will be a one off. I will not pay for your old age with the sweat from my brow just because you have crossed my path."
    "Don't you call me old woman," she said, straightening out her hat. "I'm barely a girl next to you."
    And as she walked away, she turned and shouted:
    "The white bear will outdo you all!"
    Which is when Magnus appeared, or maybe he had also heard the whole conversation, it was difficult to tell with him.
    "Get out of here, you old superstitious hag!" he shouted, kicking her out. "Show her out, Nestor. If I see you hanging around our farm again, I will kill you. And you know as well as I do that I'm telling the truth."
    Gunnarr had that effect, from the day he was born. We all wanted to protect