Bonnie's sorcery led her from the sacrificial feast. It drew her back towards the forest. Through the dark woods into its depths. Though pitched in dark, she could see fine. Everything which filled her field of vision showed in high definition. Even the leaves in the trees revealed their unique characteristics. The pounding beat of every supernatural life in the world flowed through her. In that moment she felt connected to all the super nature aspects under her dominion. Especially the mystical energy which now beckoned to her, seducing and ordering each step she took.

After a several minute track she found a tiny hunting cabin nestled in a small clearing hidden from view by a canopy of trees and overbrush. The place appeared dark, abandoned even. Yet, her magic and the sorcery within propelled her forward. She was no better than a pile of scrap metal caught in the crosshairs of a super magnet. Halfway to the entrance of the cabin, the door swung open, and Ragnar stepped out. A mask of confusion adorned his handsome face.

"Bonnie?" He held a fat lamp in one hand and a battle ax in the other. His gaze darted from her and about the clearing. "Why are you here?"

She closed the distance between them. "Is it still your mind to become my eternal mate?"

"Of course," he said, running an assessing stare over every inch of her face.

"Then step aside so we can get this done." She pushed pass him into the cabin. The inside was bare save a bed, large bathing barrel, wooden table and a couple of chairs. A fire burned within the hearth. "I'll be sailing for the Mediterranean tomorrow. It's either now or never."

Ragnar stepped inside and allowed the door to close behind him. He placed the battle ax next to the wall by the entrance, and then move to put the fat lamp on the table. "What must I do?"

"Nothing more than bleed for me. It's the easy part." She walked over to the bed, kicking her shoes off and unzipping her dress as she went. Craning her neck, she peered at him over her shoulder. "It is I who must die for you, so you may live an eternity for me."

He approached her and helped her out of her dress. Once she stood in only a white lace thong, she turned to face him. His gaze traveled down the length of her bared frame. His breath caught. She raised her palm. The ceremonial dagger appeared in the flat of her hand. Shock drove him to take a step back.

"Bleed for me, Ragnar," she said, offering the blade to him.

He took the dagger from her and slit his wrist without hesitation. Red fluid gushed from the slit. Bonnie brought his wrist to her mouth. Her eyes rolled closed as the lifeblood of a demigod slid down her throat. The power in his veins knocked her mind back to a time and place long forgotten.

****

Bonnie hit a cold hard surface which felt to be packed tight with crushed ice. Fuck it was cold. Icy winds whipped around her. Disoriented from jumping to yet another world, she could only pray to the goddess of all that this world belonged to her. She pulled herself in an upright position and glanced around. Did Damon have to go through this too? Releasing an unsteady breath, she opened her eyes. The ascendant lay on the snow covered ground next to her, broken in a million pieces. Tears welled in her eyes This couldn't be it for her.

Hurriedly, she reassembled the ascendant. Once complete she rose and glanced her surroundings. All she saw was mountains, snow caps, and cliffs for days. There's no way this could be her world. Why the hell would the ascendant drop her in the middle of Antarctica if it were? She released her sorcery to sense for any familiarity. A mystical energy that could rival her own greeted her. Her heart slammed against her chest. Shit! Another prison world to hold nature's most powerful and hated. She'd better get the hell out of there before whatever was trapped there found her.

Lifting the device, she crank the lever. Nothing happened. She attempted to do it again and received the same results. Oh holy hell! Now what? Either she'd freeze her ass off or she'd have to go toe to toe with another juiced up whacked out supernatural in a prison world cage match. She gathered her back pack, and then stuffed the ascendant inside. After picking a random direction, she began to walk.

Several minutes into her trek she lost feeling in her fingers, toes and the tip of her nose. She knew none of those things were a good sign and if she wanted to thoroughly add to the how fucked is Bonnie Bennett pile, it would soon be dark. Her embrace around herself tightened. She'd have to look for shelter soon, but where?

A blast of potent mystical energy slithered about her and stole her attention. The sorcery felt earnest, beguiling and adoring all at the same time. She didn't sense any malice or ill will toward her or any other. Slowly, but timidly, she allowed the energy to lead her to the source. Almost an hour later, she found a man to beautiful to be real sitting in front of a small cabin skinning a rabbit. He looked to be either nineteen or twenty. Long dirty blonde hair fell a little passed his shoulders. When he looked up at her she stumbled to a stop. He had the most iridescent blue eyes she'd ever seen. His eyes were even bluer than Damon's.

"I-I'm s-sorry to b-bother you b-but I t-think I'm lost," she manage to say between the chattering of her teeth. "I-I'm B-Bonnie."

She eyed the fire burning in front of the man. The flaming tongues that licked the icy chill of the wind appeared so inviting. All she wanted was to place her palms next to the blaze. To warm herself for just a minute. The man stood with the knife still in his grip. His hands stained bloody red. He nodded his head towards the fire. She hoped he meant to tell her to go warm herself, because that's how she decided to take the gesture. When she knelt next to the fire heat seeped into her fingers. Warmth circulated throughout her hands.

"I'm Ragnar Lothbrok," The man walked over to stare at her from the other side of the fire.

****

Bonnie tore her mouth away from his wrist. Somehow she knew the vision she'd seen had to be a suppressed memory. Her gaze captured Ragnar and held, "We've met before."

"We've loved before," Ragnar said, eyeing Bonnie as she healed his wound.

She turned his words over in her mind, but they just wouldn't compute. "We've loved...you and I?"

"Fiercely so," Ragnar assured, while staring down at her with metallic blue irises that bothered her soul.

Something deep, warm, and familiar shifted in her chest. His words resonated with truth, yet she had no recollection of his claim. No memories to support the heaviness in her chest or the burden of the loss she sensed.

She placed the blade to her throat. "Ragnar Lothbrok, I give my throat to signify, I not only embrace you as my eternal mate, but I also respect you as my equal and other half. I give my life this eve, so we may live as one eternally."

"Then let it be done?" He cradled her face in his hands as he gazed into her eyes.

Instinct provoked her to nuzzle his palm with her cheek. "It won't become official until you renounce Valhalla at the time of your fated death in favor of an eternal life with me. Your declaration will form an eternity knot between us. This will make our bond unbreakable, irreversible."

"I'm ready...are you?" He questioned, his lips barely grazing hers.

"Yes." Her gaze wavered between his mouth and his eyes. "You must drink from me until my last breath and remain with me until my resurrection. Those two instructions are the most important things to remember. Do you understand?"

He pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was sweet and gentle. "I understand, my Treasured."

Bonnie nodded once, before she slid the blade through her carotid. The blade slipped from her hands as her knees weakened. Ragnar lifted her into his arms bridal style, and then latched on to the gaping wound at her neck. Her vision tunneled as the sensation of floating overtook her.

****

"It's too many of them!" Bonnie yelled over the battle cries, and the clang of swords. "She's hollowed them all, I can't reach them!"

Ragnar hurled an ax at another soulless. The blade made its mark dead center of his breasts. The void one crumpled. Sooty blue black smoke gushed from his eyes, nostrils, and mouth, cloaking the already darkened battlefield in more obscurity. He watched Bonnie place her hand to the chest of another soulless attempting to cleanse him, but the gesture was in vain. Nothing more dwelled within, he'd already been hollowed. Bonnie's face crumpled. With slumped shoulders, she plunged her fist into the void's rib cage, and snatched out his heart. Mystical energy exploded from her palm and incinerated the blackened organ. The soulless' body collapsed at her feet.

"Treasured, come! We have to leave this place." He cut down another body in an attempt to close the distance between them. "We've been betrayed and led here for a purpose."

"Father, why so paranoid?" Ivar appeared with Inadu at his side. A black satchel dangled from his grip. "My mate and I only want to talk. We thought you and the Inferior One would be ready to negotiate your surrender. Here, I even have an offering of peace to soothe the discomfort of defeat." He tossed the bag at Bonnie's feet.

"It's not much, but we thought you'd enjoy it," the hollow bitch at his side stated.

Bonnie's sorcery seeped from her, lifted the bag and turned it upside down. A human head hit the ground. One good look at the face, nearly tore his heart from his chest.

Bonnie dropped to her knees to cradle the severed head in her lap. "Sigurd?" Sobs shook her frame as she crouched over the head and wept.

Odin appeared with his legion of void Valhalla warriors. He bowed to Ivar and his hollowed mate, before standing to attention awaiting orders. Ivar lifted a dismissive hand. "Take her, while I have words with my father. Oh and tell my brothers to prepare the eternal flames of Helheim. My father will be visiting them indefinitely."

Low raspy laughter floated to them from Bonnie's position on the ground. Gradually, the hoarse chuckle swelled in volume until it echoed throughout the mountains. Ivar's eyes narrowed as Inadu glanced to him for reassurance. Odin stomped over to her and tried to grab her by the arm. Soon as his hand connected with her flesh his entire extremity and appendage turned soot black. Laughing harder, she pursed her lips and blew on it. The entire blackened arm disintegrated and scattered like dust on the wind.

The former All-Father began to scream when his entire body slowly began to change into the same coal black as his arm. Bonnie only laughed harder. She stood and when her eyes opened they was no longer green but solid black, including the parts which should've been white.

"Bonnie?" He questioned taking a step toward her.

She looked to him and shook her head. Her expression one of great sorrow. "We've lost, my love. So have humans and supernaturals alike. Now it's time for the contingent strategy."

"Contingent strategy?" Ivar scoffed.

"What is this?" Inadu demanded.

Bonnie released another skin crawling laugh. "The end." Ivar and Inadu glanced at each other. "Did you really think the Goddess of all creation would allow you to win? Of course the deck is stacked! She'd rather pull the plug than see you ruin what she loves most."

Dark foreign energy began to seep from her pores before Bonnie's eyes bulged from their sockets. Bright brilliant red and gold fluid gurgled from her mouth. Her spine and lungs exploded from her back. She'd been blood-eagled without the benefit of a blade. A dark haired man appeared before her with the cold indifferent eyes of the soulless.

Bonnie reached up to palm his cheek. Her lips curled in a smile to reveal her blood stained teeth. "Guthrum..." she uttered before she collapsed.

****

"Now you see what will happen if you betray fate by consummating a mate bond with our Supreme," A voice said from behind him.

Ragnar turned. Everyone on the battlefield including Bonnie's body disappeared. The mountains, cliffs, and canyons appeared undisturbed. Dare he even think...peaceful? A woman who bore a slight likeness to Bonnie shimmered into existence a few paces from him.

Ragnar glared at the woman who had begun to pace circles around him. "Is this some sort of trickery? What have you done with my mate?"

"Goddess, save us all if you're ever able to legitimately utilize that title," the woman said, on the heels of an over done sigh. "Have you not been paying attention? I swear you're about as clever as your dolt of a forefather."

"Who are you?" He questioned the strange woman who'd halted her pace in front of him.

"It doesn't matter, what does matter is you need to back off and allow destiny to play out between Bonnie and Ivar. You've seen for yourself what will become of us all if you continue on this path," the woman resumed her pace. "You choosing your own happiness over the fate of the world will bring nothing more than death and catastrophe. And please don't ask me how I know, because neither you nor I have that kind of time."

"Together we can win," he insisted, turning to keep track of the woman.

"No, as I've said before," she shook her head. The movement slow and deliberate. "You'll lose because you've decided to be together. Jeez, you're not bright at all are you?" Once again, she halted her pace to capture his gaze with hers. "Look, when you decided to pass along some of your energy by siring babes with the shieldmaiden, you forfeited your place at Bonnie's side. Be a man, deal with it!"

"That's what I'm doing. I'm putting to rights what once before went wrong," he said.

"Wrong again!" The woman once again shook her head. "You're screwing up what we've long since set to rights. We even managed to make our correction a win-win for everyone. You wanted sons and we needed a stronger magical line than your shieldmaiden could provide. So we made the stars align, placed a young powerful witch in your path and boom! You have sons and we have your replacement. As I said, win-win."

The woman's confession painted Ragnar's entire sightline scarlet red. "You sent Aslaug to bewitch me?"

"Whoa! You just slow your row there, Viking! We may have invited you to the party, but you're the one who was twerking on the tables," The woman said, jabbing a finger in his face. "It's just like a man to blame his lack of discipline and shortcomings on a woman rather than checking the sorry ass degenerate in the mirror."

"You squander your time here, Witch. I'll not give her up. Not for you, fate, the All-Father or anyone else who has a mind to keep her from me," he said, growing tired of her condescension and incessant words.

"Hmm," Her gaze narrowed. "Ayanna was right, you really are too stupid to breathe. Noted!"

****

Bonnie awoke in a snug embrace. Her cheek rested upon a solid chest, while a rhythmic beat serenaded her to consciousness. A grin teased the corners of her mouth as she burrowed deeper into the chorded arms which held her tight.

"I'm unsure I'll be able to release you when time comes for us to part," Ragnar whispered into her hair.

She kissed his pec. "Well, I'm sure I don't want you to let me go when the time comes. I just wanna lay here with you, all day doing absolutely nothing." He flipped her over and she released a low grunt as she landed on her back.. "Or maybe not absolutely nothing. What time is it?"

"The moon still lingers high in the heavens," he whispered next to her ear.

Amusement danced within his incandescent stare as his head dipped to place teasing kisses on her neck, and then her breasts. The tip of his tongue traced sloppy wet circles around her nipple as he used his fingers to twist the other. Her eyes crossed. How'd he know that drove her bananas?

"Will you allow me to have you without halting me this time?" He began kissing his way down her stomach.

"Yes," she whispered, while palming the back of his head, "but you should know I'm technically a virgin."

"What?" This slammed brakes on his descent. "How's that possible? We've coupled before, many times. There's not one entrance or...other on your body I haven't entered."

Her brow cocked. "Other?"

The door to the cabin burst open and Sigurd marched in wearing a take no shit expression. "Rise and redress. We have to make it back to Kattegat before they begin searching the woods and discover you here with him." Sigurd snatched her dress off the floor, and then tossed it to her.

"Leave," Ragnar said, attempting to shield her naked body from Sigurd.

Swatting away Ragnar's attempts at preserving her honor, she climbed out of bed. "What's happened?"

"It appears the amount of mystical energy you expelled while receiving offerings captured the attention of the gods," Sigurd said, as he helped her step into her dress. "They're waiting back at the harbor, and I doubt they'll seek their leave without being received by you first."

"They're not gods," Ragnar said, climbing from the bed to dress.

"To the people of Kattegat they might as well be," Bonnie said, turning so Sigurd could zip her up. "Was Odin among them?" She was dying to know the identity of the immortal who possibly held the keys to her victory against the Hollow.

"No, only Thor, Loki, Frigg, and Freyja," Sigurd answered with an air of nonchalance.

She craned her neck to smirk at him over her shoulder. "Only?"

"Yes, I'll abandon the use of only when I meet one who's higher than you," Sigurd smacked her on the bottom, before kneeling to help her into the ballerina flats. Once fully dressed she turned to Ragnar who'd just tugged on his pants. "Maybe you should stay here. People shouldn't see us together until the bond is complete."

"They won't, I'm going to watch from a distance," he pulled her into his arms and rested his forehead on hers. "This may be the last time we see each other for a few moons. So, raid well, have a care for yourself and please find your way back to me."

She reached up to cradle his face in her hands. "You do the same, Ragnar. Remember what I told you and take care of Ivar. He means everything..." Her words ran out as she realized Ivar would soon become the best thing that never happened to her. "Please, just watch over him for me."

Ragnar searched her face for a moment, and then nodded. She gave him a smile conceived from a dalliance between relief and gratitude. After pressing a lingering kiss to his lips she turned and followed Sigurd out.

Sigurd and Bonnie trek through the forest for several minutes in silence. When the torch lights of Kattegat came into view her Enforcer/Confessor unburdened his troubled mind.

"When next you decide to die will you think to warn me before doing so?" The tension in Sigurd's voice took her by surprise.

She gave him a sideways glance. The muscles in his face appeared locked and incapable of even the straightforward emotion. "Did my dying affect you?"