by S. T. Bende
“It’s a good plan,” I admitted. “Except that our top two Elementar are currently in Vanaheim.”
“Then we’ll have to recall them,” Viggo said grimly. “Professor Bergen, where could we get our hands on the kind of crystal Finna and Jande could transmute to a dark one?”
Signy glanced at the ceiling. “The only location secure enough to house that kind of element would be the royal safe. The queen’s personal collection is in there—including gifts she received from dark-realm dignitaries in an effort to buy her favor.”
Viggo nodded grimly. “Then that’s where we’ll Bifrost our ministers of science.”
“I’m going too,” I announced. “There’s already a threat lurking around the palace—I’m not sending my friends in alone.”
“You’re our regent,” Signy reminded me. “Protocol dictates we keep you here, away from the attacks.”
“Oh, come on.” I tilted my head. “Since when have I ever followed protocol?”
“I’m with Professor Bergen,” Viggo said. “This kind of threat is unprecedented. Walking into it would be—”
“Look. I’m not going to ask my friends to put themselves in the line of danger while I’m kept safe in some bunker. I am not my grandmother. I’m not going to be the kind of ruler who sits on her butt while everyone else makes the decisions for her. I am Alfheim’s Verge Key—well, one of them, anyway. And I am its regent—again, one of them. And I am going to fight alongside my friends, whether anyone in this room is comfortable with it or not.” I stood and placed my palms flat on the table. “So, I suggest you all get on board, summon that Bifrost, and figure out how to get me inside the royal residence. Now.”
Across the table, Elin’s eyes widened in approval. Maja nodded discreetly, and Signy drew a slow breath. The room was so silent, you could have heard a pin drop.
It wasn’t until Viggo pushed his chair back and stood beside me that I knew I’d made my point.
“You heard the regent,” he said. “Get her into the royal residence.”
The room erupted in a burst of activity. Signy set about arranging the Bifrost while Elin communicated with Finna and Jande, giving them the details of their new mission and instructing them to bring whatever materials they’d need from their Vanaheim lab to transmute a dark crystal. Ondyr, Viggo, Maja and I pulled the map to one end of the table, and began plotting out a way to get into the palace. A portal had opened nearby, and since the traveler hadn’t been apprehended, its surrounding area wasn’t secure. We needed to transfer directly from the academy to the palace, a process that would require Bifrost-level magic.
“But the Bifrost is impossible to miss.” I shook my head. “There’s no way we could get in undetected if that thing lit up the sky.”
“What about älva dust?” Maja held up a small bag.
“Where did you get that?” I asked.
“My dad makes me swear to always carry some on me.” Maja sighed. “He’s so overprotective—obviously, I’ve never needed his help to take care of myself. You guys, however . . .”
“Can that stuff transport us?” Ondyr eyed the small, velvety satchel.
“It can,” Maja confirmed. “When do you want to leave?”
I drew my shoulders back and met Viggo’s steely gaze. “Now.”
Chapter 11
THE ROYAL RESIDENCE WAS eerily silent when we dusted in. I’d brought Viggo, Signy, Ondyr and Maja with me, and once we’d assessed that the parlor outside the royal vault was secure, we moved as a team to scout the first floor. Once the Bifrost arrived, it would alert our potential intruder to our whereabouts, and our plan hinged on making sure Finna and Jande got into the vault safely.
It also hinged on our not getting ourselves killed, which was why we’d weaponed up with a generous supply from the stash in the academy bunker. Our makeshift conference room had been equipped with a weapons closet that rivaled the Verge facility, and each of us was draped in swords, daggers, and, in Ondyr’s case, a menacing archery set. Nobody would be messing with us. We hoped.
“The east wing’s secure.” Ondyr’s voice came from my communicator. He and Maja had paired up to check the north and east sides of the palace.
“The west wing is too,” Viggo confirmed. He and I were responsible for the south and west sides.
“Bifrost drop site is secure.” Signy said through our coms. “Once you’ve cleared the north and south, we’ll bring them in.”
Viggo and I stealthily moved down the dark hallway, checking the empty offices and ballrooms. When we’d reached the meeting spot, he tapped on his com. “South wing’s secure.”
“And the north,” Ondyr added as he approached us. “You’re sure we don’t need to check the other floors?”
“The ground team said the perimeter wasn’t breached,” Signy’s voice answered. “And the queen’s guards have her secured in her room. I’m calling in the Bifrost. Reconvene outside the vault.”
Our coms went silent and we ran quietly toward the thick doorway at the end of the hall. We’d see Finna and Jande safely from the Bifrost to the vault, then divide up in hopes of catching whoever had opened the portal near the palace. We slipped outside, and I took my position closest to the door.
“Any minute now . . .” There was just enough moonlight to see Signy standing beside a rose bush in the castle garden.
“Incoming,” Viggo said quietly.
I glanced up just in time to see a rainbow barreling into the central courtyard. It struck the ground with a thunderous boom, sending up gale-force winds that stripped the roses of petals and whipped them around the garden. Subtle, the Bifrost was not.
Finna and Jande stumbled out of the rainbow. Each clutched an overwhelming amount of what I assumed was lab equipment. Ondyr and Viggo rushed forward to help them, while Maja and I kept watch at the door. Once we were all safely inside the castle, I led my friends to the barricaded entrance to the royal vault.
“There should be a crystal inside that can pass for a dark realm protection.” I spoke over my shoulder. “Find it, transmute it, and bring it to us.”
“To be clear, it has to pass for both a Svartalfheim and a Muspelheim stone?” Jande asked.
“Correct.” I nodded. “We don’t know who we’re dealing with, so if you can toe the line it’d help us out.”
“Those realms have similar resonances,” Finna spoke as she ran. “I’m sure we can make it work.”
“Good. The faster the better.” I positioned my eye over the scanner outside the vault. Alfheim used the same security system that Vanaheim had—a fact we intended to rectify, now that we knew specters were a thing. The scanner beeped, granting me entry, and I pulled the door open to let my friends inside. “Maja will stand guard while you work. The rest of us are going to try to track down whoever’s behind this.”
Finna turned around, worry lining her cherubic features. “Is it true the capital’s on fire?”
“Parts of it,” Signy confirmed. “But don’t trouble yourselves with that—our warriors will handle the ground threat. You two just put those brilliant minds to work.”
Jande placed his hand on Finna’s arm. “We have to go,” he said quietly.
Finna blinked back the tear that threatened to slip down her cheek. With a nod, she hurried after Jande.
“Holy mother Frigga, would you look at this place?” Jande’s voice echoed from inside the vault.
“Think you can find what we need?” I called in after him.
“If I can’t here, it doesn’t exist!” Jande yelled back.
“Maja, secure the room,” Signy instructed. “Ondyr and I will take the south perimeter, Viggo and Aura, you take the north. Let’s find our perp and bring him in.”
“On it.” Ondyr nodded. He headed for the exit at the end of the hallway, Signy close behind him.
“It’s faster for us to cut through the courtyard,” I told Viggo. “Follow me.”
“Deal.” He jogged after me, heading outside and cutting across
the sculpture garden. We were halfway through the grounds when a panicked voice rang out from behind us.
“Aura! Viggo! Wait!”
“Is that . . .” I stopped so abruptly, Viggo very nearly ran into me. I glanced over my shoulder, scanning the courtyard until I saw a woman in a white robe running awkwardly across the garden. Two massive guards trailed after her. “Is that . . .”
“Your grandmother?” Viggo’s voice echoed my shock. “What is she doing here?”
“And why is she holding a sword? No,” I corrected. “Two swords.”
“Hold on.” Viggo exhaled heavily. “Those are the Dual Swords—the magical ones crafted from the same metal as Thor’s hammer, that your great-grandparents used to defend Alfheim throughout their reign. The habrók is supposed to bring them to us when we need them most, but . . . where’s the bird?”
I narrowed my eyes. “And what’s coming for us if we need the swords?”
“There. You. Are.” Constance doubled over, gasping for breath. “I haven’t. Run. In years.”
Clearly.
“Why do you have those?” I pointed to the swords.
“The bird,” she panted. She thrust the weapons at us, and we quickly relieved her of them. When my palm wrapped around my sword’s hilt, a little zing shot up my arm. The blade glowed pale blue, then shot a spark at Viggo’s blade in the energetic high-five I’d seen only once before.
So cool.
“What about the bird?” Viggo turned to Constance.
“He brought the swords,” she answered. “I saw it outside my window. He was carrying them into the courtyard, clearly looking for you. But he was struck down by a black bolt that shot across the sky.”
“Lightning?” Viggo narrowed his eyes. “There isn’t a cloud out tonight.”
“It wasn’t the right color to be lightning.” Constance shook her head. “It looked more like . . .”
A flash from my left made me crane my neck around. “Like that,” I whispered.
“Yes.” A low, angry voice filled the courtyard. “Put it together, Princess.”
“Constance, get behind me,” I ordered as I dropped into a fighting stance. I shifted my weight onto my back leg, and raised my sword to eye level. Beside me, Viggo did the same. “Guards, get the queen to safety. Now.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” the voice hissed. “She’s not the one I came for.”
“Who are you?” I shifted slightly, scanning the courtyard for the intruder.
“The question, Aura, is who are you? The Princess of Alfheim, who will guide the realms to peace? Or the Daughter of Svartalfheim, who will destroy them in war?”
“No,” I growled. How had my uncle escaped? “We sent you to Helheim.”
“Oh, you didn’t send me. Granddaughter.” A menacing laugh made my blood still.
“Rankin?” I whispered. Oh, gods.
“Correct.” With that, a tall, thin man emerged from the shadows. He had the same greasy hair and narrow build as his son—the uncle who’d hired a Huldra to suck my soul. But the low ponytail at the nape of his neck had greyed with age, and his hollowed cheeks bore more wrinkles than his son’s had. This was my paternal grandfather—the dark elf who’d ordered my parents’ murders, and who’d vowed to fulfill the darker half of my prophesy as destroyer of realms.
This was the man who’d caused me a lifetime of pain.
This was the man I was going to rip to shreds.
“I know him.” The color drained from Viggo’s face. “He killed my parents.”
No.
“My Protektor, Erik, showed me his image after my parents didn’t come back from their recon mission. We were on Svartalfheim, and they’d gone to the senatorial complex to retrieve a classified document when . . .” Viggo’s voice cracked. “. . . when he found them.”
My heart simultaneously broke and raged. How had one monstrous creature caused so much pain?
“Listen to me, Aura.” Viggo’s voice was heavy with tension. “Get back in the castle. Now.”
“She can’t hide any longer.” Rankin stepped into a beam of moonlight. It reflected off his long, silver tunic and slacks, giving him the glowing appearance I’d always associated with angels. But his cruel black eyes and hate-filled stare made it clear he’d come not from light, but from pure darkness. And his set jaw and drawn shoulders made it equally clear he intended to drag me down with him. “My servant just procured her imprint.”
“Imprint?” I asked.
“The tracking frequency your queen uses to keep tabs on you.” Rankin’s eyes widened in feigned shock. “Oh, dear. Didn’t you know?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said levelly. “But I’m not hiding from you. And I’m not joining you, either. I’m going to be your end.”
“Oh, Princess.” Rankin’s smile sent chills racing down my spine. “You’re going to be my crowning glory. When your father made the unfortunate choice to stray from his path, I thought our family was ruined. My second son didn’t have the fortitude to withstand the bloodlust of politics, and my own name was so badly damaged, I may never have recovered. But then, I learned of you.” Rankin crooked one finger, and something sharp hooked into my belly. I was drawn forward, a fish on a line, by a force I couldn’t see.
Arugh! I winced as the invisible blade dug deep inside my gut. How do I make it stop?
“Aura?” Viggo kept pace at my side as I shuffled unwillingly forward. “What’s happening?”
“He’s a dark warrior.” I gasped as the hook dug deeper in my gut. “Like Dragen.”
“Well, so are you,” Viggo hissed. “Fight him off.”
“It’s not.” I grimaced as pain wracked my body. “That. Easy.”
Viggo narrowed his eyes. “Then I’ll kill him.”
“No!” If Viggo charged, Rankin would drop him before I’d taken half a breath. “Don’t give him a reason to hurt you. Stay back, and protect the queen.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Viggo took another step forward.
The hook dug deeper, driving a fresh wave of pain across my torso. My body lurched closer to the monster who’d killed my father.
“I’m not leaving you either,” I vowed.
And with that, I dug my heels into the ground, stopping my trajectory. I closed my eyes, tightened my grip on my sword, and reached up with my other hand to clutch Maja’s necklace. Then I pulled light in through my feet, and opened my aura to the darkness emanating from Rankin’s black soul.
If you can’t beat him, join him.
Rankin gasped as I sucked the energy from his body. The now-familiar sensation I likened to a swarm of angry bees jabbed at the space surrounding me, and I drew it in before I could change my mind. Light warred with dark inside of me, draining my strength and leaving me slightly dizzy. I carefully wove the two energies together, blending them into the double helix only dark faeries could conjure. Then I opened my eyes, released my hold on the crystal, and raised my palm.
“Go away, Rankin,” I growled. “And never come back.”
“Not without my prize,” he hissed.
A grin parted my lips. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
I thrust my hand forward and a beam of light burst from its surface. It struck Rankin in the chest, forcing him to the ground and releasing his hold on my gut. As the invisible hook flew from my stomach, I stumbled backward. Viggo’s hand on my back kept me upright, and I drove a second beam into Dragen. And a third. But the helix was growing weaker, and as I opened my palm to deliver another blow, a black stream erupted from the ground. It flew from Rankin’s hand, dark lightning carving a lethal path across the Alfheim sky. Everything shifted into slow motion as the beam shot straight up, then abruptly changed its trajectory. It spun a tight circle to travel downward, past the castle turrets and the third-floor balcony. It bore below the second-story windows, bearing a course directly for—
“Aura!” Viggo’s shout jarred me from my haze. It was too late to run
so I shifted into battle mode, raising my sword and preparing to deflect the black beam of death—gods willing, it could be stopped. But just before it hit my sword, something struck me from the side. I flew to the ground, my sword thumping against the dirt as I was knocked out of the way by something tall, and bony, and cloaked in the cloying scent of baby powder.
“Arugh!” My savior shrieked as the beam struck the ground. A deep boom echoed across the courtyard as the earth shook and the walls of the castle trembled. From my position on the ground I saw a stone shake loose from the balcony. It tumbled fast, splintering as it hit the wall, so its jagged edge was pointed straight down. A little nudge—that was all it would need to drive a hole straight through Rankin’s twisted head. I lifted my hand, using what little energy I had left to launch the makeshift arrowhead between Rankin’s eyes. But just as it was about to strike, Rankin lifted one finger and twirled it in a small circle. He disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving the stone to shatter into nothing.
I swore, furious that I’d been this close to destroying the monster so intent on using me to hurt our worlds. How did he get away? And how am I ever supposed to—
The sobbing behind me grew louder. I quickly turned around.
Oh, gods. No!
My grandmother lay crumpled on the ground. She had been the one to save me.
That act of bravery had cost her everything.
Constance convulsed as the dark beam worked its way through her body. Her legs shook beneath her long, white robe, and she crooked her fingers as if trying to stave off her pain. Her normally smooth chignon was in frizzy disarray, and her once stoic features were wracked with agony.
I crawled to her side and clasped her hands in mine. “It’s okay, Constance. We’ll call for a healer and—”
“No.” The queen shook her head. “A dark curse isn’t reversible.”
