“They’ve been told the rules.” The attendant gave over another page. “We’ve put you at the far end, away from the main group. You should have a quiet night, but here’s our emergency cell number in case someone gets too rowdy. We’d rather you call us before the cops, let us see if we can calm things down first.”
“I gotcha.” Jake nodded. He smiled and put the van into gear.
They drove past a variety of campsites. Some had pavilions set up with bright, vibrant color schemes, and some were earthier, tents composed of little more than tarps stretched over branches.
Everyone was friendly, waving to each car as it passed by. There were also people in costume, and Erik spotted more than one would-be knight working on his armor or painting his shield. A loud clanging came from a distance, and it took him a few minutes to place it—metal being hammered out by a blacksmith, the rhythmic pounding turning bars of steel into swords or armor. He’d have preferred facing down a dragon instead of Kara.
We’d have a better chance of winning.
Brenna pressed her palm to the window at one point, staring out at the side of the road as they made their way to the edge of the campground. He followed her lead, seeing nothing but a fire pit sitting near the bathrooms—likely used as a last stop for those on the way out who wanted to burn some garbage.
Their campsite was next to a group of young men who couldn’t stop talking and babbling to each other as they pitched their tents, staring at their cell phones between passing back hand-rolled cigarettes. Erik kept his back to them as much as possible. His beard had grown out nicely, but he didn’t want to risk another encounter with any fans. It might be his ego talking—he hadn’t contacted his manager since sending that last, false email—but he couldn’t deal with any more surprises right now.
Jake sniffed the air and smiled. “Not as good as the stuff I’m used to, but at least they’ll sleep tonight.” He scratched his chin, fingers digging through his whiskers. “Could always see if they want to share…”
Mark chuckled as he set about building the fire in the deep pit, snapping the twigs to create kindling.
Brenna wrinkled her nose as the distinct aroma drifted over them. “Can’t say I care much for it. The incense in Valhalla smells much better.”
Helen laughed and patted her on the back. “Stay clear of them. Sweet young things like that are too tempting.” She grinned as she glanced over at the men. “Makes me want to cougar the hell out of them.”
Lucy tugged at Helen’s arm, pulling her over to the unassembled tents. “Calm down, grandma. You got work to do before you can start flirting with the youngsters.” She shot Erik and Jake a wink. “Besides, I get first pick. I like the ones with plenty of stamina. Like me.”
Helen gave a snort and shoved Lucy with her hip, sending the younger woman a few steps off to the side.
Erik chuckled as he turned to their own tent, Brenna falling in beside him as they wrestled with the canvas.
“Hard to believe we’ll be leaving them soon.” She kept her voice low. “But you’re right. We’ll manage on our own. Just have to be a bit sharper, keep our eyes open.”
Erik grabbed the nylon line and pulled it tight. “Three days more to Columbus. As long as Kara keeps off our trail for that long, we’ll be able to strike out. We can head north, get across the border. Lots of space up there. Grab a car, travel for hours without seeing anyone.”
He ignored the unspoken question of how long they could run.
“Be nice to see Canada again. Been a few years.”
He eyed her. “When were you last in Canada?”
“French Indian war.” She smiled and picked up their water bottles. “I’ll go fill these up. Think I saw some fountains back by the washrooms.”
He watched her walk off, unable to keep his gaze off the way she swayed, her hips calling to him. It took most of his self-control to not think about loving her all day in the van, saving all his desire until the evening. It was an addiction he didn’t want to break.
He finished setting up the tent and moved the sleeping bags inside, making sure the pistol lay within easy reach. Jake hadn’t asked for it back after their first night together, and he didn’t offer to return it. He’d kept it hidden as much as possible, not wanting to draw attention to themselves or prompt a visit from the local authorities if anyone outside of their group spotted it.
Brenna returned, and they fell into the usual routine of helping prepare dinner, the small chess board coming out for the evening’s entertainment.
It wasn’t until later on with Brenna curled up in his arms that he remembered the odd expression on her face when they’d passed the fire pit. At the time, he’d made a mental note to ask her about it later.
He looked down, feeling her soft, steady breathing against his bare chest.
It’d wait until tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was still dark when she woke, her heart racing in anticipation. It took a few seconds to pull away from Erik, his possessive grip around her waist tempting her to stay and wallow in the warmth and comfort he offered.
But she had work to do.
Brenna quickly got dressed and crept out of the tent, leaving Erik behind. She nodded to Mark who sat by the fire and pointed at the washrooms down the road. The sun hovered on the horizon, ready to begin another march across the sky.
Mark threw her a friendly salute and returned to his latest paperback, a thick science-fiction novel picked up at the last stop on their travels.
She spotted the location last night on their drive in, and her visit with the water bottles confirmed what she’d thought—this was a holy spot, a place where the veil between the worlds was thinner. There was nothing more than a shallow hole surrounded by charcoal-streaked stones, but her skin tingled with the invisible energy emanating from the area.
She’d seen hundreds around the world, places of adoration with altars set up to Odin. This had to have been one in the past but abandoned as people shifted away from worshipping the Norse Gods, integrating themselves into the acceptable religions for the time and area. Ignored and forsaken, it’d deteriorated into nothing more than a small fire pit—but she knew its worth.
She couldn’t pass up this chance to make her case to Freyja.
To anyone else, it’d look like she was having a morning ritual, some sort of personal religious moment.
To Brenna it was a possible life line.
It took her a few minutes to walk back to the site, start the fire with a handful of twigs, and toss in the herbs taken out of the community cooking stash. There was no one nearby, the rest of the campground inhabitants only beginning to stir, giving her a slim window to work in.
She had no time to waste.
“Mother Freyja…” She knelt in front of the smoldering flames, waving the smoke skyward. “I need your guidance. I’ve offended you, but I want to make this right. Please tell me how.”
Kill him or kill her. Those are your only two choices.
The abhorrent thought flashed across her mind only long enough for her to push it away, cursing Loki. She didn’t have time for the Trickster’s games, not when lives were at stake.
Brenna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pressing her hands together.
Freyja…
The incantations came slowly at first, her tongue almost too thick in her mouth to say the familiar words in a forgotten language.
Give me a sign. Tell me what to do. I don’t want to take a life, even if she’ll return to your arms.
I hope.
She swallowed hard, sorting through her emotions. Killing Kara might dispatch her sister back to Valhalla, but she had no way to verify that. She would still have to deliver the killing blow—to take the life of her immortal sister. Erik was a good warrior, a strong fighter, but only Brenna had the skills and the experience to equal Kara in combat. And to hopefully beat her.
A wave of nausea swept over her, forcing her to grab at her stomach in response.
I can’t kill her.
I can’t kill him.
So where does that leave me?
Where would this put her at the end of her life, if she ran and evaded Kara for the rest of her earthly life to die in obscurity somewhere? Valhalla or Helheim—or into the Void, trapped forever on the edge of eternity?
She didn’t know. And she needed an answer, needed a way to deal with Kara without killing her and yet saving Erik from her sister’s wrath.
She stumbled through the prayer again.
The nightmare with Kara was all too fresh in her mind, muddling her senses.
She inhaled the scented smoke again, trying to make contact.
Mother…
“Hey.” Erik’s voice cut in through her thoughts.
She opened her eyes, sensing the last bits of hope disappear, leaving a void in her soul.
There were no answers here.
“Hello,” Brenna answered as Erik came up beside her. He wore nothing but his track pants and running shoes, sans socks. Usually seeing him half-naked stirred her need for him, but right here, right now, it ground against her like sandpaper on a sunburn.
“Are you okay?” He touched her arm. “Mark said you went off to the bathroom, but you’ve been gone for a while. Thought maybe you weren’t feeling good, needed some help.” He nudged the singed dirt with his toe. “What’s up?”
“This place is…special.” Her cheeks burned with the explanation. “A place to pray, make my case to Freyja.”
“Ah. Like a shrine?” He squatted by the fire pit.
“Yes, in a way.” She extinguished the smoldering flames, kicking the dirt over it before stomping down hard.
He tilted his head to one side. “Should have told me where you were going.”
“Didn’t think it’d take too long.” Her cheeks burned with the half lie. She didn’t want to get into another discussion about Freyja and the issues with her celestial patron.
“This got anything to do with that nightmare of yours?”
“A bit,” she admitted. “I thought if I could talk to her, present my arguments, she might take pity on us, change the rules.” She swiped at her eyes. “After all my years of service, I’d hoped she would consider letting me have this one wish.”
He shook his head. “You want her to call off Kara? Need I remind you she’s the one who put that crazy bitch on our trail?”
“Only because I failed in my mission.”
“You’re assuming you would have killed me.” He chuckled. “You weren’t doing so great a job, if memory serves me correctly.”
Her cheeks burned as she remembered their encounter. “Not the point. I’m the one at fault, not you and not Kara. If Freyja accepts my plea for mercy…”
“Plea? You’re not the one in the wrong here.” He frowned. “You followed your heart. I don’t need permission from anyone to be with you. They’re not my bosses. They don’t control my life.” He reached out and drew a finger along her forearm, raising goose bumps in its wake. “To hell with Freyja and Kara and the rest of them.”
She shivered, not totally from his touch. “She’s important to me. Please don’t say things like that.” It was hard not to glance around, hope Freyja hadn’t overheard the insult. “Especially not here.”
He shook his head. “I’m okay with saying it here and out loud.” He crossed his arms, standing over the embers. “She kidnapped you as a child, forced you to collect souls, and threw you down here to Earth because you decided not to reap me. Now she wants your once-friend to send you to Helheim and take me away from you forever. Doesn’t sound very god-like to me. Sounds like a cold-hearted bitch who doesn’t understand how humans work. Or maybe she’s been up there too long and forgot how to live, how to love.”
Her stomach twisted into knots at his phrasing. “That’s not fair,” she snapped. “She took me when I was about to die, gave my life some purpose. I was good at what I did, collecting warriors for Valhalla—a necessary part of the preparations for Ragnarok. What I did, what I did for you…” She swallowed hard. “I gave up everything to be with you. The least you can do is respect my Lady and try to understand why she did what she did.”
Erik looked down as he stepped on the soil, making sure there was no sign left of the sacred flame. “I’ll respect her when she explains to me why the woman I love is going to be sent to Helheim. When she explains why we’re running from your buddy who’s determined to drive her lance through both our chests. I never knew she existed until a few weeks ago, and now you’re telling me to throw my lot with a whole set of gods who are heartless bastards? No, thank you. I’ve never been the religious type and always respected those who were—but this is something I can’t condone or forgive. I won’t give up, not until we find a way to defeat Kara and change your fate.”
“I wish I had your faith.” She glanced skyward.
“I will not go down without a fight. I’ll give her the best I can and then some.” He pointed at her. “And if that means killing your sister, then I’ll do it and expect you to do the same if the opportunity presents itself. You’ve trained as a warrior for hundreds, thousands of years. Now it’s time to use everything you have to take her down.”
She closed her eyes, weighing her next sentence. Picking the right words hurt, but it had to be said—and better said now than in the heat of battle.
“Don’t doubt my willingness to fight, Erik. At Ragnarok, at the end of the world. I’ll be there, giving it my all.” She opened her eyes and stared at him. “But I can’t promise you I’ll be able to kill Kara if and when the time comes. The time spent here with you, with them…” She gestured at the campsite down the road. “All this has changed me. Changed my world, changed how I see things.”
“You’d stand by while she took me out?” The sadness in his voice dug deep, ripping at her heart.
“No. Hells, no.” She grabbed at his hand. “I have to believe there’s another way to defeat Kara. That’s why I was praying, trying to find some other choice.” She swallowed hard. “You have to understand—she’s my sister. I’ve worked and lived alongside her for decades, centuries. I can’t just sweep that away with a flick of my hand.”
“Even though she’s bound and determined to kill me. And you.” He pointed at her to emphasize his words.
“That’s why I was praying, searching for some other option.” She gritted her teeth. “At least until you showed up.”
He glanced at the dirt under his feet. “What answer did you get?”
“Nothing.” Her throat tensed up, and she had to force the words out. “I don’t know what that means.”
“I’d say it means you’re on your own.” He looked at her. “Listen. If you can’t bring yourself to kill your sister, then don’t try. Go as far as you can, away from me for as long as you can. Go live your life without any of this around you.” He drew a deep breath. “It’s the best solution. For both of us.”
She’d never experienced love until meeting Erik.
Now her heart shattered into a million pieces, and she wished she never had.
She spun away from him and stumbled out of the circle, the thinness between the worlds snapping and breaking with an almost audible crack as she took the road heading back to the campsite.
She couldn’t choose between her family and Erik.
So he had chosen for her.
Every breath ached, burned in her lungs as she walked, her head spinning with the harshness of his words.
He’d been so very right and so very wrong at the same time.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Brenna walked past the van and into the clearing, her nails digging into her palms.
She had prayed for guidance and gotten it.
Leave him. Leave him to Kara, and Erik would go to Valhalla in spite of himself.
For her, there was nothing in the end except a long, miserable existence on Earth until Kara caught up with her, and then she’d go to Helheim, banished from everyon
e and everything she knew and cared for. What she deserved for her sins—for falling in love with Erik and not fulfilling her duty.
She kicked at a small stone, sending it flying across the compound and through the fire, sending sparks everywhere.
Helen rose from the canvas chair, frowning, but she held her ground. Lucy glanced back at the van and shook her head, lips curling into a scowl.
Brenna strode around the edges of the campsite, spotting the empty picnic table on the edge of the road. She kicked another stone out of the way as she headed for it, forcing herself to abandon her temporary family.
She settled atop the old table, balancing her feet on the seat. Reaching down, she pulled her boot knife out of the sheath and stabbed the weathered wood beside her, adding more scars to the battered table.
The sharp blade dug deep, flipping shards of wood everywhere.
“Hey.”
She turned to see Helen standing there, her hands tucked into her pockets. She moved up to sit beside Brenna, clasping her hands together as she surveyed the vandalism.
“Broke up with Erik.” It wasn’t a question.
She nodded.
The two sat in silence for a few more minutes, Brenna digging out a valley in the table until she’d had enough.
Brenna sighed and looked at Helen, searching to find the words.
“You’ll be fine, sweetie. You’re strong and young with most of your life ahead of you.” She pulled Brenna into a hug. “We’re tough. We’re survivors.”
Brenna closed her eyes, imagining she was back in her barracks and in Freyja’s arms, a lonely little girl discovering a whole new world.
It’d all shifted again.
Helen stayed silent, allowing Brenna to grieve in private.
An eternity later, she lifted her face. Helen smiled. “Lucy’ll collect your stuff, put it back in our tent. You’re staying with us all the way to Washington—after that, you can figure things out.” She shook her head, cutting Brenna’s response off. “Don’t argue with me. I know about this sort of heartbreak. Got my own scars. You need some quiet time, and jumping off in Columbus to travel alone isn’t going to do it. Stay with us until Washington. Let us keep you safe. Please.”
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