by S. T. Bende
“What’s happening again?” Finna jumped to her feet.
“The ripping. Like last week,” I moaned.
“We’ll take you to the Kurera ward and—”
“Don’t touch me!” I cried. “It hurts!”
Elin’s chair skidded against the floor. “Finna, have the librarian call Signy Bergen and tell her Aura’s having another episode. Aura, stay still. We’ll get help.”
Elin knelt at my side as Finna raced away. “I’m going to try to make you more comfortable,” she said in a calm voice. She gently lifted my head so it rested in her lap, then placed her hands over mine. I stopped clawing at my stomach long enough to meet her eyes.
“It really hurts,” I whispered.
“I know. Whatever’s happening is hitting that table, too.” I struggled to follow Elin’s sight line. Through my haze of pain, I saw a table of Empati in varying states of discomfort. One clutched her head, one squeezed her eyes closed, and another, like me, had her hands on her stomach. What was going on?
“Attention students.” The now-familiar, lyrical voice rang through the speakers. “Please return to your common rooms immediately. Another branch has died on the Alfheim Tree, and the Council of Protektors has ordered a lockdown while the realm is searched for portals. Empati, please report to the Great Hall for your healings. Thank you.”
Chaos broke out as a library full of light elves raced for the door. When the room emptied, Elin looked at me with concern. “Can you move?”
“Do I have a choice?” I asked. Elin held my hand as I struggled to my feet. As soon as I pushed myself up, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me. I swayed, my palms slapping the table to stop my fall.
“Professor Bergen says she’s sending someone to retrieve you.” Finna’s breath came in gasps as she raced back toward us. “She’ll meet you at her living quarters.”
“That someone is me. I’ll carry her.” The deep male voice behind me was heavy with concern. “You all right, Glitre?”
Dread coursed through me, an endless waterfall of horror. “Please go away.”
“Not on your life.” Viggo took my arm from Elin and wrapped it around his shoulders. There was a light pressure at the back of my knees, and the next thing I knew I was cradled in strong arms that weren’t altogether uncomfortable. Stop it, Aura. Yes, they are. So very uncomfortable.
Finna wrung her hands together. “I’m sorry, but I have to go back to the residence hall—Renwyn assigned me to help with the first years. Aura, will you be all right with Elin and Viggo?”
“I’ll be all right with Elin. Viggo, you can go back to the dorm.” I tried.
“Nope. See you later, Finna. Elin, follow me.” Viggo broke into a jog while Finna hurried in the opposite direction. Viggo made long strides down the noisy corridors, parting the sea of frenzied girls with apparent ease.
“That hurts,” I moaned as Viggo ran. “Why would Signy send you? Is she trying to torture me?”
“Real nice, Aura,” Viggo chastened. “We were in a private training session when we saw the branch fall. Then Finna called, so Professor Bergen asked me to get you to her apartment straight away, and to bring Elin with us if I could find her.” Viggo continued running, but his movements were slightly less jerky.
“I could have gotten there myself,” I protested. “Besides, if this is a lockdown, shouldn’t Signy want me in my common room with the rest of my house?”
“You need a healing.” Elin jogged alongside us. “The Empati are being sent to the Great Hall instead of their houses. You guys feel the death of the branches harder than the rest of the school, and you need help more than you need to be in your common rooms right now.”
Viggo looked down at me as he ran. “I thought you were a Verge.”
“I take Empati classes, but I take Verge classes too. I’m both. Or neither. I don’t know. Ouch!”
“Sorry.” Viggo slowed down as he entered the faculty residence wing. His emerald eyes appraised Elin. “I don’t know which room is Professor Bergen’s.”
“I do.” Elin marched to Signy’s door. Before she could knock, Signy charged up the hallway.
“Thank Frigga you’re here. Get in, all of you, quick.” Signy unlocked her door and waved us inside.
“I can walk now,” I protested. But Viggo carried me over the threshold, through the entryway, and into Signy’s immaculate living area. He stood beside the light tan couch, holding me tight to his chest so I couldn’t help but breathe in his light, cedar scent. I sniffed one last time before cutting myself off with a sigh. I was delirious with pain—obviously, I needed to up my oxygen intake.
“You can set Aura down there.” Signy pointed to the couch. Viggo frowned slightly as he loosened his grip and lowered me onto the sofa. He grabbed a soft throw from the basket beneath the end table, then tucked it tight around my legs.
“There.” He nodded.
Elin sat beside me, biting back a smile.
“Shut up,” I hissed.
She held up her hands. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“What’s going on?” Elin turned to my aunt. “Did you call us here so you could heal Aura?”
“Yes and no,” Signy began. “You’re here because what happened to the tree affects you both. A branch died off—”
“We know,” Elin interrupted. “Aura almost passed out.”
“I’ll need to heal Aura straight away. But Elin, you need to hear this, too. The branch we lost was our link to Midgard.”
My stomach tugged, the hole expanding to accommodate the bottomless loss. We weren’t returning to our former home any time soon. But worse than that—
“Mom,” Elin whispered.
“Larkin,” Signy confirmed. She knelt in front of the couch and took Elin’s hand in hers. “Her party hadn’t gathered any intel, so they were due to return tomorrow. But with the branch down, our connection is lost. I’m so sorry, Elin. She’s trapped for now.”
Elin’s already-pale skin turned white as snow. A wave of sorrow hit me in the gut as I absorbed the heartbreak streaming from my friend. I leaned over to wrap an arm around her, ignoring the piercing pangs brought on by the movement.
“Mom,” Elin whispered. Tears welled, pooling against the blue backdrop of her eyes. They paused briefly before toppling over to trickle down her face.
“I’m sure she’s fine. Your mother is one of the most formidable Protektors I know, and she’ll keep her team safe until they can come home,” Signy assured. She rubbed Elin’s hands softly. “Will you be okay, sweetheart?
“No.” Elin’s normally joyful eyes shot venom. “When we figure out who stole the Sterkvart crystal, I’m going to make them pay.”
Viggo’s breathing hitched.
“We both are,” I chimed in. And we were. Right after the mind-numbing pain in my gut stopped making me want to claw my stomach out.
“It’s normal to want justice for a wrongdoing,” Signy said. “But the Council of Protektors is doing everything within their power to ensure the safety of the Keys, the realm, and the greater good of Alfheim. We will make this right. We will bring Larkin back. And we will punish those who wish to harm our realm to the fullest extent of Alfheimian law. You have my word.”
Elin pulled her hands away from Signy’s to wipe her eyes. “Good.”
“I’m sorry, Elin,” I whispered.
“Don’t be sorry for me,” Elin said. “Be sorry for the idiot that thought they could mess with my family. When I’m through with whoever did this, they’ll wish they’d never been born.”
“Aura, I need to assess the damage the loss of the Midgard branch has done to your energy centers. Lean back for me.” Signy took my hand in hers and closed her eyes. “Ouch, that’s a sharp wound to your first center.”
“Everything hurts.” I cringed. It was true. My entire body, from head to toe, was wracked with pain. I willed everything to shut down and imagined myself inside a thick cocoon, like Signy h
ad taught me back home. Just before the quiet overtook me, I was struck by the disparate vibes in the room. Coming from Signy was a deep sorrow—the resonance of the loss, even one we hoped was only temporary, of a friend. While Viggo was giving off something different—concern, no doubt. But his worry was tempered by something else. Something heavier.
Viggo put out an almost paralyzing level of fear. What could possibly make my arrogant, over-confident training partner afraid?
Chapter 12
BY THE NEXT DAY, my physical pain had diminished, but my emotional anguish had intensified. My best friend had cried herself to sleep. With each congested inhale, Elin’s delicate sniffles elicited a fresh crack in my heart. We had to find that crystal, like, yesterday. Everything depended on it.
By the time I’d finished my assigned morning meditation, attended my Empati lab, and chowed my way through an open-faced sandwich in the Great Hall, I was exhausted. I said goodbye to Finna, Elin, and Jande and headed outside, hoping to clear my brain with a walk. As I made my way onto the grass, a grating voice set my teeth on edge.
“Princess Aura.”
I turned to find Bitch-Face on the courtyard steps, surrounded by her minions.
“Britney.” I continued walking forward, but fingernails on my arm stopped me.
“I’m talking to you.” Malice sparked from Britney’s eyes.
“And I’m ignoring you.” I ripped my arm from her grasp. Two students I recognized as Astrals and another three I remembered from the Styra table circled around. Anger percolated in my gut, but I snuffed it out. These girls weren’t worth my energy. “What do you want?”
Britney leaned forward so her shoulder bumped against my chest. Anger bubbled again, this time more violently than before. “She’s going to discredit you, you know.”
“Who?” I gritted.
“The queen.” Britney sneered.
“How the hell could you possibly know what the queen’s going to do? Are you a spy, on top of being a bitch?”
Britney ignored my words. “She knows you’re not loyal to her, and she’s going to prove you’re unfit to inherit the crown. Not that it’ll take much. Your own mother didn’t care about our realm—from what I hear, she ran off with the first guy who looked twice at her and got herself knocked up. It was a blessing, really—she set the bar so low that nobody expects anything of you.”
To my horror, tears pricked at my eyes. I whirled around before Britney could see me cry. Why did she have to be so awful? Our realm was on the verge of collapse, our ruler was terrorizing families and destroying ecosystems, and the security of Alfheim—not to mention the safety of Elin’s mom and the rest of the Protektors trapped on Midgard—was at stake. Couldn’t Britney stop being a cow for one single minute?
“You know, Britney, I’m sad for you.” I spoke over my shoulder, not bothering to turn around. “My mom may not have been perfect, and I may not have gotten to know her the way I wish I had, but at least she made sure I grew up with someone who taught me kindness, and priorities. Alfheim needs every bit of light it can get right now. If you cared about anyone but yourself, you’d help us make things right.”
I hurried toward the forest without giving Britney a chance to answer. As I moved, a solitary girl caught my eye. She sat on the library steps on the far end of the quad, staring at me with unnerving intensity. She wore the regulation blazer and pleated skirt, but her hair was coal-colored, and she sported black nail polish and thick eyeliner. This was the girl from the dining hall, the one I’d seen looking at me with that same level of interest on my first day. What was her deal?
With tears threatening to spill over my own un-lined lids, I didn’t get to give the girl a further thought. Instead, I hurried for the forest. I stopped just long enough to take off my heels and stuff them in my book bag, before breaking into a run. I hurtled through the trees, passing purple-tufted evergreens and smooth-barked alders as I went. I didn’t stop running until I reached the edge of a small lake. There I dropped to my knees, dug my hands in the earth, and cried.
The deep baritone of a nearby voice jarred me from my cry-fest. I used the back of my hand to swipe the excess moisture away before grabbing my bag and diving behind a nearby tree. My back nestled tight against the thick trunk while I held myself as still as possible. The voice definitely belonged to Viggo, but I couldn’t see who he was talking to. Not that it mattered—being outed for crying in the middle of the forest by my tougher-than-thou training partner was the last thing I needed.
“It’s too risky to open a portal. This place is crawling with warriors.” Viggo stalked into view. With his back to me, I could barely make out the pale blue light coming off his communicator.
What was Viggo up to?
Though I strained my eyes, I couldn’t see the figure moving inside the blue light. I only made out the fitted lines of Viggo’s black training pants and the toned muscles peeking out from beneath his sleeveless shirt. I craned my neck for a better view.
No. Do not check out his arms. Priorities, Aura.
“Uh-uh, that won’t work. The Protektors will see right through it.” Viggo shook his head. I scanned the forest but saw nobody else. Viggo’s only company was that faint blue light. Who was he talking to inside that communicator?
“I thought of that.” Viggo ran a hand through his inky hair. “The barrier would throw up a red flag and alert the guards. The blockade barely let me in—it dropped for the first Bifrost, but since I was late I had to override the hold.”
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Viggo had forced his way into Alfheim? Why? If he was a Key, he was a native-born light elf, and by right allowed to enter the realm. The barrier may have slowed him down to run a second check on him because he’d come from Svartalfheim, but it would have let him in eventually . . . right?
“Listen, I understand what you’re saying. But I can’t bring you in yet.” There was a long pause. “You know why. I have to win their trust first.”
The blue light flickered. “Hold on.” Viggo raised his arm. “I’m losing you. Let me see if the reception is better over here.”
He spun around, and the blue light came into focus. I pressed myself tighter against the tree and clamped down on my bottom lip. Viggo’s face was visible at this distance, but the figure in the hologram still wasn’t. The blue light was nothing more than a flickering, hooded cloak atop what seemed to be a muscular frame.
Who is he helping?
I carefully peeked around the other side of the tree to try for a better view.
“It’s clear. Now what did you say?” Viggo’s brow furrowed as he studied the hologram. The figure inside made a fist and waved his arms, but the audio was too low to make out any words. If Viggo would just come a little closer, I could hear both sides of the conversation. Ugh! “I know.” Viggo sighed. “I’m doing everything I can. The Protektors are making it impossible. I promise, I’ll find a way to get you in. What you do after that is up to you.”
I leaned forward, trying to get a better look at the hologram, but my balance shifted unexpectedly. As I sidestepped to avoid a fall, a branch cracked loudly beneath my bare feet. Ouch. Also, crêpes. I quickly scooted behind the tree.
Viggo’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Someone’s here. I’ll contact you when I’ve got news. Later.”
I pressed myself closer to the tree and closed my eyes, channeling invisibility. I’d ridden on a magic rainbow bridge, so maybe disappearing into thin air wasn’t totally impossible.
Seriously, Aura?
I held very still as Viggo called out in a threatening voice, “Show yourself.”
I could take him if it came to it. I’d pinned him in five out of nine sparring matches that week. Or was it three? I couldn’t remember.
“I know you’re behind that tree.” Leaves crunched as Viggo stormed closer.
Please go away, please go away. I inched around the tree trunk as my training partner’s footsteps grew louder.
“Last chan
ce,” Viggo growled. He was unnervingly close. My eyes locked in on the thickest part of the tree line, and I rose onto the balls of my feet, preparing for escape.
Before I could make my move, a thick hand whipped around the tree to clutch my neck. Viggo yanked me from my hiding spot, wrenching my body into view. He held his arm perpendicular to his six-plus-foot frame, so I dangled in his grasp. In his other hand, he gripped a thick dagger. Crêpes. My hands flew to Viggo’s wrist and I dug in my fingernails, intending to break his hold before my air supply ran out. But as I clawed against his hold our eyes locked, and Viggo opened his palm. I fell to the ground in a heap, then leapt to my feet, brushing broken branches off my pants as I stood.
“You.” Viggo’s normally charming tone had an edge. “What did you hear?”
“I heard enough.” I widened my stance in case I needed to deliver a roundhouse. Or worse. “You broke into Alfheim? What are you doing here?”
“You don’t know what you heard.” Viggo took a step to his right. I mirrored him.
“Is that so?” We continued our dance, two animals squaring off for a fight. “Then why don’t you tell me what I heard? Because it sounded an awful lot like you broke into Alfheim and you’re planning something stupid.”
“Stupid?” Amusement danced across Viggo’s eyes as anger percolated beneath my skin. I took deep breaths until the emotion stilled.
“What would you call what you’re doing?” I pressed.
Viggo’s features hardened as he took another step. “How was your meeting with the queen the other day? Lots to catch up on, I’m sure.”
My eyes narrowed. “What do you care?”
“I care when someone strips my realm of its freedoms. Not that you’d understand anything about that.”
The anger bubbled again, fiercer. Hotter. “I’ll ask you one more time. What were you doing just now?”
“If I thought you’d understand, I’d tell you. Just know that I’m acting for the real Alfheim.” Viggo’s hand flexed, and his dagger glinted under the filtered light of the forest. My hands balled into fists and I took a step forward. I didn’t have a weapon, but if that jerk thought he could silence me, he had another thing coming.
