by T. G. Ayer
I hesitated, then glanced back at Freya. "Thank you, my lady." After everything she'd done to us, I wasn't entirely certain why I thanked her, but it seemed appropriate, at least for her hospitality. Or maybe even for the care her servant now gave to Aidan, wiping his face with a wet cloth, changing his shirt, checking his wounds.
Freya smiled. "And you can rest while he sleeps. There is no need for you to sit at his bedside." More amazing than Freya's words was her expression—one of kindness.
Talk about a split personality problem.
My eyes flicked to the doorway. Sure, I had a pretty good reason why I would want to keep a very close eye on Aidan. More to the point, I wouldn't want to close my eyes for too long while down here on Astrid's turf.
"I will show you to a room where you can rest and freshen up," Freya said. She inclined her head, brooking no argument, and I forced myself not to do a double take. Since when was Freya so concerned about my health and well-being? But even the thought of a soft bed and food, and maybe a bath, didn't tempt me to leave Aidan alone again. And Freya knew. With a haughty curve of an eyebrow, she said, "Would it make you feel better if I stayed with Aidan?"
I stared into Freya's glittering eyes. What game are you playing this time? What sort of trickery are you planning?
Or was it just a simple challenge? How dare I suggest that the goddess Freya was unable to keep her promise to look after Aidan?
I peeked over at Aidan, who now lay back on his bed, his head supported by a soft pillow of fur, his eyelids fluttering closed as exhaustion took over his spent body. The dwarf waddled out of the room with the soiled clothing and the bowl.
"It's okay. A room and a bed sounds fabulous." I tried to inject an acceptable amount of enthusiasm into my voice, tacking on a smile.
Freya nodded, and as if answering his mistress's silent command, a very thin, very tall man stepped into Aidan's room. Honestly, how do these guys know exactly when she needs them to appear? "Show the Valkyrie Brynhildr a room and make sure she gets garments, food and rest."
The man nodded, his expression solemn. Although the instruction had been one of hospitality, I still detected an ominous tone.
Come on, Bryn, enough with the melodramatics. You're just too tired. And way too suspicious.
Lurch beckoned and I followed for a few steps, then came to a sudden halt. The goblet. "Just a minute," I said, rushing to retrieve the cup from beside Aidan's bed, still half filled with the priceless liquid.
Freya raised an eyebrow again, this time curious. "Ah, I see there is still some of the elixir left."
I cleared my throat, ready to put up a fight if she so much as looked at Siri's share of the magical cure. "Yes, but it belongs to someone else."
Freya's eyes narrowed. "Oh, and who might that be?"
"Lady Tyra of Muspell. The rest of the elixir is for Siri, her granddaughter, who is afflicted with the same poison." Freya's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but she covered her loss of composure very well. Not well enough for me, though.
She held my gaze, and I didn't quite trust that gleam in her eye. But then she surprised me. "So I assume Tyra would want the elixir as soon as possible?"
"Yes, of course. I'll give it to her as soon as I return to Asgard." My heart tightened, eager to find out if the elixir would save Steinn's little girl.
"Is she in Asgard, then?" Freya pinched back a little smile.
"Yes, when Odin brought me here, she was still in his hall."
"Very well, then. Let us be going. I shall take you to give Tyra her elixir." I opened my mouth to protest, not keen to leave Aidan right away, especially not with Astrid probably lurking out in the hallway. "Do not worry child, I shall bring you right back." She held out her hand, beckoning me to her. Freya nodded at Lurch, who tilted his head in a tiny bow.
I stepped closer to Freya's side and held on to the goblet as a cool breeze swirled around us, picking the long strands of my hair up and slapping my face with them. I shut my eyes, which was probably a mistake; it made the swirling wind and the churning of my stomach feel a million times worse.
Chapter 36
In mere seconds, I felt the pressure of solid ground beneath my feet as we materialized in Odin's Hall. I took a deep breath, relieved to see Odin and Frigga at the dais, deep in discussion with Tyra. The frequent smiles, the odd touch of an arm, revealed a camaraderie that made me curious. Guess they were old friends or something.
All three turned to watch us enter, each face displaying a similar look of consternation. Then Tyra's worry morphed at once into a brilliant smile. Surely she was not that pleased to see me?
No, of course not.
Beside me, Freya grinned back at Tyra. The dragon matriarch's pleasure was for none other than the ice goddess herself. And oddly enough, Freya looked lovely. The pleasure on her face transformed her usual empty beauty into something too stunning for words.
Freya's voice rang warm, filled with delight. "We thought it would be best to bring the elixir to Tyra now rather than wait until Aidan is fully rested."
Odin nodded and smiled, clearly pleased at the decision. Tyra stepped forward and embraced Freya as if the two were buddies from their schoolyard days.
I barely heard their chattering conversation amidst the shock thrumming in my ears. Wow. Freya and Tyra are friends? Good friends, given all the laughter and the hugs and the high-pitched reminiscing. I was more astonished that Freya was capable of maintaining any kind of loving relationship, much less one that could instill the kind of warmth and pleasure now emanating from the usually cool and fastidious Grand Lady Tyra of the Nidhogg. My widened eyes met Odin's amused one, and he winked as he watched the little reunion.
At long last, they were done hugging each other, though not before I realized that Freya had only brought me to Asgard so fast because she wanted to see Tyra herself. I tried to analyze how I felt about that. It didn't take me long to figure that it hardly mattered why Freya did what she did. I gave a mental shrug. As long as she took me back to Aidan soon, I could be happy for her.
Maybe.
Not that I would ever forgive her for playing with Aidan's life and forcing me to traipse across America and charge into Muspell just because of her stupid vanity. And now, here she was giggling away as if she'd done nothing wrong.
Okay, people. It's great you got to see each other. Yeah. But I want to get back to Aidan, you know.
They broke apart and Tyra turned her eyes on me. Good thing I hadn't begun to tap my feet with impatience.
"Brynhildr, I am sorry. Freya and I have not seen each other in centuries." She threw another warm glance at Freya, whose face could definitely do with that particular brand of happy smiling more often. She looked so lovely that even I began to smile. "I must thank you, Brynhildr. You have done Steinn and Siri and myself a great service. Please remember you can always call on us if you are ever in need of help." She placed her hands on my shoulders, staring into my eyes with a gentle warmth in her gaze, like a honeyed embrace. The golden sheen in her eyes told me she meant every word.
It was difficult not to want to run away, faced with the kind of gratitude and happiness that Tyra displayed. I guess I just wasn't used to people appreciating me that much. I blushed. "Thank you, Lady Tyra. I'm glad I could help. Perhaps someday, when she's well, I could meet your beautiful granddaughter?"
"It is done. But remember, we will always be there for you if you need help. You still have the eye?"
I nodded, the warmth still permeating the skin on my cheeks. "Yes, it is safe."
"Very well, then. The eye will always be a way for you to communicate with me. Just hold it in your hands and I will know you need me." Tyra pulled me into a warm embrace. At first I remained stiff, unsure of what to do, surprised by this new Tyra. Her burden had lifted to reveal a motherly warmth beneath the cool temper and the fiery anger of the dragon matriarch. Then I hugged her back with equal warmth, holding the goblet carefully.
When she released me, I pl
aced the goblet in Tyra's hand, grinning.
"The goblet belongs to you, Brynhildr. When the elixir is finished, I will send it back to Asgard."
I shook my head. "Keep it. It will give me a reason to come and visit you."
She smiled and nodded as if that was the best idea ever. Our sudden friendliness felt slightly surreal, since the woman had, not so long ago, threatened to kill me.
Tyra and Freya said their goodbyes, and I tried not to listen as they promised to see each other more often and not let two centuries pass without having some girl time.
Then, back at my side, and with a quick nod to Odin and Frigga, Freya whisked me back to Hel.
***
As soon as we arrived in Freya's Hall, Lurch glided in through the already open doors. Again with the mind reading? He beckoned, dark hair falling and framing his ancient, crinkled face. Freya had already turned her back and walked off, dismissing me without a backward glance. So easy to believe that I'd only imagined the joy I'd seen in her eyes just minutes ago.
I went quietly with Lurch, no longer worried about Freya or the goblet and its precious contents. Now, I just needed to worry about Aidan.
Lurch led me into the passage and made to walk past Aidan's room. I glared at his departing back as he didn't bother to check what was keeping me.
I cleared my throat and said, "I'll just check on Aidan. . . ."
Lurch kept walking away, and I didn't bother to stop him. I knocked and opened the door just enough to poke my head inside. The smile on my face fell when I saw Aidan's sleeping form. He looked so still lying there. But the rise and fall of his chest comforted me. Yes, he was just asleep.
Fast asleep from the looks of it.
My heart clenched as I shut the door. Although really disappointed, my emotions still soared. Aidan was going to be fine.
I took a shuddering breath and tamped down tears, which rose in an unexpected wave of pure emotion. Blinking back the moisture in my eyes, I hurried after Lurch down a corridor lined with flickering torches. We approached a carved door, unusual in that its pale wood gleamed with an almost marble texture. Lurch opened the door and stood aside, waiting for me to enter, his eyes focused on his feet. My curiosity at his over-subservient manner lasted only until I was hit by a sudden vision of him waiting for me to enter the room and then rushing to lock me in, trapping me in Hel forever.
I choked back a panicked laugh. Bryn, you are a bloody idiot. Scare yourself to death with your crazy imagination.
He waited, silent, as I studied the beautiful wood-paneled room, the high timber roof struts, everything so similar to my own room in Asgard, except that the rich mahogany walls rippled with carvings of waterfalls and sprites.
As I walked further into the torch-lit room, the stone floor emitted a deep, bone-searing cold, and yet the room felt comfortably warm. On the left side, set into the floor, a pool of clear water bubbled. Black rock glistened in the light of the torches as water brushed against stone in little wavelets created by the constantly moving bubbles. Steam rose from the surface, and I sighed.
"There are towels beside the pool and a change of clothing on the bed, my lady," Lurch said from the doorway. He bowed—and swiftly rose a good few notches in my estimation. My lady, indeed.
"Thank you." I smiled at him, but he just stared back at me, his wrinkled face expressionless. What was he waiting for? Before I could ask, a pair of dark-haired dwarfs marched into the room bearing trays of food. Enticed by the delicious aromas, my stomach rumbled softly, but neither of the stiff-faced food-bearers seemed to have heard. They didn't look at me; just plunked the trays down on a mahogany table.
Looked pretty much like nobody smiled in this realm. Other than Freya and Astrid, of course, and, well, their particular brand of happy smiling people left a lot to be desired.
The dwarfs left without even acknowledging me, but I couldn't have cared less. All I wanted was for them to be gone so I could dive into the hot pool. Lurch bowed again and shut the door. It didn't take long before my coat and armor lay in an untidy pile on the floor. I dove into the water, submerging myself all the way to my neck.
The heat and the bubbles massaged my sore muscles, and I groaned with pleasure. Laying my head against the stone ledge, cushioning it with a small soft towel, I breathed out the day. I thought of Aidan, sleeping off the effects of the poison, of Mika and her betrayal of her father and of our wasted friendship, of Siri who'd soon return from her coma and be able to hug and cuddle the two people who most cared for her. I thought about Astrid and her attempts to avenge some ancient disagreement, and about Freya's unexpected generosity. And I thought about Joshua, who would have to heal his broken heart.
I remembered, too, that I had a job waiting for me. Two jobs, actually. Warriors kept dying from that awful black goop, a poison that was thinning Odin's army, steadily making his forces too weak to guarantee a victory at Ragnarok. With Aidan now on his way to recovery, we could get back to Midgard and help in every way possible. And we could find Brody.
How long had I lain in the water? I couldn't say. I only dragged myself out of the delicious heat when I almost fell asleep in the pool. Better to get out before I drowned myself in one of Hel's hot pools.
Later I fell into the bed, sated by the delicious food, thirst quenched by a goblet of Mead and way too relaxed by the heat of the pool. And my last thoughts lay on the one person I'd risked everything for.
As I fell into a deep sleep, a sound echoed in my mind and in my heart.
A sound so intrinsically part of Aidan.
A motorcycle echoed in my dreams.
***
The next morning I rose, rested and calm. I dressed in a hurry and trotted to Aidan's room. A painful little flutter in my tummy revealed the doubts I'd had last night. Could I really trust Freya? What if she had taken Aidan away from me again? Or what if Astrid had hurt him somehow?
Blood thundered in my ears as I grabbed the handle. I would've just walked in, but I stopped myself. This was Aidan's room, and he wasn't an invalid any longer. I didn't think he'd welcome anyone just barging into his room. So I knocked. And waited.
The hollow pounding of my knuckles on wood echoed inside the room and up and down the passageway, and when he didn't answer, I began to worry. Was he okay? Would I find him lying dead from the elixir gone wrong?
Shut up, Bryn, it's been only a few seconds. Relax.
Too many moments later, the door finally opened and Aidan stood on the other side of the threshold, the shadow of his beard darkening his chin, his pale shirt all rumpled. He looked well. Fine. Healthy. My heart thudded faster, and my eyes filled with tears just like that.
He reached for me, closing me in his warm arms, and I shed my tears against his chest. I tried hard to stop crying, but the harder I tried the longer I cried. Everything just came crashing down on me. The memories and the pain replayed in my mind, starting with the look on Aidan's face when I told him how he'd been killed, execution style, bullet in the middle of his forehead. Killed by his own father's thugs.
I remembered the way he blanched when I told him the truth about Freya's demands and the awful curse she'd placed on his life if I didn't return with her necklace in time. The look on his face when I lay beside a stinking dumpster, shot in the abdomen by his father's goons, making a bloody mess on the filthy concrete.
And I remembered that kiss.
The one we'd shared in the transfer room when we'd arrived back in Asgard from Muspell, the one that told me how much he cared despite everything that had happened to us, the one we shared only minutes before Loki stabbed him with his poisoned dagger.
Everything flashed through my mind, and Aidan just held me until I was all cried out.
"Okay now?" he asked when I’d finally gone silent. And the gentle softness to his voice made me want to start all over again.
I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, and you? How are you feeling?" I cleared my throat and stepped away from him. I suddenly needed a bi
t of distance from his arms and his warmth.
"As good as new." His eyes sparkled as he grinned. I stared at him, suspicion rising in an invisible tide. I knew that look.
"Been into the Mead, I see?" I raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh.
"Yup, it's delicious." He winked and strode to his bed, where a low table had been set up. "Want some?" He held up a goblet.
I laughed, joyously happy to see him well. "Why the hell not?"
I shut the door and plonked myself down beside him, taking a goblet of the divine golden milk of the goat Heidrun. Amazing stuff. Cotton candy delicious, filled with healing magic and a sparkle of happiness.
We sipped in a happy, comfortable silence. Which made me want to cry all over again. I snorted silently, pretty disgusted with this new crybaby Bryn.
"So you saved me, hey," Aidan said. "You're pretty good at keeping your word . . . for a girl." He grinned, and I elbowed him in the ribs. Then I gasped in horror. His stab wound. "It's fine, Bryn. It's all healed."
I frowned. Not too long ago it wasn't healed at all. "Really?" I didn't try to hide the fact that I found that pretty hard to believe.
He nodded. "Yup."
"Let me see."
He shrugged as if to say have at it. I did, pulling his shirt up to reveal the healed edges of the wound. His skin was back to a healthy color, with no sign of awful purple and yellow. I let the fabric fall. "Wow, that's something, isn't it? I just looked at that last night and it was hideous and raw."
"Hideous, you say?" He stifled his laughter, trying to look offended. Gee, Aidan, you so need to brush up on your acting skills. Then he sobered in all of three seconds. "So fill me in."
I didn't need to ask him what he meant. I launched into my tale, briefly running over everything that had happened since Freya left me on the floor of Odin's hall, covered in Aidan's blood, listening to Loki's laughter. I even brought him up to speed on the black Warrior-killing goop.
