by S. T. Bende
My heart clenched at the mention of our missing friend. Introductions were well and good, but we needed to get our intel and get out as soon as possible. There would be plenty of time for catching up later—when I had four protectors with me, once again.
Tore frowned. “Your dads didn’t tell you? Bodie’s been abducted. We’re hoping Hjalmar has information that will help us get him back.”
“Oh, gods.” Jale paled considerably. “I didn’t know. Get inside, then. We don’t have time for small talk, do we?”
Jale waved us onto the porch, where we dropped our weapons into as neat a pile as possible. Once inside the house, smells of chocolate, fruit pies, and love enveloped us. A plump man with short, blond waves stood smiling in the hallway. He walked toward us, dusting his hands on his red checkered apron as he moved. By the time he reached Johann, his face was lit up in a joyful smile. “Hannie!” he exclaimed. “Velkommen home!”
“Dad!” Johann threw his arms around his father, and I tried not to giggle at the sheer number of times I’d heard Johann’s nickname today. I was going to have to make major use of it when we got back home.
“Oh, my goodness, look at you.” Johann’s dad held his son at arm’s length. “Oh, dear, you’re far too thin.” He looked up with a frown. “Tore, you promised you wouldn’t work him too hard.”
“It’s not me.” Tore released his grip on my hand to raise his palms. “Mack’s got us all on this extreme chicken diet while he tries to bulk Allie up. We’re not getting nearly enough dessert on Midgard.”
“Allie.” Johann’s dad turned his warm eyes on me. Despite his concern, they bore the same telltale twinkle as his son’s. “You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Garrett. It’s good to see you again. It’s been a very long time.”
My head tilted in confusion before a flicker of recognition sparked. It pinged between my head and my heart, then lit up my entire being with its warm memory. “That’s right, you knew my mom. Know my mom,” I corrected myself.
“You’ve had a lot to take in, haven’t you?” Garrett tutted in concern. “We can catch up over the dessert that Mack has failed to make you.”
“Hey,” Mack protested. “I feed them.”
“Someone has to.” Johann shrugged. “Eir’s cooking gene skipped Allie.”
“Oh, just because she’s the girl in the house, she’s supposed to cook?” Jale’s hands were back on her hips. “Pretty backwards, big brother.”
“That’s not what I—”
“Is that my son?” A booming voice sounded from above us. I drew my attention away from the heckling siblings to take in the massive man descending the staircase. With his jet-black hair, exotic eyes, and dark features, he was a larger copy of Johann . . . minus my friend’s playful demeanor. Johann’s second dad was all warrior, from his furrowed brow to his set jaw to his bonus-sized triceps. The man was seriously intimidating. A sudden surge of nerves sent my feet shuffling closer to Tore. I clutched his bicep tight, for once not bothering to appreciate its bulk.
“Hei, Dad.” Johann grinned and crossed to the foot of the stairs. Larger Johann clapped my friend warmly on the back.
“Son.” A radiant expression lit up his hard features, siphoning some of my nerves away. “I’m glad you’re home. Although I am sorry for the circumstances that brought you here.”
“You and me both,” Johann said. “Dad, this is Allie—Eir’s daughter. Allie, this is my dad, Hjalmar.”
“Uh, hello, sir.” I bit down on my bottom lip. I needed Hjalmar to like me. The intensity in his eyes, combined with the massiveness of his shoulders, suggested he could crush me if he didn’t. After how things had gone down with Tore’s dad, I could use a win.
“Oh, Allie.” Hjalmar’s expression softened. The warrior disappeared, and a worried father took his place. “It’s good to see you again. I’m sorry you’ve gone through so much on your own.” He crossed to me in three large steps and enveloped me in a hug.
Vanaheim was turning out to be the realm of the huggers.
“I wasn’t on my own,” I mumbled into Hjalmar’s chest, infinitely relieved I’d gotten his approval. “Gran was with me for most of it. Then I got these guys.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Hjalmar released his hold to study me with concerned eyes. “And have my son and his friends been taking proper care of you?”
“They’re doing fine,” I assured him. No need to mention the near-death-by-dragon experience we’d just had, or the fact that my protectors took daily turns kicking my butt in training. “Though I could do with a little more dessert around the house. Mack’s got me on this extreme chicken diet . . .” I was totally using Tore’s title for the torture that was my food regimen. Except for that one pizza night, it had been nothing but poultry and bacon for weeks. Not that I was complaining about the bacon.
“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Hjalmar released me to sling an arm around his husband’s shoulders. “Garrett has won our village bake-off three years running. I appreciate his prowess—when I’m not off the sugar, of course.”
“You don’t have to eliminate it completely, Dad.” Jale rolled her eyes. “I’ve told you repeatedly, reducing consumption by half is more than sufficient to improve your metabolic output.”
Johann chuckled. “You know Dad can’t do anything by halves.”
“Truth,” Jale agreed.
“Hush, you two,” Garrett waved us down the hall. “The cookies are done, and the pie should be cool. I want to feed you while Hjalmar talks to you about how to get Bodie back. Especially you, Allie. You’re too thin.”
My cheeks grew warm under Garrett’s concerned stare. I wasn’t used to this many people worrying about me. “Okay,” I murmured.
“Oh, these are for you.” Johann offered Hjalmar the bag of fruits as we followed Garrett to the kitchen. “I figured Dad would have baked all the ones in the house, and since I know you’re on the paleo . . .” He shrugged.
“Thank you, son.” Hjalmar beamed down at Johann. “This is very thoughtful.”
“That’s me.” Johann grinned. “Thoughtful.”
Tore snorted beside me. Oh, Hannie. The things we will tease you about later.
We filed into the all-white kitchen. Brilliant pendant lights hung over the dessert-laden marble island top, and ivory tiles lined the backsplash of the wall that stretched from sink to stove. Garrett donned twin oven mitts to withdraw another tray of sweets from the oven, and Jale pulled plates from the cupboard.
“We’ll eat at the table.” Hjalmar took utensils from a drawer and scattered them along the island. “And I’ll tell you what I know of Muspelheim. Hopefully something will help you locate Bodie.”
From my right, Greta let out a delicate sniff. She’d been quiet since the marketplace, and I sensed that Bodie’s absence was hitting her hard. Mack reached over to place his hand atop hers. “We’ll bring him home, Greta,” he pledged.
“I know we will.” Greta drew her shoulders back. “And then we’ll put every dark elf that contributed to his abduction into an energetic coma. Or worse.”
Jale smiled at Greta. “I’ve always liked you,” she declared.
“And I, you,” Greta replied soberly.
Garrett waved us to the island, where we filled plates with heaping amounts of sweets. Hjalmar settled at the table looking slightly discontented with his fruit plate, while the rest of us dug into the awesomeness that was Garrett’s baking. When our mouths were filled with the first delicious mouthfuls of puff pastry, Hjalmar put his hands on the table and stared us down.
“I’ll give you a full report on Muspelheim. But if that’s where Bodie is, he’s in big-time trouble. The fire giants want a place in Nott’s new Midgard, too. Which means if she’s hiding your friend there, he’s going to be heavily guarded.”
Great.
“How heavily guarded?” I asked.
Hjalmar paused before answering. “Think battalions of fire giants on top of active volcanoes. And possibly a hand
ful of possessed dragons.”
Terror shot up my spine, ricocheting back downward in a waterfall of pure fear. “That’s pretty guarded,” I downplayed.
“Ja,” Hjalmar agreed. “But I have an idea of where you can start your search. On my last tour there, we captured a hostile who’d been hiding in Maldraul Mountain. It’s the only inactive volcano in a ring of actives, and most of Muspelheim believes it still spews lava. But the truth is, it dried up centuries ago.”
“So Maldraul’s inactive, but the rest of the volcanoes could blow at any minute? And you think we should start our search there?” That sealed it. Johann’s dad was insane.
“Correct.” Hjalmar continued. “We interrogated the hostile we captured, and he gave us a fairly detailed explanation of the caverns within the mountain. They’d make the perfect hiding spot for a night goddess who didn’t want to be found.”
I leaned over to whisper in Tore’s ear. “By ‘interrogated,’ Hjalmar totally means ‘tortured,’ doesn’t he?” Insane.
“Yup.” Tore didn’t bat an eye. “What’s the breakdown on the interior?”
Hjalmar reached behind him to grab the pad of paper and pen that rested on the countertop. Tore and Johann scooted their chairs closer to the warrior while he sketched out a map, but Mack nudged me with his elbow.
“What?” I asked.
The lumberjack jutted his chin at Greta. She was staring morosely into her napkin.
“You need me?” I murmured to Tore. With a subtle head tilt, I directed his attention to Greta.
He took one look at our friend and shook his head. “I’ll fill you in later,” he whispered.
Turning from Tore, I reached out to take Greta’s free hand in my own. “Hey,” I whispered. “Can I borrow you in the hallway for a minute?”
“Don’t the guys need us here?” she asked.
“Too many cooks in this kitchen. They’ll fill us in on the extraction strategy later. Come on.” I pushed my chair back and led Greta from the table. When we were away from the recon talk, I pulled her in for a hug. She stiffened before relaxing into my embrace. “You doing okay?”
“No,” she admitted. She wrapped her arms around me and held on tight.
“I’m so sorry, Greta,” I said. “It’s my fault Bodie’s gone. He was trying to protect me, and—”
“Stop it. This is Nott’s fault. Nobody else’s.” She pulled away with a frown. “It’s just that given everything that’s happened to Eir . . . well, I’m nervous.”
“Tell me about it.” I grimaced. I’d kept a tight lid on my worries because I knew that if I unleashed them, I’d fall to pieces and be of no use to our missing friend—or to the team of protectors who were his only hope of escape. No way was I letting that happen.
“Sorry, Allie. I didn’t mean to bring up your mom.”
My gut clenched as a fresh wave of sadness washed over me. Sorry, Mom. We’ll break your curse soon, I swear. But from everything I’d heard of her, my mom was a loyal friend. She’d understand our needing to save Bodie before we found the next piece of Gud Morder. I hoped.
“It’s okay.” I drew my shoulders back with resolve. “The good news is that Nott needs Bodie alive to use him as bait, so we at least have that going for us. And Hjalmar’s information is going to help us track him. And if, God forbid, we hit a dead end, we’ll comb the realms until we bring him home. You have my word.”
“I know.” Greta’s lips thinned into a sad smile. “I just miss him. A lot.”
“Me too,” I admitted. “I’m here if you want to talk.”
“Thanks. And thanks for checking on me. I needed a friend.” She took a step backward. “Now, let’s get back in the kitchen. I want to be as useful as possible.”
With a nod, I followed Greta back to the table. Johann leaned forward on his elbows as we sat.
“So,” he summarized, “once we find the ring of volcanoes and identify the one with the cave that opens to the base of the meadow, we locate the second point of entry and move fast.”
“That’s correct,” Hjalmar confirmed. Tore nodded as if he understood, which hopefully meant he’d be able to explain it to me when the time came. “Just know that if Nott’s hiding inside Maldraul, she’ll have reinforcements stationed in every single exit tunnel. And they’ll know to be on the lookout for you.”
Well, crap.
“I’d imagine that—” Hjalmar broke off as the device on his wrist started beeping.
“What is it?” Garrett asked nervously.
“Probably just a routine report.” Hjalmar glanced at the communicator’s screen. “Another heat spell coming from the south; a request for additional coverage at the base; a surge of light energy followed by the opening of a dark portal—skit.”
My heart sank. Skit was right.
Tore stood so quickly, his chair tipped over behind him. “We have to move,” he declared.
“Yup.” I jumped to my feet. Mack, Johann, Greta, and Hjalmar did the same.
“But your pie . . .” Garrett frowned.
“The light energy surge is probably one of the pieces of Allie’s missing weapon,” Tore explained. “Which means the dark portal that opened up most likely brought a search party of dark elves.”
“That portal could lead us to Bodie,” Greta said fiercely.
Hjalmar glowered. “No night elves enter this realm on my watch.”
“Go. All of you.” Garrett waved his hands. “Jale and I will clean up.”
“Thanks, Dad. Sis.” Johann leaned down to kiss his sister’s cheek.
“Just be careful out there,” she said seriously.
“Always am,” Johann said.
We hustled out of the kitchen and strapped into the weapons we’d deposited on the porch. It didn’t take long for us to suit up, cut through the village, and follow Hjalmar deep into the forest outside of town.
“The coordinates of the dark burst should be past that rock formation.” Hjalmar pointed to a thicket of densely-packed trees. I could just make out a cluster of boulders beyond the shadows.
“Then that’s where we’re heading.” Tore marched determinedly toward the tree cluster, stopping short when Hjalmar pressed a palm to his chest.
“What?” Tore’s brow furrowed in confusion.
Hjalmar stared into the shadows. “Do you find it odd that a dark burst erupted shortly after you arrived in Vanaheim?”
Honestly, I just figured we had really, really lousy luck.
“What are you getting at?” Tore asked.
Hjalmar lowered his hand. “Nott’s always one step ahead of you, isn’t she? You get to a new realm, and she has dark elves in waiting. It’s not the first time that’s happened, is it?”
A sickening feeling washed over me.
“No. It’s not.” Johann paled.
Hjalmar released a string of curse words that made the rest of my protectors look like choir boys. “There’s a spy in Asgard. I’m sure of it now. Vidar’s been looking into it for a while, but whoever’s behind this has left no trail.”
Tore grimaced at the mention of his father’s name. “Do you have any suspects?”
The vein framing Hjalmar’s thick neck bulged. “Not yet. But if Revenge doesn’t figure this out soon, I will. From now on, trust no one with the details of your missions. Don’t send ravens; don’t communicate over the wrist coms.”
Greta stepped forward. “You think it’s someone in the Alfödr’s inner circle?”
“They wouldn’t.” Mack shook his head. “Their oath prohibits—”
“An oath could be manipulated by dark magic.” Hjalmar frowned. “I don’t know if the traitor comes from the Alfödr’s camp, but I do believe Nott could have infected the mind of one of our gods. Or of someone close to one of our gods.”
There was a collective intake of breath.
“Nott can infect gods’ minds.” I shuddered. Until then, I’d been hoping that brand of crazy was limited to dragon and fire-rat possession. That’s where hop
e got you, Allie.
“She’s a light goddess turned dark, Allie. She can do almost anything.” Greta withdrew her crystal wands and held them in front of her in the shape of a cross. If the situation wasn’t so dire, I would have laughed.
“Awesome,” I whispered.
Tore’s arm brushed against mine as he stepped closer. “What do you suggest we do?”
Hjalmar placed his sizeable palm atop the hilt of his sheathed sword. “For now, do nothing. I’ll pay Vidar a visit in person, and the two of us will send word when we have more information. Your job right now is to retrieve the pieces of your weapon. If there is indeed a portal in these woods, I, and only I, will be going through it to look for Bodie. Muspelheim is overrun with darkness. The king’s guards have been ordered to destroy non-natives on sight, and the dragons have almost doubled in number since my last tour of duty. Either the fire giants are running a breeding program down there, or—”
“Or Nott’s infecting them.” I groaned.
“I’m not sure if that’s possible with animals—”
“It is! Sorry.” I cut Hjalmar off with a hastened apology. “But it is possible. When we were on Nidavellir, there was a dragon who’d been . . . I thought she was possessed, but maybe she was infected. Same thing really. Either way, she was definitely a light dragon turned dark. When I killed her, the–”
“You killed a dragon?” Hjalmar’s eyebrows shot up.
“Allie has the Liv, Dad. I told you guys a few weeks ago. Try to keep up.” Johann sighed.
“Right.” A glint came into Hjalmar’s eyes, and he looked at me with a little more respect. “You were saying, Allie?”
“Uh, when I killed the dragon, this blackness rose up. Once I destroyed that, the light was able to return to her body on its own, and she came back to life.”
“You killed and revived a dragon?” The corners of Hjalmar’s mouth pulled back in a smile. “You are your mother’s daughter, aren’t you?”
“Eir will be proud of the woman Allie has become,” Tore affirmed. At his words, warmth burst from my heart and radiated through my body.
“She will,” Hjalmar agreed. “But I meant what I said before. We’re about to head into what is most certainly a Nott-laid ambush. And if there is a portal, and if we have reason to believe Bodie is on the other side, then I will be the only one crossing through it. Am I clear?”
