Highway to Hel

by S. E. Babin

  Gravelbeard let go of my hand. "Hot damn. Magic is swirling around in my head like an out of control clock. Is this what you deal with all the time?"

  "Not quite," I said. "You never told me you had magic, Gravelbeard." I wasn't sure he'd tell me anything. He rarely did.

  "Every dwarf does. It's not a lot, but it gives us each a talent." He pulled his axes from his back. "I got two. Fighting and cooking. I can't do anything better in my life." He kissed the axes and put them back into their sheaths. "We don't go around pulling rabbits out of hats or doing any mumbo jumbo shit like you guys do. It's just who we are."

  He nodded and headed back to the bar. "Morrigan needs to eat again. She expended a shit load of magic." Gravelbeard eyed Loki. "You coming?"

  We nodded and trailed behind the dwarf as he hurried away. When he was out of earshot, I leaned over to whisper to Loki. "How many did we lose?"

  I still hadn't looked at anyone else. Their voices were a low murmur around us. I'd have to explain this later, but right now all I wanted was a frothy beer and maybe another bowl of that stew.

  Loki's jaw tightened. "Too many," was all he said. "All that time those people were here breaking bread with us. It's maddening."

  "They were loyal to Odin," I said and shrugged. "Most likely. I didn't see everyone who left, but most of the people who lived here were my people. Who knows how he got to them." They were gone now, but it felt like a hole in my heart.

  "The place feels different," Loki said. "Lighter."

  I nodded. "I feel it too." I did. The air around us felt lighter. The magic felt cleaner. Whatever Morrigan had done worked. I wondered if I could get Gravelbeard to make her pancakes again as a thank you. She deserved it.

  Loki pulled me closer and slung an arm over my shoulder. "I'm exhausted," he admitted.

  "Nearly dying will do that to you," I said, laughter in my voice.

  "You're one to talk. I recall you doing the exact same thing." His voice went deeper. "You were trying to save me, Freya. Desperately. Why is that?"

  My footsteps stilled. Loki stopped beside me. "Why wouldn't I?" I breathed. "I would not leave you to die, Loki, and if it were in my power to save you, I would."

  He brushed a lock of hair from my face and tilted my chin up so I could meet his eyes. "But why, little witch? You poured yourself into me."

  I blinked. His eyes, even in the dark, gleamed with an emerald light. "I care about you," I ventured.

  His teeth flashed white. "I'm aware of that. But this was different."

  My heart fluttered against my chest. I wasn't ready for this. I couldn't tell him how I felt. Odin's presence was still all around us. Until I was free of him, free of the fear of him, I wasn't sure I could give him what he needed.

  His eyes dimmed a little when he realized I wouldn't say more. "Ah," he said lightly. "I won't pressure you, Freya. But you and I both know this was something more. When you are ready, and only then, I will tell you how I feel."

  "You already have," I said. I started walking to the bar again.

  Loki shook his head. "No, I told you only a tiny sliver of my heart. Only a small secret. I have a mountain I want to share with you. But I told you before, I will never pressure you to know my heart. You'll learn it in your own time, and I'll be here for however long it takes."

  A soft sigh escaped me. "Why do you wait for me? You could have any woman you wanted."

  "And you could have any man. You do not know how incredible you are. If you did, you would not ask me that question. My heart belongs to you, little witch. It is the one thing you should never question."

  We stopped at the entrance to the bar. He was about to step in but I held him back for a moment. His gaze was questioning.

  I stood on my tiptoes and lifted my lips to his. He brushed across mine once, twice and caressed my jaw with his index finger. "I'll wait for you forever, Goddess of War." Loki brushed one more kiss across my lips and headed inside, holding the door open for me.

  Why was I such an idiot? Why couldn't I tell him how I felt? I wasn't a hundred percent sure exactly what I felt yet, but I knew I'd be a massive idiot if I walked away from him. I'd never met a man like him. Even when our relationship was platonic, I knew he was special. And now that he was in my life and I'd really gotten to know him, I was convinced I was the biggest idiot in the world. I might not be able to vocalize my feelings for him, but if anyone tried to snoop in and snatch him, I'm pretty sure I'd eviscerate them. Violently.

  I cringed at myself and followed him in.

  We followed the smell of the stew into the kitchen. Gravelbeard already had bowls ready for us and I downed mine quickly. Morrigan was by the stove getting another bowl. Magic burned a lot of energy and when we used it, we had to replenish our energy. A large tray of tiramisu was laid out in front of us and the second I'd finished my stew, I snagged a large piece of it and dug in.

  The flavor of mocha and ladyfingers hit my taste buds and I groaned at how delicious it was. I could never, ever lose Gravelbeard because I would never be able to eat regular food again. When I could speak without my mouth full, I congratulated Gravelbeard on the best thing I'd ever eaten.

  "Eyra helped," he said and snagged a plate for himself.

  "Where is Eyra?" I asked, realizing I hadn't seen her in a while.

  His eyes clouded over. "Alaria called her back to Valhalla." His gaze shifted away.

  "Gravelbeard?" I set my plate down even though I really didn't want to.

  "It's why I needed the time off." Gravelbeard shifted uncomfortably.

  I didn't understand that. He'd gotten into Valhalla once and the Valkyries wanted to murder him. I didn't want to know what would happen if he managed to sneak in twice. I waited for him to continue.

  He scratched his beard and wouldn't look at me. "I want to ask her to marry me."

  Loki's fork clattered to the counter. Morrigan laughed in delight. I stared open-mouthed for a second and finally blurted, "That's wonderful!"

  It was, but I had no idea how they were going to work this out. Eyra was a Valkyrie. She was allowed to stay here, but she was not allowed to marry. Valkyries foreswore romance when they agreed to shuttle the souls of the worthy to Valhalla. She might want to marry Gravelbeard, but I wasn't sure she'd be allowed to.

  If she left the Valkyries, she would be shunned. Understanding filled me as I saw the grief in Gravelbeard's eyes. He knew what the odds of this working out were. Extremely low. But he was going to do it anyway.

  Loki clapped a hand on his shoulder. "That's wonderful news, man." His mouth pressed into a grim line. Loki knew as well.

  Morrigan's eyes were sad. "I want to be in the wedding," she announced. "And I want to wear black."

  A snort escaped me at her attempt at levity. "Take all the time you need," I said. "If you'd like me to ask Alaria if you can enter Valhalla, I'd be happy to step in on your behalf."

  "Thank you, Freya. I would like that very much."

  "Then I'd be happy to do it." I picked my tiramisu back up and started eating again. Conversation lulled into a sad silence.

  "Morrigan, I want to thank you for tonight. The place feels different. We can start work on all the rest of it tomorrow, but I want you to know I'd like to offer you some land here. You can choose to build a house on it or whatever you'd like. There will be room for a garden or a shed, room for a lot of things actually."

  Morrigan's face slackened with surprise. "I want to live next door to you," she said. "I'm by myself and have no need for a large house. I'm content with a small space. I don't need the land, though I appreciate the gesture. Perhaps you can save it for someone else who is worthy?"

  A tinge of pink magic rose from me and within it a picture became clear in my mind. I gasped in surprise. Seidr magic rarely showed itself outside of a ritual, but occasionally a piece of information about the future came to me so clear and pure that I had no reason whatsoever to doubt it.

  I grinned at Morrigan - a wide, happy expression, a
nd she frowned at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, suspicion in every cell of her body.

  Morrigan didn't know it yet, but there was a tall, dark and handsome stranger in her very near future.

  "I'll save the land for you," I murmured. "I think you're going to want it later."

  Morrigan's lips twisted to the side. "Doubtful," she said. "Weirdo."

  I grinned at Loki. One of his dark eyebrows rose.

  "I'll tell you later," I mouthed.

  Whoever it was would be here within the week and boy ... was he a looker. Morrigan was going to have her hands full in short order.

  I couldn't wait to see the disaster that would soon be Morrigan's love life. It was going to be epic.

  The grin followed me for the rest of the evening and even after we'd gotten back to the house, I still couldn't wipe it off.

  If there was anyone who deserved it, it was her. But a little chaos along the way wouldn’t hurt her, but it would certainly amuse me.

  Sixteen

  I was up bright and early the next morning dressed and ready to tackle the repairs to the town. We could do most things with magic, but we would be unable to replace memories and precious knick-knacks. I could duplicate them, sure, but they wouldn't be the same and everyone knew it.

  I dressed in a pair of yoga leggings, a long-sleeved t-shirt and comfortable tennis shoes. My dress code had changed a lot since I'd lived here and I loved the human's sense of fashion. This was the most comfortable thing I owned and since I was going to be outside today, I wanted to be free of restrictive skirts or looser clothing.

  Loki whistled low when I walked into the kitchen. He pointed at the coffee pot. "There's extra in there if you want more," he said as he slowly looked me up and down. "I have no idea what you're wearing, but I like it."

  Loki had a fondness for workout clothes, too, but it didn't appear he'd been paying attention to female fashion.

  "They're called leggings," I said and twisted my leg around so he could see the full pattern. "They come in all kinds of colors."

  My shirt had something called thumb holes in it. It was a place I could stick my thumbs in to keep most of my hands warm. I normally didn't need them because the temperature here stayed just about the same all the time. After yesterday, I wondered if it would change.

  I had my answer moments after I waved my coffee mug at Loki and stepped outside. Winter slapped me right in the face and my jaw dropped as I realized there was snow.

  Everywhere.

  I stepped back inside the house and called for Loki. "Have you been outside since yesterday?" I questioned.

  "No," he answered, his voice confused.

  I held the door wide open for him and stood there without a word. Loki inhaled a surprised gasp before laughing with delight. "What in the world, Freya?"

  I smiled at his obvious good cheer. "Last night I thought we should have four seasons. I guess the magic listened."

  A screech rang out from the house and I looked back, surprised to see Morrigan staring outside with a look of horrified fascination.

  "Snow?" she said, horrified. "There's snow?" She looked at both of us with accusation in her eyes. "Whose idea was this?"

  Loki pointed to me as he threw me under the bus.

  "Loki!"

  He chuckled. "She would have found out eventually."

  "Do you not like four seasons?" I said, charmed by the blanket of white all over the town. People were coming out of their apartments and homes, chattering with surprise at the temperature and season change.

  "If I wanted four seasons, I'd move to earth," she grumbled, but she walked forward a little and poked her head out the door. "It smells crisp," she said with grudging approval. "Like pine."

  "It does," I agreed. I needed to grab a jacket or something before heading out. Shutting the door behind me, I walked toward the hall closet. I had one coat I'd bought on a whim during one of my few outings to earth. It was a flared trench coat with wide pockets on the sides and a bright emerald green color.

  Just like Loki's eyes, I thought, though I'd bought it before anything happened between us.

  "I'm heading out to look at the damage closer. I thought I'd start rebuilding some homes. You're both welcome to come with me. It would be a good time to change some things up if we wanted to. Gravelbeard kept all the notes, too, so we need to stop by the bar."

  Morrigan's eyes lit up at that. "Will he have pancakes?"

  I shrugged. "He'll have something. You never know what he'll come up with next."

  "I hope he comes up with pancakes," Morrigan said. Smoke curled around her and as I watched, she clothes herself in head to toe leather. A cloak of sleek black raven feathers covered her shoulders and she completed the look with chic black boots. They looked waterproof, but we'd soon find out if they were when she started to sink in the snow.

  Loki exhaled and looked down at his coffee. "Can I catch up with you? I want to finish this and I'll need to get dressed. Don't get too far ahead of me. I'll grab something here."

  "Sure," I said, squashing down the disappointment his statement made me feel. "Just find us when you're ready."

  A wicked glint appeared in his eyes. "I'll always find you, Freya."

  Morrigan groaned. "Off with you, you lovesick fool." She turned to me. "Will Gravelbeard have coffee?"

  "Usually, but there's some left in the carafe if you want some now," I said.

  Morrigan grimaced. "Loki's coffee is weak. I like mine a lot darker than his watery beans."

  She was partially right. Loki preferred the lighter brew. I actually preferred medium but didn't complain when he brought me a cup because he'd taken the time to make it. "Suit yourself," I said and belted the coat shut. "Ready when you are."

  Morrigan breezed past me and onto the porch. I opened my mouth to warn her, but it was too late. Her fancy boots didn't have enough traction and her feet slipped right out from underneath her.

  Morrigan went down in a heap of tangled limbs and embarrassed outrage.

  "Ice?" she sneered. "For fuck's sake, Freya! Why in the world would you think four seasons would be a good idea?"

  Just then, excited shouts of laughter rang out. Morrigan and I looked up only to see the children left were rolling snow into large balls. Morrigan sat up a little straighter and watched them in fascination.

  "Snowmen," she said with wonder. "They're making snowmen."

  "They are," I said from above her. "And that is one of the many reasons I thought having four seasons as a good idea." I held my hand out and helped her up. She wobbled for a moment like a newborn gazelle. I held on to her. "Change your boots," I said with no little amusement.

  She grunted and magic shimmered from her. I looked down and noted she was now wearing appropriate snow boots with some weird metal thing on the bottom.

  "For traction," she said and shrugged.

  I looked down at my ridiculous attire and sighed. I rarely expended magic on anything unnecessary anymore, but I was woefully underdressed and my coat was too fancy for my casual attire. Sighing, I sent a trickle of magic up and seconds later was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a large sweater, boots and I added on a beanie and insulated gloves. Next came a puffer jacket and soon enough I was ready to go.

  "You've gone awfully casual lately," Morrigan remarked.

  "I don't have anyone to impress," I told her. There were no more dinners full of powerful gods and goddesses. No more posturing. No more of anything except whatever I wanted to do. And I certainly didn't want to dress in a tight corset and pour wine for people I didn't like. I didn't want to simper either like some ninny headed fool.

  Just thinking about it made me want to rage, so I carefully turned my thoughts to other things. More important things than my vengeful ex.

  Morrigan made a humming noise. "You're right. Maybe I'll follow suit." Her look turned thoughtful. "What were those stretchy things you were wearing a minute ago?"

  I held in my smile. "Leggings. They'
re super comfortable."

  "Can we go shopping soon?" She looked away from me, a hesitant spark in her eyes. "For a television and ... maybe some of those?"

  "Sure," I said lightly. "Let's get this stuff straightened out first. Once it's done, I'll set up a shopping date for us. There's a good Italian restaurant I want to take you to." If it were still there. Time passed in a blink of an eye for us. Not so much for the humans.

  "I look forward to it." She held her hands out to keep her balance, and I tried not to laugh. I'd almost forgotten about the ice back home when Odin made me travel with him, but I was more adept at walking on it than she was.

  We made it to the bar a little while late, delayed by Morrigan learning to roll a snowball. She wasn't super pleased with me when I threw one at her face and snow slipped down her shirt. I suspected I'd need to watch my back for a while.

  The smell of something scrumptious tickled our noses as soon as the door opened. I headed straight to the kitchen with Morrigan trailing behind me, her pert nose stuck up in the air like a bloodhound. Gravelbeard stood on a stool over something golden brown and puffy. He held a sifter and white powder fell down on top of whatever he'd made.

  Morrigan almost shoved me out of the way to get to him. "What is that?" she demanded, a hopeful note in her voice.

  Gravelbeard's enormous beard twitched. "It's called a Dutch Baby," he said in his growly voice. "It's like a puffy pancake."

  "Pancake?" Morrigan echoed. "Are there any more?"

  Her look was so hopeful, I had to turn away to hide my smile.

  Gravelbeard jerked his head toward the oven. "You have to make them one at a time, and it's very delicate work." He picked up a jar of something that looked like caramel apples and delicately spooned them over the pancake. Then he picked up the sifter one more time and gave it another shake, dusting the apples with sugar.

  Gravelbeard pushed the plate over to Morrigan. "There are forks in the cabinet over there," he said gruffly.