As for Midgard, nothing had happened that we were aware of. Thor and Fen went back to the apartment while Charlie and I raced Will to the hospital, not before stopping at her apartment to get her glasses. She was starting to run into things.
“We need a wheelchair!” I yelled as we entered the emergency room of Portland General. I cradled Will in my arms, and to a human this probably looked really odd and near impossible.
Nurses rushed out of the triage room with a stretcher instead of a wheelchair. Even better. I placed him on top, and they quickly began to check his vitals. They wheeled him between a set of double doors and down a hallway. Charlie and I followed.
“What happened?” A doctor came up to us with a pen light and flashed it in Will’s eyes.
“This is Detective William Callahan. He was kidnapped and has been severely dehydrated and starved. I don’t know what else he has undergone,” I said as I continued to follow them. I decided to stick to the truth while taking out the supernatural element.
“Donna, call the authorities,” the doctor said to one of the nurses then turned to Charlie and me. “You’ll have to wait outside.” He then ushered Will into a room with a group of nurses and doctors and shut the door, closing the blinds.
I ran my hands through my hair, letting out a big exhale, and I started to pace.
“Was this a smart idea?” Charlie asked as she leaned against the wall. “Bringing him here I mean.”
“This is his only hope, Charlie. We need professionals who can help him. He’s human, not one of us.”
“What about the police?”
I nodded. “I’m a suspect—”
“What?” Charlie gasped as she pushed off the wall, flailing her arms to the side.
I held up a hand to placate her. “Just tell them the truth. Keep the supernatural stuff out.”
“Are you nuts?” she whisper-shouted.
“No, I’m smart. That means the humans will be searching for Hel as well. The more eyes we have on her the better. The minute she steps foot in Midgard, we’ll know. One way or the other.”
Charlie chewed on her bottom lip. “You’re putting humans at risk.”
I shrugged. “Collateral.”
She winced. “You’re so crass.”
“Just because I have wings, doesn’t make me an angel.”
We spent the next two hours milling around the hospital as medical personnel walked in and out of Will’s room. We hadn’t been able to get a straight answer as to what was exactly wrong with him and why he wasn’t responding yet. Then again, he might just be too weak. The police had shown up and interviewed Charlie in regards to what happened to them and she gave a description of what Hel looked like.
We were going on hour three when my least favorite people showed up—Detective Carlos Jimenez and his female partner who I never got a name for.
“Ms. Romero,” he said with an overconfident smirk. “Why am I not surprised to see you here?”
“Of course you’re not,” I deadpanned. “But how lovely of you to do your job. Uh, three hours later! What happened to this being a priority?”
“It is,” his partner said. “But this isn’t the only case we’re working. So tell us what happened?”
I glared at Jimenez before facing his more sensible partner. “Like we told the police officers, Charlie called me to pick them up. Their captor left them in the Tualatin Mountains. I brought them straight here.”
“How did you get a phone?” Jimenez asked Charlie. Those beady eyes just trying to poke holes in our story.
Charlie straightened and pushed her glasses up her nose. “I hiked to the nearest road and stopped a car. I asked to borrow a phone and called Raven.”
“Why didn’t you call 911?” he asked.
She glowered at him. “Because I don’t trust you,” Charlie said with enough heat that even I had to step back.
His partner was jotting down notes on a pad when she looked up to stare at Charlie. “Ms. O’Malley, what can you tell us about who captured you?”
When she went into a description of Hel, that’s when I tuned them out, but I did hear her agree to work with a sketch artist to get an image of their kidnapper out to the media. It was kind of funny when I thought about it. That used to be me on the news as a suspect.
We were lucky they didn’t dig too deep into our story, because if they did, they’d find out I didn’t have a phone. But I thought they were just glad they had someone to pin it on.
When the detectives left, we were finally able to go inside Will’s hospital room where the doctor was looking through his chart.
“Are you family?” he asked, raising a hand to stop us from entering further into the room.
I pointed to Charlie. “She’s his wife.” Her eyes widen to golf balls, and she gulped.
“Mrs. Callahan?” the doctor inquired.
I scoffed. “Don’t be sexist. It’s the twenty-first century, women don’t have to take the men’s surname.”
The doctor turned red. “Of course, my apologies.”
I elbowed Charlie in the side and urged her forward. She stumbled, and I caught her arm before she fell on her face. She cleared her throat. “Right, uh … my husband, can you tell us what is wrong with him?”
“Did your husband hit his head recently?” the doctor asked, and Charlie and I looked at one another.
“It’s possible,” I said. “He was being held against his will. We don’t know what he’s endured.”
He nodded. “There’s some swelling in the brain, causing him to be in this state of unconsciousness. In other words, he’s in a coma.” I tensed as Charlie’s hand latched on to mine. “We’re pumping him with fluids, and so far, his vitals are strengthening, but we need to monitor him for the next couple of days. The next seventy-two hours are imperative.”
“Thank you,” Charlie whispered, and he left the room.
We stayed at the foot of Will’s bed, rooted in place watching him. The monitors around him beeped, and the smell of disinfectant was strong. He just lay in his bed so peacefully it was almost eerie.
Charlie released me. “I’ll get some things to shave him and get him cleaned up for when he wakes.” She started to bustle around the room.
“Charlie—”
“We have to ask the nurses to give him a bath. He’s in desperate need of—”
“Charlie!” I stopped her before she word vomited. “I’m leaving.”
Her face fell. “What? Why?”
“I have to find the valkyries. Our time is limited, and I can’t wait for Will to wake up.” If he ever does is what I wanted to say, but I didn’t want to destroy whatever was keeping her spirits alive. I knew she still felt some guilt and was blaming herself for Will’s condition. I didn’t want to make things worse.
“I understand. I—”
“You’re not coming with me.” I shook my head with a smile. “I’m taking Thor. You need to be here with Will. For when he wakes up.” I bit down on the grimace that threatened to cross my face. I hated giving false hope.
“Okay.” She nodded. “Just come back in one piece, please.”
I pulled Charlie into an unexpected hug. “I promise.”
When I made it back to Fen’s apartment, I walked in on a screaming match that could be heard three floors down. At the sound of glass breaking, I barged into the apartment like SWAT.
“What in the hell is going on here?” I yelled as I walked into the living room. It was in complete disarray with clear glass shattered against the faux fireplace.
“Fenrir”—Thor pointed at the accused—“is sabotaging our trip to Norway.”
My head whipped to Fen. “Is this true?”
“You’re such a self-righteous prick.” Fen narrowed those obsidian eyes at Thor.
I snapped my fingers in his direction. “Hey! I’m talking to you. Do you have a problem with me and Thor going on this trip?” I knew that was the root of it all. Lately, Fen’s overbearingness has been getting in th
e way of a lot.
Fen turned to me. “I do. I don’t trust him, and neither should you.”
Thor threw his hands in the air. “Here we go with the paranoia. If anything, I should be suspicious of you! You did betray her once already.” Yeah, that burned.
“All right, enough.” I waved a hand to stop them. “Everyone to their corners. You.” I pointed to Fen. “Come with me.” I started toward his bedroom, not waiting for him to follow me.
I opened the bedroom door and plopped myself down on his bed, leaning back on my hands. I tilted my head to the side and waited for Fen to make his appearance. It didn’t take long for him to walk in and shut the door behind him.
He leaned against the door and sighed. “I’m not trying to be difficult.”
“Then what’s going on, Fen? Let’s talk this out, because I don’t like how things have been recently. We’ve been so good these last few months. You’ve done so much for me, but now it’s like we’re total strangers. What gives?”
He strode toward me and dropped to his knees between my legs, resting his arms on my thighs. “You were unexpected, Raven. When I learned who you really were, you were supposed to be temporary. A means to an end—”
I raised a brow. “You’re definitely not a smooth talker.”
He shook his head. “I have a point, and it’s that I wasn’t supposed to have gotten attached the way I have. Every prophecy would have told you I should have taken the Sword of Souls and stuck by my sister’s side, no matter how crazy she is. Because that’s who I’ve been destined to be—the villain in the story—but not with you. I don’t want to do bad; I want to do good. I want to do better, Raven. I—”
I covered his mouth with my hand. “Don’t say it,” I whispered. “You’ll change everything once you do.”
Fen pulled my hand away and frowned. “Why are you so afraid? After everything we’ve been through.”
I scoffed. “I’m not afraid. What you’re implying is a big step, and our relationship is based on a friends-with-benefits arrangement, so we’re not exactly stable.” I held his gaze. “Your emotions are heightened. Your wolf feels everything more powerfully. You—”
He held up a hand. “Don’t even go there, Hrefna. I know what I feel, and I’m sure you feel it too. You’re just afraid because of what I’ve done to you in the past. You don’t fully trust me.”
I was pretty sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights. It was my biggest insecurity when it came to Fen. Was that what held me back from pursuing anything with him? Did I want to? I cared about Fenrir more than I cared to admit, but he was right; I didn’t trust him completely. Even after all he’d done for me, I was still waiting for the last shoe to drop.
“What can I do to prove myself to you, Raven?” he whispered as I inched closer to his lips.
I couldn’t concentrate as my eyes drifted to his mouth, and he got closer and closer, his breathing getting heavy. I reached for the front of his shirt and clutched it, bringing him nearer.
“What is it you want?” he murmured against my lips. My eyes fluttered closed, and I leaned back on the bed, bringing him with me. Fen crawled over me, careful not to put his weight on me, but then he pulled back. I opened my eyes, and he looked pained. “I’m not doing this, Hrefna. Not everything is solved with sex. For once you have to fix things out on your own.”
He climbed off me, and his warmth disappeared, leaving me alone and cold. I sat upright and tensed. I wasn’t trying to fix it with sex … was I? Fuck. I rubbed my face with my hands. “Wait!” I called out before he left the room. “Just wait a minute. Let me think.”
Fen froze at the door, his hand at the doorknob. “It’s not easy for me to walk away from you.” His voice cracked as he spoke over his shoulder. “So if you have something to say, say it.”
“You’re right, you know,” I admitted. “I have trouble trusting you. Which makes me mad because I want to trust you unconditionally after what you’ve done for me. But it just doesn’t come that easy for me.”
He relaxed and sighed. “It’s fine, Raven.” He turned around and faced me again. “I understand. But if you’re not honest with how you feel about me, then you’re just going to keep lying to yourself. And I’m going to keep getting pissed.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Fine,” I growled. “So I have feelings for you. Happy?”
He grinned. “Very.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a pain in the ass.”
“But you love this ass.” He patted his behind.
“Whatever.”
He laughed. “Now tell that inbred cousin of yours that I’m going with you guys to Norway.”
Of course this was what the fight was all about. He didn’t want to be left out of the field trip. Men. Such bruised egos.
11
Fen and I were on good terms again after clearing the air. At least for now. But romantic problems were the last thing I wanted to worry about with Hel on the loose. We didn’t know what she was planning for Midgard, and with Verdandi on her side, she was a formidable opponent, which was why we were on a plane heading straight for Oslo, Norway. From there we’d rent a car to drive to the municipality of Odda where we’d find Trolltunga. From the research I’d been doing on the rock formation, it was actually a really popular location for hiking now. It wasn’t always, which was why it might have been a good spot for the valkyries. Now, not so much. This whole trip might be a bust, but we had to try. There could be a clue as to where they were now. Either way, we had to try.
I sat between Thor and Fen in the aisle with Fen in the window seat, and it felt odd being in a plane when I could just fly there myself.
“I’m looking at pictures of the place, and it’s very beautiful,” Thor murmured as he flipped through printed pictures of Trolltunga from the web. “I can just imagine them jumping from the cliff.”
The picture Thor was looking at showed a cliff jutting out just above a winding azure lake. It looked like something you’d see on a postcard or the wallpaper of a computer. It didn’t seem real.
“They might not be there anymore,” I said as I turned to gaze out the small window. “This could all be for nothing. A fourteen-hour flight for kicks.”
Fen reached for my hand that was squeezing my thigh, nearly cutting off circulation. “If they were there, they would have left something behind.”
“And don’t lose hope, Hrefna,” Thor whispered. “Humans love to tell stories. If the valkyries inhabited the area, the natives will know something.”
They were right. We just had to retrace their steps. I knew this wouldn’t be easy, even though all I really wanted was to show up and a group valkyries be there waiting for me. It’d make things a lot easier. Alas no, the work was only just getting started.
I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and settled in for the long flight. We stopped in our layover in Amsterdam and continued on until we arrived in Oslo. It was funny how when you arrived in another country, English was still prevalent. Made it easier to navigate at least.
We didn’t check any bags in, so with only our carry-ons, we went to the arrivals hall of the airport to the rental car office. Our voyage wasn’t over yet. We still had a five-hour drive to the municipality of Odda.
I slept the whole drive and didn’t wake until Thor was tapping me on the leg to wake up. Jet lag was real, and I was feeling it. It was daytime, and I felt like I was ready for nighttime.
I popped my head up and squinted as I rubbed my eyes, scanning my surroundings. We were in front of a canary yellow, house-like building.
“Where are we?” I grumbled as I noticed Fen was no longer in the car. I was sprawled out in the back seat.
“We’re at the Trolltunga Hotel.” He grinned. “It seems like they name everything after that place.”
“What are we doing here?”
“Fenrir is getting us some rooms, and we’re going to leave our things here before we head out. Do you want to rest awhile before we leave?” Th
or asked, his eyes full of concern.
I wanted to beg for another nap and maybe a hamburger, but I shook my head. There were other things I wanted … like a drink, but I hadn’t thought of that in a while. I needed to keep my head in the game. We had to stick to what we came here to do, and the sooner we did it, the better.
“No, I’m okay.” I smiled reassuringly. I swallowed loudly and ignored the dryness in my mouth. I needed water.
Fen returned after a while to collect our bags and bring them inside. Thor also had to leave his hammer behind. He couldn’t be seen carrying it around everywhere. It’d be weird. We followed Fen and quickly showered and changed to more appropriate attire for hiking. Before we knew it, we were off again, and this time I stayed awake, taking in the landscape of the mountain ranges and lakes. It was breathtaking really, and I could see why the valkyries might have chosen this place to hide. It looked like you could easily get lost in the wilderness.
“So what I’m reading from the brochures, Trolltunga means Trolls Tongue, which is the cliff we saw in the pictures. It’s not really a location I guess. I don’t think they’re going to be waiting for me on the cliff,” I said as I browsed the pamphlets I grabbed at the hotel.
“Did you really expect the welcome wagon?” Fen snorted as he drove down the narrow roads.
He pulled into a carpark called Skjeggedal, and if you’d asked me to pronounce it, I couldn’t. The lot was full of cars, and it only made me more nervous. There were so many tourists. So many humans. We found a parking spot after a while and paid the fee. When we exited the car, I stretched out and shook out my nerves.
“It’s a long hike to the tongue,” I said as I handed over some of the brochures to the guys. “This is going to be an all-day event.”
“I have no other plans.” Thor shrugged.
We started toward the trail, and for the first thirty minutes, it was just us. The initial ascent was the hardest because it was steep with lots of stones and gravel to walk over until the terrain leveled out. After the first mile, it was pretty smooth sailing, passing streams and creeks, and eventually we were moving so fast we were even passing the tourists that started the trail before us.
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