The earth rattled, and it was hard to run, making me trip a couple of times, but when I made it to the tree of life, the bark was splintering, the sound of cracking audible.
“What the hell?” I murmured. “How is this possible? The runes …”
“Hrefna, what’s happening?” Thor yelled over the loud sounds of the earth shattering.
Breathlessly I said, “Limbo is tearing apart.”
“It’s probably why the valkyries left. They felt the earthquake.”
Thor was right. But the tree wouldn’t come down easily. “It’s beginning, Thor,” I said with wide eyes. “She’s here.”
We ran out of the forest to the parking lot where Fen’s car awaited us and rushed back to the apartment. I could still feel the shakes of the ground vibrating through my bones even miles away from the Tualatin Mountains. If Limbo was destroyed, I didn’t even know what that meant for the realms, for the lost souls, for Odin. All those thoughts were jumbled in my head as we sped through the streets into the city—the pulsing, unknowing city of Portland.
Thor and I burst into the apartment where Fen and Lilja were in the living room, and I almost sighed in relief, but I had none.
“It’s begun,” I said as I marched toward them.
Fen ran a hand through his hair. “Is that what Lilja was feeling in the mountains?”
“Hel is tearing Limbo apart. Yggdrasil is breaking at the seams.”
“What?” Charlie came out of the room Will was resting in. “But the runes?”
“She must have gotten Verdandi to undo them,” I said by way of realization. “She’s a Norn after all. Only she can touch the tree’s core.”
I bit my lip and pondered what exactly Verdandi doing. We could have used her this whole time. Having her on our side would have been a game changer, but instead she’d been working with Hel. Why? I knew she wasn’t bad. There was a method to her madness; I just needed to know what it was.
“We need to bring the fight to her,” Thor said. “It’ll be in the mountains. We need to get there fast.”
“Verdandi can portal her anywhere, why the mountains?” I asked.
“She can portal her anywhere, but she can’t portal a whole horde. They’ll need the tree,” Fen said, understanding Thor’s logic.
“Then why destroy it?” Charlie asked the obvious.
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling Verdandi is up to something,” I said and narrowed my eyes.
Lilja cleared her throat. “How do you plan to put her down?”
It was a question we still hadn’t answered. There was no way to kill her except for …
“We can imprison her with Odin,” Fen said. “I’ve been putting a lot of thought into this, and we can lock them up together until Verdandi makes her a separate prison.”
Something in my stomach tightened as I heard his plan. I couldn’t fault him for wanting to save his sister’s life, but the true answer was to kill her. It was safer for everyone in all the realms. She was too crazy and too dangerous to stay alive with any chance of release. But as Loki said, she was family.
“Fen and Thor, get the hellhounds and get to the mountains. We’ll meet you there soon.” I changed the subject and got everyone moving. “Lilja, get the valkyries ready for flight.”
Charlie went back to the room Will was in, and Thor and Lilja went outside, leaving me with Fen. He approached me in three strides and grabbed me on either side of my face.
“Raven,” he murmured. “Whatever my sister does, you survive. You understand me?”
I nodded.
“I need to hear you say it,” he growled. “Don’t let her get the drop on you.”
“I won’t, Fen, I promise.”
He pulled me toward him, and our lips collided. He kissed me with a hunger of a starving man, almost like a final kiss. I hated thinking that way.
“I love you, Raven,” Fen whispered, saying it before I could stop him.
I shut my eyes, and my breath hitched. My heart hammered in my chest, and something lodged itself in my throat.
“You don’t have to say it back. I’m not expecting you to. But you need to know how I feel.” He tucked my hair behind my ear. “My beautiful dark Raven.”
I couldn’t say anything, so I only kissed him passionately in response, hoping it was enough for now.
I knocked on the door before entering and finding Charlie and Will huddled together in bed. It was nice seeing them like that. Will actually had some color in his cheeks, and I didn’t know if it was because he was getting better or because he was embarrassed by being caught.
“Knock, knock,” I said as I entered. “I guess we should talk. The three of us.”
“You can’t stop us from going,” Will said adamantly.
“Will, you look like the wind can take you away in one blow.” I sighed. “I’d be paying attention to you more than anything else.”
“I deserve my revenge,” his voice cracked in anger.
My eyes narrowed on my friend, and every part of me wanted to deny him. He would die; I was sure of it. I’d seen many humans die in the decades I’d been in Midgard, but none that I care about. I wanted to protect Will, which was so unlike what I used to be. But then there was a small part of me that understood what he wanted. Hel took something away from him, and if fighting back would get him the closure he needed, then that’s what he had to do.
“Fine,” I relented. “But! You’re not stepping a single foot in those mountains without protection. Charlie? You up for a quick trip to the Underground?”
“Now?” Her eyes widened, and she looked around as if the others who weren’t there would back her up.
“Fen, Thor, and the hellhounds can hold them off for now. But if Will wants to fight, he needs protection—of the magical variety. And that can only be given by a warlock or witch.”
She bit her lip in contemplation, staring at Will, probably wondering if this was a good idea. Then she nodded. “Fine. But let’s hurry.”
17
We made it to the Underground, and it was insanely packed. We could barely get through the crowd together. The Underground was like a black market for supernaturals where you could get anything and everything—from love spells to necromancy to bars. It was quite an array of things. Last time I was there, Fen was carrying me out of a drug den. I was completely out of it, having lost Charlie and Will.
Charlie led the way to Witches Row and into the Cauldron, a broken-down store that barely looked open.
“Merida!” Charlie shouted as we entered the store that didn’t have a door. It was small with shelves filled with tonics and herbs.
Coming from a back room, a redheaded woman came out in a robe as if she were sleeping back there.
“Charlotte, is that you?” Merida shrieked.
They went to each other and hugged.
“Listen, I don’t have much time.” Charlie pulled away. “I need some potions, like really fast. Can you do me that solid? Pretty please?” she begged.
Merida turned serious and took a step back. “Damn, Char, I’m really backed up on my orders. I can’t—”
“You won’t have to worry about your orders if the end of the world comes around,” I cut in. “If you don’t do these potions.”
Merida looked to me with wary eyes and then at Charlie. “Charlotte, what’s going on?”
“This is life or death.” Charlie took her hands in hers. “I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important. It affects us all.”
The witch took a deep breath and let it out. “Fine, tell me what you need.”
Charlie began to ramble on about the potion she needed for a human in need of vitality, stamina, protection, and some other stuff I tuned out. I trusted her to do it right. I should have thought of this sooner instead of waiting until now, but I honestly thought Will would sit this one out. It seemed like common sense. Except it also didn’t. Not when you had revenge on the brain.
I stepped outside and leaned against the storefron
t, watching a couple of shifters trying to buy a tonic for a wolf who was moon bound from a witch with a shack as a store. I definitely wouldn’t have gone to her with that set up, but what did I know?
“Hey.” Charlie emerged from inside the store. “You okay?”
I turned away from the shifters and looked at her. “Yeah. Is she working?”
Charlie nodded. “It won’t take her long.” She leaned against the wall beside me, and we stood shoulder to shoulder. She pushed her black-framed glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe the time is here. I almost don’t believe it.”
“Did you think Hel was bluffing?”
“No. But I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this. That we’d magically come up with a way to stop it before she got to Earth.”
I frowned. Should we have done that? I mean we knew where she was; we could have attacked her on her turf, but on Corpse Shore it wasn’t easy. It was a suicide mission. She’d see us coming before we’d even have the chance to attack, giving her ample time to prepare. But with the valkyries, we could fly in the darkness of the night. Too many what-ifs ran through my mind.
“It’s a nice thought, Charlie, but our best option was to fight on our land and bring the fight to her before she takes a step further into Midgard. We’re cutting her off at the entrance. She still has that list of supernaturals. If she’s released onto the world, she can out everyone. And who knows what sort of chaos that would bring.” I ran a hand through my short hair. There was a silence between us before I cleared my throat. “Charlie, are you sure you don’t want to sit this one out?” I turned to look at her.
Her eyes widened as she stared at me. “I can help, Raven!”
“I know you can. I don’t doubt that for a second, but you’d be safer—”
“Raven.” She sighed and then bit her lip. “I never told you about my past, did I?”
I perked up as I remembered when we met with the local necromancer; he mentioned Charlie had worked for him in the past as part of The Collectors. Also, the pot-smoking traveler was on a very friendly basis with her too. When I first met Charlie, she had the purest soul I’d ever seen, so when she told me she had a dark past, it sure as hell shocked me. Now her soul had a stain after she killed Joseph Castellano, but I didn’t want to tell her that.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Charlie. I’m the last person to ever judge anyone.” I snorted. If I could look at my soul, it would be a mess of colors, and none of it would be good.
“I want to tell you. I want to get it off my chest.” She swallowed a couple of times. “As you can already imagine from our visit with Tony the necromancer, I was a grave robber. That’s what The Collectors were. We were skilled thieves, and I didn’t just rob graves.”
I watched Charlie carefully, trying to imagine her as a thief, but it was really hard. In her pencil skirt and flats, she looked like the librarian that she was, and I couldn’t imagine her anyway else.
“And how good of a thief were you?” I quirked a brow.
She bit her bottom lip again. “Let’s just say I’m sitting on a couple million.”
I coughed on a choke. “Holy shit, Charlie. Why the hell are you working?”
She covered her face with her hands and shook her head in shame. “I’m trying to repay my debt to society. I’m slowly giving it away to charities, and I only use it for emergencies. Other than that, I don’t touch that money. I’m a horrible person, Raven,” she mumbled.
I grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. “You are not a horrible person, Charlie,” I said it as I tried to contain the smile wanting to spread across my face.
“Don’t laugh at me!”
“I’m not, I swear.” I chuckled. “Only you would give it away to charity. That’s what makes your soul pure, Charlie. You were selfless. You didn’t take the money and run; you gave it away to others in need. You’re a good person, Charlotte O’Malley. Maybe you made some questionable decisions, but haven’t we all?” Still holding her by the wrists, I pulled her into my arms in an unexpected hug. It wasn’t until recently that I’d learned what hugs felt like, and I liked the feeling.
She pulled away. “You’re becoming more human, you know?” She grinned.
I laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
We made it back to the apartment with the potion in hand and a new sense of urgency. Lilja was keeping Will company when we arrived, and Charlie went straight into the bedroom to give him the potion.
“Will he be okay?” Lilja asked with obvious concern. Will looked extremely frail, not having filled in yet from the months of food he’d missed.
“Hopefully this will help,” I said as I watched Charlie give him the bottle. He gulped it down eagerly, not even questioning what it was. He was too desperate. I needed him to be more careful.
William was dressed casually and ready for battle, so when he sat up and looked at me, I could see the dullness in his eyes light up for the first time since his return. His cheeks filled in and colored, and he took in a huge gulp of air as if coming up from under water.
“What’s happening?” I asked Charlie, since she would know more about this than I did.
“It’s working,” she muttered. “Will, how do you feel?”
He blinked a few times and then got up from the bed, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“I feel great!” he exclaimed with such vigor I was shocked into silence. “I could run a marathon right about now.”
Charlie beamed. “Perfect!”
“Wow,” Lilja mused. “This is my first time seeing magic at work.”
“We should go,” I cut in, pulling myself out of my stupor. “The others are waiting, and we don’t know what’s going on.”
“I’ll drive,” Charlie pulled out her keys, and Will nodded.
“I’ll fly with the valkyries,” I said. Before they left, I stopped them. “Be careful. Don’t try to be heroes. She’s taken enough from you already. Don’t let her take anymore, okay?”
Charlie nodded with a smile, but Will didn’t say anything.
“Will?” I looked at him sternly. “I know what you’re looking for, but it’ll only end badly—for you. Revenge is bittersweet. So go only so far, you understand me?”
“I understand,” he said, and with that, I let them leave. The next time I’d see them would be on the battlefield. And if all went as planned, they’d make it out alive.
“Raven,” Lilja said. “We must go. The others are waiting.”
I looked down at my T-shirt, ripped jeans, and dirty sneakers. To an outsider, I looked human, but when my wings expel from my back, they would rip my shirt and I’d be anything but.
“There’s something I have to do first,” I muttered and hurried to Fen’s bedroom.
I knew we were on limited time, but I had to do this. For myself.
I opened the closet door and pulled out my brown leather trunk that was hidden in the back. Sliding it across the floor, I stopped just beside the bed and knelt before it. There were no locks to open it; the gold borders lining the opening were the only clue it could be unsealed. Taking a dagger from my boot, I cut my palm and slammed it on top of the trunk and fed it my blood—it was the only way to open it. Like locks on a bolt, they shifted and unlocked, snapping open.
I lifted the lid and looked inside. My armor and gear—the clothes I arrived to Midgard in were all inside. And so was the Sword of Souls. When we got back from visiting Odin, we didn’t have time to hide it again where we had it before, so we hid it in here for safekeeping. I was surprised Fen allowed it since only I would have access, but it was the only safe location. He trusted me. Maybe that should have been my first clue to trust him.
My golden breastplate with Norse runes carved all over lay atop, and I pulled it out, loosening the straps to put them on. A yellow, mustard-like tunic was inside, and I undressed to put it on. Next were my pauldrons and vambraces that covered my shoulders and wrists, chausses for m
y lowers legs that were still strapped to my boots, and I slipped them on. Last was my leather strap skirt. It all fit perfectly, made specifically for me. I pulled out the Sword of Souls and strapped it on my back, feeling it thrum with energy, begging to be fed. It wanted blood, and today it would get what it wanted.
I looked in the mirror, and if it weren’t for my hair, I looked like I’d never left Valhalla.
Closing my trunk, I pushed it back inside the closet and closed the door. I walked back to the living room where Lilja was waiting, and when she turned around to face me, her mouth dropped.
“Raven …,” she whispered. “You—”
“Let’s go,” I said and went to the balcony sliding door. Lilja followed as we stepped outside and climbed on the railing in a crouched position.
She put her pointer finger and thumb to her lips and blew, letting out a whistle so loud it could be heard blocks away. Within seconds, the skies were flooded with valkyries coming from different directions, darkening the sky.
“You ready?” Lilja peered over at me, her eyes sizing me up. I knew she had a lot to say but was staying quiet.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I threw myself off the balcony and let myself freefall. Closing my eyes, I let the wind whip across my face, and my arms spread wide. Then my wings burst out, and I was coasting across the sky, the others following behind me. It was war Hel wanted; it was war she was going to get.
18
Flashback
Kara tightened the straps on my golden breastplate that was form fitted to my body. It was just brought over from Asgard from the blacksmith after having its runes carved in by the Norns.
“This is the final step in your training,” Kara yelled to the group of us as we lined up in our new armor. We no longer wore the used training gear, but we had our own. “From this moment on, you will fight in this armor, and you will die in this armor. Do I make myself clear?”
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