by Amy Sumida
I sat up straight, and turned to face him fully. Had UnnúlfR just apologized? To me? Well maybe not to me exactly, but it had been inclusive, hadn't it? He had sounded... nice.
“What's happened?” I asked, immediately panicked.
“Dad wants me to bring you to the island to talk,” UnnúlfR didn't really answer me, but he was still being nice. “Will you come?”
The Nine Worlds of the Norse Gods weren't just split into territories, they were divided into continents. Alfheim was on the same continent as Asgard (where Odin ruled), with Vanaheim between them. Across the Norse Sea was another continent. This land was broken into five territories; Jotunheim (home of the giants), Nidavellir (dwarves), Svartalfheim (dark elves), Muspelheim (fire giants), and Helheim (the dead who died natural deaths). Yes, I know that only makes eight. The ninth world is Midgard, which is another word for the Human Realm. It's not in the Nine Worlds per se, but human myths say they're connected, and so the collective territory is named after the myth. It just wouldn't do to call it the Eight Worlds. Gasp with a clasp!
Fenrir lived in the Nine Worlds, but not on any of the continents. The Froekn territory was an island, one of several scattered about the Norse Sea (the ocean between the two continents). Odin had actually created the island especially for Fenrir and his family. Odin had always believed in Fenrir's innocence, and thought his persecution past the boundaries of Atlantis was cruel. So, he gave Fenrir a sanctuary. Though it was rare that I heard Fenrir's home referred to as an island. Generally, we just said we were going to Fenrir's Hall, which is basically a Viking word for “really freaking big palace”. That UnnúlfR referred to it as an island now, was yet another red flag.
“Who are you including in this general 'you'?” Odin asked UnnúlfR, pulling me back from my island musings.
“All of you,” UnnúlfR shrugged and then took another look around. “Where's Azrael?”
“At work,” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Fenrir wanted Az to come too?”
“As many as I could get,” UnnúlfR shrugged. “Look, if you're too busy-”
“We're coming,” Trevor looked to me, “right?”
“Of course,” I huffed and headed towards my closet. “Just let me change out of my fey clothes.”
“Thanks,” UnnúlfR muttered, and I stopped dead in my tracks to stare at him in horror. “What? I can say 'thank you'.”
“It's the first time I've heard it,” Odin scowled.
“Da,” Kirill agreed.
“Whatever,” UnnúlfR crossed his arms.
“Holy harbingers of doom,” I murmured under my breath as I hurried to the closet. “It's the end of the world.”
As I turned to head to my dressing room, Re came through the bedroom door smiling, ready for our date. He took one look at my horrified face, and let out a long, filthy, string of curses.
“Are you kidding me?” Re finally managed to form a sentence without a cuss word.
“I'm so sorry, Re,” I grimaced. “I'll make it up to you.”
“I'm already making a list,” he announced. “The top three requests include very naughty words.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Thank you for coming,” it was Emma who met us at Fenrir's tracing chamber.
“Azrael wasn't there,” UnnúlfR said petulantly to Emma. “But I got Re to come.”
“Hardly,” Re rolled his eyes. “The Sun God, Re doesn't swing that way.”
There was a significant pause as we all processed what Re was inferring.
“You could have fooled me,” Odin broke the silence. “I'm never getting naked around you again.”
“It's okay, sweetie,” Emma's eyes went wide as she tried to ignore the banter between my husband and boyfriend, and focus on UnnúlfR. He scowled at Emma before stomping off towards the dining hall. “He loves me,” she said brightly to us, and we all chuckled. The name UnnúlfR meant “to love a wolf” but everyone knew how rare it was that UnnúlfR loved anyone back. “Come on, Fen and most of the children are in the dining room.”
I loved Emma's insistence on lumping all of Fenrir's super old descendants under the title of “children”, as if we'd be walking into a room of toddlers instead of a Viking hall full of long-toothed werewolves. But I loved the way she killed UnnúlfR with kindness, even more.
“What's going on, Emma?” I asked her as we followed along after UnnúlfR.
“I'll let Fen tell you,” she shook her head. “It's not as bad as that sickness, but it's got your father angry and very frustrated.”
“But no one's dead?” Trevor asked.
“No,” she reassured us, “not yet, at least.”
“Well that's comforting,” Odin rolled his peacock eyes.
“Are they here?” I heard Fenrir's voice as we walked into the spacious room.
The Froekn dining hall was even bigger than mine. Fenrir had a lot of mouths to feed when the whole family came to visit. And it seemed like they were all there. The room was full to bursting with Froekn. They parted for us, several bowing respectfully to Trevor and I as we passed. Fenrir waited for us at the end of the Froekn tunnel, sitting at a table with a massive goblet set before him. Emma tsked him as she approached.
“There's no need to shout,” Emma slid up beside her husband and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Fenrir's fierce expression softened, the long scar going down one side of his face seemed to fade away as he smiled up at Emma. The handsome god was revealed, so close to Trevor in appearance that it always made me smile. I often wondered who Trevor's mom had been, what she looked like, and if Trevor took after her in any way. Because looking at Fenrir, it seemed that the only difference between them was height and build. Fenrir's mother had been a giantess, and he had obviously inherited his size from her. Trevor was tall for a human, at 6' 7”, but he wasn't nearly as big as his father. Fenrir was nearly eight feet tall. Emma, who was a good few inches taller than me, looked like a child standing next to him. But Fenrir stared at her like she was the largest person in his life.
“They're here,” Emma said gently. “Now will you please stop drinking?”
“As if this does anything to me,” Fenrir huffed, but obediently pushed his goblet away.
I may have snickered a little.
“Dad?” Trevor sat down beside his father. “What's going on?”
“That Tuatha whore is attacking our family,” Fenrir growled.
“Morrigan?” I asked as the rest of us joined them.
“Is there another Tuatha whore who would attack us?” Fenrir grimaced.
“Oh, that's nice, sweetheart,” Emma slid onto Fenrir's lap and gave his arm a pat, “you made a little joke.”
“That was a joke?” I whispered to Kirill.
He gave me a baffled expression.
“What exactly has happened, Fenrir?” Odin asked.
“Several Froekn businesses have been vandalized recently,” Fenrir growled. “It has to be Morrigan.”
“So you don't know for sure?” I frowned thoughtfully. “Morrigan is in hiding with the rest of the Tuatha, and I really don't think-”
“It's her!” Fenrir roared.
“Fen!” Emma snapped.
Fenrir took a deep breath and huffed, “Sorry, Little Frami.”
“No biggie, Dad,” I shrugged. “I hate her too, but I'm just not sure it's her. What other proof do you have? And when did the Froekn become entrepreneurs?”
“Ever since their prince led by example,” Fenrir huffed. “The assassination game has gotten old for some of my children. I never thought to see the day when wolves wouldn't hunt.”
“It's for the best,” Emma took Fenrir's hand. “There's not enough jobs for everyone anyway.”
“Those jobs brought sacrificial energy into the family,” Fenrir growled.
“Sacrificial?” I scowled. “Froekn were god assassins, weren't they? You can't take energy from a god.”
“Oh we can't, Godhunter?” Fenrir lifted his brow, the one bisected by
the scar. “Haven't you done exactly that?”
“I'm a bit different,” I grimaced.
“A kill is a kill,” Fenrir shrugged. “The magic dissipates, we can't collect it like you, but we can still absorb the energy. My children are essentially sacrificing to me, and then I redistribute the energy to them.”
“Shit,” I whispered, realizing that my influence had been partially to blame for the Froekn's infertility. “Well, I guess my help in sustaining you was only fair then.”
“I didn't want you to feel bad,” Fenrir sighed, “so I never mentioned it.”
“And he wouldn't let me mention it either,” UnnúlfR grumbled.
“Shut it,” Fenrir snapped at UnnúlfR.
“I'm so sorry,” I said to Fenrir.
“You spoke your mind, and my children made their own choices,” Fenrir shrugged. “They haven't all left the old ways. I still have some hunters left,” he cast a smug look around the hall, and several Froekn smirked back.
“We're still not as strong as we once were,” UnnúlfR muttered. “And we could use that strength now.”
I looked questioningly to Fenrir.
“Our new entrepreneurs,” Fenrir grimaced over the word, “are being persecuted.”
“Who was attacked and how?” Trevor asked.
“Alison's clothing boutique was broken into and torn apart,” Fenrir nodded to Alison, a little blonde on his left. “Ralph's bakery was vandalized in similar fashion,” another nod to Ralph, the biggest, hottest baker I'd ever seen. “Clarence had his bookstore trashed,” he nodded to a guy who shouldn't be called Clarence. That werewolf looked more like a Sven or a Johan; big, burly, and blonde. “It goes on and on.”
“And all their stores were just vandalized?” Odin asked. “No one was harmed?”
“No,” Fenrir growled, “but there will be some harm dealt as soon as I find Morrigan.”
“I hate to say it, but I think Vervain's right,” Trevor grimaced. “It doesn't sound like Morrigan.”
“You hate to say I'm right?” I lifted a brow at him.
“I didn't mean it like that,” Trevor rolled his eyes. “I hate to say it isn't Morrigan.”
“Yeah okay,” I gave him a look which clearly identified the ground he stood on as shaky.
“And all of these crimes are happening after hours?” Odin asked.
“Yes, that's right,” Fenrir said.
“Did any of them have security cameras?” I asked.
“We didn't think we'd need them,” Alison sighed.
“Alright,” I said. “How many other businesses are there?”
“Hundreds,” Fenrir looked around the room, and a bit of pride filled his eyes, “my children are good at everything they do.”
“Are zere patterns?” Kirill asked. “Are ze businesses in similar locations, zat sort of zing?”
“No. Scattered attacks,” Fenrir's hand clenched.
“Okay, okay,” I held up a hand. “No one's been hurt, let's not freak out about this yet. I want the rest of you with businesses to shut them down for now. But I also want you to install video cameras. Lock up tight, make it difficult for them, but don't confront whomever it is. We need to find out who we're dealing with first.”
“Good idea,” Fenrir seemed to calm. “I've already called the Froekn home. And I don't want any of you going back alone. Take a pack with you to secure your shops and install those cameras. Understood?”
Everyone called out their agreement.
“Good. Now, have you got anything to eat? The lions are starving,” I waved to my belly.
Fenrir laughed boisterously and then called out, “Food for the lions!”
Chapter Eighteen
A few days later, Re came stumbling into Pride Palace.
“Re?” I stood up when I saw him stagger into the dining hall. “What's happened?”
I headed over to him. My golden boyfriend looked dull. His face was haggard and his shoulders slumped. Even his gold eyes had lost their twinkle. We'd had our date, and I'd done everything on his licentious list. He should have still been glowing from the aftermath of all that lust, but my sun god looked tarnished.
“You okay, man?” Trevor, who I'd been having lunch with, asked with a frown.
“It's Sekhmet,” Re said hollowly. “She lost the baby.”
“What?” I gaped at him, my heart plummeting into my stomach.
“She was distracted, arguing with Ptah over something,” Re shook his head. “She stumbled and fell backwards onto some furniture. Miscarried immediately. There was nothing anyone could do.”
“But she's a goddess,” I couldn't understand. “Her magic... she should have been fine... I...”
“It's not your fault, Lala,” Re collapsed against me, and I held him as he cried. “It's not your fault. It just happened. The babe just wasn't strong enough.”
Trevor slipped by us, giving my back a discreet rub as he did. He knew Re needed me, not him, and he was going to give us some alone time. I nodded my thanks to him, and eased Re over to the sitting area before the fireplace. The fire was out so I settled Re on the sofa, and then knelt near the fireplace and blew a stream of flames over the wood stacked there. The fire crackled to life, and I returned to Re.
“I'm so sorry,” I slipped my arms around him again.
“It's okay,” he was breathing jaggedly. “It's not like I knew the child. I'd yet to hold it, look in its... his sweet face. It was a boy.”
“He was still your grandson,” I stroked his honey-oak hair gently. “And Sekhmet is your daughter. You don't want her in pain.”
“She needed this,” Re took my hand and held it in his lap. “Sekhmet's become so jaded these past few decades. This baby would have softened her, reminded her what life is about. I think I may have lost my daughter along with my grandchild.”
“That's not true,” I squeezed Re's hand. “Sekhmet is too strong to let this destroy her. She'll recover, and then she and Ptah can try again. There will be more children.”
“She hasn't come out of her bedroom,” Re shook his head. “The curtains are drawn shut, yet she lies there, staring at the windows. She barely speaks, won't eat, and only gets up to see to her body's needs.”
“She just lost a baby,” I said softly, laying my other hand over my belly. “I can imagine what that trauma would be like. It will take her some time to heal, but she will heal, Re.”
“I don't know, Lala,” he turned panicked eyes to me. “I'm not sure if she will. I've seen this before. When you live as long as we do, life can grow tedious. Sometimes all it takes is a single trauma to send you plummeting over the edge. And once you're in the abyss, it's very hard to claw your way out.”
“I know. I've been in that darkness,” I nodded. “And I crawled out with the help of my loved ones. Sekhmet will come out too, as long as her family doesn't give up on her. Go and sit with her. Talk to her, even when she doesn't seem like she's listening. She is. I promise you. She'll hear you, and your voice will lead her home.”
“You're right,” Re's shoulders squared. “I have to help her fight this. I have to be there for her.”
“She'll be okay,” I kissed his cheek. “I know how convincing you can be. Once you start talking, the abyss doesn't stand a chance.”
“Thank you, Lala,” Re hugged me tight. “You said exactly what I needed to hear.”
“I'm always here for you,” I kissed him once more. “Now go tell Sekhmet what she needs to hear.”
“I won't stop talking until she comes back to us,” he vowed as he stood.
“There's the god I love,” I smiled.
“And he loves you too,” Re gave me a wink, his confidence restored, and headed off to help his daughter.
As soon as he was gone, my smile faded, and my shaking hands went to my stomach. Poor Sekhmet. I didn't like her, but I didn't wish such horror upon her either. Losing a child had to be the worst thing a woman could go through. A shiver passed over my body, and my arms tightened arou
nd Lesya. Falling over furniture. That's all it took to kill a goddess' baby. How tenuous these little lives were, despite the magic infusing them.
Chapter Nineteen
“Hey, I think I want to pop over to Alfheim with Brevyn,” I said to my husbands, a few days after Re's visit.
Re had texted to tell me Sekhmet was up and walking around again. She'd even had something to eat. He was overjoyed, and gave me far more credit for her recovery than I deserved. Beyond that, things had been quiet. There hadn't been anymore vandalizing of werewolf businesses, and time had caught up perfectly for a visit to Faerie.
My time travel between the realms, using my ring, was a delicate thing. I couldn't be gone too long in Faerie because without me close to him, Trevor started to die. I had a piece of his soul, and the separation would kill it. So I tried not to stay in Faerie for more than two weeks. Yes, I popped right back to the same time I'd left the God Realm, but while I was gone, time was technically still moving forward, and if it moved forward enough for Trevor to die, I couldn't undo that. I'd pop back in time to find him gone. Most likely. Not like we could test it.
Now, with Brevyn's new connection to Alfheim, things had become even more tricky. I had a calendar which I used to track the time I spent in each realm. With some basic math, I could see exactly where I was in time and space. By that, I mean I knew whether or not I was currently in a realm. Technically, I would return to the exact time I'd left each realm, so technically I was always in two realms.
Unless I changed the pattern, and traveled over to a realm simply using the Aether, which is where it gets tricky. But according to my calendar, we'd just caught up to the day I left Faerie. So I could use the ring to go back, let Arach know what was happening, check the watch I left there (which was set to the time in the God Realm- I know! I said it was tricky), and then come back here, knowing exactly when it would be safe for me to go to Faerie. Phew, even explaining it makes me tired.
But it had to be done if I wanted Brevyn to have a presence in Alfheim.
