“What we don’t have in magic, we make up for with stout fighting and courage!” one of them yelled as he charged. He sounded a bit Scottish, but then, everything around me had an Asgardian accent mixed with something else.
I lifted my foot and shoved it into his belly.
My swords would kill him, and I wasn’t interested in felling these dwarves. As the dwarf stumbled back, he shook himself and readied to come at me again.
“You might want to think twice about that.” I raised Gundren, power and electricity racing along my arms and into the blades, making them jump and spark.
The dwarf stopped in his tracks, his bushy eyebrows heading up his forehead. “Now there’s a neat trick, lassie,” he said. “But that won’t stop me—”
I leveled my sword three feet from his belly, producing just enough spark to hit him squarely in the stomach. He flew away from me, landing flat on his back, gripping his stomach, rolling back and forth on the floor, groaning, “Oh, my aching innards!”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Fen clearing a path for Baldur as he carried Callan. My brother looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.
The god of light met my gaze. “This is the most fun I’ve had in about a hundred years. I love these dwarves! I haven’t seen them in a long while. I used to barter my Asgardian weapons for their jewels and household items. They make the best ale cups.”
One dwarf said, “Hey, look, it’s Baldur the Bright! Haven’t seen you in a while. I still have the bejeweled belt you ordered and never came back for!”
Baldur laughed, his tone joyous. “I’ll be back for it any day now,” he told the bearded man. “My ship will be sailing within a fortnight. I’ll contact you then!”
“Sounds good,” the dwarf answered as he went after Fen, his ax raised over his head. “I look forward to doing business once again. You pay well. Not like the others.”
Fen batted him away without even the slightest effort. “Come, Valkyrie. I see the door. We are almost clear of this place. The other shieldmaidens have it in hand. If you wish to save the mixed elf and get to the tree of life, we must leave now. I sense danger near.” He glanced around at the remaining elves, no more than twenty. “And it does not include this lot.”
My mother fought a dwarf five paces to my right. “Leela,” I called. “Let’s head out.”
She nodded once. “I’m right behind you, daughter.”
Ingrid and Rae were thirty feet away. I yelled, “We’ll meet you at the tree!”
“Will do,” Ingrid called, using one powerful leg to down a dwarf in front of her. “It shouldn’t be long now.”
We met up with the guys by the door. Callan looked weak, but was arguing with Baldur to put him down. “You blasted, big ogre! Put me down right this minute. I am not feeble. I can walk by myself.”
“Stop struggling, old man.” Baldur chuckled. “I promised my sister I would carry you to the tree, and that I will do. I will not let you risk your life, so stop trying to get free and enjoy the ride.”
Callan openly grumbled, but stopped twisting.
We headed outside. We were so close to freedom, I could almost taste it.
25
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“W e need to head right,” I said as we raced out the door. “Anybody see a clearing?”
Fen called, “Over here!”
He was sprinting, and it was all I could do to keep up.
Fen entered the opening one second before I did, followed by my mother and Baldur. I stopped just past the tree line and tried to make sense of the sight in front of me. My mouth fell open as I glanced around the clearing. Willa stood in the middle, unmoving.
“Um?” I cleared my throat when the word came out stilted. “What…happened here? Willa, did you do this?” The mixed elf looked miserable and a little shell-shocked. I paced forward slowly and, in a coaxing tone, asked, “Are they all dead?”
Around us, prone on the stubby brown grass, were elves. They appeared dead, but I couldn’t be sure.
Willa nodded slowly. “I…I think they’re dead,” she said tentatively. “It’s been a long time since I last used my abilities.” A horrified look crossed her face as she clutched her fists to her chest. “They…they were going to kill me.” Her voice sounded shallow and thin. “I had no other choice. I had to do something…”
“Of course you did. It’s okay,” I soothed as I put away Gundren. I wasn’t sure what she did to render the elves motionless on the ground, and I didn’t want to spook her. “They were going to kill you, and you are within your rights to defend yourself. I just don’t understand what happened. They don’t have a mark on them. You said you hadn’t used your talents in a long time. What exactly are they?”
A single tear flowed down her cheek. She didn’t bother to wipe it off. “I can”—her voice was barely there—“manipulate liquid.”
It took me a second to understand what she was telling me. “You mean, as in blood? You can stop it from circulating?” It was the only thing I could think of as I looked around at the bodies strewn on the ground, some of them already turning blue.
She nodded. “Yes. More or less. My mother was an elemental who had properties over water. My powers are not as vast as hers, but simply stopping blood flow is easy.”
I settled a hand on her shoulder. This was the exact reason why my father befriended her. He knew she had a special gift and could pass into this realm undetected. He was smart. “It’s okay, Willa. We’re leaving this realm, never to return. No one will know it was you who did this—”
The earth shook beneath us, the ground splitting open.
I clutched Willa to my side to steady us both.
Baldur called, “Something is arriving in this space! Brace yourselves.”
A giant oak tree bordering the clearing sheared in half with a loud crack, its branches dropping like dead weights, thumping loudly into the dirt.
Fen was beside me. “Valkyrie, we must leave now. Yggdrasil is not far. If we run, we might be able to make it to safety. Whatever is coming is dangerous.”
I nodded. “Okay, let’s go. We only needed to find Willa—” We all turned to make a break for it.
“Not so fast,” a familiar voice echoed out of the clearing where the tree had split open. “We haven’t given you permission to leave yet.”
Damn.
“Verdandi,” I turned, saying her name as sweetly as I could. “I’d say it was a pleasure to see you again, but I’d be lying.” I unsheathed Gundren very slowly, taking a little solace in the low zinging noise.
“Your weapons don’t impress me.” She stalked toward us, wearing the same tattered gray dress she’d had on the last time. She must not have a closet. “Nor will they be any use against me. White elf magic does not affect me.” Her gaze settled on Callan, who now stood on his own next to Baldur.
Callan bowed his head, not missing a beat, and said, “We shall see, good Norn. We shall see.”
As more dust cleared, I noticed Verdandi was not alone. That would be too easy. Behind her, Urd and Skuld emerged.
The gang was all here.
I positioned my swords in front of me, affecting a cool stance, trying to make my heart beat slower. I decided to address Skuld next. “It appears you were wrong again,” I told her, smirking. “I didn’t turn out to be anyone’s prisoner. And that alone proves that your sight isn’t reliable. Sucks pretty bad if you’re the one people are counting on to predict the future. You might want to look for a new job.”
Skuld sauntered into the clearing like she couldn’t care less, brushing her long golden hair off of her shoulders, chin out. “My sight does seem to flicker when you’re involved, I admit it, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong. As soon as I left, several scenarios flashed before me, and in all of them, you lost. It wasn’t until you defeated Invaldi that I saw your true path. And it’s so delicious!” She clapped. “We just had to rush here to tell you the good news.”
“Enough of this.” Verdandi stomped her foot, settling a searing gaze on her sister. “We agreed this would be my hunt, not yours. You had your chance.” She left off and you failed .
There had been some sisterly infighting. Interesting.
Before I could respond, Baldur rose to the occasion. “It’s good to see you once again, Verdandi.” Verdandi looked unimpressed. “It has been many years since our last interaction. Can I ask, what is it you want with my sister? I don’t understand the intrigue. She should be of no interest to you and allowed to go on her way.”
Verdandi clasped her hands in front of her as she stepped forward, her voice taking on a condescending tone. “God of Light, you should choose your sides more wisely. This bastard, sired by your father, will bring ruin to us all, and she must be stopped at all costs. That’s why we are here.”
“I think not,” Baldur replied evenly. “She has done nothing but good since I’ve met her. Something that shines so brightly can only bring happiness into the world. I should know, as I’m the god of light. I think it’s best you three go back to the roots of the tree, where you belong.” Baldur’s voice hardened. “Before any violence gets started. It is a crime to harm you in Asgard, but we are not there now.”
I felt nothing but pride as I beamed at my brother.
Baldur didn’t know any details of my life, and we’d met only a short time ago, but he knew I was good. That was enough for me.
Skuld cleared her voice, making sure it carried. “Oh, there will be violence. Mark my word. And you will not leave here without being fractured. All of you.” Her gaze roamed over the group.
Urd moved closer to her sisters. She was the only sister who resembled a real, live witch. She was dressed in all black, including a flowing skirt and an honest-to-goodness pointy hat. She looked like a walking, talking textbook Midgard witch. Maybe she had a strange fascination with them? She spoke for the first time. “Skuld was not wrong in her predictions before. I see the past clearly. Choices can shift things around occasionally, more so with you than any other we have encountered, but every scenario moving forward will bring you pain and agony.”
“How do you know what the future will hold?” I challenged. “You only see the past, once all the decisions are made. Basing anything on Skuld’s sight is not advisable,” I told her sweetly. “She’s been wrong an unsettling amount of times so far.”
I crossed my swords in front of me to accentuate my point. I had no idea if Gundren mixed with my energy would have any effect on the Norns, but I was more than willing to check the theory. I hoped it would at least knock them down for a second so we could haul ass to the tree.
Skuld cackled. “Oh, you’re not getting to Yggdrasil just yet.” She had to stop doing that! “Yep, I see that. It’s not happening. And just so you know, your swords will not incapacitate us.” She smirked like she knew everything. It was irritating.
Verdandi moved, her gray skirts swishing, her yellowed, chipped fingernails not any better than the last time I’d seen them. They must be short on manicurists at the bottom of the tree. “What will happen here on this day will cause you pain and agony for years to come. We will revel in it. Where you’re going, there is only darkness. You will be there for a long time, and the best part? It won’t even be our doing.” She tilted her head back and laughed, her teeth barely secure in her mouth, many of them missing.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I told Verdandi, portraying a confidence I wasn’t exactly feeling in my voice, hoping I’d succeeded. “But I hold no stake in you being right. I’m not worried. I have managed to overcome everything else, and I will this time, too.”
There was a clattering of footsteps as the Valkyries filled the clearing, weapons drawn. Rae took in the scene in about three seconds. She held her hand aloft, and all the shieldmaidens spread out in their fighting stances.
They weren’t going anywhere.
Verdandi was nonplussed as she stalked toward my mother. My fists tightened around the hilts of my swords. There was no way I was going to let them hurt her. “Valkyrie slut of Odin’s,” Verdandi spat. “It’s because of you we are here. And because of you, your daughter will experience pain and agony like none before her. You know I speak the truth, and that we are capable of doing this very thing. Can you guess how we will do it?”
My mother paled. “Take me instead,” she answered. “I will pay the price that is owed for keeping the secret. I do it willingly. Just leave my daughter alone. She is young and does not know our ways.”
“No!” I yelled. “You can’t mean that! We’re in this together, and we will fight together. So far nothing they’ve said has come true. You can’t believe them now.”
My mother didn’t meet my gaze. “Take me instead.”
Verdandi laughed. It was an ugly sound laced with malice. “Isn’t that sweet? A mother sacrificing herself for her child. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to go? Then everyone wins.” She clasped her hands in mock sweetness. “Unfortunately, that’s not how this is going to work.” Her face hardened. “Your child must suffer. She will be shut off from the rest of us so she can cause no further harm. But have no fear, you will suffer as well. Your time in Svartalfheim was not nearly enough to repay the debt of your lying secrets. You will be headed far, far away, separated from your dear daughter for an eternity.”
“No—” I tried to lunge, but Fen held me back. “Let me go!” I yelled. “No one is taking her away!” Valkyries moved in formation around us. They wouldn’t let her be taken. I tried to relax, but my heart was pumping overtime.
Fen said nothing, but held on tight.
Skuld made a noise in the back of her throat, a cross between a laugh and a cough. She daintily slapped her chest as she came forward. “You are so green it’s painful. Not knowing our ways is an understatement. You not only think like a human, you are human in every way. In this world, you do not get a happily ever after.” She nodded to my mother. “You will be separated, ripped apart before you even get a chance to learn to love one another.” That’s where you’re wrong, Skuld. We already love each other. “We found the most delicious, wonderful way to achieve both. All of Asgard will root for your demise. I can think of nothing better!” She was downright giddy, and my stomach filled with foreboding. This wasn’t going to be good. The Norns were too calm, too sure of themselves.
My mother’s head was still bowed, her cheeks wet.
I refused to believe this could happen. There had to be a way to change the outcome. I’d been given advantage after advantage. I had weapons from Odin. Protection from the Valkyries. It was no mistake that I’d met Fen, I was sure of it. Junnal was sent to me, and then we’d found Willa.
It all had to mean something!
What would Sam say? She’d be on my side with this. She’d agree with me. It didn’t make sense. I couldn’t have been given every advantage only to fail.
This bolstered my resolve. “It’s not going to happen the way you see it, Skuld.” My voice filled with anger. “I chose to believe I will prevail, and I’ll continue to do so.”
I was defiant. I refused to cry. I was going to win.
“You think yourself brave?” Verdandi snipped. “We shall see once the pieces fall where they may.” She reached into a pocket of her dirty skirt and drew out something that resembled a dart. She held it between her thumb and broken fingernail. “Do you know what this is?”
Fen’s nostrils scented the air, and he drew in a sharp breath that ended on a snarl.
That couldn’t be good.
Even worse, Verdandi’s eyes landed on Baldur.
My heart clenched and threatened never to release itself. She would not target my brother. She couldn’t!
She was about to speak again when the ground rumbled under our feet, surprising us all.
“What comes?” Verdandi demanded, turning to Skuld. “Friend or foe?”
“Oh, Verdi, I wasn’t aware we had any friends, so it is most certa
inly a foe.” Skuld met my gaze. “The god of war seeks his sister. He’s been blocked entry by the wards in this realm, but it seems he has found a way to break through after all.”
“Does he come alone?” Verdandi asked, still holding the dart in front of her like a prized possession, clearly peeved that she’d been interrupted.
Skuld cocked her head, like she was listening to the future instead of divining it. “No, strangely he brings a human. A lone girl who is very breakable. Not very smart of him.”
Sam!
“A human?” Urd exclaimed. “That sounds like folly.”
“The human is no threat to us,” Verdandi stated in a certain tone. “Tyr’s arrival will change nothing. He cannot harm us.”
How could Tyr bring my best friend into a world like this?
Then I remembered who I was talking about.
He’d likely had no choice.
“Our plan stays the same. Nothing has shifted—” Another loud rumbling cut Skuld off.
The ground near us began to rend open, and we all stumbled backward. Out of the gash, my brother and my best friend appeared like they’d been delivered right from the bowels of the earth.
It was an amazing entrance, and the only thing I could manage was, “Sam? What in the world are you wearing?”
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“I sn’t it awesome?” Sam answered excitedly. “It was the only way he’d allow me to come.” She gestured at Tyr, who stood next to her, and the action of moving her arm sounded like pots and pans clanking together. “It took some time to get it together, but I got ’er done.” She grinned. “I’m pretty sure I’m channeling a medieval vibe, with a side of badass, of course.” She lifted her arms, causing more rattling.
She was dressed in some kind of makeshift armor.
It looked as though she had repurposed household items and quite possibly a shed roof. It didn’t matter that she was wearing a homemade outfit that wouldn’t protect her from literally anything on this plane, including a Muroidea, I was ecstatic to see her.
Freed: (Phoebe Meadows Book 2) Page 20
