by S. T. Bende
Please, gods, don’t let it be both.
“Ingrid!” Raynor’s voice came from my left. I whipped my head to find him swimming frantically toward me. “Are you all right?”
“I don’t see Axel,” I called back. “But there’s definitely something down there. I think it’s some kind of bioluminescent sea bea—augh!”
Something brushed against my leg. I kicked out.
“Stay still,” Raynor warned. “If it senses movement, it may attack.”
“I’m pretty sure it knows I’m here!” I yelled back.
I kicked again. The creature wrapped finger-like tentacles around my ankle.
“Oh my gods, it’s got my foot!”
Panic seized my chest and I drove my heel into what I assumed was the sea beast’s head. The pressure around my ankle released and I stroked toward the shore, trying to put as much space between us as I could.
“Raynor, clear out of here. I don’t know how long that thing will—”
“Shieldmaiden!” Axel’s ragged gasp paused my panicked paddling. “Are you trying to drown me?”
Oh, thank gods. He’s alive.
Water dripped from Axel’s beard as he reached out to steady me. His fingers wrapped firmly around my bicep, the touch warming my body despite the ocean’s icy chill. When Axel released me, the strong curve of his shoulder lifted out of the sea and glinted in the moonlight. My eyes lingered on the thick, corded muscles that stretched along his arm.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I panted. “But you’d better move it. There’s some kind of sea beast with a bright biolumi—”
Axel raised his arm. He clutched a glowing, blue sphere.
“Oh. Oh.” Relief mixed with mortification. “I just attacked you, didn’t I?”
“You did,” Axel said good-naturedly.
“And you found the crystal?”
“Again, yes.” Axel wiped a strand of kelp off his face. “What are you doing in the water?”
“She tried to save you,” Raynor called. “When the water pulled you under, she thought you were a goner.”
“We all did,” I said defensively.
“Please.” Axel flicked seawater at me. “It takes more than an ocean to bring me down.”
“Yeah, well . . .” I treaded water. “Better safe than sorry, right?”
“Sure.” Axel winked. He flipped onto his back and stroked toward the shore. “But I got what we came for, so can we please get out of this gods forsaken freezing water?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” I swam for the sand, hoping we could all forget about the fact that I’d attacked the very person I’d been trying to save.
“You know, Shieldmaiden . . .” Axel swam alongside me. “We should do this more often. You look good soaking wet and fully clothed.”
“Shut up, Axel,” I said for the second time that night.
“Race you back.”
“You’ll never catch me.” I put my face in the water and kicked hard. Each time I turned my head to breathe, Axel had gained a few inches on me. With a surge of adrenaline I lengthened my strokes, pulling until my arms struck the sand. I clamored to my feet and charged through the surf. Feet pounded behind me, but I ran as fast as I could, high-stepping my way to the shore and beating Axel in what was surely an impressive display of athleticism.
“Ingrid! Axel!” Janna’s pitch was unnaturally high.
“It’s okay.” I doubled over, resting my forearms on my knees. “He’s—pant—alive, and—pant, pant—I beat him. Pant.”
“Barely,” Axel exhaled beside me. “And I got the crystal.”
“I’m alive too,” Raynor shouted from the water. “Thanks for asking.”
“You all need to get moving,” Janna yelled. “Torstein can’t hold him off for much longer!”
My nerves pinged to attention. “Torstein can’t hold who off?”
“Sverrir,” Brigga said worriedly. “He’s trying to breach the bubble.”
Axel and I stared at each other, our competition instantly forgotten.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“There.” Brigga pointed to the street. A white beam shot at the edge of Torstein’s shield. It pinged off the protection, but a fissure had formed.
Axel pointed to the spot where our swords lay in the sand. Without a word, we launched across the beach and weaponed up.
“How long has he been here?” Raynor was right behind us.
“About two minutes.” Janna already had her shield raised. “And the break has been steadily—oh, no.”
A thunderous crack echoed across the beach. The white beam burst through the barrier, landing inside our bubble and launching a sandstorm that sent my team to its knees. I brought my shield up and shifted to my right, covering both Axel and myself beneath the wood. When the dust settled, I lifted my head. Sverrir leapt through the hole and landed on the sand.
And just like that, the whole game changed.
Chapter 2
THE DARK MAGE DIDN’T waste time. White beams soared across the beach, each landing closer to the spot where my team stood in a tight huddle.
“Don’t let him anywhere near that crystal,” I gritted out.
“Brigga. Take it.” Axel passed over the stone. Brigga’s eyes widened as she palmed the orb. Its glow had faded, but it continued to give off a faint light. That unwelcome beacon was going to be hard to hide.
“Torstein, can you do something about the light?” Brigga tucked the stone beneath her arm.
“Give me a minute.” Torstein grunted. He lifted his hand and sent a blue beam barreling at Sverrir. The dark mage leapt lithely to the side. Torstein’s brow furrowed into a deep V. He brought his hands together, whirled them in a tight circle, then pulled them apart to reveal a sparking, white orb between his palms. He glanced over his shoulder and called out, “Stay low. This might hurt.”
I crouched down, inching closer to Axel. The assassin covered Brigga’s body with his own. I positioned myself in front of him so all three of us were tucked behind my shield.
“We’re secure,” I yelled.
“I have Raynor,” Janna called out.
“Good.” Torstein lifted his hands over his head. A fierce cry ripped from his throat as he slammed the white orb into the earth. The ground shook, sending shockwaves ricocheting up my legs. My balance wavered and I tensed my muscles, fighting against the tremors that threatened to upend me. A massive wave broke against the shore, and the roundhouse at the end of the pier jiggled as if someone had shaken it. Torstein raised his hands and flung them forward. He seemed to be pushing something toward Sverrir. Whatever was happening, it made the tremors stronger. I squeezed the sand between my toes, desperately trying to steady myself against the force that rocked my balance. But I was no match for Torstein’s handmade earthquake. I landed on the ground with a painful thud, sending a stabbing pain from the base of my tailbone all the way up my spine. My head whipped back, and I readied myself for a second jab—this one sure to knock me unconscious. But a steady hand stopped my trajectory, cradling the back of my skull just before it slammed into the ground.
“I’ve got you,” Axel said.
I rolled my head to the side, careful to keep my shield aloft as I met Axel’s emerald-green gaze. “Thanks.”
“You okay?” he asked.
“Never better.” I shifted to my hip, relieving some of the pressure from my freshly bruised backside.
Ouch.
“Guys.” Brigga grunted. “I’m kind of squished.”
Axel released my head. I rolled to one side. Another wave rocked the ground, and I climbed unsteadily to my knees.
“Stay behind me,” I cautioned. “If Torstein’s doing . . . whatever this is, then we can bet Sverrir’s going to retali—oh, gods! Look out!”
A fiery sphere shot across the beach. It lit up the sky, casting an eerie glow as it made its way toward my team. I lifted my shield, knowing full well that if that fireball hit it, the wood would almost immediately
be reduced to ash. But I wasn’t going to be able to outrun fire—not with the ground rocking violently, and my legs seemingly reduced to wobbling sticks. I’d been in a mage battle recently, but that night on the Southern California State quad had been nothing like this. Back then, we’d been the ones to catch Sverrir off-guard. We’d had a strategy, and the element of surprise. Whereas tonight . . .
Things were not going well for Team Valkyris.
The fireball landed just a few feet from my shield. Its heatwave barreled toward me, and I flung my body over Brigga’s, determined to protect our prize. The crystal glowed bright beneath her arm. Its blue light was the last thing I saw before I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed the gods would spare me a death by flaming inferno. My Viking funeral wouldn’t be nearly as meaningful if I showed up already burned to a crisp. Heat clawed at my back as I wrapped myself around my teammate, but before it could overtake me something hard and heavy pressed me to the ground. My shield was ripped from my hand as Axel took point. He must have placed himself between the blaze and my body, because the heat immediately dissipated . . . though the pressure only increased.
“Augh!” Brigga cried out. She was no doubt feeling crushed beneath the weight of two Valkyrians. But I didn’t move for fear of exposing her to the fireball . . . and losing not only a teammate, but the prize we’d fought so hard to win.
“Blaze is out,” Axel called. He rolled off of me, grabbing my forearm and helping me stand. He passed me my shield and quickly positioned himself in front of the still balled-up Brigga. “But he’s just getting started.”
“Keep Brigga guarded,” Janna called out. “Raynor and I will block for Torstein. If Sverrir gets any closer we can break ranks and—”
Another fireball had her running toward our mage.
“Torstein, get behind me!” she shouted.
“No need.” Torstein drew a spray of water from the ocean. He arched it into the air, directing it toward the fireball with his fingertips. When it hit the projectile, the flame morphed into a sea of raining sparks. Embers dropped onto the sand, hissing as they dissipated.
What the actual Helheim?
“I’ve got it,” Torstein declared. “I’ve accessed the lineation of his spell, and conjured a counteraction that should—”
“No clue what that means, but Ingrid!” Axel swore. “Look out!”
“I’m on it.” I darted toward the shape slithering to my left. Where did that even come from? A wide path through the sand suggested my newest assailant had been hiding in the dunes. But I didn’t see it until it was nearly on top of me. Ignoring the nerves tumbling around my gut, I raised my sword and drove it into the massive snake. The blade pierced its belly, staking the sand in a single fierce strike. The creature writhed around, raising its head to bear its fangs at my exposed forearm. In my time as a shieldmaiden I’d battled warriors, dragons, and the not-quite-dead. But a venomous reptile in the middle of a California beach . . .
How is this even possible?
“Just. Die. Already.” I punctuated each word by slamming my sword into the animal. It continued to come at me until I ripped my dagger from its sheath and swiped it parallel to the ground. It sliced through the snake’s neck, cutting its head clean off and releasing the knot firmly clenched in my gut. “We’re clear.”
“We’re not,” Raynor called. “There’s got to be half a dozen snakes coming from the dunes. Where the Helheim is he getting these things?”
“We need to get out of here,” Janna said. “Torstein, is there any chance you can get us to the car?”
“He already breached my shield.” Torstein shot a blue beam toward the dark mage. “I’ll try to bring up another protection, but I can’t guarantee it’ll hold long enough to get us out of here.”
“This may help.” Brigga held up the crystal. “It’s been pulling toward you since Axel handed it to me.”
“Mmm.” Torstein shot another beam, then jogged over to Brigga. He took the blue stone from her hands, and cradled it between his fingers. “I wonder . . .”
He tightened his fist around the crystal. Then he closed his eyes, held up his other hand, and sent a stream of light straight into the air. It barreled a hundred feet upward, then split and arced its way to the ground. Light sparkled all around us, encasing us in a shimmering blue dome.
“Are we secure?” Axel asked.
“Only one way to tell.” Torstein nodded toward the car. “I’ll hold the protection—you all get to the car.”
“Not so fast.” I angled my sword at the snakes making their way toward my captain.
“I’ve got them,” Janna confirmed. “Just get that crystal out of here.”
A blast from the pier struck at the edge of the dome. Without a word, I backed toward Janna and sheathed my dagger. I drew my sword and pointed it at the approaching snakes. While the rest of our team ran for the car, Janna and I quickly disposed of the danger. Then, I scooped up my boots and followed my captain across the beach. Normally I would have found the sand between my toes to be soothing . . . but I was dripping wet, praying our magic crystal was safe, and ducking each time the evil sorcerer attacked our invisible bubble.
Gods, our life was weird.
Axel slowed his run, giving me time to catch up. He waved me forward and I jogged the short distance to the stairs. All the while, Sverrir kept up his assault. Light sparked on the pier side of the dome, but I kept my head down and ran. I cleared the stairs, followed Brigga and Raynor across the pavement, and threw myself into the back of the waiting vehicle. Axel jumped in after me. Torstein slipped into the driver’s seat just as Janna flung open the passenger’s door. When she’d closed it behind her, Torstein tossed her the crystal and started the car.
“Set the stone on the center console,” Torstein ordered. “I’ll keep a hand on it while I drive. If I can keep us shielded long enough, we can disappear in traffic and lose him.”
“Well, drive fast.” Axel peered out of the window. “He’s coming up the stairs.”
Janna swore loudly. She held out the crystal, and placed Torstein’s right hand on top of it. “Drive, guru.”
“Gladly.” The tires screeched as Torstein pulled away from the curb. He glanced at the rearview mirror while he drove, occasionally releasing the crystal to fire a hand-beam out his window. My heart thundered against my ribs as we ran through stoplights and careened around corners. No doubt we would have attracted the wrong kind of attention during the daytime. But the clock on the dashboard read four-fifty-two, and save for the occasional car that quickly scooted out of our way, the streets of Manhattan Beach were mostly empty.
Thank gods.
Our light mage fired one more beam before rolling up his window, and returning both hands to the wheel.
“He’s gone,” Torstein said calmly. “Now, I know that your cover depends on returning to your residences, but it’s a clear shot up this road to Malibu and I’d rather get this stone secured in my vault sooner than later.”
“Just get that thing locked safely away.” Axel slipped out of his soaking wet sweater. He dropped it at his feet, then leaned forward to study the glowing rock. “This puts nine of the twelve crystal pieces in our possession. Ja?”
“Correct.” Torstein picked up speed as he merged onto Highway 1. “Raynor, there are towels in the far back—help yourself, and pass two up to Ingrid and Axel, would you?”
“Sure thing.” Raynor reached behind him and grabbed three big, fluffy beach towels. He slung one around his shoulders, then handed the other two forward.
“Thanks.” I tossed one of the towels to Axel. He dabbed the droplets from his biceps while I began the tedious process of drying my abundance of curls. The saltwater had turned my hair to a tangled mess, so I finger-combed it as best I could before tying it back in a loose braid. I pulled off my sweater and towel-dried my arms, then did what I could to wring the water from my tank top. The cold hadn’t bothered me when we were fighting, but now that I had some time to catch my brea
th . . .
I shivered. “Any chance you can turn up the heat?”
“Of course.” Torstein pushed a button, and warm air filled the backseat. “And you’re welcome to shower once we get to the Meditation Center. I’ve got plenty of dry yoga clothes lying around.”
“I may take you up on that.” My attention shifted to the still-glowing crystal. “I wonder how this one ended up in the ocean. You said your girlfriend hid them around Southern California—do you think she could have buried more of them at sea, or . . .”
“Ama was a gifted mage, but I doubt even she could breathe under water.” Torstein shook his head. “Most likely, this one was buried on a nearby island. Over time, earthquakes or minor tsunamis could have unearthed it. It may have been adrift for years, for all we know. I only picked up on its whereabouts once it came close. The tides must have washed it in.”
“Good thing,” Brigga said. “If we’d been just a few minutes later, it would have fallen into the wrong hands.”
“Sverrir was unusually quick to respond tonight.” Torstein frowned. “He didn’t track us when we were in Palos Verdes—we were able to recover the previous two crystal pieces without his interference.”
“Ja. The fire monster did the interfering for him.” Axel reached over to rest his hand on my knee. I laced my fingers through his, pushing down the memory of the flaming beast who’d tried to stop us from collecting a pair of crystals in the forest two weeks ago. It had been an absolutely horrific day. The attack had been so vicious—and my boyfriend so badly hit—that for a few terror-filled minutes I’d been convinced I was going to lose Axel forever. That fear blossomed anew tonight, when he didn’t emerge from the water. And while I understood that loss was just a part of the package in our line of work, it wasn’t easy to know that on any given mission, at any given moment, my boyfriend could be incapacitated. Or worse.
I squeezed Axel’s hand. “We’d better be on our guard the next time Torstein gets a read on a stone. We got off lucky tonight—we didn’t have to go head-to-head with a fiery monster or a maniacal mage. We just had to dodge a few fireballs.”
