The footfalls stopped. “You inherited a watch, you say?”
“Yes, from my parents. I was adopted as a baby and never knew my real mother. My life is at stake.” She didn’t stint on the melodrama. “I must know what this rune means.”
The door swung open, and a gray-haired woman stood firmly in her path. Shrewd green eyes regarded her from over a prominent nose. A sense of recognition startled Nira. Those eyes reminded her of moss in a pine-scented forest and fires blazing in the night, of low voices murmuring and twigs cracking, of days long ago like the Vikings she’d studied. This woman had the same strong features as the Norsewomen who wore long shift dresses covered by linen tunics.
Good God, for a moment, she almost felt transported through time. Had the Trolleks messed with her mind, or was this a side effect of her newfound power? She blinked to sharpen her focus.
Edith, shotgun in hand, leaned around Nira to survey the grounds. “Did you come alone?”
“Yes. May I come in?” Her scalp prickled. She was too exposed with her back to the woods. It couldn’t totally be her imagination if she felt eyes watching her, could it?
She swept inside at Edith’s invitation and experienced a jolt of relief when the old woman shut the door and slid home the bolts.
Edith propped her weapon by the door then led Nira into a great room in the center of the house. Bedrooms jutted from three of its corners with a kitchen dining room combo facing the rear. It was a basic but workable plan. Wood flooring, upholstered furniture, and table lamps gave the place a comfy feel. Nira’s nose clogged, probably from those dust bunnies along the wall.
“Take a seat, missy.” Edith sank into a wing chair with a grimace. “My bones ain’t what they used to be, but now that you’re here, I’ll be able to rest.”
“What do you mean?” Nira claimed a seat on the sofa.
“I’ve been waiting for you, and my sisters before me, to give you the message.”
Her heart pounded. Hadn’t that old man in the forest said something similar?
“What message? You didn’t know I’d be showing up at your door.”
“The prophecy said so.” Edith tilted her head. “You have no idea, do you?”
“I’m sorry.” Nira spread her hands. “No idea about what?”
“Who you are. Your destiny.”
“It’s related to this symbol on my watch, isn’t it?” She held out her wrist.
Edith nodded, her eyes gleaming. “Yes, that is the key.”
“To what?” Nira shifted impatiently.
Edith glared at her. “To saving the world. All that came before will come again. You must stop it.”
“You sound like a man I met on an island. Askr lived in the woods, too, and told me strange things.”
“Others have been waiting, like me. Our job is to guide you. What did this fellow say?”
“He called my companion a son of Thor and said it was his duty to protect the daughters of Odin.” Nira leaned forward. “Odin and Thor are figures from Norse mythology. What do they have to do with anything?”
Edith’s gaze sharpened. “There’s truth in his words. Did he speak of a coming darkness?”
“He did.” A chill crawled up her spine, and the hairs on her arms lifted.
“You study these legends, don’t you, missy? You feel compelled to learn your history.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know many things. You have heard of Ragnarok?”
“Of course. Ragnarok was the big battle between the Gods and the Giants. It didn’t end well.”
“It marked the world’s destruction. The Gods met their defeat.” Edith spoke with conviction, as though the stories rang true to history.
“Not everyone died. The survivors started anew and repopulated the earth.”
“And now Ragnarok comes again. There’s only one thing that can break the cycle: the six daughters of Odin must join with the six sons of Thor to utter the ancient words.”
“What words?” She wished these old folks would stop speaking in riddles.
“The spell that will vanquish your foe.”
“O-kay. Where do I find this spell?”
Edith shrugged. “That secret is not mine to keep. I only know you and your sisters have the key.”
Nira stood and unsnapped her watch. “Look, can you interpret this symbol or not?”
Edith accepted the timepiece and squinted over it as though she needed reading glasses. “I cannot interpret this rune. Only you will be able to decipher it.”
“The old man we met in the woods said I should drink from the Fountain of Wisdom to gain that knowledge.”
“Good advice.” Handing back the watch, Edith nodded vehemently.
“Maybe so, but how am I supposed to find this magic water?” Not that she was buying into the whole legend thing, but it could explain a lot. Nira snapped the watch back on her wrist and resumed her seat.
“I will consult the stones.”
With a grunt, Edith rose. She left the room and returned a few minutes later holding a piece of fabric and a leather pouch. After spreading the white cloth on the coffee table, she sat, and then selected certain rune lots from the pouch. She cast them onto the table.
“This one represents your past, this here is the present, and the last one that’s face down shows the future.” Edith pursed her lips as though expecting Nira to doubt her.
“Go on.” Nira held as much faith in runecasting as in Tarot cards or crystal balls. Then again, she shouldn’t discount the ancient form of divination, not with all the other weirdness in her life right now.
Edith tapped the first stone. “Your past displays innocence, before you became aware of your destiny. Sadness and pain touched you, although family and friends provided support.”
She indicated the next rune. “Now you are awakening, becoming more powerful, but you must choose the right path. If you select the wrong one, all will be lost. Listen to your teachers. Learn from your guides. Look to your heart for the light of truth.”
As Edith turned over the last stone, she gasped. “By the Norns…”
The Norns? Nira had read about the three goddesses who represented Fate: Urdh─the past, Verdhandi─the present, and Skuld─the future. Just like the ghosts in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. So Edith was casting the Norns for her reading instead of using another method. Was there a particular reason why she’d chosen this technique?
Edith gathered the stones and thrust them back into the sack, pulling the drawstring so tight it burst apart. Rune lots scattered over the floor.
“See what you’ve made me do, child.” Hands shaking, Edith bent to scoop the stones into the bag.
“What’s wrong? What did that last one say?”
“You don’t want to know.” Straightening her spine, Edith hobbled to a bookshelf where she stuck the pouch into a lidded jar.
“But you expected me. Remember, you had a message to deliver?” Nira didn’t understand what could have made her so upset. Did the old lady really believe that those stones, inanimate objects etched with mysterious drawings, could foretell the future?
In any event, her interview was over. She rose, brushed off her pants, and thanked Edith for her time.
Halfway out the door, she paused when Edith spoke in a low rasp. “The last rune tells of the one of whom we do not speak. He stirs, using his instruments of evil until he can rise again.”
Nira spun around. “What do you mean?” This sounded like a rerun of Harry Potter.
Fear shone in Edith’s moss green eyes. “Heed my words, missy. The future of all mankind lies in your hands. Choose wisely, or you’ll be doomed to spend eternity in his dominion.”
****
Zohar patrolled the field in Turkey Lake Park where the Trollek village remained screened from view. He’d found it purely by scent, using his ability to sniff cors particles, and had stood by while attempting to devise a means of entry.
He had thought about ente
ring through Drift World again but quickly discarded that idea as foolish. No sense risking capture there when they might have put out an alert for him.
Hours passed as the sun blazed toward the west. His stomach rumbled with hunger, and his tongue dried with thirst. He pretended to be a naturalist studying plants in case the villagers could see him. His one chance would come if the displacement field went down during a power fluctuation.
His hope surged when the air shimmered and the village materialized like a blurry mirage. Taking advantage of the momentary lapse, he thrust his hand through the rippling curtain. When nothing bad happened, he stepped all the way through. The scent of burning filaments intensified. He emerged inside the village perimeter, presumably with the screening back in place. Now to steal some slave clothing so he could roam free.
He waylaid a poor soul hauling a water bucket and donned his clothes. Hefting the load, he trudged onto the main street toward the Grand Marshal’s residence at the far end. Questions singed his mind, but one was more urgent than the rest.
His head lowered, he approached the sentries barring the double front doors.
“I brought fresh water for you to drink,” he mumbled, staring at their scuffed boots.
“Bring it here,” spoke the guard with a nose like a carrot stick.
“As you command.” Zohar offered him the ladle.
“Who is your kabak?” The other guy rubbed his large earlobe.
“I was house servant to the Grand Marshal until recently. Then I was reassigned to Yunis Barack, a minor official.” He hoped they bought his story.
“I wonder why Heris Raggo didn’t retain you when he became temporary Grand Marshal.” Carrot nose passed the ladle to his friend.
Heris was their honorarium for a landowner. Zohar remained silent, wondering how to loosen their tongues.
“Heris Raggo probably figured this one could be more useful hauling buckets, Yorg. Look at his muscles. Better he should work in the yard than the house.”
Yorg ribbed him. “No wonder our former leader liked him. He enjoyed sampling both kinds, eh?”
Big Ears snickered. “His Eminence squandered too much human flesh, and thought with his wonk instead of his head.”
“That won’t be a problem anymore.” Yorg scratched his groin. “Heris Raggo is better at the job. I hope he gets a permanent appointment. Production is up twenty percent since he took over.”
The Trolleks spoke as though Zohar weren’t there, but then slaves often were treated like pieces of furniture.
“Were you still employed in the house when the human witch was brought before the Grand Marshal?” Yorg asked Zohar.
Did he mean Nira? “No, sir…er, master.” He had a quick moment of panic, hoping they didn’t notice his slip.
“Algie put out an alert for a woman with her description,” Yorg told his friend, “but the Grand Marshal must have been so eager to bed the witch that it didn’t register.”
Big Ears finished sipping from the ladle and tossed it back into the bucket. “His Eminence got what he deserved, but I’d like to know how he ended up dead in his bed without a mark on him. What did that woman do to him, and how did she escape?”
What? Zohar’s heart lurched. Nira claimed she’d cracked the official on the skull with a lamp.
Had she deliberately lied to him?
Yorg poked the other guard. “You know what I think, Wick? Algie wanted to get rid of the Grand Marshal because he opposed her operation, so she sent the human female to seduce him. Then whammy, the witch kills him with a Nid Rune.”
“Come on, there’s no such thing as a magic curse.”
“Is so. We’re just not allowed to talk about it.”
“Don’t you start getting all weird on me.” Wick lowered his voice. “Bad enough our king acts possessed.”
“Shut your mouth. You’ll get us in trouble.”
They both looked at Zohar who stood rigid, his head bowed.
“Get back to your duties.” Yorg pointed to him, a mean scowl on his face. “And speak of this to no one, not even your new kabak, understand?”
Zohar bowed. “As you command.”
Lifting the bucket, he turned on his heel and scuttled out of sight. Around the corner, he dropped his burden, deciding to scrap the rest of his mission and search for the jamming device.
Then he had to warn his crew about Nira. She’d lied to them about the Grand Marshal. What else did she hide?
****
Nira slammed on the brakes when a fallen tree branch obstructed the narrow country road. Great, just what she needed. Tired and thirsty, she yearned for a Coke but she’d been too eager to escape the pesky detective to linger in town. Now she wouldn’t make it back to Orlando before rush hour unless she could budge that chunk of wood.
She put the car in Park and got out, hoping to swing the log to the side of the road. But her straining muscles made few inroads on moving the obstacle. She kicked it in frustration. She’d have to call for help.
Brushing off her hands, she trudged to her car. Sweat dribbled down her back and between her breasts. At least the thunderstorm had drifted away. Clouds dotted the sky but the rain marched west.
She’d just pulled out her cell phone when another engine approached. She spun, and her stomach somersaulted.
Oh no, don’t tell me. Detective Carlson was back on her tail. He must have waited until she visited Edith and then picked up pursuit again. Still, she was glad to see another driver. Either he’d have to assist her, or he’d be stuck, too.
He squealed to a halt behind her car and shut off the ignition before getting out of his wreck of a vehicle. He’d rolled up his shirtsleeves and looked every bit as weary as she felt.
“Still following me, huh?” She planted her hands on her hips. “Well, see if you can lift that branch, buddy.”
“You didn’t do this on purpose to annoy me, did you?” Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped his brow.
“Oh, sure. I love waiting in the heat like this. Can you move it or not?”
Carlson shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s find out.”
Positioning himself by the branch, he bent his knees and wrapped his hands around the bark. He heaved. He shoved. He grappled the wood and yanked, his face turning red. Nira hastened to help him, but their combined efforts yielded the same result.
“I give up. We should call road service.” Letting go, he huffed to catch his breath.
A piercing wail came from the hill beyond.
Goosebumps rose on her flesh. “What’s that?”
“Sounds like a child.” Shading his face, Carlson squinted at the grassy slope. “I’ll check it out. Could be some kid who wandered from home and got lost.” He ambled up the hill toward the woods beyond.
Nira opened her cell phone, and the low battery signal beeped. Uh, oh. She’d left her car charger home after cleaning out her vehicle. She’d better make good use of her remaining time. Her instinct to summon Zohar won out.
Paz answered again.
“Isn’t Zohar back yet?” Irritation colored her tone.
“The captain still hasn’t checked in. What’s the problem?”
“I need his advice.” She didn’t want Paz to think her a helpless female who summoned a man over car trouble. “Please have him contact me as soon as you hear from him.”
“You got it.” Paz clicked off.
The guy probably thought she was a nuisance, interfering in his team’s affairs. Longing for their leader stole into her. If Zohar were here, he’d vaporize that log with a single shot. But apparently, the man didn’t need her anymore.
Was he out searching for the jamming device? He should have taken her with him. At the very least, she could neutralize the confounding spell on any human foot soldiers he encountered.
Feeling like used luggage, she tossed her cell phone onto the car seat after it went dead. So much for the warriors from outer space, or the auto club for that matter. She’d have to rely on Detect
ive Carlson.
She locked her door with the purse inside. As she climbed the hill, her rubber-soled shoes sank into the soft earth. At the slope’s summit, she stopped to scan the line of trees ahead.
“Carlson, where are you?” She didn’t spot him anywhere.
“This way.” The stocky detective stuck his head out from behind an evergreen and waved. “We can probably reach the kid before road service arrives. How long before they get here?”
“Uh, about that…” She reached him just as a piteous whine sounded from deeper in the forest. Dense undergrowth and a tangle of vines decreased visibility into the interior. She shuddered, reluctant to trek farther without letting anyone know their whereabouts. “We need to use your phone. Mine died.”
Carlson yanked it off his belt, but when he looked at the screen, he frowned. “No service. Sorry.”
“Let’s go back to the road. It’ll work there.”
“Not without helping that kid.” His feet crunched on dead twigs as he turned inland.
“How do you know it’s a child? It could be an animal.”
“Animals don’t cry like that unless they’re hurt. You can wait here if you’re afraid. I have a Labrador and two cats at home. Whatever this is, it’s in pain.”
She admired his compassion but not his stubbornness. If nothing else, she’d get insect bites and scratches from battling her way through the branches, not to mention tangling with cobwebs.
The alternative, waiting alone by the roadside, appealed to her less. She could walk back to the nearest residence, but the heat sapped her energy. Her best chance was to stick with Carlson.
Dead leaves crunched underfoot as she hastened after him. He might dress like a city slicker, but he knew how to blaze a trail. He forged ahead, swatting plants out of his path and skirting rocks.
“I’m thirsty. Don’t suppose you have any water?” he said in a gruff tone, his neck ringed with perspiration.
“Nope, sorry.” She listened for the sound of a trickling stream, but heard only occasional bird cries, rustling leaves, and those pitiful wails. Ugh. It reminded her of the horrible cries in the Trollek village, except this sounded inhuman.
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