“Stop,” I laughed, “I can’t take your unbridled happiness any longer.”
She wasn’t daunted. “I’m going to start working on my brain-to-brain communication capacity. BBCC for short. If my brain is big and magical, I should be able to figure out how to do it.”
“Is that a real thing?” I asked.
“Nope, I just made it up.” She giggled while pushing her fingers against her temples and closing her eyes. “But I’m planning on perfecting it nonetheless.”
Tyr picked up some errant pieces of wood off the floor. “Our father was likely involved with making sure you met Phoebe. He wants to keep her safe at all costs. He will have the answers you’re searching for.”
Sam’s eyes flew open, and her mouth fell into a perfect O. “Odin? He knows I exist? Whoa. I don’t even know how to handle that news.”
“Not freakier than finding out he might be your father,” I commented, yawning. I was so sleepy. Fen was right. I needed food. My energy level was sapped.
“You’re right,” Sam said, “you win. That’s the ultimate mind-freak.”
Fen shifted in his seat so I had more room, and I snuggled in. He addressed Tyr. “We need to get this boat to New Mexico as soon as possible. That’s where the Valkyrie stronghold is located and where we’ll find Yggdrasil.”
Tyr scratched under his collar. He’d donned a blue plaid shirt, but at least this one was clean. “New Mexico is arid, if I recall correctly. There are no large bodies of water there. We might have to dock somewhere and arrive another way.”
“The San Juan River runs through a big portion of the state,” Sam piped in. “That’s big enough for a boat this size.” She looked ridiculously cute with her tousled hair and sailboat jammies, which were a little torn from all the activity, but still holding up. We were lucky to have her smarts with us. Now we possibly knew the reason why. It was a crushing relief to know she was tougher than any human and couldn’t be hurt as easily.
Tyr nodded, his mouth going up in a thoughtful expression. “We can try to land there, but it will be hard to pick the right place, since, as you say, the river traverses a big expanse. Valkyries have always had a stronghold on Midgard, but they keep the location secret. We might end up too far away, and it’s harder to do small jumps if we don’t get the location right the first time.” He glanced around him, his face pensive as he assessed the vessel that was his home. “This boat only has one or two more jumps in her before she dies completely. We’ll be lucky to get back to Midgard in one piece. I called her back before she was ready.” He stroked the wood frame next to him with genuine caring in his voice. “She’s been my steady rock for a long time. It will be hard to let her go.”
I glanced around at the rotting wood and damaged hull, the holes, and the rust. I didn’t feel quite so attached, but I did feel thankful the boat had done its job delivering us from harm. “Can’t you have her repaired?” I asked. “Take her someplace to have someone rebuild the entire thing?”
He shook his head. “No can do. Her magic resides in the very boards that house her. She’s one of a kind, a brilliantly cobbled together piece of magic from various different elements. She’s been running hard for a thousand years. Unfortunately, time takes its toll on most things, even magical ones.”
“A thousand years?” I gasped, glancing around again, this time making it a point to be more appreciative of what the poor boat had gone through. No wonder it looked so dated. “Well, I hope she can get us back to Midgard. How soon can we leave?”
“We’ll have to give her at least twenty-four hours to recharge,” Tyr replied. “Then we’ll have to decide on a rough location. The boat will materialize only on water, so that’s not the issue. But we’re going to have to make some kind of determination of where to go.”
“I honestly have no idea,” I said. “I wish I could be more help. Ingrid didn’t say anything specific about the location.”
Sam stood, smiling. “Do you have a map of Midgard lying around somewhere?” She directed her query at Tyr. “If I were a Valkyrie, I would pick someplace both remote and shielded at the same time. There are several places that would work in New Mexico, but outside of Mesa Verde National Park would be ideal, even though the park itself lies in Colorado, the topography leaks over into New Mexico. The canyons have skyscraper-tall walls on all sides. That’s why the Pueblo Indians chose to live there. That and the cliff dwellings offered the ultimate protection from enemies. You could carve buildings into the canyon, and no one would ever know you were there.” She shrugged. “It’s just a thought. They could be in the mountains or shallower canyons as well. There are also some great caves.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Sam,” I said, “you’re a godsend. Literally.”
Tyr replied, “I have a map someplace. I’ll go dig it up.”
“I’ll help you,” she said, following him inside. “You guys should get some rest,” she said before she shut the door. “You look like you’re about to collapse, Phoebe. Sleep will do you good.”
Fen made a move to stand, reaching down for my hand. “Come, Valkyrie. Your friend is right. We can sort this all out in the morning. There’s a couch inside.”
I went with him. I needed sleep, but I was craving energy more. I was hungry to the soul of my being, but being intimate on this boat wasn’t going to happen. There was no privacy anywhere to be had, and I wasn’t into exhibitionism. “Okay, but wake me up before we start moving. I want to know where we’re going.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t miss any of the action.”
* * *
The boat shook so hard, I tumbled off the couch. The sofa was tiny, so it hadn’t been that hard to uproot me. It was pitch black out. I’d been asleep no longer than a few hours. “What’s happening?” I stood, my legs braced apart to keep me upright. “Is it an earthquake?”
Fen came bolting through the door. “The giants are here. We must leave immediately.”
Sam called from above, “What’s going on?” Her voice was full of sleep. She stood on the top step, wiping her eyes as she clutched the handrail to keep from falling.
“Fen says it’s giants,” I told her. “Did you guys figure out a location? We’re going to have to leave earlier than planned.”
Sam teetered down the steps. “Yes, kind of. But I don’t think the boat is ready to move yet. It’s only been a few hours. It’s not fully recharged.”
Tyr strode into the cabin from the bow side, his face set. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to have to force her to go. There’s no other way. There are too many of them.”
I rushed to the back to look out, but I couldn’t see anything. “How many?”
“Not sure,” Fen said, his voice stony. “But enough.”
“My weapons are magical,” Tyr added, “but I don’t have nearly enough to hold them off. Plus, you two cannot withstand an attack of that magnitude. So instead, we move.” He headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Fen and I followed, using the railings.
Tyr sat at what looked to be a control panel, pressing various levers. The boat immediately began to vibrate, but then stopped, seeming to putter out of gas before it even got started, like a car motor trying to turn over.
Tyr pounded his fist into a side panel, crushing some of it beyond repair. That wasn’t going to help.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Is it stuck?”
“If I force her to move now,” he answered, “this will be the last time she ever does. The boat is too depleted. We will be lucky if she makes it to our destination in one piece.”
“There is no other choice,” Fen argued. “It’s either take the chance or be crushed by giants. If that happens, some of us won’t regenerate.” He placed an emphasis on the last bit, but he didn’t have to. We all knew Sam wouldn’t survive, and I might not either.
Tyr spread his arms wide across the console and bowed his head. Without looking up, he lifted a hand.
Sam placed a map in it like she’d read his tho
ughts. Our destination was marked with a black X. Tyr leaned up and brought it in front of him, placing it on a flat screen that sat in the middle of the panel. He had to hold it steady, because the boat was still rocking. “This is going to take some time,” he said. “Go take up arms and hold them off.”
Fen was already moving. I followed him back down. “Where are the arms?” I asked. When Sam started after us, I turned. “No, you stay here and help Tyr. You’re not becoming giant bait.”
She didn’t argue, which was smart. “Okay, but if you need me, just yell.”
“If I yell, that means find a place to hide quick.”
She chuckled, calling after my retreating back, “I can’t decide if this is the best adventure ever or the worst!”
“I’ll let you know after we escape from here in one piece.”
Fen had already opened a large crate that sat inside the door. He took out several spears and a harpoon gun, like the one Try had used. He handed me a spear. I took it. It felt lightweight. “This doesn’t look like it would do much damage. It has to be the size of a toothpick compared to them.” I’d never seen a giant, so I was imagining something as tall as a mountain.
“If a giant is pricked by that spear, they are infected with poison. It won’t kill them, but it will stop them.”
“What about that spear?” I pointed to one that had different markings.
He handed it to me, so now I held one in each hand. “This one will knock one out. But you must be careful, because when they fall, they fall hard.”
That sounded dangerous. “Are we actually going to have to fight them?”
“That depends on Tyr and how fast his boat can get us out of here. Once the giants arrive, the boat will want to shift to a safe place on its own. That might be the catalyst it needs, and we won’t have to fight. If the boat falters, we fight.”
“Once they get here, why wouldn’t they just step on the boat and be done?”
Fen chuckled. It was good he found humor at a time like this. He leaned over and placed a small kiss on my lips. I closed my eyes, enjoying the touch and drinking in his energy. It seemed like it had been years since we’d been intimate. “They are not that big, Valkyrie.”
I was about to respond when a big, booming voice—one that sounded like it could broadcast across an entire city, no microphone needed—shouted, “Come out and fight!”
The giants had arrived.
33
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Fen and I stepped out onto the back of the boat, weapons in hand. Dawn was breaking. The boat was nestled between two very tall fjord walls, which I thought would’ve offered us the ultimate protection. But it hadn’t mattered.
The giants stood in the water, the river lapping at their thighs.
I counted twenty, all of varying heights, but all huge. Fen was right. They weren’t mountains, but they were as tall as my apartment building. The only good thing was they weren’t too close to us yet. The boat still had time to blink out of existence before they crushed us with their meaty fists, which certainly looked large enough to do the job.
The boat began to vibrate. “Come on, I know you can do it,” I murmured, stroking the wood rail. “Get us out of here. We need to get to Ingrid.”
“You do not want to engage us!” Fen shouted. “The outcome will not be to your liking. You threaten the god of war. You should know better! Go back where you came from.”
“We do not seek…to fight the god of war. We want the Valkyrie…you harbor.” The voice was so low and drawn-out, it sounded like thunder rumbling.
“She is under Tyr’s protection,” Fen called. “If you come for her, we will retaliate.”
The giants lumbered forward, sending waves shooting in our direction.
I leaned over to Fen. “They don’t seem daunted by your threat.”
“The reward Verdandi has offered makes it too hard to resist.” He shook his head. “I will relish releasing the Jondi back to their native land. Then there will be a fair fight for power here, always fluctuating. As it stands now, the giants have no natural enemies. It makes them believe they are stronger than they are.”
The boat continued to rock on the waves, as well as vibrate. It was trying its best to get us out of here. “It seems to me like they’re pretty darn strong. I know you said these weapons will do damage, but there are too many for me to poke at once with my spears.” I shook the weapons to emphasize my point, while directing a pointed head bob to the mob that was edging ever nearer.
“Once we fell a few of them, the rest will back off. My weapon has a greater reach.” He grinned as he brought the harpoon gun up and centered it on a target. “Come any closer, and I fire this! I think you recognize the gold signature on the spear.”
The giants paused. “Is that…Kada you hold?”
“It is,” Fen answered. “It was just used to defeat Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent.”
The giants talked amongst themselves. It sounded like drums beating. The one in front, who looked fierce with a full beard and powerful arms, answered, “We will take…our chances. You will only hit one…or two of us. It is worth the risk.”
“Would you also risk the ire of Angrboda?”
“Who asks this?” The giant leaned down and squinted. We must have looked like ants to them.
Before the giant made his assessment, Fen answered boldly, “Fenrir the Wolf.”
There was a collective intake of breath. “But you are a prisoner…of Asgard!” The statement boomed around the fjords, reverberating off the rocks. “How can it be?”
“I am a prisoner no more. I’m surprised the news hasn’t reached you. I’m certain Verdandi left that out, knowing my mother, your queen, would not take kindly to my harassment in your lands.” Fen was full of surprises. His mom was a queen?
“It is of no matter,” the giant grumbled. “You are an escapee. Your return will triple the reward already promised to us.” The mass moved forward again. “We will take you both,” the giant said in confident tones.
“Come on, little boat”—I bent down and rubbed the decking like I was rubbing a puppy’s belly—“get us out of here.” It tremored under my hand. “That’s it. You can do it.”
“Get ready,” Fen said, his eye against the sight, ready to fire the golden arrow.
“How’s it going in there?” I called behind me. “Are we any closer to leaving yet? Because we’re about to have some gigantic company!”
“Almost there!” Sam yelled back. “But don’t expect us to land well, so brace yourselves.”
The boat began to rev and shake like there was an airplane engine under the hull. The giants were moving faster, likely hearing the boat kick into gear.
“I will shoot if you do not stop,” Fen threatened.
“Fine, do your worst—”
Fen launched the spear from the harpoon. It hit its mark, directly in the leader’s chest. The giant stumbled, a look of dumb shock on his face. Why he didn’t think Fen would shoot was beyond me. The guy had warning.
The giant plunged to his knees, sending huge waves crashing over the back of the boat. We were both sopping wet, and the sloshing water made it hard to keep our balance. I grabbed for the railing, almost dropping my spears.
Fen lowered his weapon and slid an arm around my waist, steadying me. “Now we see what they do.”
The other giants rallied around their leader, dragging him to the side of the fjord and propping him up against some rocks.
“What did the harpoon spear do to him?” I asked as we watched the giants turn from their fallen comrade and start for us again.
Fen dropped his arm, grabbed a new golden spear, loaded it, and repositioned the gun on his shoulder. “For the moment, he is knocked out. He will come to in incredible agony, which will last about a fortnight—same as the poison in an ettin, but about a thousand times stronger.”
I whistled. “I wouldn’t wish that kind of torture on anyone.�
� I thought about the pain I’d experienced from Bragnon’s bite and shuddered thinking about it being even a tiny bit stronger.
As the mass of giants continued forward, Fen called, “Who’s next? Who wants to—”
The boat shook us off-balance.
Fen and I both lost our footing. I went down on my backside. Fen lurched to a knee, still holding the harpoon trained expertly on his target.
The boat blinked in and out of reality.
“Come on, little boat! You can do it,” I urged, trying to stand on a rocking, vibrating boat as waves from the impending giants crashed over us. Under the stress of it all, the boat began to break apart before our eyes. Boards and wood began to crack and split. “No, no, not yet!” Popping and creaking sounds surrounded us. I gave up trying to stand and began to crawl, trying to hold the boat in place with my bare hands.
“Valkyrie!” Fen shouted. “Look out!”
A giant had me in hand before I knew what had happened. It had come up from under the water. The breath was knocked out of me as I began to rise in the air. I kicked and screamed, “Let go of me!” He had my arms pinned so I couldn’t move.
“Release her, or I will shoot,” Fen ordered calmly from below.
The giant who held me laughed. “Someone get the wolf,” he ordered. His voice sounded like a storm. “I will take this one.”
“If you don’t release me, you’re going to be sorry,” I yelled, trying to kick my legs.
Instead of acquiescing, the giant squeezed me. At this rate, I’d lose consciousness quickly, which was, I’m sure, his plan. Much easier to steal a limp, unresisting body than a steaming-mad Valkyrie.
I was angry. I couldn’t let myself be the victim again. We were so close to making it out of here.
My body began to hum with energy. I had to focus on what I could use. The giant shook me for good measure.
Below us, Fen shot a spear into a giant who had brazenly tried to grab him. He loaded a new one. “Release her!” he commanded, brandishing the gun on my attacker once again.
Struck: (Phoebe Meadows Book 1) Page 25
