by Garnet Hart
Slowly, she pulled away from Lysander and wiped her tears.
“Shall we go?” Lysander asked.
“Bran,” she said, “and Raith. We must find them.”
“Raith just left. Where did you last see Bran?”
She looked around, but she could not quite remember where she’d come from. “I don’t know. I was running away from Grunt.”
Lysander reached for her hand and pulled her with him. “Let’s go back to the ranch. I’ll come back here to look for Bran.”
Tired and emotionally drained, she agreed. She endured the pain on her leg as they followed the path along the river. Lysander offered to carry her, but she refused.
Halfway through, they heard a voice of a man, cursing and uttering filthy words.
She stopped and listened. She only knew one man who could utter such profanity. “It’s Bran,” she said.
Lysander was moving to the edge of the river. Apparently, he had heard the voice before she did. “Yes, it’s him. He’s down the water. Stay right there and I’ll go get him.”
She watched as Lysander looked below the cliff. “Hey, dickhead!” he called out. “We’re up here!”
“What?!” Bran sounded surprised. “What the bloody ‘ell ‘ya doing ‘ere? Have you seen that ugly son of a bitch? He threw me down here with those giant leeches! I’m gonna murder that bloody pig and eat ‘is bloody ‘eart.”
Although she was heartbroken, she was glad that Bran was alive. If he died, she probably could never forgive herself for she was the one who got him into this mess.
“The fucker’s dead now.” Lysander answered.
“What?! Don’t tell me you killed that bloody bastard!”
“A god from Vanir did.”
Bran did not answer immediately. He seemed surprised. “So the cocksucker finally transformed to an Alpha, eh?” he said as though he knew exactly what had happened even if he did not see it himself. “So where’s the Elf?”
“Here,” Asra answered and ran to the edge of the shallow cliff. She found Bran standing beside the running water.
“Hey, lassie,” Bran smiled up at her. “Glad you’re bloody fine.”
She gasped and cringed. He was shirtless, and there were a few big leeches on his back and arms. He looked pale like a dead man, his cheeks hallowed, and his eyes bulging out.
“Oh my god!” she exclaimed. “You look like a scary Vampire!”
Lysander quickly turned to her and frowned. “Do I look like him?”
“No, I mean…” she winced. She noticed Lysander had minor burns on his face as well, even if he was wearing a black hood. “A Vampire I used to read from books.”
“Hah, Vampires are uglier than me,” Bran said as he climbed up the rocks coming to them. She noticed that he was still holding the MacLeod sword. “They smell terrible, as well.”
Bran made it up and Lysander peeled the remaining leeches off Bran’s skin.
“They’ve sucked your dry,” Lysander said. “I can’t believe you’re still alive.”
“What d’ya mean? I’d let those bloody leeches kill me? I’d die of any means but not by leeches.”
Bran turned to her. “So what did I miss? I heard your wail. It broke my ears. Is that what released the Alpha?”
“It looked like it,” Lysander replied.
“You probably rattled his sleep. You could have died doing that,” Bran told her, and then frowned when he noticed something on her face. “Why are you crying?”
She shook her head. If she said another word, she might cry again.
“Lior left her,” Lysander answered. “He went back to Vanar. His helper died saving his life.”
“Who? That pretty wench in his house?” Bran asked.
Lysander nodded. “She’s sacrificed herself to save her king.”
Bran put his arm around her shoulders as they started walking out of the woods. “I could have been there if not because of those leeches.”
She sniffed. “You stink.”
“You too,” Bran replied which made her realize she was as dirty as he was, but not as ugly as a dead. “I told you, lassie, he’s a cowfucker. He’d rather be with a cow than with you.”
Asra felt like crying again, but she held back her tears. She must not forget that she was a MacLeod, and a MacLeod never cries. By now, Lior should be preparing for his wedding with Var. Or the ceremony was probably going on at this very moment. “Var’s not a cow.”
“Oh she is. Believe me, she’s a cow.”
“The most beautiful cow of Asgard,” Lysander added.
Asra laughed even if her eyes were teary. She knew they were trying to cheer her up.
This pain inside her may be the most terrible thing she’d ever felt, but she’d just have to leave it right in this cursed place. Once she stepped out of this forest, she’d look forward to a new life. She’d pick up whatever remaining pieces were left of her and patch up the missing ones to make herself whole again.
Lior had gone to a dangerous extent just to save her life. She had to live it, for her life was precious to him.
Chapter 33
Lior sat on his horse, along with Garr and a few remaining Alphas, in front of his army. The day had come when Odin announced that his army would come to attack. He had prepared for it.
Upon his return to Vanar after his fight with Grunt, the Aesir guests and his bride had already left, and Odin had sent them a warning that he would no longer relinquish his claim to this land. However, the Aesir army had been pulled out of Vanar several days ago. If Odin wanted this land, then he’d have to conquer it again.
But there would be no second defeat for Vanar. Odin could not make slaves out of his precious race ever again. He only had a few hundred archers and a few thousand foot soldiers. Garr had brought in some weaponry he’d been forging in Midgar, too. One thing the Lycans had advantage over the other worlds was that they can bring Midgar artifacts into Vanar through a special portal. It was the secret of the Invictus that the Demons more likely knew now, too, thanks to Roar deserting his comrades. But that was the least of his concerns now.
The presence of nine Alphas leading the forces made them confident that they could defend this land. Nine was a small number because Odin had executed most of them, but enough to resist any attack by Asgard, especially now that the spell had been broken and all Alphas can now shift into their god form. Thanks to the wail of that Elf.
Those pathetic Aesir gods would surely tremble on their knees once they had come face to face with these ancient gods.
A couple of hours had passed since his messenger came running to inform him that the Asgard army was on their way, and they were twice as much as their number. He’d ordered the women to seek cover inside the castle and his warriors to get in their designated positions. But until now, the enemy had not arrived.
His army was losing patience and the heat of the sun added more to their distress.
“Razo,” he called for his messenger who promptly came to him on a horse. “Get two men with you and see what happened to them.”
“Yes, Sire,” Razo replied and gestured for his two assistants to follow him, but before they could move out, three Aesir horsemen stepped out of the dense forest.
“Hold!” He raised his hand to stop the tower guards from firing their arrows.
He quickly recognized Lawfer, and he only had two Einherjars with him.
Accompanied by Garr and another Alpha, he maneuvered his horse forward to meet Lawfer.
Strange, this Aesir god looked troubled.
“Lord Odin has a message for you,” Lawfer started.
Lior pulled the reins to keep Arion still. “My army’s been waiting here. What’s keeping you?”
“Odin has withdrawn his command to attack Vanar. He wants to make peace with you instead.”
Lior narrowed his eyes. Something was suspicious about Odin’s sudden declaration of truce. “My messengers spotted your army marching here a few hours ago. What happened?”<
br />
Lawfer flushed. He looked embarrassed when he spoke. “Surt’s army came along the way. We’ve lost half our forces and Asgard is now in a vulnerable state. Surt’s reserved forces are marching to Valhalla as we speak, and the Einherjars might not be sufficient to defend the castle.”
Lior stared at his friend’s face. Such a funny twist of fate. All along, Odin had been preparing for Surt’s attack, but his enemy knew just when to strike.
He wanted to laugh but shook his head instead, unable to feel anything for the great god that he had served all his life. “And now he wants us to fight for Asgard?”
“For the sake of all nine worlds, an alliance with Asgard to combat Jotun is your best option. In exchange for this, lord Odin will relinquish all his claims over Vanar and we will consider you our best ally.”
Lior glanced at Garr to ask his opinion.
“It’s your decision, Sire,” the general replied.
Heaving a deep breath, he returned to Lawfer. He now despised Asgard, but if Surt succeeded in taking over Valhalla, then no one could stop the giant king from anything, and Surt’s greed for power and domination was way more unquenchable than that of Odin. However, he would not easily succumb to Odin’s wishes this time.
“I don’t need an alliance with Asgard. As you can see, my men here are willing to die to defend our world. So, why would we help you?”
“L-lior,” Lawfer stuttered in shock. “You can’t stay here and let Surt have his way.”
He smirked. “I can form an alliance with Surt to keep Vanar safe from him.”
Lawfer was even more bewildered. He probably could not believe that the once most loyal warrior of Asgard could actually utter such words. “What about Midgar?”
That was the problem. If Surt conquered Midgar, the humans would have no one to defend them. “Very well, I will accept the alliance in one condition.”
Lawfer waited for him to continue.
“To be honest, I would rather not fight for Asgard again, but perhaps Fenrir would be kind enough to consider your request. However, unless he comes back and assumes his position as the king of Vanar, an alliance between Asgard and Vanar is not possible. So, go tell Odin to release my father from lifetime servitude and bring him here with us. That is your only option.”
“But it will take one day for Fenrir to get here.”
He shrugged. “Then that’s your problem.”
Lawfer sighed. “I’ll speak with lord Odin. If he agrees, I’ll open a portal for Fenrir to come here right away.”
“Great.”
Lior smiled as he watched Lawfer’s company ride away. They disappeared into the trees.
“That was shrewd, my king,” Garr said.
“We’ll have our king back in a few hours.”
Garr nodded, grinning. “Indeed. This time, Odin has lost his aces.”
He told his men to be on double alert. He had watchers a mile away. They’d relay a sign if a threat was coming. He had snipers at the towers. Garr had developed special bullets that could hurt gods, similar to the bullet that had hurt him before. Garr had perfected the weapon two centuries later. Now he understood why Garr and Roar had the guts to form the Invictus. Odin was in for a big surprise.
They waited for two hours, but Lawfer had not come back. Lior was losing his patience.
Then he heard a rumbling on the ground. Several horses were coming.
Even without him giving the orders, his men got ready to fight.
Then a large black horse emerged from the forest, and riding it was a giant of a man charging towards them.
The people yelled when they recognized their king.
With eyes moist with tears, Lior jumped down from his horse to meet his father. Fenrir did the same and greeted his son with a hug.
“You did great, son. You make me very proud.”
His father’s face glowed with the happiness of finally being freed after six centuries of imprisonment.
Lior, his eyes moist with emotion, removed his cape. It should only be worn by the king of Vanar. Fenrir didn’t seem to hesitate and dropped on one knee. Lior fastened the cape around his father’s shoulders.
As Fenrir stood up, the Lycans yelled in jubilation.
Fenrir smiled and glanced at his army, his eyes beaming with pride. “You have promised to fight with Asgard in exchange for my freedom, therefore, we’ll have to stand by our word, regardless if we consider Asgard as our mortal enemy.”
Lior nodded. “We have faith in you, my king. You know what’s best for your people and for Vanar.”
“Very well, let’s show Odin how futile his forces are without the aid of the Lycans.”
Chapter 34
Asra sniffed the perfume she had just mixed and was delighted with the result. For the past few weeks, she had spent her time studying more about making fragrances.
She had dreamed of this for too long. Now, it was time to make her dream come true. Someday soon, she could put her perfumes on the market and her brand would be known all over the world.
She knew she was quite ambitious, but she had a lifetime to turn that dream into reality. It was still strange to think of herself as an immortal, but as her Aunt Eruanna had enlightened her of her Elf nature, she had warmed up to the idea. Humans only had around three quarters of a century to live, while she could live for a millennium if she wanted to. There was no reason why she could not make her own brand of perfume popular in that length of time.
She closed the bottle and stored it in the shelf. When she turned to the window, she realized the sun had risen. She could not believe she had stayed all night blending essential oils and only came up with one scent which she appreciated.
She opened the window and breathed at the morning breeze. She had been to many places, but none of them could replace Skye as her home.
Within the property of Lior, she chose an acre just beside the lake and built her two-storey house there. The construction took around two months, and now she had filled it with furniture and decorated it to her satisfaction.
Finally, she had a home to call her own now, except that at times, it felt lonely. Lysander had generously bought the silence of the witnesses in that Las Vegas incident, but it was still not safe for her to mingle with people. At any time, someone might recognize her.
But it did not matter much to her if she would not have any more human friends. She had Geoff anyway. Last month, she plucked up the courage to call him on the phone. She thought he would not want to talk to her again, but it turned out he’d been waiting for a call from her all along.
She had apologized and told him the truth about herself, but it did not change the way he saw her. He still wanted to remain as her friend even if she was different, and had also promised not to tell anyone about her. However, she could not go see him again. Not too soon anyway.
As of Dunvegan Castle, she had relinquished her claim on that property. Last month, Chief Randall of MacLeod summoned her to the castle to receive the title of the property, but she gave it back to him and considered Lior’s payment a donation for the castle’s renovation.
Funny, was it not only a few weeks ago when she was so hell-bent on acquiring as much money as she could just so she could buy her precious Dunvegan Castle? But for some reasons, things had changed. Living in that castle alone would only make her sadder than she already was. Besides, she knew Randall could take care of it better than she could.
Randall was her uncle’s descendant and a MacLeod just as she was. The difference was that Randall was the legitimate successor, while her identity as a MacLeod must never be known.
She sat before her brand new piano, a gift from the Rochford couple to keep her entertained, and began playing her favorite piece. It was something new to her, but it had been a popular piece decades ago.
It sounded sad, but its melody was soothing her heart. Everytime she played this song, she couldn’t help but remember Lior—the handsome god who came from Vanar to save her from the monster Grun
t.
She smiled as her eyes swam with tears. He was her hero, but his final words hurt her so. It was true she loved that scoundrel with all her heart, but she hated him just as much.
Something hit one of the glass windows, prompting her to stop playing and listen. She heard another and this time she was sure it came from the glass door to the balcony. A kid out there could be throwing a pebble or something.
She stood up to see who the culprit was. She slid the door open and stepped out. As she looked down, she saw a man there, and he was stepping on her beautiful flower garden.
“Hey!” she yelled. “You’re stepping on my flowers!”
Slowly, the man lifted up his head to see her and smiled.
Asra was stunned. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. But it was real. It was Lior who was standing right in her backyard, destroying her beautiful flowers!
“Get your filthy feet off my flowers!” Her voice cracked. Part of her wanted to run to him, but she restrained herself. This man was already married to a goddess, so he could be here for another reason, not because he wanted to see her. If he came to add more wound to her already wounded heart, then she was prepared to repel him.
“Are your flowers more important than me?”
“Of course,” she replied, her heart aching so bad for him. “They’re mine, and you’re not. You’re someone else’s so get off my property.”
“Can’t I be your property as well?”
“What?! Go back to your bitchy wife and spare my flowers!”
“I mean it, and I’m no’ getting off your lovely garden until you listen to me.”
“Say it quick before my flowers die!”
Lior smiled and took a moment before he spoke. “I dinna marry Var.”
Asra was taken aback. She felt like crying in bliss, but she wasn’t sure yet as to why this arrogant Vanir was here.
“So what?” she said, indifferent.
“So what?” he returned. “I thought that would make you happy. I thought you love me.”
“I don’t. I never said that.”
“You did, Elf. You whispered them to me twice.”
