by Amy Sumida
I climbed onto the stage and took the microphone from Freya. She smiled encouragingly at me before she left, and then the band gave me a thumb's up. I looked out across the audience and located my consorts. They moved to the edge of the stage so that I could see them better, and Gage gave me a cheery wave. I smiled brightly back at him.
“Before I sing, I just have a few things I'd like to say.” I looked over the crowd and suddenly felt so grateful to have them there. “Take a look around you. Gods, Witches, Blooders, Griffins, Shining Ones, Drachen, and Spellsingers; coming together in revelry. Remember this night because it is momentous; seven races uniting to defend a planet. It's awe-inspiring, and I'm honored to be a part of it. And I'm not just speaking for myself; Primeval has asked me to thank you on its behalf. Your courage and honor have given this world hope in its darkest hour. Whatever happens tomorrow, you are all heroes to this world.”
The crowd cheered, and I felt Primeval vibrate with the sound. The forest was happy, and I hoped that my song would make it even more so. As the applause died down, I began to sing.
My music was softer than the other songs that had been sung that evening, but it was just as powerful. I had planned to make it a tribute to my consorts; it was the perfect song to describe how lucky I felt every time I looked at them. How the universe seemed to have aligned for us, and the heavens opened up to shine their blessings upon us. I was beyond grateful for what I had, but I wouldn't forget the man I had loved along the way. So, along with my sweet declaration to my men, I sent out a shiver of severance to Calex. I used my new love to help cut away the old and to send Cal on to his bright future. But I also sent a touch of my luck with him. As blessed as I was, I asked the magic to bless Calex too.
When I found Calex in the audience, he was smiling in relief and hope. He nodded his thanks to me, and I felt the connection he had spoken of melt away. Calex took a deep breath, and as he let it go, I felt my love for the four, amazing men in my life deepen. Torin, Declan, Banning, and Gage all stared at me in surprise. I knew they had felt it too—the strengthening of our bond—and I wondered if it would affect our magic.
The Rooster Spell crowed inside me, and Kyanite rumbled with laughter. I sang on—ignoring them—but then I felt their joy and the reason behind it. Of course, this had strengthened my magic; how could it not? And when I was stronger, so were they. They weren't laughing at me; they were exulting in the moment with me. As the song ended, and my voice drifted away into Primeval, I let that happiness fill me. Then I rushed down to my lovers and caught them all to me tightly; sharing that joy with them.
“I love you,” I whispered to them.
“We love you too,” they whispered back.
And the world was oh, so bright.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Mimir and his Giants were spotted around mid-afternoon the next day. Our foot soldiers—including Blooders, Shining Ones, and Gods—marched out of the temple to surround it completely; no one was getting past them. Closer to the temple, the Drachen and Griffins waited; already shifted into their animal forms. On the lower balconies, the Witches prepared their spells in cauldrons over little fires. The sharp scent of herbal smoke wafted up to us Spellsingers on the tower balcony.
From our vantage point, we could see the Giants approach. I had been to war in Tír na nÓg before; I had seen the Shining Ones color the sky with their magic and rend each other apart with their swords. I had brought Hell to two realms, and wrangled horrifying monsters back to their worlds. I had even seen men blown to pieces before me, but I had never seen anything like the Jotun of Utgard.
I had expected them to all look like Mimir; human but larger. Most did, although they had unusual features. But not all of the Giants were shaped like men; there was also animal-shaped Jotun who looked like massive wolves or serpents, and some who were combinations of man and beast. Some were misshapen, and some looked as if they had crawled out of the earth that very morning. They had many distinct traits, but they had one in common; they were terrifying. Their army was so large—both the size of its soldiers and the number of them—that ours didn't need a warning; we could feel the Jotun coming. I watched the enormous trees of Primeval shiver around the edges of the clearing, and then the warriors of Utgard stepped out into the sunlight.
Mimir came forward; dressed in leather armor and a gold helm. He surveyed our army with a dismissive air and then nodded to himself as if he'd been expecting this exact combination of warriors. The Jotun tensed; lowering their shoulders and unsheathing their weapons for the attack. Our forces remained relaxed and focused; gathering their magic instead of their might.
“He's not going to issue a challenge,” I said to the other Spellsingers. “He'll attack without warning.”
“Then let's start this thing before he does,” Adelaid said as she nodded to the others and then pressed Play on her iPod.
An iPod was a Spellsingers best friend. I have no idea what they did before the invention of portable music. I do know that musicians played for Adelaid while she burned Rome. It wasn't Nero, though, and he never owned a fiddle. But I digress. Normally, the Spellsingers would keep one earbud in while they sang. This was so they could hear the music and what was happening around them. But my music would be playing for all to hear, so the other Spellsingers had decided to use both buds for less distraction, and rely on me to let them know if they missed anything important.
They spread out around the tower's balcony—to defend all sides of the clearing—and began to sing. I called to Kyanite to start my chosen song. The tapping intro rolled over the battlefield as I oohed my way into the music of ZZ Ward. “Blue Eyes Blind” was a jazzy-rock ballad; a woman blinded to all other men by love for her man. But I was using it for its words, not its meaning. The magic rose inside me, and I began to sway to it and the rhythm Kyanite provided.
It was madness on the balcony; my voice mixing with five others, and I almost wished I had used my iPod as well. It's hard to concentrate when someone is singing a different song next to you, but when five people are singing five other songs, it becomes nearly impossible.
And as I thought of the difficulty, a bubble seemed to settle around me, toning down their voices to a tolerable background level while I remained able to hear everything else around me. Thank you, Kyanite. I smiled and sang on with more confidence. My voice lifted and shot across the meadow; striking out before any soldier had moved. The front line of Giants shrieked; every blue-eyed warrior among them, clutching at their eyes. I had blinded them in seconds and was setting my focus on my next targets before they even knew what had hit them.
Into this chaos, Mimir roared, “Attack!”
The Jotun who hadn't been hit ran past their fumbling fellows. They swung massive weapons and brandished enormous shields which they used to pummel people out of their way. Blooders went flying, but the Gods and Shining Ones met the Giants with both magic and weapons. Power zinged through the air; bolts of lightning, flares of light, and streams of fire and ice. The power being discharged around the clearing was astronomical; I could feel the thrum of it even from where I was standing. Giants were struck down like bowling pins, but they were hard to keep down. Some of them had an immunity to certain types of magic, and it was difficult to tell which Giant was which in the midst of the fray. Except for the Fire Giants; their flaming swords gave them away.
I kept singing; trying not to focus on Banning as he rallied his Blooders, or Torin and Declan leading their magic-blasting knights. I couldn't help but see the Griffins diving through the air, but I couldn't tell which one was Gage unless I concentrated on our connection—and I wasn't about to waste time on that. All I could do was focus on the Jotun, and try to strategically direct my magic to the most virile of their soldiers... or those who were about to deliver death blows.
It became a strenuous game of intellect, endurance, and strength; holding onto my song while I searched for the best targets. Then I came to a particularly helpful lyric. I lashed out with
the words and froze a whole cadre of Giants in place. Our troops took the advantage and ran forward to cut them down while they were paralyzed.
A little ways down from me, Eilener was singing “Some Nights” by fun. I could feel his magic spreading out among our troops; encouraging them to press on. A bit of the magic seeped into me, and I felt confident—more capable. His song was supporting mine; which was just as we had planned.
We didn't want our music to interfere with each other's. So, we had tried to come up with songs that would do different things; whether they be an attack like mine, or a support, like Eilener's. Alexandra was singing “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities; protecting as many of our soldiers as she could with that comforting melody.
Daphne, however, was on the offense with Adelaid and me. “When the Dark Falls” by The Never Ending was Daphne's choice. I knew it well; it's folksy, strumming guitar and lullaby-like lyrics made it one of my favorites. I loved its deceiving sweetness; how, at its core, it was the opposite of a lullaby. It was a song about never being able to rest, and if you delved deeper into it, you found the true horror. What happens when you can't sleep? When you're denied a healing rest for days? You go insane; that's what.
The Jotun struck by Daphne's song were swinging about wildly; attacking their own people as they screeched like lunatics. They tossed their heads and foamed at the mouth as they hacked into their comrades. The other Giants fled from them as their insanity quickly became apparent. Some even clawed their own eyes out and tore the hair from their heads. All from a sweet, soft song.
Adelaid was supposed to be singing about bombs, but when I took a moment to focus on her, I realized that she had changed her mind. The bluesy drone of “Bottom of the River” by Delta Rae seeped over to me. I shot a quick glance her way in surprise. I had no idea how music with such mysterious lyrics could help us. It's one of those songs that no one knows the meaning of, but you still feel its raw power. In addition to its dramatic sound, though, there was an underlying antagonism. Horror lurked beneath the nebulous words. The lyrics hinted at desperation and sacrifice, but its soul was liquid; the one clear message was that of drowning, and of rising water.
And that's just what Adelaid wanted.
I followed her gaze down to the beach, and my eyes widened. The water fey of the Sgàthan had come to fight for their world. I had forgotten that Tír na nÓg was a lot like Earth; a planet covered with large bodies of water. But here, the water was populated by fairies, and they were just as strong as their earth-born cousins. Several of the water fey had left the safety of the sea to make flash attacks on the Jotun, but the cruel air was as much of a weapon against them as were the Giants' swords, and it was limiting their reach. So, Adelaid was carrying the sea inland with them.
Water sidhe, asrai, mermaids, and even kelpies swarmed the area around the shore and then started to branch out as they realized that their precious ocean was bubbling up to follow them forth. They were coated with life-preserving layers of water while the sea ebbed and flowed around them. The water fairies lifted their tridents, spears, and claws to Adelaid in salute before they raced deeper into the fray; leaving a trail of shimmering water droplets in their wake. Adelaid nodded serenely to them—like a goddess granting a prayer—and sang more of the sea onto the battlefield. Jotun were toppled by the tide my aunt summoned forth and then fell to the fury of the fairies within it. Several Giants were dragged back into the water to drown beneath the roiling waves.
Drachen wings thrummed the air around us as they belched streams of fire onto the Giants before sweeping in to collect their hot meals. Roasted Jotun were piling up to the side of the battle like chickens tossed off a grill. Even though the Giants were able to get a few swipes in, the Drachen were not affected; their tough hides deflected most blows. The Griffins were more vulnerable, but they did calculated dives that left the Giants very little time to counter. Then the Griffins noticed the water fairies and made another strategic change; they began to snatch up Giants and drop them into the sea. If the churning water didn't take them, the waiting fairies did. It was chaotic, but I thought we were on the winning side of it.
Until the next wave of Jotun swarmed out of the forest.
That's when I heard the shouts coming from the trees. The Lesser Fey were doing their part and pushing the Jotun in as they cut off their escape. But we had yet to spot a single lesser fairy. Which meant that the Jotun Army was much larger than we had thought. Of course, it was; Mimir had an entire world of soldiers to bring with him. We just hadn't expected him to go to such extremes. What fools we had been.
My heart stuttered as I saw our army start to falter. Soldiers went down beneath the unending onslaught of enormous warriors. Flaming swords cleaved Gods in two, stony hands squeezed the undead life from Blooder throats, and icy roars froze Shining Ones in place; making them prime for the killing. Still, our army fought on. Below us, the Witches launched spell after spell upon the Jotun, but Mimir had prepared for that. Several of his Giants deflected the magic or just shook off the effects—obviously warded against Witch attacks. Finally, Odin and Vivian had to admit that their efforts were largely useless. They led the Witches down to the battlefield for a more physical attack.
When I saw the Witches swarm through our ranks, I knew things were even worse than I feared. We had never discussed the possibility of the Witches joining the foot soldiers. If the Witch elders thought that their warriors were more valuable using their swords than their spellwork, we were in serious trouble.
The roar of battle-cries blended with the screams of the dying, and the scent of smoke and spilled bowels drifted up to me. I was losing my focus as fear filled my chest. I couldn't find my lovers. I did spot my parents; fighting back to back. And then I saw Cerberus; snarling from all three of his dog heads as he tore apart a Giant while simultaneously tossing two others into the air. That sight bolstered me. Cerberus would fight until he was torn to pieces, and that wasn't something that could ever happen. Even if it came down to only the Spellsingers and Cerberus, we would fight on. We would fight until we won.
And then Hel strode onto the field.
I gaped at the enormous woman. Half of her body was deep indigo while the other half was as pale as death. Her wild, black hair fell around her muscled body in tangled disarray. She wore no armor; only a gown of gray gauze belted with silver. But she carried a massive sword. As if Hel could sense my interest, she lifted her gaze to me. I was too far away to see the color of her eyes, but they seemed to be pale; giving her the appearance of a corpse. She shouted something in a voice that made the land tremble as she pointed that sword out at the battle.
An enormous dog ran out of the forest and then past her. It had long, shaggy, gray fur that flapped as it ran. Its jaw hung open—showcasing sharp teeth—and spittle flew from it. Acid green eyes burned from its skull, and its massive paws tore up the earth in great clods. Suddenly, it stopped amid the fighting, lifted its head, and howled.
The sound was chilling; putting the war on pause for just a moment. Then another howl cut through the air, followed by two more: Cerberus. He launched himself over the heads of the Giants and smashed into the other dog. Garm; that was his name. Hel had two minions she was supposed to bring with her; Garm the hellhound, and Nidhogg, the...
Shrieks erupted from above me as a dragon—more serpent than lizard—undulated through the sky. Leathery wings blocked out the sun as it flew over us, casting me into shivering shade for a second. The Drachen and Griffins circled about, preparing to attack the thing that had dared to invade their airspace.
Then it struck.
Alexandra screamed as the beast snatched her from the balcony; her song—and the protection it was providing our soldiers—failing. Nidhogg streaked upward, faster than the Griffins or Drachen could fly, and as we all watched in horror; he let Alexandra go.
All of our songs turned into horrified screams. The battle came to a halt as a Spellsinger dropped from the sky like a fallen angel and
crashed onto the temple's spires.
“Alexandra!” Adelaid shouted.
Alexandra's broken body slid down the polished amber and came to rest on the edge of a sloped roof. We stared down at her in shock. Blood ran from her open mouth and down her arm; dripping over the edge of the temple. It seemed to happen in slow motion; the reality refusing to latch onto my mind. We had never lost one of our own. Alexandra was the first Spellsinger in history to die.
“No!” Odin's roar echoed up to us.
The Earthshaker snarled and then set his ferocious stare on Mimir. The land beneath us started to rumble, and the Giants went still.
“Odin, no!” I cried. “Don't hurt the land!”
Odin's rage bubbled up, but the tremors subsided, and he channeled his anger into a bolt of magic that he launched straight at Mimir. It sent the Giant flying onto his back, but after a few moments, Mimir got to his feet, laughing.
Our army rallied and renewed its attack. Magic sizzled over the battlefield, blood sprayed, swords arched through the air, and shields bashed bodies out of the way. The Griffins and Drachen had united to chase Nidhogg; circling him as they tried to catch the slippery beast. Everyone was using their fury to spur them on. Everyone but the Spellsingers, who clutched at each other and wept.
We were gathered in a bundle, as close to Alexandra as we could get, mourning our kin as we ignored the battle entirely. Some of the strongest beneathers who had ever existed had been stopped by a single act; a single death. And it was that knowledge which finally roused me from my grief. I scrubbed my tears away, grabbed Adelaid by the upper arms, and shook her.
“Alex would want vengeance!” I shouted at Adelaid. “Stop this. All of you, stop it. We will mourn her later. But now we must win this war... for Tír na nÓg and Alexandra.”
