Sally huddled with Baron on the satin-covered bed in Rita’s stylishly appointed apartment. Everything in the bedroom was in varying shades of beige—from the walls, drapes, and upholstery to the bedside lamp and even the clock radio. Opal fluffed an oversized, cream-colored pillow to lean against and sat down next to Sally.
“We’ve got to find a way out of here, Sally. This god of yours is a total nut job. There’s no way this is going to end well.”
“I don’t know.” Sally hugged Baron closer. “Maybe he really did just lose his temper. Maybe things really are so far gone that the world does need something like an apocalypse before it can start over again.”
Opal grabbed Sally’s elbow and made her look her in the eye. “Are you kidding me? You’re really buying this?” She let go of Sally and pulled her long hair behind her shoulders. “I don’t care how you try to spin it. Managarm is not a good guy.”
Opal leaned closer and kept an eye on the closed bedroom door as footsteps passed by in the hallway. “He said he was going on some kind of errand related to the wolf, and that he’d take some of the Berserkers with him. That’s our chance, Sally!”
Sally looked down at Baron. She had spent so long offering up prayers for the Old Ways to return and for non-believers to know the truth she cherished, but what if she was wrong? Every time she’d felt doubt, she’d just burn another handful of cedar sap and pine resin incense and light more candles. But she kept hearing the words Managarm had hissed in her face: “Recall the brutality of those mythological battles, and remember that I fought in them.”
Sally shuddered. “Do you think I really awakened those Berserkers? Is this all happening because of me?”
Opal took her firmly by the shoulders. “Sally, snap out of it! Who cares where they came from? What I care about is what happens next. To us.”
Sally’s tears spilled off of her cheeks onto the top of Baron’s head. He shook his fur and tried to climb out of her lap, but she held him tight. “You go ahead then,” she replied softly.
“No way. I’m not leaving you here.”
“You go, and take Baron with you.” Sally tried handing the rotund cat to Opal, but Baron leapt out of her grasp and settled back into her lap.
“See? Even Baron won’t abandon you. We’ve all got to go. Together.”
Sally sniffed hard. “It’s all been for nothing then.” Sally’s head pounded as she thought back on the long hours studying astronomy, magickal herbs, and rune lore. There would never again be a convergence like this one—at least not for many, many lifetimes to come. Even with nothing turning out the way she’d planned, could she just walk away?
Sally rubbed at the heavy bags under her eyes, then stared down at her brittle fingernails. She’d probably aged another ten years since she awoke in Opal’s apartment that morning. That felt like days ago now.
“Okay.” Sally wiped at her eyes and looked into her friend’s eager face. “We’ll wait until he leaves, and then we’ll all get out of here.”
More footsteps came and went outside the door. Sally reached for her backpack on the floor and pulled it onto the bed. She dumped out the contents on the ecru and gold duvet and started sorting through the wooden runes Managarm had fashioned.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to work a spell of protection, for you and Baron.” Sally started arranging the runes in a circle on the bed.
Opal sighed. “Don’t you think you’ve worked enough magick? Look what it’s doing to you.”
“But this is important.” Sally glanced cautiously at the door, knowing Managarm could barge in any minute. She was supposed to be resting in preparation for doing another spell for him. “And it’s something you can help me with.”
Opal looked down at the circle of runes and the thee polished stones Sally had placed carefully in the center. She nodded slowly and looked up into Sally’s tired eyes. “Okay, I’m in. But we’re adding you to the protection, too.”
“Call the quarters,” Sally whispered.
Opal stood up and pointed toward the window. “Is this way east?”
Valhalla Page 36