* * *
“No, Mom, I’m okay, really.” Sally stood inside the one working phone booth she could find, at a deserted gas station about two miles from the storage facility. With her torn, blood-soaked clothing, she’d had to keep a low profile on the street. If the cops found her, she’d spend wasted hours in a hospital—and then likely in a psychiatric facility, too, if she tried telling the authorities what was really happening.
“But where are you, sweetheart?” Sally’s mother pleaded on the other end of the phone.
“I’m safe, that’s all I can tell you.” Sally tried to keep her voice steady. “I just wanted you to know.”
“Sally, I want you to tell us right now where you are,” Sally’s father broke into the conversation. “And then I’m coming to get you.”
Sally very nearly gave him the exact address of the gas station. Going home with her parents, sleeping in her own bed, and waking up to find that this had all been a bad dream sounded wonderful. But then she caught her reflection in the phone booth glass—white, stringy hair hung down into her withered, blood-streaked face. Even her green eyes had faded and were ringed by so many wrinkles that Sally didn’t recognize herself.
“I’m not in any trouble, I promise.” Sally cringed, knowing her parents would detect the lie. “I’ll be home tomorrow, after I get done with this research project.”
“That’s it.” Her father barked over the phone. “I’m dialing the police right now, Sally Dahl, and they’ll trace back this number you’ve called from—”
“Please don’t do that!” Sally cried. “I promise I’ll be home tomorrow. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Sally hung up the phone.
She stepped out of the phone booth and stood there for a moment trying to collect herself. If she didn’t live through this night, who would tell her parents what had happened?
“Focus, Sally,” she commanded, then walked across the empty street to a small park.
She started scrounging for small stones, a few dry leaves, and short sticks—anything she could use to improvise a travel charm to help her get to the Tree. Even if she’d had a car, she didn’t have her driver’s license and was still an anxious spaz behind the wheel.
Sally arranged the stones in a small circle on the ground. She unwrapped her bandages, then gritted her teeth and tried not to cry out as she rubbed the sticks against the still oozing wounds on her arms. “May these twigs connect me to the World Tree. May my blood show my sincerity.” Sally placed the sticks in a simple asterisk pattern in the center of the stone circle, then laid the leaves on top. “Help me make my way to you, to stand with Heimdall and Saga—”
The nearest street lamp popped with a loud BANG and went out.
“Excuse me,” said a man’s voice out of the darkness—and Sally jumped about two feet into the air.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Sally rose unsteadily to her feet as the silhouette of a man of average build approached. “Who are you?” she demanded. “What do you want?”
The man held up his hands in a placating gesture, and stopped when he was just near enough for Sally to see his face. “Please forgive my intrusion,” he said. “But are you Sally Dahl, by any chance?”
Sally’s heart caught in her throat. Her parents had called the police after all, and they’d gotten here in record time. If they took her in, she’d never make it to the Yggdrasil in time. She started to back away, shaking her head vigorously. “No, no, I’m not . . .”
The man smiled. “It’s okay.” He turned his head and nodded to another man who stood by a car at the gas station across the street. “My name is Loki, and I believe you are the Moon Witch? I tracked Fenrir to the storage unit.” Loki gestured at the wounds on her arms. “And then tracked you here.” He extended an open hand to her. “I can take you to the Yggdrasil, if you’d like.”
~ twenty-four ~
Valhalla Page 50