by Linsey Hall
“The timing is important, though,” Jude said. “If the gods are willing to grant you the rest of your powers, see if they will hold off until we know that Ana and Rowan have retrieved the crystals. We’ll need to work fast to put the ambush into action. We don’t want the Rebel Gods surprising us before it’s set up.”
“Agreed.” I looked at Arach. “How do I reach the gods?”
“Go to Yggdrasil and try to find them. In this, you will know more than I. It is your pantheon.”
My heart jumped at the idea of returning to the World Tree. We’d nearly died so many times on our first visit, but the place was so amazing that I was eager to return.
Cade met my gaze. “I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t worry,” Ana said. “We’ll keep in touch using a comms charm. Once we have the crystals, you get your magic.”
“Then we’ll meet up and destroy the Rebel Gods.” There was a bloodthirsty gleam in Rowan’s eyes.
Hope flared in my chest. We were still a long way off, but at least we had a plan. A dangerous plan.
But with all my friends and family at my back, this was starting to seem possible.
Cade and I had agreed to meet in an hour, giving us both enough time to change and eat. My stomach grumbled as I walked to my tower apartment, Ana and Rowan at my side.
I couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to finally have them both with me. Scratch that—I could believe it. And it was really freaking amazing.
We entered my apartment. The first thing I caught sight of was a box of crackers on the counter. They were open, which I didn’t remember doing.
Then a little black and white head popped out, whiskers twitching.
Boris stared at me, eyes gleaming.
“Cracker thief,” I said.
He popped back down into the box, and I could hear the sound of crunching. First the Pugs of Destruction, now Boris. What was it about my apartment that made the animals come here to steal food? Boris hadn’t even gnawed into the side of the box like a normal rat. He’d carefully opened it from the top, then jumped in, no doubt feeling like Scrooge McDuck diving into his pool full of gold.
“I thought he lived with Hedy?” Ana asked.
“He does.” I went into the kitchen. “I think he just visits for snacks.”
“It’s not like Hans wouldn’t feed him anything he wanted in the kitchen,” Rowan said.
“True.” I peered into the box to see him lying on his back on top of the crackers, a blissful expression on his little face. “I think he likes the thievery aspect.”
His eyes popped open, and he glared at me.
“Perhaps you were just visiting me? Your close friend?” I asked.
He nodded, then closed his eyes and began to snore.
I chuckled and turned away, looking at my sisters. “I’m going to grab a PB&J. Want anything?”
“A candy sandwich?” Rowan asked.
My chest filled with warmth at Rowan’s memory of what I called my favorite food. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
“Me too.” She tucked her dark hair behind her ear. “I can’t tell you how much.”
I started putting together sandwiches for everyone, assuming that they wanted them since they hadn’t said otherwise. Ana rummaged around in my fridge, pulled out some energy drinks, and tossed them around.
Once the sandwiches were made, we piled onto the couch to eat, Rowan in between Ana and me. In sixty seconds flat, I scarfed my sandwich down, barely stopping to breathe.
I swallowed the last bite and turned to Rowan. “How’s the magic coming along?”
“It’s not. It’s gone.”
“Gone gone?”
“If you mean, do I feel like my soul has left the building?” She shook her head. “Still no, thank fates. I just can’t seem to make it work.”
Relief loosened my muscles. I hated that she was having trouble with it, but at least all of her magic wasn’t gone. That felt like the worst kind of death.
Back at the temple at Kart-hadasht, we’d saved some of her magic that had been in the eternal flame and Nix had put it into a rock strong enough to hold it. But Rowan had been unwilling to even look at it. Some of the Rebel Gods’ dark magic was mixed with her own inside the vessel. Whatever she’d gone through with them had been so bad she was willing to sacrifice some of her magic to avoid even revisiting it.
“Are you adjusting okay here?” I asked.
Rowan hesitated, and I leaned back to meet Ana’s gaze. Worry glinted in my blonde sister’s eyes.
“I am,” Rowan said.
“You’re lying.” I scowled at her.
“Not entirely lying. I think I’m adjusting as well as I can. It’s not great, but I’m messed up, guys.” She rubbed at her forehead, blue eyes shining. “The last five years did a number on me, and I don’t trust anyone but you. I know I should. But I don’t.”
Guilt streaked through me. I needed to remember that she was coming at this from a totally different perspective. If she recovered without debilitating PTSD, this would be a win.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be. I’m going to be fine.” She gestured to the apartment, but I could tell she meant the whole Protectorate. “This place is amazing. We have a real home. I still need to find my place here, but at least we’re all together.”
I squeezed her hand. She smiled and tugged at her dark T-shirt. She didn’t look exactly like how I remembered her. But last I’d seen her, we’d been in Death Valley, and she’d worn the same strappy leather get-ups we all had. She still had to develop her cold-weather style—just like I had.
And she probably needed some time to find herself again. Find her footing in the real world. She’d belonged to the Rebel Gods for five years. Even her mind hadn’t been her own.
“I don’t know what it will take to make you recover,” I said. “But I’m here for you. For whatever.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“Same, obviously,” Ana said. She pressed her side into Rowan.
I leaned over to look at Ana. “Any idea what that white light was about? Back when we were rescuing Rowan?”
We’d explained to Rowan about being Dragon Gods and the powers that were gradually granted to us by a select pantheon, but we hadn’t had a chance to talk about Ana’s potential new power.
Ana shook her head. “I have no idea what that was. I’ve tried to replicate it, but failed.”
I frowned. “Did you hear a voice when the power arrived?”
“What kind of voice?”
“The kind that tells you to use it. Maybe gives some basic instructions.”
Ana shook her head. “Nope. One minute we were going to die. The next I felt like a giant ball of energy, and the light started to glow.”
I leaned back against the couch, mulling it over. “I have no idea.”
“I definitely have no idea,” Rowan added.
It sounded like Ana’s transition wasn’t going to be as straightforward as mine had been.
“Eh, don’t worry about me.” Ana pulled her legs up underneath her. “I’ll be fine.”
She sounded like she believed it. And I was sure she would be fine. Ana had the most strength of will of anyone I’d ever met. But I knew she had an iffy relationship with her magic. Defensive magic in an offensive world, she’d called it once. She’d been drunk, which was pretty much the only way you could get her to complain.
Ever since we’d lost our mother, Ana was the poster child for Keep Calm and Carry On. She believed in the stiff upper lip so much that you’d have thought she was British.
Basically, she was too stalwart to whine.
Not me. I loved a good bitch session.
I vowed that I’d help her figure out her powers. As soon as we defeated the Rebel Gods and our lives were back on track, it would be my number one goal. That, and helping Rowan get her magic back.
But first, we had to defeat the Rebel Gods. Th
ere was nothing for us if we didn’t. Just death, if we were lucky.
But together, we had a chance.
“I love you guys,” I said.
As if pulled by gravity, we leaned in and hugged each other.
7
Once I’d changed my clothes, I went to find Cade, who had agreed to meet me in the entry hall at five. Fortunately, we still had several hours of daylight. Thank fates, because I wasn’t keen on the idea of climbing down the cliff to the Seer’s Cave in the dark.
As I stepped into the entry hall, I caught sight of Cade waiting near the door, Mayhem hovering above his head. She gripped a ham in her mouth, which was really no surprise.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Born ready.”
He grinned, then held open the huge door. We made our way out into the warm afternoon sun, then cut across the lawn, passing the stone circle on our way to the cliffs.
As usual, it vibrated with a strange magic. One that pulled as much as it repelled. I wanted to explore, but something told me not to. That place wasn’t for me.
I looked away from it and eyed the cliff. The world looked like it ended up here—just dropped right off into the ocean.
We stepped up to the edge, and I looked down. The water crashed against the beach below, blue waves topped with white foam. Light glittered on the surface, and white gulls swooped in graceful arcs.
I shivered at the idea of climbing down, remembering nearly losing my footing and almost plummeting to a terrible death.
“I think I’ll fly,” I said.
“I’ll meet you at the bottom.”
I nodded and unfurled my wings, leaping off the cliff. The sea breeze caught at my hair, and the scent of the sea filled me with joy. It reminded me of Cade. And of being free.
I swooped on the air, following Cade down and joining the gulls in their flight.
This was my favorite place to fly—no question. Everything felt so safe and free up here.
I landed on the beach at the same time Cade did, pebbles crunching underfoot. The waves lapped at the shore as we walked.
We rounded the bend and approached the massive mouth of the cave. It was cool and dark inside, the walls gleaming with water and spots of green moss covering some of the rocks within. The little pond in the center rippled softly.
The large rock in the middle called to me, like it had the last time.
“Come on,” I said. “We need to climb onto this rock.”
At least, that was what I thought. It was how I’d gotten to Yggdrasil the first time, so it was worth a try this time.
I scrambled up onto the giant stone, Cade following. We sat quietly, and magic began to buzz almost immediately. It felt like taking a bath in seltzer water. A golden light flared, and I fell to my knees. Which should have been impossible, since I’d been sitting on my ass, but that was the magic of portals.
When I opened my eyes, I was kneeling in the grass next to Cade.
He blinked and looked up. “That was intense.”
“Right?” I followed his gaze, once again awed by Yggdrasil.
The giant ash tree loomed impossibly large. There was no way I could see all the way to the top, and the breadth of it was so wide that I could barely conceive of it.
I stood, using Heimdall’s vision to search the base of the tree for the three Norns. I spotted their long house and their well, but they were nowhere to be seen.
Hunting them down was an option, but something was tugging at my chest. A desire to fly upward.
I shifted, but the feeling was unmistakable.
“Do you mind waiting here a bit?” I asked. “I feel like I need to fly upward.”
Like I was being called home.
“Not a problem.” Cade spun around, wonder in his eyes. “I could spend all day here.”
“Thanks.” I leaned over and kissed him. “Be safe.”
“Always.”
I grinned, then unfurled my wings and took off for the sky. Joy surged through me immediately. Forget the cliffs in Scotland. This was my favorite place to fly.
The air here was fresher, the breeze lovelier. I flew upward, angling my path toward Yggdrasil’s enormous trunk. The branches flashed by as I rose higher. A shimmering portal caught my eye, and I shuddered. If I remembered correctly, it led to Muspell, the land of the Fire Giants.
No thank you.
My instincts were calling me upward, anyway.
It was incredible to fly past the branches and leaves and portals—the whole world. At one point, I saw Ratatoskr, the giant gossipy squirrel, heading toward the ground, his cheeks full of acorns. But something continued to pull me upward. So upward I flew.
When my gut directed me toward the portal leading to the Valkyrie realm, I wasn’t surprised at all. I flew right through without pause, arriving in the same amazing valley as before.
Mountains soared high on either side, and the green valley stretched out in front of me. Sunlight glittered on the river, and in the distance, I could just barely make out the tiny dots that were the buildings in the village.
I headed straight for it, but didn’t need to go far. Tiny figures appeared in the air, flying toward me. As they neared, I realized that they were winged horses. Two of them, each ridden by a Valkyrie.
A welcoming party.
I grinned and flew toward the ground, landing mostly gracefully. Certainly not as gracefully as the horses, but it was more important to be on the ground. I didn’t fancy a conversation while trying to keep myself aloft.
The horses approached, and the two Valkyrie smiled at me. Each wore shining chainmail, their hair gleaming in the sun. I recognized them from my first visit.
“Bree!” said the blonde one on the black horse. Her name was Sigrún, if I recalled correctly. Which I did. Not like I was going to forget the names of the Valkyrie. “Are you here for a visit?”
“I’d like to be, but no. I need help, and this was the best place to come.”
“What is it?” said Gunnr, the red-haired Valkyrie, who I thought was in charge of records or something along those lines.
“The Rebel Gods are hunting me, and I need to be granted the rest of the gods’ magic if I want to fight them on even terms. I’m here to request that from the gods.”
Both Valkyrie frowned.
“That’s not good,” Sigrún said. “You’ve confirmed that they want you specifically?”
“Definitely.” I explained how they could track my magic and would find me as soon as it was all granted. And, on the flip side, I needed that same magic to have any chance at victory against them. If I couldn’t control the terms of our final battle, I’d have no chance.
Gunnr nodded, his gaze serious. “Yes. I can see how you would need your magic for that.”
“There’s one thing you can try,” Sigrún said. “I cannot guarantee it would work, but you can go to the Blót tjörn at the base of Yggdrasil. Make an offering in the lake. If you are lucky, the gods will take pity on you and grant you a meeting.”
“Blót tjörn?”
“Sacrifice pond. Ask them for a meeting, then make your sacrifice,” Gunnr said.
Sigrún nodded. “Perhaps they will take pity on you.”
“What is an appropriate sacrifice?” I asked.
“That is up to you,” Gunnr said.
Dang. That would be a hard decision. “And where do I find the Blót tjörn?”
“Eighty miles clockwise from the Norns’ longhouse at the base of the World Tree.”
“Thank you. Truly.” My heart tugged. I wanted to stay longer. To visit the village. But there was no time.
“Bree?” Sigrún asked. “You’re planning an ambush of the Rebel Gods?”
“Yes.”
“As I thought.” She nodded. “How many are there?”
“At least eleven. Plus any mercenaries they might have.”
The Valkyrie frowned and looked at each other, then met my gaze.
“When the time comes, send word to us
,” Sigrún said. “We will come join you for the battle.”
“Thank you.” Gratitude welled in my chest.
This was huge. We needed all the help we could get—and an army of Valkyrie definitely qualified as top-notch help.
“It’s a worthy cause,” Gunnr said. “We cannot leave our realm often, but for this, we will.”
“Thank you, again.” I smiled at them, reluctant to leave, but knowing that I had to go. It was a bit like being with my sisters.
But my real sisters waited back on earth, and I needed to do everything I could to keep them safe.
The Valkyrie watched me leave, and I turned back to wave before flying through the portal again.
The flight back down the tree was slightly odd. Miles and miles, tempting me to just close up my wings and do the job quicker by falling. But I’d never tested unfurling my wings while mid fall, and I wasn’t going to start now.
As I neared the grass, a large brown spot caught my eye. I flew lower.
Ratatoskr.
The giant squirrel was sitting on the grass next to Cade. His nuts were between them, and I could pick up the lightest bit of discussion.
I landed.
They were deep in conversation, turning only to look at me once I’d cleared my throat.
“Gossiping?” I asked.
“Gambling.” Cade pointed to the dice on the ground. “Ratatoskr loves a good game, apparently.”
“And always wins!” Ratatoskr crowed.
“Not yet,” Cade said.
“But I will.”
“What did you bet him, Cade?” I asked.
“Just a growler full of his favorite beer. It’s from Edinburgh.”
“Thank fates it wasn’t your head or firstborn,” I said.
Ratatoskr wrinkled his nose. “What would I do with that?”
“Good point.” I looked between the two of them. “One more game, because we have a mission to accomplish. But if Cade wins, then Ratatoskr will give us a ride around the base of Yggdrasil.”
Ratatoskr scowled. “I am not a ferry service.”
“You are today, Your Rodentness.”
“Fine! One game, but I shall beat you, puny human.”
I thought he would shake his fist, but he just gave Cade a good glare. Cade grinned and picked up the dice. I watched anxiously as Ratatoskr covered his eyes and Cade rolled.