by Nora Ash
“It looks like a mountain,” I said, squinting to see it better through the mist. Now that I knew it was a root, I could sense that the surface of it was a different texture than I would have expected from something shaped from rock.
“It’s big as one too,” Bjarni rumbled from behind me. “We’re getting close—if the fog is lifting, it means the heat from the springs is not too far.”
“Or it means Níðhöggr is awake and spewing his fire into the air,” Modi mumbled.
Muffled protestations came from behind Bjarni. Apparently Loki wasn’t pleased with that suggestion.
“I agree,” my blond mate said matter-of-factly. “Let’s not jinx it, hmm?”
Modi only chuffed in response.
It took only a couple more hours of walking until the mist was fully gone, revealing the landscape around us for the first time. But where it had been frozen and dead for the rest of our journey, here green sprouted from the ground, flowers, bushes and trees dotting the land in a kaleidoscope of colors.
I could now make out the full scope of the root guiding our path to the right, and it was a magnificent sight to behold. It was indeed as large as a mountain range, its form twisting and gnarly like the roots of an ancient oak. It stretched into the sky and deep into the horizon, far past where my eyes could see, a dark contrast to the lush greenery surrounding us.
“This is the only place of warmth and fertility in Niflheim,” Modi said. He must have noticed my open-mouthed stare. “The springs fight back the icy grip of the rest of the realm.”
“It should be teeming with life,” I mumbled. “I mean… mammals. Birds. Why is it as quiet as the rest of this word?”
“Niflheim’s inhabitants never come here,” Bjarni said. “Nothing that wishes to live trespasses on Níðhöggr’s domain. It’s far odder that we have had no run-ins on the rest of our journey.”
“Great. That’s exactly what I needed to hear right now,” I muttered. “Why—"
A rumble interrupted me. It seemed to come from above and below—the sky, the earth beneath our feet, the giant root disappearing into the distance.
Another rumble, and this time the ground swayed beneath us and made Yggdrasil’s root tremor.
I gasped and stumbled forward, but managed to get my bearings by grabbing on to Modi’s coat until the earth finally stilled again.
“W-What the hell was that?” I croaked, looking to my travel companions for an answer.
“That was Níðhöggr,” Bjarni replied, his voice betraying the same grimness as was written across all three gods’ features. “The dragon is awake.”
Thirty-Three
Modi
“Awake? He’s awake?” The quaking in Annabel’s voice made me want to reach for her to offer what comfort I could, but Bjarni beat me to it.
“Yes.” I scrubbed my face with both hands and looked toward the horizon where the steam from the springs surrounding Hvergelmir met the air. “Unfortunately.”
“It’s not a problem,” Bjarni said, though the dark look on his face betrayed his true feelings on the subject. “Annabel will shield us and we will make it past.”
Behind him, Loki’s eyes went wide and muffled noises of outrage spilled past the sock still firmly wedged in his mouth. Bjarni gave him an annoyed glance.
“I suggest you quiet down, old man. We’re not far out now. A few more miles and he’ll be able to hear you.”
Loki let out a scream of rage—at least I assumed it was of rage, judging by how the veins in his neck and forehead bulged—but when Bjarni just snorted, he quieted with a murderous glare at his son.
“Yes,” I said, looking back to my mate. Bjarni still had his arms around her, but this time it did not fill me with anger to see a display of how close they were—just sadness.
I pushed it away and focused on the task ahead. “Annabel, you will need to rise a shield now. I do not want to risk us getting too close. I know every extra minute will be a drain on your power, but I will lend you what strength I can. If he catches sight of us…”
I did not have to finish that sentence. Annabel nodded, her mouth drawn into a grim line. “Then we’ll be crunchy and dipped in ketchup.”
“What?”
She shook her head. “Never mind. Let’s do this. Guide me.”
I reached for her with my hand and magic, pushing my power inside of her not unlike how I had penetrated her last night.
She gasped in response, and I had to force down my body’s reaction to the sound. Not the time.
Her golden light welled up around me, coming willingly when I called to it. I felt her consciousness brush against mine and shuddered with the pleasure of it.
Like sex.
I caught her thought—or the feeling of her thought—and the bubbling sensation of her amusement immediately after, along with a touch of embarrassment. Apparently she had not meant for me to hear that.
I pushed a brush of admonishment at her—ignoring my own thoughts desperately trying to turn in that direction as well. There was no denying the intimacy of taking control of her powers like this—of being inside her, touching her innermost—but we had a dragon to slip past, and a tight schedule to stick to.
If we were not in Valhalla by tomorrow evening at the latest…
With a force of will, I focused on our combined magic and lifted it up and away from our intermingled essences. When I opened my eyes, a golden shimmer caved around us, transparent apart from the odd sparkle of magic.
I looked back down at Annabel, a touch of pride in my gut. She was so strong. If she ever received true training, there was no telling how powerful she could become.
“How is it?” I asked, scanning her face for signs of strain. “Are you good?”
“Mm, I think so. For now.” She gave me a small smile. “Not sure for how long, though.”
“Let me know when you need support.” I lifted my hand from her nape and let it hover for a moment by her cheek. I wanted to brush away the strand of hair clinging to her skin there, but I stopped myself.
Sighing, I pulled my hand to my side and turned to Bjarni. “All right. Forward.”
The closer we came to Hvergelmir, the more sulfur tainted the air. But it was not just the scent from the multiple hot springs surrounding the well that warned of our closeness to the only inhabitant in the region. Periodically the ground would tremble underneath our feet, and what had first sounded like distant thunder soon became distinguishable as animalistic roars.
“Sounds like he’s in a bad mood,” Bjarni murmured.
“Shh,” I shushed, pointing out a shadow on the top of Yggdrasil’s root. “So long as he stays up there, we should be able to slip by underneath him without being detected. How is the cover holding up, Anna?”
She nodded, but the sweat beading on her forehead told its own story. Gently I cradled the back of her neck and let a small part of my magic bolster her. She gave me a brief smile in response.
“I’m okay,” she rasped, voice low. “Save your strength, Modi. If this doesn’t go to plan…”
“It will,” Bjarni assured from behind her, placing his rope-free hand on her lower back. “Okay, let’s focus. See that thin strip of land below the root, by that large body of water to the left? That will take us past Hvergelmir. We follow that past the well, it will lead us directly to the portal.”
“And right past Níðhöggr,” I mumbled. “But so long as he stays up on the rim… We will not get a better chance. Okay. It is time. Everyone—keep quiet. Not a word until we are at the portal. Move fast and light-footed. Ready?”
Annabel and Bjarni nodded solemnly—only Loki frantically shook his head, but even he kept his protests muted this time. When Bjarni gave his rope a yank, he followed along without further objections.
It did not take us long before we were close enough to get a better view of Níðhöggr. Even from so far below, he made a formidable figure.
I had never actually seen him before—when my father brought me
to Niflheim, we had stayed in the colder regions—and the sight of him struck me with awe. He had to be at least the size of that carriage station we had arrived at in the settlement of Seattle, his scales inky black against the sky. When he roared, he extended his massive wingspan, casting a threatening shadow over the ground below as he sent a spire of flames into the sky.
A pang in my chest was followed by the acrid scent of my omega’s fear. I reached back, instinctively looking to soothe Annabel, and bumped my fingers into Bjarni’s.
A quick look over my shoulder confirmed he had reacted on the same instincts, our hands colliding on her shoulder. He gave me a wry smile and nodded, urging me to continue forward.
Right. Annabel’s fear was natural, and slowing down to try and comfort her here would only prolong the danger.
I turned back to the path and led us forward.
We kept a good pace, and soon we reached the edge of the great well Hvergelmir. Annabel gasped from behind me, and I could not blame her. The great stone circle spanned several hundred yards across, sitting like a dark, yawning maw surrounded by steaming springs pooling around its outer walls. It was truly a wonder to behold.
A bone-chilling screech from high above tore us from our reverence. The ground shook, making Annabel stumble into my back, but it only lasted for a moment.
Then a chilling shadow spread above us, plunging us into darkness. The wind pressure that followed flattened us against the grass.
I forced my way back up to my knees and looked up. The sight that met me lodged my heart in my throat.
Níðhöggr was directly above us, gliding down from his perch atop the mighty root. Every beat of his terrible wings pressed another gust of wind down upon us, getting stronger the closer he came.
Annabel whimpered, and when I turned to look, she had both hands pressed against her mouth and tears of terror trickling from the corners of her eyes. I grasped her shoulder and let my power meld with hers, ensuring she did not drop the magical barrier.
From her other side, Bjarni leaned halfway over her, using his body to shield her from the terrible beast. I felt him through our bond, felt him push soothing calmness at her until she stopped trembling and gently nudged my presence from within her, resuming control just as the dragon landed on the edge of the mighty well.
A great thud made the ground shudder underneath us, screeching of claws against stones sending painful jabs through my brain. He roared again, shaking his great, serpentine head as if angry with something, but folded his wings in tight against his body. He had settled on the edge of the well less than thirty yards from us.
Time seemed to stand still. The four of us remained frozen, all of us staring at the great beast, trying to control our breathing as we watched him for any sign that he might have noticed us.
But Níðhöggr seemed oblivious to our presence. He scraped at the well with his claws, bending his long neck to gnaw at bark from the World Tree stuck in one of the gleaming talons. This close I could make out his every scale, and the subtle gleam of orange fire reflecting from within him in jagged lines along their seams. The thought struck me that no one who had survived to tell the tale had ever been this close to the great beast before.
Careful not to make a sound, I waved a hand at my companions. With or without my aid, Annabel would only be able to keep the shield up for so long before her powers ran dry. We could not wait here until Níðhöggr decided to take off again. So long as we moved carefully, we should be able to pass him.
Slowly, making sure to keep my sword pressed against my thigh to silence it, I got to my feet before turning to help up Annabel, then Bjarni and Loki as well. I pressed a finger to my lips, though at this point it was hardly necessary to remind anyone of the importance of silence, and caught Annabel’s wide-eyed stare. She was clinging to Bjarni’s free hand, but her eyes were glued to me, searching for reassurance and leadership.
I nodded, an unspoken promise that I would get her through this, and then returned my focus to the dragon and the path ahead.
One step at a time, we moved along the narrow strip of grass between the great root to our right and the well on our left. To my great relief, Níðhöggr did not so much as look in our direction.
We were going to make it.
We were almost past the beast when a soft touch of wind brushed like a lover’s caress against my cheek, cooling the sweat of concentration beading there.
Just a few hundred more yards and the worst of the danger would be over.
A deep rumble to our left made my heart skip a beat. It was a low, rippling growl of anger and inquiry. I stared up at Níðhöggr, my blood turning to ice in my veins when he lifted his head, nostrils flaring.
He smells us.
The realization hit me like a ton of rocks, but I did not manage to move before he turned his head and stared straight at us.
The air trembled around him as he drew in breath and opened his maw. In its depths, an inferno swelled.
Thirty-Four
Annabel
“Down!” Modi’s roar was followed by his hand grasping my nape, his power forcing its way into mine in the blink of an eye, our combined magic strengthening what had been nothing more than a cover into a shield.
He landed on top of me, covering half my body with his own. My other half was pressed underneath Bjarni as he also dove on top of me.
The next second fire blazed against us, splitting just above our heads and encircling us around Modi’s and my combined shield. The grass ignited and turned to ash, forming a perfect circle around us.
I felt the fire as a heavy press, its intensity forcing my magic out in order to sustain the shield. I gritted my teeth and clung to my mates for strength, knowing that if I dropped it, we too would be nothing but ash on the ground.
The fire flamed around us in what felt like one long, eternal moment, then disappeared just as abruptly.
I gasped for breath as the pressure lifted off my magical shield, rolling to my back when both my mates sprung to their feet, swords drawn as they stared at the dragon.
“We have to run,” I panted between breaths, scrambling to get up as well. “I can’t hold off many more of that kind of attack. Not even with your help.”
“It will not help,” Modi said, his air coming out in harsh breaths as well. “We will not make it to the portal before he is through our defenses.”
The dragon growled again, making every hair on my body stand on end. With a deep inhale, he sent another breath of fire at us.
“Then what do you suggest? Fuck!” I shouted to be heard over the roar of the flames, hooking my fingers into his and Bjarni’s flesh to draw on their strength again.
I wasn’t an experienced magic-user, and the few times I had used my powers had been nothing like this. This felt like I was physically trying to hold up a heavy iron shield while an enemy battered at it with the strength of a mountain.
He hesitated, my redheaded mate, his eyes flicking from Bjarni to me. Sorrow settled in the blue depths, followed by steadfast resolve. His hand came up to cup the back of my head, pulling me into his chest with enough strength to bruise my flesh where it met his.
“Uff, Modi, what are you—”
He cut off my protest with a searing kiss, his lips harsh and demanding against mine. A breath and he was gone, pulling away from me as I struggled to keep my focus on the shield rather than that bone-shattering kiss.
“You do not need me, Annabel. Remember that. It will hurt, but in the end, you will be okay. You have three other mates—mates you love. They will get you through it, I promise you. They will see you heal.”
“What?” I wasn’t following him at all. He was making little sense, and I looked past him to see the dragon descend from its perch on the giant well, lumbering toward us on all fours. Apparently it had decided that fire wasn’t going to drive us out into the open, and I wasn’t keen on finding out what other methods it had planned to get at its dinner.
“He’s coming!”
But Modi didn’t move. Instead he looked to Bjarni. “I am going to draw his attention. Once he is locked on me, you take our mate and our captive and run. Do not stop running until you are through that portal.”
It was only then that it dawned on me what he was planning.
“No! Modi, what?!” I reached for him, but he stepped back and away from the protection of my magic, turning to face the dragon.
“Come get me then, you ugly lizard!” he bellowed.
The giant dragon turned its head, its window-sized eyes focusing on him as he moved sideways, away from us.
“Bjarni!” I screeched, hysteria finally taking over. “He’s going to die!”
Lightning slammed down from the sky, hitting the dragon’s inky scales. A horrible sound, like metal scraping along concrete, echoed through the air. Ozone mixed with the smell of the charred grass, but Nidhug didn’t have so much as a scratch. He swung fully around toward Modi, drawing in a lungful of air to ignite his horrible fire once more.
I reacted on instinct, slinging the magical shield protecting us outward. It wrapped around Modi in the last possible second, flames bending around him and leaving him unharmed.
“Fuck!” Bjarni cursed. “Shit, that goddamn fool!” He stared at me, eyes wide and pupils dilated. I recognized his battle lust descending, but behind it was panic.
“Sweetie—I’m going to need you to do whatever it was you did when we caught him.” He nodded at Loki, then pulled me in for my second desperate kiss, his beard brushing against my face as his lips danced over mine.
Then he handed me Loki’s rope, stepped back, and turned toward Nidhug and Modi, drawing his sword.
“He’s wrong," he said. "You need him.” And he too charged at the train-station sized dragon, roaring a battle cry.