“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Hannah asked, staring in shock. “Why did I have to prove it?”
Forseti shook his head. “He was hesitant because he knows full well that doesn’t mean anything. First, why would Mimir know they were back? It doesn’t make sense.”
“He knows everything.”
“Well, his knowledge has seemed quite shaky since Sif died.”
Magni’s face fell. Hannah supposed that meant Sif really was his mother, despite what Alys had said. It was clear she meant the world to him.
“The hammer will return to anyone who throws it.”
“I was the one holding it. It wanted to return to her because Thor threw it to kill Jormungandr, and it never returned to him. It never completed its task.”
“Then it could be a spell. Loki used to love stealing the hammer at every opportunity. I see no reason to think she couldn’t be him.”
“I would know Loki anywhere,” Modi insisted. “That traitor got my father killed.” Then it would probably be a bad idea to mention Alys. “This isn’t a spell. Mjolnir recognizes its wielder. If that’s not enough, they came here on the Bifrost. For Odin’s sake, Forseti. The Bifrost takes us to the very city she’s in. Why do you think it’s been there? How does none of this prove it to you?”
“Just because you want to believe it…” He sighed. “No, I can’t accept it. Please, eat. Perhaps we can try this Midgardian beer your friends have brought.”
That was that. Modi and Magni seemed unwilling to attempt any further discussion. Magni tried once but was promptly shut down by his brother, so Hannah took the hint. They were not getting any apples today. They’d have to try again later.
Chapter Seventeen
“We’ll figure something out.” That was all Modi and Magni had left them with once they returned to Emily’s car in the morning after spending the night in the softest bed they’d ever felt. They’d been that close to immortality, to answers, to being actual literal gods, and instead, they were left to stew in their own ignorance.
“I guess we’re not getting those apples, then.”
“You think?” Before the words had even left her lips, Hannah regretted them. She was snapping at her girlfriend, which she’d sworn she wouldn’t do again. It wasn’t who she was anymore. It couldn’t be.
Emily stared, her mouth slightly open. She didn’t even know that Hannah could have a temper…at least, Hannah hoped she didn’t know. She was pretty sure she’d never let it show around her.
“I’m sorry,” Hannah said.
“You really wanted that immortality, didn’t you?”
She shrugged. It hardly seemed to matter at this point. “It doesn’t seem fair that we’re not getting it. We’re gods too, right? I mean, I carried a car yesterday.”
“It’s okay.” She laced her fingers with Hannah’s.
“I just hate how this went. I thought for sure we’d be accepted immediately.”
“You’ve never really had to face not being accepted. Most people don’t come around to whatever you claim to be the second you tell them. Most people don’t even come around eventually. I don’t know if they will, but it’s not like you’re empty-handed. You have superstrength and the ability to drink your weight in alcohol. I have nothing.”
“You have a girlfriend who can bench-press a semi.” She hoped Emily would still want to be together. With Hannah’s temper and her strength, she’d hardly blame anyone for not wanting to be with her.
Emily smiled softly at her. “I do have that.”
“Even though I snapped at you?” Worriedly, she peered at Emily, barely willing to meet her eyes.
“Honey, I already said it’s okay. Besides, that barely counts as snapping. You said something slightly flippant and then immediately apologized.”
“But—”
Squeezing her arm, Emily rested her head against Hannah’s shoulder. “I have no intention of leaving you. Hell, if what our kids are saying is true, we’ve been together for centuries. What could possibly come between that?”
Hannah bit her lip hard enough that it hurt. She couldn’t share what had happened before. It would make Emily hate her. She knew exactly what her temper could cause, and she wasn’t willing to risk it again. She’d control it. She had to. She hoped that it was enough. “Okay. Fine. You’re right.”
“I always am.” Heading around to the other side of the car, she opened the passenger door for Hannah. “Let’s get out of here. We’re clearly not wanted.”
“We could try to steal the apples.”
“I don’t think they’re a one-time thing. Besides, we still might get a second chance. Modi and Magni seemed pretty intent on making sure of it. Maybe next time, we’ll even get to look around. For now, let’s just head home.”
“And do what?”
“Well, we should probably tell Alys what happened. I know they really wanted to get their hands on that apple. Can hardly blame them…the poor dear is almost thirty.”
“Oh. I guess we can do that.”
Emily chuckled. “Did you have something else in mind?”
“Thought I’d hold you with one hand and fuck you with the other.”
The car almost swerved off the Rainbow Bridge and killed them both. “You can’t say that when I’m driving.”
“So I take it you want to do that?”
After a few moments of concentrating on driving, Emily finally said, “Yes. But then we see Alys.”
✥ ✥ ✥
A few drinks in, Alys finally asked. “I take it that it didn’t go too well?” Other than exchanging pleasantries, neither Emily nor Hannah had been quite sure where to begin and wanted to give the alcohol time to restore their brains from the scrambling they’d given each other earlier.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Hannah said.
“I would.” Emily sighed, stretching and setting her legs in Hannah’s lap. “They didn’t believe we are who we claimed. I can’t really blame them on my account, but I’m not sure how they could come to that conclusion for Hannah…she could probably lift a mountain.”
“Only if I really needed to.”
“They let us stay in a room at the castle overnight and then more or less kicked us out. Modi and Magni say that they’re going to figure something out, but I’m really doubting we’ll be able to get your apple.”
“Don’t talk like that.” They smiled at Emily, but it was pained. They looked almost desperate. “I know you can do it. You just need to wait for your kids.”
“Why do you need it?” Hannah asked. “If you can shapeshift, couldn’t you stop yourself from aging?”
Their eyes grew wide, but they shook their head. “I’d rather not have to, and I’m not really sure. But I mean, come on, how could I not want apples that give me immortality?”
“I thought you had to keep eating them? I looked into it some online before we came, and I’m not sure how one apple would even help you.” Hannah leaned against the armrest. She understood wanting them, but the whole thing was just weird. Maybe the first one did more than the others? Alys certainly knew more mythology than she did.
They drained their beer. “I figured that one apple would buy me time to figure out how to get more. Especially if you stole them for me again. Or I could try growing them, but it’s really not clear if it’s special apples or if they only grow that way for Idunn.”
That seemed to grab Emily’s attention. “Wait, that’s a power a god could have? I mean, it’s not as showy, but I’d take being able to make immortality-granting fruit.”
“Well, you’re the goddess of earth, grain, love, and marriage. So you can make super-strong girls love you.”
“I do appreciate that, I guess.” She didn’t sound like she did.
“And you could probably make her marry you.”
Hannah nodded. “Yup, it’d work.”
“Wait, what?” Emily sat up, pulling her legs away. “You? What?”
“I’m not saying we should do it r
ight now, but that is well within your powers, my beloved goddess.”
Her cheeks reddened. “Well…I…Thank you.”
Hannah set her feet in Emily’s lap. She’d worn herself out earlier, and while she wanted to get up and kiss her, that seemed like a lot of work. She probably just needed some food.
“See? You have great powers. You could also farm really well.”
“I’m not farming.”
Alys sighed. “Well, maybe you could make amazing wine.” A smile spread across their face. “Or you could try making beer. You are the goddess of grain, after all.”
“Huh.” She chewed her lip, idly massaging one of Hannah’s feet. “I could make beer.” She nodded. “Yeah. I have to try that. How do you make beer?”
“Look it up. I’m your mythology expert, not your hops expert.”
“I thought you knew everything.”
“I do. I just don’t want to have to walk you through this.” They tried to sip from their empty bottle. “Speaking of, I need another. Anyone want anything?”
“Twenty beers and something you cooked?” Hannah asked.
“How about I just bring out the two six-packs I already have in the fridge and warm something up for you?”
“Yes please.” She grinned, whimpering softly as Emily hit a callus. “That sounds amazing.”
With them in the other room, Emily asked, “You were joking, right?”
“Nope.” She closed her eyes, letting the cushioned armrest serve as a pillow while she enjoyed Emily’s ministrations.
Emily made a strange noise that Hannah couldn’t quite place but continued her work, and Hannah was more than content to enjoy it until there was food.
She must have fallen asleep because Alfredo pasta with grilled chicken was sitting on the coffee table next. “Hmm?” she asked, wiping sleep from her eyes.
“Morning, sleepyhead.” Alys beamed at her. “I hadn’t smoked anything recently, but I had leftover grilled chicken, so I threw this together.”
“Yes, please.” She swung her legs off Emily and grabbed the plate. It was as good as everything Alys cooked, and the sauce only accentuated it. She then realized that, other than Emily, she hadn’t eaten anything today. No wonder she’d been so tired. “It’s amazing.”
“I know. Eat up.”
Hannah did as she was told and saw that Emily’s plate was already almost empty. How long had she been asleep?
“It did sound like you wouldn’t be welcome there,” Emily said. It must have been part of a conversation they were already having. Hannah couldn’t quite tell. She was too busy stuffing her face.
“That’s what I figured, and what I’d heard.” Alys groaned, tapping the bottle against their teeth. “What did they say?”
“They were worried we could be you in disguise.”
They nodded. “Yep. That makes sense.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting to be allowed in. Maybe back in would be more appropriate. Being reincarnated is weird. It’s why I was hoping you could steal that apple.”
“I’ll try. I promise. Hmm.” Biting her lip, Emily stared at the rug, something clearly running through her head. “Do you really think I could grow them since I’m the goddess of earth?”
“I kind of doubt it since it’s Idunn’s thing, but it’s worth a shot.”
“Right. Yeah. I guess we’ll try it.”
“Assuming we can get an apple in the first place.”
“Oh, come on, there’s no way Modi and Magni will let their parents die. Worst-case scenario, I’ll have to grow one.”
Their head tilted to either side. “Yeah. That could work.” Fingers tapped the armrest of their recliner. They didn’t seem too satisfied with this plan.
Hannah set the empty plate down and held back on asking if there was any more as she finished her drink. “I don’t know why exactly, but I trust them. If they say that they’ll figure something out, I think we should at least give them some time.”
“Sure you’re not just feeling lazy?” Emily asked.
Alys met Hannah’s eyes, staring. Their eyes were a deep purple that day. That was different. Were they changing them all the time now? “They’re your sons. If you trust them, then I do too. We can wait.” Their eyes were distant as they nodded. “We can.”
“It still seems so weird that I have sons.”
“Hey, you two got to skip all the hard parts. That has to be nice.”
Emily tapped on her drink. “I don’t know. I feel like suddenly having kids in their fifties or sixties or whatever has its downsides.”
“They’re super rich,” Hannah offered.
“They are super rich.” Her foot thudded against the ground. “Shit. We forgot to get some gold.”
“We’ll do it next time.”
“They owe us for the beer.”
“We’ll manage. My first paycheck comes in on the thirtieth, so I can cover rent if you’re hard up.”
“Thanks.”
Alys chuckled. “You’re married already.”
“Have been for centuries, apparently,” Hannah said.
Emily blushed again, staring away. For the goddess of marriage, the subject seemed to make her surprisingly bashful.
Hannah decided to let her off the hook. She turned to Alys. “You’re like my brother, right?” That was what movies had taught her. She wanted to know a bit more about her family now that it had changed so much. “Like how they’re our kids.”
“What? No.”
“Right, sorry. I guess I should say sibling. It always feels weird when people call me brother or father. But Thor and Loki were brothers, like Baldur. He wouldn’t stop calling me that.”
“No, Loki was only Odin’s brother by a blood pact. He had no real relation to Thor other than a complicated friendship.” They squinted, and one eyelid seemed to twitch. “Wait, what did you say about Baldur?”
“Is he not my brother either?”
“He is. But what do you mean you talked to him?”
Hannah cocked her head, trying to figure out what the problem was. “He was in Isa…Isengard.”
“Idavollr, honey.” Emily patted her shoulder.
“They only said it like one time.”
“How was Baldur there?” Alys glanced between them. “You’re sure it was Baldur? You couldn’t have misheard?”
“It was definitely Baldur,” Emily said. “What’s the problem?”
They sighed, their foot tapping a discordant beat on the footrest. “I mean, he is supposed to be back, but why would he be there? That doesn’t match what I’ve been told.”
“Why wouldn’t he be back?” Hannah asked. The whole problem didn’t make any sense. How in depth did these myths go? She really needed to read them.
“No. No, no, no. Oh, of course.” The footrest slammed back into the chair as Alys leapt to their feet, wide-eyed. “Holy shit. That explains so much.”
“What explains what?”
“Oh, that bitch. That brilliant bitch. Of course she’d do that. I can’t believe she’d betray me. I’m such a proud father.” Their laugh was cold and bitter. “No one does that to me. That’s my job…I’m the fucking trickster. She’s just supposed to be the goddess of the dead.” Another thud sounded as they kicked the chair. “Goddamn it.”
Hannah watched, transfixed. What the hell were they talking about?
Alys turned to them, a wicked grin contorting their features. “Well, then. I suppose that settles that. If she really has Baldur there, she’d have her fucking apple and wouldn’t be pulling my strings. Who knows what else she’s lied to me about? Well, two can play that game. It seems you’ve got yourself a double agent.”
“Sorry, what?” Hannah asked.
“What do you mean?” Emily asked. Hannah wasn’t sure when she’d gotten to her feet, but she was standing a couple feet from Alys, staring like she couldn’t believe what they were saying.
“This is fantastic.” They breathed o
ut a sigh. “I hated having to betray and manipulate you. I’m so sorry, Emily. I cared less about that with you, I’ll admit, Hannah, but I was certainly willing to do whatever it took to not have to kill you, even if it meant I’d have to wait a few decades.”
“I knew it!” Hannah was almost happier than she was upset. “I kept saying that you were suspicious, that you were reacting too well for this. I knew there was a reason.”
“Alys, what are you talking about?” Emily closed the gap between them, taking their hand. “What do you mean you’ve been betraying me? Manipulating me?”
They sighed, wiping away a sudden tear. “It’s a long story.”
“I think we have time.” Emily’s tone didn’t leave any room for further argument.
“Maybe we should have more beer.” Alys turned toward the kitchen.
Emily gripped their hand harder, stopping them. “No. I need answers. How have you been manipulating me? For how long?” She swallowed. Hannah could see the magnitude of this claim slowly dawning on her. “You’ve known for more than a week, haven’t you? Did you know before we met?”
Avoiding Emily’s gaze, Alys nodded. “I’ve known since I was sixteen.”
“What?”
Hannah had never heard Emily’s voice sound so cold. It scared her.
“Look, I’m sorry.”
“Alys, tell me what the fuck you mean.”
Their mouth opened and closed, tears trailing down their cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Fine. Okay. I’ll tell you. I’ve always wanted to. I just couldn’t. It wasn’t like I enjoyed hiding things. Sure, I befriended you because Hel needed me to, but you were the first person I ever really cared about, that I ever felt close to. It’s been eating me up for years, you have to understand.”
“You’ve had over eight years to tell me if it bothered you so much,” she spat.
Sniffling, they nodded. “I know. She told me I couldn’t, that I had to keep lying to you. You couldn’t find out from me. It had to come from the other Aesir. It would happen so long as we were in Portland.”
Thor: Daughter of Asgard Page 15