“That’s all?” Emily asked.
“You only got two days off, how long did you think it’d be?”
“Well, I figured it’d be by Norway or something.”
Huh. She had a point. Why was it over here? “I don’t know. They’d just pointed to this place in the Pacific.”
“Maybe they didn’t want the fight to be too close to home,” Alys said. “Nothing in the myths really suggests where on Earth it was.”
“It’s still weird. Like how the Rainbow Bridge is in Portland.”
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. I could try calling up Hel and asking, but I’m not sure if her projection would be able to keep up with the boat, and I have no idea how she’d react to you two knowing that she existed. So I’m gonna go with that they needed someplace where there wasn’t likely to be any collateral damage they cared about. No Norsemen, just whoever the aboriginal people are. Or it moved with the Bifrost. Either way seems as strange. Hell, maybe Hel moved it herself with her spell.”
“You’d think they’d want some of their own people to join in,” Emily said.
“That’s what the Einherjar are for.”
“The what?” Hannah asked.
“The dead warriors that go to Valhalla.”
“Oh.” The matter settled, they sailed on, the waves barely touching the light vessel as it skipped over them. They were making good time. She was hoping to keep the whole trip to no more than fifty-two hours. It would give her just barely enough time to make it to work. They’d deposited the car in overnight parking, so she’d have to make it back around eight, dive in, and head to work. Now, if only she could control the wind, then she wouldn’t need to worry about it. “I want my thunder powers.”
“Bless your heart. I think movies lied to you, sweetie,” Alys said.
“But then I could make a storm and have the wind blow us right there.”
“And fill the boat with water. I’m good. I’ll take you just having superstrength and a nifty hammer. What’s the word with that anyway? Modi and Magni said it wanted to come to you? Have you tried summoning it or throwing it and having it come back?”
“This probably wouldn’t be the best place to check, but I didn’t bring it.”
“You didn’t bring the only weapon we have?”
Emily groaned. “I’m sure she had her reasons.”
She just couldn’t bring herself to take it. “Sorry.”
Hannah stretched out, her feet almost reaching Alys, her head lying in Emily’s lap. “I’m sleepy.”
“I know, honey.” Emily stroked her hair. “Why don’t you take a nap?”
“But we’re sailing, and it’s exciting.”
“We’ll be sailing for a while.”
She didn’t even remember falling asleep. All she knew was that one second, the sky was still dim above them, and the next the water around them was lit up as the sun beat down. Their Portlander skin was unused to the vicious attack of UV rays. “Morning,” she muttered, shielding her eyes from the light.
“Oh, you’re awake,” Alys said. “Emily didn’t want to disturb you, but I’m starving. Also, I think there’s some sunscreen in the cooler. I know I meant to pack it, anyway, but I knocked some embers on me when I was smoking the pork butt and got distracted, so I’m hoping it’s in there.”
“I’m gonna have to get up, hon,” Emily said in a soothing voice.
Hannah murmured, struggling to keep her eyes open.
“Could you try?” Alys asked.
Emily sighed, adjusting enough to elicit a whimpered complaint from Hannah, but she managed to pop open the lid, having to hold the cooler in place as a sudden breeze caught it. “I see what I’m assuming is the barbecue in a Styrofoam container.” She hefted it out of the bag, grunting slightly and disturbing Hannah. “I did not expect it to be this heavy.”
“It’s ten pounds of pork shoulder.”
“Okay, that’s definitely a start to getting me to forgive you ’cause holy shit.”
Hannah grabbed the food and sat up, grinning so wide it hurt. “I forgot you cooked stuff.”
Alys let out an amused chuckle. “Yep.”
“Okay. I’m awake.”
“Would one of you mind making us some sandwiches? I’m gonna keep looking.”
“You almost never go for sandwiches,” both Alys and Hannah said.
She could almost hear Emily roll her eyes. “Seems easier to eat on a moving boat.”
“Can’t argue with that. I’ll make them.” Alys snatched the meat from Hannah, who only gave a brief sound of protest.
Emily continued digging, grabbing a few glass bottles of beer, and rolling them over to Hannah. That eased the pain of waking up. Emily then lifted a small plastic tube. “And some fifty SPF sunscreen. That ought to help. I was already starting to burn.”
Shrugging out of her jacket, Hannah said, “Come sit with me, and I can do you.” Emily didn’t even make the obvious joke as she handed over the tube. Hannah squeezed some onto her hands and massaged it into Emily’s neck, eliciting a light moan. Damn, one of them really should have made the joke. She followed up on Emily’s face, then slid her hand up the shirt to add some protection to her back.
“I can take my shirt off if you want.”
Hannah felt her face heat. It was probably sunburn. “That would be embarrassing. Alys is right there.”
“They’ll live.”
“I don’t mind watching,” Alys said.
Her sudden-onset sunburn only grew worse as she tried to ignore Alys. “Do me now.”
“I thought you didn’t want me to.”
She glared. Of course that was when she said it. “I mean the sunscreen.”
“If you insist.” She rubbed some on Hannah, dipping her hand below the low collar of the tank top to make extra sure her nipples were adequately protected. “That help?”
“Yes,” she muttered. They did have a whole day. Maybe having an audience wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. She always liked trying new things. “Are the sandwiches ready?” If they weren’t, then she might have a taste of Emily instead.
For a few brief moments, they enjoyed their food in silence, sipping beer and taking bites as the skiff sliced through the sea. Eventually, Alys broke the silence. “There’s a lot more meat if anyone wants any.”
“Maybe in a bit,” Emily said.
Hannah didn’t need the wait and made herself another sandwich.
“Emily?” Alys asked.
“What?” Her tone wasn’t quite short, but she still didn’t sound too thrilled to be talking to them.
“I really am sorry, you know? I should’ve told you a long time ago.”
“Yeah. You should’ve. But I know.”
Hannah looked between them, offering an awkward smile. “I understand why they did it,” she offered when neither of them seemed interested in saying another word. “It was a really tough situation, and there wasn’t a great option.”
“I understand too.” Emily sighed, draining the rest of her beer and grabbing another. “But it doesn’t make it easier to forgive them. They hurt me. Badly. Our entire friendship was based on a lie. I think I’m to a point where I’ve decided that I’m not going to throw it all away over this, but it’s going to be a pretty difficult hurdle to overcome.”
“You’re not…I mean, you won’t?” Despite the trickle of tears trailing down their face, Alys’s eyes were alight with hope as they stared in disbelief at their friend. “You mean the world to me. I swear, I won’t lie again.”
“Then let me ask you this, if you won’t lie: what are Hel’s plans for us?”
They blinked. “If she gets her apple, then nothing. As long as we’re alive, Ragnarok can’t start again. She’s not certain that it’ll start back up if we die again, but she’d rather not take the risk. At least that’s what she’s told me. Though if that really is Baldur in Idavollr—and I can almost guarantee it’s not, but she won’t tell me who the real one is—then
he’s the first line of defense against it. As long as he’s alive, Ragnarok can’t happen. Although who knows, it might be completely done with, I’m just surprised we got a new sun so easily. But if he dies and sets it all off, then Hannah and I die. You actually make it through the whole thing, Emily, so I’m not sure how you died in the first place.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Okay, I really need more info on that Baldur thing,” Hannah said. If it really was an imposter, she needed to warn her sons.
“I’ll give it when I have it. All I know is that one of your friends was supposed to be him, but Hel won’t tell me anything, and I think she’s already suspicious from my probing.”
“One of my friends?” Hannah asked.
Alys shrugged. “I think so. Maybe. She’s never been all that clear about anything. It’s possible that was my assumption. I knew Baldur would be brought back, and I assumed it was the same way, but I swear she said that Baldur would be in Portland. And that wasn’t even the only backup plan she’d mentioned. I need to find out more. Maybe if this little quest goes well, then she’ll be in good enough spirits to answer my questions.”
Hannah chewed on their words and her pulled pork. She could hardly imagine any of her old sorority sisters being gods, but she hadn’t imagined it for herself either. Megan certainly had the attitude for a Norse god, but why wouldn’t she have been contacted by anyone if that was the case? Modi and Magni should’ve heard something about them too, shouldn’t they?
“But anyway, we’re not a threat to Hel,” Alys said. “At least, she doesn’t think we are. With her hubris, she doesn’t think anyone is. The other Aesir could be on her radar, but I doubt she’d expect anyone catching on to her anytime soon. I think she just wants to be alive again. I’m not sure she has any plans after that.”
Emily finally met their gaze. “And what do you want?”
They shrugged. “I don’t know. From the sound of it, she’s been lying to me, but I don’t know to what degree. I owe her my life, quite possibly literally. She’s never said, but as the goddess of death, she’s likely how we’re all alive.” Alys swallowed the rest of their beer. “I’d never really considered what having us brought back might mean.”
“Then why can’t she bring herself back?” Hannah asked.
“No idea. Maybe her own magic doesn’t work on her.”
“So if she doesn’t mean us any harm, why not ask us for the apple herself?”
With a playful grin, Alys said, “She isn’t willing to accept anyone’s help. It’s why I don’t understand what she’s up to with Baldur.” They held up a hand. “Before you ask, I don’t count as help because she’s manipulating me even more directly than she is you.”
“Are you going to give her an apple?” Hannah asked.
“Do you not want me to?”
“I don’t trust the person who made you lie to us this whole time. I don’t know what she’s up to, but if she keeps suggesting killing me, it’s hard to want to help her.”
“Then no.” They swallowed, not quite meeting Hannah’s gaze. “I won’t. She’s up to something, using me, lying to me. Even if none of us are in her sights, it doesn’t make me trust her. I owe her everything, but I don’t like being made a fool of. That’s my job. Making fools of other people. Not myself. Or maybe both, as I think I’m proving right now.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “You just love being Loki, don’t you?”
Alys nodded. “Don’t you love being Thor?”
“I think I do.” She’d never said it before. She hated how it was impeding her life, but it had given her a whole new family, and it certainly gave her some interesting new experiences. Plus, it was great for sex. “Like, really do. It’s amazing. I get to go on awesome adventures, I can bench-press my girlfriend. Hell, I could bench-press her and a semi. Plus, the immortality sounds cool once we get those apples.”
“You could do so many taxes,” Emily teased.
Hannah gave her a playful slap, and she almost fell out of her seat. “Sorry. I think I’ve gotten stronger.”
Alys smirked. “Now just imagine after you get that belt.”
“That’s such an easier way to get strong. I’ve been doing car crunches.”
“Did she really do that?” Alys asked.
“Yeah. It was unbelievably hot,” Emily said. “She had to carry me to the bedroom, and we barely made it there before I ripped her clothes off.”
“Sounds like fun. I’m really missing out.”
That strange sunburn returned to Hannah’s cheeks. She must need more sunscreen.
“You have no idea,” Emily said, and there was something in the tone that Hannah couldn’t quite sort out.
Alys’s hurt look hardly made sense either.
Emily crossed her arms and stared at the ocean.
Alys cleared their throat. “What’s the map say?”
They’d been sailing for a few hours. It was certainly long enough that they should be able to get a better idea of what their pace was going to be.
Her phone showed that they’d made it a little over a quarter of the way there. That was pretty impressive progress from what little Hannah knew about sailing. The wind seemed to only be building. It might take less than twelve hours for the first leg of their journey. Then they had to scour an entire island for a belt. Totally doable. She certainly wouldn’t miss work. “Just under a third of the way there.” The GPS was being pretty finicky, but their general location matched more or less where they should be. She’d brought a printout of the map, but she wasn’t at all versed in navigation. “But the GPS is starting to freak out. I don’t suppose you have some skills in navigating at sea that you’ve been hiding from us?”
“Let me the see the map.”
“So you do?”
“Well, no.” They took the piece of paper. “But I have magic.” Their hands danced over the page, and a purple light began to float over the paper. “I wish this was bigger. It won’t be too precise, but it might work better than your phone at this point.”
“Okay, that’s pretty useful,” Emily said.
“Hel didn’t want me getting lost. I actually had to use it years ago. My phone had died, and I forgot the way home.”
“Can it find the belt?”
“Would that work?” Hannah asked.
Alys shook their head. “I don’t have a way to track it. Maybe if you’d brought Mjolnir and Jarngreipr, though I doubt it’d make a difference, so don’t feel too bad.”
“The one time I forget my magic hammer,” Hannah said, trying to sound nonchalant.
“I’m gonna take a nap,” Emily said. “Some of us don’t deal with these hours.”
Alys nodded. “I’d recommend we all do. Who knows what we’ll find there?”
Hannah cocked her head. “But the boat—”
“The wind won’t knock it off course. It’s a very good boat.”
They settled in, trying to get comfortable on the practical seats that seemed to have never heard of the word padding. Hannah finished a few beers, hoping it would help. Between sleeping during Emily’s shift and her nap when they’d first started out, she wasn’t too tired. The excitement for their imminent arrival made sleep that much more unlikely. But she knew she needed it, and she found it at the bottom of the fourth bottle.
✥ ✥ ✥
Hannah had been awake for a little while, leaning against the mast as she ate. The fruity beer wasn’t her usual thing, but it was still pretty good and a pleasant way to start the day. If one could call it starting the day, as the sun had barely begun to slip below the horizon, its pale red light shimmering on the calm water. They were almost there.
“I slept surprisingly well.” Alys was still curled up on the floor beneath a bench, their eyes closed. “Are we almost there?”
Hannah glanced at the map, pinned to the floor by a few beer bottles, the condensation ruining the paper at the corners. “Yeah.” There was nothing nearby to suggest an island, but acco
rding to the map, they were right on top of it.
“This is gonna be exhausting.” They sat up, stretching and yawning. “Hand me some of the pulled pork. It’s supposed to work instead of a sacrifice.”
“Really?”
“I assume the goddess of death would know.”
Tough to argue with that. Hannah handed over a bit of food. She really hoped they still had enough to get by.
“Would you furl the sail?”
Hannah did as instructed, watching with great fascination as they prepared themself.
“Give me a minute.” The meat sat in their lap, staining their jeans. Their hands moved above it before they finally snatched it up, held it to their mouth, whispered a few words, and finally let it fall overboard. Hannah watched, transfixed. Their eyes didn’t open, and they sat there motionless for several minutes, as the boat tossed about in a sudden bout of waves.
Hannah grabbed the oars, trying to still them. Hopefully, their momentum hadn’t carried them past their destination. “You okay?”
Alys didn’t answer, but Emily stirred, looking between them in confusion.
There was a crackling at the front of the ship, and Hannah turned as the sky began to burn away, revealing a swath of land as far as the eye could see. It blanketed the horizon, but rocks seemed to surround every shore.
Emily stared. “Is that it?”
“Yes,” Alys said, climbing back into their seat.
“Where do we moor?” Hannah asked.
“I don’t know any more than you do. We’ll just have to find a spot.”
Hannah started to row, picking up speed until the wind whipped past them again. She could carry them around the whole island if she had to. She just needed to hurry. She was a little rusty, and her form was sloppy, but it seemed to be doing the job.
“Holy shit,” Emily breathed.
“I think I’m kind of in love with your girlfriend,” Alys said. Hannah could feel their eyes on her biceps.
Thor: Daughter of Asgard Page 20