I curled my fingers and yanked, but the weapons were strapped to their shoulders and two of them came crashing down. The archers got up, and the Grimnirs cut them down. I became creative, changing the trajectory of the next ones and sending them flying across the market. Still, arrows rained on Eirik and the Grimnirs. The attack didn’t seem to slow them down. Their swords whipped through the air and stopped some. Others found their marks.
I couldn’t afford to see who got hit. I went after more archers and managed to hold on to two necks and twisted. They dropped. Their people kicked them out of the way and replaced them. They hadn’t joked about having an army. At this rate, they’d just wear us out. My powers weren’t infinite. I was bound to get exhausted. I was sure I wasn’t the only one.
One let out her arrow, which curved toward me. It moved so fast I saw it leave the holder one second and the next it was inches from my chest. A scaly arm blocked it, and I found myself looking at a grinning Karle. Then he was gone.
The one who’d shot at me came down screaming, Eirik’s mace wrapped around her neck. Bloodied swords hovered in the air before disappearing as the Grimnirs continued to fight back. The crowd that had gathered had long since disappeared with their goods. Some vendors had left their carts and weapons behind, adding more weapons to the ongoing bloodbath. Our guys grabbed hammers and hacked, bludgeoned, and pounded on Angrboda’s people.
Bodies littered the grounds or draped the carts. A few clutched their heads while curled up in the fetal position. Whatever Trudy and Hayden were doing was working. I joined them, twisting necks and trying to reduce the number making it past Eirik and the Grimnirs. Karle and Olea got some by using their scale-covered fists. Olea was only thirteen, yet she fought like a grown-up.
“Eirik needs to shift and finish them,” Trudy yelled.
“He can’t,” an unfamiliar voice called. “He does, he fries.”
“Niorun!” Olea turned and yelled. Then she shot past me to hug the Dökkálfr girl. Unlike the others, she didn’t cover her Mohawk. And though her pantsuit was black, she wore a breastplate, protective arm and leg gear, and had two swords strapped to her hips. I recognized her from the party. Angrboda had bitten her, too.
“Follow me to the surface,” she said.
Yeah, like we were going to trust her. Trudy, Hayden, and Zack looked at me as though the final decision was mine.
I shook my head. “No. She’s one of them. Angrboda bit her.”
“She bit you too, Mortal, and you are fighting her. I refused to join her ragtag army, and now I’m on her hit list.” She lifted her hand and caught a dagger someone had thrown at her. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it flying back. Someone screamed when it found its target. “The surface is the only place to win this. That’s why she had her people trap you down here.”
“We can’t leave them,” I shot back.
“Of course not.” She pulled her swords, shot past us, and jumped into the fighting masses, hacking bodies left and right. She reached Eirik’s side and yelled something to him. Then she was fighting with them as they retreated.
“I want to be just like her,” Olea whispered and went to help her brother while we did what we could from our end, which was really very little.
I gulped when I saw the state of the Grimnirs and Eirik. Their faces had smears of blood and grime, and their clothes had dark blotches, which were obviously wet blood. Niorun opened a portal and we raced toward it. Someone grabbed my wrist, and I thought it was Eirik. I looked down and saw a Dwarf. He must have sneaked past the Grimnirs.
I kicked him and tried to wrench my wrist free, but he was stronger. I tried magic, but I was panicking and couldn’t focus. I fumbled inside my pocket, found the dagger Echo had given me, and swung, aiming for his head while fighting my gag reflex. I hated blood. It didn’t matter that the Dwarf was an Immortal. The idea of stabbing someone… My dagger hacked dry air and almost sliced my thigh when Eirik’s mace landed on the Dwarf’s head and yanked him away from me. He went flying across the floor.
“Inside. Now!” Eirik yelled.
I sprinted for the portal and jumped in. He was right behind me. A few of the attackers tried to jump in after us, but Eirik cut them off with his mace. The portal closed and darkness wrapped around us. It was so dark our eyes took forever to adjust, which was fine because everyone was panting and cursing.
“We need to keep moving,” Niorun said. “This is still part of Nidavellir, and the Dwarves can sniff us out. Don’t engage your runes. Not even the ones on your bodies.” She led the way, the darkness not bothering her. “I played in these tunnels with friends as a child and know all the secret ones and what to avoid. We can’t teleport now because they’re probably monitoring the area around the market. They knew when you arrived, and they’ll know if you open a portal. And now that I’m with you, they’ll know if I open one too. So it’s a long trek to the surface.”
No one spoke for a while. The passage was wide enough to walk side by side. Eirik caught my arm to detain me and let the others walk ahead.
“You okay? That Dwarf didn’t hurt you?”
“No, he didn’t. I should be asking you if you’re okay. You guys did most of the fighting.”
“But we’re trained to fight. You’re not.”
“Can you teach me?”
He frowned. “Why?”
“I don’t know. It just seems necessary. Olea pulled moves like a pro and Karle even saved me. I felt completely useless. Not that I want to kill people.” I shuddered.
He chuckled. “I know how you feel about blood, and I don’t want you killing anyone either. Most of the people at the marketplace were Immortal and will recover. Still, no killing. But if you want to learn for self-defense, I could show you a few moves.”
I had a feeling he was humoring me, but I let it pass because I was beginning to sweat. I removed my coat and tied it around my waist. I wondered if Hayden and Zack were hot in their winter jackets.
The clang of metal reached us before we turned a corner and saw a yellow glow ahead. We got closer to the glow and looked over a boulder at thousands of Dwarves hammering away on weapons. The glow came from pits of hot coal. On the sides were surface vents. Something was blowing cold air through them, and the hot air rose to the vents at the top of the giant cave.
No one spoke as Niorun headed left up a narrower path, leaving the wide one arching around the sweat cave. It grew colder, until I put my coat back on again. I was thirsty and hungry. I wished I’d eaten the meat at Chief Skavnir’s hall.
We reached steps leading to a hidden entrance covered with a boulder. Niorun stepped aside, and the men pushed it, creating a crack wide enough for us to slip through. The wind howled and the air was icy.
We were out in the open by a large outcrop, and the wind cut through my thick leggings and layered tops. I zipped my coat and lifted the hood while studying my surroundings.
Stretched in front of us was an arid land with very little vegetation, but ahead were mountains with jagged peaks that disappeared into the dark sky. Lights blinked at us from its walls. If there was a moon or stars, I couldn’t see them. Behind us was the endless mountain range we’d crawled out from under. Unlike the other mountains, it appeared flat at the top like a table, yet I could see gorges on the side.
“Angrboda’s people are camped at the base of the mountain on the other side. My home is over there.” Niorun pointed at the mountains with lights. “Now that we are on the surface, I can open a portal. If you guys want to sit down and come up with a plan, you’re welcome to use my place.”
“No, we attack now while they think they’ve won and their guard is down.” Eirik glanced at the others, and they nodded. “But first, I think Celestia, Zack, Olea, and Hayden should stay at your home for safety.”
“No,” we all said in unison.
~*~
EIRIK
“We won’t be gone for long. We’re getting the orphans and coming right back.”
“We
can help. We helped back there.” Celestia glanced at Hayden and Trudy. “Didn’t we?”
They nodded.
“I need to talk to my mother, so I’m coming with you,” Hayden said.
“Me, too,” Celestia added.
I peered at her. “The entire time at the market, I was worried about someone hurting you. Your guardian angel is not here to rescue you from a near-death experience, Dimples, and I can’t afford to put my people in danger because I’m more worried about you than watching their backs.”
“But—”
“Ask the Grimnirs how many times they stopped a blade aimed at my neck because I was looking over my shoulder to make sure you were okay. Not just you, but Zack, Hayden, and Olea. This is my war, and I brought you guys into it. It is my responsibility to make sure you return home whole, not in a body bag.”
She winced, and I felt bad for painting such a gruesome image, but she needed to understand I couldn’t fight and guard her, too.
“Please, stay at Niorun’s place.”
She glanced at the Dökkálfr and nodded.
She didn’t look happy, but there was nothing I could do about it. Hopefully, she wasn’t remembering what her crazy mother had said about people dying because of her. The mess at the marketplace hadn’t happened because we were trying to keep her and Hayden safe. That was my grandmother showing me she knew my weakness. I had one—Celestia.
“Good. Zack, Hayden, and Olea are staying, too.” The two girls started to argue. “This is not a debate. I know you want to see your mother, Hayden. I promise I’ll bring her to you.”
“I’m an Immortal. You don’t have to worry about someone killing me.”
“Being an Immortal has nothing to do with it. You’re not trained to fight or kill, so I’ll be in the same position I was at the market. Worrying about you getting hurt because if I let that happen, she”—I indicated Celestia with a nod—“would never forgive me. You don’t know what your kidnapping did to her, and I refuse to put her through something worse than that.”
Hayden stopped arguing, but she wasn’t thrilled with my decision either. Tough. Olea raised her hand.
“Not a word, little warrior. You’re good, but not that good. Come to Eljudnir when this is over and I’ll train with you. My mother’s warriors are perfect sparring partners.”
“Really?” Olea asked, barely containing her excitement.
“Really.”
“I hope that invitation includes me,” Niorun said. “In fact, I expect an open invite after tonight. I don’t put my life in danger for just anyone. A favor for a favor, that’s my motto.” She put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. In seconds a portal opened. Through it, we could see a massive gray gate carved onto a rock surface. It was perfectly camouflaged, and anyone could have missed if it weren’t for the runes. Female guards appeared beside it. They had the same haircut and tattoos as Niorun and were dressed in gray that blended with the gate and the rocks. The chilling wind didn’t seem to bother them.
“We have visitors, ladies,” Niorun said. “Escort them inside, and tell Thrimpis to take good care of them or she’ll answer to me.”
“Can we join you?” one of the guards asked.
“Not this time, girls. Next time, I’ll make sure Baldurson issues you an invitation. If my father comes home before I do and asks where I am, tell him I’m husband hunting. That should make him happy.” The guards laughed. It was obvious she was close to them.
Olea went through first. The Grimnirs watched Niorun, their eyes wary. They didn’t understand why I trusted her. They’d voiced their objections at the market, and their distrust hadn’t waned. I was going with my gut, based on the brief conversation I’d had with her in Eljudnir. The Dökkálfr had asked for an adventure, and I was sure this was how she viewed tonight’s events. She was a thrill seeker, and I saw it in her eyes tonight. Not even her father could curb that side of her. If she’d offered to stay with Celestia and the others, I would have been suspicious.
“We’ll be back before you know it,” I said.
“I know. Go. Save them.” Celestia reached up and pressed her lips to mine. Then she stepped back. The kiss was too brief, but it would sustain me. “Please don’t get killed, or I’ll be really pissed,” she added.
On a normal day, I would have found her words funny. Not tonight. I could die tonight, and there was no telling what a pissed Celestia would do. She was unpredictable. Good thing I didn’t intend to die. I had too much to live for and a sister to deliver into the arms of my mother.
Celestia followed the other two and her cousin took the rear. She glanced back one last time, studying the Grimnirs. They’d used runes to clean themselves up and no longer looked like they’d bathed in blood. Celestia hated blood.
“Be careful,” she said. “All of you.”
The guards opened the gates, and they disappeared inside. Dökkálfar warriors surrounded them, and that was the last I saw of Celestia before the gates closed. It wasn’t a reassuring sight.
“They’ll be fine,” Niorun said, slapping me on the back. “I’ll get you close to the camp. Then you take over.”
I released my mace and rotated my shoulders. The others drew out their weapons and waited.
Niorun opened a portal to a mountain ledge and went through. We followed. The ledge was wide enough to lie on and peer at the campgrounds below. Hundreds of warriors sat around campfires, eating and laughing, but there were no signs of the children. Smaller tents were everywhere, but a large one was under an arched, overhanging rock. It blended so perfectly with it I almost missed it.
Could the kids be in there? What was my grandmother’s end game? Collect her warriors and march to Asgard? That would be stupid even for her.
“We need to get one of them alone,” I said, going into a partial shift and zooming in on the men lounging by the fires.
“I could open a portal and grab one,” Echo said impatiently. He’d been quiet since the marketplace.
“No, we wait until they are asleep,” Daiku said.
“We don’t have time for that,” Ranger shot back. “We create a distraction and snatch one.”
“How do you propose that, Texas?” Daiku asked.
“A sudden appearance of a fire-breathing dragon should do the trick.”
“Then they’d know we’re back and not licking our wounds,” Rhys said.
“Not if the dragon pretends he’s on their side,” Karle added.
“Men,” Nara said. She pulled out her artavus, opened a portal, and disappeared through it. Seconds later, she reappeared with a man. She held a dagger to his neck and another to his groin. “Never ask a man to do something a woman can do better,” she threw over her shoulder. “I’m going to remove my hand. The other one,” she added when the man tried to look down. “You answer my questions correctly, and I’ll let you go. You lie to me, and you’ll never have a family. Are you an Immortal?”
He nodded, his eyes round with terror.
“So am I, and I’ve been fighting men bigger than you for over a millennium. That means I’m faster than you’ll ever be. One false move and the second dagger does its job.”
“I like your style,” Niorun said.
Nara grinned. “Thanks. I like your fighting moves. Next time you’re in Hel’s Hall, find me.” Her focus shifted to her prisoner, who looked so young he couldn’t have been much older than Olea. “Do you know where the orphans are being kept?”
He nodded.
“Use words.”
“Drathyn the Swordsmith.”
The Dwarf at the ball. “That hustling—”
“No-good, bottom-dwelling vifill,” Niorun finished. “I should have known his family would be involved in this. He might be rich, but he’s never satisfied. Every seedy deal in Nidavellir always has his name on it. Let’s go.”
Nara snapped her captive’s neck and lowered him to the ground. “Cute kid. Too bad he’s so lost.”
“Angrboda collects them all. The ru
naways. The homeless. The ostracized. She clothes, feeds, trains, and shelters them, and all she asks for in return is their loyalty. What she gets are fanatics willing to die for her.” She opened a portal and led the way into another underground tunnel. “No one knows where they live, but she has loyal friends in all the realms. After all, she’s been doing this for centuries and some of her children are now high ranking members of society.”
She kept up the monologue as we continued deeper underground. Along the way, we passed entrances to the main roads and streets of Nidavellir, but she continued using the dark tunnels, sometimes going up and at times, down. The tunnel grew narrower, forcing us to go in single file. I took the rear end. If we had company, my scales would come in handy. She stopped, and we nearly bumped into each other.
“The ceiling gets low from here on, so be prepared. I’ll take you to the secret trapdoor my friends and I use to sneak in and out of their home. It actually leads to Lavion’s bedroom. He and I had a thing for a while. You can’t mention my name or he’ll know I showed you his secret passage.”
“You’re not finishing this with us?” I asked.
“Not this time. I helped you out there in public because you were going against your grandmother’s crazy army, but this is different. Part of the agreement between Dwarves and our people is we don’t turn on each other, except in self-defense. Drathyn might be a money-grabbing low-life, but he’s still a prominent member of his society. My father would lock me in the dungeons if I broke one of our laws. Come on. It’s not far.”
The passageway was obviously made for Dwarves. We lowered our heads and walked hunched over, runes blazing to light the way and make the trek bearable. At least it was wide. Soon we were crawling, which was uncomfortable with swords. Tempers became frayed.
“Get your ass off my face, man,” Syn snarled.
Heroes (Eirik Book 2) Page 37