Defender (Night War Saga Book 2)

by S. T. Bende

  Hjalmar pierced each of us with his dark-eyed stare. Mack, Johann, and Greta voiced their consent. Tore grunted out a ‘ja’ when Hjalmar’s eyes met his, and I nodded when the intimidating warrior’s gaze bore through me. But I also crossed my fingers behind my back. I didn’t like lying to Johann’s dad, but he wasn’t giving me much of a choice. It was my fault Bodie was gone. If there was a portal that led to him, I was going to go through it.

  And I was going to bring him back.

  CHAPTER NINE

  HJALMAR LED US IN a single-file line toward the concentration of dark energy at the rock formation. Now that we were closer, the energy signature was more discernable. The blackness reached high into the sky, like the ominous tentacles of an octopus. There was definitely a nasty trap waiting for us up ahead. When I relayed my findings to our group, Tore confirmed my assessment.

  “Be careful,” he warned. “We don’t know how many night elves are waiting for us or where they’ll be. Stick together.”

  I moved closer to his side as we continued through the trees. This part of the forest gave way to a small clearing populated by enormous, jagged rocks and a massive tower of boulders. They were stacked on top of one another some fifty feet high, creating a beautiful and bizarre piece of granite art. When we neared the cluster of stone, my armor gave a piercing tingle that radiated from my shoulder to my elbow. Excitement coursed through me as I skidded to a stop.

  Tore turned to look at me with concern. “Pepper?”

  I rolled my shoulder to lessen the burning sensation. “My armor is going crazy. The piece must be close. Well, that or it’s warning me of my impending death.”

  Hjalmar watched me, an uneasy look in his eye. He raised his head as a gust of wind blew through the trees, bringing with it a smoky scent. His nostrils flared, and he immediately drew two weapons before spinning to face the boulders in a low crouch. “Intruders!” he roared, and my stomach dropped. “Spread out.” We all followed his orders without question.

  Tore, Greta, and I darted to the left, while Johan and Mack ran to the right. We were too exposed in the clearing, so Tore and Greta dove behind two of the jagged rocks. I was poised to follow suit when a loud crackling drew my attention to the top of the pile.

  Holy. Freaking. Hell.

  “What in the name of all things evil is that?” My eyes widened as I took in the giant creature. He stood at least fifteen feet tall, with spiky horns atop his head and molten red veins crawling along his body. When the creature bared his yellowed teeth, fire swirled deep within his mouth.

  “Some kind of mutated fire giant. Allie, take Greta, and get out of here,” Tore commanded.

  “But I can help—”

  “I want you to protect Greta.” Tore cut me off. “She can work her energy magic from the safety of the trees. Head around the rock formation, and hide in the forest. Once I see that Hjalmar’s got the monster under control, I’ll follow you,” Tore promised.

  Fine. I grabbed Greta’s hand and pulled her forward. “Stay safe,” I called over my shoulder before charging past the boulders. Hjalmar and Johann were already halfway to the top, weapons drawn.

  “I knew I smelled you,” Hjalmar cried. The fierce tenor of his voice echoed through the trees.

  A surge of heat nipped at my heels, pushing me to run faster. I released Greta’s hand, but she easily kept pace at my side. The flame-flinging beast was a mighty motivator. If that giant was spewing fire, we wanted to get to the forest before the monster singed our escape route.

  “What is a fire giant doing in Vanaheim? I thought they were from Moose-heim!” I shouted between labored breaths.

  “Muspelheim,” Greta shouted back. We pumped our legs harder as we rounded the rock formation and charged for the backside of the boulders. We were nearly to the forest. From there, we’d be able to help our team. God willing.

  “Holy hell, do you see that?” I skidded to a stop a few feet away from the tree line. Small bits of gravel lodged beneath my heels as I stared at the swirling black mass on the ground in front of me. A giant portal lay flat on the dirt, spinning with ominous beauty.

  Greta sucked in a sharp breath. “If this is the ambush it looks like, then that portal leads straight to Nott. That’s where we’ll find Bodie.”

  “Allie!” Tore’s cry came from behind me. Before I could respond, a blade pierced the top of my shoulder. Holy Lord, that hurts! I dropped to my knees, wincing as I turned to face my attacker. Correction, attackers. Five night elves leapt from behind a cluster of rocks and charged at us. Oh, crap. This was so not good.

  I tried to stand, but the burning in my neck sent a searing pain all the way down my spine. Tore emerged from around the rock formation, barreling toward the night elves with his blue sword blazing. But the elves were fast, and I was in a vulnerable position on the ground. Fear crept up my vertebrae, reminding me that I was not only vulnerable like this, but also a liability to my team. Double crap. Thankfully, Greta came to my rescue, charging forward with a fierce cry. She slammed her crystal wands together, and an energy burst shot through the advancing night elves, throwing them backwards. Tore swayed on his feet but held his course. By the time I pushed myself up, Tore had cut two of the elves down and was working on a third. Greta unleashed the fury of her wands on the fourth, which left a female with red pits for eyes for me to handle. Since I’d recently cut down and revived a dragon, I knew I could handle one measly night goddess minion.

  Even if my body was threatening to self-destruct at any moment. Step it up, demigod healing. Any time now.

  I drew my sword and took my battle stance. Blood seeped down my arm, but I ignored it, focusing instead on the black energy crawling along the tip of the night elf’s sword. I gave an involuntary shiver, never wanting to return to that place again—the place where the darkness held me hostage and threatened to overpower me forever. I desperately hoped my shoulder wasn’t infected with that same energy now. I made a note to check it once I’d offed this elf.

  “Your soul,” the elf seethed, “is mine.”

  “Then come and get it,” I challenged.

  The elf leapt forward. Our swords clashed, sending a loud clang ricocheting through the air. “Where’s our friend?” I screamed as I swung my blade around. The elf smiled, giving me full view of yellowed, pointy fangs. Oh, hell no. Taunting me would be the last thing that demon ever did. I feigned left, and she took the bait, diving for my side and exposing her ribcage. I quickly diverted my blade to pierce her heart. Her eyes widened in shock as blood seeped from her chest, and she fell to the ground, dead.

  Relief coursed through me now that my life wasn’t in imminent danger. I permitted myself a single shaky inhale before I shut down my feelings and returned to battle-mode. My sword scraped bone as I withdrew it from the elf’s carcass, and I flicked my wrist to shake as much blood as possible from the blade. A glance over my shoulder revealed that Tore had eliminated his perp and was moving in to help Greta kill hers. Good riddance. When tremors rocked my armor, I spun around and scanned the fifty-foot rock formation. Nestled between the boulders, about halfway up, beamed a light. I couldn’t see the monster that surely stood sentinel atop the rocks, but the balls of flame shooting from the top of the boulder-sculpture proved he was there. Johann, Mack, and Hjalmar would have to keep him distracted long enough for me to snatch the piece of Gud Morder, and possibly, join their fire giant assault from behind.

  With a steadying breath, I stepped carefully around the portal and scaled the bottom of the sharp rock wall. My shoulder burned like a mother, but I hoped my healing abilities would kick in soon. Grunts and clangs from below suggested that Tore and Greta had a handle on our night elf situation, so I kept my focus on retrieving the weapon piece. Using grooves in the rocks as handholds, I made my way toward the blinding pulse of energy. My boots found purchase on a small ledge that was barely wide enough for the balls of my feet, and I peered between the boulders. Oh, thank God! There it was—the titanium tip of my broken
weapon flashed from deep between two pieces of rock. Its sharp, pointed end was singular; the boys’ sketch must have correctly depicted the twin blades spiraling to make this point. I’d congratulate them when all of this was over. Right after I took a very long, fire- and frost-giant-free vacation.

  Reaching down, I wedged my hand between the rocks, unceremoniously grabbed the weapon piece, and stuffed it into the satchel at my waist with a silent fist pump.

  Four pieces down, four to go.

  From my perch halfway up the rocks, I had a clear view of the scene below me. Greta held her wands over the prone body of the night elf while Tore jammed his sword in and out of the monster’s throat. Thick blood spurted from an artery, coating Tore’s blade in a dense, black goo. Fire sparked in my peripheral vision. My boulder-top protectors must have been taking care of the lone fire giant above me. But it was the black vortex below that drew my attention. From my new vantage point, I was able to see it wasn’t the solid black orb it had appeared to be—it was a black, grey, and red swirl, one that held rocky mountains and crackling fire within its depths. It was a window into another land. To Bodie. My heart beat wildly as I stared into the vortex. Our friend was so close—just on the other side of that portal. My armor, my energy centers, everything within me knew it to be true.

  Johann’s victorious cry from above was followed by a deep hiss. The fireballs extinguished, the air filling with a thick layer of ash. A deep boom, followed by a mighty trembling of the earth, signaled the fall of something massive. All signs pointed to the fire giant no longer being a threat. But what would that mean about the portal to his realm? Had he been holding it open, or was something—or someone—doing that from the other side? And more importantly, what did all of this mean for Bodie?

  Something warred inside of me, and my eyes sought out Tore’s. He stood with one foot atop the freshly-slain night elf, wiping his sword on his cargos and staring intently at me. My throat caught as I glanced back down to the portal. The edges crept inward as it crumbled into itself. Our window to save Bodie was literally closing. With one last glance at Tore, I sent a silent apology, zeroed in on the vortex, and jumped as far from the rocks as I could.

  “No, Allie!” Tore blurred into the edge of my vision. He leapt in front of me, so we collided midair. My head whipped to the side, affording me a glimpse of the horror painted across Greta’s delicate features. Her hand flew to her mouth, and one leg then the other stretched in front of her as she sprinted after Tore. Was she going to try to follow us? God, I hoped not. The last thing we needed was for Greta to get hurt. Please, stay put Greta. We need you in one piece.

  Tore’s fingers wrapped around my arm, and before I could process anything else the world dropped away from us. We fell, exchanging the atmosphere of Vanaheim for the thick, smoky heat of Muspelheim. A heaviness coated my body as we descended into the dark realm. The ground shot up at us, and Tore pulled me closer to his chest, pivoting so his body was beneath mine. He was going to bear the brunt of our fall, and soon. Brace yourself, Allie. Here it comes . . . But just before we struck the ground, the fierce wind whipping my hair calmed, and our bodies dropped to the earth with the force of a mere five-foot fall, not the hundred-foot one we’d just endured. Either Tore had some magical anti-impact abilities he’d forgotten to mention, or we’d gotten a majorly lucky break. As I rolled off of Tore, two crystal wands landed on my stomach. Greta. She hadn’t made the portal jump, but she’d managed to chuck her energy weapons through to help us out. Bless her. I tucked them into the pouch at my waist, then pushed myself to my feet and faced my wide-eyed protector. He was already up, poised on the balls of his feet, scanning the area for threats.

  “I can’t believe you just did that,” he growled.

  Me neither.

  I was about to ask if we were clear when Tore wrapped his fingers around my wrist and pulled me forward. My right big toe caught on the back of my left heel, nearly making me face-plant. But I hopped on one foot until I was able to keep pace with Tore’s jog. The dim light of dusk blanketed Muspelheim, but it was light enough for me to scan my surroundings as we broke into a sprint. A large cave was embedded in a massive mountain near our drop site, and a sea of rocky hills towered above us. Their tips spewed fireballs and smoke streams. Had we dropped into a valley of active volcanoes? My heart sank. So much for that lucky break.

  Without any idea of where we were going, or what we’d do once we got there, I put one foot in front of the other and blindly followed my protector. Tore charged forward, each boot barely touching the ground before lifting off again in a rhythmic run. My gaze darted around the lava-laden land of Muspelheim as I tried not to panic. What had I done? Jumped into a dark portal to hunt down a dark goddess? How insanely stupid had I become? Did I have no sense of self-preservation left? Bodie. I did it for Bodie. Surely, we’d be able to save our friend before the volcanoes—or the fire giants—took us out.

  Tore rounded the base of a neighboring mountain and called over his shoulder. “We’re going up!” Then he dug his fingers into the crevices and began to climb. He tilted his head upward, toward a small opening in the rocks, and I set my focus on the mouth of the cave. I scrambled up the wall behind him, ignoring the fact that my arms and elbows were caked in dust and blood. The only thing I cared about was staying alive long enough to ask Tore how the hell we were going to get Bodie and get out of there without getting killed. Or without incurring first-degree lava burns.

  Seriously, Allie, no survival instincts left. None. I’d obviously succumbed to that nervous breakdown I was overdue for.

  Once Tore reached the cave, he drew his sword and charged inside. I put my hand on the hilt of my weapon and raced in after him. The space inside was shrouded in darkness, but I didn’t need light to see Tore’s blue eyes boring into mine with fury. He wanted to kill me.

  Did I blame him?

  My protector breathed in and out, his nostrils flaring with barely-contained rage. I flashed back to the early days of our relationship, the ones where he hadn’t exactly beamed rainbows of love at me. My muscles locked up as I prepared for a verbal throwdown.

  When none transpired, I chewed my bottom lip. “I’m sorry?” I offered.

  Tore growled an honest-to-goodness growl, and I stepped back.

  “Hey, I did this for Bodie! We were looking for a way to find him, and now we have it.” I crossed my arms defensively.

  Tore’s eyes fell to my injured shoulder, and his glare softened. “We were supposed to come here with a battalion of warriors.”

  Fine. He was right. It was stupid. “Okay, it wasn’t my best move. But I saw the portal shutting, and I panicked.”

  Tore sighed before closing the distance between us. “I know. I was thinking of jumping in, too.”

  Relief poured through me, and I let go of the breath I was holding. “You were?”

  He nodded as he pulled my shirt back to inspect my shoulder. “But then I thought, 'No, that’s stupid. Bodie wouldn’t want me to go on a suicide mission.' Then you jumped.”

  “Oh.”

  Tore’s hands cupped my face, and he rested his forehead on mine. “Allie, I love you. But I need you to stop trying to get yourself killed.”

  My throat tightened as his cool breath washed over my face and his words found their way into my heart. “Never thought the girl who pepper sprayed you in the park would steal your heart, did you?”

  Tore’s eyes darkened as he eyed my lips. “I did, actually. I knew from the moment I saw you that you would be a giant pain in my butt, and you’d quite possibly be the end of me. In more ways than one.”

  I stood on tiptoe to give him a soft kiss. “So, what do we do? Call for Heimdall?”

  Tore sighed. “I wish. Nott will have spelled Muspelheim so the Bifrost can’t drop anywhere near her.”

  “Does she run this realm, too? I mean, in addition to Svartalfheim?” I asked.

  “She doesn’t run any realm,” Tore corrected. “The Alfödr cast her from
Asgard when she turned to darkness, and while she tried to take over Svartalfheim, she was never able to overpower the dark elves. That’s why she’s so determined to take Midgard from the humans—she wants her own realm to rule.”

  Not on my watch, Nott.

  “We’re lucky she’s getting impatient,” Tore continued. “I’m guessing she’s keeping Bodie inside the cave where the portal dropped us. She wouldn’t have expected us to kill her fire giant, and she would have wanted a direct route for him to bring you to her. We knew coming in that this was a trap, so we have two options. Option one: we go in solo and try to extract Bodie without being seen. Full risk disclosure: Nott’s hideout’s probably crawling with night elves and fire giants, and the bad kind of dragons are all over this place. And as you know, we didn’t bring any food or water with us. So if we’re in there for too long, our bodies will start shutting down. Also, while your shoulder looks okay, we should probably get it checked for a dark magic infection sooner than later.”

  Awesome.

  “What’s our other option?” I asked.

  Tore paused. “Option two: we still go in after Bodie, but before we do, we try to travel far enough away that we can summon the Bifrost and send for reinforcements. We’ll sketch a map at the drop site so our friends will know where to come looking for us. That way, if things go south during our rescue, we’ll have backup already en route. It will cost us some time. But I think it’s prudent to make sure that if we fail Bodie, our friends still have a shot at saving him.”

  I groaned. “Hiking through Muspelheim with no food or water and hoping we don’t die sounds pretty stupid, too.” The temperature inside the cave was even more stifling than it was in the volcano-meadow. I was already sweating bullets.

  Tore shrugged.

  “I wish my pet dragon could just fly us out of here.” I laughed, but Tore didn’t seem to find my statement amusing. He stared at me intently and eyed the suede pouch at my waist.