Defender (Night War Saga Book 2)

by S. T. Bende

  “There you go. You’ve got some color on your cheeks now.” I squeezed his hand before letting go.

  Bodie turned to me with one of his devilish looks and winked. “That’s what she said.”

  I just laughed. Our Bodie was back. Nott may have bent him, but she hadn’t broken him. Thank God.

  Tore turned to face the wave of guards that had assembled at the mouth of the tunnel. The original six had been joined by four more, and now that I had time to check them out . . . good Lord, they were hot. There were seven guys and three girls. The guys were undeniably handsome—like firefighters on a calendar handsome. They were all bulging muscles and chiseled jaws. The girls, well they were gorgeous and intimidating, especially the tall, red-haired one with the jagged scar over one eyebrow. My eyes lingered on the network of braided scars that trailed down her arm. I wondered what had happened to her.

  “Let’s get you home.” Tore clapped Bodie on the back.

  “Incoming!” the tallest of Revenge’s warriors shouted.

  I spun around to see one of Nott’s black birds beelining it right for me. My breath caught in my throat as I pulled my blade and brandished it, ready to take the bird’s head clean off.

  “Relax, Allie. It’s Huginn.” Tore’s hand snaked out and forced my blade down.

  My bad.

  With a nervous laugh, I sheathed my weapon as Huginn dropped a scroll at my feet. Tore bent down to retrieve it as Scarlet huffed at the raven.

  ‘He’s a friendly,’ I scolded her. Not that I really had any place to scold her since I’d nearly beheaded the Alfödr’s raven. But if we were ever going to bring her to live with us, we’d need to work on my dragon’s manners.

  Tore finished reading the scroll and clenched his jaw. “I need a volunteer to take Bodie home and see that he fully recovers. The rest of us need to head to the black pits to retrieve the piece of Gud Morder that, apparently, is being guarded by fire giants.”

  My mouth popped open. Seriously? I needed a freaking break. And some food, and a shower, and Bora Bora.

  “I’m fine.” Bodie tried to resist, but Tore just shook his head.

  “I volunteer to go with Bodie.” Greta stepped forward. She wrung her hands nervously.

  “Okay, I’ll go back.” Bodie answered so quickly, I couldn’t help but feel a little lighter in my heart. We may have been about to go into another potentially life-ending situation, but if Bodie and Greta could finally confront their feelings for each other, then I could die happy.

  Johann and Mack tightened the ranks around me. “No chance of taking a day or two breather before we dive back into weapon hunting?” Johann asked.

  I was glad I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t crazy about this idea.

  Tore shook his head. “They’re trying to destroy the piece with eternal fire.”

  Greta gasped. A sea of somber faces filled my vision.

  My stomach knotted into a pit. “What’s eternal fire?” If it made everybody this unhappy, it had to be bad.

  Huginn took to the skies and flew out of sight. Tore stared sadly at the note. And the rest of my protectors exchanged increasingly uncomfortable looks.

  “Guys?” I repeated my question. “What’s eternal fire?”

  After a seeming eternity, the red-haired warrior stepped forward and gave me a small bow. “Goddess, I am Astrid. Leader of Vidar’s army.”

  Whoa. Chick was in charge of all these firemen. Girl power, for the win.

  “Nice to meet you, Astrid. What is eternal fire?” I asked for the third time. Because Astrid had stepped forward for a reason, right?

  Her comrades shot her pitying looks as she moved closer to me and raised her shirt enough to reveal a nasty puckered scar. Her belly button had been consumed by thick, white, hardened skin. I bit down on my bottom lip to keep from gasping.

  “My twin sister, Aria, was thrown into the eternal fire during a war on this very land.” Astrid’s voice was steady, but I sensed a deep sadness in her words.

  I frowned, unsure of what to say.

  “I was in Asgard, many realms away. When my sister’s skin hit the eternal flame, my own skin roasted as if I was burning alive.”

  I brought my hand to my mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

  Astrid continued. “Eternal fire is comprised of the darkest energy in the cosmos. If anything can destroy Gud Morder, it would be that.”

  Tore looked up from his note to explain further. “The eternal flame moves continually. It’s been spotted over lava pools on Muspelheim; then hours later, it shows up atop a mountain on Helheim. You can’t predict where it will go. It is a possessed, dark energy that has no source and no keeper. We can’t let your weapon anywhere near it. If even one piece of Gud Morder is destroyed, we won’t be able to kill Nott. She’s made herself so invincible, nothing but the complete sword will be able to destroy her. And if we don’t destroy her, we’ll never save Midgard, and we’ll never wake your mom.”

  I let out a frustrated groan and kicked the dirt. “Then let’s go get the next piece.”

  Nothing was going to get in the way of me healing my mother.

  We gave Bodie and Greta a quick goodbye hug, and I asked Scarlet to fly them far enough away that they could Bifrost back to Canada.

  ‘Will find you,’ Scarlet told me.

  I nodded. ‘You better.’

  Astrid shot me a curious look as we trekked off to the pits from Huginn’s note. “You’re dragon bonded?” she asked.

  “Apparently.” I shrugged. Astrid continued to watch me with curiosity. “What?”

  “Nothing.” She picked up her pace, but I caught up to her.

  “Not nothing. Tell me.”

  Astrid smiled. “When the Norns said that the person to defeat darkness would be a healer, well. We were all skeptical.”

  Ah. Now I understood. There must have been a slew of running jokes about me in Asgard. How long until the healer fails? They’d probably expected the task to go to a warrior, or even Revenge himself. I couldn’t have been what anyone expected.

  Astrid slowed down and turned her head to look at me. Since my protectors were up ahead, engaged in a heated discussion about the best way to drop in on the ‘destroy Gud Morder party,’ they didn’t notice when Astrid leaned in and lowered her voice.

  “When Vidar assigned me to aid you, I nearly refused. My talents are in high demand, and protecting a pointless cause seemed like a waste of my time. But when I walked into that tunnel and saw you fighting Nott with that blue whip, you earned my respect. And knowing that you are dragon bonded . . . well.” She grinned and placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s an honor to fight beside you.”

  My throat got all tight, and my eyes filled with tears. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear those words. I knew my four protectors believed in me, but to have the captain of Revenge’s army tell me that I’d earned her respect meant everything.

  I cleared my throat, trying to act tougher than I felt. “Thank you for standing with me.”

  Astrid nodded, and that was that. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I could do this. I could kill Nott.

  I had to.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “OKAY, WHO KNOWS THE best way to kill a fire giant?” Astrid asked. The leader of Revenge’s army had us tucked between a lava pit and a large outcropping of rocks, while she wrapped up the details of our attack.

  “Uh,” I floundered. My dragon nudged my hand with her head, and I reached up to pet her. A peace had washed over me the minute Scarlet had returned from dropping Bodie and Greta off at the Bifrost site. I’d joked about her being my pet, but already our bond went much deeper than that. Saving her life had bound us in a way I’d never thought possible. She was my family, the same way my protectors were, and I knew she’d do anything for me. It was humbling. And just the hugest bit awesome.

  “Hei? Fire giant elimination, anyone?” Astrid repeated her question.

  Tore looked up. “I decapitated one once. Worked pr
etty well.”

  Astrid nodded. “Correct. A simple blade to the groin will drop a fire giant like a whining baby. Then you can slice their head off.”

  Despite the talk of beheading, Mack, Tore, and Johann all covered their man-parts.

  “That’s awful,” Mack whispered. His face was contorted in pain, even though no one had actually touched him.

  Astrid grinned. “I’m not here to make friends, boys. When I fight, I fight dirty.”

  Okay, Astrid was officially my girl crush.

  Johann’s eyes turned a molten grey as he looked Astrid up and down with intense longing. If things weren’t so dire, I’d have teased him. Instead, I made a mental note to heckle Hannie later and focused my attention on the task at hand.

  Blade to the groin. Slice off the head. Got it.

  One of the hottie firefighters stepped forward and held up one hand. “We must warn you. If even one lick of the eternal fire touches your skin . . .”

  He let the open-ended sentence hang in the air. Message received. Stay away from all things hot and glowing.

  I turned to address the group. “If Nott shows up again, feel free to kick her into the fire and end all of this.”

  “Agreed.” Astrid nodded. “Regulation weapons won’t kill Nott, but nobody’s ever tried eternal fire. It’s worth a shot.” Then she withdrew her blade. The nearby lava pit glinted red off the steel. She knelt on one knee, her head lowered in prayer. Her warriors did the same, and my protectors and I followed suit. I wasn’t sure what we were doing, but after seeing the way she commanded her team, I was fairly positive I’d follow Astrid anywhere.

  I knew for sure that Johann would.

  “Må vi hedre sjelene til Valhalla,” Astrid vowed.

  “Må vi hedre sjelene til Valhalla,” her warriors repeated.

  I furrowed my brow. When this was over, I was so signing up for language classes. Tore leaned over and translated, “May we honor the souls of Valhalla.”

  “Thanks,” I whispered.

  “Velkommen,” he whispered back.

  The warriors rose in unison, their pleasant demeanors gone. Way gone. Hardened faces and clenched jaws met my gaze, and I knew they were ready to fight to the death. Skit just got real.

  Astrid walked over to place a hand on my shoulder. “Fly safe, warrior-sister. We’ll have your back.”

  She dropped her hand to her neck and fingered the feather charm of her necklace. For a split second, I thought I caught a glimpse of fear in her eyes. But as quickly as it may have come, it was gone. I felt for Astrid—I couldn’t imagine her pain at confronting the thing that killed her twin sister and literally scarred her for life. But, ever the warrior, she simply turned away and readied her hand on her blade.

  ‘We fly over fire now?’ Scarlet nudged my leg.

  I nodded to her and stroked the red scales between her eyes. The act was soothing for both of us. Astrid believed the best plan was a distraction, so Scarlet and I were staging an air assault in order to get our ground crew in. Tore approved of the idea because it kept me out of the fight and safe in the skies. I approved of the idea because I knew I could tell Scarlet to swoop in and pick Tore up if, God forbid, things went south.

  Please, things, don’t go south.

  Tore stepped closer to me, eating up the space between us and drawing me in for a deliciously wicked kiss. “Bora Bora,” he whispered as he withdrew his lips from mine.

  “Clothing optional,” I replied. With a wink, I swung one leg over Scarlet and mentally prepared to fly over a group of angry fire giants and a flame so powerful it could travel across realms to burn the belly button off the toughest chick I’d ever met.

  No big deal.

  Once I was positioned behind Scarlet’s wings, I gave her the command, and we shot into the air. With one last look at the warriors who were supposed to take on a dozen fire giants and one lethal flame, I flared the Liv to life in my hand. I was tired, I was hungry, and I was about to pass out from dehydration. But nothing would stop me from saving my mother, from having the chance to have a relationship with her. And nothing would stop me from helping all of the humans who didn’t even know that they depended on me. I wouldn’t let them down.

  Scarlet flew higher, and when we emerged over the rocks, I gasped. A sea of menacing fire giants stood like sentinels around the top of a small peak. At the tip of that peak was a neon-green flame. The Eternal Fire.

  ‘Stay away from that flame,’ I told Scarlet.

  She chuffed. ‘Obvious.’

  I snapped my head back in shock. ‘Did you just say obvious? Was that sarcasm?’ Scarlet was so my dragon.

  She gave a slight nod and began to circle the giants.

  Fun time was over. Now we had to put Astrid’s plan into effect.

  Focusing my thoughts on the Liv pulsing in my palm, I molded my whip into shape and cracked it as hard as I could. It boomed, causing the fire giants to look up.

  “Where’s my weapon?” I roared. My goal was to keep their attention on the sky, so my protectors and our warrior crew could get into position. My team moved below me, but I kept my eyes on the giants, not wanting to draw any attention to the ground team.

  “It’s the girl!” One of the giants raised his fist trying to reach for me. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that he could talk—I was riding a telepathic dragon, after all. But still . . . Whoa.

  ‘Go lower!’ I instructed Scarlet. She wound us downward, making small circles over the massive beasts.

  When we were ten feet above one of the giants’ heads, I cracked my whip again. The action relieved the beast of one of his ears. His face crumpled into a ball of rage as he let out a roar. With surprising agility, he jumped high into the air, taking hold of Scarlet’s tail in his gnarled fist.

  “No!” I screamed. I spun on her back, ready to take the giant’s hand clean off. But just as he yanked her tail, Tore came out of nowhere and rammed his blade right into the giant’s crotch. The giant’s stubby fingers released Scarlet’s tail, and then we were skyward again.

  ‘Sorry, girl,’ I told her.

  ‘Not your fault,’ she responded.

  Her forgiveness didn’t lessen my regret, but I didn’t have time to berate myself. The battle had officially begun. The warriors had started their attack, and now it was my job to find the piece of my weapon. I allowed my eyes to settle as I scanned the energy of the area. The eternal fire was so thick, it was hard to see anything else—even with my energy sight. When a glint of light finally caught my eye, I yelped with joy. There, just on the ledge of the small peak, was a piece of Gud Morder. It glowed fiercely from its perch between two rocks. I told Scarlet where we needed to go, then held on for dear life as she nose-dived toward the light.

  ‘I’m going to jump off. When I have the piece, I want you to swing back around and pick me up again,’ I told her.

  ‘Yes, Master Allie.’

  When Scarlet got me within a few feet of the ground, I swung my legs onto her back and got into a crouch. Then I leapt forward, landing on the rocks with a hard jolt. A wave of pain shot from my ankles to my shins, and I fought valiantly to get my bearings. Death by eternal flame was so not on my agenda today. Or ever.

  When my equilibrium was restored, I chanced a look to my left. A few feet away, Astrid was engaged in a fierce battle with one of the giants. She jammed her blade into his groin and kicked out with her leg, pushing him backward into the fire. A horrible hissing noise rose up, and a searing pop resounded as the eternal flame eviscerated the giant’s body. Astrid turned her attention to the next giant, and I refocused on the light that shone near my feet. Taking care not to make any sudden movements that might draw attention to my presence, I knelt down and shoved my hand between the rocks. I pushed my fingers through the tight crevice, reaching until I touched the twin blades. Gotcha!

  As I stood up, I realized that I’d sent my waist pouch back to the safe house. Stupid. I was afraid the piece might fall out of my pockets, so I kept it cl
utched in my hand, tucked tight against my stomach while I waited for my ride. The crimson wings of my dragon flapped down from the sky, but as I bent to leap onto her back, a black blur passed before my eyes. Taloned fingers wrapped around my throat, and before I knew what was happening, Nott herself was hauling me across the rocks and toward the fire. For a frail looking woman, she was strong as all get out. My feet kicked out as I struggled against Nott’s hold, all the while fighting to breathe.

  ‘Look out!’ Scarlet’s warning came too late. Nott threw me across the back of a black dragon and flew us over the eternal flame. My body was bent awkwardly across the creature, with my cheek pressed to its neck and my legs dangling precariously over one side of its torso. I had no grip whatsoever; Nott’s hand at my throat was the only thing preventing me from falling off. The pressure on my windpipe was unbearable, and I struggled valiantly to stabilize myself. I kept my arm pinned to my chest, hiding the weapon piece from Nott’s view, but my protection wouldn’t matter if Nott released her hold on my throat. The piece—and my body—would be destroyed on contact if she dropped us into that flame.

  Which, it seemed, she was hell-bent on doing. She had no reason to keep me alive.

  Nott bent low to speak into my ear. Her hot breath washed over my skin, its acidic odor making me gag. “You know, after I shattered Gud Morder, I realized that I couldn’t touch the pieces. The weapon had locked itself down—some kind of a failsafe conceived by its insipid creators. Over time, it became clear that only you could retrieve its pieces.”

  “Allie!” Tore’s voice boomed from the ground.