by S. T. Bende
Nott loosened her hold on my throat, but not by much. Black spots had begun to dance across my vision, and the heat of the eternal flame was dancing upward, lapping closer to my skin. Oh, God.
The black spots gave way to a streak of red, and my body was wrenched by a mighty jolt. I blinked through the haze that had become my vision, to see Scarlet whipping her barbed tail at the black dragon’s stomach. The dragon shrieked with each spiky strike, but Nott didn’t seem to be fazed. Instead, she studied the eternal fire with lust in her eyes. In that moment, I knew with absolute certainty that she was going to chuck me in. I was going to die.
And I knew, with absolute certainty, that I was going to fight that fate with every ounce of will I had left.
“In all my life,” Nott waxed, “I’ve never seen the eternal flame close up. How fortunate that it appeared when it did. The Norns must want you and that weapon destroyed, so that I can rule Midgard.”
Her hand loosened just enough for me to gulp in a huge lungful of air. I pinned her with a murderous look and choked out, “Burn in hell, Nott.”
It was kill or be killed, and my morning yoga sessions with Mack were about to pay off. With one big kick, I swung my legs up toward my head and straddled the dragon’s neck. The movement left Nott with two choices—let go of my throat or try to keep her hold on me with one broken arm. As expected, she chose the former, and I took advantage of her shift to whip my arm up and fist her long, black hair. I wrenched her head to the side, forcing her off the dragon. Without an ounce of remorse, I released my grip, sending Nott tumbling toward the eternal flame. I quickly brought my hand back to grip the dragon’s neck. Since my other hand still clutched the piece of Gud Morder, I struggled to maintain my one-handed hold on the dragon’s slippery scales, while riding backwards over a god-killing fire. I scooted forward, closer to the dragon’s wings, and looked down. I was about to witness the end of Nott’s reign—her body was feet away from being consumed by the realms’ deadliest blaze. But a second before she hit the flame, Nott’s body transformed into that stupid flock of birds. They scattered, soaring through the sky and avoiding the flames completely.
“No!” I shouted. In my distraction, I didn’t realize the dragon was shaking me off. He jerked his neck, and I slipped, losing my grip and falling fast. Time slowed to a crawl as I clawed at the empty air around me. The heat of the sickly green flames lapped closer to my legs, and I sensed each swirl, each agonizingly slow burst of fire that surged closer to my body. Scarlet careened through the sky, her panic evident in the frantic flaps of her wings. But she was too far away to save me. I was done for. Gud Morder and I would die together, and all hope for my mother and my beloved Midgard would be lost.
Surprisingly it wasn’t either of those things that bothered me the most. In those final seconds, which seemed to stretch into minutes, it was the thought of leaving the blond-haired demigod with piercing blue eyes that broke my heart. Tore screamed my name from just beyond the flame’s reach, his arms restrained by Johann and Astrid. He fought valiantly, seemingly ready to leap into the eternal fire to save me. Tore. He was the one I would miss the most, the one I would regret not getting more time with. He was my first love—the one who’d owned my heart, without my even knowing it, from the moment I’d laid into him with my pink can of pepper spray. He had become my world, and now we were going to be lost to each other, forever.
I closed my eyes as the heat came closer; I was afraid to watch as my body was eviscerated. I wanted my death to be over quickly; hopefully I wouldn’t suffer for long. Goodbye protectors. Greta. Mom. Tore. Grief wracked my heart as I thought of my love, and an agonizing cry tore from my lungs. I wrapped my arms around my ribcage and tucked my knees to my chest, giving in to the pain of losing Tore and my family more than the pain of losing my life. With one final surge, the heat lapped at my feet before vanishing completely. Instead of the quick death I’d hoped for, my body slammed into the earth like a sack of flour. And instead of immediate evisceration, my ankles snapped and pain shot up my legs. The rest of my body came down hard on my right side, landing not on a god-killing fire, but atop the rocky peak where the fire had just been.
The eternal flame had vanished. I was still alive. But the agony wracking my body very nearly made me wish I wasn’t. I’d never felt pain like this before in my life. A wave of nausea rolled through me, and I turned my head to the side to throw up. My legs burned as if they’d been shattered, and my elbow seared with such intensity I feared I would pass out.
“Scarlet!” Tore’s voice sounded as if it was nearby. I vomited again before I felt his steady arms scoop me up. “You’re okay, Allie. You’re gonna be okay.” He wasn’t very convincing—his voice shook, and his face was lined with tension. The pain was too overwhelming to manage, and I found myself fighting to stay conscious. One side of my ribcage had to be broken; my ankles were definitely shattered, and there was a strong possibility I didn’t even have an elbow anymore.
“The eternal flame,” I rasped. “What happened?”
Astrid’s face came into view over Tore’s shoulder. “Right before you hit the flames, they snuffed out. Blessed be.”
“It must have been the Norns. They’re protecting Allie until she can fulfill her purpose.” Mack’s deep voice came from behind my head.
I wanted to reply, say something witty about my protectors being out of a job, but a black curtain was closing over my eyelids. I might have been a demigod, but the pain was too much to bear.
I closed my eyes and drifted peacefully away.
* * * *
The incessantly cheerful songbird trilling just outside my consciousness was one eight-count away from getting a shoe thrown at it. Or something much worse if I was strong enough to get the Liv up and running. My sleep had been fitful and, as far as I was concerned, all too brief. But the bird didn’t care that the girl tasked with saving the realms from a demonic monster needed her rest. The only thing it seemed to care about was finishing its unbelievably long, and unbelievably high pitched, tune.
Stupid songbird.
“Argh.” I raised my hands, intending to press them against my temples to stop the pounding within my skull. But the movement brought on a whole new surge of pain, this time a sharp stabbing along my sternum. The bones creaked in protest before letting loose with a rapid-fire series of daggers to my chest. What happened to me?
“Try not to move, Allie.” Tore’s voice was close. I forced my eyelids open, and in a moment of déjà vu, I realized my favorite protector was settled in the same chair he’d claimed the last time I’d been benched in Asgard’s healing unit. Which must have meant . . .
“Crap,” I groaned. “I’m back in the hospital, aren’t I?”
“That’s a good thing.” Tore leaned forward to brush the hair out of my face. He let his fingertips linger on my forehead when he said, “It means you made it out of Muspelheim alive.”
“Told you Nott had nothing on me and my dragon.” I tried to laugh, but my ribs screamed out in protest. Instead, I settled for staring into Tore’s endless eyes. “I’m sorry I let her get away.”
“Are you kidding me? You did more than any of us could have. You stopped the eternal flame. Nobody’s ever done that before—not that we’re aware of, anyway.”
“Thanks,” I whispered. I turned my head to the side so Tore’s fingertips slid to my temple. “Do you think you could rub my head? It hurts like a mother.”
“Of course.” Tore gently massaged the pounding skin with one hand and raised the other to speak into his wrist communicator. “Greta, get pain antidotes in here right away.”
“Thanks,” I whispered again. Tore’s magical fingers coaxed the worst of the headache from my body, but the second he broke contact, the pain would return with a vengeance. Either I was severely dehydrated from our recent trip to the fiery realm, or Nott and her minions had done a number on me physically. In all likelihood, I probably suffered from a combination of both. “Do I have any broken bones
? Besides whatever’s happening with my chest?”
“Your sternum’s cracked,” Tore confirmed. “You shattered your tibia, a few bones in each of your feet, and did a number to your kneecap. Oh, and your elbow. Fifteen breaks total.”
“Ugh,” I groaned. That was a lot of damage. “How long am I going to be in here this time?”
“Not long, if I can help it.” Greta breezed into the room, carrying a single tray laden with vials and crystals. She placed the tray on the table by the window, then slid the glass pane up to let in fresh air. I groaned as the bird’s song increased in volume, and my healer friend gently shooed the creature from its windowsill perch.
“Thank you,” I muttered. “He was getting on my last nerve.”
“Mine too,” Greta laughed. She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. The loose waves were framed by a single braid that crowned her hair, making her look every bit the Asgardian. “I’m guessing you have a pretty bad headache after everything you went through. And I’m guessing our little bird friend was not helping.”
“You guessed right,” I agreed.
“Well, let’s do something about that.” Greta turned her attention to the tray, where she began mixing vials into a small cup. Her white tunic fluttered as a light breeze came through the window. The whole effect was extremely soothing. Or it would be, once the knives in my skull cut me a break. Tore’s head rub was no longer having its desired effect. Hurry up with the pain meds already. I mean, Namaste, headache.
Greta turned around and moved to my side. She held out the small glass. “Drink this,” she offered. “It’s a blend of herbs and crystal extracts that should expedite your healing. Plus, I put a little something in there for your pain management.”
“Bless you, Greta.” I looked to Tore for support. “Help me up? Gently?” If I drank this thing lying down, it would end up all over me.
“Of course.” Tore placed one hand behind my shoulder blades and slid the other behind my lower back. “On three. One. Two.”
“Three. Oh my God it hurts!” A thousand blades unleashed themselves on my torso. I tried not to sob as Tore carefully lifted me high enough that I could drink. Greta placed the glass to my lips, and I downed its contents in four painful swallows. By the time Tore returned me back to the mattress, my chest had stopped trying to kill me. And my headache had dropped to near-manageable levels. Whatever Greta had put in that cup, it was some good stuff.
“Next time, we use a bendy straw so I don’t have to move,” I groaned. “You guys have those in Asgard, right?”
“No,” Greta and Tore said together.
“But we’ll have some brought in,” Greta hastened to add when I shot her a lethal glare.
“Good idea,” I muttered. My poor friends and their bendy-straw-free childhoods. No wonder Tore grew up to be such a grump.
Said grump bent over to brush my forehead with his lips. “You’re doing great. And when you’re ready, there’s somebody here who wants to see you.”
I arched one eyebrow. “Tell Bodie he can thank me for saving his butt by taking over my next four shifts on Mack’s chore chart.”
“Funny.” Tore chuckled. “But I was talking about Elora.”
“Oh, my gosh, send her in!” I urged.
“Don’t you want to recover a bit first?” Tore asked.
“Actually . . . I’m already starting to feel better. Jeez, Greta, what did you put in that cup?” It was amazing how quickly the magic crystal pain medicine was working.
“You don’t have to ask me twice. Hei hei, goddaughter.” My light-elf godmother glided into the room. She carried a cake in one hand and an armful of brightly colored blooms in the other.
My bad mood instantly vanished. It was impossible to be upset around cake, flowers, and Mack’s mom. Although I had only known Elora for a short time, her presence both strengthened and comforted me. Being near her was like having a piece of my own mom back.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Elora clucked her tongue as she approached my bedside. “You must be in so much pain.”
“I’ve felt better,” I admitted. My gaze slid over to Tore, who raised one eyebrow in question. When I waved for him to help me up again, he slid his hand behind my back and gently guided me to a seated position. I only winced once; if Greta could bottle that healing juice, she’d make a killing on the black market.
“I thought I told you to take care of her,” Elora admonished Tore.
“I failed,” Tore admitted. “Nott met us at the eternal fire and—”
“Nott?” Greta gasped at the same time Elora sucked in a sharp breath. When Tore brought me to the healing unit, he must have forgotten to mention Nott’s involvement in my injuries to Greta.
“Eternal fire?” Elora asked. “Allie, you couldn’t have touched it or you’d be . . .”
“Dead? Yeah. Wished I was for a few minutes there. No, the flame fizzled out right before I fell in. Then Tore got me out, and,” I shrugged, “here we are.”
“But how?” Elora set the cake and flowers down beside Greta’s healing tray and stood at the foot of my bed. “Never mind, you’ve been through enough. Oh, you poor, sweet thing. And shame on you, Tore Vidarsson.” She shot Tore a disappointed look. “Next time, you leave my goddaughter someplace safe before you even think about doing something so dangerous as approaching Nott, or the eternal fire, without Gud Morder.”
A rumble of laughter built in Tore’s throat. “Mrs. Medisjon, if you can convince Allie to stay behind, I will one hundred percent support your decision. But she’s come a long way from the frail human who once needed pepper spray to take down her attackers.”
I was so never living that down.
“I’m not staying anywhere,” I said. “Not until we wake my mom.”
“And speaking of.” Elora glanced at the flowers and cake with a smile.
“Ooh, are those for me? I miss cake.” I eyed the table hungrily. I was long overdue for a good piece of cake. Or seven. My appetite had returned in full force—I was definitely feeling better.
“One of the bouquets is for you.” Elora’s gentle features turned up in a smile. “The other, and the cake, is for your mom.”
“My mom’s awake?” I blurted. I threw the covers to the side and was halfway off the bed before I realized my bottom half wasn’t as healed as I thought it was. My kneecaps groaned with the weight of swinging legs, and I dropped back onto the bed. “Ow.”
Tore gently cupped my bare calves in his massive hands and shifted them back onto the bed. I really needed to speak with someone about the healing-unit-issued attire. A few more inches of fabric on the gowns wouldn’t have killed anyone. But they would have saved me from nearly flashing my godmother. And my hot-as-all-get-out boyfriend. This was totally not the way I wanted him to see me naked for the first time. I mean, really.
“Easy, Pepper.” Tore pulled the blanket over my legs, evading my mortification. “Your mom’s still asleep. She’s just down the hall. We can visit her once your bones re-fuse.”
My heart plummeted. Of course my mom wasn’t awake—we still had three more pieces of Gud Morder to retrieve before we could heal the weapon, kill Nott, and free her from her curse. Stupid curse. “Right,” I mumbled. “Wait, you bring cake to a sleeping person?”
“I do every year on her birthday.” Elora gave a sanguine smile.
My jaw dropped to my still-sore sternum. Shut the door, it’s my mom’s birthday?
Tore tucked my blanket back over my legs before lacing his fingers through mine. “You’re turning white. You okay?”
“Yeah, I just . . . I didn’t even know when her birthday was. Gran didn’t talk about her a lot—I guess that was to keep me safe. But . . .” My voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ve never celebrated her birthday with her before.”
Oh, my God. Do I really get to do this?
“You celebrated with her when you were very little,” Elora said gently. “Before Nott’s curse. I was there. Tore, your mom was there, too.”
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Tore stiffened at my side. I gave his fingers a squeeze, sending a silent ‘got your back, boyfriend,’ that I hoped he picked up on.
“Your grandmother made a beautiful chocolate cake, Allie. And every year since, I’ve made that same recipe and brought it to your mother’s bedside. I thought if you were up to it today, you could bring it to her with me.” Elora smiled softly, letting me know the choice was mine to make. Did I want to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her for the first time ever—that I could remember, at least?
Hell yeah, I did.
“Hey, Greta?” I asked.
My friend stepped forward from the window, where she’d been stationed since Elora entered. “Yes?”
“Do they have wheelchairs in Asgard?”
Greta actually laughed at that, straight up laughed at me. “Of course we do. Why wouldn’t we?”
“You don’t have bendy straws, but you do have—never mind.” I shook my head. “Can I get one? I want to go see my mom.”
Greta bit her bottom lip. “You should probably give yourself another hour or two to let the elixirs take effect.”
“Nope, I’m good.” I guided my feet to the side of the bed, biting down hard on the inside of my cheek as I lowered them over the edge. Thankfully, the pain that filled my legs was slightly less unmanageable than it had been the last time. “See? Wheelchair, please.”
“Oh, Allie.” Greta sighed in resignation, then ducked into the hallway. She returned a moment later with a device that almost looked like a Midgardian wheelchair. Almost. It hovered over the ground, emitting a blue light and a soft hum. It didn’t have wheels, but it did have handles. It also had a small knob on one of the arm rests that I assumed let its occupant steer for herself. Cool.
“You going to jump into that chair, or are you going to let me help you?” Tore watched my wiggling butt with barely-contained amusement.
“You may help me,” I acquiesced.
Tore wrapped me in his thick arms and lifted me into the high-tech roving device with more care than I could have imagined back when I thought he was a creepy park attacker. Then he took the blanket from the foot of my bed and tucked it around my bare shins. I was used to him flinging me around in the complex or sparring with me in the woods behind the safe house, so this moment was kind of surreal. Gentle, caretaker Tore was all kinds of foreign, and all kinds of adorable.