‘Well, well.’ Hel chuckled. ‘Two visits in one year from my nephew. I am fortunate. Lifa.’ Hel tipped her head. ‘You have not visited in a very long time; I was beginning to think you had forgotten about the one who raised you.’
Bran pulled Lifa out from behind him. ‘Lifa was detained for over a century by the Disir but I am guessing you probably knew that as you always know more than you let on.’
Hel smirked. ‘You are still angry with me, Nephew, over my treatment of Kaelia. You should be watching her now, wooing her, making her love and trust you. You will never encourage her to release Vanagandr with you if you cannot make her fall in love with you.’
‘Why does she need to love him?’ Lifa demanded fiercely. ‘We’ll take her and force her into releasing the giant wolf.’
Hel laughed. ‘Little Lifa, you are jealous!’
‘I am neither little nor jealous.’
‘For one, Kaelia’s hand cannot be forced into melting the blade. Her touch must be willing else the blade will not melt.’ Hel slithered ahead and motioned for the others to follow. ‘Second of all, Little Lifa, you have never been adept at the art of lying. You fear Kaelia will steal Bran’s heart and not the other way around.’
Bran sighed. ‘This conversation isn’t constructive. Lifa wishes to see her daughter. We do not need to discuss anything else.’ He held a silencing finger up to Lifa. ‘No,’ he told her. ‘I will not discuss Kaelia with you.’
They had reached the dining room and Hel swept to the head of the table, which was thirty feet long and made from polished bones. Candles, lit and dripping their wax over the table top, floated magically and emitted the charred rose-petal scent ever present in the palace. Hel waved her hand across the table and goblets of wine appeared.
‘Sit,’ she ordered, ‘and drink with me.’
Lifa folded her arms across her chest. ‘I want to see Rosalie.’
‘You cannot always have what you desire, Lifa.’ Hel clicked her fingers and, against her will, Lifa sat down.
‘Stop controlling me!’ Lifa struggled in her seat.
Hel made a gesture across her own lips, in turn silencing Lifa. ‘Stop? I have always controlled you. Why do you think you were brought here as a baby? A Shadow Dancer in my palace? You belong on the shores of Nastrond with the other shadow demons, not here at my table. Nevertheless, it was my table you dined from, my halls which were your playground. Why?’ She gestured to Bran. ‘I needed you to bear his child. I knew you would not be strong enough to stop me from demanding the child, from taking it. Even if you had fought with Bran, the pair of you would never have been a match for my brother Jormungandr. There is only one Bran could unite with to defeat such a beast, and you, Little Lifa, will never be she.’
Bran clenched and unclenched his hands. ‘You planned it so Lifa and I would have a baby just so you would have a hold over me, forcing me into wanting to release Vanagandr once The Chosen One came into existence. You have always orchestrated it all, haven’t you? You took me as a baby because you knew I was one half of the pair needed to free Vanagandr, you took Lifa so I would have a companion to grow up with, to fall for, to reproduce with, so you could take our baby and control me. Without a bargaining chip you couldn’t bank on me doing your bidding.’
Hel licked her lips. ‘You are a clever one, my nephew. Although it has taken you a very long time indeed to work this out.’
Bran slammed a fist on the table; the goblets wobbled and tipped over, spilling their ruby contents. Lifa, unable to move, made a hissing sound.
‘And my mother?’ Bran’s eyes flashed purple. ‘Is she or is she not a Valkyrja?’
Hel’s smile faltered. ‘Where did you hear such a thing?’
Bran tapped his head. ‘I’ve heard her whole song, the one she would have sung as she swept down and gathered up the fallen dead.’
Hel picked up her goblet and slammed it on the table, shattering the gold into pieces. ‘You are not supposed to hear her call, not from where she is!’
‘She is in Vanaheimr,’ Bran replied steadily, holding his breath.
Hel pushed the long table away from her with such force it crashed into the wall at the opposite end of the dining room. ‘No! You should not know this!’
‘So I was right! You didn’t banish her, did you?’ Bran demanded. ‘You lied.’
Hel drew to her full height, her nostrils flaring angrily. She pointed at Bran. ‘You are changing!’ she accused. ‘She is changing you!’
Bran lifted his chin. It was true, he was changing. The Disir were right, he was stronger. His strength was charging even more so being back in the realm of the dead. ‘I will convince Kaelia into releasing the mighty wolf,’ he said slowly. ‘But I will only do it as long as you tell me the truth about my mother. You have hidden too much from me for too long, Aunt.’
As Bran had hoped, Hel preened at being called Aunt.
Hel drew in a breath. ‘Very well, then after I have told you, you will return immediately to the human world and work your charms on Kaelia. You must make her yours before she is too strong for you to shape.’
Bran nodded. Stuck in her chair still, Lifa struggled and made an indiscernible noise.
‘Your mother is a Valkyrja, Bran. You are correct. You are also correct in your assumption I did not banish her. That was a small lie. It was Vanadis who banished your mother to Vanaheimr.’
‘To keep her safe from you,’ Bran deduced. ‘She really was one of Vanadis’ Valkyrjur.’
Hel nodded. ‘But it was also Vanadis who sent your mother to the human realm to copulate with your father so you were born. The light needs the dark, and you, Bran, are the dark to Kaelia’s light.’
Bran frowned. ‘Meaning?’
Hel laughed. ‘Vanadis knew Kaelia had to meet you. Alone, she will never be strong enough to defeat The Salloki and save the human realm Vanadis cares for so much, even at full strength. The pair of you united can be undefeatable once you are bound to each other. I am afraid, Nephew, you and Kaelia are intrinsically linked, and you are both pawns in a much wider game than you thought. It is your role to bring Kaelia over to our side. You must make her forget her human life, make her love you, love the power you two can share. When Vanagandr is free and Asgard is mine to rule, I will give you and Kaelia any realm you want to claim as your own. You can even take the human world, if you so wish. I have no desire for it. You and Kaelia can defeat The Salloki together. You and she can be gods...but only if you cajole her into wanting to free Vanagandr. He must be freed so we can take whatever we want, Nephew, are you in agreement?’
‘You will allow me to have Rosalie, for her to remember I am her father? You will stop fogging her mind and stealing her memories?’
Hel tapped the fingernails of one hand against the other, and lifted a corner of her mouth. ‘You have my word you will have your daughter returned to you with a clear mind and relevant memories.’
Bran squared his slender shoulders. ‘I want Lifa to remain here with Rosalie and I want Rosalie to know Lifa is her mother, no more lies.’
Hel waved a hand at Lifa, releasing her. ‘Very well.’
Lifa jumped to her feet, knocking her chair over. ‘I demand you release my daughter immediately!’
Hel snaked around Lifa, and bent down until their faces were level. ‘Never attempt to demand anything from me, Little Lifa. Remember, you have served your purpose and I no longer have any need for you.’ She hooked a long finger under Lifa’s chin, piercing the skin and drawing a trickle of blood. ‘Your flesh slices as easily as warm butter.’
Lifa clutched at Hel’s hand with both of hers and kicked out as Hel lifted her off her feet. She screamed when Hel’s fingernail pierced through the soft part underneath her tongue.
Bran weighed up the options, he could fight but with the glint of enjoyment he could see in Hel’s eyes he knew she would take great delight in killing Lifa.
‘Aunt,’ he cajoled, ‘I will have even more incentive to unite with Kaeli
a and free your brother if you allow Lifa to remain here with Rosalie. I care for them both and will do your bidding in exchange for their lives.’
Hel cocked her head to one side. ‘Very well, Nephew, I will allow your Lifa to live.’ She chuckled. ‘As long as Lifa does whatever I ask of her.’ She withdrew her finger from Lifa’s jaw.
Lifa crashed to the floor and clutched her face, blood streaming over her hand. She opened her mouth to protest but Bran pulled her up by the shoulders and propelled her across the room. Lifa pushed back but Bran was stronger than her and refused to relinquish his hold. Lifa cried out as they crashed into the wall, creating a cracked indent in the cold stone.
‘Go along with it,’ Bran hissed, radiating his violet light over Lifa’s wound to soothe it.
‘What are you doing? You can’t heal me.’
‘I can, down here in this realm. It is a new part of my powers.’
‘Show-off. I don’t want to go with what Hel says. I don’t want to obey her.’
‘Better obedient than dead.’
‘I don’t want to live back down here again!’
‘Do you want our daughter to have a chance of a normal life, one not confined to this palace?’
Lifa’s wound was almost healed and she pushed Bran’s hand away. ‘Of course I do.’
‘Then obey you must, the same as I do.’
Lifa gently touched Bran’s left cheek, tracing the scar with a fingertip. ‘I will obey because you tell me to, not because she does. I will do it for you and for Rosalie because I love you both.’
Bran averted his gaze. ‘I love you both, too.’
Lifa smiled sadly. ‘What do you wish me to do, Hel?’
Hel slunk past them in the direction of the door. ‘Ready the beasts and the Draegarnae. I desire a little excursion so I can allow the sunlight of the gods to shower my scales.’
Lifa watched Hel leave the room before pulling Bran to her. ‘If you need me, summon me. I will come no matter where you are.’ She tapped her chest, over where her heart would be. ‘I will sense you.’
‘I have managed over a century without you, Lifa.’
‘But now we are united again. Although we may have our orders from Her Darkness, we both want our child returned to her rightful place. By our sides.’
Bran sighed. ‘Yes, we do.’
‘But you don’t want to be by my side do you, when all of this is over and Rosalie is free?’ Lifa lifted her chin and glared at Bran.
‘I don’t have time for this.’ Bran strode to the door and marched out into the portrait hall. ‘Every moment spent here wasting my time is a moment longer Rosalie is captive.’
Lifa raced after Bran and grabbed his arm, forcing him to face her. ‘This quest Hel has given you, you’re enjoying it aren’t you?’
Bran wrenched his arm free and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. ‘It is not without its excitement,’ he admitted.
‘And her, this Chosen One, she’s exciting?’ Lifa’s dancer lifted in smoke trails from her body. ‘More exciting than me...than us?’
‘She’s different to you,’ Bran replied honestly.
‘Yes, she’s somewhat human,’ Lifa spat, making the observation an insult.
‘You forget I am, too.’
Lifa laughed. ‘You’re four-hundred and thirty years old. There’s no way you’re somewhat human. I think Hel was telling her usual porky-pies about your father being a human.’
Bran leant over and kissed Lifa on the forehead. ‘Take care of our daughter until I return.’
Lifa reached for Bran but he had already moved away. ‘Stop looking for similarities between you and The Chosen One,’ she shouted, as Bran raced down the long hall. ‘Remember what makes you and me the same instead...remember our passion. Kaelia can’t give that to you. She doesn’t understand you in the way I do!’
* * *
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The Isle of Stone
Night had almost melted away when the grey-white Vallesm slunk out of the sea and shook its fur. The wolf’s warm breath steamed upon impact with the cold air, making the creature glad for its dense, although sodden, fur. The narrow sliver of rocky beach exposed by the tide was deserted but the scent of the firebird lingered on the air. The Vallesm lifted its head and howled, stopping abruptly as the lilting lift of a song wove through its ears. A glimmer in the sky caught its attention and the mighty Vallesm took off at a gallop after it.
The feathers of the firebird blazed as the creature flew across the dark sky, leaving a trail of vapour in its wake. Its wings moved gracefully, their beat undetectable to the human ear. On the beach, the Vallesm howled, hearing every flap of the wings, feeling every movement of air was torture. The wolf charged after the firebird, following the curve of the shore, leaping over rock-pools and chunks of fallen stony, cliff.
Pausing at a steep cliff face, the wolf watched the flaming bird sail effortlessly over the top and out of sight. Dislodging fragments of rock with its claws, the Vallesm scrambled up and over the ridge of the grey cliffs. Bedraggled and tired, the wolf panted once firmly on flat ground and cast its amber-flecked eyes in search of the bird. Its nostrils twitched and, keeping its nose in the air, the wolf slunk across the scrubby grass on the cliff top in the direction of a cluster of ruins.
Crumbling remains of a once grand abbey stood shadowed against a backdrop of early morning sun rising above the sea. Warm rays shone through the glass-less remaining windows, painting a dancing pattern of yellow and orange on the uneven ground which was a mix of grass, fallen building, and stone slabs which would have once formed the floor of the abbey. Beyond the ruins was the end of the graveyard belonging to Father Peter’s church, tombstones rose uneven teeth, surrounding the small building of worship. A faint light glowed from the priest’s house, near the church, but the rest of the island was quiet, the meagre population of residents still asleep.
The Vallesm padded quietly through the ruined end wall of the abbey. Parts of ornate arched windows now lay in the centre of the dilapidated structure and a short distance away, the firebird sat on a fallen pillar with its back to the Vallesm. The roaring blaze of the firebird’s feathers had died to smouldering embers and its long tail feathers fluttered in the morning air, sparking as they scraped against cracked stone slabs surrounding the pillar. The wolf’s head lowered in attack mode. On silent paws it kept close to the ground, making sure to stay upwind. With ears flattened against the wide dome of its head, it quietly peeled its lips back, exposing the gleam of its fangs.
The Vallesm crept up behind the firebird. Its amber eyes narrowed and it pounced onto the bird’s back, knocking it from where it sat. Feathers flew into the air. The bird squawked and nipped at the wolf’s fur with its curved beak. In turn, the Vallesm howled and snapped at the feathered creature. Both rolled across the uneven ground, bumping in a mixed flurry of fur and feathers.
Wind picked up around them, lifting fur and feather into a whirling frenzy around the warring creatures. For a moment the wolf paused, and the firebird’s snapping ceased. There, above the sound of the wind was the same lilting song from before. Both wolf and bird shook their heads, separating slightly yet never taking their gaze off each other.
The Vallesm noticed the extremely tall, robed woman first. Gold bangles jangled around her wrists as she lifted both hands and approached from behind the firebird. ‘Do not fight,’ her sing-song voice commanded. ‘You are not enemies.’
The woman’s flimsy robes fluttered liquid-satin in the breeze, accentuating her strong limbs. Long, blonde hair tied in a dense side plait swung to her waist. A gentle smile creased her clear complexion.
‘Your fight is not with each other, it never has been. Be calm.’
The wolf shook its fur until it changed form and Bay, the human, stood. He took in the long, plaited hair, and regal appearance. ‘Vanadis.’ He dropped to one knee and bowed his head before the goddess.
Vanadis glided across to him, bent over and placed he
r hand on his shoulder, dwarfing him with her goddess height. ‘Arise, Bay, you need not bow before me. You served Kaelia well when you were cursed to remain Vallesm, you have more than proved yourself worthy. Please, do not bow before me again, we are allies, you and I.’ She beckoned to the firebird. ‘You too, come closer.’
Bay rose, nervous in the presence of the goddess. ‘You were the one singing.’
Vanadis nodded, a smile lighting her face.
‘And it was your voice Kaelia heard in my father’s castle? I couldn’t hear it then but here, in my Vallesm, I could.’
‘Yes, it was me singing.’
Bay turned as the wing feathers of the giant firebird brushed against his arm. Before he realised what he was doing, his hands were around the bird’s neck. ‘You did something to Kaelia!’ He shook the creature so hard its eyes bulged. ‘You burned her; I found the scorch marks on the rug. I’ll kill you, I swear it!’
‘Bay, enough.’ Vanadis touched his arm. ‘Release her.’
Bay’s grip loosened. He looked from Vanadis to the giant bird in his hands. ‘Her?’
Vanadis nodded and gently unpeeled Bay’s hands from the bird’s neck. Tenderly, she stroked its feathered head and lifted its beak to look into its eyes. ‘You are safe here.’ Her voice was soft. ‘It is time.’
Bay watched the bird shake, feathers blurring until all he could see was a whir of blazing colour. Then, as fast as it had happened, it stopped. Bay blinked disbelievingly. He hadn’t noticed he had stopped breathing until his head felt light. Sucking in a noisy gasp of air, Bay tentatively reached out.
‘Kaelia?’ he whispered. ‘I swear I didn’t know it was you! I’m so sorry, I would never have attacked you if I’d have known.’
* * *
Kaelia opened and closed her mouth. She looked from Bay to Vanadis and back again. ‘You strangled me. You wanted to kill me when you were in your Vallesm. You chased me for ages. I was so tired and terrified. I tried to talk to you but I couldn’t speak, I was trapped the same as you were when you were cursed!’
Mortiswood: Kaelia Falling (Mortiswood Tales Book 2) Page 25