The Helicon Muses Omnibus: Books 1-4

by V. J. Chambers

  Mack snickered. “He was adorable back then, wasn’t he?”

  * * *

  Agler Thorn was sipping hot mulled wine and glaring out over the snow. He was wearing his best new trousers and shirt, a flowing white number that laced up the front, revealing a hint of his chest at the top. He thought it looked funny, but his best friend Jack—who was gay—told him it looked fine.

  He and Jack were at the Winter Ball. Everything looked beautiful. Even though the snow sculptures had been destroyed midweek by Loki, the muses had worked double time to recreate them, and the area around the fire pit was full. A tall violin stretched toward the night sky to Agler’s left. Across the fire, he could see a collection of oversized sea shells next to a massive polar bear. To his right, there was a majestic owl, its wings unfurled. All of the sculptures were rendered in perfect detail. They were all sparkling and white, the lights from the fire reflecting against them so that they glowed.

  Usually, Agler liked the Winter Ball. Last year, he’d spent the evening dancing with Nora. He’d been pretty sure that things were developing between the two of them. The year before, he and Jack had both been single, but they’d had fun getting drunk and joining in the music. He remembered pounding on his drum for hours on end, intoxicated with wine and rhythm.

  He wasn’t really feeling it tonight. He guzzled his wine and peered over his cup across the fire pit. Nora and Sawyer were dancing together in front of the seashell snow sculpture. They looked perfect together, gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes, and Agler was feeling something he hadn’t expected to feel.

  Jealousy.

  He wasn’t sure why. He knew that he’d told Nora last Halloween that he knew she had feelings for Sawyer. So, he wasn’t sure why he was surprised to see them together. But he didn’t think he’d expected it.

  Not like this, not with the two of them moving together as if they were one being, their bodies glued together, their movements sleek and beautiful, like they belonged together.

  “Agler?” Jack raised his eyebrows.

  “Yeah.”

  “You okay, man?”

  He wrenched his gaze away from Nora. “They sure move fast, huh?”

  Jack shot a glance over at Nora and Sawyer. “Oh. That.” Sawyer was Jack’s ex. He shrugged into his wine. “We knew that was gonna happen, didn’t we? I mean, when I was dating Sawyer, he never shut up about her.”

  Had Agler known it was going to happen? Maybe when he’d mentioned it to Nora last year, he’d wanted her to laugh at the absurdity of the idea. Maybe he’d wanted her to tell him that she didn’t know how to live without him, that she’d been counting the days until his return. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “You’re still hung up on her, aren’t you?”

  Agler looked at Jack. “No. Definitely not. She’s a child. I’m way too old for her. And it would never work out between us. There’s no way.”

  Jack nodded. “Uh huh.”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  Jack shrugged. “You don’t sound over her.”

  Agler drained his glass. “I need some more wine.”

  Jack put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry.”

  “I guess you’ve got no more feelings for Sawyer?”

  “I still think he’s kind of hot. But he was a really frustrating boyfriend, if you know what I mean. Probably because he was actually straight.”

  “Frustrating, how?”

  “I told you this,” said Jack. “He was very hands off. Everything was above the waist.”

  Agler winced. Jack was his best friend, and he didn’t have any problem with the fact that he was gay, but sometimes picturing two guys doing stuff to each other still made him feel a little weird. He knew he needed to get over it, so he did his best not to let it show. “Oh, yeah, right.”

  “See,” said Jack, “that’s the difference between straight guys and gay guys. Neither of us got anywhere with those two. But you’re intrigued with her because you didn’t sleep with her. And I’m completely over him for the same reason.”

  “That’s not why,” said Agler. “She’s... you know, pretty and smart and interesting.”

  “So you admit you’ve still got it bad for her?”

  Agler sighed. “Damn it.”

  Jack laughed. He took a drink of wine and stared at Nora and Sawyer. “Wow. They really are all over each other, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah,” said Agler.

  “How can he be that straight? People don’t do that. They don’t suddenly switch teams.”

  “I thought you said that you could tell he was always straight.”

  “If I could tell, I wouldn’t have ever made out with him, would I?”

  The two watched in silence for several minutes.

  “Let’s get more wine,” said Agler.

  “Yeah,” said Jack.

  * * *

  Maddie stood at the edge of the ring of snow sculptures. She was wearing her slow clothes, bundled up against the cold. Inside the ring, there were heaters so that the people at the dance could stay warm. Out here, it was still frigid. She could go into the dance, but she wouldn’t. She’d stay here in the cold.

  It took her several minutes to locate Nora and Sawyer. There were a lot of muses on the dance floor, all looking radiant and happy as they whirled over the brilliant white snow.

  But then she did see them. They looked like a matched pair, both wearing dresses of pale blue brocade with white fur accents.

  Sawyer’s clung to his chest like a second skin, open in a V, exposing his chest. Nora’s scooped open, revealing the tops of her white breasts. They floated together, their long skirts furling out behind them as they twirled. Nora lay her head on Sawyer’s shoulder. Sawyer’s hands rested comfortably on her waist. They were attached to each other. There wasn’t a second they weren’t touching. And they were so casual about it, as if they had always touched each other that way.

  They looked mature and beautiful.

  And they looked complete.

  There was no room for Maddie there anymore.

  Nora and Sawyer didn’t need her.

  For all that they’d all three been inseparable for two years, it didn’t matter anymore. They’d lost each other now. Maddie felt a lump growing in her throat. She’d never felt quite so alone.

  She fought tears, but she lost. A big, fat, wet one squeezed down her cheek. She brushed it away, annoyed.

  She took a deep breath. She didn’t have to watch anymore.

  She turned to go and saw a figure walking out of the ring of sculptures. He was carrying a bottle. As he got closer, she recognized him. Agler Thorn.

  He looked up and saw her. “That you, Maddie?”

  She wanted to hide. What if he asked why she was crying? What if he asked why she wasn’t at the dance? But she couldn’t. He knew she was there. If she didn’t talk to him, she’d be rude. “Yeah.”

  He walked over to her. “Hey. You don’t look like you’re in the mood for a party either.”

  Either? “Aren’t you in the mood?”

  “I’m in the mood for wine.” He held up the bottle. “You want to join me?”

  Maddie didn’t usually drink alcohol. The last time she’d indulged had been last Halloween, and everything had gone very badly afterward. But she didn’t know if she’d ever been this close to Agler Thorn. He was a very nice-looking guy, with his long dreadlocks and his broad shoulders and that smattering of freckles over his nose. She guessed she’d never let herself think anything like that about him before because Agler had always been off limits. He’d belonged to Nora. “Me? You want me to drink with you?”

  “Unless you don’t want to,” he said. “I thought Jack would come, but he’s flirting with some guy from the math enclave.”

  “I want to,” she said, maybe a little too eagerly. She smiled at him. She could handle a little wine.

  “Cool.” He gestured with his head. “Come on.”

  She fell into step with him, and th
ey began to walk through the snow together.

  “Sorry about Daryl, incidentally,” said Agler. “I heard. That’s rough.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “It’s been kind of hard.”

  He slung an arm around her. “Let’s get too drunk to remember stuff like that, huh?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Nora and Sawyer seemed to be making quite a bit of noise as they trooped over the leaves the forest north of the tweens and rebels enclave. The snow had melted away weeks ago, and it was summer again in Helicon, the way it always was. But there were still layers and layers of old, dead leaves in the woods, and they made crunching noises as they walked.

  “Who’s making that racket?” called a voice.

  “Ned?” said Nora. “Ned Willow?” She and Sawyer pushed their way through the trees and came upon a tent. A man with long white hair and a long white beard was standing in front of it, hands on his hips.

  “Who wants to know?” he said.

  “It’s Sawyer Snow and Nora Sparrow,” said Sawyer, holding out a jar to the old man. “We brought you some marmalade.”

  Ned brightened considerably. “Oh, is that so?” He reached out and took the jar from Sawyer. “I do miss marmalade.”

  “We know,” said Nora. They’d only seen Ned Willow twice, but each time he’d talked about how much he wanted some marmalade. She’d decided that if they were going to come into the woods and beg him for a story, that they’d have to bring some.

  “Thank you very much,” said Ned. He pointed at Sawyer. “You! I remember you. The boy who wears skirts.”

  “That’s right,” said Sawyer, smiling.

  “Well, what brings you out here?”

  Nora chewed on her lip. “We were hoping for a story, of course. Something about Loki.”

  “Loki?” said Ned. “What do you want to know about Loki for?”

  “He showed up in Helicon last month,” said Sawyer. “He was horrible. He played a whole bunch of tricks and then he disappeared. Nora and I are curious about him.”

  “A story about Loki...” Ned pursed his lips. “Well, since you brought me this marmalade, I suppose I can tell you a story.”

  Nora clapped her hands together. “Good.”

  “Come inside,” said Ned.

  The three walked into Ned’s tent, which was decked out with ornate rugs and pillows. In the center was a big chair on a dais, and Ned climbed into it, settling in. Nora and Sawyer made themselves comfortable at his feet, lounging on pillows.

  Ned cleared his throat. “The Death of Balder and the Punishment of Loki.”

  Nora and Sawyer looked up at him eagerly.

  “Amongst the gods of Asgard, there were two brothers: Balder and Hoder. Balder was fair and beautiful, with a sunny smile and a friendly demeanor. Everyone loved and admired Balder. Hoder was blind and quiet. Everyone loved Hoder as well, but they also pitied him.

  “Balder began to be troubled with bad dreams of a prophetic nature. Each night, as he slept, he dreamed of a voice calling over the walls of Asgard, echoing into cold darkness, ‘Woe to all! Balder the Beautiful is dead! Is dead!’ He awoke each morning sweaty and terrified.

  “When the goddess Frigg, Balder’s mother, heard of these dreams, she was beside herself with worry. She adored her beautiful son, and she vowed she would not allow him to be hurt. She began to go about all of the land, exacting promises from each and every thing that could possibly harm Balder. She got the trees, the lightning, the wild boar, iron itself, and anything else she could think of to promise never to hurt her son. Each did so willingly, for everything loved Balder. He was universally adored.

  “There was only one thing that did not promise. The tiny mistletoe. Frigg had forgotten it in her mission, thinking it too inconsequential.

  “To celebrate the fact that Balder was now invincible, the gods held a feast at Gladsheim, the gods’ meeting hall. After the drinking and eating were all done, all the gods gathered round Balder and began to hurl things at him, because they thought it was quite a riot to watch as everything glanced off of him unharmed. Knives, swords, even the hammer of Thor all refused to hurt him.

  “Loki lurked in the background, a sprig of mistletoe in his hand. He knew that the mistletoe had not promised. He knew that it alone could harm Balder. He found the blind god Hoder hanging back to the fringes of the other gods, his face downcast.

  “ ‘What’s wrong?’ asked Loki of Hoder.

  “ ‘I cannot join in the games and hurl things at Balder,’ he said. ‘I cannot see, and I might damage someone else.’

  “Loki smiled. He handed Hoder the mistletoe. ‘Let me help you. I shall guide your hand.’

  “Hoder was grateful. He allowed Loki to assist him, and he threw the sprig of mistletoe right at his brother. The sharp leaf burrowed itself in Balder’s chest, piercing his heart, and killing him instantly. Balder fell to the floor with a thud.

  “All the gods turned to look at Hoder. When they saw Loki next to him, Loki turned and ran.

  “He ran to the north of Asgard, far and deep into the wood. At last he came to a set of cliffs that looked out over the ocean, and there he made himself a small wooden cabin, and he lived there, unseen by anyone until the day that the rest of the gods found him.

  “Loki heard them approach, and when they did, he turned himself into a fish, because Loki was a skilled shape shifter who could change his appearance whenever he wanted. He leaped into the water and began to swim away.

  “But Thor had seen Loki change, and he grasped the fish out of the air when the fish-Loki leaped. And then the gods had captured him. They forced him to change into his rightful shape. They were so angry with him for what he had done that they bound him up and they fastened a poisonous snake above him, so that the venom would drip on him.

  “But Loki’s wife Sigyn took pity on her wayward husband, and she stood over him with a basin to catch the venom. Only when she turned to dump out the venom did any splash on Loki, and then he writhed in pain and cried out in agony.

  “The gods left him this way, and it was said that he would remain so until Ragnarok.” Ned folded his hands. “The end.”

  Nora sat up from her pillow. “The end? Can’t be. How’d he get out of it?”

  “What’s Ragnarok?” said Sawyer.

  “I don’t have time to tell you the Ragnarok story,” said Ned. “I’ve got marmalade to eat.”

  “You don’t have to tell the story,” said Sawyer. “Just tell us what it is.”

  “It’s the Norse apocalypse. End of the world.”

  “Really?” said Nora. “Well, he wasn’t stuck there until the end of the world, then, was he? If he’s in Helicon, it means he got away.”

  “Well, I suppose so,” said Ned. “Who knows if that story about Balder even happened. It’s a lot like the Prometheus story of the Greeks, you know? And all the Norse stories are muddled.”

  “How come?” said Nora.

  “People stopped believing in the gods,” said Ned. “Just like they did with the Greek gods. And the stories weren’t well preserved. The inspiration threads we sent out went to Christian monks, and they mixed everything up with Christianity, and it’s impossible to know what’s original and what’s not anymore. We can’t ask anyone, because all the Norse gods disappeared except Loki. And no one knows why.” He got out of his chair. “Now, off with you. My mouth is watering for marmalade.”

  “No one knows why?”

  “Nope,” said Ned. He waved at the both of them. “Goodbye, then.”

  * * *

  Nora’s legs were tangled up in Sawyer’s skirt. They were entwined on his hammock, Sawyer’s body over hers, pressing all over her. Her lips and chin were a little sore from rubbing against Sawyer’s stubble while they were kissing. He could use a shave.

  Sawyer pulled away, propping himself up over her.

  She reached up to smooth a strand of his hair behind one of his ears. “I should go back to my tent. It’s late.”

  “You
don’t have to.” He touched her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “You could stay.”

  Nora felt a thrill course through her, making her nervous and excited at the same time. “You mean...?”

  Sawyer rolled off of her so that he was lying on his side. He propped himself up with one arm. “I mean, you could sleep here. It’s not like we’ve never slept in the same hammock.”

  “Yeah.” She peered up at the ceiling of his tent. “But that was before we were, you know, together.”

  He slid a hand over her belly. “We don’t have to do anything. We could just sleep.”

  She chewed on her lip. “Is that what you want?”

  “Well... what do you want?”

  She couldn’t look at him. She was blushing too much. “I don’t know. I mean, don’t you think sleeping together is a big step?”

  “Well, I didn’t mean—”

  “I know. But even just sleeping in the same bed. It’s a big deal, isn’t it?”

  “I guess,” he said. He kissed her eyebrow. “But you’re a big deal to me, Nora. A really big deal.”

  She looked at him, smiling. There he went again with those things she didn’t know how to respond to. “You’re a big deal to me too.”

  “So, you should stay,” he said.

  “Okay,” she whispered, snuggling close to him.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “Good.”

  She lifted her face, and he was kissing her. Deep, wrenching kisses. Ones that seemed to go all the way to her soul. With her eyes slammed shut, she was only darkness and sensation, cocooned here with Sawyer. Everything was warmth and pleasure and sweetness. She was glad she wasn’t leaving.

  She lost herself in their kisses, which went on for quite some time.

  When they paused, she found herself asking, “So, are we going to sleep in our clothes?” The clothes in Helicon were just as comfortable as pajamas, but she and Sawyer were both in long, flowing skirts, and they did make moving around a little awkward.

  Sawyer laughed. “You trying to get me out of my clothes?”

  She poked him, feeling embarrassed. “No. I just thought the skirts are kind of in the way. Maybe we’d be more comfortable if we put on pajamas.”