“If they arrested you and suspected that you were working for Asgard, it’s no surprise if they changed the wards,” I said, unsheathing my swords. “How long has it been since you were away? They had my mother on level three recently. Is this the right level?”
Willa looked stricken. “No, this is level five. I did not know they changed her location.”
“Of course you didn’t,” I said. “You were locked up, and I should’ve said something sooner.” I hadn’t even thought to ask her, figuring she knew where Leela was better than I did. “But we need to get to level three in a hurry. The skogs are supposed to take her soon.”
Willa turned and raced back to the steps. I sheathed my swords, and we followed her. But before we arrived at the very top, she pressed her small body into the wall, and once again it opened, revealing yet another hidden passageway right in the middle of the stairway. “Follow me,” she urged. “It’s tight in this particular space, but this is the fastest way to get to level three.”
Tight was an understatement.
My shoulders brushed the sides of the walls. I glanced behind me. Fen was walking sideways with his shoulders bowed. The trolls certainly didn’t use these spaces.
“It’s just a little farther. Then we will hit the ladder,” Willa said. “We are in between two levels at the moment, so we have to climb.” We reached what I’d barely call a ladder. It was set into a cylindrical hole. The “rungs” were nothing more than hollowed-out indentations in the stone wall at uneven increments.
Willa began to climb with no hesitation. I started up after her, digging my hands into the broken rocks with everything I had and grabbing on tight. It wasn’t meant for someone my size. Below me, Fen grunted. He barely fit and had to carefully maneuver his massive shoulders to avoid getting stuck. It took some finesse, but he was managing it.
Above me, Willa stuck her hand out, forcing the rock ceiling back to reveal yet another tunnel. She climbed into it and waited patiently for me to make my way in.
I boosted myself up onto the short ledge. “I owe you,” I told her. “The Valkyries will gladly repay the favor.” I scooted back out of the way so Fen had room to come after me. “What will you do once you’re finished here?” I asked her. “The elves are bound to find out you aided us.”
“They will hold a trial and find me guilty.” She said it with no ire, purely a statement of what was to happen. “They were going to do it anyway, so it matters not.”
Fen made his way in, squeezing his huge frame up into the tunnel. “Once they decide you’re guilty, what happens?”
“Most likely they will kill me. But if your mother escapes, they may give me to the skogs instead. The reptiles will demand payment no matter what transpires up top. They always do.”
“Can’t Odin intervene and help you somehow?” I couldn’t believe my father wasn’t powerful enough to help this stranded mixed elf. “He’s the one who sent you here. You’re breaking the law to serve him, right? He should find a way to get you out.”
She shook her head. “There is nothing he can do. He would have to come to this realm physically to intervene, and that would be unprecedented. And it is not his fault. He does not know my life is in jeopardy.” The same pride as before came through. She clearly thought my father hung the moon.
“Well, there’s something I can do. You’re leaving with us.” I stated it as a fact.
Her eyes widened as she wrung her hands and, head bowed, said nothing. She began to hurry down the tunnel.
As we followed, I arched an eyebrow at Fen, hoping he’d help me explain to Willa what I was talking about. He took the cue. “Midgard is a very special realm. It’s a place where the inhabitants have retained their empathy. Asgard might have some things to learn yet.” To me, he said, “We typically do not help other creatures. They know the consequences of their actions and can choose for themselves. Willa did not have to agree to come on this mission. Odin would not have forced her. She had her own reasons, and it was her decision to make.”
Willa glanced behind her, nodding rapidly. “Yes, exactly that. I do not expect to be repaid. I did this willingly. Odin made my life worth living. It was the least I could do.”
“Well, where I come from we help each other,” I told her, ducking under a lower section. “You risked your life to serve my mother and help me, and your life is still worth living. I’m going to take you back to the Valkyrie stronghold. I’m certain we can find a place for you there.” I had no idea if the other shieldmaidens would agree or not, but I knew my mother would have some say. If this mixed elf had served her well by smuggling weapons, she should want to reward her service. Valkyries had a strong sense of loyalty and paid their debts. I wasn’t sure if that extended to other creatures, but if it didn’t, there was going to be a problem.
“That is very kind of you,” Willa said. “We can discuss it at a later date. We are on level three. If your mother is here, we will find her.” Twenty yards down, she took a right. There were no doors, only stone, but she stopped and put her ear up to the wall. “Do you remember how far down your mother’s cell was?”
“I think it was right in the middle,” I told her.
She nodded as she walked down about ten more paces, then she put her ear to the wall again. “This space is heavily warded. There is a good chance she is in here.” She tapped the wall. “The wards are imprinted to other mixed elves I know, and they must be broken.”
I unsheathed my swords. Fen was right behind me. “How do I break the wards?” I asked him.
“Insert your weapons into the stone. When you feel resistance, you must push back. If you can send your energy through your swords, you will break them even faster,” he answered. “But even without, your swords should be enough to break any magic.”
I nodded. I wasn’t going to fail my mother a second time.
I positioned myself beside the wall with my weapons out and closed my eyes, thinking about how much I wanted this. I struck out with both hands at once.
My swords landed true, piercing the stone deeply. A reverberation raced through the blades and up into my arms and shoulders, rocking me to the core. I held on, even though this ward definitely wanted to toss me out.
I began to gather what I thought was my energy and aim it toward the wall. I wasn’t sure I was doing it right. I was going on pure instinct. I gritted my teeth as my body fought with the magic. I wanted this bad. “Please, please be enough.” As I said the words, power flowed through my arms and into the swords.
It was glorious.
I was doing it!
This was what being a Valkyrie meant.
A large boom! erupted, and the wall itself began to tumble away like a mini avalanche. I stumbled back, avoiding the rubble, my back hitting the stone behind me. I was exhausted but invigorated.
I’d created a person-sized hole in the wall like a badass.
As the dust cleared, I made out a single figure on the other side.
My mother.
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F or several seconds, I didn’t react. I was too stunned to move. Of course I’d hoped to find her, but I hadn’t prepared myself at all for how I would feel or what I would do, so my body just locked up.
She was stunningly beautiful.
Her long, straight hair was the same chestnut color as my own. It hung loosely around her shoulders, falling almost to her waist. Her eyes were a bright emerald green. Both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, she didn’t look much older than I did, early thirties at most. Valkyries aged slowly. She was dressed in a simple blue robe and didn’t look dirty or unkempt. If they’d treated her ill, it hadn’t been recently.
I was relieved.
And at a loss for words.
“Phoebe.” She uttered it softly as she moved toward me, her voice melodic and sweet. “You are beautiful. I’ve waited a long time for this meeting.”
I lowered my swords and walked forwar
d, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. “You look a lot younger than I imagined you would.” I laughed, because it was the only thing I could think to say. “Oh, hell!” I rushed toward her, leaping over the debris and sheathing my swords so I could give my biological mother a hug for the very first time.
She gripped me back fiercely.
Her hands ran over my hair and back as we embraced, like she was trying to take all of me in at once. Her words were filled with the same emotion I felt. “My precious daughter. I have missed you so. You resemble my mother. That makes me happy. I always wondered who you would take after.” She patted my back. “You are more than words. You are everything.” She brought me out of the cocoon of her arms, kissing my forehead, scouring me with her gaze again like she’d never get tired of looking at me.
“I…I think you’re everything…too…” I stumbled over my words as I wiped an errant tear from my cheek. She was a sight. She radiated a quiet, regal power. Callan was right: She could’ve been a queen. Now I knew what drew Odin to her. She was irresistible. “I’m happy to know that I look like my grandmother. Is she still alive?” My voice was hopeful.
My mother laughed. It was a wonderful sound. “She is. She will be filled with joy when she meets her only granddaughter.”
“I’m very sorry to interrupt,” Willa said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But the elves will take note of the broken ward and the explosion. We must leave this area right away.”
My mother let go of me, and I stepped aside reluctantly, swiping at more tears that had the audacity to tumble down my face.
“Willa,” she said to the mixed elf with authority, “you did exceptionally well. Thank you for delivering my daughter to me. I will be forever in your debt. And, yes, we must move. The Valkyries are here, and they are engaged in battle in the mines. We must join them, defeat Invaldi, and leave this place for good. I have been waiting for this day to come for too many years to count.” She radiated happiness.
“The weapons you will need are hidden,” Willa said. “I will lead you to them.”
My mother made a move to follow, pulling up short. “Fenrir the Wolf?” Her voice held an edge as she saw Fen for the first time. I sensed her uptick in tension. “What are you doing here? Odin cast you to Muspelheim the last I’d heard.”
“I aid your daughter in her quest to find you. She is the one who released me from Muspelheim.” Fen’s gaze was stoic, but not threatening.
My mother glanced at me and then back at Fen.
Before she could make her mind up on the matter, I interjected, “There’s a great deal I need to tell you, but that will have to come later. When I was tossed into Muspelheim, Fen was there. He saved my life three times. I owe him, and he’s loyal to our cause. He was banished unjustly, and he is not a threat. He’s an ally.” I moved to stand next to Fen, reaching out to wrap an arm around his waist.
Leela didn’t look terribly thrilled, but after a moment, she nodded. “So be it. If you saved my daughter’s life, then I owe you mine.”
“Come, follow me,” Willa urged. “One of the weapons is not far from here, and I hear others approaching.”
As we hustled after her, I asked my mother, “How do you know the Valkyries are fighting?” I was relieved and excited to learn that the shieldmaidens had arrived.
“I have many informants here,” Leela answered. “But I also have a physical link to my sister, Ingrid. I felt her presence in this realm immediately. I know they are engaged in battle, because once they arrived, all able bodies were summoned to defend against the threat.”
“Where are they?” I asked as we followed Willa around another corner. The tunnels were getting impossibly smaller again. Fen had taken up the rear.
“Within the mountain is a vast cavern,” Leela said. “It’s where the elves mine their rare gems. It will provide the most space to fight. The Valkyries will face off and fight the battle head on. That is our way.”
“The elves don’t seem skilled at wielding a weapon as far as I can see,” I said. “I’ve been here for a while now, and none of them have engaged me physically.”
They definitely couldn’t defeat the Valkyries in hand-to-hand combat.
“You mustn’t underestimate them,” my mother warned. “They will be using magic, along with their war weapons, which are infused with and powered by the darkest magic they have. I have heard recent rumors that Invaldi has a new toy. He will have it with him, and it will be deadly. The elves know their arsenal is mighty, which is why others don’t come into this land without permission. They risk the ire of Invaldi and end up paying the ultimate price.”
Willa stopped, crouching low. She moved a large stone away from the wall and reached in to grab something. Out came a long broadsword. She smiled as she used both hands to heft it, giving it to my mother.
“Is that your chosen Valkyrie weapon?” I asked curiously. It was bigger than the one Fen currently held in his hand. It was impressive.
My mother shook her head. “No, my weapon is a bow and arrow and is in safekeeping with Ingrid. But this broadsword will do for now.” She practiced some maneuvers, whipping it around like it weighed nothing.
What sounded like a loud explosion hit close-by.
We ducked as stones tumbled from the walls and ceiling. “Are more people entering this realm?” I asked, covering my head to block falling debris.
“No,” Leela answered, smiling. “The Valkyries are using their energy to blow the place up. In the end, the elves and their weapons will be no match for us. Let’s go join them.”
Willa said, “There is an easy way to get to the caverns from here, but it’s a steep way down—a crude slide hollowed out from the rock. It’s used to shuttle things down to the caverns. But some elves use it as transportation when they are in a hurry. Access to it is down two flights from here.”
“If we don’t use the slide,” Fen asked, “how long would it take us to get down to the caverns?”
“The caverns are located twenty stories below,” Willa answered. “Unfortunately, the passageways we are currently in don’t reach that far. If we do not use the slide, we will have to use a main artery and would encounter resistance.”
“Then there’s no other choice. We will take the chute,” my mother said definitively. “We must aid them as soon as possible. We risk much if we do not defeat Invaldi. Our lives would be forfeit, for one, and I cannot let that happen.”
“Agreed,” I said.
As we walked, Fen rested his open palm on my back, rubbing slowly. I leaned into him, loving the feel of his energy and warmth, thankful that he was showing affection. He said low into my ear, “You have learned much during your time here. Your glow is even brighter.”
“I have,” I said simply, refraining from looping my arms around his neck. “Thank you for not being too angry.”
“Of course,” he replied, like it was a no-brainer to not be mad that I’d left him.
Willa wound us down two more flights quickly, her brown hair swaying behind her. We encountered no one, but heard voices. It was a miracle no one found us. “The opening to the slide is right around this corner.” She made the turn and stifled a scream. I was right behind her and had to stop myself from crashing into her.
I peered over her shoulder.
“Callan!” I exclaimed. “What in the world are you doing here?” I was very happy to see the whage alive and well, and I moved to embrace him.
He chuckled, hugging me back with his withered arms. “I am likely looking for the same way down you are.”
“I should’ve known you’d have no problem getting out of your cell.” I grinned. “How did you know about this place?”
“Years ago, I ended up here,” he said. “I was able to find the quick way to the caverns below. But I was captured before I could get any farther. They surrounded me with muting magic. It was awful. But now the Valkyries are engaged down there, and it’s time to fight once again!” He peered over my shoulder and straightene
d, bowing his head slightly.
I cleared my throat and stepped back. “That’s my mother, Leela. And this is Fenrir, the fabled wolf. Only, he isn’t so fabled, as you can see. He’s alive and well.”
Callan, head still lowered, reached out his hand. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Leela. You are a very noble Valkyrie, and I have heard much about you.”
“It is wonderful to meet you as well,” she said, accepting his hand. “You are a legend around here. A white elf mixed with a mage. You have led the elves on a merry goose chase, and that takes talent.”
“Callan helped me a number of times,” I told my mother as I squinted at the whage. Was his beard a little shorter and darker? Or was I seeing things? “I am grateful for his help and owe him.”
“You have my thanks for helping my daughter,” Leela told him. “We will all leave this place together. Have you any weapons?”
Callan grinned. “I have no need of such things when I have these.” He wiggled his fingers. “It has been many years since I felt a kindle of magic in these old veins. I have your daughter to thank for my newfound energy. I will happily fight alongside you for freedom. I have been waiting and, not so patiently, for my day of retribution.” His gaze went past mine and landed on Fen’s. “I’ve heard your legend spoken since the day of my birth. I did not ever think to encounter you in the flesh. You are a mighty warrior.” He inclined his head. “I have always believed you to have been treated unfairly. A man of your strength and power should be revered, not treated like an animal.” He reached out his hand.
For a moment, I wasn’t sure Fen would take it.
But to my relief, he finally grabbed hold. “You will have to forgive me,” Fen replied. “I am not used to kindness. It has been many years since I’ve interacted in a civilized manner. I thank you for your words.”
Willa coughed politely into her palm. “If you are all ready, I will open the chute. It is time for us to depart.”
“I will go first,” Fen announced.
Freed: (Phoebe Meadows Book 2) Page 16