“Yes,” Thor said, and that one word was enough. Hecate took a seat beside him.
When we were all settled, I laid out what the Guardian of the Frostlings had told us. I figured it was best to start out with that news, because what had transpired in Seattle was of absolutely no consequence at this point. Soon, nothing about the city of ghosts would matter.
“Ragnarök,” Damh Varias said, sliding back in his chair. “We all knew that someday it would come, or at least we had the warnings. But with each World Shift, it seemed less likely to happen.” He straightened. “Your Majesty,” he said, turning to Tam. “We must withdraw our soldiers from Verdanya. I know we only just sent them, but given this news, Willow Wood cannot be left without a full military contingent.”
“Verdanya? What’s going on in Verdanya?” I asked.
“While you were away—in fact, the very afternoon that you left—we received a plea for help from Verdanya. They were being overrun by lycanthropes. While Verdanya and Willow Wood have no love lost between us, I couldn’t just turn away from their cry of help. So I sent a third of our troops down there to help out. It seems I was premature in my decision.” Tam’s expression was both terrible and fearsome. He was a foreboding man when he fell into his moods.
“We must pull them back. Fenrir could move at any time, and we have no idea of what he’s planning.” I turned to Thor. “Do you have any idea of the way this is going to play out?”
Thor leaned his elbows on the table, crossing his arms as he stared at Tam and me.
“It’s hard to say. I know what the prophecies say, but they’re not always literal.” He turned to Hecate. “I’m sure you know all too well about how that works.”
She nodded. “Yes, I found the same myself. But there is much truth within the prophecies, so it behooves us to examine them anyway. At least it may give us some clue of what Fenrir is planning.”
“The last set of prophecies that we received from the Norns goes thus: At some point, Fenrir will begin the march and he will wake Jörmungandr. Next, the ice giants gather behind him for the second wave. Loki and the fire giants will herald the third wave. And then the world will split from the merging of fire and ice, breaking between the two.”
I swallowed my bite of sandwich in a hard gulp. “What then?”
“Out of that hellhole, a new age will emerge. So if we’re to follow the prophecies, the next step is for Fenrir to waken Jörmungandr. Jörmungandr is the only one who can attack Gaia on a personal level, though he dare not kill her. If he kills her, he kills himself. But the world serpent isn’t necessarily sane, and his movements cause great upheavals up on the surface of the planet. Perhaps not as great as the World Shifts that Gaia has rained down, but he can do a great deal of damage.”
“Are we talking earthquakes? Volcanic eruptions?” I appreciated having some sort of guideline, but it occurred to me that it would be very helpful if the prophets of old would somehow manage to speak clearly rather than in riddles.
“Earthquakes, volcanoes, massive flooding. When you get down to it, Jörmungandr might as well be his own Weather Wars artifact. I’m pretty sure Gaia is aware of what’s going on, and I have no doubt she’s preparing for battle.” Thor shrugged. “But even if she quells Jörmungandr, it won’t do much good. Once Ragnarök begins, there’s no stopping it.”
“Can she kill Jörmungandr before this happens?” I wasn’t at all sure about god-on-god action when it came to destroying each other.
“Perhaps, but it won’t come without massive disruption. When Gaia goes to battle, you’ve seen what happens to the surface of the world.” Thor stopped, and the room fell silent.
Damh Varias was the next to speak. “I think what we need to do is clear. I know you aren’t going to want to hear what I have to say, but we have to close up UnderBarrow and retreat between the worlds. You have a duty to your people to protect them.”
“Is that possible?” I asked. “Don’t we have to land somewhere?”
Tam’s eyes flickered but he turned to me. “No, we can stay between the worlds enclosed within our own little realm. We can also take UnderBarrow into the Shining Courts, where my parents exist and rule.”
“But what of Willow Wood? What happens to the village?” Jason asked.
“Those choosing to come with us would be welcome. But if UnderBarrow moves, Willow Wood will be on its own. We could manage to fit the entire population into UnderBarrow for the move. Then we would have to begin anew wherever we set down.” He thought for a moment, then turned to Damh Varias. “What of going back to Eire?”
Hecate broke in. “That will do you no good. No matter where you go on this planet, Ragnarök will touch the shores. If Jörmungandr moves against Gaia, the entire world is in danger.”
“Shouldn’t we warn people?” Sarinka asked, leaning forward. “Given a god is involved, you can bet the lycanthropes are gathering all over the world to follow Fenrir.”
“And how would you have us warn them?” Hecate asked. “World communications are destroyed. It takes days just to reach the next village. Cell phones are gone, satellites still fly the skies but there’s nothing down here for them to reach because we have no electricity to run all of the gadgets and technology that existed before. We have techno-mages, but they’re busy trying to create lifesaving equipment to replace that which we’ve lost.”
Sarinka shrank back. “Can we send messengers?”
“Oh, send out runners if you like, but it’s a suicide mission and will take far longer than Fenrir is likely to give us. But you are correct in the assumption that the lycanthropes are likely gathering around the world. Fenrir is a god; he can move as he chooses throughout the world. In the blink of an eye, he can be on another continent. And before you ask, yes, the gods could go world hopping, but how many people do you think are going to listen to us? All they’re going to do is beg us to save them and we can’t possibly save everybody. We aren’t omnipotent, and we don’t have the answer to everything.”
“Well, we have to do something,” Sarinka argued. “I’m a healer. It’s my job to save people.”
“Then you tell me what we’re going to do. You figure out a way to reach everybody. And when you do, tell us, because I sincerely would like to know.” Hecate’s eyes were flashing now. I could tell when she was angry, and while I realized Sarinka was frustrated, she had better watch it because she was overreaching her boundaries.
I stood, smacking my hand on the table for attention. “In the eight years that I have been Queen of UnderBarrow, I have learned a lot from His Majesty and Damh Varias. I want you all to listen to me, and listen well. Yes, we have a responsibility to others—to those who live within UnderBarrow, and to those who live within Willow Wood. Other than my pledge to Hecate, these people are my prime responsibility. But we have to accept our limitations, or we can do nothing. Try to save everyone, and we save no one. We take care of those who belong to us. And only then can we reach out to help others.”
Tam stood, holding out his hand. I placed my hand in his, and we stood there, facing the room.
“Her Majesty is correct. We are the heart of UnderBarrow. What we decide, decides the fate of our people. We will make no decision today, except that I will recall our soldiers from Verdanya. The curfew stands. I will send a message to the king of Verdanya, telling him to prepare his people and do what he can for them.”
He turned to Elan. “You have a choice to make, Elan. Do you wish to remain with UnderBarrow? Or do you wish to go home? I will release you from your service if you choose to return to Verdanya and your father, the king. If you choose to stay here, you are more than welcome. But make your decision now. We’re going to lock down UnderBarrow and Willow Wood. We can’t be certain of who might be working with Fenrir.”
I caught my breath. “His Lordship is right. When we journeyed to Seattle, we traveled through the Green Lake district. There’s a man there who I’m sure will throw his lot, and the Green
Lake district’s lot, in with Fenrir. In fact, we were going to discuss blowing up the land bridge that connects that district with the Wild Wood. I’m not so certain we have time to do that at this point.”
Elan stood and bowed to the two of us. “I cannot speak for Jason, my mate, but for myself I choose UnderBarrow. I gave you my oath eight years ago when I left my father’s land for good. My oath stands today.” She turned to Jason. “What say you?”
“I am always and forever loyal to UnderBarrow, and to Lord Tam and Queen Kaeleen.” Jason smiled faintly at us. “Whatever they decide for the Barrow and the village, I will support.”
One by one, each person in the room stood and pledged their loyalty to us. I looked down at Hope, who was curled up asleep in the chair beside Elan.
“Elan and Jason, you don’t have to accept my suggestion, but what do you think about enlarging your family by one? She is so taken with the two of you.”
Elan and Jason glanced at each other and then smiled. “We’ve already discussed it, and yes, we will happily take in Hope as our daughter. Aila can help her, I’m sure of it. But I’d like to have the healers look her over, if you don’t mind. Who knows what scars are hidden there, behind those innocent eyes?”
With that, we adjourned for the moment, agreeing to meet again in the morning. Until then, there was work to do, and plans to be made, and Tam and I had a lot to discuss about the future of UnderBarrow.
AFTER TELLING DAMH Varias that we would meet with him privately after dinner, Tam and I retired to our chambers. Patrice was there, waiting to fill the bathtub for me and take my clothes. In her presence, Tam and I said nothing about what we had discussed during the meeting. I stripped out of my clothing, gratefully sinking into the hot tub of vanilla-scented bubbles.
“Are you hungry, milady?” Patrice asked.
I shook my head. “I ate during our meeting. Just lay out a comfortable dress for me, and I’ll ring for you when I need you. Lord Tam and I need some privacy to talk.”
She did as asked, silently leaving the room and shutting the door behind her when she was done. I waited for a moment, leisurely scrubbing my arms and legs, then looked over at Tam who was sitting on a chair nearby, watching me.
“Just when we thought we were coming out of the darkness,” I said. “And now, the darkness waiting is far greater than anything we’ve experienced.”
“One thing I’ve learned, that you surely have also, is that periods of unrest last for a long time. I was alive during the first World Shift. The reverberations lasted for hundreds of years. Nothing settled down during that time. I wonder…” He drifted off, staring into space.
“What? What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering if Gaia didn’t know this was going to happen. I’m wondering if she foresaw Ragnarök coming and decided to strike the first blow with the second World Shift. I wonder if Lyon and the Order of the Black Mist were playing right into the hands of Fenrir? There’s no way we’ll ever know, but still… So,” Tam continued after a moment. “Who is the little girl?”
I told him about our trip to Seattle, including our stopover with Karl the sheriff. “The city’s lost. There’s nothing left there except ragtag survivors hiding from the monsters, and a few old stashes of goodies that will soon be so much detritus. The old world is truly gone. I felt it more than any other time we were there. The past is sinking into history, and we’re on the verge of a new dawn. Or a new dusk, given the current circumstances.”
I stopped for a moment, leaning forward as he knelt by the tub, washing my back for me. He brushed over my skin with the washcloth, scrubbing gently, his other hand massaging my shoulder.
“Are you glad you threw your fortune in with mine?” he whispered. “Do you regret taking the throne?”
I considered his question. The truth was, looking back I could see no other choice. Not that I didn’t have one, but it was the only choice that rang true to me.
“No. Simply put, I can’t imagine a life other than the one I have now. The past is fading, and I’m learning to adapt.”
“So I saw today. Five years ago… Eight years ago… You would have never stood up and said that we should keep to our borders. You would have been agreeing with Sarinka.”
I nodded. “I’m not sure if that makes me sad or not. I suppose one thing I’ve learned is that you can’t fight every battle. You can only fight those battles meant for you. If we stayed here, if we try to hold our ground against the lycanthropes and Fenrir, to open our borders to everyone who comes our way, we wouldn’t be able to defend anybody. We simply don’t have the manpower. And I know full well that asking Verdanya if they want to join with us to create a communal front against the danger won’t work. Elan’s father is too much of a power monger, too set in his ways.”
Tam held the towel for me as I cautiously climbed out of the tub. I held out my arms and he wrapped it around me, holding me tight from the back. He kissed my shoulders, his lips pressing against my neck.
“I have learned in times like these, you hold tight to what matters. You take care of your own. And you always tell those you love how much they mean to you.” He spun me around, his lips meeting mine. He was hungry, I could feel it, and I lost myself in his kiss, spiraling into the comfort of desire and need. He walked me over to the bed and I tossed my towel to the side. As Tam began to undress, I let my worries of the future go, focusing only on the present, on his body against mine, the feel of his skin under my fingers, and the love that we shared.
WE MET WITH Damh Varias after dinner. He and I had had our moments over the past eight years, but we’d also developed a friendship as well as a mutual respect for one another. Now, I turned to him as much as Tam did. Damh Varias was more than an advisor. He was a sounding board, and in a sense he was living history. He knew every rule and regulation of UnderBarrow by heart, and he considered it his duty to remind us when we strayed from the path.
“So, here in the privacy of this chamber, what is your opinion?” Tam asked.
Damh Varias shifted in his chair. It struck me that the man had never married, and I didn’t even know if he had a lover. He seemed wedded to his job, totally devoted to Tam. And he would extend that devotion to me as long as it did not hurt Tam.
“Your Majesty—” he began, but Tam interrupted him.
“While we are within this chamber alone, we are just three friends seeking an answer.”
“As you will, Lord Tam. Do you remember when the Fae began to fade out of the outer world? When we had to transfer UnderBarrow out of Eire? We stayed in between the worlds for a long time, while you decided what to do.”
Tam nodded slowly. “I do remember. I wasn’t sure whether we were going to go back to the Shining Lands, or whether we would remain bound to Gaia.”
I had learned about the Shining Lands during my training with Damh Varias after I had taken the throne. It was where the Fae began, and where they returned after they died. It wasn’t an afterlife, but a different realm, much like being out on the Crossroads, or in the realm of Chaos. Tam had assured me that there was no way to reach it off the World Tree, and no creatures who did not belong there entered the Shining Lands. But when a Barrow shifted over there, they lost their independent status and went under the rule of the great Kings and Queens. Tam’s parents were two of those, I had found out. They had a Barrow in Eire, but it was only a secondary home, a place where they could connect with the Winter Court here in this world.
If we went there, we would be Prince and Princess of Winter, no longer a king and queen. That didn’t bother me, but I wasn’t sure how Tam felt about it. He loved his parents, but when I had met them at our wedding, they had scared me spitless. I had thought the Bonny Fae formidable from meeting them in UnderBarrow, but it was nothing compared to what I had experienced when I met Lord Aiek and Lady Ishara.
“You think we should return to the Shining Lands,” Tam said.
Damn Varias shrugged. “It mak
es the most sense. We must protect UnderBarrow, and we must protect the people within it. If Ragnarök is truly on the way, no one here is safe. No one on this planet can escape the effects. The Shining Lands offer us strong protection and guidance.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked him.
“Ragnarök may be a battle fought on a few fronts, but it will affect the entire world. The Jötnar are a prolific race, and Jötunheimr is filled with their kind. Both the ice and the fire giants are deadly and savage, and they live to conquer. With Fenrir at the forefront, leading the way for Ragnarök, they will not be appeased by simply conquering a few places on the planet. They will spread out, doing as much damage as they can. We can’t be sure, of course, if everything within the coming war will be firmly based on their ancient prophecy, but if Thor is worried enough to take this to the rest of the gods, I don’t think it wise to dismiss his concern.”
Damh Varias crossed his arms, pacing the length of the room. “Perhaps we are engaging in hyperbole. Perhaps we are exaggerating the worry. But you have seen the results of the lycanthrope attacks, and now you know who leads them. Can you deny the savagery of this creature? Can you deny Fenrir is a vicious enemy?”
Damh Varias was used to being eloquent, and he made very good points. It was hard to argue against someone who seemed so sure of himself. And in fact, I had little doubt that he was correct. It just seemed such a massive undertaking, moving the entire population of UnderBarrow to another realm. And then there was something else I had to think about. I was bound to Hecate. I doubted that she would hie herself over to the Shining Lands because of me. Would she even give me permission to go?
I turned to Tam. “What about my pledge to Hecate? What if she won’t let me go with you?”
The look on Tam’s face told me that I wasn’t the only one who had been thinking of this. He looked torn, almost in pain. “We need to talk to her. Because Damh Varias is correct—UnderBarrow cannot stay here if Ragnarök is coming. I have my people to think about. But I swear to you this: if Hecate will not let you come with me, then I will move UnderBarrow and then return to your side. Damh Varias can lead in my stead until we’re able to return. I will not leave you alone, my Fury.”
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