by S. T. Bende
“Ja.” A wistful smile played at Axel’s lips. “You’re going to love them.”
“If they’re anything like you, I have no doubt.” I stood on tiptoe and pressed my lips to his. When I pulled away, Axel tightened his hold on my back.
“We have a lot working against us, Shieldmaiden. But we have something huge to fight for.” He lowered his forehead so it rested lightly against mine.
“Our future,” he said at the same time as I said, “For Valkyris.”
“Exactly.” He kissed me again—deeper this time, so heat flooded my body. When my knees wobbled, Axel pulled me closer. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I curled up against him, forgetting everything but the warmth of his mouth on my neck and the light pressure of hips against mine. The only thing I wanted in this moment was—
“Ingrid. Axel.” Janna’s voice broke the spell. “Inside, now.”
“Janna,” Axel groaned. “I said to take five.”
“Ja. Well, Torstein just got a hit. There’s a crystal nearby.”
Axel and I leapt apart.
“Where is it?” I dropped into a fighting stance.
“Is Sverrir on his way?” Axel spun a tight surveillance circle.
“Just get inside.” Janna glanced at the clouds overhead. “We can’t be too careful anymore.”
Axel and I exchanged a look before jogging toward the conference room. If Torstein had read a crystal, it was likely that Sverrir had too. And if we could catch him in the hunt . . .
It was just the opening we needed. Now all we had to do was seize it.
By the time we reached the bungalow, Torstein had already summoned poor Magnus—who lived on the grounds and was used to being awoken at odd hours. The burly assistant quickly procured a set of climbing equipment. He worked with Janna and I to set up an intricate series of routes down the cliffs before returning to bed. When he’d gone, Axel, Brigga, Raynor, Torstein and I stood at the edge, while Janna barked instructions.
It was crystal hunting time.
Chapter 8
“BE CAREFUL! THE CLIFFS are slick, so make sure you’re properly harnessed before you step off.” Janna spoke from the edge of the seaside ledge.
“You’re sure there’s not an easier way down?” Brigga peered anxiously over the cliff.
“Not one that’s this fast.” Janna adjusted her shield on her back. “Torstein says the new stone is located directly below us—on a stretch of beach inaccessible by car, which means that even if we did drive down, we’d still have to hike in. It’ll be easy. I promise.”
“Says the shieldmaiden.” Brigga shook her head. “You and Ingrid climb these things before breakfast. I’m a disseminator. I’ve never even—”
“I’ll be right below you. I’ll catch you if you slide.” Raynor promised. “Besides, you’re clipped in. Nothing bad can happen.”
“Mm-hmm.” Brigga didn’t look convinced.
“Now, this equipment is a bit different from what we have back home.” Janna pointed to the metal ring attached to her harness. “These clips will hold us to the ropes. This device here”—she gestured to a metal mechanism—“will let us slide down slowly. Just crank it like so, and you’ll manage your descent just fine.”
She gave a quick demonstration.
“That seems pretty straightforward,” Brigga said begrudgingly.
“It is. I promise.” Janna put her hands on her hips. “I don’t have to tell you all that time is of the essence. We all know Sverrir can port in and out via that mysterious black hole. And we all know he’s likely to show up without warning. So get down as quickly as you can. Draw your weapons the moment you touch down. And be safe.”
I raised my fist. “For Valkyris.”
“For Valkyris,” the rest of our team echoed.
“Raynor and Torstein, you’re up.” Janna stepped away from the ledge. “Clear any tangles in the rope so the next parties have a smooth descent.”
“Of course.” The warrior and the mage each clipped in. They slid over the ledge.
“It’s not bad,” Raynor called after a moment. “But the wind’s stronger than you’d think, so watch for swinging—oh, good gods! Get off of me!”
Janna dropped to her knees. She peered over the side. “You all right?”
“Torstein blew into me,” Raynor muttered. “You know you could have ported yourself to the base of this thing, right?”
“I can’t sustain my read on Sverrir when I go into a void,” Torstein called back. “And I don’t want to lose it in case—”
Crack.
“What’s happening?” I released Axel’s hand. We both ran to the ledge. I dropped to my knees and peered over. A fresh gust of wind whipped my hair across my face . . . and pushed Raynor directly into Torstein.
“Ow!” Raynor yelled.
Torstein rubbed his ribs. “You have bony elbows.”
“Ja, well, you have a bony head.” Raynor ran the hand not holding the rope over his shoulder. “There are no winners on this mountainside.”
“Sverrir’s going to be the big winner if the two of you don’t stop talking and hurry up,” Janna growled.
“Yes, ma’am.” Raynor and Torstein continued their descent.
“Ingrid, since you’re our strongest climber you’re going to guide Brigga,” Janna said.
I shot Axel a triumphant look. “Why yes, Janna. I am the strongest climber.”
“Only because I taught you everything you know,” Axel challenged.
“You didn’t teach me to climb,” I retorted. “Janna did.”
Axel’s lips flapped open and closed before settling into a puckered O. He looked like a fish caught out of water. “Huh. You’re right.”
“I usually am.” I clipped myself in and wrapped my hand around the southernmost rope. The wind was blowing from that direction, and it would be easier for me to avoid hitting Brigga than the other way around. “Okay, Brigga. You ready?”
Her face was determined. Her voice was anything but. “Ye-ees?”
I went with the face. “We descend on three. En. To.”
“Tre.” She took a tentative step over the ledge. “Oh, gods. It’s windy.”
“I know.” I dug my toes into two tiny crevices and held tight to the rope. With a series of small steps, I crept down the side of the cliff, keeping a careful watch on my charge. The wind whipped my hair against my cheeks, and I tucked my face to my shoulder as I climbed further down. “Just dig your feet in and stay with me. Looks like there will be lots of toeholds in here, so you can always latch into the rocks if you—”
A fierce gust blasted the rocks. I turned my head to shelter my eyes.
“Hold on,” I warned.
“Definitely am,” Brigga gritted.
After an insufferable half a minute of gusts, the wind finally let up. “Okay. We can move again.”
“You first,” Brigga said.
I glanced down. Raynor and Torstein were nearly to the sand. They looked to be a good two hundred feet below us. This cliff was substantially higher than the ones back home. But even with the wind, the descent was much more manageable. Climbing equipment had come a long way in the past thousand years.
Brigga and I continued to make our way downward. My teammate did a great job—she wasn’t particularly fast, but she listened to my instructions, and we inched carefully toward our destination. Everything was going well . . . until the wind changed directions.
“Ow!” Brigga’s knee slammed into the rock.
“You okay?” I shoved my fingertips into breaks in the rocks and flattened myself against the stones. “Dig your fingers into a crevice—there are lots over here.”
“I’ll try.” Brigga’s voice wavered.
“And just hold tight.” I pressed my cheek to the stone. “This gust should pass soon.”
Brigga shrieked as she swung away from the rocky wall. A second later, she slammed into the hard surface, crying out as her shoulder made contact with the cliff. “Make it stop!”
“I’m trying!” Her arms flailed wildly.
No! She wasn’t going to fall. I wouldn’t let that happen.
“Forget it. I’ll come and get you,” I called.
I released my hold on the rope and wedged my fingers and toes into the cliff’s tiny openings. There were enough small ledges that I’d be able to starfish my way to Brigga. I pulled myself closer to the wall and carefully placed one hand over the other until I’d made my way to Brigga. The wind hit me with a fresh blast, freezing my cheeks and icing my back. But I ignored the pain, directing my focus on Brigga’s trembling hand.
I reached out one arm. “Hold on to me!”
“Okay!” she shouted back.
Her icy fingertips wrapped around my wrist. I pressed the heel of my hand to the rock, then reached around to push Brigga’s fingers into a crevice.
“Hold here,” I instructed. I released her hand and slung my arm around her waist. “I’ll keep you steady until the wind dies down.”
“Don’t say dies,” she yelled.
“You know what I mean.”
I braced us both, holding tight until the worst of the gust had passed. Once we were all clear, I released Brigga. I dug the toes of my boots into a ledge and shouted my instructions.
“It’s blowing at pretty fast intervals, so we’re going to make our way down as quickly as we can. Forget the slow descent—we’re going for a rapid rappel.”
Brigga nodded. I couldn’t be positive, but from this distance it looked like she was gritting her teeth.
Hard.
She didn’t complain as we made our way down. I matched her pace, careful to keep a few feet below her so I could reach over to steady her rope . . . or, gods forbid, catch her if she fell. She only needed my help once—to navigate around a sizeable nest an enterprising bird had placed atop one ledge. When our feet hit the sand, Raynor ran over to help her unclip.
Brigga exhaled loudly. “Can we never do that again?”
“No promises.” I released my hold on the rope. My legs wobbled as I removed my harness, reminding me why climbing workouts were a regular part of my routine back home. Ever vigilant, I swept my gaze in a swift circle and took inventory of my surroundings. The craggy cliffs gave way to a row of rubble, which in turn ebbed out to the stretch of yellow sand. Waves crashed against the coastline in rapid succession, the spray of water leaving foamy residue along the shore. The area in which I stood was roughly thirty feet deep by fifty feet wide, and was bordered by towering cliffs. Interspersed among the walls were bleak-looking caves and sharp-edged boulders. A rock-strewn tidepool sat along the north edge of the beach. By all accounts, it was a perfectly ordinary—albeit cold—stretch of coast. But I’d learned the hard way to never take chances. “Raynor, did you check the perimeter?”
“We’re secure,” he confirmed. “Torstein’s scanning for the crystal, but . . .”
I eyed the light mage. He stood at the edge of the sea with his eyes closed and his hands raised. “Did he lose it?”
“I think so.” Raynor frowned. “But he’s not talking.”
I glanced up. Axel and Janna made their descent. “Well, he’s got another minute to find it. After that, we’re searching the old-fashioned way.”
“Agreed.”
I drew my sword and pulled my shield from my back. Although Torstein had said this stretch of sand was inaccessible by car, it was still best to be on our guard.
Luck favored the prepared, after all.
I paced the small beach. At the edge of the sea, our light mage stood still as a statue. He turned in a circle, his palms moving slowly up and down as he did . . . whatever it was that he did while looking for magic rocks. After two rotations, he dropped his arms, opened his eyes, and walked back to us with a frown.
“Still no read?” Raynor called out.
“No,” Torstein confirmed.
From ten feet above, Axel swore. “You mean you lost it?”
“I didn’t lose it,” Torstein said. “It’s just . . . hiding.”
“Explain.” Janna touched down on the sand. She hurriedly unclipped and drew her weapons. Axel finished his descent and did the same.
“The signal is here. Occasionally.” Torstein folded his hands together. “But it comes and it goes. It may have something to do with the sea. It’s high tide, and it’s always harder for me to track a submerged object.”
“You found the last one underwater,” I pointed out.
“True.” Torstein paused. “Which means this one must have two blockers. Hmm. I wonder . . .”
He turned to the cliffs and held up his palms.
“You think it’s inside the rock?” Axel shook his head. “We didn’t bring axes. Or shovels.”
“They use drills, now.” Brigga offered. “Mechanized tools that turn in rapid rotation to—”
“Shh,” Torstein said. “I have something.”
Raynor looked at Axel. “We are cutting into the rock.”
“We are not.” Torstein lifted one finger. After a moment, he turned it toward the northernmost boulders. “We’re going around those. After the tide flows out.”
“Huh?” I glanced at Janna. My captain just shrugged.
“The crystal is in a cave,” Torstein explained. “One that’s currently submerged, thanks to the tide. It will be accessible when the water pulls back.”
“And when exactly will that be?” Janna asked. “You said yourself, we’re kind of in a time crunch.”
Torstein looked at the moon. “The water is ebbing now. If you don’t mind wading in, we should be clear pretty soon.”
“A little water never bothered us,” Axel said.
“Good.” Torstein walked toward the boulders.
I followed him, scanning the sea as I walked. “Let’s get into position. If everything goes well, we can extract the target and have it back to the compound in—”
“What’s that?” Brigga asked from behind me.
I turned around. “What’s what?”
“That pulsing light.” She pointed to the boulder.
Torstein pivoted with a grin. “That’s our crystal. The water must be lower than I’d thought.”
“Not low enough to get around that massive rock,” Brigga pointed out.
“Who said we needed to go around it?” Axel ran forward, scaling the boulder like a mountain goat. When he reached the top, he turned to give me a triumphant grin. “Now who’s the best climber?”
“Seriously?” I sheathed my sword and ran across the sand. Locking my shield around my forearm, I raced up the side of the rock. “I am. Obviously.”
“I beat you here,” he challenged.
“I halved your time,” I countered.
“You slipped on a mid-level toehold,” Axel said. “Style points docked.”
My eyes narrowed to slits. “Oh, bring it—"
“Do I need to separate you two?” Janna cleared the boulder. She dropped into a squat beside me. “You’re distracting me from that.”
I followed her point. Inside a waterlogged cave flashed a faint, blue light.
“It’s definitely in there.” Torstein spoke from Janna’s other side.
“Now it’s a waiting game.” Raynor helped Brigga climb the rock.
We sat in silence for several minutes. Axel and I took turns scanning the beach for intruders. The only movement came from the waves, the sea-foam, and the occasional cawing bird. There wasn’t a soul anywhere around.
Unless they’re staying hidden . . .
I couldn’t ignore the dread gnawing at my gut. On the surface, this leg of our mission was going well. But so many of them had started that way . . .
And so many had taken a horrible, horrible turn.
“The tide looks low enough.” Torstein finally broke the quiet. “I’ll go in first. I’m not reading any additional presences, but watch my back and be prepared to pull me out if . . .”
�
�We’ve got you.” I climbed down the boulder and landed with a splash in two feet of freezing seawater. A chill swept up my legs, sending goose bumps rippling across my arms. The ocean in Malibu was considerably colder than it had been in Manhattan Beach. Maybe there was some kind of a current that reached this region.
Or maybe it means trouble is coming.
I kept my sword raised and my shield at the ready. If there was anything out of the ordinary, I was sure as Helheim going to face it fully armed.
We marched through the surf, wading toward a massive stone arch. Its surface was covered in barnacles and the shimmery, white remnants of saltwater, giving it a bumpy sheen that reminded me of the caverns near Valkyris. We walked for another minute before pausing outside the entrance of the cave. It was narrow enough that we had to enter single file, and so low that Axel and Raynor both had to duck to fit. Inside, it was dark—the passage was lit only by the faint glow of moonlight, with a secondary light source coming from somewhere to the south.
“There’s another entrance down that way.” Torstein pointed to the light. “Looks like it has a bigger mouth, so be on your guard.”
“Noted.” I shifted so my sword faced the unseen passage, then side-shuffled the rest of the way into the cave. After a short walk, the entry widened. I followed my team into a massive, waterlogged space.
“Holy Mother Frigga,” Janna whispered. “This place is enormous.”
“I’ve never seen a sea cave this size.” I turned in a slow circle. “It must be as big as Valkyris Castle.”
“Bigger.” Axel came up beside me. “Is this normal for your region?”
“I’m not sure.” Torstein opened his palms and shot twin fireballs at the cave’s ceiling. They hung from the ceiling, two flaming chandeliers that illuminated the space and gave me a chance to study its interior.
Its gargantuan interior.
The cave was easily ten stories tall and fifty yards wide. The bottom half of its walls were the same shimmery-white as the outside arch, suggesting it was regularly filled with seawater. But the top half was a rich, buttery gold. Craggy rocks jutted from the walls, and pointed peaks stretched down from the ceiling—stalagmites or stalactites. I could never remember which was which. Torstein shot a series of flames at the walls. They clung to the rocks, creating a row of sconces that offered additional light. When he lit up the far corner, a second flashed pulsed. I squinted my eyes until I made out its source. Wedged into the absolute farthest crack of stone . . .