Shoots and Tatters

by Sara C. Roethle

  Reaching the door to Madeline’s room, he paused with his hand on the doorknob. What was he doing? He would not be welcome at the birth of Madeline’s child, not after his foolish actions in Hecate’s realm.

  He let his hand drop from the door, then took a step back as it opened to reveal Sophie.

  Excitement glinted in her dark eyes. “Her middle name is Sophie.” She grinned.

  “We haven’t decided that yet!” Madeline’s voice called from within the room, though with the angle of the door, he could not see her.

  “I just wanted to make sure everything was alright,” he lied. “I’ll leave you to your celebration.”

  Sophie’s lip twitched in annoyance. “What are you talking about, idiot? Don’t you want to meet Erykah?”

  “Is that Mikael?” Madeline called out, echoed by the gentle sound of a baby cooing.

  His heart swelled.

  Sophie grabbed his sleeve and tugged him into the room. “Hurry up before the gods come barging in.”

  He stumbled into the room. He felt dizzy. He wasn’t quite sure what was wrong with him. He never stumbled.

  Fighting through the fog in his mind, he lifted his gaze to the bed. In the middle sat Madeline, propped against several white fluffy pillows. Her face was marred with exhaustion, but beneath the puffy eyes and the tired droop of her shoulders, she glowed.

  On either side of her sat Faas and Alaric. Faas crooked his finger at the baby while making stupid noises. Alaric watched Mikael cautiously.

  To his surprise, Alaric nodded, then stood and stepped aside for Mikael to approach.

  “Thank you,” Mikael muttered as he passed him.

  Alaric shook his head. “She wanted you to meet Erykah.”

  Mikael wasn’t quite able to focus on Alaric as he looked down at the small shape in Madeline’s arms.

  “Do you want to hold her?” she asked. She nodded to Alaric’s vacated seat.

  Mikael quickly sat down, then Madeline extended Erykah to him. He took the small child in his arms. She was so tiny. It had been many years since he’d bothered with holding a child.

  He stared down at her in awe. The baby blinked up at him, her eyes a murky stone color that could easily turn into pure gray, or blue like her mother’s. The light swath of hair on her head was black, no surprise with both her parents having dark hair.

  He lifted his eyes to find Madeline smiling at him.

  He didn’t know why he said what he said next, the words simply spewed forth from his mouth. “I will protect her as long as I am alive.”

  Madeline laughed. “I know.”

  Alaric moved to stand at Mikael’s side, smiling down at his daughter.

  In his many lifetimes, Mikael was quite sure he’d never felt as close to his long-lost home as he did in that moment.

  15

  I was barely able to sleep during the night, especially since everyone insisted on sleeping in my room. Sophie and Alaric lay on either side of me as the first rays of sunlight crept through the gauzy curtains.

  Mikael was on the chaise near said windows, leaving Faas to sleep on some blankets on the floor.

  Erykah was nestled in the crook of my arm. I’d been afraid to sleep with her, but Alaric had assured me I wouldn’t crush her.

  I gazed down at her sleeping face. I never wanted to get out of bed, but Hecate’s trial was to be that morning, and I needed to be there.

  My body was sore, but Sif had returned to tend to me, and I had a feeling I was doing far better than I should have been. Perhaps the gods were good for some things.

  I labored to sit up slowly with Erykah cradled in my arms. Sophie groaned in irritation, but Alaric was instantly awake, helping me scoot myself up against the pillows.

  Erykah awoke and peered up at us both, her deep gray eyes bleary.

  “She doesn’t cry much,” Alaric whispered, smiling down at her.

  I shook my head. “No, she doesn’t.”

  I was actually a little uneasy about how little she’d cried so far, she was so calm, and seemed oddly observant for a newborn.

  I pulled the loose neck of my nightgown down, and lifted Erykah to feed her, the movement not yet natural to me.

  Alaric extended his far arm to help me, cradling Erykah in place while I adjusted to a better position. I jumped as she clamped on, then relaxed.

  “Maddy,” Alaric began softly, “I’d like to speak with you.”

  My stomach did a nervous little flip as I looked up to him. “Are you sure now is the time?”

  He nodded, then keeping his voice low, explained, “I need to apologize.”

  My eyes widened. “What?”

  He smiled ruefully. “I should have listened to you before. You are entitled to your feelings. That you are five centuries younger than me does not counteract the fact that you are wise beyond your years.”

  I smirked. “I’m really not. In fact, I’m an utter fool half the time.”

  He shook his head. “Perhaps you are sometimes naive, but in your heart, you know many things that I have yet to learn. I should not have been surprised that you had developed feelings for Mikael. He has stayed by your side at times when I could not. He loves you.”

  I squirmed and dropped my chin, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

  He placed a finger under my chin and brought my eyes back up to his. “You, Erykah, and Sophie are the only things that matter to me in this world, but I know I cannot protect you alone. As much as I hate Mikael, I would not send him away, even if I could. If I fail to keep you safe, I know he will be there to catch you.”

  “Alaric,” I began softly, fighting tears. “I don’t even know what I feel. The only thing I know for sure is that I love you.”

  He nodded. “I know, and I love you. I just want to let you know that you do not have to worry. I will be by your side as long as you will have me, and I cannot wait for us to raise Erykah together.”

  “You know,” I began with a small smile, “most men would have kicked me to the curb and called it a day.”

  He winked at me through the strands of black hair that had fallen into his face. “I am not most men.”

  I snuggled into the crook of his arm as Erykah relinquished her hold on me and fell back to sleep. Soon the others awoke, and we all prepared for the trial to come, though we weren’t sure what to expect.

  The gods now held Hecate’s fate in the palms of their hands. I could only hope she received the punishment she deserved.

  I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting from the courtroom of the gods, but whatever I might have envisioned could not do it justice. Ivory pillars extended toward an impossibly high ceiling along the border of the room, accenting marble walls etched with what appeared to be real gold inlaid with crystals.

  The blue velvet cushioned seats at the back end of the room were filled with men and women that I had to assume were other gods, all facing the open front portion of the room, dominated by a marble podium depicting three Norns. Before the podium were two separate tables with seats behind them, like in a standard courtroom, only the tables were made of heavy, gleaming wood and the seats were embroidered with gold thread depicting flowers and leaves. No one yet stood behind the marble podium facing the room, but in a little seat below it was Hecate, her entire body wrapped in chains that had to weigh over a hundred pounds.

  The ornate room made me feel woefully underdressed, the loose lavender dress provided by Sif pooling around my ankles as I walked down the cushy carpeting in my simple flats. Mikael walked beside me, entirely unashamed of his suede pants and black tee-shirt. We were escorted down the center of the room and instructed to sit in two of the embroidered seats behind the table on the right.

  As we sat, Loki and Freyja entered the room, Freyja in a flowing silver dress with blue jewels cinching the sleeveless shoulders, and Loki in a purple linen tunic embroidered with gold, striking against his black pants. They walked through the aisles of those already seated, then took the two remaining chairs at ou
r table, leaving me sandwiched between Loki and Mikael.

  Entering the room next were several more gods I didn’t recognize, though I suspected the muscly blond one might be Thor. They made their way to the other table adjacent ours.

  Everyone muttered amongst themselves, no one speaking to Hecate.

  Loki leaned in toward my shoulder. “I doubt you’ll be asked to speak much, except to vote on the final judgement.”

  “Final judgement?” I questioned softly, glancing warily around the room. I was glad I’d left Erykah with Alaric, Sophie, and Faas. I would have hated bringing her into this room full of imposing gods.

  Loki nodded. “Her crimes will be stated, then those of us who have been appointed to the vote for this trial will decide Hecate’s fate. Mikael will not be given a vote, but the three of us will,” he gestured between me, him, and Freyja, “along with those chosen at random to participate,” he gestured to the four seated at the other table. “Normally the vote is eight, with Odin to decide the final fate, but today it will be seven, as Mikael’s presence was requested as Co-Doyen of your clan.”

  I nodded, feeling numb. I couldn’t take my eyes off Hecate, wondering if I were truly worthy of passing judgement on her. She’d murdered countless humans to unearth the well, and in another timeline, had murdered everyone I loved, but it was still uncomfortable to pass judgement on her. She seemed so small, weighed down by the chains atop her dirty white dress, the same one she’d been wearing when I confronted her. She turned, as if sensing my gaze. Her green eyes stared at me for several seconds, accusing, then she turned back around.

  The din of conversation in the room abruptly silenced. I looked over my shoulder to see Odin striding in from the back of the room. He wore the black robes of a judge, though to me he looked like a grizzled wizard…not that I’d say it to his face.

  He walked down the aisle as all gazed on reverently. He passed our table, then ascended the stairs positioned behind the ornate podium. Once at the top, facing the room, he swung an delicately carved gavel against the podium’s marble surface, calling the room to order.

  Loki leaned toward my shoulder again. “Now comes the naming of Hecate’s crimes,” he whispered. “It’s a long list.”

  With no flourish or introduction, Odin glared down at Hecate. “Goddess Hecate,” he began, “you stand before the court a goddess disgraced. Your list of crimes is long, therefore I will name only the chief amongst them. You are the destroyer of Yggdrasil. You evaded banishment decreed by the gods. You returned to the realm from which you were banished, and attempted to use the Well of Urd…”

  The list went on and on, though he neglected to mention she actually did use the Well of Urd. I supposed now with the alteration in the timeline, it hadn’t actually happened, though I was pretty sure a timeline still existed where it did. He also forgot to mention the countless humans she slaughtered.

  When the list was finally done, he asked, “How do you plead?”

  Staring at her back, I watched her auburn hair shift as she hung her head. “I see no use in pleading innocent due to circumstance. The Old Gods have never been merciful to me.”

  “A wise choice,” Odin agreed. “Nothing you might say will disprove your actions. It would only waste our time. Now, we will vote on your punishment.”

  Odin started with the god furthest from us at the left table. The god flicked long, blond hair behind his shoulder and glared at Hecate haughtily. “The guilty party should be put to death,” he announced, “and her energy dispersed through Yggdrasil that it may not burden our realm.”

  The next god, a woman with jet black hair cropped just below her chin, nodded politely to the first god as he finished his statement. In a voice that sounded like a tinkling wind chime she announced, “I vote for Hecate to be put to death, and her energy disposed of as the All-Father sees fit.”

  The next two gods made similar statements. All the while, Hecate hung her head, not fighting back. She seemed utterly broken, nothing like the strong, scary woman I’d faced less than twenty-four hours ago.

  The vote came to Freyja, sitting with her spine erect at the end of our table. “Hecate must die for her crimes,” she agreed. “Madeline has done us a great service in bringing her in for judgement.”

  I let out a slow breath. I’d have to thank her later for the subtle endorsement. I knew I was still on thin ice with the other gods.

  Odin’s gaze shifted to Loki as he waited for him to speak next.

  Loki rolled his eyes and slouched in his seat. “We already know you’re going to kill her, let’s just get on with it.”

  Odin’s shoulders lifted, then dropped with a heavy sigh as his one-eyed gaze turned to me.

  My palms began to sweat. Unresponsive until now, Hecate shifted in her chair, craning her neck to see me.

  My mouth went dry. I couldn’t help but feel connected to her in some way. In fact, in many ways, we were the same, but—I flashed on all the bodies leading down to the well, and I remembered how I’d felt when Loki and Freyja told me everyone I loved was dead. Hecate did not value life as fleeting as what mortals possessed.

  “I wish,” I began, my voice weak.

  Loki nodded to me encouragingly. I could feel Mikael’s anxiety pulsing at my other side, but he kept quiet.

  “I wish it were simple for me to pass judgement,” I began more loudly as the words finally came to me. “Death would be the easy choice, but I do not feel it is justice for all the lives lost. I wish we could go back in time and undo it all.” Loki grabbed my leg under the table and squeezed, hard.

  Odin glared daggers at me. “Choose your words wisely, mortal.”

  I gulped. “If such things cannot be changed,” I quickly added, “if those lives are truly lost, then I can only wish for Hecate to understand just what she has done. I don’t know how that could be. The only way she’d truly understand would be for her to be made mortal, to understand that her life holds no more value than anyone else’s.”

  Odin’s expression softened, and he tilted his head to the side in thought.

  I wasn’t sure why though, everyone else had already agreed on a vote.

  Suddenly, he smiled. “I like it, a truly creative punishment, and it will save us from the messy process of dispersing her energy. Hecate will be stripped of her magic and of her immortality. She will live out her days in a cell, with an entire human lifetime to repent on what she has done.”

  My jaw dropped as the room erupted in conversation. I turned to Loki, who was grinning.

  “It seems you have made an impression on the All-Father,” he whispered. “Normally he just hears the votes then makes up a punishment of his own.”

  My jaw still agape, I turned to Mikael.

  He shrugged, his expression still worried.

  “Now on to the next order of business,” Odin announced, drawing all eyes to him. His gaze was solely on me as he added, “The trial of Madeline Ville.”

  The courtroom erupted once again in loud murmurs. I couldn’t quite seem to breathe. I knew I had a lot to answer for, but I hadn’t expected a trial like Hecate’s. A trial where the gods were all too willing to hand out death sentences.

  Loki stood abruptly. “A mortal cannot face trial amongst the gods!”

  Odin chuckled. “Ah, but she is no mere mortal. Truly, she has a power not unlike any of our half-mortal children. She shall be tried as such.”

  I began to stand, but Mikael put a hand on my shoulder. “Let Loki do the talking,” he whispered.

  I nodded subtly, then sat, though it seemed the discussion was over. Everyone in the courtroom muttered amongst themselves.

  “On what crimes?” Loki asked more calmly.

  Odin smirked. “For the crime of regrowing Yggdrasil on Midgard, releasing wild magics.” The murmurs around the room grew louder.

  “Fine,” Loki sighed as he sat.

  I watched as Odin turned to the gods at the left hand table. “Clear away the debris of the previous trial, then
resume your seats in the crowd. We will require fresh council.”

  The blond man and black-haired woman were the first to move. They grabbed the back of Hecate’s chair and began dragging it loudly across the courtroom floor toward an exit on the far left.

  Hecate began to scream, “You are all fools! The old gods are little more than children! You cannot do this to me!”

  Her screams continued as she was dragged out of the room. She never once looked at me as she disappeared from sight.

  “Don’t worry,” Loki comforted as I stared at the now empty doorway. “You haven’t really done anything wrong, and you kept your deal to stop Hecate. There are no laws against regrowing Yggdrasil because we thought it could not be done.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling none-too comforted by his words. Hecate’s screams still echoed in my ears.

  I raised my gaze to Odin, who watched me with a smug expression, as if daring me to argue.

  I knew in that moment Odin wanted something from me. Something beyond capturing Hecate and returning me to my normal life.

  My hands trembled underneath the table as I thought of Erykah. I would protect her at all costs, the Old Gods be damned.

  Soon enough I was in a new seat before the podium replacing Hecate, though no chains bound my body. A new panel of gods had been elected to the tables, and Loki, Freyja, and Mikael had been forced back to sit with the crowd. I glanced over my shoulder at them longingly. So much for any votes in my favor.

  “Madeline Ville,” Odin began, drawing my attention to the marble podium. “You stand before us accused of regrowing Yggdrasil, releasing wild magics into Midgard, traveling to Hecate’s realm without permission from the gods, and irreparably changing the past to a point where you have altered the fate of Midgard entirely.”

  “She saved Midgard,” Loki interrupted from his place in the crowd, striking up a fresh wave of murmurs.

  Odin scowled. “Be that as it may, all of these things are against our age old laws. How do you plead?”