Fragments of your Soul (The Mirror Worlds Book 1)

by Erbsland, E. S.

  Nod looked at her almost lovingly. The outlines of his body suddenly became soft and melted like water. A moment later there was a blonde woman standing in front of Arvid. She nodded at her one last time, then turned around and disappeared into the passage to the entrance hall.

  Nod’s steps faded quickly, but Arvid’s heartbeat seemed like a drum in her ears. Nod would have reached the guards at the door soon. She had to keep a cool head at all costs and hope that leaving the current of time again wouldn’t cost her too much. Bending time was an enormous mental effort, and she still clearly felt her exhaustion.

  Eventually she heard Nod’s clear voice from the entrance hall. She couldn’t understand the words, and the answers of the guards she perceived only as a distant, muffled murmur.

  Arvid hurried to the passage and slid to the floor, then she slipped on her stomach toward the gallery, her head close to the ground. She slowly approached the railing, where the voices became clearer. The leather of her clothes creaked softly as she raised her head a little bit, but the two guards were too focused on Nod to notice it.

  “At the west entrance?” said one of the guards. It was a big, red-haired man with a bushy beard. “It’s sealed; no one can get out through it.”

  “I told you he has found a way,” said Nod, “but soon it will be too late. I don’t know what he’s up to, but maybe he wants to help the woman escape.”

  “We can’t leave,” the other man said gruffly. “What are you doing here at this time anyway? No one should know of our mission.”

  The other one looked around in the entrance hall suspiciously. Arvid immediately ducked her head.

  “I have friends in the City Guard,” said Nod vigorously. “But fine, stay here and ignore my warning. But I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when it comes out that you could have prevented the woman from escaping, but idly stood here instead.”

  For a moment there was silence. Arvid could only hear a low murmur. She didn’t dare to raise her head again, but apparently the guards debated with hushed voices.

  “You stay here in the hall,” she heard the redhead say. “I’m going with her. I would rather not risk anything.”

  “It would be better if I went,” said the other. “I know the building better than you.”

  Even before the redhead could reply, Arvid knew that there wouldn’t be any better opportunity. Once one of the two had gone, the remaining guard would draw his attention entirely to the entrance hall and the door again. The opportunity wasn’t particularly good, but it was the only one there would be.

  This time it took all Arvid’s willpower and concentration to break away from the flow of time, and she immediately felt that she was at the end of her tether. When she pushed herself up, a strange, numbing feeling covered her senses. Her legs felt weak and shaky, but her fear drove her on.

  As fast as she in her dazed state was able to, Arvid ran down the stairs. From the corner of her eye she saw Nod and the two guards, who were infinitely slowly moving through the entrance hall. However, she was far too exhausted and focused on taking the stairs in front of her, as to pay them more attention.

  Still, she didn’t make it.

  When she reached the penultimate step, her legs simply wouldn’t carry her weight anymore. Her knees buckled. Even the last bit of strength went out of their muscles. She felt herself losing her balance, but there was nothing she could do about it.

  She felt a thud as she hit the stone floor of the entrance hall, but there was no pain. Everything around her seemed to be packed in a numbing, thick layer of black cotton wool. Even the ambient noises only reached her as a distant echo.

  From far away, Arvid heard a loud outcry that probably came from Nod. It was followed by noise, loud resounding, angry shouts and the sound of heavy, dull steps, but she was still unable to move in any way. Arvid couldn’t think straight. An all-devouring blackness threatened to overwhelm her.

  Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her arm and abruptly pulled her back to reality. One of the guards, a young man with disheveled, long hair, had grabbed her and dragged her into the air. He shouted something that Arvid only understood after endless moments.

  “What’re you up to, I asked,” he bellowed, probably for the umpteenth time and so loudly Arvid could feel his smelly breath. “Are there more people involved in your plan?”

  Arvid was still too dazed to answer. She tried to free herself from the man’s grip, but his hand enclosed her arm like a vise. The muscles in her body were so weak and feeble that she hardly managed to shift her weight back on her own legs. It was over. They had lost. The plan had failed. The guards would hand her over to the soldiers of Asgard. The uncertainty of what would happen next filled Arvid with deep despair.

  Suddenly she heard another cry in the background, then the loud clatter and crash of clashing weapons. There was a loud crash, but Arvid couldn’t see past the man before her.

  “No, wait!” she heard Nod suddenly call. “Wait! I’m unarmed.” He sounded so desperate and fearful, it touched something deep inside Arvid and tore her from her stupor. She couldn’t let anything happen to Nod.

  “Leave her alone!” she cried with a sudden burst of anger and pulled so hard on her arm, the man beside her stumbled in surprise. For a moment, his grip loosened, but then he grabbed Arvid again so roughly a sharp pain shot through her body. She felt anger, fear and excitement cross an invisible boundary inside her, turning into something new. The darkness inside her took hold of her like a sudden, bursting wave.

  In an impulsive movement Arvid raised her hand, and the next moment there was a deafening bang. A crude, glaring light exploded between her and the guard. The man cried out, stumbled back and would almost have torn Arvid with him, had he not loosened his grip on her arm at the last moment.

  Arvid staggered. She was practically blind, still dazzled by the bright light, and had to pull herself together with all her might to stay on her feet. Blurrily, she saw the man writhing on the ground before her, his hands pressed to his face and screaming like crazy.

  At the same time a bloodcurdling, rumbling, and undoubtedly animal roar sounded and sent an icy shiver down Arvid’s spine. She could still hardly see anything and stumbled backwards, wildly groping to find the banister of the staircase. She heard a low growl, then the horrified screams of a second man. Arvid’s heart was pounding like crazy. Desperately she blinked, trying to see something, then finally her hands found the cold metal of the banister.

  It had become quiet. When Arvid’s vision finally cleared, she suddenly saw the outline of a gigantic animal coming toward her and froze. Still her vision was marred with dancing black spots on her retinas, but this gigantic cat wasn’t an illusion. Its body was stocky and covered with golden, shaggy fur. Dark blood dripped from the fur on its chin, and Arvid let out a horrified gasp at the sight. The animal in front of her was so big, their heads were almost on the same level, but when she stared into the large, pale green cat’s eyes, she suddenly realized.

  “Nod?” she whispered in a trembling voice.

  The animal made a rumbling sound, then lowered its head and pushed it against Arvid’s belly. At first Arvid winced, but then she forced herself to take some deep breaths and put a trembling hand in the soft fur.

  Carefully Arvid looked around. A dropped sword was the only thing that could be seen of the first guard. The other one was still whimpering and moaning, curled up in a corner. Arvid’s stomach clenched when she saw that the skin on his head was completely burned, and his hands, with which he was desperately trying to keep his face covered, were full of blood. Arvid felt nausea rising in her as she realized that she had done this to him.

  Nod squeezed his big head under her arm and pushed her in a direction. Arvid lost balance on her weak, trembling legs, and instinctively clutched his fur in order not to fall.

 
“Stop it, I have to get out of here,” she moaned, trying to straighten up again. She thought she heard a noise somewhere above them, but even if the sound was nothing but her imagination, it would not be long until the fled guard returned with help. She had to flee, but how in her ailing state? She would collapse even before she had overcome the stairs in front of the building.

  Again Nod came at her with an impatient sounding growl. He lay down precisely in front of her and made himself as flat as possible.

  “Should I… I mean, do you think that I…” stammered Arvid, but now Nod let out a loud hiss that made her wince. She put both hands in Nod’s bushy hair, drew herself onto his back and clung to him with her last remaining strength.

  Nod wasted no time, but rose in a powerful, fluid motion. He jumped over to the door and forced it open, first with his paw, then with his mighty head. Moments later, the icy cold of the night struck them. A sharp wind blew small, hard snowflakes against them almost horizontally. Nod overcame the stairs in two long, springy jumps and ran on through the deep snow without a moment’s hesitation.

  Arvid pressed her face deep into the fur on Nod’s neck and focused entirely on not slipping off his back. It wasn’t an easy task, since she still felt incredibly weak. She had to force herself to stay awake and to cling to the fur below her body.

  Her head was mass of thoughts. All this shouldn’t have happened this way. Their plan had been a secret escape without force, without hurting anyone. But now? Arvid had apparently injured one of the guards seriously and didn’t even know how. She remembered that she had been very angry and worried about Nod, but why had she attacked the man? What the hell had gotten into her? With her reckless behavior she had proven exactly what Asgard was trying to accuse her of, namely, that she was dangerous and destructive. The thought almost drove her to despair.

  Arvid was just about to sink into a dim, exhausted sleep, when a violent, electrifying pain shot through her body. She would have screamed had she not been so weak, but only a tortured moan escaped her lips. Then a swirling blackness covered her senses.

  The next few hours everything seemed to Arvid like an endless, monotonous dream. She didn’t sleep, but she wasn’t really awake either. Again and again she was haunted by confused, terrifying visions in her head. She saw the screaming guard, his head burned, blood on his hands, but suddenly they were her own hands. Then impressions of her surroundings got through to her again, and the terrible images faded into a vague, dark snowscape. The wind blew and howled so loudly that its sound was the only thing Arvid could hear. Her belly and her face were hot and wet with sweat, while her back and her legs felt stiff and cold.

  After what felt like an eternity Arvid could feel Nod’s steps slowing down. He began to climb something. Arvid looked up and saw that he was about to climb a rocky slope, half-covered with snow. Above them a pale hint of brightness had spread on the murky sky, the light of the sun that revealed that the middle of the day was reached. Nod had been carrying her on his back for several hours. Arvid felt a strong sense of gratitude.

  Nod carried her to some kind of stable, enthroned on the crest of the hill, half built into the rock and shrouded by deep snow. He slipped inside through the open door and Arvid slid stiffly from his back. The floor was cold and covered only with a small amount of frozen straw, but compared to the biting wind and the snow outside, it was a real treat.

  Nod seemed at the end of his tether and sank to the ground. He buried his head in Arvid’s lap, and she carefully lifted her hand and stroked his fur.

  “Thanks,” she murmured. “You really saved me.”

  Nod showed no reaction. He was probably too exhausted to react to her, so Arvid closed her eyes and soon fell asleep again. This time she didn’t dream.

  On awakening, Arvid felt alert and refreshed although it seemed she had not slept for long. Nod was curled up at her feet and was fast asleep.

  They couldn’t remain here for long. Arvid’s thoughts involuntarily returned to what happened in Vero-Maghen. The events now seemed to her like a nightmare.

  How much time had passed? Were soldiers on their way to find them? If what Nod had told her was true, then they would lose no time, especially not after her escape. Arvid thought about the guard’s burned face and blood-covered hands, which she had seen over and over again in her dreams. She hoped that his injury had looked worse than it was. The thought of having a third life on her conscience was unbearable.

  Arvid remembered what Loke had said to Thor in the garden, back when she had had no idea who he really was. Yes, fear could wake hidden powers. Just like anger. In the Light World her anger had often led to unpleasant confrontations and had repeatedly caused damaged furniture and even a broken finger once. Now that she had powers she neither fully knew nor could completely control, her temper suddenly seemed to have developed a scarily destructive potential. The realization scared her.

  Arvid rose with a jerk and went over to the door, through which the wind had blown a trace of snow. She pulled her cloak tighter and stepped outside in the drifting snow. A cold wind was tugging at her clothes. She looked to the right, in the direction from which they must have come and where still a pale, bright gleam was visible on the horizon. Around her lay an untouched layer of snow. The wind must have obliterated their tracks instantly. As unpleasant as the icy weather was, it could be crucial to their advantage. No one knew where they had fled. Maybe they would be looking in the wrong direction.

  Arvid glanced into the distance. There was no hint of Vero-Maghen and Black Castle, because the dense snowfall greatly restricted her view. She had no real idea of how far away they were. She turned to the other side, where a large forest spread in the distance; otherwise she could see nothing but endless, white hills. Arvid realized that she didn’t know this country. She didn’t know if there were farms or villages, whether the people were friendly toward strangers, or how great the chance to encounter dangerous wildlife or demons was.

  As the cold became painful, Arvid returned to the shelter of the barn and looked for Loke’s letter, in whose envelope she had also put the map.

  It was hard to see the lines in the dark. Arvid hesitated for a moment, then she focused and produced a tiny sphere of light and combined it with a small amount of resting energy. She was surprised when she succeeded immediately. Although she had read about this principle, she had never had occasion to try out this spell herself, but now she didn’t even have to put much effort in it.

  She tore herself away from the sight and looked at the map, like many times before. The problem was that she didn’t know exactly where she was. Fortunately, the two rivers that sprang from further north in the mountains offered a good starting point. A river couldn’t be overlooked or accidentally crossed, and as long as they stayed somewhere in the middle and wandered upstream, they would eventually reach the point where Loke’s house was.

  Arvid tucked the map back and ate a handful of nuts from her provisions. She was extremely thirsty, but the thought of the icy wind outside made her shudder, so she clung tightly to Nod and closed her eyes. She must have dozed off again, because when she was suddenly startled by a noise, Nod was gone.

  The sound repeated itself, a rumbling growl, accompanied by an unpleasant snapping sound. Arvid’s heart began to beat faster.

  She got up carefully, but when she looked outside, she saw that it was Nod. Between his teeth he had something that looked like the remains of a rabbit. He tore at its bloody and mangled limbs and repeatedly made guttural, growling sounds. His snout and the snow in front of him were red with blood.

  “Nod?”

  Arvid let out a startled cry when his head spun around to her with a jerk and he bared his teeth with a soft hiss.

  “It’s all right,” gasped Arvid and slowly took a step back. “I don’t want anything. All yours. I’m not hungry.”

  Arvid sudd
enly saw something like recognition in the green cat eyes. Nod ceased to hiss, then he turned back to his rabbit. Arvid took a deep breath, then she went to the side and put some of the sparkling, pristine snow in her mouth. The icy water wiped away the rest of her tiredness. She watched as Nod, with creaking and cracking noises, crunched the bones of his prey.

  Arvid had been unaware that shapeshifters could change so thoroughly. Although she had known that, depending on the talent and experience, pretty much any form was possible, she had always assumed that the alterations were limited to their appearance. Nod, however, wasn’t just a human in the shape of a cat. He also had the instincts and impulses of such, although he obviously still recognized and understood Arvid. Arvid would do better not to forget this fact.

  As Nod had finished his meal, he sat down in front of her and looked at her, while he licked his mouth with his huge tongue.

  “Do you want to stay in this form?” Arvid asked him finally.

  Nod showed no reaction; only his ears were moving gently back and forth.

  “I don’t even know if you understand what I’m saying,” she said. “It would be nice if we could talk. I don’t know if you want to… well, come along or… or if you want to return to the city.”

  Again Arvid paused to give Nod opportunity for a reaction, but he still watched her calmly and licked the blood from his paws.

  “Do you understand what I’m saying?” Arvid asked insistently.

  Nod tilted his head slightly to one side and then shook himself in a flowing movement that spread from neck to tail.

  “I don’t know what that means!” Arvid said irritably. “Can’t you at least temporarily take a form I can talk to?”