by Nelson, JD
He smiled widely. “She did. I asked your grandmother to tell me what your tastes would be and she was happy to oblige. She is a very singular person, your grandmother. I would like you to meet her as soon as you feel it is time. She can give you invaluable advice, and more important to the present, we can trust her. She is infamous because of her intolerance of changing Fates. In short, she is on our side, and right now we need all the alliances we can get.”
“I’m ready to meet her anytime. Where does she live?” A knock at the door interrupted his answer. “Who could that be?” I whispered.
He grabbed me by the arms and pulled me in close to whisper. “Hide in the kitchen until I call for you, hurry!”
I ran into the kitchen as fast as I could and crouched inside the pantry. I could hear another knock on the door, the sound of Soren opening the door, and then…nothing.
The locked pantry door sprang open and I was shocked to see a young silver haired female smiling down at me crookedly. “Well, are you going to just sit there or are you going to give your grandmother a hug?”
“Myrgjöl?”
She grinned widely. “Yes, child and you must be my darling Emelie.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She held out her arms and I let her pull me into a hug. “I’ve been waiting forever to see you! How are you, baby?”
I choked up with tears and could barely answer her. “I’m…fine.”
She leaned back to look at me and frowned at what she found. “I understand, Emelie. More than you know. Your mother suffered the same as you, only her unhappiness was of her own making.” She glanced at Soren who was leaning inside the kitchen doorway. “I hate that Wist has done this to both of you—all this undeserved pain.” She shook her head and returned her attention to me. “Your mother was a fool. The Fate I spun for her was her correct one, but she thought she could do better than the humble merchant that was to be hers. And yes, Anders was a wonderful elf, but he was not meant for her.”
“I thought Dad was her true-mate. What else could explain them running away like that?”
“He was not. I only cast the fates that I knew to be perfect. She was not his true mate, and neither was Viveka.”
I shuddered. “I cannot imagine anyone being Viveka’s Fated. She is so awful.”
She laughed. “Viveka is an acquired taste, a fact that your father was no stranger to. I can only assume that and the feelings he harbored for Wist were the reasons for his escape.” She wiped away my tears with a handkerchief she pulled out from nowhere. “Don’t cry, Emelie. All will be well soon enough. You have a long life ahead of you after all.”
I was momentarily hopeful. “What does that mean, Grandmother?”
“Tsk, tsk, Emelie. You know I can’t interfere. Soren did tell you what a stickler I am for the rules did he not?”
Wow, she did know everything. “Yes.”
“Of course, I know all, Emelie; I spun your mother’s Fate and even Soren’s Fate, you always were a great part of their destinies.”
“So, you know what will happen, but you can’t tell us?”
“That is the sum of it, yes.”
“Well, that just sucks.”
She laughed again. “Yes, but both of you will persevere. You shall see. Let us sit.”
We left the kitchen and Soren and Myrgjöl settled onto the couch. I remained standing because I felt the need to pace. It was weird having your six thousand year old grandma sitting in the same room. I didn’t even know that she existed until a few minutes ago.
Myrgjöl spoke up in the silence. “Soren, I know that you’d like to stretch your wings for a bit. I will see to Emelie’s safety whilst you are out.”
“That would be very welcome Myrgjöl, thank you.”
I was confused at her words, but even more confused at Soren’s answer. What were they talking about?
He hugged me and said, “I won’t be long. There’s hot chocolate in the cabinet next to the stove.”
“I love you.” I said, with a hint of desperation in my voice. What was happening?
He leaned down to kiss me. “And I, you. I promise I won’t be long.”
I watched as he opened the balcony doors and took a step out into the night air. A second later he was enveloped in a bright white flash. When the light faded, I could see that he had transformed into a giant white owl. I guess he wasn’t kidding when he told me that there were more surprises, I sure as heck think I would’ve remembered him telling me he transfigured into a bird.
“Soren?” The bird turned his head in the direction of my voice and blinked. I slowly walked to him and trailed my fingers down the feathers of his snowy wings. They were as soft as silk. “You are magnificent.” I whispered, stepping back into the safety of the apartment as he spread his wings for takeoff. A moment later, he was soaring away into the distance. I watched him until I couldn’t see him anymore and then sat next to Myrgjöl on the sofa.
“Huh.” I said to myself, still a bit shaken up.
“You two are adorable.” Myrgjöl said, smiling brightly at me. “True mates are such a rarity these days, it does me good to see you two.” She sighed. “But do tell me about the king. Has he contacted you about getting rid of his…uh…ladies of ill repute?”
“No. It doesn’t matter if he does anyway. I won’t ever sleep with him.”
She frowned. “And he shouldn’t expect you to, at least, not right away, but I think a gentle-male would have made the offer, the day you found out about his dirty little secret.”
“I don’t think he’s much of a gentle-male, Myrgjöl.”
“While the black elves are not generally known for their cavalier ways, I think you’ll find that their morals are comparable to the most steadfast of creatures. Every species has its own dark and light. They are no different than any of us; you will learn this in time. Was Soren very upset when he learned you went to Kristian’s?”
My heart sank. “Soren knows that I went to Kristian’s home?” I felt awful that he had to hear it second-hand. I was embarrassed that I went in the first place. It had been a mistake.
“I don’t think it was a mistake.” She said, answering my thoughts. “It is better that you know now than after you are married.”
“You’re right.” I absentmindedly toyed with the tassel on a throw pillow. “Grandmother, I’m dying to hear about your life. Tell me how you became a Norn, and how you met my Grandfather.”
Her grey eyes crinkled at the corners. “I thought you’d never ask. I was born, to unknown parents, over seven thousand years ago. I trained for my first fifteen years and then I began casting Fates.”
“Fifteen?” I interrupted.
“Norns begin very early; we have always been in high demand.”
“Wow, I have a lot to learn, don’t I?”
“Not as much as you think. Let’s see, after about a thousand years, I cast Soren’s Fate. I could see Soren would be known as a good male, and I was overjoyed to find he was Fated to join my family. Seeing his future also gave me the opportunity to see you and my daughter for the first time. I was able to see what mistakes my daughter would be making in the future. It was terribly hard knowing I could not interfere, but I remained strong. A few thousand years later, I retired and married a human man named Barnabas; he was a very good husband and a doting father. We were very happy until the day he passed. I still miss him terribly.”
I jerked my gaze to hers. “I’m part human?”
“Yes. I suspect you’ve always felt at home on Midgard, haven’t you?”
“When my parents told me that I was a light elf, I didn’t believe them at first. I felt normal, not magical at all. I don’t think I really believed I was from another world until my parents died.”
“I’m not surprised, my dear. You are very much like your grandfather.” She tucked her feet under her, reminding me of Katrine for a moment.
“Too right, I do.” She said.
“Pardon?”
“Remind
you of Katrine. You know she is my half-sister, don’t you.”
“No, I didn’t know.” Why didn’t Katrine say something?
She patted my knee. “She probably didn’t mention our sisterhood because she didn’t want to get your hopes up about meeting me. I do not always make myself known.”
“She didn’t tell me we were even related.”
“Oh, that is strange.”
I shrugged. “Maybe she was just preoccupied.”
“Preoccupied?” She looked at me like she was just seeing me for the first time. “You changed Katrine’s Fate?”
Mortified, I stared at my shoes. “Yes.”
She nodded sagely. “When I predicted Soren’s future, I could not see any of the Fates you would cast. I thought nothing of it then, but it is very odd that I could not see this coming from you or Katrine. Actually, unbelievable would be a more appropriate word choice.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just thought that they made such a wonderful couple. Cedric was so smitten and she was definitely returning the affection. To me, it seemed like the most natural choice in the world. I didn’t know I’d really done anything until someone pointed it out to me.”
“I am simply amazed, Emelie.” She said in reply. “I don’t think Katrine knows this, but I have tried countless times to find her true-mate. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t think she would ever have one. Tell me, what is he like?”
I smiled. Cedric was awesome; she was going to love him. “He’s really great. He actually works for Soren, as his…um…right hand man.” I began.
She pursed her lips. “You are appallingly bad at keeping your thoughts private. Wouldn’t it be better to just tell me instead of letting me pick it out of your mind?”
I cringed. She was relentless with this mind-reading thing. “Yes, Ma’am. Okay, he’s a butler…and a human.”
“That is unexpected.” She pondered out loud. “And Katrine is fine with letting her human lover go in a few short decades, is she?”
“Uh, no. She told me that I could perform the magic to make him immortal.” I watched as her face registered shock and then turned murderous.
“Call to Soren, now!” She barked.
I didn’t know what she was asking me to do, but I closed my eyes and screamed for him in my mind anyway.
In a flash, Soren stood next to me. “What’s happened?”
“Katrine has been possessed. I see it now. This is why I could not find her mate; she isn’t in her own mind,” she said, as she gathered her things. “You must leave here immediately. She can’t be trusted. Emelie, I will see you soon.”
I reached to hug her goodbye. “Thank you, Grandmother.”
“You’re welcome, child.”
Soren bent in a funny little bow and said, “Myrgjöl, as always I am in your debt.”
“Yes, yes.” She said impatiently. “Now scoot!”
Soren held out his hand to me and I stepped to him, holding on to his waist tightly. In an instant, we were back on Midgard. Something didn’t feel right. I was about to ask him if he noticed anything when he pulled me back into the shadows of the forest.
“What’s going on?” I whispered, alarmed at his actions.
“We have been attacked.” He pointed towards a plume of smoke, above the trees that was barely visible against the night sky.
“Wh—” I started, before Soren clamped a hand over my mouth and pulled me down to the forest floor.
I heard the rustling of leaves and Katrine’s distraught voice. “Why have you done this, Freyr? I asked only for his safety; you couldn’t let me have that?”
The couple came into our view just as he answered her coldly, “No. What consequence was he to me? A human who serves my enemies? You should consider yourself lucky that I do not destroy you for your treachery.”
She threw herself to her knees. “Please, forgive me. It was through no fault of my own; he was my true-mate.”
I was sickened by her betrayal, but more disgusted by the sight of the doppelgänger stroking himself through his pants as she kneeled prostrate in front of him. Gross. The guy defined the words, sexual deviant.
He released himself and chuckled darkly. “I may have some use for you yet; I do enjoy a female groveling on her knees.” He grabbed a fistful of Katrine’s hair, pulled her face towards his waiting erection, and they disappeared.
Soren shook his head in disgust and laced his fingers with mine. “Hold on to me, Emelie.”
—Chapter Six—
When we arrived at the wreckage of the house, we could finally see the extent of the carnage the doppelgänger had left behind. There were dead humans everywhere. Most seemed to be burnt alive, their faces etched with the agony they had felt as they lay dying. The rest were caught in the explosion and must have bled or been crushed to death. I closed my eyes and tried to listen to the grounds to find some signature of life. Opening my eyes quickly, I pointed towards the front gate. “Cedric, he’s there.”
We ran to the gate and found Cedric conscious but clinging to life. Soren dropped to his knees beside him. “Cedric, can you hear me?”
His eyes focused a little and he tried to sit up.
“No, Cedric, lie back and relax.” I said, trying not to cry. I used my magic to thicken the grass under his head, so he would have something like a pillow and then took his hand in mine.
Slowly he began to talk. “Soren…it was…Freyr. He has… bewitched…my Katrine. You must save…her.”
“Don’t worry Cedric, I will. Do you know where the others are?”
“They were…called…away.” He said, and then closed his eyes.
“No,” I screamed. “Cedric, don’t go to sleep! Please!” I could feel his energy slipping away; he was dying.
Cedric half-smiled, “Emelie…you’ll do…what’s right. And…I know…you…will…find a…way to…take care…of Soren too.” He turned his blind eyes to Soren, and with shallow breaths, he said his last words. “Never let her…go.”
Soren and I locked our gazes on one another after we felt the last of Cedric’s energy leave his body, and for the first time, he let me into his mind. It was chaos. His thoughts were an echo of the anguish on his face. He’d lost his best friend in all of the worlds, and he couldn’t remember what to do with his body. How was he going to be able to keep his promise to save Katrine when she was on the side of evil?
He was in complete despair, so I did the only thing I could do to help him.
“Leave the burial to me.” I said, standing up. Tears were blurring my vision, but I didn’t need to see to do what I needed to. Calling to the vines, I had them pick up Cedric’s body and carry him to his favorite reading spot in the garden. I ordered the ground to open and I carefully lowered Cedric’s body into it. Picking up a handful of dirt, I tossed it onto his body and murmured, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” before filling in the hole and taking Cedric away from us for eternity. As a final tribute, I arranged his portrait in the trunk of a great ash tree in lieu of a headstone, taking care that the roots grew protectively around his body. On the top of his grave, the roots made an intricate replica of the medallion he wore around his neck every day.
When I was finished, I sat on my knees and wept. I wept for Cedric, I wept for Soren, and I wept for myself. I’d never felt so bereft before. During my short life, I’d never felt the pain of losing someone. Now, I was feeling the pain so many times in such quick secession that it was driving me to insanity. I couldn’t lose anybody else. I didn’t think I could take it.
Soren sank to his knees beside me and spoke with his mind. He did love this corner of the garden. He always said that the faeries here made the most beautiful flowers of the entire garden. He was a very rare human. I wish you could have had more time with him.
I took his hand and answered him in the same fashion. I do too. I-
A small voice interrupted our conversation. “Excuse me, can you tell me if the fighting is over?”
I looked
to my left and saw a tiny female with delicate wings fluttering around the new tree. I looked to Soren for an answer.
Soren stood and bowed. “How do you do? I am Soren Vidar of Asgard, and this is Lady Emelie of Midgard.”
I stood and curtsied.
“I’m Arlette, pleased to meet you.” She flew to our eye level and hovered. She was amazing, a miniature of a fair-haired human in every way, but the wings. “Will the creature come back?” She asked plainly.
“No, it will not.” Soren affirmed. “I will not rebuild here. It will have no reason to.”
“Good.” She flew back to the tree. “We will watch over Cedric, and we’ll be watching to see if you keep your promise, Son of Odin.”
Soren sighed. “You know, she is allied with the evil one?”
“Cedric was one of us and his promises will be kept. All of them.”
“They shall.”
“Thank you, from all of us.” She said and then she disappeared with a pop.
“Emelie, we must go somewhere safe. Can you try to reach a warriors mind?”
I frowned. “Maybe, but why don’t you?”
Shame was evident in his features. “They would never let me into their minds—I am the son of Odin.”
I huffed. “It’s not your fault that Odin is a dick. You can’t pick your parents. Believe me, things would be way less complicated if we could.”
Soren laughed and put his arm around me, leading me into the forest. “I would love to see my father’s face if he ever heard you call him a dick.”
“I wouldn’t, he might smite me or something.”
“Yes, I think he might.” Soren said thoughtfully. “You have caused quite a bit of trouble to him by being the doppelgängers’ obsession. It would serve him well to see your demise.”
I stopped walking. “You’re scaring me.”
“I mean to. Odin doesn’t have humanity, Emelie. If he thought that destroying you would stop the doppelgänger from destroying more lives than the war would, he would kill you. Promise me you will stay put wherever I decide you must hide. Will you do this for me?” His face was frantic as he waited for my reply.