by T. G. Ayer
On top of losing them all, I was now being robbed of my strength, my health. And likely even my life.
Enya shifted so she was standing right beside me, then slid her hand through the crook of my elbow. She held onto me tightly and I was glad she was there. If only she knew that it wasn't her that leaned on me, that it was, in fact, the other way around.
The scene before me blurred and I recalled the day I'd first seen Aidan. He'd swooped in on his Ducati, all black leather and gorgeous ebony curls that brushed his shoulders. He'd been sexy and intriguing right off the bat, and I hadn't been able to resist him. My lonely heart had been searching for something. I don't think even I knew what it was that I'd wanted, but for a time I'd thought it was Aidan. And for a brief moment in my life, things had seemed good.
Then he'd betrayed me
A betrayal that I couldn't blame on him in entirety. Dr Lee had used his son, threatening to keep him from his mother and sister if he didn't do as he was told. So Aidan had come to Craven and broken my heart on his father's orders.
And then I'd brought him to Valhalla. So many experiences in my life directly linked to Aidan and my true identity. Images flickered before my eyes. An old book with a drawing of a Valkyrie who with her height and her red hair, bore a striking resemblance to me, a bullet-hole in the middle of Aidan's forehead, the skin burned from close contact with the weapon, the sight of Aidan's eyelashes, impossibly long as he leaned in to kiss me that first time, the sight of him clutching his abdomen his fingers bloody from the wound Loki had inflicted.
So many experiences we'd had together, and so many more that we'd never have again. We'd mended our torn romance, fashioned it into a comfortable friendship and then it had shattered into nothing.
Now, he was gone forever.
I blinked as the burning arrows left the bows of the warriors lined up along the shore. My thoughts had taken me far away and I'd missed them placing his bier into a small boat, and pushing it out into the lake.
The boated bobbed among the waves and then an arrow landed, sending flames spurting into the air. The idea of burning a body had once seemed barbaric, but that was a long time ago. Today it seemed appropriate, and as the fire blazed I understood why Mrs Lee had chosen not to give Aidan a burial back in Midgard.
The fire burned hotter and as time ticked by the boat caught alight. A breeze lifted the burning embers and ashes, flinging into the air to catch a current and float away.
I turned to smile at Mrs Lee, when I saw a cold face behind her. They'd brought Dr Lee to the funeral as promised and now he stood, his hands bound in front of his body, his eyes focused on the burning boat beyond me.
His gaze shifted then focused on my face. Then he tipped his head, giving me a short nod. I suppose it was his way of saying thank you, but I didn't respond. It seemed ridiculous to still hold him responsible for his son's death but I did.
Too many bad things in my life started with 'If it hadn't been for Dr Stephen Lee'.
I turned my back on him and gave that smile to Aidan's mother. She reached out and grasped my free hand, her eyes glittering. "Thank you, Bryn." I just shook my head, a little unsure why she'd thank me. Then she reached into the small purse she carried and pressed me a little book into my hand. "He kept a diary, and I think there are some parts of it that you should read. I think he'd want that."
I slipped the book into the pocket of my cloak. "Thank you."
The smile she gave me was enough and it made me want to burst into tears. But I steeled myself against giving in. A part of me said I was being disloyal to Joshua by grieving for Aidan and I wondered what that meant.
But, for now, I didn't want to think about it. I remained with Aidan's mother and sister, until the fire died down and the bier was a mere pile of ashes.
CHAPTER FORTY
They were turning to leave, and I was moving to do the same when I caught sight of a large boat, drifting toward the shore.
It had a Nordic air, its wooden prow high and crafted into a serpent's head. As the vessel passed Aidan's little boat a blast of fire streamed out, incinerating the vessel, leaving a black pile of soot to swirl on the surface of the lake. Now, no sign remained of the bier or the boat, no sign left of Aidan.
My attention focused on the boat as I felt bodies close in on both sides of me. A quick glance confirmed them to be Joshua and Aimee. Not surprised, I linked arms with Joshua and gave Aimee a grateful smile.
Then we turned our attention back to the vessel that had at last reached the shore. A ramp was thrown off the side and landed on the pebbled shore just clearing the water. A tall, rather imposing, flaming-haired man descended, then continued to hurry up toward Thor and Frigga who stood a few yards behind us.
But before he got to the gods, the man turned to face his boat then reached out a hand. Within seconds the boat began to rise out of the water. As it floated toward the man it shrank until it was so small it fit into the man's palm. He pocketed the boat, then spun on his heel, crunching the pebbles beneath his soles as he walked up to a grinning Thor.
Smiling, the curve of his lips lifting his reddish gold beard, he grasped Thor's hand then shook it and proceeded to bow before Frigga. The happy greeting he received made me certain he was an important man, if not a god. And boy did he have a cool magical boat.
For a few seconds, I was amazed at the magic I'd seen, but it didn't last long and soon I felt sad and tired all over again.
"Who is that?" asked Aimee, peering past me to sneak a peek at the new arrival. Even Suri came around on Joshua's side to catch a glimpse of the visitor.
"Probably a guest of Frigga, Miss Nosy Parker," I said, realizing I'd been leaning heavily on Joshua and he hadn't said a word.
I shifted my weight back to my own two feet, but Joshua didn't let go of my arm. I smiled weakly and said, "Let's get back. I need to speak to Fen about our next mission."
We turned as a group and headed up the incline, and would have passed the group of gods if Frigga hadn't waved at us to join them.
"Er . . . I think they want you, Bryn," said Aimee, a little hesitant to take the next step.
"Well, you're with me, so you stay with me. I'm weak. What if I fall flat on my face?"
Aimee looked past me at Joshua and Suri, then snorted. She surreptitiously slipped her fingers around my arm. "There, I'm holding you up. Now what?"
"Now, we all get to meet the new guy," I said with a faded grin.
We headed to Frigga and the moment we reached her she grabbed the new guy by the arm and pulled him forward.
"Freyr, I want you to meet Brynhildr." Frigga flicked her fingers at me. "Bryn, this is Freyr, brother to the goddess Freya. And owner of the remarkable ship he now keeps in his pocket."
Frigga winked as the god Freyr smiled at me then bowed his head. My eyes widened at the sight of a god bowing before me and I was completely at a loss for words.
When he straightened he said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Brynhildr. My sister has told me much about you and I am only regretful that we have not met before this tragic day. Frigga has informed me of how important the einherjar Aidan was to you and your friends." The god's eyes were a deep black and his expression was open and friendly. I could sense no negativity, nothing beneath the surface that would imply that his allegiances were questionable.
It was my turn to bow and I did so. "I'm pleased to meet you, Lord Freyr." I didn't have much else to say considering I'd only heard about this god in passing.
Frigga went on to introduce both Joshua, Aimee and Suri in turn, which I thought was very kind of her.
Then Frigga cleared her throat. "Freyr, have you had any luck in finding your sword?" asked Frigga as she turned the god in the direction of the path to the palace, she glanced over her shoulder and motioned for us to follow. Fen walked close by so I figured I might as well head back with them and get the opportunity to speak to Fen too.
Freyr grunted, clearly unhappy. "It does seem to be a hopeless task. I have
been searching for centuries now. I think I may as well give up the hunt considering Ragnarok is already upon us."
Frigga met my eyes over her shoulder. Her expression became sad for a moment then she said, "Without the protection of his sword Freyr, he is destined to die at Ragnarok."
Her words fell upon me, a battalion of tiny swords all aimed at my heart. Another god who will die in this stupid battle.
I couldn't find anything to say, but then Fen spoke. "Perhaps we should step up our efforts and search for the sword." The first thing I wanted to say was we had enough to do without going on a hunt for a sword, but it would mean one god's life saved which was enough for me, so I nodded. And then Dr Lee's words returned to my fuzzy brain, reminding me of what he'd mentioned about Loki and his hunt for a particular weapon. Could it be Freyr's sword after all?
"You'd have to get a plan together but unfortunately I won't be able to join you. I'm heading straight back to my bed." I gave Joshua's arm a squeeze and then sent Fen a meaningful look.
Fen nodded as Freyr asked, "Are you ill, Brynhildr?"
"I'm afraid I am. Much too ill to be of any use to anyone."
Freyr frowned. "That is a great pity, Brynhildr. I had heard for a long time now what an asset you have been to Odin and to Asgard."
"Thank you, my Lord. I believe it is best not to have me around taking the focus off the mission and onto my illness. As much as I hate the idea, I have to remove myself from the missions."
Freyr nodded sadly then Frigga rose on her toes to whisper something in his ear. He smiled and then walked off with Frigga toward the palace. Before she left she gave Thor and Fen a pointed look, clearly urging them to talk to me.
Once they were out of sight, Fen and Thor closed in on our group.
Before they could speak I said, "We need that sword. I recall something special about it though I'm a little fuzzy on the details."
Thor nodded as a little frown played on his forehead. "Yes, we spoke about Freyr's sword before. It has the ability to fight on its own, but only if the one who wields it is worthy."
Now, I was more sure than ever that the poison was a total success. It was already messing with my brain. "Yes. We need to find that sword and something tells me if we can't find it, then Loki already has it in his possession."
"You are likely correct," said Thor with a frown, "But let us hope not."
"Anything on those plans that relate to New York City?" I asked.
Fen stared at me. "Did you see the city plans?" I shook my head. "Then how did you know?"
I shivered at the memory. "I dreamt about it. It felt strange but it was pretty straight-forward. I dreamed of the battle but only it happened in the streets of a city, and I figured the most likely location would be New York considering it's an important location, plus the UN Headquarters are there too."
Fen nodded but he gave me a strange look. "So we know he's targeting New York. I'll put New York HQ on high alert and get our teams in other cities mobilized to move in."
"And we need to find that sword." I paused and frowned as I tried to recall the locations of some of the plans I'd found. "I think I remember seeing some museum plans. Until Dr Lee filled in the blanks, I hadn't been able to figure out why Loki would target a museum of all places."
"Great," said Aimee. "He's definitely looking for that sword."
"He knows how important it could be to winning the battle," I said feeling fatigue begin to take me over.
Thor snorted. "If he thinks the sword will respond to him he is soft in the head."
"What do you mean?" asked Fen.
"The wielder must be wise. And that is not a word I would use to describe my trickster brother." Thor's words had us all laughing softly for a few seconds. My eyes scanned the area around us but the shoreline was deserted. And yet I still wondered if Loki was lurking around here somewhere, pretending to be a rock or something.
I cleared my throat and spoke softly to Joshua. "Can you bring the plans for the museums to my room? I want to go over them." He nodded, then hurried off, a deep frown furrowing his brow. I tugged on his arm, moving toward the pathway. "I don't think I can walk very fast right now." I spoke in Aimee's ear only because I couldn't summon the energy to speak any louder.
"You just relax and we'll take it slow. Neither of us are in any kind of hurry."
A Suri closed in on the other side of me, I said, "Sure we are. We have a museum to find, and more digging to do to find where that sword got to."
"Bryn, can't you just take it slow for one freaking minute?" Suri asked, shaking her head at me.
"Nope. There isn't enough time. The world is coming to an end, and that is no exaggeration," I said dryly.
Aimee gave a soft laugh and squeezed my arm. We walked along in silence and the further we went, the more I leaned against her.
She glanced over at me and the movement made me turn to her. "Bryn, I know you're going to push yourself, and I know you won't listen even if we ask you nicely to stop. But can you do me one favor?"
"Ask, and I shall consider it. No promises." I winked at her and she narrowed her eyes.
"Will you tell us if you need our help? Don't try to be a hero. Will you just tell us? It's what we're here for. And don't give me some stupid excuse about endangering us because we're all in this for the same reasons."
I patted her hand. "I will. I promise. At this point, I can't do anything just because I want to, so don't worry. I'll have no choice but to tell you guys."
Aimee rolled her eyes, while Suri snorted softly. "Thanks," they both said dryly. I stared at them in turn, and sighed. To say we'd become friends was an understatement.
And for that I was very grateful.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
A couple hours later, Turi roused me from my nap and just in time too. A knock on the door sounded loudly, almost too loud for my ears and I winced as Turi hurried to the door, her skirts and tail swaying as she moved.
She swung the door open and the squeak of the iron hinge scraped against my eardrums. I'd had headaches before but this was ridiculous.
Fen and Joshua entered the room and Turi provided a stool which Fen took and placed beside my bed. The Huldra left the room with a wave as Joshua sat at the bottom of the bed, curling a hand around my foot while Fen spread out three different maps.
I studied the names. Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre and the British Museum of History. Three places that had the best security in the world, and three that kept their art under lock and key. Make that many locks and many more keys.
Shaking my head, I said, "Getting into any one of these museums would be an exercise in itself and we don't have the time." I looked at Fen, then at Joshua. "We need a plan."
Joshua rubbed his forehead. "We can't hit all three museums without knowing if the sword is there. It'll take far too long."
"Is there a way to obtain lists of what each of these museums hold?" asked Fen.
Then, despite my weakness, I grinned. "That is a brilliant idea."
"It is?" he asked a little confused.
"Yes. And I have a plan." I looked at Joshua. "Get Suri to come. I need her fire."
"What are you thinking?" asked Joshua, already leaning forward as if he was about to insist I remain in bed.
"There's someone I can speak to who will help us get the information we need. But I'll need to see her myself."
Fen shifted in his seat, but he didn't look happy. "Joshua should be enough backup for that visit," he said reluctantly, his gaze going from Joshua's face back to mine. When I nodded he said, "But, I do think you need to take your whole team with you, even if you have to bench them while you speak to your contact. I think it's best you say no more about your intentions. Go to your contact and find out where the sword is, then take your team directly to the museum in question. Don't delay, and tell no one except your chosen team members, and then do that only at the last moment."
My eyes widened at Fen's warnings. I'd known I should be caref
ul but hearing it from Fen's mouth made the danger all the more real.
"Bryn, this is not a game." Fen gripped his knees as he leaned toward me. "Loki has already gotten to you. He's already weakened you, rendered you almost useless in a fight. Slowly, he is removing the strongest pieces from the board. First Odin, then you. I can't guess who he has in mind to remove next because I have no idea how he thinks, but I want us all to be prepared just in case."
"I agree." I nodded and reached for his shoulder. "I'll be careful. I know you're all worried but you will all give your lives to preserve the world as we know it, so I think I should be allowed to offer mine up too. If that be the case." I smiled at the two men who both stared at me as if they couldn't bear the thought of losing me.
Poor Fen. He'd lost Sigrun just when they'd begun making their plans to marry. I myself hadn't yet gotten over how unfair it was that he had to lose her the moment he'd finally decided to take the plunge. Even if she was a Shade, he'd still lost her. And now he could see the possibility of my death too.
Fen got to his feet and put his hands on his hips. "I'd better get on with it. I'll be sending teams out to Midgard on various missions. The delegates are safe, but for all we know that was just part of Loki's plan to keep us distracted."
"What did you do about Vanya and Nita?" I asked.
"Nothing," said Joshua. "We agreed that the best course of action was to let the both of them think everything was as normal. The only action we've taken is to ensure they're kept busy and remain ignorant of our plans."
I shook my head. "No. I want to speak to Nita before I leave. I have to find out where he's keeping the boy."
Fen straightened, his face growing dark. "No. That would be too dangerous, Bryn. What if he kills you? Or the boy?"
"He won't harm the boy as long as he thinks he has Nita and Vanya under his control. Nita will know where her son is. The elves have powers beyond our imagination." I gave Fen a weak smile. "Don't worry, Fen. I won't do anything stupid. And if I do, my babysitter over there will have something to say about it."