by Unknown
“Okay!” Pan shouted over the last of Horus' threat. “Okay. I swear I'll never call you that again. Damn, don't you know the Vegas rule? You're not supposed to blackmail me with that stuff.”
“No, I don't know the rule. I'm a god and I don't care,” Horus smiled in satisfaction. “Now, back to the dwarves.”
“The possibly angry dwarves,” I tightened my lips to keep from laughing.
“Vervain,” Horus set his eyes on me. “We don't have time for your buffoonery.”
“Buffoonery?” I whispered to Pan, who started laughing quietly. “I'm so using that.”
“Have you forgotten that this decision affects us all?” Horus continued sternly. “Have you not even realized that the second prophecy Silenus spoke of was the one given by the Light Elves? You're being foolish and you're wasting our time. Stop it, this instant.”
“Oh fudge,” I whispered. “No, it hadn't occurred to me. Why didn't it occur to me?” I looked over to Odin for help.
“I don't know,” he gave me none. “It occurred to me. Silenus said a prophecy was given long ago by the Light. Obviously he meant the Light Elves.”
“Obviously,” I rolled my eyes.
“Vervain!” Horus again.
“I'm being as serious as possible,” I growled back. “You can't expect me to be someone else entirely.”
“She has a point there,” Brahma agreed and brushed invisible lint off his beautiful, white, puffy pants. He had on a silver chest piece over an Indian ensemble and he looked wonderful but seriously, who wears white to war?
“The prophecy said that you would grasp the thunderbolt,” Horus ignored Brahma. “That only then could you fall back to earth, ground the power, and restore the Nine. We can now safely assume that the Nine refers to the Nine Worlds of the Norse gods and not the Nine Magics of Faerie.”
“Oh damn,” I looked over to Odin again but he only shook his head and smiled. I guess he'd figured that out as well. “Hey, I've been imprisoned, I didn't have time to think about this.”
“I would imagine that meant you had plenty of time to think about it,” Hades said dryly.
“Shut up, Sizzle Butt,” I pointed a finger at him and he smiled.
“People please,” Horus groaned. “Can't you see that Vervain's right?”
“Wait,” I held up a hand. “What?”
“You need to give back the power of Alfheim,” Horus rolled his eyes. “That can be the only meaning of restoring the Nine and you must do it after we go up against Zeus. Also, it must be possible for her to live through it because the prophecy said that if we don't protect her, all will be lost. Therefore, there must be a way to accomplish this.”
“Again, I say we should ask the dwarves,” Blue said.
“Alright,” Odin gave in with a grim look. “But I think instead of journeying to Nidavellir, I'll send an invitation for them to come here and meet with us.”
“I agree,” Thor nodded. “A much wiser option. Then we can control the environment.”
“You guys really are scared of dwarves,” I said in a shocked tone.
“Not scared,” Vali corrected. “Wary. They make all of our magical items and they keep the best stuff for themselves. Thor's gauntlets, his belt, his hammer. Odin's spear. Freyr's ship. Gleipnir. They're all dwarf made. Now if these are the things they were willing to part with, what kind of things do you think they possess themselves?”
“Oh,” I fingered my emerald pendant. “I wonder why they infused this with magic. You're sure you didn't ask them to?”
“Yes, I'm sure,” Odin answered. “I commissioned a necklace. An adornment only. Adding magic to it would have come at a much higher cost. I have no idea why they would add it in for free and then not tell me about it.”
“Unpredictable,” Vidar nodded.
“I'll send Hugin with the invitation,” Odin said, referring to one of his ravens. “After we talk to the dwarves, we should be able to move forward.”
Before anything else could be said, an unexpected visitor arrived. She came striding into the great hall of Valhalla like she was about to do battle with everyone in it. All by herself. And win.
But then Rind was a jotun, a giant, so maybe she couldn't help but look intimidating. Or maybe it was just because she hated Odin. Whatever it was, it brought us all to our feet and put us on high alert. She smiled at that but her smile quickly faded when she saw Vali.
Vali. Her son.
Rind hadn't seen Vali since he was a baby but she had no trouble recognizing him. She'd given birth to Odin's child and then immediately handed him over to Odin to raise. She wanted no part of Odin, not even if it was a part of her as well. I understood her now and it made me feel the strangest mixture of things. Anger towards Odin for ever treating a woman as he had Rind, sympathy for Rind and Vali, and most of all, gratitude. I was so grateful that Rind had given Vali up and that I'd been given the gift of him for a son. But the gratitude was bitter, tainted by guilt, because I loved Vali so much, was so very grateful for him, that I knew it was more than gratitude. I was happy that he'd been born, no matter the how of it, and happy that Rind had been so abused by Odin that she didn't want Vali. There, I've confessed it. I was a selfish bitch.
One look at Vali and I didn't care. Call me selfish, call me whatever you want, I wouldn't change a minute of the past if it meant losing him. The situation was horrible but something wonderful had come of it and for that, I would always be thankful.
Then Vali's expression registered with me. Horror. Fascination. Hope. Guilt for feeling hope. He had no idea what to do, how to react, and that confusion magnified when Rind came to a stop right in front of him.
“Rind,” I went to stand beside Vali and hold his hand. “Thank you for coming,” I held out my other hand to her.
“Vervain,” she took my hand easily this time, unlike the first awkward time we'd met. You know, back when she'd come to kill me. It's no biggie, I meet a lot of people that way. “I heard about your imprisonment and came to lend a hand but I see it's unnecessary. It's impressive that you made it out of Freyr's clutches on your own.”
“It was a little surprising for me as well,” I grinned. “Thank you for the offer of aid, even if it wasn't needed. I appreciate it,” I let go of her hand and stepped back so I could see her better. I said she was a giant and I wasn't kidding. The woman was tall.
“I came for Vali, not you,” she transferred her gaze to Vali and I glanced over to find his face gone slack. “I couldn't stomach the thought of him losing his mother again.”
“That's an even better reason,” I smiled.
“You said I'd be welcome here. Does that statement hold true?” She looked around at the others.
“Of course it does,” Odin finally found his voice. “You're most welcome in my Hall, Rind.” He walked over to her and she jerked back a little. “Oh. Yes. I've changed a bit,” he waved a hand down his new body. “In more ways than one. I'd like to apologize formally to you. I know words are not enough but I will start with them and hope that you give me the chance to prove my regret to you through my actions. Rind, I treated you horribly, unfairly. I tricked you and yes, I admit it was rape. I told myself that it wasn't, which makes me even more of a monster, I think. No one deserves to be treated like that but you especially were undeserving of my deceit. You're an honorable woman who refused to lay with a married man and I hurt you for it. I took what you wouldn't give willingly and now I go even further by asking you to forgive me.”
The hall went deathly silent as Rind stared at Odin with huge eyes. Odin, ever the patient one, just waited and looked on her steadily. She searched his eyes like she could see the truth in them and then she sighed. A huge heave of breath that left her shoulders lower than they'd been before. Her eyes softened a little and she nodded imperceptibly.
“You're not forgiven,” she said quietly, “but I will be open to the idea.”
“Thank you,” Odin nodded. “I'll let you and Vali catch up.” He looked
over to Vali and smiled encouragingly.
“You can never have too much love,” I whispered to Vali and then hugged him. “I think I of all people, know that.” He gave me a small smile. “Don't hold back because of any loyalty you feel for me. I will always be your mother, not even death has been able to stop me, and neither will this. Having two Moms happens to be another thing I know about and I can assure you, one love doesn't cancel out the other.”
“Mom,” he closed his eyes and hung his head briefly. “How do you always know what I'm thinking?”
“You display your emotions all over your face,” I tapped his cheek. “So different from Vidar. One look and I'd know what you're thinking. I love that about you and I love you no matter what.” I turned to Rind. “Maybe you could go take a walk through the forest with Vali. That's where he's happiest. I'm sure he'd like to share that with you.”
“That's where I feel most at peace, as well,” she smiled at her son and he smiled back. A moment of instant kinship.
“It's just through here,” Vali waved his mother forward and they went out into the forest of Asgard together.
“Okay,” I sighed. “Now I'm going home.”
“Yes,” Arach said with firm resolve, “our home.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I let Arach have his way for a few reasons. First, it was pointed out to me that Blossom might do better in Faerie, where she would have a direct connection to the Great Nine Magics instead of having to go through me. If and when I did separate myself from Alfheim, that might otherwise become a problem for her.
Second, I hadn't been to Faerie in months, one of the longest separations I'd had from Arach and my fey, and I missed them. Lastly, and the most potentially violent reason, was Arach had been separated from me for that long as well and since I wouldn't be using the ring to go back to when I'd last left him, there would be no remedying that. It was never a good idea to frustrate a dragon.
So I said goodbye to my other lovers and headed to Faerie with Arach. I was excited to return to Faerie, which always felt like a different kind of homecoming than returning to Pride Palace or my little house in Kaneohe. Returning to Faerie was like going back to another life that I'd forgotten entirely. Like waking up into a dream and realizing that it was more real to you than your waking world.
My life was full of magic. Every day I lived it. I ate it. I breathed it. I made love to it. There was magic all around me and inside of me but the magic of Faerie was a different thing entirely. It was the origin of it all.
Thor had once told me I was the source of magic. Not just me of course but every human witch. That we were the power behind the gods. That it was our magic that had fueled them to such great heights of achievement and as such, the magic inside them recognized us, recognized me, and that was why gods were drawn to me. The magic inside them was being pulled back to its source.
Now I knew it was so much more than that. The magic in humans came from the fey. When the fey interbred with them, they gave a little of their magic to the human race and set off an interlocking circle that grew to include the gods. The gods did have their own magic, enough to convince humans they were gods in the first place, but not enough to make them immortal. Until they discovered the power in our sacrifices, the magic. Our magic tipped the scales and took them from charlatans to actual divine beings.
When they accepted worship from humans, that magic bound us together. The gods knew this, knew that they would be changed and possibly restricted by the new magic. They knew their immortality would be interconnected with our mortal lives. What they didn't know, what the faeries never told them, was that the magic they'd been accepting was originally fey.
It boggles the mind. Well, at least it boggles mine. Were the gods bound to the fey like they were the humans? No. With each transfer, the magic changed and that was why I could be a goddess, I could live in the God Realm with a pride of werelions, and yet feel the difference in the magic of Faerie. It was different and yet it was all connected.
Now I knew even more. The fey had helped the gods create the God Realm. My mother had helped create the Nine Worlds of the Norse gods! What would she have said to see me married to both Odin and Arach? To know that I ruled the Fire Kingdom and my own territory in the God Realm? Would she be proud? Or would she be disappointed that her plan for me to rule Alfheim had gone so very wrong?
I could go back in time and ask her.
That thought gave me pause. It was so tempting but I knew in my heart it was wrong. It was selfish. There was no way to go back and see her without revealing who I was, without telling her of Sabine's death and therefore, her own. I would steal the years of happiness she had left and that was something I could never do to someone I loved. Even if it meant that we could have more time together.
“A Thaisce?” Arach's hand was on my arm, his voice full of concern.
I looked up and realized, I'd been standing there in front of the tree at the End of the Road, the entrance to Faerie, just staring blankly ahead at the carriage waiting for us. I shook off my deep thoughts and smiled up at him, clutching Blossom's pot to my chest. She'd made it through the Aether just fine and now I had to find a place for her in Faerie.
“Sorry,” I said to Arach. “Lost in my thoughts.”
“Let's get you found then,” his hand stroked my cheek, dragon eyes softening on mine, and I realized that he'd really missed me. This was the first time he'd been separated so long from me since the time he'd let himself be imprisoned by the High King.
I nodded to him and let him help me up into the carriage. As soon as we were in, the phookas, in their fire horse form, started pulling us home. To Castle Aithinne. I took a deep breath of the pure fey air and Blossom seemed to do the same. You would think the air in Faerie wouldn't be much different than that in Alfheim but it was. Fey air was the purest air you could breathe. It was sweet, even without the addition of the scents of Faerie herself, in the way that pure water is sweet. The sweetness is more of a sense of cleanliness than of scent. And just like drinking pure water, when you breathe the air of Faerie, you feel like it's nourished you.
I looked down at Blossom and saw her petals brighten, her stalk turn a deeper green. It was nourishing her and I was so happy to have brought her there. I was also happy that Summer had come to Faerie and Blossom had missed the harshness of Faerie's first Winter in thousands of years. I regretted that I'd missed most of the Spring though and there was a small ache in my chest that I'd never get that time back. I'd never get to experience Faerie's first Spring with her.
It wasn't all that, Faerie herself spoke into my head and I jumped, totally unprepared for the invasion.
“How could you say Spring wasn't all that?” I recovered quickly enough. Arach looked over at me questioningly. “It's Faerie.”
“Ah,” he nodded and smiled, slipping an arm around my waist and settling me more firmly into his side. His face nestled into the hair at the top of my head.
He's missed you.
“So it appears,” I grinned. “Maybe I should stay away more often.”
“What?” He lifted his head from mine with a jerk. “What's she saying to you?”
“Nothing,” I gave him a quick kiss, pulling away before it turned into more. “I'm just teasing.”
“I don't like being apart from you for so long,” he sniffed. “It vexes me.”
“Please tell me that you didn't transfer that vexation to everyone else,” I narrowed my eyes on him.
Oh, he's been insufferable, Faerie confirmed in a sassy tone. Poor Isleen has had it the worst. Though Roarke hasn't had it easy either. Why did you stay away so long?
“There were things I needed to take care of,” I chewed at my lip. “In fact, there's something I should probably talk to you about.”
Shoot.
“You're sounding more and more human, every time I talk to you,” I rolled my eyes.
Stop your whining and just tell me, she huffed. If you want me to sound stuff
y, I can.
“No, no,” I protested. “It was just an observation.”
Vervain!
“I'm getting to it,” I sighed. “Did you know about Aednat's agreement with the Norse gods?”
What agreement?
“Oh wow,” I chuckled. “There's a twist I didn't see coming. So you didn't know that my mother helped the Norse gods create their territory?”
I know that the fey helped teach the gods how to manipulate the magic but I didn't know that Aednat in particular taught the Norse. A pause. That's very interesting. And very unsettling.
“Why unsettling?” I waved off Arach's look. He'd have to wait till we were done.
Well, isn't it obvious? It implies that there was something at work here, something that had a plan to bring you to the Norse gods. Something other than myself.
“Huh,” I considered it.
Huh? That's all you've got to say, Miss Triple Trinity? Huh? I am the greatest magical being in existence. Nothing should be able to manipulate the future as I can. And nothing should be able to do so undetected by myself!
“I actually have a new title,” I teased her. “They call me the Trinity Star.”
Oh, they call you the Trinity Star? She mocked in a snotty tone, like a five-year-old. How about I start calling you the Trinity Idiot? Three times the stupid for the same low price! Can you snap out of your delusions of grandeur for five seconds? If there is another being out there manipulating events without my knowledge, we could all be in danger.
“Or it could just be a coincidence,” I laughed at her. “Relax, Faerie. Haven't you considered the way that magic works? You put things into motion. You, the self-proclaimed greatest magical being ever. Don't you think the magic could have continued on, working toward your goals on its own? Sometimes you cast a spell and you set it free, only to find that it manifests in ways you never considered.”
Oh. Yeah, that could be it.
“When did you become such a spazz?” I shook my head.
Was that all you were going to tell me? She ignored my spazz comment.
“Actually no,” I got serious again. “Aednat not only helped create the Norse territory, she linked it to the Great Magics of , well, of you.”