by Unknown
“Hi there,” I called to them as I went around Odin and into the hall. “Welcome to Valaskjalf. Have you had enough to eat or is there something else I can get you?”
“See, I told you she'd be nice,” one of the dwarves hit the other.
“She's barely said anything,” the assaulted dwarf hit the the first one back.
“Thank you. We're very satisfied,” said the last dwarf, which happened to be a woman. She eyed her companions sternly and they stopped hitting each other.
“Yes, thank you,” they said in unison.
“How did you even know to come?” Odin finally found his voice. “I haven't sent the invitation yet.”
“We have ways of watching,” the female said. And no she didn't have a beard. She was very pretty actually. Just a short and well-muscled woman.
The male dwarves looked similar to each other but that could be because of their thick beards. They were dressed in jeans and T-shirts with flannel shirts over those. They had work boots on and thick belts with tools put through loops on them. They looked like mini lumberjacks. Or carpenters. Mini lumberjack carpenters.
The lady, on the other hand, was wearing a flashy Versace dress(I could tell by the print) and enough gold jewelry to weigh down an elephant. I guess that's what she needed all those muscles for. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and her lips were painted bright red.
“You have ways of watching?!” Odin's horrified voice brought me out of my Versace daze. “You watch us?”
“Do you think you have the only Santa TV in existence?” The woman laughed.
“It is a Santa TV, isn't it?” I started to laugh with her and then realized what she was saying. “Wait. You don't watch everything, do you?”
“Oh no, nothing intimate,” she waved her hand. “We're not perverts, we just like to know what's going on in the other worlds. And we need to keep tabs on you, Godhunter.”
“Me? Why me? This doesn't have anything to do with soup, does it?” I narrowed my eyes on her. No soup for you, dwarf lady.
“No,” she laughed. “Please, why don't you two sit down? We're obviously here in peace. I am Lyngheid. This is Brokkr and Eitri.”
“Of course,” Odin nodded, common courtesy snapping him out of his dwarf panic, and went to hold a chair out for me. “We wanted to ask you about Vervain's emerald necklace.”
“Yes, All Father,” Lyngheid smiled, “we know. You want to know what kind of magic we put into it and if it could sever the bond between Vervain and Alfheim.”
“Brokkr,” I was staring at the dwarf as I took my seat. “I know you. I've seen you in a...”
“Dream?” Brokkr grinned. “Yeah, I know. And you're welcome.”
“For what?” I cocked my head at him.
“For telling you about the power you have over Alfheim. That's how you got away from Freaky Freyr, isn't it?”
“Freaky Freyr?” I looked at Odin but he was smothering a laugh behind his hand. “Actually a flower helped me escape Alfheim. She told me of my power. You just confused the hell out of me.”
“Brokkr,” Lyngheid chastised. “I told you to speak clearly and enunciate. What did you say to her?”
“I told her that when all seems lost, she had the power to free herself,” he glowered at the woman. “How much clearer could I have been?”
“Um, a lot,” I huffed.
“Alright, alright,” Lyngheid waved a hand. “We need to work on your communication skills, Brokkr but we're here now, I shall tell her myself.”
“What shall you tell her yourself?” Odin asked.
“Let's start at the beginning,” Lyngheid said. “Aednat showed us how to create the Nine Worlds, joining together what would have been independent territories by aligning them with the Nine Great Magics of Faerie.”
“My star,” my hand flew to my chest, knowing that one of the points of the star was alight again, had been since I'd set foot back in Asgard.
“Yes, Trinity Star,” she looked at me carefully. “You're connected to each world, through your bond to the Nine Great Magics and the bond your mother established between you and Alfheim.”
“Okay, I think I'm getting it,” I frowned.
“Let me explain further,” she offered. “When Aednat connected our territory to the magic of Faerie, she forged a bond with each world. When you completed your three trinities and opened yourself up to Faerie, you also awakened your bond to our worlds, especially that of Alfheim. Alfheim has been reaching out to you, hasn't it?”
“I've been having a lot of dreams of Alfheim,” I nodded. “Not all of them while I'm asleep.”
“That would be Alfheim calling to you,” she confirmed. “It can't speak to you like Faerie can so it must use other means to bring you to it.”
“And you said the Viking worlds were aligned with the Great Magics,” I reiterated. “Does that mean each world is bonded to a different magic?”
“Yes,” she continued. “Asgard, for example, is connected to the Great Magic of Love.”
“Go figure,” I looked over at Odin and smirked.
“Yes, exactly,” she said fervently. “Each world will hold a different allure for you because you're already connected to the Great Nine and so you can feel the magic imbued here.”
“That's why a different point of my star lights up in each world,” I whispered.
“Yes,” her tone was that of a satisfied teacher. “And why you found love with the ruler of Asgard.”
“Wait. What?” I gaped. “Are you saying I fell in love with Odin because of Asgard?”
“Hardly,” Odin growled. “If you were predisposed to love me, you wouldn't have put up such a fight.”
“No, you misunderstand,” she waved away our irritation. “Not predisposed, fated. You two were meant for each other from the moment Aednat bound Sabine to Alfheim but Asgard did not hold the allure of love for you until you were bound to the Great Nine Magics of Faerie and thus all of the Norse worlds... in this life. It was your fate to become one of us.”
“Fate,” I sighed, ignoring the one of us comment. That was a little too much for me to deal with at the moment. I looked over at Odin and said, “Whatever. I love you, it doesn't matter why we found each other. Only that we did.”
“I agree,” he took my hand and kissed it. The butterflies of my love magic leaped into action, fluttering around my chest in joy. Yep, fate or no fate, I loved him.
“Does that explain it enough for you?” Lyngheid regained my attention.
“Yes,” I cocked my head. “What magics are the other worlds connected to?”
“Ah, good question,” she nodded approvingly. “Each was chosen by your mother with careful consideration. Though you weren't yet attached to the Great Nine Magics, you were still a faerie and as such, the magic would recognize you, respond to you, if you were to enter any of the Norse worlds. Midgard, which is technically the Human Realm, was open to both the Faerie Realm and the Nine Worlds back then. It was open to Faerie through the numerous pathways the fey once had and it was linked to us through human belief. It is considered a part of the Nine Worlds though it doesn't reside in our territory and the Rainbow Bridge still connects us through the Aether. It's a complicated thing, so to Midgard she gave Protection, to ensure your safety as well as that of the fey and of the gods.”
“I ended up being a little too safe,” I grumbled.
“The price of magic isn't always obvious,” Odin remarked. “Sometimes it comes in the giving, not the taking.”
“Well said,” Lyngheid pushed her plate out of the way and her companions cleared her dishes immediately. “So besides Asgard, there's Vanaheim, which is connected to Abundance. For Alfheim, she chose Beauty so that you'd always find your home beautiful. Jotunheim received Health and you can see that it's done wonders for the giants,” she spared a light chuckle. “Nidavellir, our home, received Transmutation, which I will explain shortly. Svartalfheim got Power, Muspelheim was given Hate, and lastly, Niflheim
received Acceptance for that is what the dead need most.”
“I know what Transmutation is,” I nodded. “You don't have to explain it to me.”
“That's not what I wanted to explain,” she grinned. “When Aednat connected the magics and chose Alfheim for her child, she made the light elves promise that they would also bond with the babe, so that the child would have control over all within the world of Alfheim. Aednat knew this might cause resentment later and so she approached the dwarves privately and offered us another bargain.”
“A second bargain?” Odin leaned in closer.
“Yes,” she smirked at Odin. “She knew the dwarves well enough to trust us and so she offered us the knowledge and power we'd need to create magical items.”
“The ability to build magical items came from the fey?” Odin frowned. “But we had machines in Atlantis that were comparable.”
“Comparable to a ship you can fold up and put in your pocket?” Brokkr asked with a chuckle.
“Alright, I see you point,” Odin grimaced.
“Aednat showed us these things, linked our world to the magic of Transmutation,” Lyngheid continued, “in exchange for our word that we would watch over her child. We would do all in our power to make sure the child was able to claim his or her birthright and that they were kept safe. When you were born and Aednat brought you to Alfheim to connect you to the world, we were there. We witnessed the magic that tied you to Alfheim. We watched the light elves submit to the bond. Aednat wanted us to see it so that we would know what bound you and how to help you if, for some reason, she could not.”
“Then she was killed,” I whispered.
“Yes,” Lyngheid agreed sadly. “It seems that her concern was justified. We were very distressed when we heard of your mother's passing. Freyr, however, saw it as an opportunity. He approached the light elves with his own bargain. He would free them if they would give him Alfheim to rule. Yes, they would still be his subjects but he wouldn't have the power over them that you have. The light elves, fearful of an unknown fey woman ruling them, agreed to his bargain. Then Freyr worked a spell over all the Nine Worlds. The spell which wiped you from the minds of the Norse gods and made them believe Alfheim was given to Freyr to rule when he was just a babe. They forgot all about you and the bargain they made with your mother.”
“Freyr took our memories?” Odin growled.
“Yes,” Lyngheid nodded. “Only Vervain had the power to refute Freyr's claims and break the spell. When she did, your memories returned. Now Freyr is angry and very, very scared.”
“Freyr said my mother took everyone's memories so they wouldn't interfere,” I added.
“Did he now?” Brokkr huffed. “Lying bastard.”
“So when the spell was broken, you remembered as well?” Odin asked Lyngheid. “Is that why you've been watching Vervain?”
“No,” she smiled and looked over to me. “We were protected by the bond we had with Sabine. Freyr couldn't touch our memories.”
“So all this time, you've known,” I said. “You've had to watch and wait, unable to speak against Freyr.”
“Precisely,” Lyngheid smiled. “When Odin brought you to Asgard and made you his wife, we saw an opportunity to help you. Freyr had already been warned by the elves with that damn prophecy but we were given a chance to even the scale. Odin commissioned our services in making you a gift. We added a little something extra to that gift.”
“I know,” I nodded. “It saved my life. Thank you.”
“It does more than you think,” Eitri added gruffly. Lyngheid made a chastising sound and he looked down into his mead.
“We made it to do exactly what you used it for,” Lyngheid continued. “But you've only scratched the surface of its potential. We wanted you to be able to gather god magic, to take it for yourself or discard it if necessary. You were fey, you had your own magic but that was stolen from you when your mother died without reversing her spell. So we wanted you to have something to replace it with, something that could bring a god to his knees and make you the most powerful goddess there ever was. We owed that much to your mother.”
“Thank you,” I floundered for words. “I can't tell you how grateful I am for your help but I'm not in a position to claim Alfheim. It's-”
“We also wanted you to have a choice,” Lyngheid interrupted me gently. “You've already suspected that the emerald can help you free yourself of Alfheim. You're correct, it can.”
“That's wonderful,” I said as relief started to rush through me but it was dashed with her next words.
“But there is no way of knowing what that will do to you, Vervain.” Lyngheid shook her head. “The magic you'd have to remove from yourself was put there in another life, by the hands of your fey mother. It's so deeply ingrained that removing it may destroy not only your other magics but your soul as well.”
“I can't rule Alfheim,” I dropped my head into my hands. “But I can't risk losing my other magic. Too many people depend on me, depend on my magic for their own lives.”
“You can't risk your soul either,” Odin set grim eyes on me. “You kind of need that.”
“We know,” Lyngheid said, “and we've come to help.”
She nodded to Brokkr and he reached inside his breast pocket and pulled out a little box. He passed it to her and she opened it carefully. Inside was a ring of gold. Not a ring to wear on your finger, it was much too big for that. It was also thick and engraved with strange writing.
“Is that the ring to bind them all?” I joked.
“In a way,” she grinned and picked it up. “Give me the emerald.”
I took the emerald from my neck and handed it over to her. She tapped the ring and it split in two. Then she placed the emerald on the table and put the two gold semicircles around it. The semicircles drew together and united themselves, stretching to form a rim around the oval emerald. As if that thing wasn't big enough to begin with. Now it looked to be around two inches in diameter.
“The emerald was made to be used in your first life. It could have separated you from Alfheim back then but now, it needs a little help. The gold will be a vessel for your trinity of magic,” Lyngheid passed it back to me. “You can use the emerald to pull the god magic from you and push it into the gold band, where it will be stored safely until you've finished returning the magic of Alfheim. Then you may use the emerald to restore your magic to you.”
“But that would mean severing my trinity,” I frowned. “What will that do to me?”
“We've thought of that as well,” Lyngheid nodded. “If you absorb more than your three magics, the emerald will allow you to choose which of the excess magics to store. Then it will take the chosen magic and push it into the gold, maintaining your trinity.”
“Hold on,” I narrowed my eyes on her. “You're saying I'll have to take three more god magics in order to preserve my trinity? Do you realize this means I'll have to kill three gods?”
“It's the best we could do,” she sighed. “You're the Godhunter, after all. We didn't think it would be a problem for you.”
“Well it is a problem for me,” I glanced over and saw Odin's pensive expression. He was probably making a list of gods he thought were expendable. He was practical like that. “I can't just go kill a bunch of gods so I can store my magic.”
“Like I said,” Lyngheid met my gaze steadily. “It was the best we could do. If your magic is safely stored away, you won't be fighting to save it. The damage inflicted by the severing can be focused into the replacement magic instead of your soul or your beasts. If the new magic is destroyed, it won't hurt you. Your old magic will simply flow back into the vacated spot. This should render the whole procedure safe but it's your decision whether you want to go through with it. Consider whether the lives of three gods are worth the lives of those you love. Either way, at least we've given you a chance.”
“And we're more grateful than we can say,” Odin stood and walked around the table to Lyngheid. She stood as wel
l, looking so tiny beside him. “Please convey our gratitude to the rest of the dwarves.”
“We gave our vow and we're honoring it,” Lyngheid shook Odin's hand. “There's no need for gratitude but I will convey your warm regards to them.”
“So be it,” he turned and shook Brokkr's hand and then Eitri's.
“Will this free you from your vow to my mother?” I asked Lyngheid. “If I give back the magic of Alfheim, are you freed from watching over me?”
“Yes, Godhunter,” Lyngheid grinned. “But don't think that means we support your decision to give up Alfheim. We want you on that throne and we definitely want Freyr off of it. He enchanted all of the Norse gods for his own greed and we dwarves think he should pay for that.”
“I agree,” Odin said firmly. “I promise you that we will try to find a way to punish Freyr and free Vervain.”
“A promise from the Oathbreaker,” she laughed. “I won't hold my breath.”
Chapter Thirty
I didn't leave Asgard till late that night. Odin and I spent most of the day searching through his spellbooks, looking for a way to get me out of the mess I was in. So when I got back to Pride Palace, I expected to find both Trevor and Kirill asleep but there was only Trevor in our bed. Kirill's side was empty.
I started to wake Trevor up but then I heard a sound coming from the balcony. I turned and saw Kirill standing at the railing, looking out over Intare territory. His long hair was braided down his bare back and the moonlight was doing wonderful things to his muscles.
I smiled a little until I saw how tense those muscles were. Kirill's entire body was rigid, his head bowed down as if weighed by those damn impossible chains of Freyr's. His hands were braced on the stone railing but they were clenched into fists, like he was on the verge of smashing the stone to bits. I went up to him, careful to make enough noise to let him know I was there. It was never a good idea to startle a shapeshifter but startling a tense one was suicide.
“Kirill?” I went to stand at the railing beside him. “Tell me what's going on.”