“If I do, she falls into the current and all will be lost,” the giant boomed.
I glanced down. He was right. The river ran swiftly, churning up big waves as the giants moved around. But there was no other choice. I couldn’t let him take me.
The giant’s fingers were wrapped around my middle tightly, and rage bubbled up inside me. “Set me down, or you will pay,” I said, sparks beginning to run from head to toe.
“What is this, little Valkyrie?” the giant said, bringing me closer to his big face. “You think you can best me?”
“I know I can.” I focused hard, and within a moment, lightning shot out of me. It didn’t come from any one specific place. The current had wrapped around me, encompassing my entire being, and as it exited my body, it concentrated into one strike, hitting the giant smack between the eyes.
Howling in outrage, the giant loosened his grip.
Fen shot his spear.
It landed in the giant’s chest, and my captor’s hand opened wide, dropping me.
I flailed on the way down, knowing I was going to hit the water, searching for a way out. Once I was swept away by the current, the boat would blink out of this realm and I’d be trapped here.
I spotted Tyr, stretching off the boat, reaching his hand out to me. I nabbed it just in time, the force of changing directions that fast almost taking Tyr over the side. But he held strong and fast. I bounced off the boat, landing half in the water with Tyr’s hand stretched as far as it could go.
A moment later, Tyr pulled me out.
I gasped, hacking in deep breaths as I came on board. I didn’t have more than a second to cough up the water that had entered my lungs before the boat blipped out of existence.
34
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The moment the boat became corporeal again, it broke apart, and we all plunged into the water, pieces flying everywhere.
Thank goodness it was daylight and we could see. We had landed on a river again, but there were no rapids, just steady movement.
“Sam!” I called. “Sam, where are you?” I wasn’t worried about the gods. They would be just fine. I had to find my friend.
“Here!” she yelled. “I’m behind you.”
I whipped around to see her floating about twenty yards away, clinging to a cushion from the boat. I made my way over, swimming hard. Once I reached her, we began to swim toward shore. As we arrived and pulled ourselves out, bedraggled and wet, I heard another yell.
We both looked up.
Tyr and Fen stood on the opposite bank, a ways down.
“Come on,” I told Sam, grabbing her hand. “Let’s walk down so we can call to them.”
“Hold on, my PJ’s need to finish draining another gallon of water.” She sloshed forward, wringing the fabric, her jammies soaked. “This is why swimsuits are not made of flannel.” She gave me a weak smile.
I grinned as I pulled her into an embrace. She’d been through a lot in a very short time. “It’s going to be okay,” I told her. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this, but I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m not sorry,” she answered, pulling back, leaning over to squeeze more water out of her thick, curly hair. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened in my mundane, white-bread life. It’s even better than landing the lead on Broadway, and that’s saying something. For a nerd like me, finding out that I might be from Asgard is like winning the lottery. I’ve always been drawn to mythology, even as a kid. Now there might be a good reason behind my obsession.” She shook the bottom of her shirt out and wrung it again, water gushing out. “My quest now will be to find my dad.”
“I think that’s doable,” I told her as we began to trek down the stream toward the guys on the other side. Tyr had begun to scale the rocks on their side, likely trying to get a better view of where we had landed.
We were halfway down when a giant squawk hit the air, followed by a telltale, CAW-CAW. CAW-CAW.
I looked up, shielding my eyes from the sun, to see Huggie arcing high above us. At least, I thought it was Huggie. “Does that look like a raven to you?” I asked Sam. The bird was too high up to tell for sure.
Sam glanced upward. “I don’t know birds very well.” She squinted. “But I think that one might have a light-colored head. Ravens don’t have light heads, do they?”
I stopped walking. “No, they—”
“Valkyrie!” Fen shouted. “You must come to this side.” He motioned with his hands and then cupped them around his mouth. “We are in danger!”
We jogged down to where Fen stood directly across the river, but here the water swelled, making it a bigger expanse to traverse.
“We can’t cross here,” I yelled back. “We need to go back the way we came and cross where it’s thinner.” I gestured behind me.
He shook his head. “There is no time! You can swim. It’s not that far.”
“What’s going on?” I called, looking around, bewildered.
Sam grabbed my arm. “I think we should listen to him. Look.” She gestured to where Tyr had effortlessly climbed. He was pointing to something behind him. He was too far away for us to hear anything.
“Okay,” I agreed. “Do you want to cross here, or walk back to where it’s skinnier?”
“Let’s just go in here,” she said. “I don’t think we have time to spare.”
Fen urged us on, pacing agitatedly on the other side, entering the water up to his knees.
I grabbed Sam’s hand, and we waded in. “Don’t let go,” I told her. “No matter what.”
She tightened her hold. “I won’t.”
Not even a minute after we entered the water and reached a steep drop-off, the strange bird shot down out of the sky with an outraged shriek. It definitely wasn’t Huggie. Its feathers were ragged, and its head was yellow.
It was going to dive-bomb us.
“Duck!” I shouted to Sam.
We both dove under.
I lost my grip on her as we struggled to get back to the surface, both of us needing our arms to get there. The current had picked up in this spot. Once my head emerged, I heard Fen shouting. I frantically glanced around, searching for Sam. She came up sputtering, farther downstream, moving faster than I was. “Fen!” I yelled. “Help Sam!” I pointed to my friend as I began to swim toward her.
Fen dived in after her. When he came to the surface, he shouted, “Valkyrie, you must get to safety! I will get your friend.” I stopped, not knowing what to do. “Please,” he urged. “I sense something is coming. Go to Tyr.”
I nodded and began to swim for shore.
It didn’t take me long, and luckily, the bird was no longer in sight. I climbed out of the river for the second time, feeling completely waterlogged and bone-tired. I was going to sit down and catch my breath for a second, but just before I could achieve that awesome plan, I heard a shout.
“Sister! Start climbing!” Tyr yelled from the top of the rock face. We hadn’t landed in anything like a fjord this time, but tall red rocks ranged on either side of the river.
“Um, okay,” I answered, turning to see that Fen already had Sam and that they were making their way toward shore. They were at least twenty yards away. I didn’t want to leave them, but something in Tyr’s voice spurred me on.
Things were about to go down.
I didn’t know what, but I knew I wasn’t going to like it.
I started to climb. Halfway up, I heard another shriek. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the strange bird circling overhead again.
Tyr stood above me, shouting encouragement. “Don’t worry about it, just keep coming. You’re almost here.”
I began to climb again. “Whose bird is that?”
Tyr’s face was grim. “Skuld’s.”
I froze as dread filled me. That meant the Norns were close. They had finally tracked me down. I picked up the pace. I wasn’t going to win a fight against the Norns, especially not here. We had no real protection.
All the weapons had gone down with the boat.
Tyr sensed my hesitation. “Don’t worry, just make it up here,” he ordered. “Help is not far off.”
“How do you know?” I asked, hoping against hope he was right. We would need a miracle, or Verdandi would have me filleted over the stones like an appetizer before lunchtime.
“Because I sense Yggdrasil, which means the Valkyrie stronghold can’t be too far. We chose right. The shieldmaidens must live near the tree. I’ve also sent a message, and we should expect reinforcements. But we must hurry.”
“Sent a message to whom?” I asked. I was almost to the top.
“Our father.”
I froze again, almost losing my grip, rocks slipping underfoot.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured. “He won’t come himself, but if he cares about this outcome, he will send someone.”
“Huggie?”
“Possibly. But there are others he could enlist.”
I reached the top, and Tyr helped me up the last few steps. From this vantage point, we could see for miles in almost any direction. Far to the right there were mesas, tall flat rock formations, to the left valleys, and mountains in the far distance.
The bird circled overhead ominously.
“If that’s Skuld’s bird, where are they?”
“The bird was likely sent ahead as a scout. It has no doubt announced your arrival. They will be here shortly.”
“How are we going to defeat them with no weapons?” I asked. “Everything went down with the boat.”
“My weapons find me when I’m in need of them,” Tyr answered, like it was totally normal for inanimate objects to do such a thing. “If the Valkyries show up, it will be enough.”
“Can the Valkyries defeat the Norns that easily?” That would be sweet if they could, but I had my doubts.
Tyr scratched his head. “No, but it’s all about numbers. The Norns are very powerful, but they can only fight on one front. With Fen in his wolf form, me with my weapons, and the Valkyries en masse, that should be enough to deter them for the time being. The Norns will know that, because they’ve likely seen the outcome already, but that won’t make them any more complacent. They will be rooting for you to make a mistake.”
I glanced over the edge of the rocks. Fen and Sam were slowly making their way up. I was just about to call to them when Huggie appeared, blinking into existence without so much as ruffling a feather.
They come, the raven told me. You must run, head toward the north.
I glanced at Tyr. It was clear he’d heard the bird, too. “Let’s go,” he said.
“But we have to wait for Fen and Sam!” I cried. “We have to go together.”
There is no time. If you do not make it to the stronghold, there is a chance the Norns will take you. They know that. They are hoping you wait.
The air around us vibrated.
It was an ominous sign of what was to come. The Norns were going to appear just like Huggie, and then all hell was going to break loose.
Fen shouted, “Go, Phoebe! We will be right behind you.”
Tyr nodded his agreement, and we both took off. He muttered something under his breath, and the two spears I’d held on the boat whizzed by us, both landing in his single outstretched hand. He turned and grinned. “Not always as spectacular as Thor’s hammer, but then, I have more to choose from than the god of thunder. The god of war must have many weapons. The god of thunder has only one.”
He handed me one of the spears.
I took hold of it reluctantly. “I think you can wield this in your left hand a lot better than I can use it in my right. You might be better off keeping it.”
He shook his head. “I will call for another if necessary. If the Norns take you, use it on them. It won’t have a lasting effect, but will help until we can get to you.”
“That’s reassuring.” As we ran, Huggie circled above us. The ground began to shake, just like the air. “I don’t think we’re going to make it. I don’t see anything for miles and miles. What are we supposed to be running toward?”
Before Tyr could answer, there was a huge boom, a thunderclap mixed with an explosion. We skidded to a halt and turned to look.
I spotted Verdandi first.
She wasn’t hard to miss. Her dress was the same putrid gray as her skin, her face enraged, as usual. Once the dust settled, her two sisters came into view. Urd still had on the ridiculous witch’s hat, and Skuld looked as beautiful as ever. The strange bird circled twice before landing on her shoulder. The difference between the two of them was stark—the bird appearing half dead and losing feathers, and Skuld looking like a Disney princess.
Skuld came forward first, a bright smile on her face as she wrapped a single finger through her long, blonde hair and twirled. “You can put those things away.” She pointed at the spears. “You won’t be needing them.”
“I will put nothing away,” Tyr said, his tone absolute.
“Such a nice big brother,” Skuld baited in a singsong voice. “It’s very noble of you to spend your entire life searching for your pet wolf and little sister.”
“Enough of this!” Verdandi stalked forward. “We take the evil spawn and leave here, as planned.”
Skuld sighed, turning to her. “That was our plan. But I told you it wasn’t going to work if we weren’t on time. If we’d arrived exactly four-point-seven minutes ago, we would’ve had a chance. But when the wolf jumped into the water, the future was altered in favor of the girl, not us.”
“You are not always correct, dear sister,” Urd interjected. “The past is proof of that. I see it clearly. Things could yet change.”
I watched, openmouthed, as they continued to bicker, each debating their own merits at predicting what would happen. As they conversed, Fen and Sam came over the top of the rocks. Fen held out his arm to stop Sam from nearing the fray, and I was grateful.
Without glancing behind her, Skuld purred, “It’s nice to see you again, wolf. You’re looking yummy as ever.”
My hackles went up immediately. Her tone had been intimate.
“No need to look at me like that, child,” she told me. “His heart is not for sale.” Then she tipped her head back and cackled with mirth. “But I don’t usually pay for anything. I’m a take-what-I-want kind of girl.”
Verdandi stomped forward, obviously fed up with this conversation. “You will come with us now,” she addressed me, her tone harsh. Her left arm hung a little limply at her side. I wondered if Junnal had had a hand in that.
Did she honestly expect me to say yes?
She was cocky, I’d give her that.
Before I had a chance to shoot her down properly, a strange sound hit the air, a cross between a hum and an amp buzzing too loudly. Both Tyr and I turned to see the air shake behind us. There was no other word for it.
Slowly, figures and shapes began to emerge, like mirages solidifying before our eyes.
I heard a familiar voice before I saw its owner. “She won’t be coming with you now, or at any point, hag,” Ingrid announced. “She’s home now, and we will protect her to the death.”
“Ingrid!” I shrieked as I ran toward her.
She held out her arms, grabbing me up in a big bear hug. “Phoebe, we were getting worried you wouldn’t show! If it wasn’t for Huggie telling us to be patient, we would’ve stormed the realms searching for you. You gave me a huge scare when you got carried off, but I knew you’d prevail. You’ve always been strong.”
Huggie cawed his agreement above us.
“It feels like I’ve been gone for months,” I said through happy tears. “I’m so happy to see…all of you.” As I eased out of her arms, I appraised the women lined up in formation behind her. They were all dressed alike in white tunics and breastplates, each of them clutching an evil-looking weapon, ranging from axes to swords.
They were the fiercest group of ladies I’d ever seen.
My heart swelled with pride, and a familiar feeling rippled through me
. I knew I was home. For now anyway.
“It matters not that the Valkyries have arrived,” Verdandi sneered, her tone ragged and hateful. “We will take you all down.”
A fierce growl erupted behind her.
Fen had changed into a wolf, and he stalked toward her menacingly, his black fur flying and brilliant in the sunshine.
Skuld began to laugh. “Now this is a party! Honestly, we should do this more often, don’t you think?” She glanced between her sisters. “It’s nice to get out of our cave once in a while. It’s so dingy down there.”
Verdandi was visibly apoplectic.
Her body shook as her fists clenched. “You will not succeed in evading us. We will not allow you to change the fabric of our world. It is unthinkable!”
I stepped forward, feeling bolstered by my backup. “That might be true, but when you come for me next time, I’ll be ready.”
Verdandi’s mouth went up cruelly on the side. She took a step forward. Fen growled at the same time that Huggie cawed above us. “You won’t win. No one escapes us. We see all.”
“I’ve already evaded you”—I held up two fingers—“twice. The first time we met, I was green. This time, I have backup. The next time, I’ll be strong and ready to fight.”
Urd made a choking noise, and Skuld kicked at the ground in front of her, her bird squawking agitatedly on her shoulder. “Well,” Skuld mused in a mock lighthearted tone, “it’s time to go, Verdi. We will scry more. But, you’re right. She will not escape us.” Skuld pinned her gaze on me, and her visage shifted for a single, awful second.
I stumbled backward, my stomach heaving.
What was hidden behind her glamour shocked me. Her skin was peeling, she was missing an eye, and I was fairly certain her teeth were pointed. There were bones protruding from her cheeks, and her complexion had been blood red.
I shuddered while trying to catch my breath.
She made Verdandi look like the beauty queen.
In that instance, I knew Skuld was my real enemy. She was the one who was behind Fen being sent away. She was the one who would see my future. She was the one responsible for the horror and torture meted out by the Norns. Verdandi was evil, but Skuld was the mastermind.
Struck: (Phoebe Meadows Book 1) Page 26