by Brenda Drake
He removed his keys and summoned Jölnir. “Kyle!”
“Someone threw a brick through the window,” he answered. “I think it’s a calling card. Our guests should arrive shortly.”
Blake shook his head. “He believes he’s funny.” He took Stevie’s hand and led her to the living room.
Saga stood facing the broken window, her tail sticking straight out. She looked bigger than she had earlier. Was she growing with the threat? Or was it because one of her brothers were near? Blake wasn’t sure, but they could use the extra strength.
“Good girl.” He reached his hand out to her. She nudged it briefly and then returned her stare to the broken window. “Everyone, get in the middle of the room,” Blake said.
“Why?” Kyle held his stave ready. “So we’ll make an easy target?”
“Trust me.”
Kyle moved to Blake’s side. “When someone asks that, I wonder if they’re trustworthy.”
“I don’t think we have any option but to trust him at this point,” May said and wrapped her arm around Stevie’s back. “You okay, dear?”
“I’m good.” The look in Stevie’s eyes crushed Blake. He wanted to take the fear away from her. Which reminded him of the poison.
Blake glanced around for Járnsaxa. “Where’s your mother?”
“Mother!” Kyle hollered. There was no response. “The last I saw her, she was with you in the kitchen.”
“She was heading in here,” Blake said.
Kyle’s jaw tightened. “Looks like she bailed after giving you the poison. Some mother. Can’t trust a Jötunn. They have fierce survival instincts. Which is half my problem.”
“All right, crowd together. I don’t want to fry anyone.” Blake patted his knee. “Come here, girl.”
Saga abandoned her guard on the window and trotted to Blake. Everyone moved close together.
“What are we doing?” Stevie’s voice quivered.
“I’m going to shield us. Just move with me to the Suburban.” He gripped the handle of Jölnir. Thor had taught him many things, but he hadn’t practiced most of them.
He placed his hammer to the floor and concentrated on drawing on the electricity in the house. A flash blinded him and a spark hit him, tossing him back against the couch. The legs broke and the seat slammed against the floor.
Dazed he looked up. Stevie and May were on the floor, Kyle was against the wall, and Saga was back on guard at the window.
“Neat trick,” Kyle droned and nodded at the window. “See there. Dökkálfar. A lot of them. You get one more chance.”
“What is a Doka something?” Stevie rolled to her knees.
“Dark elves,” Kyle said.
Scrambling across the carpet, Blake joined the rest gathering again in the middle of the room, a little dazed but ready. Saga scampered over to them.
“You got this, bro.” Kyle winked.
Blake touched Jölnir to the floor again and pulled the electricity from every available socket. Lamps flew off the tables. The flat screen went bright before the screen exploded. He raised the hammer above his head. Heat rushed through his hand and down his arm. When he spun his hammer, bolts of electricity swirled and crackled around them, shielding the group from the outside world.
“Okay move with me!” he yelled above the noise.
Kyle shuffled toward the door beside him. “We should’ve opened the door beforehand. This is so going to go poorly.”
“Trust, brother.” Blake clenched his teeth against the pain growing in his arms. The electric hurricane busted through the door and surrounding wall.
“Sorry about your house,” he said, looking over at Kyle.
Kyle shrugged. “I won’t be here long.”
“Oh crap,” Stevie cried. “What are they?”
Blake and Kyle glanced at where her eyes were fixed.
“Trolls,” Kyle said. “You never ever want to get caught by them. They can crush your bones.”
Blake elbowed him. “Did you have to say that to her?”
Stevie sidestepped after them with May clinging to her arm, almost dragging her along. Saga stayed close to Stevie’s other side.
“Stevie!” May yelled.
Blake stopped and darted a look over his shoulder. Stevie wasn’t moving, her mouth dropped open and her eyes wide as she stared at the creatures swarming around them. The electric shield only inches from her. If only she had gotten to take that potion. All of this was too much for a mortal mind to accommodate in a few short hours. May had had years to acclimate.
May pulled her forward. “You can’t stop. Blake said to keep going. Don’t look at them.”
“Too late,” Stevie said, dropping her gaze and watching her feet.
With dark elves around, Loki couldn’t be much farther away. The devilish, pointy-eared creatures wearing battle gear were allies with his uncle. Pale and sickly looking, they dwelled in the darkness. It was said the elves trained their young to be warriors as soon as they could walk. They taught them to kill without remorse. Machines that, once released, wouldn’t stop until their foes were destroyed, leaving no survivors.
The elves rushed the electric shield, the shock blowing their smoking bodies backward. It took a dozen or so frying against the shield for the others to realize the danger. Blake knew he had to douse the charge surrounding them before reaching the Suburban or he’d blow the vehicle up.
He stopped a few feet from the Suburban and slowly turned until he was between the elves and the others. He looked at Kyle. “I have to lower the shield. Get ready for an attack.” He then called over his shoulder to Stevie and May, “Once the charge is gone, get in the vehicle. Lock all doors, but this back one.”
Stevie nodded with terror in her eyes.
“Okay,” May said, her keys readied in her hand.
Kyle glanced down at Saga. “Stick with me. Let’s do this, Blake.”
Blake lowered his hammer.
áttján
The heat coming off the shield was intense. Colorful bolts of lightning wrapped around them. Blake’s arm shook under the power running through his hammer.
Don’t look at them. They’re not real. This isn’t real.
Stevie kept her eyes on her feet. If she looked at those creatures again, she was sure she’d die on the spot.
“I have to lower the shield. Get ready for an attack.” Blake’s voice was tight as he looked over his shoulder over at them. “Remember, once the shield is down you need to jump into the car, and lock all but the back door.”
He lowered his hammer and the electric bolts hit the ground, going dark. A few sparks snapped at the air around Stevie, and she avoided them as she dashed into the passenger seat of the Suburban. May ran around the hood and scrambled into the driver’s seat. She inserted the keys and turned the ignition. The Suburban roared to life.
Panting, Stevie stared out the window. Kyle and Blake fought off the elves as they backed up to the backseat door. Blake hit the elves with bolts of lightning while Kyle stabbed or hit them with his pronged spear. Saga tore at the creatures with her sharp teeth.
“Get inside, girl,” Blake ordered Saga, and she jumped onto the backseat. The Suburban shook with her weight as she climbed into the cargo area.
Blake and Kyle were vastly outnumbered but made it into the Suburban, slamming the door before several of the elves rammed the SUV, almost tilting it onto its side.
“Go!” Kyle yelled.
May gunned it. The tires grinded down the tiny, gravel road. She must’ve been going a hundred miles an hour. The Suburban fishtailed, and she righted it. “Are they behind us?”
Blake and Kyle turned and watched out the back window.
“I don’t see them,” Kyle said. “But they can’t be far behind.”
No one talked on the drive to Golden Gardens Park. The only noise in the car was their heavy breathing and Saga’s panting. Stevie wringed her hands resting on her lap. Blake covered them with his.
She looked at him, a
nd he held her stare. There was nothing to say. What would someone say in this situation? The fear was so thick in her throat that if there was something, she wouldn’t be able to speak, anyway.
“They’ll follow us to the ritual circle. Especially once you start the ritual.” May stopped the Suburban and passed the envelope with Jules’s note inside to Blake. “Get out. Head down that trail there.” She pointed through some tangled trees. “I’m going to lead those things on a wild goose chase.”
“No you’re not,” Stevie snapped. “They’ll kill you.”
Blake reached over the backseat and dragged his duffle bag beside him. He rifled around the inside and pulled out a satin, drawstring bag.
“I have a full tank of gas,” she said. “I won’t stop until I’m in Seattle. They won’t leave Ballard. Jules had mentioned once that the creatures from Yggdrasil could feel the magic surrounding a ritual circle. The farther I get from it, the more likely they’ll turn back. Now, go, before they gain on me.”
Kyle popped open his door. “She’s right. My Jötunn blood is on fire right now. The ritual circle is near and calling to me.”
Stevie leaned over and kissed May’s cheek. “Please be careful.”
“Me?” Tears filled May’s eyes. “You stay alive. You hear?”
“I promise.” Stevie swallowed back her tears and hurried out. Blake caught her hand and ran with her, Kyle leading the way. Saga was on their heels. A light on Kyle’s spear illuminated the root-raised path. Saga passed them, then Kyle. The contents in the bag Blake carried clunked together with each landing of his foot.
Dark shadows strangled the trees. The air turned briny, and the constant hum of waves hitting the beach grew louder the closer they came to the bay. Stevie broke through the trees beside Blake. About a few yards ahead of them, Kyle and Saga ran down the beach passing the bathhouse.
Stevie pulled her hand free from Blake’s grip and stopped. “I need a break. I’m not a god, you know.” She bent over and held her side, trying to stop the pain there.
“All right. Just a few minutes,” Blake said.
“I can’t do this,” she said between breaths.
Blake brushed the fallen hair from her face with gentle fingers. “You can do this. I won’t leave your side.”
“I’ve got your back, too,” Kyle said. He and Saga must’ve doubled back to them. “But seriously, we don’t have much time. The creatures of the nine worlds will figure out it’s only May in that puppy wagon soon. They’ll be on us like vultures on a carcass.”
Stevie glared up at him. “You really have a way with words. Anyone ever tell you that?”
“Attagirl,” Kyle said. “We need all the feistiness we can get, and you might want to throw some anger in there, too. Now get your weak-hearted ass moving or we’re all going to die.”
Stevie had nothing whatsoever to say to that. She was stunned. And he was right. Sucking in a breath, she straightened, then released it.
“You don’t have to be mean,” Blake said.
“She knows I’m not being mean. Just truthful.” Kyle winked at her and started down the beach.
Blake turned to her. “Can you move?”
“Yes. I’m fine.” Stevie continued after Kyle, Blake slowing his pace to stay with her. A rush of water rolled over her feet. A chorus of wails sounded from the bay. “Are those whales?” she asked.
Kyle stopped and called over his shoulder, “Leeches.”
Her eyes were frozen on the dark figures in the water. “What are leeches?”
“Stevie,” Blake said, pulling her attention back to him. “See that patch of trees at the end of the beach? The two trees with burn scars?”
“Yes.” Why weren’t they answering her question?
“I want you to run for them and don’t stop,” he said. “No matter what happens, keep going.” He handed her the satin bag and Jules’s note. “There’s a ritual circle just beyond the marked trees in a clearing. You have to perform the ritual on this note to break your bond with the horn or you’ll die. You understand?”
“Yes, but—”
Another wail cut her off.
She grabbed Blake’s arm. “What is a leech?”
Kyle answered, “They’re creatures as long as a submarine with razor teeth. They look like big leeches or worms.”
“Now hurry to the woods,” Blake said, giving her a slight push in the direction he wanted her to run. “Saga, go with her.”
Stevie ran as fast as her heart would allow. Saga kept circling her, so the wolf wouldn’t get too far ahead. Stevie’s Converse sunk into the sand, making her steps hard and labored. Lightning shot up into the sky. Once she made it to the two marked trees, she turned.
Three towering wormlike bodies stuck out the surface of the water. Blake slammed his hammer against one’s head. The leech didn’t have eyes or a nose, just a large mouth with rows and rows of sharp teeth. She couldn’t move, wanting to scream but nothing came out.
Kyle stabbed his spear into one of the leech’s side and used it to pull himself up onto its back. He yanked out the spear and stabbed the leech through the top of its head.
Saga nudged Stevie’s leg to urge her to continue.
Her heart was heavy in her chest, watching Blake. She glanced up to the now dark sky and held the horn charm in her hand. Only a few stars could be seen through the swirling clouds. Please keep him safe.
“Okay. I’m going.” Stevie patted the wolf’s head and gave Blake one last look before ducking into the darkness between the trees. She stuffed the envelope into her back pocket and tugged her phone out from the other one. She turned on the flashlight function.
Thinking about the circle made her feel like a witch’s nails were running down her spine. She shuddered and stepped over a fallen tree. Saga’s ears twitched as if she was picking up a noise.
“What is it, girl?” Stevie wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She just wanted out of there. But she moved forward. The horn was killing her—wearing out her heart.
The path led to a clearing. Her feet sunk into the long grass. A ways in, rocks buried into the ground formed a circle. The clouds passed over the full moon directly overhead and the sky brightened. She didn’t need the light on her phone now that she was out of the trees, but she didn’t turn it off. It gave her a sense of security for some reason.
It had to be midnight by the position of the moon. She reached for the envelope but stopped when the shadows under the trees in front of her moved.
Run. No. I have to do this ritual.
It couldn’t be Blake or Kyle. They were behind her, so they wouldn’t come from that direction. She wanted to call out and ask who it was, but that never worked for anyone in the movies.
Saga took off for the trees.
“Saga,” Stevie hissed, barely audible. “Come back.” It was too late. Saga disappeared into the darkness.
A yelp came from somewhere in the woods. No! Saga. Oh, please be okay.
Stevie turned off the light on her phone and backed up until the shadows cloaked her. She squatted onto the back of her heels and waited. A pain hit her chest and she gasped until it subsided.
Okay, heart. Hang on. Just a little longer.
A stick snapped across the clearing from her. She glanced behind her, hoping to see Blake and Kyle coming for her, but there was no one there.
“I know you are here, Stevie.”
Loki.
It was a trick. He might know she was there but he didn’t know where she was hiding. She stayed rooted to her spot, watching, waiting for him to appear. More sticks snapped and leaves crunched under his boots as he came into the clearing.
“It’s all a lie, Stevie,” he said, walking along the circle. “You can’t remove the bond to the horn. Come with me, and you will save all nine worlds. Your last visions will be that of wonder. Of places you only dreamed about, more beautiful than any depicted in your comics.”
He came nearer to where she was hiding, and she held her breath
. When he had passed, she released it.
He didn’t see me.
She searched the ground for a weapon. Her fingertips grazing a rock, she picked it up. His next pass, she decided to attack him. Saga was hurt somewhere and needed her. While she waited, she ran the moves from self-defense class through her head.
He came closer and fear hit her. Adrenaline shot through her body.
You can do this.
She popped up, holding the rock to her side. “What did you do to Saga?”
“There you are.” The expression on his face was twisted and sinister looking. “I didn’t hurt her. Just put her down for a nap. I think I’ll keep her, since her brother was killed at the pool. Such a shame. He would have been fierce when fully grown.”
“If I go with you, you’ll call off the creatures and not hurt Blake or Kyle?”
“Silly girl, did you think this was a negotiation?” He did that annoying measured step thing again. “I have no control over the creatures. They want the horn. We all want the horn. Which means we need you to carry it to our worlds to ignite its powers.”
Stevie gripped the rock tighter the closer he came. She had to keep him distracted. Get angry. A rage flurried inside her, and the horn charm heated against her chest. “I thought you were a great and powerful god. You can’t stop a few leeches and elves? I’m so disappointed. You were always my favorite character in my comics.”
He laughed and the ominous tone sent chills across her skin. “I like your spunk, Stevie Moon. It will be a shame to watch you die. Now, stop trying to stall the inevitable. Shall we be on our way? I have pressing matters. Dethroning my brother. Taking over Asgard. All in a day’s work.”
“Well, since you have plans, don’t let me keep you from them.” The heat coming from the horn traveled down her arm.
He smirked. “You have wit, I’ll give you that.”
A howl came from the woods. Saga.
“See, she’s up now.” One more step was all she needed to be in range. But he had stopped. His eyes sparking as they traveled across her. “Blake is most certainly his father’s son. Both fall easily in love with mortals. I don’t get the appeal. You’re weak and fragile.”