by Linsey Hall
“Yep. Because getting killed on the way would be a bummer,” I said.
Roarke nodded. “Agreed.”
I turned to the rune stones. “We are headed west, toward a mountain.” It was all I knew, and I hoped it was enough. “What dangers face us, and how can we avoid them?”
Magic sparked on the air as the stone glowed with faint light. Runes carved themselves into the stone, unreadable but amazing all the same.
Eirik directed his mount to the stone, gazing up at the writing. “You must head south, avoid the Jötunn. Do not let them find you as you follow the white hare to the mountain beyond. Do not deviate from the hare’s path.”
“Jötunn are giants, aren’t they?” Del asked.
“They are. Like us, they have a section of earthly land in this forest. They like to hunt there. They would not be opposed to eating you.” His brows lowered. “Should they find you, you will not win. The giants can defeat even us. Avoid their notice. Though one tip—their vision is not good.”
“Can we transport through this area?” Ares asked.
“You can, but only if you want to risk getting lost. This is the gods’ land now. Like us, they do not appreciate people appearing out of the blue.”
Ares nodded. “Thank you for your help.”
He inclined his head. “Fate be with you. And the reindeer must come with me.”
Dang. I climbed down off the reindeer and patted his head, feeling guilty about my reindeer that’d gone feral. “The reindeer that ran off. Will he be okay?”
Eirik nodded. “He is one with the forest now. He’ll be happy.”
Whew. Eirik departed, the reindeer following along docile.
I turned to my friends. “How about some snowshoes?”
“Good idea.” Del pulled her foot out of the snow, which reached above her ankle.
I conjured snowshoes and handed them off to the group, then sat and strapped mine onto my boots. When I stood, it was much easier to walk. We set off through the forest, going south around the Jötunn’s territory.
We walked in silence, keeping our ears perked for any kind noise that might indicate a giant was nearby. Birds twittered in the trees, snowy white things that looked like snowballs perched on the branches. As we walked, the sun crept across the sky. At best, we only had a few hours left of daylight.
“I’m not sure how much farther west we should go,” I said. “It’s easy to follow my sense directly, but deviating is difficult.”
Ares pointed ahead of us. “What about that?”
I looked, catching sight of a white hare waiting patiently for us. “Our guide.”
The animal didn’t speak—though it wouldn’t have surprised me if it did—but it watched us until we’d all looked at it, then turned and hopped off through the forest. We followed, hurrying after the small animal.
A half hour later, thunder shook the air. I looked up. “There are no clouds.”
“Shh.” Ares held a finger to his lips.
I stiffened, looking around. Beneath me, the ground trembled. If I’d had a cup of water, ripples would be forming on the surface.
“Giants,” Ares mouthed.
I spun, searching the terrain. There was nowhere to hide, just tall trees and endless snow. But the ground shook harder. The thunder boomed again, and I realized it was a shout, not thunder.
“We have to hide,” Del whispered.
She was right. We couldn’t outrun him. And I believed Eirik when he’d said we could not fight him. But where to hide?
“His vision is bad,” Ares whispered.
That was it. Just like a T-Rex. I gestured for them to follow me to the base of a large tree. I lay down and they followed, all of us pressed up against each other. I conjured a big white tarp and laid it on top of us, then whispered to Del, “Can you cover us with snow?”
Del nodded, her magic flaring, and used her ice power to create a thin layer of snow that weighted our blanket down.
My heart thundered as we waited, our breath held. Could the giant hear my heartbeat? It was so loud it sounded like a beating drum. The ground shook with every footfall. Ares squeezed my hand.
I felt like that kid in Jurassic Park, frozen and terrified, waiting to see if the T-Rex would spot him moving.
Soon, the footsteps were so close that it felt like my organs were vibrating.
Please don’t step on us.
I prayed that he wouldn’t come so close to the base of the tree, but would stick to the open snow where it was easier to walk. Loud, low voices sounded, booming like foghorns.
Two giants, talking. But I couldn’t understand them.
I held stiff as a board, trying not to breathe loudly as my mind raced with ideas about what would happen if we were discovered. Eaten? Stepped upon? Kept as pets for giants?
I shivered.
The giants stepped closer, their footfalls shaking the ground. Panic swelled in my chest. They were too close! And getting closer.
Shit, shit, shit.
This wasn’t going to work.
Frantic, my mind scrambled for ideas. Maybe the trees could help us. But how? I envisioned them, tall and covered in thick pine needles and large pinecones.
I reached out to the forest, trying to feel the trees’ life signatures. I’d never done anything quite like this, but it was our last shot. Slowly, they came online, appearing out of the darkness of my mind.
I crossed my fingers as I called out to a tree that was about fifty meters away. It was covered heavily in pine cones—how I knew that, I had no idea. Maybe because pinecones were new life and I could sense that? Whatever. I wasn’t going to look gift magic in the mouth. I reached for the tree’s life magic, focusing on the pinecones and commanding them to fly off the tree towards us, hoping to hit the giants who were nearby.
A tense moment passed, then two. Finally, the tree heeded my commands, hurling its pinecones at the Jötunn. One of them roared, a sound of surprise that shook the snow around us. I held my breath as I waited to see what they would do.
Their footsteps thundered away as I’d hope, no doubt in search of the assailant. We lay in silence for a few minutes, listening to the Jötunn retreat.
“I think we’re safe,” Ares whispered.
I nodded, then tugged down on the tarp to peek out. Cold snow sneaked beneath it, chilling my skin. I shivered and popped my head out of the snow. Massive footprints led away from us, and in the distance I could see enormous figures running in the other direction, perhaps thinking that they pursued their attackers.
When they disappeared, I pulled the tarp away. “We’re good.”
Del stood and shook the snow from her head. “What the heck happened?”
“I asked a tree to chuck some pinecones at them.” The pinecones in question were scattered all over the ground. “Looks like it worked.”
“Amazing.” Del shook her head.
“Quick thinking,” Ares said. “Did you know you could do that.”
“Nope. Just figuring it out as I go along.” I grinned. “Pretty cool though.”
“More than cool.” Ares turned to inspect the forest, his gaze landing on the white hare that waited in the distance, watching us quietly. “Let’s go.”
We set off through the forest, following the hare. We saw no more giants, finally reaching a mountain that rose steeply into the sky. The hare gave us one last look, then hopped away.
“Looks like we’re in for a hike,” I said. “But we’re close. I can feel it.”
“We’ve got two hours till dark,” Ares said.
“I think we can do it.” The mountain was high, but not that high. The incline would be a problem though. My stomach grumbled. “Let’s eat quickly, then get a move on.”
We pulled off the packs the elves had given us and chowed down on the sandwiches inside. Warmth and strength flowed through me.
Bolstered, we started to climb, quickly discarding our snowshoes. I used a bit of my destroyer magic to make them disappear, then step
ped back and dusted off my hands. “There, no littering.”
“You’re getting good at that.”
“Practice makes perfect. Though it still feels kinda gross to use that magic.” The nice warmth the food had put in my belly had been replaced with a light queasiness. No doubt using that magic would always make me feel kinda crappy.
I conjured crampons, and we strapped them on. The metal spikes made it easier to ascend the mountain, and soon we were panting with exertion. My chest heaved as I put one foot in front of the other, determined to reach the top before nightfall. We went in a line, Ares leading the way. The sun was on the far side of the sky now, sinking toward the horizon.
“An hour till dark,” Ares said.
I looked up, barely able to see the peak at the top through the white clouds that drifted around it. It looked like Mount Olympus. Nope, wrong mythology. That one was way farther south and way less cold.
I sucked in a ragged breath and quickened my pace, trying to keep up with Ares. As we neared the top, magic sparked on the air. My heartbeat thudded in my ears.
Were the dragons here? I was leading us toward answers, and that was all I knew. Maybe the dragons were actually here.
“Look.” Ares pointed ahead.
I squinted into the distance. We were basically at the top, and about a hundred meters away sat a dark, spired building. I hurried toward it, getting a better look as we neared.
The building was a moderate size, made of very dark wood with steep, multi-level roofs that terminated at a delicate spire that reached into the clouds. Intricate carvings covered the walls. It was gorgeous.
“It’s a stave church,” Del said. “Those are a thousand years old.”
“And they’re still standing?” I asked.
She nodded. “There are twenty-eight known stave churches in Norway, all of them built around 1000 AD.”
“I’d bet this one makes twenty-nine,” Ares said.
“Yeah,” Del said. “This one isn’t normal. It has three doors, for one.”
Each was surrounded by carved trim, so intricate and delicate that it boggled the mind.
“Let’s approach.” I stepped forward slowly, walking quietly toward the door. When I neared the building, I bent over and removed my crampons so that the metal spikes wouldn’t hurt the wooden floor.
“Which door?” Ares asked.
“Middle.” I followed my dragon sense to that door, opening it slowly to reveal the dim interior of the church. The wood was dark in here as well, no bright paintings or stained glass like you’d find in other churches. It was beautiful all the same, with its ornate wooden carvings and the history steeped in the walls.
Magic filled the space, a signature I’d never encountered before. It was neither sound, smell, taste, sight, nor physical feeling. But rather a sense of ancientness and gravity. Though I often felt that at historical sites, this was something more.
I entered the dimly lit interior, followed by my friends. Ares used his magic to illuminate the room. The glow lit the space, revealing the carved statue of a woman in the middle. She looked fierce, her body armored and her hands clutching a sword that stood in front of her, tip pointing toward the ground.
“That’s gotta be important,” Del said.
“Yep.” I walked slowly toward the statue, Del at my side. Ares and Roarke followed behind, giving us space.
The woman gazed ahead, her wooden expression impassive. Her shield bore a carved handprint.
Del reached up and laid her hand against it. Nothing happened. She withdrew. “You try.”
I touched the handprint, laying my palm flat against the wood. Magic sparked up my arm, electricity that set me alive. The wood beneath my palm vibrated. Gasping, I jerked my hand away and stepped back.
Ares and Roarke stepped forward as if to defend us, but I threw out my arm to stop them.
A ghost stepped out of the statute, semi-transparent but in full color. A woman. Wings flared off her back, and she relaxed her arm to hold her sword at her side. The light from Ares’s palms glowed off her golden hair and silver armor.
Hang on…
Wings, armor, sword, super warrior woman. Was she a Valkyrie?
Chapter Ten
The Valkyrie’s gaze landed on me.
“Finally, you have arrived.” Power resonated in her voice.
I glanced at my friends, which was dumb, because obviously she was speaking to me. But it was entirely disconcerting to have that much power focused solely in my direction. “Yes. I’m seeking answers about how to save the dragons from Drakon.”
She smiled and inclined her head. “You have come to the correct place. I am Hildr. I have been waiting to deliver my message to you for a thousand years.”
“Wow.” Immediately, I wanted to take back the inane statement. But really. Wow.
“Wow, indeed.” Hildr smiled. “To save the dragons, you must first understand their true nature. Do you think that you do?”
“No. Not even close.”
“But you are a FireSoul.”
“I know. But I don’t know how I became one or what it means.” None of the FireSouls that I’d ever met understood. All of the other magical powers were inherited traits. Not being a FireSoul. But no one knew why. “And all I know about dragons is that they are fierce, huge warriors.”
Hildr looked at my friends. “Do you know anything about the nature of dragons?”
They, too, shook their heads.
She smiled, almost sad. “How the world has changed. We understood, in my time. But it has been a thousand years. I have watched the world from Valhalla. Watched as the dragons went underground and the world forgot them. Now their legend is lost to time. They’ve become mythical beasts, but their true nature—the most important thing about them—is buried in the mists of the past. But it is more disappointing than I realized.”
I wanted to apologize, but I couldn’t speak for the world. “What happened to them?”
“Who happened to them, is what you should ask. And why.” Her gaze turned distant. “Long ago, dragons flew freely. Humans could not see them, for they were made of pure magic, but supernaturals could. There were many. Dozens, all over the world, flying through the sky, as big as the great hall at Valhalla. Their magic covered the world. It fueled the rest of the supernaturals, giving us our strength.”
“What do you mean?”
Her voice lowered, carrying power with it. “‘For all the magic of the world is housed within the dragons.’” She blinked, as if coming out of a trance. “That was part of the prophecy that you learned, but it had been lost long ago.”
“Are you saying that all supernaturals’ magic comes from dragons?” Ares asked.
“I am. Not just the magic of FireSouls, but the magic of mages, weres, vampires, and the fae. Everything came from the dragons. They are the source of our magic, sharing it with us so that we may be more than human.”
“How do we not know that?” That was huge. “Most people think that magic is innate. It exists, just like hydrogen or gold.”
“We Valkyrie have hidden that information. It is too dangerous to be in the hands of the greedy. As our story will now prove. A thousand years ago, during my time, a great evil rose. A man, an ancient immortal who wanted all of the world’s magic for himself.”
I shivered. “Drakon. He really is ancient.”
“Yes. He hunted the dragons for centuries, learning about them and creating his plan. Six hundred years ago, after much practice, his power came to full strength. He found a way to steal the magic from the dragons. And he succeeded, in part, killing many of them and taking their power.”
Bastard. “That’s why he looks like a shadow dragon.”
“Yes. He was so successful that it became clear he would stamp out all the dragons in the world. And if he succeeded in that, then every supernatural on Earth would lose their power, because Drakon would not share.”
“Oh, shit.” Losing your magic was almost a fate worse t
han death. It felt like someone had stolen your soul. Suddenly, there was so much more at stake. Not just the dragons, but the soul of every supernatural on Earth. “What happened?”
“The Valkyries—my sisters and I—put a spell on the last living dragons, hiding them. Buying them time to recoup their strength. Dragons are a communal society, you see. With so many of their brethren dead, they were weaker. Too weak to fight Drakon and recover what he had stolen from them.”
“The magic of their brethren?”
“Yes. Though their kin were gone, they could not let Drakon keep their magic. However, they were too weak to fight. So the Valkyrie hid them, concealing them with a spell while they slept. But before they went to their slumber, the dragons each imparted a piece of their soul to special individuals throughout the world. They chose the bravest and the most honorable. It was their way of keeping their magic alive and active.”
“Oh my gosh—” My jaw dropped. I snapped it shut. “Do you mean us? Is that how FireSouls were created?”
“Yes. The FireSouls keep the dragons’ spirits alive—their magic alive—while they sleep. They are the dragons’ tether to the world.”
“Then if all the FireSouls die, so do the dragons,” I said.
“Yes. That is why there are many of you, though not as many as there once were. But three of you are the most important.”
“The Triumvirate.”
“Yes.”
“The dragons have been gone almost five hundred years. But I’m a fraction that old. How did they give me their soul hundreds of years after they went to sleep?”
“You are reincarnated, as all FireSouls are. Your soul has been joined to a dragon’s for hundreds of years.”
My legs weakened. Wow. I’d had no idea I was a reincarnate. They were rare. “So Drakon is seeking the last of the dragons to steal their power.”
“Yes. It’s taken him centuries to track them down and find them. And to find how to take the last of their power. The remaining three dragons are the strongest that ever lived. He needed time to find them.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. “How do I save them?”
“You must stop him from stealing their power. He is not a FireSoul who can steal magic, so he must use a complex spell. If it is the same one that he used before—which it likely is—then it is the Encapsulata Theiva curse. It takes great strength and great sacrifice.”