Truth or Death

by Sara C. Roethle

  Loki looked to Faas, who’d been standing silently by. “Care to excuse us?”

  “He can be trusted,” Mikael and I said in unison.

  Loki turned back to us. “I hardly know him. I don’t know that he will keep his mouth shut when Odin tortures him. Do you want to know my plan or not?”

  I turned to Faas. “Sorry, he has a point.”

  Faas glared at Loki, but finally turned and walked away.

  Loki waited until he was well out of sight before speaking. “I’ve personally been focused on why Odin wants Erykah. I believe some interesting things happened to your baby when you faced Hecate at the Well of Urd. Did you by any chance touch the well?”

  My heart gave a nervous patter. “I might have fallen headfirst into it. Not all the way in though.”

  Mikael watched our conversation quietly. He already knew the story, though he’d technically been dead at the time. At least in one timeline.

  Loki stroked his chin in thought. “I think we’re all aware your child is no normal child, and I don’t think it’s just because of you.” He looked at me pointedly. “You may be an anomaly, but your child is mortal, sired by a common Vaettir.”

  I watched him warily. “Something tells me there’s a but coming.”

  “How very astute of you,” he said sarcastically. “Part of your gift is to absorb energy. The gifts of the Vaettir are usually passed down from the mother’s side, so it would stand to reason Erykah would receive this same gift. I think that when you dunked yourself into the Well of Urd, Erykah absorbed that power. She is filled with wild magics, and she may or may not be capable of siphoning even more. I believe your assertations are correct. He wants the child in Asgard, because the magic you cast off is drawn to her. Without her in Asgard, the magic would flow back through all the branches. Just as creatures are drawn here by the Well of Urd, so are the magics you pull into this land drawn to Asgard.”

  I fought the bile climbing up my throat. “So Odin is just letting the magic flow into Asgard, where he can easily gather it for himself. Is he visiting my daughter without us knowing?”

  Loki shook his head. “I do not believe so. He’s not stealing magic directly, he hasn’t even touched her, but I think just her mere presence in Asgard is what’s drawing Yggdrasil’s magic each time a root is severed. Once the magic is in his realm, Odin is able to gather it easily, as he is the ruler of our realm. I believe this to be the true reason why he is using her as leverage over you. He has no interest in keeping her, but your deal requires that she remain in Asgard until your task is done. After that, he would have no use for her.”

  “So she’s basically another Well of Urd,” Mikael cut in. “The well draws power here, so when Madeline pushes it away, it is naturally attracted to Erykah.”

  “Yes,” Loki agreed. “I believe Hecate knows all this, she’s just too proud to tell you everything. Her greatest slight toward Odin was keeping him from the Well of Urd. A magic siphon is what he’s sought all along.”

  “But why?” I asked. “Why does he need to draw so much power?”

  Loki glanced around the surrounding woods, but all remained quiet. “I think in that, Hecate is also correct. The All Father is the most powerful amongst us. There is only one thing he cannot control.”

  “Death,” I finished. “The only thing he can’t control is death. He really is going to try to bring back Frigg.”

  Loki nodded. “Yes, and I think he’s going to use Hecate to do it. He has no other reason for keeping her alive.”

  I looked to Mikael. “And we delivered both her and Erykah on a silver platter.”

  I could feel worry seeping off him, which was rare. He normally kept his emotions tightly guarded. “You can’t send any more magic there, Madeline.”

  “But she can’t hold it all either,” Loki added.

  I looked between the both of them. “So then what do we do?”

  Loki looked in the direction of the root. I couldn’t see it yet, but I could sense it. He looked back to me, then sighed. “You’re going to have to keep all of the magic here. You’ll draw it in, then sever the roots.”

  “But we’ll destroy the earth,” I argued. “If all of the magic is here, ghouls, and who knows what else, will take over.”

  Loki eyed me steadily. “If you don’t do this, Erykah will not survive. Do you honestly believe Odin will allow a magic siphon to live, even after he has what he wants? She could potentially be used against him to drain magic out of Asgard, instead of into it.”

  With his words, a sense of surety overtook me. I looked to Mikael. I had to do this. I knew it was wrong, and unforgivably selfish, but how could I let my child die? It was unthinkable.

  Mikael seemed to think for a moment, then smiled.

  My eyes widened. If he was smiling at a time like this, he’d finally lost it.

  He stepped forward and wrapped me in a hug.

  I stiffened, but didn’t pull away.

  “Madeline,” he said near my ear, “don’t act so appalled. I think you’ve forgotten, you and I are Doyen. We have countless Vaettir under our command.” He stepped back, holding me at arms-length. “This world has been out of balance since Yggdrasil was first destroyed.”

  I shook my head in shock. “So what, we shouldn’t feel bad about making it worse?”

  He patted my shoulder. “I think you forget what you are. Your energy has been reincarnated here many times. Why do you think that is?”

  Loki watched us, his expression calculating. “You think this world was supposed to have magic to begin with, don’t you?”

  Mikael grinned. “Well doesn’t it seem kind of silly for this to be the only realm without magic?”

  Loki laughed. “Clever, very clever. I suppose it’s a possibility. This world has always seemed on the brink of destruction. Perhaps it’s the lack of magic making it so unbalanced.”

  I felt tears building up behind my eyes, a strange mixture of apprehension, and maybe a little bit of relief. I looked up to Mikael. “You don’t care about making the world what it should be, you just want more creatures to kill,” I accused half-heartedly.

  Mikael put an arm around my shoulders and started us forward. “Don’t be silly, Madeline. I would never think like that.” He paused, then added, “That’s just a fringe benefit.”

  Faas reached us, and the four of us continued on toward the root. I could feel it growing nearer, like a golden pulse in my chest. It drew me toward it, just like it did its severed branches. I was a part of its energy after all. I had the same magic. The only reason it didn’t attract the severed ends of the roots was because I pushed all the magic out of them, leaving them inert. If I drew the magic in this time, would the cut root become just like the branches? A way to get back to Yggdrasil’s trunk?

  The golden root came into view through the trees. This one was particularly large, reaching up out of the dark, pine needle-strewn soil. I’d guess it was three times as thick as my torso. Mikael might have a hard time severing it in one blow.

  I stopped walking. Mikael and Loki stopped on either side of me.

  I looked at the root. “What do you think Odin will do when I draw the magic here? What if he hurts Erykah?”

  “He needs Erykah,” Loki consoled. “We’ll just do this one root, then see how he reacts. See if he will confirm our suspicions.”

  I nodded to myself. He wouldn’t hurt Erykah, and for this one little slight, he probably wouldn’t hurt me. He needed us both. But what about Alaric and Sophie?

  Mikael’s hand alighted on my shoulder. “It will be alright. Just do this one, and we will immediately return to Asgard.”

  I nodded again. I could feel Faas like a cool, calm presence at my back. He could drain energy from me if things got out of control and I wasn’t able to release all of the magic into the earth.

  I took a steadying breath, then started walking. In the back of my mind I warned myself to be wary of more elves, but all of my fear and anticipation were weighted
by the task ahead. Even if I wasn’t going to keep the magic in me, I wasn’t meant to hold such large amounts, even for a moment. It could tear me apart.

  Reaching the golden root, I turned back to look at the three men waiting a few paces behind me. My eyes landed on Faas.

  Seeming to comprehend my silent question, he nodded. “I will not allow you to be overcome.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered, then turned back to the root.

  I placed my hands against it, and instantly felt more at home. We were tuned to the same frequency. Cutting the roots was like cutting off a piece of myself.

  I closed my eyes and focused. Soon the bird sounds grew distant. The three living presences at my back became little more than an afterthought. I’d have to be quick. I couldn’t hold the magic for long.

  I inhaled, then pulled the magic into me, siphoning power straight from whatever realm the elves inhabited. I drew in the magic until my skin ached. I could feel tendrils of my hair floating around me, as if caught by the wind, but there was no wind. I drew in the magic until I felt impossibly full. There would still be more magic to siphon from the elven realm, but I’d taken in everything close by on the other side. My stomach revolted, and I felt like I might faint. Somewhere, distantly, I felt another presence within the magic. Like a second heartbeat to mirror my own.

  I stumbled back from the root. My skin was on fire. “Now!” I screamed.

  I dropped to the ground as Mikael and Loki charged past me.

  A hand touched my cheek, then Faas’ voice urged, “You must release it, Madeline. You’re holding it all inside you. Let it go.”

  I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. It felt like the magic wanted to stay inside of me. I writhed onto my belly and dug my fingers into the soil. The damp earth helped clear my head. What I did next felt like an exhale, but it was more. I exhaled all the magic I had absorbed into the earth. It flowed out of me in a torrent, leaving me shaking and crying in its wake.

  “Maddy?” Mikael’s voice questioned from above me.

  I couldn’t quite bring myself to answer.

  I felt Mikael’s hand on my back, at least, I thought it was Mikael’s hand. “Maddy, are you alright?”

  “That,” I rasped, wincing at the aching in my lungs, “sucked.”

  Loki laughed. “How eloquent.” His voice sounded far away, but it was probably just the effect of my shocked brain.

  Hands pulled my shoulders up until I was in a seated position, leaning my back against Faas. Ahead of me was the severed root, no longer glowing. “It worked?” I asked.

  Loki stood before the root, observing it. “I believe it did. Now we better get back to Asgard.”

  I turned my gaze to the massive root end lying near Loki’s feet. “Why doesn’t that have any magic left? If I pulled it all into this realm, it should still be glowing.”

  Loki looked at me over his shoulder, a smirk gracing his thin lips. “You took all the magic, Madeline. You absorbed it completely. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  For some reason, I felt like I wanted to cry. “Did it harm the rest of Yggdrasil?”

  Loki shook his head as he turned and approached us. “No, you but cut off a single pathway. I imagine the branch in the realm from which the elves came has also lost its glow.”

  Mikael rose from my side and offered me his hand. I took it, but could barely stand.

  I leaned heavily against him. “I need a nap.”

  He nodded. “This was worse than all the others, wasn’t it?”

  “Very much so.” I felt like a puddle of goo.

  Loki watched me for a moment, then took the branch from his belt. “I’ll remain with you until Odin comes to find us. Let me deal with him when he does.”

  He moved toward us, then took my hand. “Whatever you do, don’t let on that this was planned. You are but a puny mortal with no control over your magic. This was an accident. Am I clear?”

  “Crystal,” I said as my eyes fluttered closed.

  “Good.” His words were the last thing I heard. It was a good thing Loki could bring us back through Yggdrasil’s trunk himself, because I was officially dead to a world. Dead to all the worlds, as it were.

  4

  I woke with two faces hovering over me, and not the faces I’d expected to see. Loki and Sophie locked gazes over me, Sophie sitting on my bed on my left, and Loki standing at the bed’s edge on my right.

  I sat up. “Where’s Alaric?”

  Sophie scooted back, giving me space. Her long black hair was wet from the shower, framing her delicate, cat-like features. “He’s fine, Maddy, but . . . ”

  “Odin wants to see you,” Loki finished for her.

  I turned to Loki. He’d cleaned the elf blood off himself, but was still in the same clothes from earlier. Good. I hadn’t lost a day. “I thought you said you were going to take care of that?”

  “I tried, now let’s speak nothing more of this.”

  Taking his hint, I climbed out of bed and stood next to him. My limbs felt like they weighed one-hundred pounds each. “Anything else you can tell me?”

  Loki shook his head, “Maybe later.”

  We obviously weren’t safe to talk, so I shut my mouth.

  As Sophie walked across the spartan bedroom toward the door, she explained, “Mikael, Alaric, Faas, and Freyja are with Erykah.” She turned to meet my gaze as she finished, “You can’t go to them now, but she’s safe.”

  I licked my dry lips. I didn’t like how cryptic everyone was being. Just how much trouble were we in?

  Loki gestured for me to walk toward the door. “Sophie will go with you to Odin. I have other things to attend to.”

  I looked to him, hoping he could give me more of a hint than that, but all I was met with were tight lips and apathetic eyes. With a heavy sigh, I marched toward the door. I trusted Alaric and Mikael, and even Freyja, to keep Erykah safe. I was the one that was in hot water now. The sooner I got this over with, the better.

  I walked past Sophie out the door, where she moved to walk by my side down the hall and out through the kitchen of our small cottage. We didn’t see anyone as we passed, but there were other rooms in the house, Alaric and the others could be anywhere. I grabbed a green checkered flannel on the way out, not wanting to face Odin in a tank top.

  Once we were on the cobblestones outside, Sophie took my hand and gave it a squeeze. Our joined hands bumped the blade at her hip. It wasn’t unusual for her to be armed, but something about it gave me pause. If she needed her weapon now, was it unlikely we’d return to the cottage? We walked silently past green hedges and well-kept grass. I didn’t need Sophie’s tense grip to let me know how she was feeling. Tension and worry sang off of her, from the shoulders of her blue silk blouse to the tips of her black heeled boots.

  The closer we got to the estate, the more I began to worry. Would Odin believe that I’d kept the magic on earth by accident, or would he easily see through my lies? And if he saw my lies for what they were, what would he do to me?

  I shivered despite the soft sunlight warming my face, suddenly regretting my decision to wearhiking boots, jeans, and a baggy flannel shirt. It was better than a tank top, but not exactly appropriate garb for meeting with the All Father.

  We reached the estate, where two male human guards let us in, then joined our escort. I didn’t recognize either of them, but knew that in one lifetime or another they’d traded their lives to the gods for a favor. Maybe they’d saved sick loved ones, or maybe they just wanted to live what time they had left with wealth and power. I didn’t know just what they’d wanted bad enough to end up here, but it probably wasn’t worth it. Hundreds of years, sometimes more, was a long time to serve the gods.

  We all walked silently down opulent hallways, occasionally passing other guards, or sometimes a god or goddess. No one I recognized. I hadn’t spent much time around any of the gods, save Loki and Freyja.

  When we reached the council chambers, Sophie finally released my hand. The t
wo guards opened the double doors then stepped aside. Within the great room, bordered on either side by raised rows of pews, stood only Odin and one other man. Odin was atop the pulpit, his attire, including the black patch covering one eye, plain and unremarkable. He wasn’t someone you’d look at twice if you passed him on the street. The gray beard and hair were nothing special. But when you stepped close enough, his power could take your breath away. In that moment, as we walked into the room and approached Odin, I realized something. Hecate was right. Odin had been stealing the power I’d been sending through Yggdrasil. I knew it without a doubt, because it was my energy. It was like looking in a big, scary metaphysical mirror, though beyond that, his unique power still lay.

  I’d been so intent on studying Odin as Sophie and I stood before him that I’d forgotten about the other man in the room. He was tall, even taller than Odin, with wild reddish blond hair, its colors echoed in the scruff on his hollow cheeks and sharp jaw. He wore a shapeless brown robe, like a scholar or a monk, even less remarkable than Odin’s clothing.

  I bowed my head before Odin, unsure of what else to say, since I didn’t know what he was about to do to us. Sophie followed suit, her bow not quite as deep as mine. Sophie hated authority figures. She didn’t care if the were mortals, Vaettir, or gods.

  “Madeline,” Odin began. “It’s come to my attention that the magic of Yggdrasil is becoming less stable the more roots you sever. I’m afraid I must ask you to increase your pace. You have until the end of this week to sever the remaining roots.”

  My head snapped upward. “You cannot be serious,” I blurted, then bit my tongue.

  He didn’t seem offended by my outburst. In fact, he seemed smug. He knew I’d redirected the magic from the root on purpose, and now he was punishing me for it.

  “You will do it if you ever want to see your daughter again. You will not return here until it’s done.”

  I shook my head, dumbfounded. “I can’t go that fast. It’s impossible.”