by S. T. Bende
“I think someone mentioned it once.” The backs of my arms tingled. Ull still didn’t know the full extent of what Idunn had to do to my brain to make me immortal. And I intended to keep it that way.
“Gunnar will appreciate your concern.”
“Jeez, Ull. Those things are terrifying. Did you kill all of them?”
Ull grimaced. “All Hel sent, yes. But do you believe the ruler of the underworld only has two units of demons in her charge?”
“No,” I whispered. “What are we going to do?”
“The only thing we can do.” Ull shrugged. “We will take this one battle at a time. You performed brilliantly tonight, Kristia. You secured the intel we needed to disable the opposition. Now Odin will confer with our war god, Tyr, and we will follow orders. There is nothing more we can do tonight.”
Ull wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him. I rested my cheek on his bare shoulder, relishing the familiar smell of pine and soap. My eyelids grew heavy as the stress of the night overtook me. Before I nodded off, I felt Ull’s lips brush my forehead.
“Kristia, what you did tonight was incredibly brave…but doing it without me here to protect you… well, do not ever worry me like that again,” he commanded fiercely. “I could not live without you.”
“Don’t ever worry me like that again!” I countered. “Mythological zombie demons, and Gunnar nearly losing his arm, and you showing up looking like death warmed over…just promise me you’ll be careful. I need you.”
“Deal.” Ull squeezed me tight.
I buried my head in his chest, giving in to my exhaustion. I closed my eyes, and within moments fell into a deep sleep.
Ull’s mobile woke me too soon, and he eyed it with annoyance.
I smiled groggily. “Perfect timing.”
“Hardly. You were sleeping.”
I pulled my wrap sweater around me before running my hand across Ull’s abdomen. The skin was clean and firm; there was no evidence of the gruesome wound he’d just incurred. “Do you want me to run upstairs and get you a shirt? I don’t want you to catch cold.”
“I am fine, sweetheart.” Ull kissed the top of my head. “Besides, Olaug is here.”
Ull shifted me in his arms as the portal opened and Olaug stepped out. She didn’t waste a minute. She hurried across the room and began tacking pins to the map on the wall, demonstrating our counterattack. Ull and I exchanged a sideways glance. Under Tyr’s direction, Odin, Thor, and Sif were hard at work to thwart the jotuns’ onslaught. It would be easy enough now that they knew which elements would move together to break the Bifrost, and which monsters would mount attacks on the key Asgardians. Tyr had orchestrated a plan for him and Odin to sink the ship before it could break its moorings, preventing the invasion of the Bifrost and blocking the primary entrance to Asgard. Heimdall would keep guard at the bridge to make sure unwanted visitors were denied access, and two members of the Elite Team were assigned to protect the Bifrost’s protector. The secret entrance to Odin’s chamber was sealed. A team of warriors would wait there for Loki. Thor would lead the attack on the serpent and the wolf. Once they were dead Odin would sever Jotunheim from Earth and Asgard, cutting off access between the realms. Ull would stay at Ýdalir to protect me from Loki. We all knew the idea of my visions would be too tempting for him to ignore. And the remainder of Asgard’s considerable guard had been dispatched to suppress skirmishes breaking out near key inter-realm portals. There were three teams of warriors stationed in Muspelheim, where Surtr had assembled a batallion of fire giants and was preparing to launch an all out attack on Asgard. Two more teams of warriors were stationed in Jotunheim, and another pair was en route to Helheim. Peacekeeping squadrons were traveling to allied realms, and the Elite Team was manning the Dark Forest. Every precaution had been taken. If things went according to plan, Ragnarok would be won without the loss of one Asgardian or human life. It was almost too good to be true.
Our waiting game began.
Chapter Eleven
I WOKE UP EARLY on Thursday morning, filled with more nerves than I’d had at my first middle school dance; it was going to be a very long day. My new family would be fighting for their lives and I couldn’t do anything but wait. Neither Ull nor I were supposed to leave the cottage in case Loki was watching. I’d done as much as I could to help Asgard, and now our future was in the hands of the more experienced fighters. I knew they’d be able to rise to the occasion, but it was still unnerving to have to wait for news.
I focused on Ull. Even in sleep his powerful muscles seemed tensed for battle, his strong jaw firmly clenched, and his bare chest rising rhythmically. My breath caught in my throat, and I reached out to touch him. He wrapped an arm around me, murmuring my name as he woke. I snuggled into his chest and wrapped my fingers around his bicep, holding on tight. For the next half-hour we lay quietly in the pre-dawn light, listening to the birds, hoping fervently that this was not the last morning we would spend together.
When Ull’s mobile rang later that morning, I jumped so high I nearly spilled my tea.
“Ja,” he answered cautiously. He pushed his own mug across the dining room table and glanced out the window toward the garden. When he pressed a finger to the phone, Olaug’s voice came through the speaker, loud enough for me to hear.
“Tyr and Odin are preparing to attack the ship so it cannot sail for the Bifrost. They will depart from Asgard this afternoon. Thor and Sif are on their way to the battlefield to meet the serpent and the wolf, but they do not anticipate any problems killing their charges.”
“And Loki?” Ull was guarded.
“Nobody has heard from him.” Olaug sounded worried. “Naturally, he is no longer permitted in Asgard. We do not know whether he is aware of our attacks. I will return to Ýdalir immediately to wait for news with you. Odin will send reinforcements to guard Kristia as soon as he can spare them.”
“I appreciate that. Travel safely.” As Ull hung up the phone, I wondered who Loki would go after first—now it was a question of when, not if, he would come for us.
“It’s scary,” I whispered.
Ull reached over and rubbed my shoulder softly. “You do not have anything to worry about, darling. Loki cannot get to you, or to me, for that matter, so long as we stay within Ýdalir’s borders. I set protective enchantments around the property so no unwanted visitors can enter. We are perfectly safe here. But do not, under any circumstances, cross the borders. Is that clear?”
I nodded. I felt oddly secure, considering the enormity of what was most likely coming for us.
“Strange.” Ull stared at his phone.
“What is it?”
“I have not heard from Gunnar since last night. Once Idunn cleared him, he was supposed to collect Inga and bring her here until the Loki situation was sorted.” His finger tapped the screen.
I chewed my thumbnail. “When should they have gotten here?”
Ull continued his tapping. “When I left Asgard he was healing. Idunn said it would only be another half hour before he could be released. Inga was out on assignment, but she was due back shortly. They should have been in Bibury this morning.”
Our eyes met, the air between us thick with anxiety. Dagnabbit, this was so not good.
“You have to make sure they’re okay, Ull. Take the Bifrost. Go.”
“Absolutely not. I am not leaving you alone. Never again.”
“Well then, I’ll go check on them.”
“Kristia, no. It is not safe. We will think of another way to make sure they are all right.” Ull squeezed my arm.
“There’s no other way, Ull. Everyone else is fighting, or traveling to their fight, or whatever. Listen, you’re right—I don’t really want to be all by myself here; not if there’s a chance Loki could come back. So I’ll go look for Gunnar and Inga. You’re here to guard my body. And I’ve got this tenth realm thing down pat. I’ll be fine.”
“Yes, but—”
“But nothing. If our friends need us, we
can’t exactly sit around here drinking tea.” I gestured to my cup. “I can check on them and get back to you in less than five minutes. And if anything is wrong, we’ll know we need to figure out some way to send help. Maybe there’s a junior Valkyrie on a coffee break somewhere, or something.”
Ull let out a long-suffering sigh. “You are going to send me to an early grave, worrying about you. You do realize this?”
“I learned from the best.” I shrugged. “I’m going now.”
“Please be careful,” Ull urged. “If anything were to happen to you…”
“Nothing’s going to happen. You’re stuck with me, remember?” I pressed his fingers to my lips.
“Still. At least let me hold you while you do this. And come back immediately when you locate them. I want to know where to be able to find you if something goes wrong.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Anything else, Captain?”
“Yes. Do not get hurt.”
“Aye-aye.” I gave a mock salute as I rose from my chair and climbed onto Ull’s lap. He wrapped thick arms around me and rested his cheek on the top of my head. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“You had better be,” Ull growled.
“Stuck with me,” I reminded him as I ducked my head against his chest. Then I took a long breath, grounded myself, and let my spirit take flight.
My search didn’t take long. I went straight to Asgard’s healing unit. Gunnar wasn’t there, but it looked like I’d just missed him. The bed under the window still had medical equipment nearby, and there was an indentation in the pillow.
“Where did he go?” Anders stood at the foot of the bed, blinking.
“I have no idea.” Idunn strolled into the room, looking equally surprised. “His wound was nearly resealed—I told him he needed one final dose before I could discharge him, and he yelled for me to hurry. Something about Inga being in trouble.” She held up the loaded syringe in her hand. “Looks like he couldn’t wait.”
Anders backed out of the room. “Where is Inga?”
Idunn moved to the next bed and positioned a domed screen over another injured god. “I don’t know. But if you see Gunnar, let him know he needs to come back for this.” She set the syringe on the table by the empty bed. “If he doesn’t complete the course, he’ll be susceptible to infection.”
“Will do.” Anders turned on one heel and bolted from the room. With one last look at the row of injured Asgardians lining the healing unit, I followed suit.
Anders took off at a full sprint toward a grove of trees. My attention shifted toward the shiny palatial structure to the north. I’d never been to Asgard in my physical form, and I was beyond curious about Ull’s home realm. But in all likelihood, our friends were in trouble, and this was hardly the appropriate time for a sightseeing excursion. My eyes focused on Anders and I took to task. There would be plenty of time to explore Asgard later…I hoped.
Anders crossed an expansive clearing in record time, then lowered his head and charged into the trees. I dove after him, flying along behind, desperately trying to ignore the feeling in my gut. In addition to being dark, cold, and densely packed, this forest emitted a repulsive vibe, as if it were trying to eject any source of warmth or light.
It was trying to kick me out.
I pushed against the invisible, or perhaps imagined, force field. It pushed back, a none-too-gentle pressure on the top of my head as I flew after Anders. Ignoring the sensation, I moved forward until Anders skidded to a stop. I pulled up just in time, narrowly avoiding flying straight into his back. My gaze darted down when I heard Anders’ shout.
“Dritt!”
Dritt indeed. I squeezed my eyes shut as I pulled myself out of the forest, traveling at light speed back to Bibury. Ull was not going to be happy.
“Thank Odin.” Ull kissed the top of my head as I squirmed in his arms. “You are safe.”
“I’m not here long. I just wanted you to know they’re in some cold, creepy forest in Asgard. It looks like the one you were in before, but it keeps trying to push me out of it. What is wrong with that place?” I turned my face up to his.
“The Dark Forest.” Ull stroked my cheek with one finger. “You must be near its center. The repulsion is stronger there. What is happening in there?”
“Gunnar and Inga are fighting a monster. It’s a female, about Inga’s size, with dirty hair and ripped clothes. She’s making these awful screeching noises and throwing flames from her hands. And she’s surrounded, by those awful things that attacked you and Gunnar—the ikkedød. They’re defending her. And there’s another creature, a huge female with boils all over her skin and really unfortunate yellow teeth. She’s at least twenty-feet tall.”
Ull’s entire body stiffened.
“What’s going on?” I whispered.
“Hel.”
“Ull!” He wasn’t one to swear…in English, anyway.
“The smaller woman is Hel. Guardian of the underworld. The ikkedød are her minions; they’re tasked with defending her. And the larger female, in all likelihood, is her mother.”
“Hel has a mother?” There was no keeping the incredulity out of my voice.
“Angrboða. She is a mountain giant of questionable origin. Her union with Loki and the prophecy for their monster offspring cemented her position on Asgard’s top kill-list. We have been hunting her for years.”
“Wait. The giant’s with Loki?”
“Yes. Hel has a father too.” Ull watched me carefully as the words sank in. One more piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Fuzzy images rushed into my head. A fortress. A nursery. A wretched future for the three tiny bundles.
“Oh, shoot. Shoot, shoot.” Fenrir, Jörmungandr and Hel were the children of Loki and the giant. They were the babies from my lost dreams. And they were fated to do something terrible. Only I still couldn’t remember what it would be.
“Sometimes your choice of language is really quite adorable.”
I ignored him. “If you’ve been hunting her for years, why haven’t you caught her? From what I’ve seen, you guys are pretty thorough.”
“Angrboða never leaves her palace. After she had the children, she locked the gates, hired an extensive security detail, and placed every possible protection around the property, magical and otherwise. Nobody can get within a hundred yards of her residence without being obliterated either physically, or mentally. The last time we sent a tactical team to retrieve her, half were blown to pieces and the other half came back speaking Svartish, convinced they were the house servants of a dark elf. A while back, Loki turned the children over to Odin in exchange for a cease-fire on Angrboða. We have left her alone since then.”
Ull’s words confirmed my suspicion. “Did you say Angrboða’s palace has every possible protection?”
“Yes.” Ull furrowed his brow. “Why?”
“Including a blocker?”
Recognition dawned. “Your missing visions. You were seeing Angrboða. More likely, you saw her children. She would have taken great care to cloak them from Asgardian eyes. Now your lost dreams make sense.”
“You said something about a prophecy. What’s that?”
Ull stroked my arm. “You are cold. Do you need a blanket?”
“What’s the prophecy?” I urged. “Hurry. I need to get back to Gunnar and Inga.”
“The Fates prophesied that the offspring of Loki and Angrboða would end Asgard. It was why Angrboða took such care to shield them from the gods. And it was why I have always been suspicious of Loki.”
With the last piece in place, everything made sense. The three children—Loki’s children—were destined to destroy us. I had known it all along, but I hadn’t been able to understand. I was a terrible Seer. “Shoot,” I whispered again. “That’s what I couldn’t retain in those visions. How did I let this get past me?”
Ull shook his head. “Do not dare blame yourself, my love. Blockers are powerful magic. I doubt anyone would be able to see past one.”
I sh
ook my head. “Yeah, but…wait, you suspected Loki all along?”
“Of course. If you knew there was a death sentence on your children’s heads, would you turn them over to the very individual who issued it?”
“Never!” I exclaimed.
“Exactly. When he heard the prophecy, Odin ordered the children killed. Angrboða locked down her palace, and nobody was able to get to them. One day out of the blue, Loki just dropped the children off at Odin’s residence. The only things he asked in exchange were that Odin let the children live, and that he call off the hunt on Angrboða. That reeks of suspicion, ja?”
“Why didn’t Odin see through that?”
“Odin can be unfortunately shortsighted. Loki has behaved erratically before, and he took this as another isolated instance. Besides, Odin had control of the demons, or so he believed, and he was confident this could mark the end of the Ragnarok prophecy. Others merely saw it as a stopping block. And many of us have been keeping a close eye on Loki, the offspring, and the giant, ever since.”
“What happened to the kids?”
“Hel was cast to Helheim, and given dominion over its occupants. Protections were set so she could not leave the realm, but it would appear she has broken free. Jörmungandr was sent to the ocean of Midgard, where he grew so large he bit onto his tail. A rather fortunate curse of lockjaw has kept him there until now. And Fenrir…he was given a second chance. But he never changed his spots.”
The wolf, the snake, and the demon. Loki’s kids had haunted my dreams for years. They had killed me a hundred times while I slept. And now they were trying to destroy everyone and everything we loved.
“I have to get out of here. I have to know Gunnar and Inga are okay.”
“I have to know that too. They have been my best friends all my existence. And there is nothing I would not do for them. But there has to be another way. I am sorry, Kristia. I cannot let you go back there. Hel and her mother are force enough, but combined with the ikkedød…”