by Unknown
They smiled at me, both of them holding up their hands to show me the matching bands on their fingers. It was the last thing I saw before I was pulled back into my own time.
Chapter Thirty-One
I was back in the blood circle in Rebecca's basement. Although part of me was ecstatic that I'd stumbled upon the perfect plan to fix the future, another part of me wished I could have spent more time with my children. I'd have to wait years now to see them all grown up but at least when I did, they'd be happier. I'd make sure of it. Oh, and I'd be alive. That was a plus too.
Samara, Lesya, Sebastian, Dominic, and Vero. Who knew I'd be so happy to have children? The only one I didn't get to meet was Rian, the one who had been with me the entire time. The one who had died for me, making the journey possible. I rubbed a hand over my belly as I swore to myself that he would never know that sacrifice. That I would never know it.
“You are going to live a very long and happy life,” I promised him.
“Lunchtime,” Rebecca called in a singsong voice as she sauntered down the stairs.
She had a ceramic bowl in her hands which she placed on the cement floor, right at the outside edge of the circle. Then she slid it across the line with the tip of her finger. It made a hollow scraping sound. I peered at it dubiously. It looked like overcooked oatmeal.
“Let me guess, there's blood beneath that oatmeal,” I drawled and Rebecca blinked at me. “You trying to taint my golden child?” Another blank blink. “Have you never seen The Golden Child?” I huffed. “Come on! Eddie Murphy's in it. A little monk kid gets kidnapped and they try to taint his pureness by feeding him oatmeal with blood hidden inside it.” Still nothing. “Damn, it was bad enough when gods didn't get my movie references but you're human, you have no excuse.”
“I got the reference, I just don't see how it applies,” she finally said. “That's not oatmeal, it's a casserole.”
“Oh,” I took another look and made a disgusted face. “Uh, I think I'll pass. Thanks anyway.”
“Suit yourself,” she snarled. “It's all you'll be getting to eat today.”
“You know, this hotel sucks,” I grinned at her. “Room service takes forever, the help is rude, the mattress is lumpy, and the food is unrecognizable. I think I'll blow this popsicle joint.”
Before she could say another word, I asked my ring to take me back to the last moment I was in the God Realm. I surged through time and space, taking the image of Rebecca's shocked face with me. My body transformed into pure energy to send me flowing through the streams of time, back to the moment leading up to my departure from the God Realm. The moment right after Odin had left.
I gaped at the tracing room as I stood before it and listened as my men came rushing down the stairs towards me. This time, I didn't leave, this time I waited for them, reeling with the knowledge that I'd gone back to a time before I'd been captured. Did that mean Rebecca and the Queen of the Damned were still after me? Or was that still a part of my past, unchangeable? How did this work? Was there a circle of my blood on Rebecca's basement floor or not?
“Vervain?” Trevor reached me first and the sight of his beautiful face made me burst into tears. “Minn Elska,” he pulled me into his chest. “What happened?”
“Oh, Honey-Eyes,” I whispered. “So very much.”
“Tima?” Kirill came up behind me and laid his warm hand to my wet cheek. “Tell us.”
Kirill was himself again; eyes clear and bright, chest solid, and shoulders strong. His hair was pulled back sleekly, showing off the dramatic angles of his face, and his skin had healthy color to it. He was breathtaking. Literally, I couldn't breathe for a moment. Even in that twisted future, where he was haunted and battered, I'd found him beautiful. It was a different type of beauty, like the way Azrael admired my half-dragon form, but it was pervasive. It had consumed me. So much so, that I'd forgotten this version of him and seeing him again was a bit of a shock.
“Look at you two,” I sniffled and pulled away from Trevor. “So beautiful. I'm lucky to have you. Look at this hair,” I laughed and grabbed Kirill's braid. “Damn, that's some pretty hair. Don't you ever cut it.”
“Tima?” Kirill frowned and then looked to Trevor. “Vhat's ze matter vith her?”
“I don't know,” Trevor's warm, golden eyes were worried.
“I'm okay,” I smiled through my tears. “I've just been gone a lot longer than you think.”
“Vervain, you're really starting to scare me,” Trevor took my upper arms in hand. “Tell us what happened. We heard you shouting just now, you couldn't have gone anywhere, you were right here.”
“Couldn't I have?” I lifted my hand with the Ring of Remembrance and they both went still. “I have so much to tell you both but right now, we need to get to Odin while he's still wearing my ring.” I held up my other hand with its gold band.
“But-” Trevor began but Kirill cut him off.
“Tima says ve go,” Kirill said and motioned to the tracing room. “Ve talk later.”
“You're the strongest of us all, you know that?” I laid my hand gently to Kirill's cheek and kissed him sweetly. “But there's just one thing I need to grab before we leave.”
I headed for the armory.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Odin wasn't in any danger and that was usually the requirement to activate the ring. But I'd made the golden bands we all wore, I'd crafted the spell myself, and I was able to follow its trail easily. Trevor held Gungnir as I held onto him and Kirill. Then I traced us through the Aether, chasing the golden line that led to Odin.
We emerged into Valaskjálf.
“What the-?” I dropped Trevor and Kirill's hands in a daze as I walked out of Valaskjálf's tracing chamber and into the hall itself.
Odin stood in the center of the silver hall, speaking to a very distraught Vidar. Odin was gesturing wildly as Vidar shook his head. I could see the tension in both of their shoulders, muscles bunching as if in battle. Odin's back was to us but Vidar's face clearly showed his distaste for whatever it was that his father was saying.
It all clicked into place then. Odin was there to give our son the death magic. He had come to be rid of the last tie he had to the god world.
Rage lifted within me, shooting shivering blasts of heat through my limbs. I kept seeing Vidar, hunched and hurt, his eyes haunted with pain and exhaustion. I'd be damned before I let Odin do that to my son. I'd be damned or Odin would be but Vidar would not bear the burden of Death. Not ever.
I took the spear from Trevor and strode forward like a valkyrie, fire rushing out of my throat with my angry breath. It swirled around my face, drifting back with the force of my stride, and caressed my cheeks like a blood-thirsty lover. I stepped between my son and his father and slammed Gungnir down on the solid floor.
The booming sound of wood striking wood echoed through the hall, startling Odin into silence. Except this wasn't Odin. The fire settled inside me as I stared into Griffin's eyes and finally saw the truth. The body I'd given Odin had become his prison. It had tempted him with human magic until the magic took over. Then the body had wrestled control from the mind and Odin had been lost somewhere inside.
“What do you want?” Odin growled, his eyes widening briefly when they spotted his spear. No, not Odin; Griffin.
“I want my husband back,” I said calmly.
“I'm not your husband anymore,” Griffin said.
“No, you're not,” I agreed. “The man I loved would never do this to our son,” I waved a hand towards the shocked Vidar. “Do you know what the death magic will do to Vidar?”
“How did you know I was here for that?” Griffin gaped at me.
I looked over the physical shell once called Griffin. The slim build which would have seemed scrawny beside Odin's mass. The surfer blonde hair was garish, compared to the oak brown it should have been. Those soft features were practically feminine next to the chiseled Norse visage of the Allfather. And then there were the eyes. A blah human blue when they were supposed to
be shimmering peacock. I'd seen the changes, in both his looks and temperament, but I hadn't truly comprehended what they meant. How did I miss the truth when it was literally staring me in the face?
“I've just returned from the future,” I finally admitted.
Amazement warred with disbelief in Griffin's face. Vidar gave a gasp behind me and I felt the intensity of the combined stare of Kirill and Trevor.
“The future?” Griffin scoffed.
“Yes,” I took a deep breath. “A really fucked up future in which you and I, and so many others, are dead. All because I gave up on you.”
“You didn't give up on me,” Griffin shook his head. “I gave up on us.”
“I did give up on you,” I insisted. “I let you walk away and I'm so sorry for that, my Sweet Raven. Please forgive me.”
“Vervain,” he swallowed hard and in his eyes there was a flash of Odin; a purple flash.
“You would never have given up on me,” I whispered, moving just a hair closer. “You called upon Death himself to save me. You waited centuries for me to return. You gave your eye for the knowledge to bring me back and then you died for me. All of this I repaid by letting you go.”
“I'm not him anymore,” Griffin sighed but I saw another flash in his human eyes. This time it was green. Vibrant, shimmering, peacock green.
“Yes, you are,” I grabbed his arm and he flinched.
“Let go of me!” Griffin yanked his arm away. “I'm done with this. I want to be free of this god magic and free of this sham of a life!” He looked at Vidar. “If you don't take this magic, I'll siphon it off into an amulet and toss it into the sea!”
“Father, no,” Vidar held up a placating hand. “Think of all your Norsemen. Their spirits will die without you sustaining them.”
“I don't give a damn about dead Vikings,” Griffin growled. “If you want to sustain them, go ahead, but I don't want any part of it. I want normal. I want to be human. I want a wife and children.”
“You have a wife and children,” I grabbed his arm again.
“I'm not your husband,” Griffin was starting to breathe harder, his chest heaving violently. “Not in this life.”
“Do you really believe that makes a difference to either one of us?” I lifted a brow. “If it's another wedding you want, you'll have your wish after Rian is born.”
“I don't want to marry you!” Griffin growled. “I want to marry Jessica. I want a normal life with her.”
“No, Griffin wants that,” I angled my face into his. “Odin would never choose to become mortal. Deny this human magic, Odin. Deny this body and its memories. You are stronger than they are. Come back to me.”
“I can't...” Odin was breathing like an asthmatic, his body fighting him, trying to push him down.
“Yes you can,” I shook his arm. “You are Odin the Allfather, greatest of the Norse gods. You rule Asgard and wield the magic of death. Souls of the dead depend on you to provide them an afterlife, gods depend on you to lead them, your sons depend on you to guide them, and I depend on you to love me. I need you to come back to me, Odin. If you don't, our future is forfeit. I will die. This child inside me will die. Trevor will die. Thousands of faeries will die. Lives will be twisted, including those of our sons. Vidar will sacrifice himself for your dead Vikings out of honor. He'll take your god magic and it will hurt him; warp his body and wreck his life. Geri, Freki, Hugin, Munin; do those names mean nothing to you? They will be lost without you. We all will be. This moment decides all of our fates. Your decision changes everything. Now fight for us as you always have. As I know you can,” I shoved the spear into his hand and wrapped both of my hands around his to hold him there. “Remember who you are!”
A blinding flash shot down from the spearhead into Odin. Magic rolled through the silver hall, setting the shields upon the walls to shaking. Odin fell back and my hands slid away but it didn't matter; he clutched the rune-carved shaft all on his own. Then, with grating slowness, his other hand lifted and gripped the wooden bar, tightening till his knuckles turned white. His body shook and his muscles strained as he fought a battle within himself. A horrible scream poured out of him, echoing off the walls. The runes on Gungnir began to glow.
“Father!” Vidar shouted and rushed forward but I grabbed his shoulder and held him back.
“We can't fight this for him,” I said to my son. “Trust in your father.”
Vidar looked from Odin to me and then nodded, his hand sliding into mine. We stood there together, Kirill and Trevor coming up beside us, and watched as Odin used Gungnir to turn the tide of battle once more. Griffin's skin began to roll as a horrible creaking sound came from his body. The sound of bones reshaping, muscles growing, and cells shifting alliance from one magic to another. Vidar's hand shook in mine but I squeezed it confidently and stepped forward with a triumphant smile on my face, knowing that the war was won. The violent shift didn't scare me. I'd seen it all before; the last time Odin had returned to me and claimed this body for his own.
When he finally went still and sat up to face us, it was Odin's eyes that looked back at me, Odin's face surrounding those eyes, and Odin's body attached to that face. The Oathbreaker had been reborn.
“Vervain,” even his voice was different; deeper and more resonant. The voice of a god.
“Odin,” I went to kneel in front of him and he pulled me into his chest, burying his face in my hair as he sighed.
“You deserted me,” he whispered. “You left me to the magic and I was all alone inside this body.”
“I'm so sorry,” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I didn't know, didn't see it. I thought it was what you wanted.”
“It was the magic,” he pulled away to stare at me with his beautiful peacock colored eyes; glittering from sapphire to emerald to amethyst, like it was all of those jewels combined. “I started using Griffin's magic and it slowly took control. I could see myself doing things and hear myself saying things that I never would have before. I'd be screaming inside but unable to stop myself. I felt like an insect trapped behind a pane of glass, staring at freedom but never able to reach it.”
“I'll never let you go again,” I swore. “You're mine.”
“And you're mine,” he smiled and then he kissed me.
Oh, now that was my Odin. That solid skill, the sly building of sensuality, the magic tickling my skin. There were multiple hands holding me tight, pressing me closer, as passion overcame reason. I closed my eyes and sank into the kiss, sank into him. We had won, the future was safe, but in that moment, having Odin back seemed like the greatest victory.
“Father, are you alright?” Vidar knelt beside us.
“Vidar,” Odin cried and reached for his son. “Forgive me for what I was about to do. I had no control over myself.”
“You're forgiven,” Vidar said instantly as he hugged his father.
“Excellent,” Trevor came to stand beside us. “Now would you mind explaining what you meant when you said that you've just returned from the future where we're all dead?”
“I don't zink I vas dead; only you,” Kirill observed.
“Great, that makes me feel so much better,” Trevor rolled his eyes.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“So everyone had children with you except for me,” Odin grumbled after I had explained it all to them.
We'd taken seats around the fireplace, the same fireplace I'd sat in front of with Vidar, back when... in the future when...agh, whatever, you know when I mean. When Vidar had been broken by Odin's magic.
“You ran off with another woman and had a child with her,” I grimaced at Odin. “So no, we didn't have any more children together.”
“Yeah, you're the last one who should be complaining,” Trevor added. “You already have a son with Vervain.”
“Not exactly Vervain,” Odin grinned.
“Close enough,” Kirill huffed.
“Two sons,” Vidar corrected. “She is Vali's mother too.”
“
Yes, of course,” Odin smiled at our son before looking back to me. “I wonder if this means we'll have more children together?”
“I don't know,” I blinked. “I haven't even considered that an unborn child may have been another way the future had gone wrong.”
How could you not? Al asked. Your future seemed to be dedicated to your children.
“Hey, Al,” I rolled my eyes. “How's it hanging?”
“Alaric's talking to you?” Odin asked and I nodded.
I'm good. Everything is much better now that your future is back on track, Al declared. You will avert war and live as you were intended to.
“Well that's a relief,” I sighed. “Now if I can just figure out what to do about that vampire queen and her evil sorceress.”
I will leave you to it, Al laughed but as his presence faded, he added. Though whatever you decide, I think it would be best done soon.
“Okay,” I sighed. “Al said we need to do something about the vampire queen real soon.”
“I think you need to talk to Blue,” Trevor said. “If for no other reason than he deserves to know that his ex has resurfaced.”
“Yeah, you're probably right,” I sighed. “But first, I want to talk to Azrael. I left things in a bad place with him.”
“You could say that again,” the angel himself came walking up to us. “Damn you guys were hard to track down. I looked everywhere and no one had seen you. I finally figured you might be visiting Vidar.”
“Az,” I jumped up and ran over to him. “I'm so sorry I said those things.”
“No, I'm sorry,” he whispered into my hair. “It really spooked me when I couldn't find any of you. I thought you might be leaving me.”
“No way, angel,” I shook my head. “I've learned my lesson with Odin. I'm never giving up on any of you, ever again.”
“Sound advice,” Az looked over at Odin and his eyes widened. “You're back.”
“Yes,” Odin nodded regally. “I am myself again.”
“I don't know,” Az cocked his head. “I kinda liked the other guy.”