by Leia Stone
“I sent Bodie’s parents to Ophelia’s,” Ryul said. “The rest of your guests left, except for the healer and the warrior—I asked them to take the dog for a long walk when the Alfödr arrived.”
“Thanks.” I exhaled. We could fill Lela and Astrid in on the drama later, after we’d sorted through it ourselves. “So . . . the note?” I turned to Tore. He sat next to me, staring blankly at the wall. “Are you going to look at it?”
“Do you believe it’s legit?” he asked me. “I didn’t look at Tiri’s energy, so I don’t know if she has an angle.”
I sent my signature out until it brushed against a heavy spirit. Tiri was heading toward town, her energy thick with remorse. The vibrations were tinged with regret and sorrow, but didn’t bear even a hint of malice. As misguided as her choices had been, she really had cared for Tore’s father. She wanted to honor his memory by helping his son in the only way she could.
“I think it’s legit,” I confirmed. “Whether it works or not, we’ll have to find out. Open the note and see what it says.”
Tore unfolded the paper. We all sat up straighter as he read out loud. “To my son,” he began.
Oh, God. It was a letter. A letter from Tore’s dad. Every muscle in my body promptly went into a heightened state of alert while I studied Tore’s body language. His shoulders drew back, and his jaw emitted a soft pop. His knuckles whitened, and the paper shook slightly in his hands. I tried to project waves of calm, but my own trembling fingers suggested I wasn’t one to throw stones. Ground your energy, Allie. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Just be here for Tore.
Tore cleared his throat before he continued reading. “If you are reading this, I never got to right a wrong I committed long ago. I told you that your mother died, but in fact, she lives on. I relocated her to Trondheim, Norway, and wiped her mind of all memories of her time in Asgard.”
Obviously, Vidar had written this confession prior to his moment of reckoning with Tore. It was nice to know that if our trip to Asgard had never happened, he’d still made sure to leave Tore a trail—however messed up—to find his mother.
“I do not regret banishing your mother from Asgard,” Vidar’s note continued. “By law, I could have killed her, and banishment was by far the more palatable punishment for the mother of my son.” The paper shook harder in Tore’s hands.
“Breathe,” I reminded Tore. He drew an unsteady breath, and continued reading.
“But I do regret hurting you. You and your mother shared a bond I envied, and robbing you of that was wrong. Should you come across this note after my death, know that your mother’s memories can be revived using two simultaneous forces: the Liv, which resides in the Goddess of Healing, and your friend Bodie’s energetic recall. When applied at the same time to your mother’s uppermost energy centers, the forces will merge to rebuild the bridge I destroyed in her mind, and awaken the memories of her life with you.”
“I knew it was like a broken bridge!” I whispered to Greta.
“Shh,” she admonished.
Oops.
“I am sorry for all the hurt I have caused you over the years. I wish I could have been a better father to you, and I hope that your reign as Revenge is more honorable and fulfilling than mine. Best of luck, Son. Vidar.”
Tore leaned forward and placed the note on the coffee table. He set his elbows on his knees, and rested his forehead on his clasped hands.
“Can you do it?” Tore turned his head to the side to stare at me.
Bodie glanced at me, his brow deeply furrowed. “Can we combine our gifts? Is that even possible?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I’ve never tried to merge the Liv with anything besides that singing bowl. Have you ever merged with anything?”
“Never even occurred to me.” Bodie looked thoughtful. “But it’s all energy, right? It’s got no boundaries. I don’t see why we couldn’t do it.”
“Tore?” Elora asked softly. “How are you doing with all of this?”
“I’ve been better.” Tore lifted his head. “But an apology and a way to get my mom back? It’s more than I expected from Revenge.”
“Me, too.” Mack looked thoughtful. “Do you think Ophelia will understand if we—”
A shock of cool air interrupted him. The front door was flung open and Lela, Astrid, and Killer burst inside. Killer bounded over to Tore, while Astrid held up her phone.
“Quick. Turn on the news.” She sounded breathless. She and Lela must have run back from wherever they’d been with Killer. Either that, or whatever she’d read on her phone was seriously bad.
“What’s going on?” Johann found the remote in the drawer of one of the end tables, and clicked on the television. He toggled until he came to the news, where a quartet of scenes flashed across the television like a horror show. In one square, a tsunami decimated a seaside community, while in another, a hurricane flattened a village comprised of reed huts. A fire raged through a mountainside in a third, while lava streamed down a volcanic mountain in a fourth. The headline beneath the images read in bold, red, type: WORLDWIDE DESTRUCTION. HAS MOTHER NATURE FINALLY HAD ENOUGH?
“Are all of these disasters occurring right now? Where is that volcano? How many humans are dead?” The questions shot from Tore’s lips and heartbreak weighed heavily in each of my centers as I took in the destruction on the screen. I couldn’t help but feel responsible. I was the only one who could stop Nott, and the fact that I hadn’t yet meant she was able to continue her onslaught of demolition on Earth.
My home. My responsibility.
My failure.
“Yes,” Astrid confirmed. “Nott’s hit every continent again, different locations than the earthquakes, but same large-scale destruction. The volcano’s the least of our worries—it’s in Iceland, and, thankfully, removed from the most high-density populations there. But that tsunami and the hurricane killed countless humans between them. And the avalanche we were watching on my phone . . .” Astrid let out a low whistle. “It’s not good.”
“Those poor people,” I whispered.
“Nott knew we were mourning Vidar.” Greta shook her head. “She knew we wouldn’t be able to protect the humans. Or their realm.”
My heartbreak gave way to anger, flowing into each center with molten heat like the lava on the screen. How dare Nott hurt this realm—my realm—and the innocent humans who called it home? She had to pay. Now.
But Tore had just lost his father. He needed time to regroup, sit with the disconcerting feelings that came from loss, and settle into knowing what his father’s death meant for him, for his realm, and for us. Plus, he deserved to get his mom back—and there was a very real chance I might die trying to take down the night goddess. Healing Ophelia seemed particularly pressing.
But dang it, Nott had to die already.
I glanced at Tore. He met my gaze with a resolved stare that betrayed no hint of wavering. “We’re going after the final piece in the morning,” he declared.
“Tore.” A dozen protests danced across my tongue, not the least of which was she’s obviously going to be waiting for us. It’s probably another trap. We should heal your mom first in case Nott kills me . . .
But I bit down on my bottom lip and murmured, “You sure?”
“Positive. We can’t afford any more time off. Thank you all for your support today—it’s meant everything to me. But now I need you to get some sleep. Mr. and Mrs. Medisjon, you’re welcome to stay here if you’d like. And if Ophelia isn’t comfortable hosting Bodie and Johann’s parents overnight, we can set them up at one of the inns in town. But at first light, Allie, Greta, Mack, Bodie, Johann, and I are heading to Svartalfheim.”
“And me,” Astrid chimed in. “None of you are going anywhere without me.”
Johann’s eyes darkened a shade. He looked like he wanted to throw Astrid over his shoulder and drag her upstairs to his room.
Life’s short, Hannie. Go for it.
“Right. Astrid, you’
re coming with us. Lela, are you good watching Killer and Scarlet for a few days?” Tore asked.
“Wait. Scarlet’s not coming with us?” I asked.
“Not at first. We want to drop in undetected, and a dragon’s not exactly inconspicuous,” Tore explained.
“True,” I admitted.
“So Lela? Will you watch them?” Tore asked.
“It would be my honor.” Lela folded her hands together as if in prayer.
“Great.” Tore looked around. “And when we get back here with the last piece of Gud Morder, we track down Nott and destroy her once and for all. Everybody good with that plan?”
“Yes,” I said quickly. Because no matter how many reasons we had to stay here, and no matter how much I thought Tore needed to take some time to level his head, I would always have my boyfriend’s back.
Even if it meant marching into Nott’s adopted realm with no leads, no plan, and in all likelihood, no chance of coming home unharmed. Tore needed me, and Midgard needed me, and we couldn’t put this off any longer. If we did, there was a very real possibility there would be nothing left of my beloved green planet to come home to.
It was time to god up. Again.
***
Morning dawned crisp, fresh, and far too early. My vision was slow to adjust to the brilliant sunlight streaming through my east-facing window, but I managed a blurry-eyed crawl to the bathroom, where I hurriedly showered, dressed, and scrubbed my teeth clean. I lowered my toothbrush with a grounding breath. My insides were a knotted mess of nerves and fear and determination—not the way to go into a blind weapon hunt in Nott’s adopted realm. Wrapping my palm around the crystal necklace I’d tucked into the scoop neck of my tank top, I held on tight. Its low pulses made their way through my hand center. Better. When I’d woven tight braids around the front of my face, and attached an extra hair band around my wrist, I jogged downstairs to find our little kitchen even more packed than usual.
“Whoa.” I stumbled backward, tripping over my combat boots and rapidly descending toward the kitchen floor. But instead of landing hard on my butt, I was saved by strong hands that wrapped tight around my ribcage.
“Careful, Pepper.” My protector’s throaty voice rumbled in my ear. “You never want to startle the Medisjon brothers while they’re eating.”
“Well, obviously,” I agreed. “Morning, Mack, uh . . .” I struggled to think of the names of Mack’s five brothers. They were one syllable long, and should have been super easy to retain, but the only one I could remember was Han. And since it seemed rude to single out just one of my god-brothers, I raised a feeble hand and finished, “Morning Mack Pack.”
“God morgen, Allie.” The boys spoke almost as one. They each shoveled multiple kinds of meats into their mouths, consuming nearly as many calories in breakfast foods as the average human did in an entire day. Immortal metabolisms were awesome. I was super stoked I had one.
“So, you guys are going with us today?” I asked.
“Mack suggested your team could benefit from additional protection,” one of the Macks offered.
“Plus, Mom said we had to be here,” a second added with a grin. I couldn’t help but laugh at his honesty.
“Where is Elora? And the rest of the parents?” I scanned the room, which was void of my other protector’s families.
“They took Ophelia into town,” Tore explained. “She had some improvement in her memory last night. She recognized Elora, so they all went out for brunch together.”
Awesome! If they could keep helping her slowly remember faces then Bodie and I would have an easier job once we’d returned from the dark realm.
God, I hoped we’d return from the dark realm.
Tore guided me to the table, where I eagerly joined Mack’s brothers in consuming an array of treats. Mack turned away from the stove and carried a fresh plate of bacon to the table, from which I snatched the five crispiest pieces.
“Thanks, Mack,” I mumbled through my bacon-filled bliss.
“Eat up, Allie. You’re going to need your strength today.” Mack set the plate in front of me, and followed the sound of the beeping waffle iron. Sweet! We were getting Norsk waffles, too. And was that . . . homemade lingonberry jam on the table? Bless.
If I was going to die today, this sure was one epic last meal.
“Coffee.” Tore set two mugs on the table before taking a seat beside me.
“Good.” I took a long drag on the hot liquid, and sighed contentedly. Everything seemed better after coffee.
Even ’fessing up to your god-brothers that you had zero idea what their names were.
“So, this is kind of awkward . . .” I raised the mug to my lips one more time. Mmm. Caffeinated liquid courage. “But, uh, can you guys remind me who’s who?”
The tallest of the Macks let out a jovial laugh. “You can’t tell us apart? Classic.”
“Neither could Mom,” another Mack admitted. “There was a two-year period where she was convinced I was Elo, and he was Han.” The Mack tilted his thumb at his taller brother.
“Which is hysterical. Because, uh . . .” I stalled. “Because you’re Han?” I guessed.
“Ja,” Han chuckled. “And he’s Elo.”
Right. Tall Mack was Elo, slightly redder-haired Mack was Han. Which meant the remainder were . . . who, exactly?
Tore nudged my leg with his knee, then tilted his head at the brown-bearded Mack across from me. “This guy over here is Jin. Plays a mean game of War, and holds the Alfheim army record for single battle-kills.”
“Hey there, uh, Jin,” I said. Note to self: don’t tick off Jin.
“Hei hei,” Jin replied soberly, before sinking his teeth into a sausage patty, and tearing it in half with a fierce head wrench. Yikes.
“Dor’s our delicate flower. Ow!” Elo bent down to rub whatever body part his brother had kicked under the table. “Fine, he’s our talented artist,” Elo amended. “Better?”
A Mack who was more or less identical to the original Mack, save for a scar over one bushy eyebrow, offered a wave from beside Jin.
“Allie,” he greeted.
“Dor.” I smiled back.
“And Sar is . . .” Elo shrugged. “Not sure how to describe Sar.”
The remaining Mack shot me a rakish grin. “Hey, Allie.” He winked, and Tore burst into laughter.
“Sar’s got a lot of girlfriends. Put it that way.” Tore chuckled.
“What can I say?” Sar held up his hands, a slice of bacon in each one. “The ladies love me.”
“Got it.” I laughed.
“And that’s enough about the Medisjons,” Tore concluded. “Fuel up, Allie. We’ve got a long day ahead.”
Truth.
I set to task devouring bacon, and waffles, and eggs, and everything else Mack put in front of me. When my stomach was full of all the foods, and I had enough coffee in my system to fuel me for at least half a day, I leaned back in my chair. By then, Mack’s brothers had been joined by Bodie, Greta, Lela, Johann, and Astrid. It was a good thing our kitchen table had a bench on one side—I’d never seen so many butts squeezed into such a small space. I shot a curious glance at my crimson-haired warrior friend, wondering if Johann had finally worked up the nerve to make a move on her, but Astrid’s expression betrayed nothing of her nocturnal activities—she was already in battle mode. Black streaks of war paint lined one cheek, and her eyes were coolly impassive as she scanned the table.
“Allie.” Her gaze settled on me. “You’re not properly attired.”
What was she talking about? I had on the same all-black ensemble as the rest of my team. Even Greta had abandoned her usual flowy tunic for the cargos-and-tank-top look favored by Asgard’s female fighters. Creative dressers, warriors were not.
“Oh, I haven’t put on my armor yet, but I didn’t forget it,” I assured Astrid. “It’s upstairs—it’s just hard to eat with, you know?”
“I meant your face. You and Greta need war paint. No offense, but you both loo
k way too sweet to intimidate your enemies. Be right back.”
The healer and I exchanged glances. Astrid hadn’t struck me as the ‘do your makeup’ type of gal, but if she wanted to make Greta and I look as fierce as she did with those black streaks, I was all for it. Besides, the smolder in Tore’s gaze let me know that he liked this idea every bit as much as he had back when he’d smeared my face with ash on Muspelheim. If we survived this day, I’d definitely be wearing the short shorts to bed that night. Because, reasons.
Astrid returned with a small jar of paint. She added black streaks to Greta’s face before warrior-fying me. She stepped back to appraise her work with a tight smile.
“Now you’re ready,” she approved, before turning to Tore. “My team is waiting outside for your instructions. Since you’re Revenge now, they’re sworn to serve you. I’ve resumed my former post, and made sure to hire only those that I trust.”
“I haven’t ascended yet.” Tore frowned. From the way his jaw clenched, I could tell Astrid’s reminder made him uncomfortable.
“But you are in charge of this mission,” Astrid countered. “I’ll be outside with my team. We’re ready to depart when you are.”
With that, she turned on one booted heel, her long red braid swinging against her muscular back as she marched through the living room and onto the porch. When the front door shut behind her, I turned to Johann with a grin. “If you don’t put the moves on her, you are seriously blowing it. That chick is awesome.”
“You’re telling me.” Johann stared wistfully at the spot her tall frame had vacated.
“Enough talk. Everybody suit up, and meet me outside in five.” Tore pressed his palms to the table and rose to his full height. “Allie, follow me. I’ll help you with your armor.”
“Aye-aye.” I mock saluted, following Tore out of the kitchen and up the stairs while the guys and Greta cleared the table, and the Mack Pack went outside to do whatever it was they did to get ready for battle.
By the time I made it to my room, Tore had already pulled my armor from the safe and set it on my bed. He held up the shoulder piece and helped me slide into it.
“Listen, Allie,” he began as he fastened the leather strap. “We have a lot of backup today. But Svartalfheim is still Nott’s adopted realm, which means she’s got a strong tactical advantage. And even though I killed one of her birds, I’m not sure how much, if any, damage that caused. We know Nott’s got a spy somewhere in Asgard, which means she’ll likely be appraised of our arrival, possibly before we drop in. We should expect an ambush at best. And an outright massacre, at worst.”