by Leia Stone
“Ja.” Tore shrugged.
I drew my shoulders back and slipped my hand into Tore’s. “Okay, then. Let’s go home. We’ve got work to do.”
With a determined breath, Tore and I marched forward, to literally save the world.
Again.
***
My protectors’ parents were out looking for me when we got back to the safe house. Tore left me to heal Astrid while he set off to track the others down. Once Astrid’s concussion was nothing more than a hazy memory, I turned her over to Johann, with instructions to keep her awake but calm for the next few hours. Bodie was outside talking with Malena while the rest of the warriors tended to the onslaught of dragons that had descended on our property. I nervously asked Bodie about Heimdall, and he explained that the Bifrost’s guardian had only been temporarily impaired by the night goddess and was on his way to a full recovery. This meant the rainbow bridge was once again operational. Thankfully.
Mack and Lela were off doing who knew what, so I nestled into the couch beside Greta, and propped my feet up on our lazily snoring dog. Killer snorted contentedly, before letting out a sleepy sigh.
“Looks like it’s just you and me.” I rolled my head to the side, too exhausted to lift it from the back of the couch. “Thanks for saving our butts in that gorge. If you hadn’t been there with your wands, we would have been dead for sure.”
Greta reached over to rest her hand atop mine. “Thanks for not dying. I really like you.”
“I really like you too.” I met her easy grin with one of my own, and the liquid lead lightened a bit. I had a family to live for. To fight for. It was nice to have a place where I belonged.
The front door cracked open, and Elora poked her head through. Her red-rimmed eyes settled on me as she stepped forward, wringing her hands together. “Oh, Allie.” She exhaled. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
“I’m sorry, Elora. I’m sorry he’s gone.” Tears filled my eyes again as I held my arms out. My godmother pulled me into a grateful hug, holding me close and rubbing my back the way Gran had always done. Must be a mom thing.
“I’m going to make us all a pot of tea.” Greta excused herself, ducking into the kitchen as tears streamed down my face for the umpteenth time that day.
“Allie.” Elora pulled back, wiping the tears from my cheeks with her thumbs. “Please understand that what happened to Elo was not your fault. My boys chose long ago to serve the Alfödr, and Ryul and I couldn’t be prouder of them. Elo died standing up for what he believed in, and now he will dwell for eternity in Valhalla, continuing his fight for the greater good by powering the weapons you and your protectors wield.” Elora tucked an errant strand of hair behind my ear before stepping out of my space. I missed her soothing presence the second we were apart. “Now it is up to you to live out your destiny, god-daughter. Whatever it entails.”
Heal Nott, repeated on a loop inside my head. The words still made zero sense.
“Elora? Did you know Nott before she turned, well, all evil?”
“I saw her occasionally, but we were never friends. Why?”
I worried my bottom lip. The night goddess’s strange shift in appearance flashed across my mind, and I paused. “Did she look different than she does now? Different hair, or anything?”
“As a matter of fact, she did.” Elora’s eyes angled upward. “I recall her having crystal blue eyes, and hair so blonde it was nearly white. When I found out she was the Goddess of Night, I figured she must have been titled because of her likeness to the moon. There was nothing dark about her in those days.”
My hand froze halfway to my hair. Was that what had shifted when Tore killed one of Nott’s birds? Had he freed a piece of her old self from its . . . its what? Its darkness? Its sickness? Was it truly possible that Nott could be healed? And if so, did I actually want to try? The goddess had put my mom into a decades-long coma, abducted Bodie, eviscerated Revenge and murdered Elo. It would be madness to let her keep her head once we’d assembled Gud Morder. But in spite of all the death I’d brought on over the past few months, I wasn’t a killer at heart. I was a healer. Maybe that had been what the Alfödr and the Norns had wanted me to do all along. Had they actually asked me to kill Nott, or had they just told me to end her reign?
What did I want to do?
“Are you all right, dear?” Elora’s hand on my arm pulled me from my thoughts.
“Huh? Oh, yes. Sorry.”
Elora gave me a long look before striding toward the kitchen. “Come, love. Let’s have that tea now.”
“Okay,” I whispered, still wrestling with unabashed guilt.
Elora slipped an arm around my waist and guided me from the living room. “I’ll tell you what,” she said. “When all of this is behind us, I want you and Tore to come and stay with me in Alfheim. It’s been a difficult couple of months for you—”
“It’s been a difficult couple of months for all of us,” I corrected.
“True.” Elora nodded. “But it has been especially difficult on you. You’ve not complained, and I respect that, but finding out you’re Asgardian, training to be a warrior, taking on the face of darkness . . . that’s a lot, Allie. You’ve handled yourself brilliantly, but you’re going to need to decompress. Meditate. Ground out all of that aberrant energy. I would be honored if you spent some time with my family. I know you’re going to want to spend as much time with your mother as you can, and I’m going to want the same thing—I’ve missed my friend! So, I want you and Tore to bring her to Alfheim, and let Ryul and I take care of the three of you for a few weeks. Please.”
That sounded really nice. Me and my mom and Tore and my god-family, together in one beautiful, Nott-free, Alfheim pod. Not hunting down any weapon pieces. And not trying to avoid being killed. Perfection.
“Okay,” I agreed. “Thank you.”
Elora removed her arm from my waist so I could step through the kitchen doorframe. Her delicate footsteps padded close behind me. Greta raised the steaming kettle, and with a hasty, “I’ve got this,” she filled three mugs with steaming water and set them on the table beside the tea box.
I threw my arms around my godmother one more time. “I’m so sorry about Elo,” I whispered.
“That’s quite enough sadness.” Elora squeezed me gently. “In Alfheim, we celebrate the memory of those who ascend to Valhalla. We do not mourn, for we know our loved ones now serve an even greater purpose. When you return to Alfheim, we will hold Elo’s honoring. A month is the customary waiting period, and assuming all goes according to schedule with Nott and your mother, this will coincide nicely with your arrival.”
I blanched. “You think it’s going to take us a month to kill Nott?”
“No.” Elora took a seat at the table before selecting a tea bag from the box. “I think it will take a day, two tops. But I also know that Tore will need time to process things privately before he ascends to Revenge. I would imagine he’ll want a few days alone with you, to work through all of the changes that are coming his way.”
Oh, God. With everything we’d been dealing with, I’d completely forgotten my boyfriend was about to be crowned God of Revenge. He was probably completely freaked out about being pushed into a job he never wanted, and forced to spend the remainder of his immortal existence meting out punishments to the lowlifes who threatened the security of everything we held dear.
And here I’d been thinking Bora Bora would be one, epic, jump-Tore fest. That’s where thinking got you, Allie. Jeez.
Just when I figured Nott couldn’t ruin any more things, she went and took Bora Bora from me, too? The second Gud Morder was fused, I was going to kill that dark goddess, once and for all.
Or heal her. I still hadn’t made up my mind.
***
“Greta, retrieve the weapon pieces from the safe and bring them to the complex for fusion. Bodie, enhance the protections around the safe house. Johann, call the Medisjon brothers back from Alfheim and tell them to prepare for battle. Mack, let
the parents know the Bifrost is operational and make sure they’re transported safely back to their realms. Astrid, once you’re feeling a hundred percent, get your team prepped then run communication with the Alfödr. See if you can isolate a location on Nott.” Tore stood in the center of the living room, once again is his order-barking domain. Ordinarily, I would have found his commanding presence either as sexy or as annoying as hell. But despite Elora’s assurances, I was still too overcome by losing Elo to do anything other than stand silently at Tore’s side.
Our friends scurried around us, following Tore’s orders like obedient soldiers. Bodie’s parents and Garrett had taken Ophelia back to her cottage to say goodbye, but Hjalmar stayed at the main house with Elora and Ryul. As my godparents retreated to the kitchen, Hjalmar stepped forward to speak quietly in my ear.
“I am not taking the Bifrost home.” Hjalmar’s too-intense voice resonated from my right. “I will fight with you.”
Frustration built in my chest. Hjalmar’s intentions were sweet, but I couldn’t go there. He was Johann’s dad. He meant too much to all of us. “I mean zero disrespect, but I don’t have a great track record with keeping my protectors’ loved ones alive. Please go back to Alfheim with the Medisjons and make sure they’re safe.”
“No, Allie.” Hjalmar didn’t budge. “I am coming with you. Garrett can look after Elora and Ryul.”
My eyebrows shot to my hairline. Garrett? The guy who wore the checkered apron and baked all the pies? That Garrett was going to protect my godparents from a possible night elf attack?
“Do not underestimate my husband.” Hjalmar correctly interpreted my expression. Note to self: work on poker face. “Garrett may not be a soldier by calling, but he is formidable in his desire to protect those he loves. Should the Medisjons be attacked, he will not let them fall.”
Unexpected, but I so did not have time to argue with the mass of muscle that was Johann’s warrior dad. “Fine,” I acquiesced. “But please be careful. Who knows what state we’re going to find Nott in?” Frustration threatened to explode from my torso like an over-inflated balloon. Everything about this sucked.
“I have an idea.” The corners of Hjalmar’s mouth turned down in a tight frown. “A few decades back, some frost giants broke into Midgard. They established a stronghold in a remote corner of Iceland, and destroyed some of the smaller human villages before a team of warriors from the light realms shut them down. Recently, a dark portal appeared in the same region. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it coincided with your attack on Nott’s Muspelheim encampment. She may have been scouting for an alternate den. One that just happens to be within striking range of your home base, here.”
It was a plausible theory. And Iceland was pretty much a stone’s throw from Norway—if one could throw a stone a thousand miles, of course. “Sounds like we’ve got a starting place. Astrid,” I called to my still-mending warrior friend, “while you’re looking into this, will you flag Iceland as a possible Nott location?”
“On it.” Astrid nodded. She waved for her team to follow before marching determinedly onto the porch. As she closed the door behind her, Johann and Bodie pushed through it. Johann glanced over his shoulder as he walked into the living room, and I had no doubt he was checking out the retreating backside of his woman. Or his would-be woman.
“Hey.” I nudged Johann as he passed me. “You two a thing yet? Because if not, you should totally get on that.”
“That’s what she said,” Bodie snickered.
“No, that’s not what I—ugh.” I rolled my eyes as I bit back my smile. Then, because there was nothing else to say, I added, “I love you, Bodie.”
Bodie winked. “And I love you, Allie.”
Johann ignored us both.
“Compound’s secure,” Johann said without making eye contact. “The Bifrost will be here in two minutes, so say goodbye to the parents and head to the complex. It’s fusing time. Oh, hei Dad.” Johann nodded at Hjalmar.
“Hei, Son,” Hjalmar nodded back.
“He’s coming with us,” I groaned.
“Good. We’ll need all the help we can get.” Johann beamed at his father. “And Dad’s the best at killing perps.”
Right.
“You heard Johann—everybody outside. Elora, Ryul.” Tore turned to Mack’s parents, who’d emerged from the kitchen to rejoin our group. “Please be careful.”
“We will be.” Elora reached over to wrap me in a gentle hug. “And you be careful, my goddaughter. We are all counting on you.”
“I know,” I whispered. Anxiety coursed through me with such strength, it took every ounce of control I had not to throw up. “I won’t let you down,” I promised.
“Oh, sweet girl.” Elora pulled back. She held me at arm’s length and met my uncertain gaze. “You could never do that. No matter what happens today, know that I am proud of you.”
Moisture pooled in my eyes, and though I blinked hard to keep the dam from breaking, one or two tears snuck through. Stupid tears. Enough is enough!
“I love you, Elora,” I whispered.
“I love you too, Allie. Now go on—you have big things to accomplish.” And with the understatement of the century out of the way, Elora and Ryul both hugged me tight, and followed Johann out of the safe house.
Warm fingers wrapped around mine, and Tore squeezed my hand while we made our way onto the porch to say goodbye to those departing on the Bifrost. After the rainbow left, Tore directed Astrid’s team and Hjalmar to guard the complex, sent Lela and Ophelia to tend to the bevy of dragons still occupying our back field, and asked Greta and my protectors to meet us in the complex in three minutes. When only the two of us remained on the porch, he wrapped both arms around me and held on tight.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
“Not in the slightest,” I admitted. “Tore, we’re going to make it through this, right? I mean . . .”
I mean . . . everything. The psychopathic night goddess had a lethal whip that could take out warriors with one surge of darkness. She had an army of night elves, at least one dark dragon, was possibly hiding in a stronghold built by frost giants, and could throw around curses that put full-on Asgardians into seventeen-year sleeps. The eternal flame had popped up unannounced twice now, nearly killing me, and taking the life of Tore’s father. And once we fused Gud Morder, Nott would have nothing left to lose. She knew my completed weapon could take her out, so odds were good she’d pull out all the stops to ruin Midgard—and us—before we could destroy her.
Things were not looking so great.
“We’re going to make it through this,” Tore confirmed without a hint of doubt in his voice. I rested my cheek against his chest, breathing in his familiar scent.
“How do you know?”
“Well, Pepper.” He pressed his palm to the small of my back. My nerves ebbed as I melted into him. “I’ve got a reservation on that little bungalow coming up soon. It’s situated in a private cove, and catered to by a small staff who boat in and out from a base on the mainland with fresh linens, five-course meals, and all the tropical beverages you can drink. The staff has been given strict instructions not to bother us—except to deliver food and clean the bungalow when I have you to myself on the beach. As you know, I’ve reserved this little piece of paradise several times over the past few months, and had to cancel every time. But that was before I saw those tiny shorts you like to sleep in.” Tore raised one eyebrow, sending a slow burn racing south of my navel.
“You like those shorts on me, huh?” I raked my fingernails along his back.
“I do,” he acquiesced. He tilted his chin down so he could press his forehead against mine. “But I’m going to like them a lot more off of you.”
Oh, holy mother of all things hot. Yes. Yes, absolutely yes. We were so getting through this. And we were taking the first Bifrost or airplane or whatever else it took to get us to that bungalow. Alone. And without shorts.
“I love you, Protector,” I murmur
ed.
“And I love you, Pepper,” he whispered back.
Then he brought one palm to the back of my head and kept the other pressed to the small of my back. He held me tight, and I knew what he wasn’t saying.
He wasn’t saying goodbye. We weren’t dying today. We weren’t going to miss another Bora Bora reservation. We just weren’t.
“Bora Bora,” I whispered, my cheek to his chest. “Soon.”
“Soon.” His lips pressed against the top of my head in a determined kiss.
And without another word, we pulled apart, stepped off the porch, and hand in hand, made our way across the field toward the red beams of the complex.
Gud Morder was waiting.
***
Inside the complex, Johann, Bodie and Mack positioned themselves at the edges of the room in a triangular formation, while Greta stood in front of a makeshift altar. My armor and the pieces of Gud Morder, both fused and unfused, lay on top of a white cloth-lined table. Flames flickered atop white candles set in each corner, and rows of crystals rested along the longer sides of the table. We’d passed Astrid, her team and the Mack Pack on the way in, and all of them stood sentry around the complex. Their task was to ensure our procedure went uninterrupted, while our goal was to fuse the remaining pieces of Gud Morder without getting ourselves killed.
No pressure, anyone. None.
With a nervous breath, I stepped forward to the table. Tore helped me into my armor, pulling the straps tight before stepping backward and shooting me a look that said, ‘You got this, Pepper.’
I majorly hoped his faith wasn’t unfounded.
Tore took his place opposite Johann, so my protectors formed a square around the altar. My hands trembled as I stared at the strawberry-haired healer across from me. “What do you think? Same routine as the first two times?” I asked.
“Yes, but . . .”
“Uh-oh.” I frowned.
“It’s going to be intense. The first time I was able to help you. The second time, you had to do it on your own—the weapon had grown too powerful for me to intervene. And now . . . well. You are most definitely going to have to do this alone.” Greta shot me a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, Allie.”