by Leia Stone
I rocked back on my heels, stared at Nott’s still form, and waited.
Tore knelt beside me. “She could turn evil again,” he warned.
I looked over to meet his eyes. “So could I. The darkness took me once, too.”
“But you didn’t welcome it in. It took you against your will, and you chose to resist it.” Tore shook his head. “That’s the difference between you and Nott. She opened herself to the darkness, and embraced it once it took root. You resisted, and you chose light.”
“I know,” I said softly. “And I wish Nott had done the same. Maybe this time she will.”
“Allie.” Tore nudged me. “Look.”
Holy Lord. I gaped as the black base of Nott’s hair turned to dark brown, then golden honey, before settling into a brilliant pale shade that was a near-perfect match to the moonlight. As the wound in her chest knitted itself together, her skin brightened, taking on a glowing, creamy hue. Nott’s eyes fluttered open, and as footsteps crunched behind me, she blinked to reveal two crystalline blue orbs.
“Allie, what are you doing?” Johann growled from over my shoulder, but I held up a hand to silence him. He, Mack, Bodie, Greta, Astrid, and Hjalmar formed a half-circle behind me, their mouths falling open as they stared at the unfamiliar goddess pushing herself to her elbows in the snow. The Mack Pack and the warriors marched unsteadily forward, some limping, others leaning together for support. A quick headcount revealed all of our team had survived the battle. Our fight was over.
But Nott’s was just beginning.
The night goddess blinked up at the cluster of warriors gaping down at her. Her gaze shifted to the lake behind us, then over to the burned house, the cracked ground, the fallen dragons and frost giants. She took everything in with barely contained horror. Then she wrapped her arms around her legs and wept from her place in the snow.
“Do you know who you are?” I kept my tone neutral.
“I am Nott, Goddess of Night,” Nott croaked.
“And do you know what you have done?” I asked. “Do you remember tearing our families apart, raising an army of darkness, destroying countless areas of this realm?”
“I do,” Nott sobbed.
“Why?” I whispered. “When you had so many resources, so many who wanted to help you, why would you choose darkness? Why would you turn away from the light?”
“I’m sorry.” Nott dropped her forehead to knees. “When I lost—” A shaky sob wracked her chest, and she swiped at her eyes. “When I lost my daughter . . .” her voice cracked over the word, “I couldn’t bear to be in my body anymore. The pain was too much.”
Tore and I exchanged a look.
“In leaving your body you may have relieved your own pain, but you unleashed unparalleled agony on thousands of others,” Tore growled. “Do you realize the ramifications of your choices?”
“I do,” Nott whispered. She looked up to meet Tore’s angry gaze. “When the darkness offered to permanently take my place, I chose escape. I let it in, and I let this happen. I did . . . I did all of this.”
Tore was close enough to me that I could feel his shoulders tense. “You did far more than this.” He gestured to the destruction littering the pristine, Icelandic valley. “You terrorized this realm for years. You encouraged Midgard’s residents to pollute its air, alter its climate, and stand by while hundreds of native species were eliminated. And you killed my father, which makes me the acting God of Revenge. I have half a mind to send you straight back to Hel. The two of you were close when you were . . . when you were the Nott I know.”
Nott paled, her creamy skin blanching to pure white. “The darkness allowed me to release my pain, but it also consumed me. I know the laws. I deserve to be executed. Banishment to Helheim would be a kindness.” Nott didn’t try to stand up. She kept her arms wrapped around her legs and her head hung low in a position of submission.
“Seriously?” Johann muttered from behind me. “You’re not actually going to let her live, are you Tore?”
“Johann,” Hjalmar chastised.
But I raised one hand to silence them both.
“Tore,” I murmured. “Hel will infect her. If we want her to heal, we have to give her a true chance at redemption.”
“What would you have me do?” he ground out through gritted teeth.
I shuffled on my knees to whisper in his ear, “Banish her, yes. But keep her on Midgard. I’ll keep an eye on her.”
Frustration rumbled in Tore’s chest, but he reached over to take my hand and closed his eyes. “Nott,” he gritted through a jaw clenched so tight the vein atop the bone pulsed. Ouch. “If I decline to have you executed, as you richly deserve to be, will you swear to live the remainder of your existence in solitude? And bring no more harm to any of the nine realms?”
Nott swallowed hard with an audible gulp. “I swear it.”
Tore opened his eyes to stare at me. He seemed to be asking if I was sure, and while I knew I could never be sure that Nott—or anyone—wouldn’t choose to give in to the darkness, I also knew this soul would make the most of the opportunity we were giving her. With a nod, I gave Tore my consent.
It surely took every ounce of compassion he had to mutter his next words, but with a deep sigh he squared his shoulders and addressed the night goddess. “Nott, fallen goddess of Asgard, you are hereby absolved of the maximum retribution for your wrongdoing. Instead of execution, you are ordered to live out a solitary existence. Understand that this modified retribution will be null and void should you harm a single hair on a single hide of any being. Am I clear?”
Nott’s hands flew to her face as she was consumed with a fresh wave of tears. “Thank you.”
Tore lifted Gud Morder from where I’d dropped it in the snow, and placed it in my hands. He looked like he wanted to drive it straight through Nott’s chest, but instead he stared at the still-crying goddess and pointed to the sky. “Go,” he rumbled.
And without a word, white feathers sprouted up along Nott’s arms and back. Her body shifted, and in seconds she was a solitary, pearlescent white bird, soaring high above the valleys of Iceland.
I stared after her in awe, marveling at the transformation hope had brought. Who knew?
Beside me, Tore’s shoulders still shook. I slipped Gud Morder into its holder and reached up to cup his face between my hands. “That was a good thing you did, Tore Vidarsson.”
“Doesn’t feel so good,” he muttered. “Well, it doesn’t feel awful,” he amended.
A smile tugged at my lips. “Maybe you being Revenge won’t be the worst thing for the realms. Something tells me you’re going to be a very different kind of Revenge than your predecessor.”
Tore lowered his face so his forehead rested against mine. “I’m going to do a lot of things differently than my predecessor.”
“I know you will.” I stretched on tiptoe to brush my lips against his.
“Get a room,” Bodie called. With a laugh, I pulled back, turning to face my friends.
“We made it.” I grinned.
“We did,” Mack affirmed. His brothers and the warriors were nearly to us, and he turned to welcome each of them in turn.
“If you’re done pardoning traitors—” Tore raised one eyebrow at me, “—maybe we should head to Asgard.”
Astrid tilted her head. “Why’s that?” she asked.
“Well, I’m not sure what Nott’s, uh, redemption, means for the realms.” Tore shrugged. “But since we did technically kill Nott, and banish her darkness, I’d imagine we can awaken Eir now.”
Oh. My. God. My mom.
“Heimdall!” I shouted. “Bifrost! Now! I mean, please!”
Holy mother of all things amazing, I was finally going to heal my mom.
And there was nothing Nott, or anyone, could do to stop me this time.
***
“Eir, my dear friend. Let’s bring you back to us.” Elora used the backs of her fingers to stroke my mom’s forehead. She and I flanked my mother’s bed
in the healing unit. Tore had called in my godmother the second we reached Asgard, and Elora had arrived almost before he’d signed off on his communicator. Now my four protectors stood just outside the door, ready to jump in if I needed their help. And Elora and I were each ready to do whatever it was we were supposed to in order to wake my mom. I certainly had no idea what I was doing—but that was nothing new. Since I’d been thrown into this world, my life was a medley of winging it and hoping for the best.
Today of all days, I really, really hoped for the best.
“Greta, I can do this, right?” I looked over my shoulder as my strawberry-haired friend walked into the room.
Greta gave my shoulders a light squeeze. “You don’t need me anymore. You can do this. Just do what you do best and heal your mom.”
Right. Heal my mom. No pressure.
Greta offered a small smile before moving to the back of the room. With a deep, terrified breath, I called the Liv into my chest. It shot down my arm almost instantaneously, its bright glow flitting beneath my new tattoos to beam through my armor. When the light formed a blue orb in my palm, I took a step forward. Okay, Mom. Here we go.
I lowered my free hand so it rested a foot above my mom’s body—close enough that I could sense the energy coming from her, but far enough away to avoid overwhelming her awakening centers. With great care, I ran my hand from the top of her head over her neck, and down along her chest, checking each energy center to see where vitality was most needed. My Liv-wielding hand was drawn to her heart, so I held my free hand over my mom’s fourth center. An image of a keyhole flashed across my mind, and I understood this was where I’d need to place the Liv.
I only hoped healing my mom didn’t have the same bone-melting effect that healing Gud Morder had. Dear Universe, give me an easy one this time, okay? Also, please don’t let me break my mom. Xoxo, Allie.
“Greta, get those wands ready. If I screw this up, you need to save Eir.” I stared at my friend.
“You’re not going to screw this up, Allie,” Greta said.
“Elora, I know this isn’t midwifery but, well, if I fail . . .” I couldn’t say the words out loud. If I fail, find a way to help Greta save my mom’s life.
“Allie.” Elora reached across the bed to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I have every confidence in you. Now bring my friend back to me so I can show her what a beautiful, capable young woman her daughter has grown into.”
Moisture pooled in my eyes, and I blinked back the tears that threatened to spill all over my glowy Liv-ball. Don’t you dare cry, Allie Rydell. Do your job. Cry after you wake your mom.
“Okay.” Without another word, I turned my hand over so the orb dropped over Mom’s chest. It hovered between my palm and her sternum, and I gently pressed it into her fourth center. When nothing happened, panic gripped me in its paralyzing vise. Oh, God. No! “Greta?” I squeaked. What had I done wrong?
“Wait for it,” Greta assured me. “She’s been asleep for over seventeen years. It’s going to take more than a few seconds to—oh!”
Oh was right. My mother’s chest rose and fell as she drew a heavy breath. Her shoulders drew back against the bed, and her eyelids fluttered open to reveal the most intensely blue eyes I’d ever seen. They were the crystal-clear cerulean of the Iceland lagoon, and they moved slowly around the healing room as if taking in the world for the very first time.
Sweet mother goddess. My mom’s eyes were open. Which meant . . .
“Oh, Allie.” Elora exhaled softly behind me. “You did it.” Then she leaned forward to place her hand atop my mother’s. “Welcome back to us, my dear, sweet Eir.”
My mom’s golden curls cascaded along her pillow as she turned her head to study Elora. Her lips pulled upward in a soft smile, and the corners of her eyes crinkled as she looked at her old friend. When her gaze shifted to me, curiosity flickered across her features. One eyebrow raised slightly before her eyes widened. A medley of emotions colored her gaze, from surprise to shock to joy, before her lips parted and a single word escaped on a breath.
“Allie.”
“Mom,” I whispered.
My mom held her arms out, and I carefully lowered myself into them. My cheek rested on her chest, and I couldn’t stop the sob that burst from my throat when her arms wrapped gently around my back. Oh, my God. My mom was hugging me. Hugging me. She wasn’t dead; she wasn’t in the Night Sleep. She was here, alive, awake, and hugging me. Tears streamed freely down my face, dripping off my nose and pooling on my mom’s gown. My chest heaved with big, ugly sobs, but I was too overwhelmed with emotion to care that my mother’s first impression of me after seventeen years in a darkness coma was that I was a giant, blubbering mess. My mom was hugging me! Everything else was inconsequential.
“I missed you, Mom,” I blurted. “I missed you so much!”
“I missed you more, darling.” My mom squeezed me gently, unleashing a fresh wave of tears. I let her hold me for what felt like a short eternity before I extracted myself from her arms and used the heels of my hands to wipe my cheeks.
“Sorry,” I sniffed. “I just kind of thought I’d never get here.” For years, I’d believed my mother was dead. Once I learned the truth, Nott had been pretty intent on killing me before I could end her curse. But Mom didn’t need to know that. Not yet, anyway.
“Oh, Allie. Look at you.” My mom tried to sit up, but quickly fell back against the bed. Her muscles must have been weak after seventeen years of non-use. I hoped her Asgardian healing would allow her to walk in no time.
“We’ll help,” I offered. “Elora?”
“Absolutely,” Elora agreed.
We each placed a hand behind Mom’s back, and gently raised her to a seated position. Elora adjusted the pillows, and Eir nestled back into them. “Oh, Allie. My beautiful baby girl. All grown up and glowing with the Liv. My goodness, I missed you so much.”
“But you’ve come back to us,” Elora soothed. “Welcome home.”
“Elora.” Mom turned her hand upward to clasp Elora’s. “Thank you for all of the birthday cakes. And thank you for looking after my daughter.”
Elora didn’t ask how my once-comatose mom had known she’d brought cake every year on her birthday—she must have understood that some level of my mom’s consciousness remained awake, even when her body couldn’t. Would Greta and I understand each other that well some day? I met my friend’s grass-green eyes across my mom’s bed, and shot her a smile. Friendship goals.
“I’m just happy I don’t have to eat all that cake by myself anymore.” Elora chuckled, and Mom laughed along with her. My mom just laughed. The noise filled the room with the happiness of a thousand rainbows. It was the best sound I’d ever heard.
When her laughter subsided, Mom looked over at Greta. She tilted her head to the side, studying my friend. “I know you,” she deduced. “You’ve been one of my primary healers. You are a tremendously gifted, young lady.”
“Thank you.” Greta flushed. But my mom was right—Greta had staved off the dark energy drains the night my mom was attacked. She’d done what few healers would have been able to do—she’d saved my mom’s life. I was forever in her debt.
“So.” Mom raised her eyebrows. “Tell me what I missed while I was sleeping.”
What hadn’t she missed? From my junior fencing matches to my high school graduation to Nott nearly destroying Midgard to—
“Did my mother look after you well?” Mom interrupted my thoughts, and sadness caught in my throat. Poor thing—she’d just woken up; I didn’t want to tell her that her mom was dead. But I didn’t want her to think her own mother hadn’t shown up to see her come out of her sleep.
“She did. But, you see, Gran’s, uh . . .” I couldn’t finish. I just couldn’t.
“Your mother resides in Valhalla now, Eir.” Elora spoke up, bless her beautiful, godmothery heart. “She protected Allie until Ophelia’s son was ready to take her place.”
“I know.” Sadness turne
d my mother’s eyes downward. “Even in that sleep, I was able to watch certain things unfold. But I wasn’t always able to tell how you felt about what you experienced, Allie. Did you feel that my mother took good care of you?”
“Gran was the best,” I confirmed. “She made sure my life was full of love.”
“That’s all I could have hoped for.” When my mom looked up again, there was a twinkle in her eye. “And Ophelia’s son? Does he look after you well?”
Heat crept up my neck.
“Tore’s uh . . . he’s . . .”
“Tore’s a pain in the neck,” Greta chimed in. “But he loves Allie with all of his heart.”
“Shh!” I hissed. My cheeks were probably redder than Scarlet’s scales. I seriously hoped Tore couldn’t hear what we were saying. He was right outside the door, for crying out loud, with the rest of my protectors. If Bodie overheard, I’d never hear the end of it.
“And Tore is prepared,” Elora chimed in. “Not only for his own ascension, but for his role in Allie’s as well.”
“Huh?” I mumbled. Tore had to be Revenge, but I wasn’t ascending to anything. Now that my Mom was awake, the Liv could return to her and I could go back to being a totally normal . . . demigod. Right. There was no going back to anything normal for me. Everything going forward was going to be completely different than anything I’d ever known. Including, apparently, my relationship with my boyfriend.
“Oh, Allie.” My mom patted her bed again, and I lowered myself to sit beside her. “Let me tell you a story.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. Storytime with my mom sounded awesome . . . except that somehow, I sensed this one had a catch that was going to have big fat ramifications for me.
“Once upon a time, the Norns came to me with a very special prophesy for a very special little girl,” Mom began.