A Dragon’s Witch

by Tina Glasneck

  “I’m guessing you would only say something so obtuse if you were alone.” I edged forward to catch a glance at the woman on his table. “She’s not talking?”

  He shook his head.

  “Must have heard me coming,” I called out.

  “You don’t come down here too often, so it must be important.” He moved from the table and pulled off his latex gloves.

  “Sorry, I would have called, but the message I received from the gods was quite urgent.”

  “It always is when they are either doling out punishments on my mother or trying to make sure humanity is safe from what they’ve caused.” Today he seemed to be in a mood. His general friendly and jovial nature had taken a nose dive. Although not completely unfamiliar, I mean, we all had our bad days, but this was growing more into an unclimbable mountain. Dare I say it started Jaz’s awakening? “Trouble in paradise?”

  He paused a little too long and then shook his head. Yep, something was off and seemed like dear ole’ Mother was once again grounds for his inability to be happy.

  We all wanted to be happy.

  “You didn’t come down here to offer relationship advice. What is this about?”

  “Leif is to be dealt with,” I whispered those words. “He hunted Jaz before her great revelation, and they believe he is too rogue and too much of a risk with his group of vampires. An active den. They cannot be controlled, and a cleaning crew is going to be called in.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because, you know what he’s been doing. I will do all I can to make this go away, and I even begged for reprieve, but the goddess wouldn’t hear of it. I’m to—”

  “Assassinate him.” Erich’s words hung in the air like burnt popcorn. For years he’d cared for me like family, and Leif, I’d seen a couple of times over the centuries. Being in his presence always reminded me of what life was like before he and I died. Watching him ride into the castle back then, had been a kismet moment; and seeing him, I’d longed for a way our hearts could align. But when the order came to purify the grounds, and the battle broke out, as caused by Philip, my brother, I knew nothing good would come from this.

  He probably still blamed me for his becoming a draugr, a vampire, as I was the one who prescribed the dragon’s blood and proceeded to treat him with it. I was the one responsible for his life, and now must be the one to acquire his death.

  It was the price I paid for walking the line between the gods, too. Freyja was my boss, the overseer and taskmaster. Lady Hel was my mentor and the mother figure who’d taken me in, and raised me into this supernatural world, with Erich. Pain akin to that of food poisoning caused my stomach to churn. It was betrayal stabbing me in the gut.

  “When do you plan to do this?” Erich asked and turned off the loud music playing. The room grew eerily silent.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, but in the coming days I will have to obey the order.”

  He knew as well as I did what failure to obey would mean for me. My immortality hung in the balance of my being the hand of the dragon, her protector, as well as the obedient servant of the goddess.

  “And if you don’t?”

  “Then more will be sent in, and set upon him and me.”

  Jaz still has so much training for us to do. I can only put this off for a bit. But I have also cast the lots and know something is coming, a change we are not prepared for. And without preparation, it is likely she could fall into the hands of the wrong person.

  “What will happen to Jaz if you are not here?”

  “She will have to figure it all out on her own, but we needn’t worry about that. The gods will not take us both from her.”

  Erich moved to the sink and washed his hands, ripping a paper towel free, he dried them, then tossed the paper towel into the trash. “No, but it isn’t the gods we have to always worry about, but also the Norns, the sisters of fate. They do carve out a thing or two.”

  I could only nod my head. Evidently he felt the change coming, too.

  Chapter Eight

  Tink

  My code required me to unquestionably obey the orders of the gods. I couldn’t hesitate, couldn’t show remorse or regret. Even the thought caused my throat to constrict.

  Tonight, I would give up everything. I could only shirk this responsibility so long.

  Life had been so much easier back in the 1500s. There I only needed to dress in a pretty gown, not embarrass my family, and obey the constructs of society—find a proper marriage, tend a hearth, and allow courtly love to be my guide. Blech. All hogwash, and nonsense.

  Where did that thought come from?

  A fog moved in, and a ghostly and ornate black stagecoach pulled by four towering black Andalusians thundered toward me. Its carriage wheels were carved, its leather exterior tufted. On top, two black crows rested.

  I felt her there before I even saw her, dearest adopted Mother, Lady Hel. She was Erich’s mother, and the goddess of death. I wasn’t sure why she allowed me to claim her as family, but then again, she was quite duplicitous: always looking out for number one—herself.

  For the normal person, the sight of the coach could be terrifying. For me, it meant my adopted mother wished to have a word.

  This was a dangerous family, as she was the daughter of Loki, the trickster, and Lady Hel had a way of playing both sides.

  But I loved her all the same.

  The stagecoach came to a full stop. The beautiful horses shook their heads, tossing their lovely black manes. Siegfried, Lady Hel’s attendant and driver, descended the coach’s seat, and stepped to the door. It creaked open.

  “Dearest,” Lady Hel called forth, taking Siegfried’s hand, and descended on to the sidewalk. She stood tall, regal, in her shoulder-less, and long-sleeved velvety maroon gown. With her inky-black hair pinned up into two Victory Rolls. White pearls rested in between the rolls, sitting like a crown, and a chunky pearl-and-silver necklace hanging around her neck. Glamoured to be fully beautiful, she hid her normal appearance of half-alive, and half-dead from me. As Norse mythology depicted her, so was she: split in two, with one side more beautiful than any model who had ever lived, a beauty kissed by the gods. Yet on the other side, her skin was blackened and likened to death’s decomposition.

  “Did you go to dinner with Erich dressed like that?” I chided. No matter what the stories said, I knew her as Mother, tenderhearted, and part of love. You couldn’t be a part of someone’s family for more than five centuries and not care for them.

  “Yes, yes, dear. But of course, I made sure to put on the glamor, so no one could truly see me.”

  “And you’re stopping to tell me about dinner, or invite me next time?”

  “So, sorry, but what I needed to tell him, well, it was a mother catching up with her son. We, too, must get together soon, as I have heard through the cosmic grapevine, you are quite busy with your extracurricular activities.”

  I nodded. I knew where she stood when it came to this, and not where I stood for sure.

  “Lovely, you must know the gods are only active when it benefits them, and the price they will have you pay for this will be immense. Come, let me give you a ride home, and we shall catch up.”

  I needed someone to talk to. Who would understand? Although Jaz was my best friend, there was still so much she didn’t understand or know about the supernatural. She was green, a novice, and no matter how powerful she might become, she wasn’t there yet.

  We entered into the coach, and after a few minutes ride through town, we entered the grounds for the Laufeyson’s estate—an ode to her father for sure. The large gothic structure, with its black iron gates, kept everyone out she did not invite, but still allowed her to return home to Helheim when she must.

  “What is it you have waited to tell me, Abele?”

  I’d been quiet. Too quiet. To utter what my heart said would betray the goddess Freyja, but to do what the goddess required would mean abandoning the love I’d been holding on to all o
f these years.

  “This is not about some mortal man who does not deserve you. I told you not to marry him.”

  “That is what the gods wanted,” I replied.

  “They always ask for a price to be paid but have a hard time not reneging on the contract. What have they asked of you this time? And I know it is more than you working to protect this dragon?” Her voice was filled with repugnance. I knew she didn’t like Jaz, even though Jaz was who made it possible for Erich to step into his necromancer powers.

  “Yes, yes, I can see your point, and this isn’t the time to discuss Jaz and Erich. No, they wish for me to kill the one man I love.”

  She took my hand into her blackened one, and tapped it. “Dearest, what are you asking of me? I would do many of things to once again have my love here, but I have not been gifted such an opportunity.”

  “If I don’t do it, then they will come for me, for us. And I don’t have the toolset to outfight the gods’ assassins.”

  Lady Hel nodded, and beckoned me to follow her inside. The house was as expected, with its white-and-black theme.

  We moved through the rooms, until we entered her office, decorated in an array of white furs, and accented black tufted furniture—like her Chesterfield sofa, ottoman, and office chair placed before her mahogany desk.

  “There is a way you can indeed save your beloved, but it will require much of you.” Lady Hel dug around in her desk and then pulled out two vials.

  “You do not have power to control time, but this will help you. The first vial, you are to take tonight, and upon waking, meditate. On this shamanic path, you shall gain magical access you’ve not had, but remember, it will come with a cost.”

  I shrugged. “All things do.”

  “Good. Then I have taught you well. Remember in your meditative state, you will be taken to the edge of darkness, but be not afraid.” She then lifted out a second vial. “And the second vial will allow you to create a portal. Drink it when you are ready to open the portal. But it is only one way. If you go back in time, it will not be able to bring you back. Be warned dear: this will also change things. As with the dragon now free, she has opened up powers she knows nothing of. I can only imagine the past has been changed, too, barely resembling what you once knew.”

  “Do you know something?”

  “The monsters of old are real because the dragon set them all free, almost all of them.” Her smiled faded for a moment, and I knew to which ones she referenced and potentially missed. “Have you heard from uncles Fenrir and Jörmungandr?”

  Her smile faded further. “Nice of you to ask. But no, not recently. But one day they, too, shall be free. By the 1500s, the Vikings, the faithful, are long gone, but there is enough old magic still in the trees, and hidden.”

  Garmr, Lady Hel’s hellhound, rounded the corner and came to rest at my feet. Today, he decided he liked the Doberman pincher look better, it seemed. He was making his rounds with the dog glamor. I reached down and petted him behind his ears—only family could do so with him, or those at least trusted by Lady Hel. He was always able to tell if the one in Lady Hel’s presence was honest in intent. If not, he would signal his dislike for sure.

  “What are you telling me?”

  “Head to a time slightly before your own, as it will be easier to fight back once the gods discern your loyalty is not with them, for make no mistake, this will be treason.”

  She walked around the desk and pulled me into a tight hug. In all 500 years, she’d never shown so much affection. “If things are different, it might even mean my dear Erich might not fully know of me. You must make sure he comes to know me.”

  I pulled back. “How?”

  “With this?” She removed a pearl from her necklace, and passed it to me. “This will allow you to summon me. Head to the holy forest and use the pearl to set your sigil. This will ward you. Once there, I shall be able to help you.”

  In this immeasurable game of chess, I could only hope I wasn’t a pawn. Jaz was my friend; Erich was my brother; Freyja saved me, and Lady Hel took me in and raised me in her ways, as if I was her own. This path was filled with betrayal. The question wasn’t if I would betray someone, but who?

  Chapter Nine

  Tink

  Yep, I did precisely as Leif thought I wouldn’t and stood him up. Instead, I’d meditated, and took Hel’s motherly medicine.

  I couldn’t trust him or my decisions around him. Instead, for the last couple of days and nights, I’d stayed low and away from the city, in the comfort and distraction at Lady Hel’s house. This was my home away from home, but I couldn’t put off the inevitable.

  “Are you sure you wish to head back today?” A small crease formed between Hel’s brows. “You’ve been resting quite well, and giving your brother space might indeed help him.”

  On the long banquet table, fit for the royalty she was, were several decadent pastries with puddings, bright and glazed fruit, chocolate dipped fruit, and of course, freshly baked tarts. She’d presented all of my favorites.

  Today, instead of Siegfried, a female fairy served us. She smelled like candy, as if her marble-like skin had been powdered by sugar. Her hair sparkled with crushed lollipops, and her pout shimmered with sprinkles. “You needed something special to brighten your day, dear.”

  The fairies remained from a time when Lady Hel ruled with her beloved, the Alder King. I’d heard a lot about him over the years, and even his connection to the Morgana.

  Sometimes, on special occasions, one might appear as a servant out of honor and respect for Hel’s court.

  “What brings us the fairy today?”

  I chuckled. The only reason Erich would want space in his apartment with no visitors, and only him and Jaz, would be for horizontal gymnastics. Those two could make up for lost time like jackrabbits. Instead, I picked up my fragile teacup and took a sip: Earl Grey.

  There were some things you didn’t talk to your mother figure about, and one of them was sex.

  “You. She was also sent to bring you a message.”

  The fairy appeared and placed an oval ivory music box before me. On its side was golden Viking knotwork. On its face, the tree of life: Ydrassil.

  “Did you drink the vial as I requested?”

  I nodded and gulped. Whatever this was, it wasn’t merely a nice oval music box. Something in there would change everything.

  This moment would not have been more poignant if a chorus looked on. I gulped, pushing down the lump in my throat.

  “I can’t hide away forever. Even I must deal with the repercussions of this life and my choices.” I watched as she took the silver spoon, added a heap of ground turmeric, and stirred her tea.

  “Do not open it until it is time.”

  My cellphone vibrated in my pocket. “It would appear your brother needs you. Siegfried will ready the car to return you to the city. But my dear, be careful, for this is the witching hour and the gods are fickle.”

  In a fury of black chiffon, she rose from her high-back chair. “Who do you serve, Abele? You must figure this out, and then act accordingly.”

  Lady Hel gracefully exited, the fairy following in tow, both leaving behind the aroma of sweetness, and the foreboding fear that all roads would lead to death.

  Rising, I checked my cellphone and found a message from Erich: Jaz was missing.

  I gasped.

  Jaz had never been one to disappear without a trace of hide nor hair.

  Unfortunately, duty called, and they would have to wait.

  Chapter Ten

  Leif

  Seeing Abele brought it all back. Usually, even with Erich around, Leif wasn’t allowed to be near her, but things had now changed. Could it be, the magical barrier between them was gone?

  He wanted her like none he’d ever experienced.

  Unlike how Hollywood depicted his kind, he didn’t have anyone to teach him the ends and outs of what it meant to be a vampire. He’d scraped all of it together through life’s experiences
, the pain, and gore of loss.

  He shook his head to be rid of the fleeting memories of his first time, his first drink from Abele’s well. But he promised himself not his last.

  Even now, his gut clenched. More than her blood called him.

  Damn them all. After a while, the pain lessened, and the gods made sure they never stood a chance at happiness. The best way to stay happy, healthy, was to remain closed off.

  The gods didn’t write love stories, though. Instead, they sought the path of heartache. Over the years, he’d checked on her less and less, always from a distance.

  It hurt less to know she was somewhere out there. Distance made all wounds crust over until you picked at them again. That’s what the gods liked to do, like now. This was them meddling, and not leaving dying dog’s dead.

  Even now, this dance they’d do, it would be filled with potholes. She meant the most to him. The more pain you endured, the more you could take.

  His cellphone rang, and it was Erich.

  “Let me guess, dear sister decided to tell you about me?” Leif said.

  “I wish it were so simple. You’re putting her in a pickle.”

  It had been more than twenty-four hours since they’d seen each other. Maybe she wasn’t ready to repair that broken bridge. “According to you, that’s what I do.”

  “You know, the only one you have to blame for your condition is me. Don’t take your anger out on her.”

  “My anger. She just killed one of my men last night.”

  Erich paused. “If she did, then there was a reason.”

  “There is always a reason, but I can’t be foolish for anyone, even her. My men expect me to deal with her, and I will. But don’t you worry. I won’t get her into any trouble. It will be a quick catch and release.”

  “She deserves better.”

  “Well, so do I.” Before Erich could respond, Leif disconnected. He stalked to the bathroom to freshen up, and stared at his reflection. Those silver-backed mirrors gone made so many things now possible, including seeing his face reflected back at him. “I have to protect my small kingdom, and no matter how I feel about her, I’d damn us both,” he said to his reflection.