“Are you still here?” I asked with my eyes closed. The fabric of his shirt was still in my hands, but I needed to hear his voice.
“I am, you started to fade. Don’t do that again.”
“It looked like you were doing that to me.”
“Pretty sure it was you, but let’s not keep score. How about we just get to where Gertie told me, all right?”
“Okay. Maybe I should walk so I have to pay attention. How much further do we have to go?”
“It’s only a few more blocks. Who knew there was a Bifrost portal at St. Paul’s Chapel?”
“There is? How do we open it?”
“I’ll show you when we get there. Hold on, because I’m going to run again. You’re getting lighter, and we don’t have any more time to waste.”
I grit my teeth and held on as tight as I could. It wasn’t a time to be wimpy, I needed to keep it together.
When we got to the church, there was a group milling around the gravestones on the side of the building.
“I doesn’t matter if they’re here, they can’t see us anyway,” I said. Gus had stopped running and eased us over the iron finials. “They might feel a chill if they bump into us, though, so since we don’t have a lot of energy to waste, you should hug the building and stay away from them.”
“That’s smart.”
I huffed. “You’re not the only one who can think, you know.”
The rumble of a laugh sounded in my ear, and it made me smile.
When we made it past the group without incident, Gus put me on my feet. I watched him through the few curls covering my face. He brushed them to the side and stared into my eyes.
“Whatever happens, I want you to know that I’m glad you were the one to claim me.”
My heart stopped for a second before it started hammering against my chest with a vengeance.
What was that for? We really needed to get back and to our full senses. There was no way he would say something like that if we weren’t about to face the Gap. He’d said it was a Bifrost portal, but either way, the Gap was at the other end for me when I returned. I just wanted to make sure Gus got to Valhalla, and then I’d take my punishment.
“Let’s just get on with it. You’ll think more clearly when we’re safe.”
A crooked smile slid into place on his mouth, and his eyes lit up with a mischievous twinkle. “We’ll talk when we’re back, yes? And so you know, Gertie and I came up with a plan, so you might be stuck with me for a while.”
“Whatever it is, I don’t agree.”
“You can’t disagree until you’ve heard it.”
“Yes, I—”
There was a shrill yell, and then silence on the other side of the churchyard.
When I turned to peek through the opening, all members of the group were staring at Gus and I.
“We need to go,” I said.
“Why are they acting like they can see us,” Gus whispered, like that would make a difference.
“They can’t, but we are standing next to grave markers. Sometimes people see movement, or think they’ve heard something in places like this, and it makes them jumpy.”
“Right. As I was saying, about the plan. Here’s the thing, you have to be the one to activate the doorway. It’s the small marker there in the middle, with the Nordic compass on the front. I’ll hold on to you, but you have to say the phrase ‘my essence is the gate’ in your native language. That’s the key, and then the doorway will open. After that, we step through, and the Bifrost should show itself.
“The hard part will be that we’ll have to get up to it. Gertie believes that if we jump, I should be able to add my strength to yours, and if you open your wings, it might only take one flap to get us there. Then she said we’ll be whisked into the light, where she’ll meet us and guide us to Valhalla so we don’t accidentally end up in Asgard, because I guess that would be bad.”
Yeah . . . ‘bad’ wasn’t the right word. ‘Death-defying,’ ‘suicidal,’ something more along those lines would fit better, but I’d let him stick with ‘bad’.
I nodded and reached out my hand. Gus pulled me close so that our bodies were pressed together, and then he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“I just want to be sure we don’t get separated.”
Uh huh, sure.
I took a big breath and reached my hand toward the compass. As soon as I touched the pinwheel design, I spoke the words.
“Essensen min er Inngangsporten.”
A doorway flared to life all around us. Wind whipped my hair about, and screamed in my ears.
I stared at Gus, and he nodded. We crouched down low, and I spread out my wings as far as I could, then I exhaled and pushed off. I felt the strength of Gus’s legs add to mine, and we soared into the air. I waited to use my wings until the last minute so that I could get the most from their power. When we started to stall, I pushed against the air current as hard as I could.
At first, it didn’t seem like we’d moved . . . then the momentum of the force pushed us higher. The brilliance of the Bifrost glared into our eyes as we inched closer. But our speed slowed. Gus reached out as if he could try to pull us closer. Even if he could reach it, there was no way that would work. We started to fall away. I needed one more flap, but my wings could barely do more than trail behind me.
“You can do it, Niasa. I believe in you,” Gus whispered into my ear.
That was it—I was his only chance at a life of glory rather than an eternity of torture, and I hated to lose.
I spread my wings, screaming with the effort, and threw them forward with all the strength I could muster. That final push landed us in the stream of light and hurtled us forward. Unable to keep our balance, we tumbled end over end, coming to an abrupt halt against a set of stalwart legs wrapped in leather boots.
Afraid to find out who I would see, I kept my eyes closed for an extra second. When Gus started nudging me, I finally peered out through my hair.
I let out a long exhale and relaxed, letting my arms fall to my sides. Gus fumbled with my arm and clutched harder to me. It was fair, I supposed, since we weren’t technically in Valhalla yet.
“Gus, meet Gertie.”
I pushed myself to my knees and dragged him up alongside me. His eyes were wide, and he finally seemed a little rattled.
Good, I had been beginning to wonder about him.
We stood up tall and faced my friend.
“Gertie, this is Gus.”
“Nice to meet you,” Gertie said with as much cool indifference as she could have mustered. “Niasa, you are the most frustrating individual, and a hazard to the health of everyone who knows you . . . I’m so happy you’re back.” She flung her arms around me, and I awkwardly hugged her, with Gus’s arm coming with me.
I squeezed Gertie close and sighed. “It’s good to see you too,” I whispered, then straightened, ready to get moving and face whatever consequences awaited. “Now let’s get home. I understand that you have some plan for keeping my extra appendage here in a safe place?”
I already felt the buzz of strength returning, and the ache in my head fading away. We needed to get out of the way of Heimdall’s piercing gaze before I found myself in front of Odin’s throne again.
“Yes, but it’s not the best solution. We’ll have to come up with a better plan after we’re all settled. Let’s go.” Gertie held out her hand to me, but I wrapped my arm around Gus’s waist before I grabbed hold of her. I knew she’d be just like me and not think to wait until he was prepared before she took off.
I was right.
We flew straight up into the bright reflection of the Bifrost. I felt Gus’s muscles clench as he grabbed me tighter. Seconds later, we landed softly in the dark behind the barracks. The sounds of the feasting hall were still going strong across the field.
That instantly gave me hope that we wouldn’t run into anyone on their way to bed, since it was still early in the evening.
“I set up a cot in your ro
om for your guest.” Gertie smiled and winked.
I rolled my eyes and pushed her away. Gus still gripped the back of my vest.
“You can let me go now,” I told him. “You’ve made it safely to Valhalla.”
He stared at me and clamped his mouth closed tight. His chest rose and fell in a way that said he wasn’t ready to believe me.
“Come on.” I slid my hand into his and pulled him along with me as Gertie and I headed around the building.
“We’ll need to talk later,” she whispered. “It looks as though you’ve had a terrible time of things.” Playful sarcasm dripped from her voice.
“Stop, you have no idea what a pain this has been. Speaking of which, what has Toril been saying? Has Odin called the trial yet?”
Gertie stiffened, and I could tell she didn’t want to say anything. She peeked back at Gus, but I knew he wasn’t who worried her. At this point, he was irrelevant, since he would go to the induction hall and probably be fine.
“Spit it out,” I said.
“Odin hasn’t called the trial yet, but I’d expect it soon. There’s too much evidence against you. Toril has encouraged several einherjar to tell humiliating stories of how those you brought back behave on the battlefield, and their accounts don’t help your case.”
It wasn’t looking like my plan for Odin’s army had worked as well as I thought it would. I probably should have checked on them. I knew the men I’d chosen had the right amount of strength and skill . . . Something wasn’t right, and I’d need to take care of it.
As soon as I could show my face again, anyway.
Gertie went inside the barracks, while Gus and I waited for her to give us the all clear. As soon as we entered the building, she left to go back to the feast and try to gather some more information. We’d agreed to meet up later and talk when it was just the two of us.
My room was on the top floor, because I hated hearing anyone’s footsteps over my head. I hurried Gus up the four flights of stairs, hoping we wouldn’t run into anyone. None of the rooms were very spacious, since we didn’t need much more than a bed, and a privy. Though I also had a chair and footstool next to a waist-high bookshelf, since I had a small collection of tomes I’d gathered over the years. A tall lamp sat next to it, with a small, round table for my mead. Gertie had set up Gus’s cot next to my bed.
That needed to change. But first things first.
“Okay, it’s quiet now, and we’re alone. Let’s give this a try. Are you ready?”
“Are you sure? How do you know I’ll really be safe?”
“This is my home, Gus. I’m back to full strength already. I know how it works here, you need to trust me. Let’s take it slow. You can remove your hand when you feel ready. Sit.” I sat on the edge of my bed and kept his hand in mine.
He lowered himself down next to me, staring at our hands the entire time. His breathing was labored.
“You were able to stay longer by yourself before we left Midgard,” I reminded him. “This will be simple.”
I waited until he was settled, then, with my hand under his, I released my grip, letting him continue to clutch me.
He glanced at our hands and then stared into my eyes. “You’re sure it’s safe now?”
“I’m positive. It’s part of what I do, Gus. There are a lot of einherjar over in the feast hall having a grand old time because I brought them here.”
“Not the ones you brought who are like me, from the sounds of it.”
Ouch.
It was fair, but it stung. I’d apologized already, what else did he want?
Gus exhaled sharply and let his shoulders slump. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just . . . we’re actually here now. It wasn’t as real before. A beautiful woman told me I had to hold her hand, and then we had a great adventure.”
“I wouldn’t think almost dying was such a fun thing.” Gus flicked his brows at my comment, then settled his gaze on the floor. But I knew what he meant, and I didn’t need to discount his obvious struggle. “Okay, some of it was exciting, and you were amazingly brave.”
He sighed. “Not now, though. When I let go of you, I have to face this new life and all it means. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
I forced the lump out of my throat and squeezed his hand again.
“Take all the time you need.”
23
I stretched, enjoying the feel of my soft mattress. Light poured through the window next to my bed, and I faced it to watch the clouds gather and roll together. The gray skies rumbled with Thor’s thunder. A perfect day.
Then I shot out of bed. It was already light—the einherjar would be at battle, and sparring would be done for the day. I couldn’t believe I’d slept so late.
“Good morning.”
Gus startled me so bad, I nearly wet myself.
Sinking back to my bed, I gathered my wits. The events of the last few days had melted away as I slept, and now it all flooded back.
“How did you sleep?” I asked, buying time to think. I never spoke to anyone before sparring was finished. Having someone in my room grated on my nerves.
“I’m not sure I did. Though I don’t feel tired in the least. Do all the Valkyries live in this building?”
“Yes.”
I felt so out of place in my own room. There was nowhere to go, because I couldn’t leave, since no one knew I was back. But a bath and some hot cocoa sounded wonderful. As did time alone.
“If not for the heavy footsteps in the hall, I’d not know anyone else was here.”
“What did you expect?”
“Nothing. How could I expect anything? It’s just odd, I guess, to think of a girls’ dorm so subdued. No talking, running, or laughing. Is everything always so quiet?”
“Not always, but this is more like a military barracks than a dormitory. There’s work to be done in the day, so socializing is saved for the evenings.” Some considered the fighting more fun than the feast, but I’d let him discover that later. “Don’t open the door or make any noise that would draw attention.”
Gus saluted me, and I smirked as I headed toward my bathing chamber. He lay on his cot, bare-chested, with his arms behind his head. The tattoos down his right arm were in complete view, as were his toned abs. The blanket covered the rest of him, and I started to rip my gaze away when I noticed the shine of the fresh scar on his side.
“You’ll keep whatever scars you earn here, and I guess the ones you gained before you arrived, as well.” I darted my glance to his side and back to his face.
Gus twisted to look at the jagged pink line where the giant, in hawk form, had sliced him open.
“I kind of like it. Makes me look like I belong.” He smiled.
I huffed and walked through the doorway to the privy—that’s when I realized that there was no door for privacy. I had never needed one before.
“Stay out there, I’m going to bathe.”
“I was wondering how that worked when I was in there earlier. There are no knobs.”
He’d been in here? Had he nosed around my whole space as I slept?
It felt like such an invasion. I needed to find him somewhere else to stay.
“You can try it for yourself later.”
As far as I knew, I was the only one with a private tub. Odin had sent it to me when I’d first moved in. He’d said it was better that way, since I was so much younger than everyone else. It was my own private oasis, and I couldn’t imagine ever giving it up to use the shared community showers.
I’d just settled into the steaming water, drizzled with floral-scented oil, when heavy footsteps sounded in the hall. From many feet. It couldn’t be Gertie.
I jumped out of the tub and grabbed a towel, realizing that I’d forgotten to grab clean clothing before I left the other room.
When I rushed through the doorway, Gus was standing, dressed in his trousers and bloodied undershirt. His feet were bare, but he was poised to fight.
“Go in there,” I whispered as I n
odded to the privy.
Gus pointed to the cot with a question on his face, but I shooed him away. I’d figure out how to explain the extra bed.
There was no time to lose, and I hurriedly pulled out some clean things to wear. Fists pounded on the door as I finished tying the strings on my pants. My tunic hung loose, and I too was barefoot.
“Niasa, we know you’re back. Open the door.”
Toril. Of course.
I inhaled deep and let it out slow. Relaxed, I pulled my shoulders back and opened the door only enough to show myself.
Toril seemed ready to burst with excitement as she stood with the Valkyrie commander and the battle commander of the einherjar. My heart dropped into my stomach.
“Niasa, you have ignored your assignment and returned with an unauthorized target. You were warned, and now must face trial. Come with me,” my commander said. Her expression and her tone allowed no room for argument.
I didn’t move. I had about two more heartbeats to figure out what to do before they crashed through my door and dragged me out. Part of me hoped they still didn’t know Gus was here, and I wanted to make sure he could get away. Gertie would help him somehow.
“The einherjar you’re hiding must be initiated and taken to the induction hall.” The battle commander’s voice rumbled through me.
If I’d thought my commander was intimidating, this man made me want to cower in the corner. No one had ever made me feel so small and insignificant. Not even Odin.
“She’s not hiding me, I’ll come willingly,” Gus said behind me as he pulled the door out of my hand to open it wide.
Air left my lungs, and I couldn’t speak. I stood as still as a statue as Gus brushed past me and headed down the hall, followed by the battle commander. He’d managed to squeeze my hand on his way by, and the warmth of it lingered on my skin.
“Niasa.” The commander opened her arm for me to leave in front of her.
“She’s proved she can’t be trusted. You should clip her wings,” Toril said. The pleasure she gained from the suggestion seeped into the air.
The commander met my gaze and gave a slight nod as she pursed her lips. Though it seemed the idea bothered her, she agreed it was necessary. I understood.
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