26
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“This is not New York City,” I whispered, unsheathing my swords. “You said nothing would go wrong!” I struggled to contain myself.
“Did you think of your apartment during the journey?” he asked as we crept forward. We’d landed in some sort of dark, dank tunnel. There was water on the ground, and the smell was unreal—pungent garbage with a side of putrescence.
“Of course I thought about my apartment,” I exclaimed. “It was the only thing I thought about.” A loud rumbling came from above that shook the tunnel. I stood, dropping my arms. “Wait a minute.” I sheathed Gundren. “We are in New York, just below the subway system in a sewer tunnel. It was an honest mistake, since the last time we came here, we landed in Central Park. Why didn’t it shoot us out there instead of this grubby tunnel?” My foot landed in a puddle of muck.
Fen chuckled. “It’s midday. It would look kind of suspicious if we rolled out of a tree in front of crowds of people. I believe the last time we came through, it was the middle of the night. The tree must still follow guidelines, which is that no one in Midgard may detect us.”
I glanced around, wrinkling my nose. “So how do we get out of here?”
“There’s a ladder over here.”
I followed Fen.
The ladder was short and led us to another tunnel. A subway car streamed to a stop at the end of it. “We’re on the other side of the platform,” I said. “This is an offshoot like the one the ettins took me through the first time. Once the train’s gone, we’ll cross the tracks quickly and hope no one spots us.” We edged out and waited for the train to start moving, then jumped down onto the tracks and were back up on the other side before anyone was the wiser. I glanced around at the signage and smiled. “This is my subway stop. The tree is brilliant. We’re only a couple blocks away. Come on, let’s go.”
We hurried outside, navigating the streets quickly.
I kept my head down, not wanting to witness anyone’s reaction to our outfits. We reached my building within minutes, just like Fen had predicted. The Valkyries had been paying my rent until we figured out what I was going to do and where to put my stuff. I’d never been more grateful.
Inside, my studio apartment looked exactly the same. There were musty undertones, but that was to be expected. Fen shut the door behind us, and I gave him a bright smile. “I didn’t think I’d be back here anytime soon. It feels good to be back.”
Fen was on alert as he paced into my kitchen. When he was done in there, he came back and opened my closet door, finishing his investigation in the bathroom. “I don’t detect that anyone from Asgard has been here. It seems to be safe and sound.”
I sat on the bed. “We made good time,” I said. “Taking the tree is pretty awesome.”
Fen joined me on the bed, causing my body to fall into his. “We have at least forty-five minutes to ourselves.” His lips were like velvet as they brushed against mine.
I moaned into his mouth as my palm stroked his face. “I’ve missed you,” I whispered.
“Oh, Valkyrie, the word missing doesn’t even come close,” he murmured as he rested his forehead against mine. “I ache for you. Our separation was miserable. My mind kept imagining you in danger, and I couldn’t focus. You mean more to me than anything I’ve cared about in the last millennia. I dreamed of your body against mine over and over again, the electricity we share, our connection—it’s too powerful for words.”
“Oh, Fen.” My mouth dove for his feverishly. My hands brushed over his chest, leaving a trail of electricity. Fen moaned, crushing me tighter, his mouth urgent. I loosened the scabbard from my shoulders. Fen’s tunic was already on the floor. “Let me get this thing off—”
The door to my tiny apartment burst open.
Fen and I were off the bed instantly.
He had his broadsword drawn as I reached for Gundren, a task that was a little harder than it should’ve been since I’d had it almost off my shoulders.
“Well, isn’t this quaint?” A man strolled into the room.
Wait a minute.
I’d seen that face before.
Loki.
“Father.” Fen held his broadsword aloft, so I continued to draw Gundren in front of me. “What brings you here?”
Loki paced casually around the room like he owned the place, idly plucking up a knickknack from my dresser, examining it, and setting it back down. He stopped in front of my window and glanced out. “I’ve come for the girl, but you already know that,” he replied. “I’m sure someone has already informed you I inquired about her.”
“You have no business with Phoebe,” Fen growled.
“Oh, but I do.” Loki leaned a shoulder against the wall and crossed his arms. His hair was impossibly dark, his blue eyes intense. There was no denying he was handsome—but it was in a lethal kind of way. Nothing about Loki radiated comfort or compassion. “I have an arrangement with the Norns that I intend to honor.”
“How did you know we were here?” Fen asked.
“It’s not that hard to trace movements within Yggdrasil if you know what you’re looking for.” He smiled ruthlessly. “And I knew what I was looking for.”
Fen lowered his broadsword a foot, still tense, ready to strike. “What do the Norns stand to gain with Phoebe’s death?”
Loki shrugged. “I didn’t bother to ask.”
“Don’t play games with me,” Fen raged. “You’ve been colluding with them since before Phoebe was born. It was you who pretended to be the seer who brought chaos to Asgard and caused Phoebe and her mother to be exiled. Don’t even pretend to deny it.”
“I won’t,” Loki answered agreeably. “I killed the seer and masqueraded as him, which was quite an adventure actually. It was thrilling to see the Asgardian people quake in fear for their precious unborn children.” I was pretty sure Loki was a psychopath. “Of course, I knew Odin and his whore were expecting. But I only gave the Norns bits of information, withholding the rest. I did, however, manage to convince them that their days of power were ending and they needed to follow my lead or wither into nothingness, blamed of course, on the impending birth of your…lover here.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” I was stunned he would so easily admit to all his wrongdoings with no remorse. “What did you have to gain by doing all that?”
Loki pushed back from the wall, and Fen growled. “Life is just an inevitable game of chess. One constantly swaps moves with their opponent to edge closer to glory. The Norns are very powerful beings, but I overheard their private conversations one night. They had seen something grave about their future. I quickly discovered they would do anything to change the outcome of that event.” He spread his arms wide. “So I offered them an alternative. They took me up on it greedily and promised me whatever I wished in return.” He bobbed his head at me. “The alternative was you. I convinced them that you were the vile being behind their demise and that you had to be stopped. Although they didn’t readily see it that way in their visions, their fates changed significantly after our conversation. So they were suddenly believers.”
I was dumbstruck. “But how…could you orchestrate such a thing? Aren’t the Norns powerful oracles? Couldn’t they see it was a lie in the end?”
Fen snorted. “You don’t know my father,” he said. “He contorts the truth with lies. He has honed his talents over the last millennia so even the Norns fall victim to his games. Even though the oracles could not confirm Loki’s lies, he knew that if their fates changed, he could take credit. There’s no doubt that he bolstered these untruths by whispering evil things in their ears for the last twenty-four years, keeping them on his desired path.”
“Indeed,” Loki said, completely unashamed. “But in their defense, once the plan was set in motion, their future became much brighter. Who knows if it was because of Phoebe or not, but isn’t that beside the point?”
“What did they offer you?” Fen raged. “Caskets upon caskets of gold and jewels?”
“No.” Loki took a step forward. “They offered me something I could not refuse.”
“What could satiate your greed more than gold and jewels?” Fen asked sarcastically.
“They offered me sight,” Loki replied.
“That’s impossible!” Fen fumed. “You are born an oracle, or you are not.”
“There is a way,” Loki argued. “It has been shown to me, and with the gift of sight coupled with my glamour, I will be undefeatable—the greatest god to have ever existed in all the realms.”
“That’s all you’ve ever cared about,” Fen spat. “It has always rankled you that Odin is far superior, in both mind and power.” I stood behind Fen and noticed that one of his hands had snaked behind his back. He was giving me a signal.
His hand pointed toward the door. He wanted me to run.
That meant that he didn’t think he could defeat his father. I didn’t want to leave Fen, but I had no idea what Loki was capable of.
“Yes, power is all I’ve ever dreamed of,” Loki said matter-of-factly. “What god doesn’t? If I can see into the future better than Odin, I will rule Asgard.”
“Odin will never give his place up to you,” Fen scoffed. “It’s impossible to defeat him. He is far more powerful than you will ever be.”
“We’ll see about that.” Loki seemed unfazed by his son’s harsh words. “But to give it a very good try, I’ll be taking your lover with me.” Lover came out like it was a dirty word.
“Over my dead body,” Fen seethed. Fen’s hand movements became more pronounced as he gestured toward the door. “You do not have the ability to monitor Phoebe’s every movement. You got lucky this time.”
“I can find her, if given enough time,” Loki replied.
“Admit it. You happened to be traveling in the tree and crossed her signature,” Fen snarled. “Nothing more.”
“I will not divulge my resources to you,” Loki said with scorn as he made another move forward.
“You will not pass,” Fen said, a low growl erupting in his throat.
“Your broadsword will not hold me back,” Loki replied.
There were clearly no bonded family connections here.
“I’m not planning on using my broadsword,” Fen snarled. When I didn’t make a move, Fen shouted, “Phoebe, get out of here. Take the tree! I will find you.”
Loki tried to go around Fen, but Fen had already begun to shift.
His wolf form would trap Loki for mere moments.
This was my only chance.
I darted out into the hallway, racing down the steps, making it to the first floor in record time. Up above, I heard a fierce snarl followed by an angry howl. If my neighbors heard that, the police would be here within five minutes.
I banged out of the front door, racing down the street toward the subway in a blur.
The only thing I could think of doing was to head to the same portal Fen and I had just exited. I couldn’t waste any time finding another. I didn’t want to put my parents in jeopardy, but not showing up to at least say goodbye would cause even more chaos.
I had to decide what to do by the time I reached my destination.
When I arrived at the subway platform, I leaped over the turnstile. A train was just pulling in. I darted down the walkway toward the rear of the car. I was moving so fast, humans would be hard-pressed to notice me. And if they did, they’d chalk it up to another crazy New Yorker trying to ride the subway for free.
It didn’t really matter who saw me, as I’d be long gone by the time anyone showed up to investigate.
Once I rounded the back of the train, I jumped down on the tracks and was up on the other side almost instantly. I found the ladder and headed down into the hole, running toward the portal, my body generating enough electricity so I could see.
I spotted something up ahead.
I squinted.
They were bodies, and they were moving. I drew my swords.
“It’s the shieeeeeldmaiden,” one of them called. “Our mistress will be so happy.”
“We found heeeer!” another crowed to its buddies.
Ettins.
But I was not the same shieldmaiden they’d encountered before.
Not even close.
I didn’t slow my gait. Instead, I shouted, “Stand back if you don’t want to die!” Before any of the creepy little guys had time to answer, I sent electricity sailing off the ends of my twin swords, hitting the first two I saw point-blank in the chest.
They flew back, crashing into the tunnel walls and bouncing off like bowling pins.
There were only about ten of them assembled, and they all started talking at once, fear leaking around the edges of their words.
“She is strong, stroooonger than before.”
Damn right I was.
“It doesn’t matter, take her aaaanyway.”
Not a chance.
“I don’t think you guys are listening very well,” I snarled, coming to a stop in front of them. “You need to move from this place or die. Your choice.” Those were bold words, seeing as how I hadn’t killed that many living things before—creatures or otherwise.
But I was willing to do what I had to do. My survival depended on it.
Plus, the ettins were not my friends. They’d already proven that fact when Bragnon injected his poison into my leg via a nasty bite.
One of them had the nerve to scurry forward, its mouth gaping, showing its intent and rows of poison-laden teeth. There was no way I was going through that again.
I took aim with both my swords and blasted this bold creature in the chest.
It flew down the tunnel so far I didn’t see where it landed.
Without overthinking it, I aimed my swords at the group and blasted them all. I couldn’t have them following me.
Then I pivoted, sheathing one of my swords. I placed one hand on the wall, shooting energy outward and willing the cillar to open.
It kindled immediately, the tug happening simultaneously.
In the next instant, I was sucked into the vortex. Only one thought occupied my mind. The farm. It was risky to go home, but I had to say goodbye to my parents. They would raise an alarm if I didn’t return. Not to mention I needed a firm plan before showing up in Helheim again. I had no idea what I was going to do without Fen.
As I tumbled, I grew furious.
How dare Loki show up and try to kidnap me to take me to the Norns? I knew Fen would survive—he was too stubborn to die—but what kind of father was so heartless that he would kill his own child?
I prepared myself for my landing this time.
When I emerged from the oak tree, I somersaulted twice and was up and running before I lost momentum. I flew through the fields, a single sword still out, my arms pumping furiously. We had parked my mother’s Jeep down an old dirt road nearby.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Tracy.
The look on her face was priceless. She likely just saw a blur, but it was hard to know for sure. I was certain, however, that very soon the entire town would be talking about how insane I was. I couldn’t worry about that now.
I made it to the Jeep, turned the key, and peeled out.
I’d been gone from Wisconsin less than thirty minutes.
As I drove, I formulated a story. It would have forty different holes in it, but I had to come up with something. I would have to leave town immediately. I couldn’t stick around and risk putting my parents in jeopardy.
I pulled into my parents’ driveway three minutes later, flinging the car into park, shutting it off, and exiting before the engine had stopped idling. I banged into the house, still trying to figure out what I was going to say.
“Phoebe!” my mother exclaimed, wiping her hands on her apron. “I thought you were going to change. And is that a tear in your shirt?” She moved toward me, concern on her face.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” I said. “But there’s been a change of plans.”