Fates, he really was like that dude Thor from the superhero movies. Just happy as a clam to charge into battle. And we’d hitched a ride with this guy?

“We paid you to take us to the end of the fjord, not to a battle!” I shouted.

He leaned into the rudder handle, ignoring me.

For fate’s sake. I looked at Ares. “Did you see where he put the gem?”

“In the pouch at his waist.”

“Get it.”

Ares grinned and nodded, using his superior speed to race across the deck and pluck the pouch from the Viking’s waist. He darted back toward me. Behind us, the sounds of the battle grew closer.

The Viking glared at us, rage reddening his face.

“You’ll get it back when you deliver us to the other side of the fjord,” I said. “Go around the battle!”

He grimaced, then nodded, turning the rudder and pulling on a line so that the sail shifted. The wind caught it and turned us on the water. I spun to face the battle.

Shit.

“We’re too close!” Del cried.

The warships were only a hundred meters away. Several of the Vikings yelled and pointed. One of the vessels veered away from its fight, the oarsmen pulling with all their might as they cut across the water toward us.

“They’ll try to ram us!” Sven shouted. There was glee in his voice.

Nutty as a squirrel was our Sven.

From the bow of the approaching boat, warriors fired their arrows at us.

“Duck!” I called.

My friends dove behind boxes and the wagon as the arrows plowed into the water twenty meters away from our boat. I scrambled across the deck and grabbed one of the shields that was hanging over the side of the boat. Everyone followed.

We huddled behind our shields as the oncoming boat approached.

“Should we row or fight?” I asked. Outrun or overpower?

We all peeked over our shields at the oncoming boat.

“I’ll row,” Ares said. “Two oars.”

I eyed the massive oars that were built to be used one at a time, but Ares could handle it. With his superior strength adding to our sail power, we had a shot.

“Roarke and I will fight,” I said. “Del, you guard the Viking. If he gets killed, we’re screwed.”

Del nodded and scrambled across the deck toward the Viking, her shield deflecting arrows. She adopted her Phantom form, turning blue and transparent. Any arrow that attempted to hit her would fly right through.

Immediately, Roarke took off into the air, his wings carrying him toward the approaching vessel.

Quickly, I conjured a long shield with shoulder straps and handed it to Ares. “Wear this on your back. I’ll try to keep you covered.”

He nodded and shrugged it on, then stood in the middle of the boat and picked up the oars, slotted them against the oarlocks, and pulled with ferocious strength. The boat shot through the water.

The screams of the Viking battle grew louder, along with the clanging of swords and the thud of boats colliding with each other. Wind whipped my hair away from my face as we cut through the fjord.

Adrenaline surged through my veins, and I conjured my bow and arrow, then moved toward the side of the boat. The whole edge was lined with shields. I crouched behind them and eyed my target.

The Viking longship was only fifty meters away now. Roarke dive-bombed it from the sky, grabbing bowmen and throwing them into the icy water of the fjord. Their shrieks echoed through the valley.

I took aim and fired for the pilot who stood at the stern, clutching the handle of the rudder. My arrow pierced his neck, sending him flying backward. One of his crewmembers shouted and abandoned his oar, lunging for the rudder as the boat veered off course.

I aimed for the new pilot, taking him out on my second shot. Another replaced him.

More arrows flew toward us as oarsmen abandoned their posts on the enemy vessel and took up the long-range attack. Arrows thudded into the wood around me. A dozen of them poked out of the shield on Ares’s back, making him look like a porcupine as he heaved at the oars.

I continued to fire at the pilots, killing one after another. It was a grisly game of whack-a-mole. I called upon my plant magic, reaching deep in the fjord to find kelp that could come to my aid. But it was too deep, hundreds of feet below.

“We’re pulling away!” Del cried.

She was right. Ares’s strength and our sail were beating out the now-smaller numbers of men on the approaching ship. In the distance, the other vessels still fought, but they weren’t coming after us.

Roarke continued to dive-bomb the Vikings in the boat, deflecting their arrows with his shield while he yanked them off the deck with his other.

A quick glance at Del showed her with a shield full of arrows and our unharmed Viking pilot.

The enraged shouts of the pursuing Vikings echoed in the fjord. Finally, we were far enough away that they ceased their pursuit. Roarke left them immediately, flying toward us. He landed on the deck with a thud. Ares laid down his oars, face streaming with sweat. Blood seeped from wounds at his thigh and upper arm.

“Never thought I’d be in a Viking sea battle,” Ares said.

“That makes two of us.” Roarke inspected a puncture wound at the side of his bicep.

Del approached, eyes concerned. I conjured a cloth bandage and handed it over. She bound Roarke’s wound.

“Are you all right?” I pointed to Ares’s wounds. He’d been sliced where the shield hadn’t protected him.

“Fine. They’re minor and they’ll heal soon.”

I looked at Sven. “Why’d they come after us?”

“The crest on my sail is recognizable. They know this vessel is laden with treasure.”

I studied the enemy ship as it limped back toward the battle. “Thank fates it didn’t catch us.”

The Viking laughed. Along with my friends, I collected the arrows that stuck out of the wooden boat and piled them in the bow. Any one of us could have been skewered like a shrimp on a barbecue.

“We don’t have much sunlight left,” Ares said.

I studied the sky, which was already turning pink. Winter in Norway was really not the ideal time for a mission like this. If the cold didn’t get us, the darkness could. Who knew what could hide in the shadows here?

The sounds of the battle dissipated as we sailed away, cutting quickly over the smooth, dark water. The wind was chill and fresh as the sky turned a brilliant orange and pink with the sunset. It’d be romantic if we hadn’t just escaped a Viking sea battle. Hell, maybe it was more romantic because we’d just escaped a Viking sea battle.

I glanced back at Sven. A broad grin stretched across his face. Clearly, the Viking was happy to be back on his beloved fjord.

We sailed for two hours as stars sparkled high above. Bright moonlight glittered on the dark water, the moon illuminating the fjord.

When a sharp scream rent the night air, I jumped and whirled to face Sven. “What was that?”

His eyes were wary as he searched the fjord. “Draugen. A monster. The spirit of a drowned man who haunts those on the fjord. He’ll try to—”

Thunder cracked, cutting off his words. Snow sprinkled from the sky above, a frozen storm that brought with it massive waves that rocked the boat. Wind whistled through the valley. I clutched the mast, looking around frantically.

Del clung to the side of the boat, Roarke at her side. Ares kept his footing, no doubt aided by his vampire physicality. The boat rode huge waves, plunging down into troughs with a bang.

“Take down the sail!” Sven roared.

Wind and snow whipped my face as I struggled to follow his command. I fumbled with the lines, Ares at my side. We’d just managed to lower it a bit when the wind tore right through the linen. It flapped in the air, shreds waving. Quickly, we lowered the yard. It slammed down and we dragged it off the mast to stow it on the deck. I shoved my end into the bow, near Del. Ares aligned his in the stern.

“To our right!” Roarke roared.

I spun around, searching the water for whatever Roarke pointed toward.

At first, it just looked like a massive lump on the surface of the sea.

“What is it?” Del asked.

She and I stood together at the bow, clinging to the raised stempost, the elegant curving structure that was the most characteristic feature of Viking boats.

I squinted, finally able to make out some detail. “It’s a huge man. Rowing half a boat.”

“Half a boat?” Ares shouted.

“Yes! And he’s rowing right for us!”

“Draugen will try to take us to the bottom,” Sven shouted. “Everyone row!”

We scrambled for the oars. But before Del and I could make it toward the midsection of the boat, a wave crashed over the bow, sweeping us off into the sea.

Icy water closed around me, shocking me into panic. The cold froze my muscles and sent icicles through my brain, like the worst ice-cream headache imaginable. I gasped, sucking in water.

Panic almost blinded me as the dark water surrounded me.

No!

I kicked, clawing for the surface. I wouldn’t be bested by panic. The water felt like Jello, but finally my head broke the surface. I gasped and coughed, searching blindly for the boat and my friends. Snow fell through the darkness, and waves rose and crashed all around me.

Terror greater than any I’d ever known seized my chest.

Then I saw him. Roarke, in the sky, his dark form held aloft by his glorious wings. He was searching, his head darting around.

He pointed at me and shouted. “There!”

Then he dived, away from me. I prayed he was going for Del. I shook uncontrollably as I kicked frantically to stay afloat, swallowing too much water. A moment later, a strong arm wrapped around my middle.

“I’ve got you!” Ares shouted.

“I can help!” I was weak, but not beaten. Together, we kicked. I followed his lead. In the sky, Roarke carried Del. We followed his figure back to the boat. By the time we reached it, I was nearly numb. Roarke helped drag us in.

I lay on the deck, coughing and sputtering.

“Draugen is coming!” Sven shouted. “Get up and row!”

Row? Like this? I was half frozen to death.

“Get up and fight, or he’ll take you back into the water!” Sven roared.

That was all it took. The memory of the icy fjord sent a bolt of adrenaline through me. It was so strong that it jerked me to my feet. I was clumsy from the cold, but couldn’t feel it.

Draugen was closer now, only fifty meters away.

“Stay low to the deck!” Ares shouted. He ran for the oars, tossing one to Roarke and one to Del. “Hold him off with your arrows, Nix!”

I nodded, shakily conjuring my bow and racing to the stern. I took up position near Sven, whose face was set in lines of concentration and worry.

“He won’t like fire,” Sven said. “No one on the sea does.”

I nodded sharply and conjured a flaming arrow. My numb arms shook as I drew back on my bow and fired. The arrow sailed through the air, landing laughably off course. Adrenaline might give me strength, but it didn’t give me skill.

I conjured another arrow and fired again. This one almost hit Draugen, who was now only twenty meters away.

“You must do better!” Sven leaned on the rudder’s handle, directing us away from a large, oncoming wave. The boat rocked beneath me.

Frustration warmed me as I conjured another arrow and fired. This one hit Draugen’s boat. He roared his rage. Bolstered, I conjured another, firing for the massive man.

It landed on his chest, but he swatted it away.

Crap!

“He’s too big!” I shouted. “My arrows can’t pierce.”

My mind raced. I needed another plan. He was so close now that I could make out the seaweed that draped from his huge form. He was a proper monster, all right.

The seaweed.

Hope flared in my chest, and I reached out for the weeds, letting my life magic flow from me. Come on, come on. Just barely, I could sense the smallest bit of life left in them. Through the snow and the wind, I sent my magic toward the vines, commanding them to constrict around the monster.

He was now only fifteen meters away, close enough for me to see the moonlight glinting off his dark eyes. His face was twisted in a scowl, and he hauled at his oars. Waves crashed around him.

Tighten. I commanded the vines to squeeze him. He faltered, his oars stopping.

Was it working?

Squeeze. My magic sparked inside me as I commanded the weeds. My heart thundered., Finally, they did my bidding, wrapping around Draugen and slowing his movements. He yelled, thrashing against the bonds.

“Row!” Sven roared. “We’re losing him.”

I kept my magic flowing to the vines as my friends hauled at the oars. We pulled away from Draugen. He sat, a lame duck on the water and thrashed against the weeds that bound him.

The snow ceased and the waves settled as we left Draugen behind. The adrenaline faded, and the cold returned. Shivers wracked me.

“Nix!” Del’s voice shook from cold. “You’ve got to conjure….” Her teeth chattered so hard the words cut off.

“I will.” I could no longer see Draugen and the sea was calm, so I turned to my friends, shaking from the cold. They looked like hell—stark white and ragged. I called upon my magic, conjuring space blankets and thermoses of hot coffee. They appeared on the deck in a pile.

“You have quite a skill,” Sven said.

“Th-thanks.” My teeth chattered as I tugged off my clothes and wrapped one of the space blankets around me. My friends did the same, shaking as they discarded their clothes. The space blanket created warmth, but it was too thin. So I conjured more blankets—big, thick woolen ones.

We wrapped those around us as well, along with hats that I conjured.

“Sure w-wish we could have a fire,” Del stuttered.

“Me too.” I shook inside the warmth of the blankets.

“No.” Sven’s voice was firm.

I couldn’t blame him. He’d just gotten his boat back—his life. No way he’d risk having a fire on it.

With shaking hands, we drank the thermoses of coffee.

“That was close,” Ares said.

“No kidding.” I looked between him and Roarke. “Thanks for saving us from the water.”

They grinned.

“Anytime,” Ares said.

Finally, I was mostly warm enough that I no longer shook uncontrollably. I conjured fresh clothes for each of us, and we tugged them on.

“We’d better get rowing again,” Ares said.

“Yeah. Don’t want Draugen to shake off the seaweed and catch up,” Del said.

I looked at Sven, whose gaze was riveted on the fjord beyond. At least we had our stalwart captain.

“You don’t have a spare sail, do you?” I asked.

“I do not.”

I called upon my magic, conjuring a sail. It took precious moments to attach it to the spar and hoist it up the mast, but we managed. Once the wind had caught, we each took up an oar and fit it into the oarlock, then sat on a chest and began to row. The exertion sent heat to my muscles. It was good, in a tiring way. As we rowed through the dark night, supplementing the sail power, I focused on my dragon sense, praying that we were close to our destination.

After a while, it tugged hard, toward the shore on our left. I pointed, directing Sven. “That way!”

“There’s nothing but cliffs that way!” He squinted toward the mountain that edged the fjord. “No place to land.”

My dragon sense was quite clear. “It’s over there, I’m sure of it!”

He shrugged and turned the rudder. The boat cut through the water, heading for the cliff. Sven pulled us alongside the towering rock face, and I studied it.

He was right. It was just a straight shot upward, barely any slope at all. But my dragon sense was insistent. I stowed my oar and moved toward the bow, letting my dragon sense guide.

“We’re close. I know we are.” I squinted at the stone wall. Moonlight gleamed on the rock. A series of strange shadows caught my eye. My heart leapt and I pointed. “There! Stairs carved right into the rock.”

Del groaned. “Really? That cliff is thousands of feet tall.”

I tilted my head back and looked up. She was right. It was almost inconceivably tall and so steep that it was nearly vertical. The stairs cut into the side, and there was no handrail. My friends rowed slowly as Sven directed the boat toward the stairs.

“Stop!” Sven called.

They stopped rowing, cutting their oars into the water to stop our forward progress. We slowly toward the stairs. Ares jumped up and grabbed onto a stone ledge, halting the boat’s progress.

“Roarke.” I turned to him. “Will you fly up and see if they go all the way to the top?”

He saluted and stowed his oar, then took to the sky, broad wings carrying him upward.

“I could transport us to the top,” Ares said.

Sven shook his head. “This is the territory of the elves. If you transport and appear out of nowhere, they will consider it a threat, and you will meet the Dökkálfar, the dark elves. If you take the stairs and make your presence known, you are more likely to meet the Ljósálfar, the light elves.”

“Is there a difference?” I asked.

Sven grinned. “You want to meet the light elves.”

“Then we’ll take the stairs,” Ares said.

Roarke returned a moment later, landing softly on the deck. “They do extend all the way up, cut right into the cliffside. They aren’t more than two feet wide though. And no railing of any kind, obviously.”

My stomach dropped to my feet. I swallowed hard. “This is going to suck.”

“Sure is.” Del’s face was white as she stared up.

“I wish you Godspeed.” Sven grinned. “And thank you for awakening me.”

“Will you return to your burial place?” I asked.

“Not if I can help it.”

“Well, don’t lose your boat in that battle, then.”

“We’ll see.” He gazed back over his shoulder, eyes fond.

“Thanks for the ride, Sven.” I saluted, then scrambled onto the stairs. Their narrowness made my stomach plunge, and I was only two feet off the water. “We’re in for it now.”

Del smiled. “I freaking hate stairs like this.”

I laughed weakly. The thrill and challenge of it clearly delighted her. Del had always been a danger junkie—jump first, then look.

I turned and began to climb. My friends followed in a single-file line. I was only about twenty feet up when Sven called from down below.

“Be wary, friends! The children of Jörmungand live here.”

“What?” I yelled down.

But he was already pulling away, handling his boat so expertly that it cut smoothly through the water. He didn’t respond, either because he couldn’t hear me or because he didn’t want to.

“What is Jörmungand?” Roarke asked.

“The world serpent,” Del said. “In Norse mythology, he lives beneath the ocean, so big that he encircles the earth, biting his own tail.”

“And his kids live here?” I looked around, searching for snakes. Would they be on the stairs? I shuddered.

“I have no idea what he means,” Del said. “I’ve never read about them.”

Del had read about most things, so that wasn’t reassuring. While I might be a big reader during my downtime at the shop, Del put me to shame.

“Keep a wary eye out,” Ares said.

I did, forcing myself to constantly search the stairs and sea below as we climbed. Sven’s boat was but a speck beneath us, sailing off up the fjord.

“I don’t think I can look down any longer,” Del said.

“Same.” The sight was starting to make me queasy. We were already over two hundred feet up, and there were many hundreds more to go. That was a lot of time for the serpents to find us. Could they come from the sea?

“Check behind you, Ares!” I called back to him. “In case the serpents climb out of the water.”

“I will.”

We continued upward. My thighs burned from the climb and the exhaustion of the day, not to mention my mind. That was exhausted from visions of us falling off the side of this cliff.

The wind cut coldly across my face, chilling my nose until it was numb. I was all but crawling now, clinging to the stone steps and avoiding looking down.

“One thing is for certain,” Ares called from the back of the line. “We are definitely going the right way.”

“Why do you say that?” I shouted.

“Nothing good ever comes easy!”

I chuckled, my stomach turning as I stole a glance below. We had to be five hundred feet up now. No sign of serpents yet. Maybe Sven had been joking.

We could get that lucky, right?

As soon as I had the thought, I knew I was being an idiot.

Of course we wouldn’t get that lucky. Not permanently, at least.

We made it another three hundred feet upward, climbing ever more slowly as the exhaustion bit deeper. Victory was near. It would feel like strong, firm ground beneath my feet and no whipping wind or potential plummet to my death.

I could see light at the end of the tunnel when the first shriek rent the night air. My heart leapt into my throat as I plastered myself to the stone steps and searched the stairs above me, then the sky around.

“High on your right!” Roarke shouted.

I looked up, examining the night sky. The Aurora Borealis had appeared, a slight swirl of green against the inky sky. Highlighted against the moon was a winged beast—a serpent.

“Jörmungand’s children can fly?!” We were screwed.