Chapter Eight
The moment when her little piece of heaven crashed down and burnt was very abrupt. They’d been downstairs on the sofa, reading books and whispering nonsense about the things they’d planned to do to each other once their limbs recovered when she felt it.
It was evil, and it was strong. Not stronger than her, perhaps, but certainly more cunning, because it came from two ends.
The first one was at the bottom of the hill, where her wards had been taken down; but at the same time, she felt someone plunder the doors.
Yes, those doors. The ones separating this dimension and the gods’.
“Oh hell.”
She jumped to her feet, finding clothing to throw at Kai, while shouting an explanation:
“Something is coming; it’s quick, so probably cars, or motorcycles. It’s definitely an enemy. Get everyone out and run up the mountain.”
“What! Eira, where are you…”
“No time for questions.”
Not if she was supposed to hike all the way back up to her palace and keep those bloody doors closed.
“Bear!” she yelled; the animal wasn’t far, she could feel him five, maybe ten minutes away. That gave her long enough to give Kai a briefing as long as he shut up and listened. “My wards are down…”
“Your wards? The shields around the mountain are yours?”
“What did I just say about questions? Later. Someone is coming, heading right to this village. Whatever enemy you have, expect them now.”
She saw it all in his eyes; the panic, the despair, the millions of questions and a bit of accusation too.
She really wasn’t going anywhere with him right now.
By some kind of miracle, she turned to find a face she recognized.
“Fyneria.”
The last time they’d met, she’d been running for her life, holding on to books like they were more important than her own existence.
Fyn had frozen in despair when she’d taken in a goddess before her; until Eira bent down to recover a book she’d dropped, and led her to safety.
The elf dropped in a deep curtsy.
“None of that, Fyn. I need someone with sense right now. My wards are down and something is coming for you. Get your people out of here and please, please, leave the books. No time for that.”
The horror displayed on her face might have been funny if they’d had time to spare.
“I’d die to defend them!”
She believed that, unfortunately.
“Which one is your house?”
Fyn pointed to the next wooden home; as she didn’t feel anyone there, Eira lifted her hand and pushed so much energy she could see her entire arm turning white.
When she was done, the entire house was surrounded by a layer of ice so thick it would have to be melted for an entire month for anyone to get through.
“There. Now get moving.”
Bear had finally made it; she ran towards him and lifted herself onto his back.
“You’re not staying?”
Fyn’s gaze was merely surprised, while Kai’s seemed downright accusatory.
“Someone is trying my gate,” she replied, for the benefit of the only person who might understand; hopefully, she’d explain it to Kai on their way up. “I’ll be as fast as I can.”
And on that note, she was riding Bear up towards her home, getting ready to face the first god who’d managed to find her gate since she’d locked them on the other side.
Two thousand, one hundred and fifty-three years ago.
The girl was young; twelve, maybe thirteen. Her age.
She’d died giving birth to Apollo’s child, like many before her. Needless to say, the intercourse leading to her demise hadn’t been consensual.
They said her snow was purifying, so whenever she could, Skadi molded caskets of ice in hope that their souls might be rid of this trauma.
“I can’t bear it, aunt. He’s getting worse.”
Aphrodite held her tight until she was done crying.
“Now now, little snow. There’s no point in all that. If you really cannot bear what your eyes see, do something about it.”
Two thousand and fifty-three years ago.
“Again!”
Skadi took the hilt back in her hand, and concentrated until it held a blade made of ice. Then, she charged at Amphitrite, who attacked her with water, Aphrodite, who attempted to control her feeling, and Persephone, who prevented her from calling to her snow.
They were hard on her, but she took it for what it was: love. The three friends were older, and ten times more important than her. If anyone found out what they’d planned, they’d receive a stern “don’t do it again,” accompanied by banishment from their favorite resort for a decade or so.
If Skadi was stamped as a traitor, she’d be beheaded on the spot.
She came from the north, a relic of the old kingdom which had fallen eons ago, and as they liked to remind her, she lived by the grace of the gods. Apollo had claimed her as his ward, and raised her in a home where she’d witnessed his treatment of mortals.
Rape, slavery, murder. He didn’t see them as anything but entertainment.
By the end of her first century, she’d seen enough to understand it was common practice; the way most gods conducted themselves.
It had been different in Valhalla, or back when the Titans had ruled.
“I know a way to stop it,” she’d said, one day, and unbelievably, Aphrodite had cared to listen.
“Nothing can go through my ice, not even Apollo.”
She’d stopped calling him father long ago.
“And Zeus?”
She shrugged.
“He tried, too. I thought we might lock them out at the next meeting.”
Every time something they deemed important needed to be discussed, most gods were invited to stand on Olympus, a perfect world Zeus had shaped to spite mortals.
“We’d need to get them all in, and then, I’d ice up every way out.”
There had been a number of minor gods they might have tried to forge an alliance with, but they had to be careful. In the end, Aphrodite resolved to speak to Persephone and Amphitrite – the only other gods who didn’t visibly relish in their power over those who were weaker.
“She’s ready,” Amphitrite said, suddenly stopping her offensive.
“Baby girl’s all grown up and as deadly as her ice.”
Aphrodite grinned from ear to ear.
“Yes. I believe she is.”
“We need a plan; a way to get all of them up for a discussion.”
Persephone was the one who came up with the idea.
“Well, to be entirely forthcoming,” she said, “he may be rather gloomy, but I kinda like the look of Hades. I thought I might seduce him.”
Skadi wondered how that was supposed to help; most females with a pulse liked the look of Hades, and at least half of them had done something about it.
“In his land,” she clarified. “I’ll go to the underworld tonight and well… You know what they say about enjoying a forbidden fruit down there.”
“I hear the pomegranate seeds are particularly scrumptious.”
“That could work,” Amphitrite nodded. “Your mum will definitely have something to say about it, and Zeus will call everyone to act as witness.”
It was settled: when the drama called the gods to Olympus, Skadi would sneak out and seal the entrance.
“Wait! If someone finds out we’re behind this, they’ll butcher us.”
They consequently decided on building gates they’d keep secret, for their sole use. Skadi was to stay behind, as she’d shoulder the blame for all this, and the three other goddesses would come out of it seemingly innocent.
“Father is going to hate me after this.”
She couldn’t help it; to humans, elves, fays and everything in between, he was a threat, but until this day, he’d acted like a doting father towards her, at least.
“Don’t think of it. Forget everything attached to him, if you can; even the name he gave you. I know, how about Eira? You’re so fond of elves, and it means Snow in their tongue.”
Eira. She kinda liked that.