The next morning, after a breakfast of more vegetables and a divine bread that was soft as a cloud, we descended the stairs from the elven fortress. I felt a thousand times better after food and sleep. The elves had even given us winter clothes to wear, since ours had been soaked in blood and venom. Of course they were blue, but it’d saved me from having to conjure any, so I was at full strength and ready to rock.

The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, spreading a pink glow across the snow. Since it was winter in Norway, that didn’t mean it was particularly warm, however. By my estimate, it was slightly after nine.

At the base of the tree, five reindeer waited. They were bigger than normal reindeer, their backs almost level with my head. They wore cream-colored saddles with blue embellishments.

Alva gestured to the animals. “Your rides.”

“Thank you.” It took me a few tries to climb onto the back of the reindeer closest to me. Twice, it turned around to look at me, its eyes clearly saying, “You’re new at this, aren’t you?”

“Give me a break, Rudolph,” I muttered.

Ares chuckled from behind me, then gripped my waist and lifted me enough so that I could climb on.

“Thanks.” I smiled at him.

“Anytime.” He leapt onto his own mount, looking like he’d been born in the reindeer saddle.

Eirik mounted his reindeer in one smooth move and directed the beast to stand in front of us. “I’ll lead you through the forest. Follow my directions, and we’ll be fine.”

I saluted. He frowned at me.

Whoops.

“May fate be with you,” Alva said.

“Thank you for the help.” I waved goodbye and directed my mount after Eirik.

We trailed in a line after him, Ares behind me, with Del and Roarke following him. Trees rose tall around us as we rode over the sparkling snow. The elves’ winter clothing was light, but warm. If only the rest of our journey could be this comfortable.

We rode for over an hour in peaceful silence. The sun crept higher in the sky. I was just about lulled into complacency when Eirik stopped his mount abruptly and held out a hand. He cocked his head, listening.

I did the same, but heard nothing.

“Go!” he shouted, spurring on his mount.

Crap! I nudged my reindeer with my heels. The beast set off, galloping across the snow. I clung for dear life, bouncing in the saddle.

“Avoid the wisps!” Eirik shouted.

Wisps? I looked around, frantic to see the threat. The forest looked the same—tall trees and glittering snow. Except now there were hazy white ghosts zipping through the air. They were small and formless, glowing with a white light.

Wisps, definitely. I had no idea what they did, but if Eirik was riding like mad, I was going to follow.

One of the wisps zipped closer to me, headed straight for my mount. I pulled the reins left, dodging by an inch. Snow kicked up from the reindeer’s heels as we galloped after Eirik. Another wisp came from the right. We veered away, narrowly avoiding that one, too.

We’d made it another twenty meters when two wisps came at the same time, hurtling through the air. I dodged one, but the other hit my mount square in the neck. The reindeer shrieked and bucked, going up on his hind legs.

I clung to his back, but he bucked again. I lost my grip, flying off into the snow. The air whooshed out of me as I slammed against he ground.

“Up!” Eirik shouted.

Panting, I scrambled up. Ares was galloping right for me, arm outstretched. I reached for him, grabbing his arm as he swung me up onto the saddle in front of him. My heart soared. It was a move worthy of a movie.

I clung to his reindeer’s neck as we raced after Eirik. My reindeer was going wild in the distance, racing through the trees and chasing the wisps.

Ares directed us around more of the shooting white lights, barely escaping them time and again. By the time Eirik slowed his reindeer, I was panting from the exertion of holding on to the wildly galloping reindeer.

“What were those things?” I asked.

Eirik gazed back into the distance, no doubt at the reindeer we’d lost. “Wisps possess an animal, turning it feral. That reindeer is one with the forest, now.”

“People, too?” I asked.

Eirik nodded. “We’re lucky we weren’t hit. It’s impossible to predict where the wisps will travel.”

Del slumped over her mount, panting. “Whoever said riding isn’t a workout is an idiot.”

I laughed, still breathless.

The barest smile tugged at the lips of the stoic elf. He turned his reindeer. “Come, we must go on.”

We followed him through the forest, silent and alert for more wisps. I leaned back against Ares, absorbing his warmth as we rode. The sun rose higher in the sky as the day progressed.

Finally, Eirik pointed ahead. “The stones are there.”

I squinted across the bright snow. There were three standing stones, each enormous. As we neared, I realized that they were at least fifty feet tall. Bigger even than the stones at Stonehenge.

Eirik led us right up to the base of the largest one. There were no runes carved upon its surface.

“Where are the runes?” I asked.

“You must ask it your question.” He paused, face grave. “Choose wisely.”

“Any question, huh?”

“Yes. And remember—you face great dangers ahead.”

“What kind?”

He shrugged. “That depends. Your question may help you with that.”

I looked back at my friends. Del and Roarke directed their mounts up to stand next to me.

“What do you guys think? My Seeker sense is already leading us to our answers.” Though I was pretty sure that Eirik didn’t give a damn if I was a FireSoul, I was careful to use my usual lie. “But it doesn’t take into account the dangers ahead.”

“Isn’t that the truth. If it was any good at avoiding danger, we’d have taken a different route.”

“So we should ask it the safest way to get to where we’re going,” Ares asked.

“Yep. Because getting killed on the way would be a bummer,” I said.

Roarke nodded. “Agreed.”

I turned to the rune stones. “We are headed west, toward a mountain.” It was all I knew, and I hoped it was enough. “What dangers face us, and how can we avoid them?”

Magic sparked on the air as the stone glowed with faint light. Runes carved themselves into the stone, unreadable but amazing all the same.

Eirik directed his mount to the stone, gazing up at the writing. “You must head south, avoid the Jötunn. Do not let them find you as you follow the white hare to the mountain beyond. Do not deviate from the hare’s path.”

“Jötunn are giants, aren’t they?” Del asked.

“They are. Like us, they have a section of earthly land in this forest. They like to hunt there. They would not be opposed to eating you.” His brows lowered. “Should they find you, you will not win. The giants can defeat even us. Avoid their notice. Though one tip—their vision is not good.”

“Can we transport through this area?” Ares asked.

“You can, but only if you want to risk getting lost. This is the gods’ land now. Like us, they do not appreciate people appearing out of the blue.”

Ares nodded. “Thank you for your help.”

He inclined his head. “Fate be with you. And the reindeer must come with me.”

Dang. I climbed down off the reindeer and patted his head, feeling guilty about my reindeer that’d gone feral. “The reindeer that ran off. Will he be okay?”

Eirik nodded. “He is one with the forest now. He’ll be happy.”

Whew. Eirik departed, the reindeer following along docile.

I turned to my friends. “How about some snowshoes?”

“Good idea.” Del pulled her foot out of the snow, which reached above her ankle.

I conjured snowshoes and handed them off to the group, then sat and strapped mine onto my boots. When I stood, it was much easier to walk. We set off through the forest, going south around the Jötunn’s territory.

We walked in silence, keeping our ears perked for any kind noise that might indicate a giant was nearby. Birds twittered in the trees, snowy white things that looked like snowballs perched on the branches. As we walked, the sun crept across the sky. At best, we only had a few hours left of daylight.

“I’m not sure how much farther west we should go,” I said. “It’s easy to follow my sense directly, but deviating is difficult.”

Ares pointed ahead of us. “What about that?”

I looked, catching sight of a white hare waiting patiently for us. “Our guide.”

The animal didn’t speak—though it wouldn’t have surprised me if it did—but it watched us until we’d all looked at it, then turned and hopped off through the forest. We followed, hurrying after the small animal.

A half hour later, thunder shook the air. I looked up. “There are no clouds.”

“Shh.” Ares held a finger to his lips.

I stiffened, looking around. Beneath me, the ground trembled. If I’d had a cup of water, ripples would be forming on the surface.

“Giants,” Ares mouthed.

I spun, searching the terrain. There was nowhere to hide, just tall trees and endless snow. But the ground shook harder. The thunder boomed again, and I realized it was a shout, not thunder.

“We have to hide,” Del whispered.

She was right. We couldn’t outrun him. And I believed Eirik when he’d said we could not fight him. But where to hide?

“His vision is bad,” Ares whispered.

That was it. Just like a T-Rex. I gestured for them to follow me to the base of a large tree. I lay down and they followed, all of us pressed up against each other. I conjured a big white tarp and laid it on top of us, then whispered to Del, “Can you cover us with snow?”

Del nodded, her magic flaring, and used her ice power to create a thin layer of snow that weighted our blanket down.

My heart thundered as we waited, our breath held. Could the giant hear my heartbeat? It was so loud it sounded like a beating drum. The ground shook with every footfall. Ares squeezed my hand.

I felt like that kid in Jurassic Park, frozen and terrified, waiting to see if the T-Rex would spot him moving.

Soon, the footsteps were so close that it felt like my organs were vibrating.

Please don’t step on us.

I prayed that he wouldn’t come so close to the base of the tree, but would stick to the open snow where it was easier to walk. Loud, low voices sounded, booming like foghorns.

Two giants, talking. But I couldn’t understand them.

I held stiff as a board, trying not to breathe loudly as my mind raced with ideas about what would happen if we were discovered. Eaten? Stepped upon? Kept as pets for giants?

I shivered.

The giants stepped closer, their footfalls shaking the ground. Panic swelled in my chest. They were too close! And getting closer.

Shit, shit, shit.

This wasn’t going to work.

Frantic, my mind scrambled for ideas. Maybe the trees could help us. But how? I envisioned them, tall and covered in thick pine needles and large pinecones.

I reached out to the forest, trying to feel the trees’ life signatures. I’d never done anything quite like this, but it was our last shot. Slowly, they came online, appearing out of the darkness of my mind.

I crossed my fingers as I called out to a tree that was about fifty meters away. It was covered heavily in pine cones—how I knew that, I had no idea. Maybe because pinecones were new life and I could sense that? Whatever. I wasn’t going to look gift magic in the mouth. I reached for the tree’s life magic, focusing on the pinecones and commanding them to fly off the tree towards us, hoping to hit the giants who were nearby.

A tense moment passed, then two. Finally, the tree heeded my commands, hurling its pinecones at the Jötunn. One of them roared, a sound of surprise that shook the snow around us. I held my breath as I waited to see what they would do.

Their footsteps thundered away as I’d hope, no doubt in search of the assailant. We lay in silence for a few minutes, listening to the Jötunn retreat.

“I think we’re safe,” Ares whispered.

I nodded, then tugged down on the tarp to peek out. Cold snow sneaked beneath it, chilling my skin. I shivered and popped my head out of the snow. Massive footprints led away from us, and in the distance I could see enormous figures running in the other direction, perhaps thinking that they pursued their attackers.

When they disappeared, I pulled the tarp away. “We’re good.”

Del stood and shook the snow from her head. “What the heck happened?”

“I asked a tree to chuck some pinecones at them.” The pinecones in question were scattered all over the ground. “Looks like it worked.”

“Amazing.” Del shook her head.

“Quick thinking,” Ares said. “Did you know you could do that.”

“Nope. Just figuring it out as I go along.” I grinned. “Pretty cool though.”

“More than cool.” Ares turned to inspect the forest, his gaze landing on the white hare that waited in the distance, watching us quietly. “Let’s go.”

We set off through the forest, following the hare. We saw no more giants, finally reaching a mountain that rose steeply into the sky. The hare gave us one last look, then hopped away.

“Looks like we’re in for a hike,” I said. “But we’re close. I can feel it.”

“We’ve got two hours till dark,” Ares said.

“I think we can do it.” The mountain was high, but not that high. The incline would be a problem though. My stomach grumbled. “Let’s eat quickly, then get a move on.”

We pulled off the packs the elves had given us and chowed down on the sandwiches inside. Warmth and strength flowed through me.

Bolstered, we started to climb, quickly discarding our snowshoes. I used a bit of my destroyer magic to make them disappear, then stepped back and dusted off my hands. “There, no littering.”

“You’re getting good at that.”

“Practice makes perfect. Though it still feels kinda gross to use that magic.” The nice warmth the food had put in my belly had been replaced with a light queasiness. No doubt using that magic would always make me feel kinda crappy.

I conjured crampons, and we strapped them on. The metal spikes made it easier to ascend the mountain, and soon we were panting with exertion. My chest heaved as I put one foot in front of the other, determined to reach the top before nightfall. We went in a line, Ares leading the way. The sun was on the far side of the sky now, sinking toward the horizon.

“An hour till dark,” Ares said.

I looked up, barely able to see the peak at the top through the white clouds that drifted around it. It looked like Mount Olympus. Nope, wrong mythology. That one was way farther south and way less cold.

I sucked in a ragged breath and quickened my pace, trying to keep up with Ares. As we neared the top, magic sparked on the air. My heartbeat thudded in my ears.

Were the dragons here? I was leading us toward answers, and that was all I knew. Maybe the dragons were actually here.

“Look.” Ares pointed ahead.

I squinted into the distance. We were basically at the top, and about a hundred meters away sat a dark, spired building. I hurried toward it, getting a better look as we neared.

The building was a moderate size, made of very dark wood with steep, multi-level roofs that terminated at a delicate spire that reached into the clouds. Intricate carvings covered the walls. It was gorgeous.

“It’s a stave church,” Del said. “Those are a thousand years old.”

“And they’re still standing?” I asked.

She nodded. “There are twenty-eight known stave churches in Norway, all of them built around 1000 AD.”

“I’d bet this one makes twenty-nine,” Ares said.

“Yeah,” Del said. “This one isn’t normal. It has three doors, for one.”

Each was surrounded by carved trim, so intricate and delicate that it boggled the mind.

“Let’s approach.” I stepped forward slowly, walking quietly toward the door. When I neared the building, I bent over and removed my crampons so that the metal spikes wouldn’t hurt the wooden floor.

“Which door?” Ares asked.

“Middle.” I followed my dragon sense to that door, opening it slowly to reveal the dim interior of the church. The wood was dark in here as well, no bright paintings or stained glass like you’d find in other churches. It was beautiful all the same, with its ornate wooden carvings and the history steeped in the walls.

Magic filled the space, a signature I’d never encountered before. It was neither sound, smell, taste, sight, nor physical feeling. But rather a sense of ancientness and gravity. Though I often felt that at historical sites, this was something more.

I entered the dimly lit interior, followed by my friends. Ares used his magic to illuminate the room. The glow lit the space, revealing the carved statue of a woman in the middle. She looked fierce, her body armored and her hands clutching a sword that stood in front of her, tip pointing toward the ground.

“That’s gotta be important,” Del said.

“Yep.” I walked slowly toward the statue, Del at my side. Ares and Roarke followed behind, giving us space.

The woman gazed ahead, her wooden expression impassive. Her shield bore a carved handprint.

Del reached up and laid her hand against it. Nothing happened. She withdrew. “You try.”

I touched the handprint, laying my palm flat against the wood. Magic sparked up my arm, electricity that set me alive. The wood beneath my palm vibrated. Gasping, I jerked my hand away and stepped back.

Ares and Roarke stepped forward as if to defend us, but I threw out my arm to stop them.

A ghost stepped out of the statute, semi-transparent but in full color. A woman. Wings flared off her back, and she relaxed her arm to hold her sword at her side. The light from Ares’s palms glowed off her golden hair and silver armor.

Hang on…

Wings, armor, sword, super warrior woman. Was she a Valkyrie?