Chapter 55 Rhyland
Rhyland
Ice-crusted branches stretch endlessly beneath a pearl-white sky, their crystalline fingers reaching toward the heavens.
This frozen wonderland sparkles like diamonds scattered across virgin snow beyond ásgard's jagged mountain peaks.
Each breath materializes in the frigid air, dancing upward before dissipating into nothingness.
Gullfax's hooves crunch through the frost-covered ground, his golden mane catching the weak winter sunlight.
He had practically begged to carry us, those pleading eyes wearing down Dani's resolve until she finally gave in with her adorable eye roll.
Now she's pressed between Bryn and me, her tits against my back, Bryn behind her, as I guide this oversized beast through the frozen forest.
Ahead of us, Erik rides with Baldr, his silver hair nearly lost against the frozen landscape.
Last night after the feast, found his drunk ass sprawled in our chambers, reeking of Bryn and drowning in enough mead to impress Thor himself.
The bond had been right there, within his grasp, before she slipped through his fingers.
Dani took one look at her sister's haunted expression and made her choice.
A quick kiss on my cheek and she was gone, leaving me to deal with my brother's pathetic attempt to drink himself into oblivion.
Not exactly how I planned to spend my night with my mate, but fuck if I was going to let Erik destroy himself over this.
Watching him wallow in misery over Bryn's rejection had me grinding my teeth.
Brought back memories of Dani fighting our connection—all those times I had to hunt her down, prove my claim, earn every damn inch of ground.
But Erik? My strategic, calculating brother is lost in this game.
Can't control a mate's heart the way he commands his battles.
Had to practically beat it into his thick skull that Bryn's fear isn't a dead end. That a mate worth having never comes easy. If I'd backed down every time my little firecracker tried to push me away, I wouldn't have the fierce woman who now wears my mark.
These celestial sisters and their stubborn fucking streaks. But at least that killer instinct is back in Erik's eyes—finally got through to him that claiming a mate takes more than just strength and control. Sometimes you have to fight dirty.
The frost-laden branches crack overhead like brittle bones, matching my irritation with this whole mess. Two hours of flying through bitter winds has my ass numb, but we're finally in the Frosted Forest—where our next challenge awaits.
"Tell me about this champion," Dani calls out as Baldr guides his mount alongside ours, his eyes lingering too long on my mate for my liking.
"Skadi," he says, flashing Dani a smile that's too fucking friendly. "Once, she was among the most fierce of Odin's Valkyries."
"Fierce doesn't begin to describe her," Bryn cuts in, her voice sharp as the icy wind. "Skadi was legendary for her brutality in battle. They called her the Winter's Blade."
I catch Erik's gaze fixed on Bryn, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth. Fucking hell, these two need to sort their shit out.
"Winter's Blade?" Dani shifts against my back, her warmth seeping through my clothes. "That's quite a nickname."
"Indeed," Baldr leans closer, his voice dropping to an intimate tone that pisses me off. "And you, little savior, might appreciate this—she was known for her cunning as much as her strength."
A growl builds in my chest before I can stop it. Baldr's eyes flick to mine, a knowing smirk playing at his lips.
"So what happened?" Dani asks, oblivious to the tension. "How does someone that powerful fall to darkness?"
"During the Great War," Baldr continues, "when Moretemis first tried to breach our defenses, Skadi led a legion of Valkyries against his forces. But the shadows..." He pauses, ice crystals forming in his hair. "The shadows found their way into her mind."
"The darkness didn't just corrupt her," Bryn adds, and I notice Erik flinch at the edge in her voice. "It transformed her into something else entirely—half shadow, half Valkyrie. A creature of ice and darkness."
"Wait," Dani's grip tightens on my waist. "If she was corrupted, why didn't they just... you know..."
"Because Odin saw an opportunity," Baldr explains. "He bound her to the Zephyrite stone, making her its eternal guardian. Her corruption became her strength—the perfect blend of light and shadow to test those who would claim the stone."
"Test them how exactly?" she asks, and Baldr's answering smile—all wolfish intent—has my beast clawing to tear his throat out.
"What better guardian," Bryn's voice is bitter, "than one who understands both the light of ásgard and the darkness that seeks to destroy it? She tests not just their strength, but their ability to resist the shadows themselves."
"Great," Dani mutters against my back. "So we're basically walking into a trap set by a corrupted, shadow-powered Valkyrie who's been stewing in darkness for centuries. This should be fun."
"Don't worry, little savior," Baldr winks—actually fucking winks—at my mate. "I'll make sure no harm comes to you."
My snarl reverberates through the frozen forest as I yank Gullfax's reins, bringing us to a hard stop. The stallion snorts, his breath crystallizing in the frigid air. "You want to explain what the fuck you're playing at? Or should I remind you exactly who she belongs to?"
"Rhyland." Dani's warning carries on a puff of frozen breath, but my eyes stay locked on the smirking bastard before us.
"Peace, Godborn," Baldr's smooth voice carries across the frozen air. "I merely appreciate beauty in all its forms. Surely you can't fault me for that?"
"Appreciate it from a fucking distance," I bark, urging Gullfax forward. "Or I'll show you exactly how unappreciative I can be."
Dani's forehead thumps against my back with a groan, her embarrassment radiating through our bond.
"Watch yourself, Baldr," Bryn's voice cuts through the tension like an icy blade. "My sister's taken, and her mate's not known for his patience. Neither am I."
The frozen forest swallows Baldr's chuckle as we press on, but I catch the way his eyes finally drop to the path ahead. Smart fucking move.
The dense forest suddenly opens into a vast clearing, and holy fuck—my grip on Gullfax's reins tightens at the sight before us.
An immense ice labyrinth rises from the snow-covered ground, its crystal walls stretching toward the pearl-white sky.
Jagged spires of frost twist upward like frozen daggers, while narrow passages snake between walls that shimmer with an otherworldly blue glow.
"The Frost Maze," Baldr announces, his earlier smugness replaced by something darker. "Skadi's playground."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Dani mutters against my back. "We have to go through that?"
I catch glimpses of shifting shadows through gaps in the translucent walls—things that shouldn't exist in a place this bright. The wind howls through the maze's corridors, carrying whispers that sound too much like laughter for comfort.
"The Einherjar awaits at the center," Bryn's voice is tense. "But the paths... they shift—change. Like the shadows that corrupted her."
Fuck. A shape-shifting ice maze guarded by a shadow-touched Valkyrie.
I slide off Gullfax, boots crunching in fresh snow as I reach for Dani. Movement catches my eye—Erik materializing beside Bryn like a silver shadow. Before she can dismount, his hands are already at her waist.
"Always the hero, silfrhár." Bryn's words crack like ice, but that spark in her eyes betrays her. The same fire Dani had when she fought our bond.
"Only for you, little bird." Erik's voice carries that dangerous edge I haven't heard in centuries, his fingers lingering on her hips.
Bryn jerks away, but not before I catch the flush creeping up her neck. About fucking time my brother showed some backbone.
Baldr loops Sleipnir's reins around a frost-covered branch. Dani's hand catches my wrist as I reach to do the same with Gullfax.
"He says to leave him free." That familiar sass curves her lips. "In case your Viking ass needs saving."
The golden steed tosses his head, huffing in what sounds suspiciously like agreement—cocky bastard. I drop the reins and pat his flank, earning a gentle headbutt that nearly knocks me into the snow.
"Alright, you oversized show-off," I mutter, following the others toward the towering ice walls. "Just don't wander too far."
Baldr's pack hits the snow with a dull thud. "Erik, Bryn—firewood. We'll make camp while our saviors handle the essence." His tone heavy with that entitled ásgardian bullshit.
"Oh, look at that," Bryn scoffs. "Odin's precious son can't soil his hands with manual labor." She kicks a frozen branch his way. "Afraid you might chip a nail, your highness?"
Erik's silver eyes dance between them, and I catch the smirk tugging at his lips. Seems my brother enjoys watching his mate put arrogant fuckers in their place.
"Such fire from a Valkyrie—or should I say ex-Valkyrie." Baldr sprawls against a fallen log, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. "Perhaps that's why you failed your original destiny."
This motherfucker.
The temperature drops ten degrees. Bryn's fingers curl around her blade hilt, knuckles white with rage. But before she can respond, Erik's hulking form fills the space between them, all barely controlled rage and violence.
"Watch your tongue, prince," Erik's voice carries that deadly calm that usually precedes bloodshed. "Or I'll help you find it in the snow."
"Both of you, enough." Dani steps forward, gold eyes flashing.
"If his royal ass wants to freeze while we work, that's his choice.
" She starts gathering branches, shooting Baldr a look that would wither lesser men.
"Though I'm sure Odin would love hearing how his son sat on his ass while a mere Valkyrie did all the work. "