Chapter 13
13
Cyran stared at the two spirits, their eyes wide in their slender faces. Twins, the two girls could not have been more than six, and their young lives had not been easy. If Haman had been involved, nor had their deaths.
“Shalendra?”
“It was nothing, Cyran. I sent a small amount of energy into the little one so she could reanimate enough to be with her sister.” Her aqua-colored eyes met his, sorrow in their depths. “I couldn’t leave her as a lost soul. I just couldn’t. It would be a fate so much worse than death.”
He exhaled, the held breath escaping with the force of a thousand knives lining his throat. He should have realized Shalendra would never have done something that would have harmed the young girl, much less do something without reason.
During this rescue, he learned that she was incredibly caring about others and would always have their best interest at heart, no matter what she suffered for it.
He moved his hand from Shalendra’s back, and the two girls disappeared. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. Hoping to ease their growing anxiety, he squatted to their level and smiled. “Hello. What are your names?”
The girl standing close to Shalendra straightened her shoulders and met his gaze with steady ice-blue eyes, which was disconcerting since the rest of her body was in various shades of gray. “I am Astrid Iverson, and this is my sister, Ingrid.” She tilted her head, her gaze narrowing. “And who are you?”
“My name is Cyran. I'm a doctor.” He glanced up at Shalendra and then back to Astrid. “And my lovely friend is named Shalendra.”
Astrid moved closer to her sister, who was lying unmoving on the ground, her body still curled in the fetal position, as if she would much rather sleep than interact with any of them. After a glance at Ingrid, Astrid glared at him. “We don’t like doctors. They aren’t nice.”
He nodded, his chest tightening at the pained expression on her face. “You’re right. Not all doctors are nice to people, and I apologize for that. I care very much about my patients, which bothers me when I can’t help them. I don’t like seeing people hurting. It makes me hurt—here.” He pointed to his heart.
She pursed her lips but continued to give him a sideways glare as if she could not decide if he was telling the truth. He would have to tread carefully to win her and her sister over.
“He is telling the truth,” Shalendra added. “I think he may sometimes care too much and has difficulty letting go. Why are only the two of you here? Have all the other spirits moved on to their new lives?”
Astrid shrugged. “I woke up alone and started searching for someone to tell me where to go. I have no idea how long I waited, but finally, a light appeared at the far end of the room.”
She pointed to the corner by the door, which was cattycorner from where they stood. “The light wasn’t bright but like a dull red. It scared me, so I hid behind this pile and found—” She turned her wide-eyed stare at Shalendra, her thin lips trembling.
“It’s okay, sweetling. No one can hurt you anymore.”
“But,” the girl whispered. “He can hurt you .”
“Who are you talking about?” Cyran asked, something telling him he wouldn’t like her answer, but he needed to know. “Was it one person? More than one person?”
Astrid nodded. “Most of the time, I only saw one man who claimed to be a…” She thought a moment, and then her slight eyebrows rose. “A healer. That’s what he called himself instead of a doctor. He was the worst, but two other men came a few times after the healer left. They weren’t nice either.”
“That’s not what upset you the most, though, was it?” Shalendra held out her hand.
The child stared at it momentarily, then threaded her fingers through Shalendra’s, her eyes lighting up for the first time since they had found her. With her very blond hair and blue eyes, she would have grown up to be a beautiful woman. If only she had been given the chance.
“Can you tell me about your family? Where you lived—what happened to your parents?” He held his breath, unsure if she was ready to talk about them, but she surprised him with a sweet grin once more. “My móeir, my mama was so pretty. My faeir was handsome, like you. He worked in the church.”
“He was a preacher?”
Astrid nodded. “I liked the church. It was small, but I felt safe. Faeir disagreed with what the Führer was doing to people and promised to help as many people as possible. The Nazis came to the house in the night and took him and Móeir. I tried to hide Ingrid, but they found us and took us to a hospital. A few days later, early in the morning, they put us on a bus with many other people and brought us here. ” Her eyes kept moving to the back of the pile of bodies next to them.
“Sweetling,” Cyran said in a soft voice. “What’s back there? What do you keep looking at?”
Hanging her head, her long, unkempt hair falling over her face, she scooted behind her sister’s prone body and pointed. “I found me ,” she whispered.
This woke Ingrid, who moved, turning over to see what her twin discovered. “I don’t know, Astrid. How do you know that’s not someone else’s foot?”
Astrid squatted, wrapping her thin arms around her legs and placing her chin on her knees as she studied the foot protruding from under the pile. “Remember when I fell off the rock wall behind the church when we were younger? I hurt my foot and had a deep cut?”
She pointed and met her sister’s gaze. “That’s the scar from that accident.”
Ingrid nodded. “You’re right. Your foot bled a long time, didn’t it?”
Astrid smiled. “It did. You didn’t believe Mama when she said the bleeding would soon stop.”
“Nope,” Ingrid shook her head. “Can you find me? I want to see my body too.”
Shalendra rose and turned away. Cyran glanced at her as she placed her hand over her mouth. Her eyes shut tight and tears flowing down her face, his heart ached. He rubbed the area with his fist and tried to ease the grip strangling the organ from the little one’s words.
How could he make this right? His gaze followed Astrid as she scooted next to her sister, wrapping her arm around her too-thin shoulders and holding her, the two rocking back and forth.
His stepfather had stolen their precious lives. No one could make this right. Ever.
He cleared his throat, drawing the two girls’ attention. “I am so sorry, but I will make certain your bodies are buried at your father’s church, and if I can find your parents, I will put the four of you together in a beautiful little house just for you. In the meantime, Shalendra will ensure you both are taken to the Norse underworld where her mother lives.”
Shalendra turned and nodded, swiping one last time at the glistening wetness on her cheeks as she knelt in front of the twin girls. “My mother will take amazing care of you both. She will give you a new house where you and your parents can live. When I was around your age, I even lived there. It's a magical place to live. My mother’s brother is named Fenrir. You will love playing with him, just as I did. Would you like to go there?”
The girls stared into each other’s eyes, and then Astrid turned to them with a smile. “Yes, please. We would love to have a new friend. Will you truly find our parents and help them, too?”
“I promise.” She turned to Cyran with a slight frown. “May I talk to you for a moment?” He nodded and followed her across the room. “Are you able to reach out to anyone? Lamruil or Ailuin? I can’t seem to reach Freyja, and I’ve never formed a mental bond with my mother.”
He frowned. “What about émilien? You have a mental bond with him?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t. I asked him when I was older, but he said it was for my protection. It took me a while to realize he wasn't willing to risk me because of his job as guardian of the Shadow Lands. Dealing with different pantheons and their monsters is dangerous, and he didn’t want anyone using me to get to him, so he refused to create a direct mind link. He was protecting me and still is. Besides, I've never reached through time using any magic, so I’m afraid it’s up to you.”
Cyran's mind expanded, reaching out over the vast distance to use his connection to Ailuin. I need your help, my friend.
Of course, you do. You are lost without me. Admit it. Ailuin’s teasing tone came through loud and clear. It was strange talking to Ailuin’s future self when Cyran had just had a deep conversation with Ailuin and his brother in this time and place.
I will never admit such a crazy notion. Besides, I am asking this for Shalendra, not myself. She needs to talk to either Freyja or Hel. Do you have a moment to reach out to either of them? From where we are now in Midgard’s timeline, she cannot.
You are at Schloss Hartheim, aren’t you? Ailuin said, his tone now serious, which made Cyran nervous.
We are. Why?
You know I cannot tell you—time continuum and all that scientific mumbo jumbo, but I will say to expect the unexpected, my friend, and to keep eyes in the back of your head and never let Shalendra out of your eyesight. Ailuin’s voice trailed off for a moment. I reached Freyja, who will ? —
She’s here. Cyran chuckled as the goddess appeared. You need to speak faster if you think you can beat her at anything. Thank you, Ailuin.
Remember what I just said, Cyran. Don’t forget any of it.
I won’t. I’ll check in on the two of you when I finish straightening all this out and Shalendra is back with her parents. Instead of a response, all Cyran heard was Ailuin’s deep chuckle as it faded away, but his attention was already on Freyja as she hugged Shalendra and then pushed her out to arms’ length.
“You look well, little one. Cyran has been taking good care of you?” Freyja gave him a sideways glance as Shalendra nodded.
“He has, Freyja, but we have encountered many horrible things. We had to leave Castien, who is very sick. He has the same illness spreading throughout the Elven lands, including Svartálfheimr. I’m worried for him. He was so ill.
Freyja frowned. “What of Ashia? He shouldn’t be sick if he still has her with him, more specifically, on him. She needs to be touching his skin.”
I had her for a while until he got so ill and couldn’t stand the pain any longer, so I gave her back to him. He held her in his fist, but it didn’t help. I'm worried because when she spoke, it sounded like her energy was being drained, so he put her in his pants pocket, not against his skin.”
“I will find him and ensure she is in the right position to help him. Like most elves, I'm certain he hasn’t been sick a day in his life with her, so neither would know what to do. Now, why did you need to see me?”
Cyran moved to stand on Shalendra’s other side. She tilted her head as if looking around the pile of bodies and smiled. “Please come out and meet my friend. I promise she will take good care of you.”
Astrid’s transparent form inched out from behind the barrier. Her sister followed, gripping Astrid’s hand and clutching her arm like a lifeline. The two sisters stopped and stared at Freyja, their eyes wide.
Ingrid leaned closer to Astrid and whispered, “She’s so pretty.”
Freyja smiled and squatted in front of the two spirits. “Thank you. You are very pretty too. My name is Freyja. I'm Shalendra’s godmother. What are your names?”
Astrid’s form shimmered, a light blush on her cheeks. “My name is Astrid—Astrid Iverson, and this is my sister, Ingrid.”
“Iverson,” Ingrid whispered in the same loud tone. “I’m an Iverson too. Don’t forget to say my last name.”
Before her sister could respond, she stepped forward and laid her hand over Freyja’s, which were clasped together and resting over her knees. “Are you a princess? You look like the princess in my favorite book back home.”
Freyja smiled. “I guess you could say I am very much like a princess. I even live in a large castle.” She reached out and cupped the girl’s cheek, her thumb rubbing over the transparent skin. “You are ready to rest, no? Would you like me to take you to a special place? The queen there loves children. She is Shalendra’s mother, Hel. I'm sure she will keep you in the castle with her until your parents can be found. Would you like that?”
Astrid smiled at her younger sister and then met Freyja’s amethyst-colored gaze. “We would very much like to go with you, but the queen needs to understand about Ingrid. She is special. She isn’t very good at moving or playing, but she knows everything about the solar system and loves music. Before we were brought here, our mother taught us how to play our grandmother’s piano. Ingrid is quite good already. Much better than me.”
“You are silly, sister,” Ingrid giggled. “You play just fine.” She turned her smiling face to Freyja. “You should have her paint you a picture. She draws horses all the time. Once, the horse looked like it would run right off the paper!”
Freyja’s smile widened. “What an adventure that would be, no?” Ingrid giggled again and ducked her head, stepping closer to Astrid as her thin shoulders rounded in an adorable shyness. The goddess stood, brushing imaginary dust off her dark blue gown, then held out her hands to the girls. “Are you ready to see your new home?”
The twins nodded in unison, laying their tiny hands in Freyja’s. Turning her head, she blew a kiss to Shalendra and then met Cyran’s gaze. “Keep her safe. The future still shows the two of you are the answer to stopping the march of death.”
Her beautiful face turned once more to Shalendra. “Your mother has her hands full with the state of her realm, and the other death lords are also in dire straits. I will spend as much time with these two as I can, but Idunn will be the one who spoils them.”
Shalendra smiled at the two spirits. “I couldn’t think of a better person to care for these two sweethearts. Give me your word the two of you will watch out for each other and do what Idunn and Freyja tell you to do. I will do everything I can to keep my promise to you and find your parents. Now, go and have fun in your new home, and say hi to Fenrir for me.”
Shalendra stepped back to Cyran’s side, her hands fisted as they turned into a kaleidoscope of gemstones that blinked out of sight, leaving the two of them standing in darkness.
“Can we leave now?” she asked. “I'm exhausted and could sleep for days.”
He smiled and wrapped his hand around hers, pulling it to his chest and drawing her gaze to his. “I know just the place. It is peaceful, and you will find the rest you need.”
“Can we pick up Castien on the way? I don’t want him alone.”
“Technically, he isn’t. Remember, we left Banayl with him. I'm certain Castien is just fine.”
She raised her eyebrow. “Well, I’m not. While Banayl seems all right, he is still a draugr. We know little about them, so I’m not sure I can trust them just yet, especially with someone who is sick. Will he even know what to do? How to care for him?”
“They proved their worth when they stood with us against whoever captured and restrained them in Bernard’s fight in Washington, D.C. I do not doubt their quality, especially Banayl’s. Besides,” he smiled, “time traveling gives us an advantage. We can return within a few minutes of our departure, so you have no reason to worry. Whatever Castien has contracted, the symptoms will not have progressed.”
“Well, that’s a relief. However,” she glared at him with a slight slap of the back of her hand across his arm. “Would it have killed you to tell me that when we left? Seriously? I have been worried sick about him. He has had a tough year and doesn’t need any of this.”
He reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind one delicate ear, then dropped his arm to his side. “We have all had a rough year, but that is what perseverance is, right? We fight through each day only to wake up the next morning to begin all over again. In many ways, I feel as if my life is stuck in a never-ending circle, and like the scientist’s mouse, I am running on the treadmill and can’t figure out how to jump off.”
One side of her mouth rose. “Well, you’re in luck because I'm an expert at getting mice out of tight spaces. You promise we will return within a few minutes of leaving Castien?”
He nodded.
“Okay then, please take me to the place you mentioned before. Serenity and rest sound amazing right now. I don’t remember the last time I slept. My prison cell wasn’t filled with creature comforts, so sleeping on a bed would be amazing.”
He was not sure why a sensation of relief coursed through him, but the thought of getting her out of Nazi territory and back to a safer time helped ease a bit of the tension. Too bad he still had to find Haman’s workspace. He could not leave without, at least, trying to find the answers he needed to stop the plague from spreading through his homeland.
“There is still one more room we need to search. Lamruil would not have told me about this place if there wasn’t something here to help me figure out the abomination Haman created.” He squeezed her hand. “It shouldn’t take me long to find it.”
“Fine. But there had better not be any more bodies. I don’t think my heart or stomach could take another room like this one.”
He led her back into the hallway and studied the doors and the wall space between them but came up with nothing. "There has to be another room." He glanced at the empty wall to his right, signaling the end of the hall, and narrowed his gaze.
“Do you see anything off about this wall?” he asked.
She stepped around him and tilted her head. “Well, the rest of the hallway walls are chiseled limestone, and the doors are all metal. Why is this door covered in granite?”
Stepping closer, she traced the line between two square stones with her fingertip. “Why put granite tiles here? Why not use a slab? It would be more pleasing to look at. My real question, though, is why granite in the middle of limestone? It doesn't make any sense.” She grimaced and waved her hand in front of the wall several times. “Whoever designed this has no artistic imagination at all.”
“I think it’s a hidden door.” He laid his hand on the wall in front of him and closed his eyes, trying to sense if a spell had been used, but nothing jumped out at him. “No spell, but magic reacts to metal, so if Haman is hiding his lab, he would use a different facing. But why would someone hide a door if there’s no way into the room beyond?”
“Maybe you’re overthinking it. Try a simple open spell.”
“ Edra ,” he said in a clear voice. Nothing happened. “Any more suggestions?” He turned to her, but the movement of her finger still tracing the outlines of each stone drew his attention. Her finger moved to the next stone and stopped, hovering over the center.
“Yes!” She chuckled and pushed the stone, which sunk into the wall. A loud click sounded, followed by a swoosh of air as the entire wall moved back a couple of inches and slid sideways, disappearing into the wall to their right.
“You’re a natural at intrigue and mysteries, aren’t you?” He held out his hand, and without hesitation, she laid her palm against his and gave him a smile that seemed to make time stand still.
She was breathtaking. His heart fluttered. With her long black hair framing her slender face, eyes wide and beckoning, he wanted to be more than what he was. This she-elf made him want to be a better man, and at that moment, his entire life changed.
He was in so much trouble.