Chapter 56
Faint memories of angry neighbors—ungraspable rules of a game that is taken for granted. Images vanish as I jolt awake at a sudden sound.
What was that?
A violent knock on the door. Impatient.
Groggy, I put on my robe. Who the fuck knocks before the sun rises? The reality of the situation hits me. Someone who wants to avenge Njord? Someone who knows my machinations?
Silly fantasies. Why would they knock to murder me?
“Who is it?” I ask through the door.
“Open up,” a familiar voice replies.
Finally!
“I’ve been looking everywhere for—”
As soon as the door creaks open, Eidunn rushes in. A seething storm. Nails whip across my face, tearing my skin. My hair is pulled toward the floor as a fist connects with my face.
“What the fu—”
“Fucking bitch!” she shouts, holding my head down while ripping my hair from side to side.
My instinct flares. If I end up on the floor, kicks are what awaits. A good kick in the face can be lethal. I swing with all my might in the general direction of my opponent, landing a punch right between her ribs.
“Oof,” says Eidunn, forced to release my hair.
Free, I take steps back to the furthest corner.
“Fuck’s sake, Eidunn,” I pant.
She catches her breath. In the dim light, I can barely see her face, but I don’t need to. I can feel her rage in the air between us. Blind fury directed at… me.
“Fucking bitch,” she screams again, stepping to my hearth and grabbing my knife. “I told you to mind your business.”
She circles the table, pointing the knife at me. Ice-cold terror speeds through my veins. This is fucking serious. I rotate away from her along the wall, keeping the table between us.
“I was trying to help!” I shout.
“I said I would kill you!” she says as she keeps up her advance.
“Please, Eidunn.”
She rushes forward, making me jolt back. As she swings at me, her foot catches on something. She trips, landing on her knees and collapsing into sobs.
“Fuck…” I say, stepping forward to kick the knife away.
This woman would have killed me with my own knife. Now she lies in a tired heap, crying a river. I sit next to her and fold my arms around her—hopefully her anger is gone.
“It’s okay,” I whisper. “He won’t hurt you again.”
Her weeping intensifies. I stroke her golden locks, soothing her like a child. My voice drops low and smooth like honey.
“It’s over.”
“No!” she shouts, pushing me off. Her eyes burn in the twilight. “It’s not, you fucking idiot.”
“What? But—”
She stands, wiping her face with her sleeve. I raise myself in reaction. Not a good idea to be on the floor in front of someone who might kick or stab you.
“You’re so fucking stupid,” she says.
“Tell me why then!” My temper simmers beneath my care for Eidunn. All I’ve been through for her, and she thanks me by attacking and insulting me?
“You murdered Njord!”
“It was a lawful duel!” I shout back as tears run down my heated cheeks.
“You’re so fucking crazy!” she screeches. “Everything was better before you came!”
“The man beat you!”
“What the fuck do you know?” she shakes both her arms at me. “Stupid girl!”
“I don’t understa—”
“No, you don’t.” She steps forward, making me raise my hands, ready for another attack. “Because it’s not your fucking business!”
She breathes heavily, standing in front of me for a few seconds. Her chest heaves with every breath. Never have I seen a person so mad, so frenzied. I raise my palms carefully.
“Calm down. Let’s talk.”
“You think you’re so fucking smart, huh? The all-knowing Volva.”
“No, I thought—”
“You made everything worse.”
“How? I just wanted to help.”
She stares me dead in the face.
“Njord never hurt me,” she says. “It wasn’t him.”
My jaw drops.
“What? But… then who—”
Eidunn’s flying hand interrupts me. A slap that could move mountains. My head twists from the force. I release a high-pitched scream. Before I regain my senses, she is out the door.
A storm that came and left in minutes, Eidunn leaves me with a shattered house and a shattered reality. Njord never hurt Eidunn. Njord is dead. My only reward for solving her problem—a cheek hotter than Surtr’s burning sword.