Chapter 27 Blessings
BLESSINGS
Iawaken the next morning, tangled in the sheets. The nightmare a million miles away as I look out the window, full of the early morning light upon the rolling hills beyond the castle. I grin sleepily while stretching out my limbs, thinking of the kisses and stories shared last night.
We both agree it would be best if we didn’t move too fast.
A budding romance and an impending war on the horizon are a lot for me to juggle at once.
I barely have my current role figured out.
I don’t want to add too much to my already full plate.
But that doesn’t stop me from nuzzling into my sheets and inhaling his cedar and rain scent from the night before.
Today is going to be a good day.
Word of Odin’s blessing from yesterday has spread like wildfire through the tiny island.
Throughout the day, from my training to lunch, and even now, while Lachlan and I head to meet the others in our newly appointed council room, warriors from all over greet me and shake my hand.
Odin’s spectacle solidified me as the Queen in their mind.
My fledgling support, which was evident yesterday, has now evolved into complete and utter loyalty that garners the respect of the rebels we’ve amassed so far.
The months I was expecting to need to gain their trust took only a second with Odin’s blessing.
I’m relieved but also apprehensive that their trust was so easy to gain; what little will it take to lose it?
Thoughts of Odin circle my mind when I think about the blessing.
The unsettled feeling creeps back into my stomach.
There’s something we’re missing.
The surrounding land is peaceful and serene. I allow my mind time to wander as I stare off into the distance at the cliff that rises up and over the ocean. Lachlan and I walked out here together after lunch for some fresh air.
The land and stolen kisses were needed to reinvigorate my senses.
I stare at Lachlan, his hair ruffling in the breeze, his strong jaw shadowed in the stubble that’s grown since we’ve landed on the shores of Olundy.
If Odin had the ability to bestow a blessing, why couldn’t he just come back?
Tell the realm there is a war, after all?
My nose scrunches, and Lachlan studies my face. “Where’d ye go, Key?”
My mind whirls through all the bits of information that Odessa has dropped during my time here. I inhale slow and steady breaths, giving my mind time to put the pieces together.
Wasn’t Odessa the last to see Odin?
Shouldn’t he have ridden in the Wild Hunt? And they kept mentioning plans. What plans? “The blessing from yesterday. Something is strange about it. What if Odin had to bestow a blessing on me because he couldn’t come back?”
“What do ye mean?” he asks, his face reflecting his obvious confusion as he tilts his head to the side.
“I mean … Odessa was the last one to meet with Odin before he left to go back to his realm, and she said that his reason was because there wasn’t going to be a Great War, right?”
“Aye,” he replies hesitantly.
“Well, what if she lied?” He reels back at my words, squinting in confusion. “She was willing to kill my mother, her own sister, to keep me from coming here to thwart her plans—what plans? And wouldn’t she want to make sure an actual god couldn’t stop her either? What’s the end game here?”
My questions ramble together as I quickly work to get all my thoughts out. Lachlan’s eyes narrow, and his mouth is set in a grim line.
“Ye think she did something to Odin so she could control the realm?”
I nod profusely. “It makes sense. We think the omens are happening because war is coming, but wouldn’t he have shown up by now to confirm that?
We know he sees us because he can bestow blessings.
And Odessa and Julius literally said they wanted me as a figurehead because they thought I’d be easy to control, but when that proved otherwise, they tried to kill me. ”
My mind keeps spinning, grasping at the pieces and trying to fit them together.
“Maybe the omens are actually Odin trying to get our attention, the only way he can from wherever he is?” My voice trails off.
Lachlan shifts on his feet, his brow furrowing even further, and he inhales sharply. “I canna believe I dinna think about it before,” he mutters. “I was so caught up in just seeing the omens as signs of war, I dinna even stop to think about the fact that he should ha’ come back when they started.”
“Odessa also said that the power was fading because my family wasn’t here, but I don’t think that’s true because the magic is still limited. What if it’s fading because Odin isn’t here?”
Lachlan’s eyes blaze, the brilliant green catching the sun. “So ye think he’s gone, and that’s why there are omens and the magic is fading?”
“I don’t know. I mean, it could be a possibility. I’m not saying the omens aren’t a sign of war—it could be both—but I’m saying magic might be gone because he is.”
“We need to tell the others, and now.” He scoops me up and launches us into the sky.
His wings beat fiercely, and my heart drops into my stomach at our rapid ascent. My arms cling to him in a death grip as the ground drops away.
Lachlan chuckles at my terrified expression, and I glare daggers at him.
“Some warning would have been nice,” I say loudly over the wind.
“Oh, come on, Key, don’t tell me ye dinna want to fly.”
The land is majestic from this high up, and I do actually get a thrill out of the flight. My hair tears free from my braid, and the waving mass of golden brown hair behind me reminds me of flying in the saddle on Sleipnir.
My grin stretches across my face, and Lachlan whispers into my ear, “There’s my girl.”
I snuggle further into his arms, enjoying the short flight back to the castle. Our rapid descent has my stomach falling again, but only from the motion, not from fear. It’s exhilarating, a pure adrenaline rush. We race up the steps and into the council room ahead of the others.
My feet wear a path in the woven rug in front of the red marble fireplace in our newly appointed council chambers. Another one of my mom’s portraits hangs above the mantle. Her eyes seemingly follow my every step.
The power wasn’t fading because the heir wasn’t here; it was fading because Odessa must’ve trapped Odin somewhere. The door creaks open, halting my steps, but I still pull at my fingers. Our friends waltz in, all looking slightly harassed by Lachlan as he herds them inside.
“Easy, man, we’re all here,” Tane grumbles as they sprawl onto the chairs and couches surrounding the room.
Mina’s eyes miss nothing as she studies my discomfort. “What’s going on?”
Lachlan comes to my side, surveying them all, as he folds his arms across his leather-clad chest. “Lena had a terrifying thought.”
All eyes flick to me as I take a steadying breath. “I think Odessa and, probably, Julius have something to do with the magic fading. They possibly trapped Odin somewhere.”
There’s a collective gasp, and Mathilda murmurs, “Merciful gods.”
My heart beats loudly in my ears. “Think about it, guys. She murdered my parents to keep me from coming here, which, thanks to Lach, that plan was thwarted.” I gesture towards him, and he grins.
“She wanted me only as a figurehead to puppeteer until my powers manifested, and then they decided killing me was easier. And she was supposedly the last and only person to see Odin in this realm? Really?”
Evander shakes his head from side to side. “There’s no way,” he looks around at the group, “this is just a ploy to keep her in power.” He looks from me to Lachlan, whose face is set in a mask of frozen fury. “You guys really think it goes much deeper than that?”
Lachlan and I share a look, and I shift on my feet. “Yes. If Odin can send omens of war or blessings but can’t come here himself to set the realm straight when we’re obviously very divided, it might be because he can’t.”
Mathilda shudders. “It would also explain the power fading. Lena’s here, and the magic isn’t restoring.”
Tane’s eyes don’t shift around the room. He keeps them locked onto the fireplace before us.
Mina wrings her hands in her lap. “This is really bad, isn’t it?”
I nod. “We need to prepare for the worst and fill in the recruits we have here now, including each one who comes from Elowen’s efforts.”
“No,” Tane replies, breaking out of his trance. “It could spark an entire wave of panic if people begin to realize we won’t have Odin fighting on our side. We need to keep this to ourselves.”
Lachlan nods. “I agree. The only people who should know are in this room. We need to keep preparing for war, regardless.”
I glance at Evander, Mathilda, and Mina. “And what do you guys think?”
They all share a look before Mina pipes up. “You’re giving us a vote?”
My nose scrunches up at her response. “Of course I am, everyone should have a voice.”
Mathilda’s eyes swim with an emotion I can’t quite place. “I say we keep quiet about it until we know for sure.” Mina and Evander nod in agreement.
“Ok then, let’s keep this buttoned up and keep training for the war until we know for sure.” My voice rings with an authority I hadn’t realized I possessed, and the power of it sends a thrill down my spine.
That could be dangerous.
The quote “absolute power corrupts absolutely” rings in my mind, and I make a mental note to always put everything to a vote in the future.
As they file out of the room with farewells, Lachlan lingers close to where I stand.
“Ye did amazing today, Key,” he says quietly.
My stomach fills with butterflies as his voice deepens, his accent becoming thick.
Heat blooms in my chest. He’s standing close to me, his back resting on the fireplace mantle.
Both of my hands are outstretched in front of me, gripping the wood of the mantle.
I bend down, using my arms to support me, and stretch my lower back.
“I just feel like I can’t catch a break,” I mutter.
He moves to stand behind me, his deft fingers working the knots out of my lower back that my stretch wasn’t releasing.
His knuckles push down into me and send waves of goosebumps down my arms and legs.
My blood thrums in my veins, and my pulse accelerates.
His touch does wonders, not only for my sore muscles but also for the lingering anxiety in my chest. I bite my lip to stifle a moan as his hands travel up my spine, carefully avoiding my wing buds that have pierced my skin and the gaps of my leather top, but still working the soreness out of each muscle.
“Geez, your back is like a gravel path with all these knots,” he mutters, pushing on a particularly sore spot.
“Ouch,” I cry out, as it sends a sharp pain down my back.
His hands release their assault on my back immediately, but then he grabs my hand and drags me out of the room and up the stairs. He leaves me standing on the threshold of my room while he walks into my bathroom.
“I’m running ye a bath,” he calls over his shoulder.
The sound of the water turning on and splashing into the copper bathtub fills the space, and the aroma of lavender floats out the open door. I follow the smell to the bathroom and find him measuring out vials and pouring them into the bathtub.
“Mathilda says the Valkyries like this stuff in their baths,” he says over the sound of the tub filling.
I lean against the doorway, taking in the spectacle that is Lachlan Freysson drawing my bath. Since my stubs of wings have protruded even further from my skin, the itch has become unbearable.
Lachlan grabs a handful of pink salt and sprinkles it into the steaming water. “This is what they use for the children who are growing wings; it helps with the itch,” he says before looking back at me.
It’s like he can read my mind sometimes. Satisfied with his handiwork, he places his hands on his hips, watching the tub fill up more before turning the water off. Steam floats up from the tub, fogging the mirrors above the white marble sink.
Lachlan saunters towards me and pauses beside me. “Enjoy your bath and get some rest.” His voice tickles my neck from his proximity, and I want more than anything to finish our moment from last night.
But the pain from my wings is still there, writhing under the surface.
I bite my lip and stare up into his eyes.
There is so much longing reflecting in them, I freeze.
He leans towards me just the tiniest amount before he kisses my temple, murmuring, “Good night, Key.” Then he’s strolling out of my room.
The suspense bursts with the door closing, and I hang my head. I have an entire realm to save, a war to stop, a throne to take back, and yet, here I am holding my breath, wondering if some man is going to kiss me again.
Pathetic.
I strip down and ease into the bath, the aroma and heat unknotting each of my wound-up muscles.
The itch from my wings subsides, and the water washes away the grime from the day.
Peace and relaxation quiet my nerves, and I close my eyes, resting my head on the lip of the copper tub.
It’s not too often that I’m granted these moments of quiet reflection, and I do my best to enjoy every second of it.
It isn’t long before the sun drops out of the sky, dimming the bathroom. As I rise from the tub, water sloshes up and almost over the side. I shiver lightly before wrapping myself in a fluffy, warm towel.
The lit candles in the bathroom and my bedroom cast soft light in the growing darkness. I relish the coziness, but tread carefully with wet feet to the attached closet to locate some nightclothes. Dressed in a light linen set and my wet hair wrapped in the towel, I walk to the window by my bed.
The smell of food drifts from the tray that has been left on my nightstand, and I roll my eyes; he thinks of everything.
The sun has been replaced with a bright full moon, lighting the grounds completely, rendering the blazing torches useless.
A few warriors are still lingering on the training grounds, using the night as a training technique.
I smile to myself, hope flickering in my chest as I reflect on the positives in my life.
Odin picked me, showed me I was on the right path, and blessed me not only with powers but with an amazing support system that I have found in my new friends.
My whole life, I had wanted friends such as these, and I finally found them, or rather, they found me.