Chapter 31
Collapsing onto the couch in front of my favorite fireplace in the library, my head sinks into the pillow and my eyes are trained on the ceiling.
Lachlan lifts my legs and settles onto the couch before unceremoniously dropping my legs back onto his lap. His hand gently rubs circles around my shins while the other works the tension out of my calves.
“We have to tell the others,” I mumble. Tears trickle out of the corner of my eyes and I squeeze them shut.
A moment or two passes and he doesn’t respond. Blinking my eyes open, I stare at the profile of his face.
“You don’t think we should?”
Lachlan looks up from my legs and to the fireplace. “Will it change anything? They already ken that Odin is gone.”
“No, it won’t change anything, but they should know the odds are wildly stacked against us.”
Lachlan nods as he contemplates. “I’ll round everyone up then.”
I pull my legs out of his way. He groans as he stands, the tattoos around his arms flex and ripple in the light as he heaves himself upright. I return my gaze to the ceiling.
“Are ye alright?” he asks, standing by the door.
“I will be…”
Lachlan leaves the room, leaving me to my thoughts. I twirl my medallion between my fingers, and flex my toes against the arm of the couch. We’re going to be outnumbered. We’ve already lost Elowen, and now there’s a prophecy that says I will seal the fate of the universe.
The pressure keeps chipping me away.
I turn my head to the side, watching the light stream through the windows. I huff a breath and watch the dust motes scatter. The scent of parchment and leather fills my nose with each inhale.
As laughter trills down the hall, I close my eyes, sending up a prayer of thanks to Odin. Here I am surrounded by friends, in a place that feels like home. I have everything I’ve ever wanted.
Please don’t let me lose it now.
Wings flutter as they are vanished away, and boots clomp on the stone before the sound is muffled on the ornate rug. A throat clears and I pull myself up into a seated position.
Evander, Mina, Mathilda, Tane, Luna, and Lachlan all stare at me.
Ready and waiting.
I waste zero time with formalities. “Two things. First, there’s a prophecy that Freya and Luna think is tied to me.
That my fate will decide the survival of our worlds.
” Luna opens her mouth and I hold up a hand.
“No, I don’t know what the fate is. Second, it’s not just Odin and Odessa that are missing, but all of our gods and goddesses. ”
I’m met with open mouths, and silent blinking. Lachlan takes a few steps to stand at my side.
“Do you understand what this means?” I ask, when still there is no response.
“It means we’re doomed,” Mina replies, crossing her arms over her chest as a shiver shudders her small frame.
I grimace, turning to look up at Lachlan. “Not necessarily…”
“What do we do now?” Mathilda whispers, looking at Tane.
“We continue on. This changes nothing. We will still fight for the survival of our world.”
“And our deaths,” Tane mumbles, crossing his arm over the remainder of his other before wincing and dropping them to his side.
“We need to take a vote on if we convey this information to the districts,” Lachlan supplies.
“So we can cause mass chaos?” Luna snorts. “No.”
“Anybody else agree?” I ask and am met with nods of agreement. “Well, that settles it then.”
I scan all of my friends, memorizing each of their faces. But Luna steps forward, a small bit of hope glowing in her eyes.
“The healers have already started looking into the prophecy.”
My head tilts to the side. “You were right all along.”
She nods. “If the rest of the prophecy is out there—we will find it.”
Lachlan squeezes my shoulder. The green in his eyes looking more dim than I’ve ever seen them. “Let’s get to training.”
Despair writhes in my gut like a living, snarling thing as we file out of the room and to the training grounds. The sun burns my skin, and the breeze soothes it away. We pass the field of poppies, their red petals still as vibrant now as the first time I ever saw them.
Everything—I’m trying to memorize everything.
I lead the group as we pass under the archway. The familiar words of discipline and honor feel meaningless as we step onto the grounds. ‘Those who live without discipline will die without honor.’
Will my death be honorable? Have I lived with enough discipline?
Harald and Piominko circle each other, while Freya and Odr are locked into a fierce battle. Dirt flies and metal clashes.
Their training is like nothing I’ve ever witnessed before. Freya moves with such speed and grace, that my mouth drops open. When Piominko strikes out at Harald, the resounding crash has me flinching away.
Gods.
They’re incredible.
Freya spies our group and calls for a pause. I give her a small wave and head in that direction.
“What did you decide?” she asks.
“We’re going to keep the information to ourselves. And continue on.”
She nods. “Very well. We’re here to help. Where do you begin?”
I appreciate her kindness and understanding. She doesn’t look at me with pity or judgment, just respect for my choice as queen of this realm.
“We start with some stretching and a light jog to get warm.”
“Come find me when you’re done.” She smiles and turns back to Odr.
We set off in a light jog, our marching footsteps echo like battle drums. Mathilda sticks close to Tane. Mina is squashed between Luna and Evander while Lachlan and I lead. We make five laps before stopping to stretch.
The light jog has warmed my muscles and eased some of the weight I feel constantly on my shoulders. In the middle of our last stretch, I wave to Freya. She heads our way with Piominko, Harald, and Odr.
“I know Piominko has been working with Tane on some balancing techniques to adapt to his new way of life. But Harald had an approach he would like the group to work on.”
All eyes swing to Harald as he leans on his shield, not paying attention to anything or anyone except Mina. But his shield catches my eye. Carvings of wolves circle a singular image of a man wearing a wolf’s head.
“Harald!” Freya snaps. He lurches upright, grumbling something about bossy women.
“Uh, so your shield—” He hoists his shield up before realizing none of us have one.
“I’ll get them,” Lachlan supplies. “Evander with me.” They head off towards the armory attached to our training grounds.
Piominko and Tane begin discussing their latest training. Tane stretches his remaining limb out to Piominko, who begins pointing and whispering things that my ears can’t quite hear.
Mathilda tilts her head towards me as I watch Lachlan’s retreating figure. “We didn’t do any training while you were away. I have a feeling this will not be pretty.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Mina drags her eyes from Harald, who’s still eyeing her like a predator would prey. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
The axe in my hand glimmers in the sunlight. The promise of action has the sharpened blade glowing as I tighten my grip.
Freya’s eyes sweep across all of us. “While we wait, how about a history lesson?”
Piominko and Tane fall silent, as do the three of us, giving Freya our full attention.
“Harald was a part of a legion of berserkers.” My eyes slide to him to see a maniacal grin cutting across his face. “So his fighting style is a bit…”
“Chaotic.” Odr finishes for her and chuckles to himself.
“Exactly.” She smiles. “A lot of their success came from not only their sheer size, but their ability to become monsters of destruction.”
Harald hammers his spear against his shield, drawing our attention back to him. He cocks his head at an unnatural angle and twitches. The pounding becomes louder and faster. His eyes are squeezed shut and his head is thrown back towards the sky.
He howls.
Literally howls like a wolf at the moon. The sound slices through me, fear drenching my senses.
His eyes flash open. But the humanity in them is gone.
Replaced with a hunger for death.
Lachlan and Evander cut through the middle of his display, their arms loaded with shields.
“Why is Harald howling?” Lachlan mock whispers, shooting me a look of mortification.
“Because he was a berserker in his human life and Freya wants us to understand that technique.”
“Ahhh, so we’re not shifting into wolves?” Evander jokes, passing a shield to Mina.
“Not today,” she replies equally sarcastically. Mina brushes my side as she raises up on her tiptoes to whisper into my ear. “I’m gonna climb that man like a tree.” She nods to Harald.
I snort loudly. The fear I was succumbing to vanishing. My cheeks burn and I cover my eyes with my hand.
“You did not just say that.”
Mina grins, her face brightening as she stares at Harald. He’s almost triple her size. One of his legs is her entire body. She really would have to climb him like a tree if she wanted to be face-to-face with him.
But with our shields in our hands, except Tane, we give our attention back to Freya.
“Fear in battle needs to be shifted from you to your opponent. I understand it is normal to have fear in your heart when faced with the possibility of death. But letting that cripple you will get you killed. So we must be fearless. The berserkers were excellent at instilling fear. As were the Maori in battle.” Freya gestures to Tane, who shies away from her acknowledgment.
My eyes lock onto Lachlan’s, who flashes me a wary glance. What the heck is that about?
“Could you give us an example of the haka?” Freya asks. A soft smile graces her face. She’s trying to be encouraging, but putting Tane on the spot is not a good idea.
He looks down at his missing limb before meeting her eyes. There’s a sense of despair there that I hadn’t noticed before. Gods. He hadn’t realized the implication this would have on that part of his past—and present.
Mathilda steps forward, drawing everyone’s attention away from a floundering Tane. “What else did the berserkers do?”
Harald, who enjoys the spotlight immensely, answers quickly. “We drank blood from skulls and made men piss themselves in fear.”
I reign in another snort. But Mina steps towards him as if she can’t help herself.
“You don’t believe me?” His eyes slide down her tiny frame.
“Not much to be afraid of,” she responds. Despite their height difference, she manages to look down her nose at him.
Harald takes a step closer to her, putting them toe to toe. Mina comes up to where I would assume his belly button is. She stands unruffled in the face of his wrath.
“Why is that sprite?”
She tilts her head down, toeing at the edge of a small hole. Not a hole, but a scar on the ground caused by the dripping venom. My stomach clenches at the reminder of what we went through. What Tane lost.
“Do you see this?” Her eyes linger on the scar on the ground.
“That’s what venom does. It eats through anything and everything.
You wouldn’t even be able to find the bottom of that hole.
” She jerks her chin towards Tane. “That warrior faced something that only destroys and survived. No howling necessary. So no, I won’t be afraid of someone like you.
” Her words are much more of a slap in the face than any physical blow could be.
Harald looks from the hole to Tane’s missing limb and blanches. “I—didn’t know.”
Mina crosses her arms over her chest. “And that’s why you shouldn’t run your mouth.”
If looks could kill, hers most certainly would.
But then the most astonishing thing happens. Harald bobs his head before looking her straight in the eye and saying, “I apologize.”
My brows stitch together and Freya takes an actual step back.
Tane’s face softens, the unease from before slipping into something similar to pride.
Mathilda looks on with a newfound level of respect for our fearless Mina, although I’m surprised she hadn’t tried to pummel Harald herself. Lachlan’s shoulder brushes against mine and we share a look of surprise.
Mina whirls on a heel, her hair floating up around her face. “You’ll have to do better than that,” she throws over a shoulder.
Harald’s mouth parts in shock, his brows nearly hitting his blonde hairline. But then his shield is ripped from his grip by invisible hands and chucked across the training ground.
Luna’s lips curl into a sardonic smile. “There’s our girl.”