He stroked his chin in thought. “I’m not sure if such a thing would even be possible. It’s why having you and Hecate in one realm is causing so much trouble. There’s a certain balance enforced by the universe, but creatures like yourself and Hecate are difficult to constrain.”

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about being called a creature, but I let it go. “Well, I don’t think I feel any different, so maybe the universe is on my side for once. Still, we should probably find Hecate before she figures out a way to change that.”

  “I agree,” Alaric said, slipping his arm around my waist. “We should speak to Marcos.”

  I nodded, then hesitated. I turned toward Mikael. “Would you mind bringing him in? I need to speak with Alaric.”

  Mikael raised an eyebrow at me. “Are you sure now is a good time?”

  I wasn’t sure, but I nodded.

  Mikael quietly left the room.

  I turned my attention to Loki. “Could we have some privacy?”

  He shook his head. “Freyja is already pissed at me. I’m not going to leave you unguarded when Hecate might swoop in and steal you again.”

  I frowned, then turned my attention to Alaric.

  He watched me cautiously. “Are you unwell?” he questioned. “Is the baby—”

  I held up my hand to stop him. I didn’t need the thought of our unborn child to add any more to my guilt. I glanced at Loki again, wishing he’d go away, then back to Alaric.

  “While we were in Hecate’s realm,” I began hesitantly, fighting the sudden urge to vomit, “Mikael and I kissed.” I barely managed to squeak out the last words, though I forced myself to meet his gaze. Alaric wasn’t an overly jealous man, but he’d had it out for Mikael before this. I had no idea how he was going to react to the news.

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “Would you care to elaborate on that?”

  I could tell he was trying to shield his emotions from me, but some leaked through. Hurt and anger, flavored with confusion.

  I sighed. “It just happened. He was being a jerk, then suddenly kissed me. He wanted me to admit that I have feelings for him.”

  Alaric inhaled sharply, then slowly let the breath out. “And do you?”

  I glanced at Loki again, who watched our conversation curiously, giving us no semblance of privacy whatsoever.

  I looked down at my feet. “I don’t know. I don’t feel about him the way I feel about you, but I’d be lying if I said there was nothing there at all.”

  I forced my eyes up to see Alaric frowning. “Excuse me,” he said, then turned away.

  I grabbed his arm, then recoiled at the emotions leaking from him. The hurt and confusion were gone, completely masked by hot rage. I knew his emotions weren’t entirely to do with me. Mikael had been the reason Alaric’s mother had been executed centuries ago. I was just the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.

  He gently took hold of my hand and returned it to my side. “I will not kill him,” he said evenly, “but he and I must discuss this. Please wait here with Loki.”

  I shook my head, slightly dumbfounded. “This is my fault,” I blurted. “I’m the one in the wrong. Don’t blame him for this.”

  He glared at me. “Please, do not defend him. Not to me.” With that, he turned away and stalked toward the side door leading out into the yard.

  I turned to Loki, fighting the blush slowly consuming my face.

  He held out a hand toward me. “Come sit down, Madeline.”

  I numbly obeyed, walking toward him.

  He rested his hand on my back and guided me back through the entry room, then into the den, flicking on a lamp before we both sat on the sofa.

  As soon as I was sitting I buried my head in my hands. “I’m such a fool,” I muttered.

  Loki’s hand alighted upon my shoulder. “You are not a fool. You are simply young.”

  I turned my gaze up to him. That was the last thing I’d expected him to say. “What do you mean?” I questioned.

  He shook his head, a rueful smile on his thin lips. “Both of your men are several centuries old. Mikael is perhaps over a thousand, if my senses for such things are correct. They both know themselves quite well, and so, they know exactly what they want.”

  I frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  He sighed. “It means that you cannot hope to know what you want, when you do not know yourself. You came from unknown origins, and I’d venture to say Alaric is one of your first serious relationships.”

  “There were others,” I argued weakly. There had been others, but none that made me feel the way that Alaric did.

  He lifted his hand from my shoulder and patted my head like I was a dog. “There’s no need to argue. I’m not being accusational, just pointing out a simple truth. And you shouldn’t worry. Men that old tend to not react to things the way you would think.”

  I sighed and slumped back onto the couch. “No, they really don’t. I’m afraid I’ve been in over my head since the start.”

  He smirked. “Don’t worry, you’re a transcendent glowing death ball. They’re in over their heads too.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. Loki was the last person I would have expected to give such sage advice, but he had existed a very long time. It made sense for him to know a thing or two about relationships.

  “Be that as it may,” I replied, “I still have no idea what I’m supposed to do now. I have a child on the way, for crying out loud. Having another man in my life should not be an issue right now.”

  Loki smirked. “Well since you’re already in such a pickle, care to add a third?” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

  I scowled. “No, thank you.”

  He chuckled, leaning back against the fluffy couch cushion. “Your loss.”

  I rolled my eyes, wishing I had a watch or a phone on me to check how long Alaric had been gone. “We should probably find Marcos and figure out our plan instead of waiting around,” I suggested.

  Loki nodded, then froze as a scream echoed in from outside. “Or maybe we should see what that is about,” he decided, then rose, extending his hand to me.

  I took his hand, which he grasped firmly, then pulled me up with ease. The scream had been a woman, not a man, but that didn’t mean the screamer wasn’t reacting to finding her Doyen locked into mortal combat with Alaric. Or worse, with Hecate.

  I raced through the house as quickly as possible, but Loki made it outside a few steps ahead of me. We both paused on the side porch, glancing around for the source of the scream. A moment later I heard a scuffle on the far side of the house, and took off at a slow jog with Loki following behind me.

  As we rounded the corner of the house, I first noted the source of the scream, Tallie, clearly in a panic as she watched Mikael and Alaric wrestling on the ground. I stood in shock for a moment, taking in the blood on both their faces, and their disheveled, muddy clothing.

  “What the hell are you doing!” I shouted.

  The men continued to fight, each attempting to get the upper hand. Alaric rose his body a bit from Mikael’s, landing a punch to his jaw, slamming his head sideways. Quickly recovering, Mikael tossed him aside with such force Alaric landed flat on his back. Before he could rise, Mikael pounced on him, his elbow drawn back before his fist slammed into Alaric in retribution.

  Standing at my side, Loki chuckled. “Perhaps they are not as evolved as I’d thought.”

  I scowled at him, marched up to the fighting men rolling around on the ground, and blasted them with what little energy I had left, just enough to give them a small jolt.

  Alaric rolled off Mikael, then both blinked up at me, stunned.

  “I’ll ask again,” I growled, “what the hell are you doing?”

  Alaric sat up slowly, then stood, brushing himself off. “He’s manipulating you, Madeline. I could not let it stand.”

  My scowl deepened. “You said you wouldn’t try to kill him.”

  Alaric snorted. “If I was trying to kill him, he’d be dead.”

  Mikael finally stood, flicking bits of mud and grass from his dark brown pants. “He wasn’t trying to kill me,” he assured. “Though I see no need for fighting at all.”

  Alaric raised a bruised brow and whirled on him. “Really, would you not feel compelled to attack if someone was manipulating the mother of your child?”

  “Do you really think I’m so stupid?” I hissed, suddenly angry. “I might be young in comparison to you, but when a man tries to manipulate me, I know it.”

  “This is what he does,” Alaric growled, gesturing to Mikael. “It’s what he is.”

  I shook my head. I knew I was the one technically in the wrong, and I wasn’t sure if I had the right to be mad, but I was. He was implying that Mikael couldn’t possibly have real feelings for me, and that my own feelings weren’t valid. I was just some stupid young girl being toyed with by a manipulative Viking.

  “Perhaps we should sort this out later,” Loki smoothly interjected, stepping forward.

  He distracted me enough to look over my shoulder and see the other Vaettir gathering around to watch the show.

  My shoulders slumped. “You’re right.” I aimed my gaze first at Alaric, then Mikael. “I’m aware that this is all my fault, but no more fighting until Hecate has been dealt with. We were supposed to be finding Marcos to concoct a new plan.”

  Miraculously, both men seemed abashed.

  I turned back to the gathering crowd as Aila stepped forward. “That’s what we were coming to tell you. Marcos is unconscious. We do not know what happened to him.”

  “Of course he is,” I muttered facetiously, “because that’s exactly what we need right now. Take me to him.”

  Aila gave a curt nod, then turned to lead the way. Sophie, Alejandro, and the few others who’d gathered, watched us cautiously, likely all dying to know why Alaric and Mikael had been fighting, but I wasn’t about to tell them.

  Instead, I followed Aila back around the house and toward the front entrance, with Alaric, Mikael, and Loki trailing behind. We crossed the long porch on the side of the house, then skirted around the corner. Freyja was standing in the driveway near Faas, who knelt beside Marcos, sprawled on his back in the gravel.

  Freyja turned to us as we approached, her flaxen hair blowing in a chilly breeze that promised rain. “I believe this is Hecate’s doing,” she explained. “She does not want him to lead us to her once more.”

  I frowned as I stopped to hover over Faas to peer down at Marcos. “Can you track her?” I asked Faas.

  He shook his head, then rose. “I might have stood a chance if magic wasn’t leaking into the land at an alarming rate. Can’t you feel it?”

  I raised my eyebrows, then looked over my shoulder at Alaric, Mikael, and Loki. “Should I be able to feel it?”

  All three shrugged.

  “Faas can feel it more keenly since manipulating energy is his gift,” Freyja explained, her eyes on me. “The type of magic you use has always been here. It’s in the earth and trees, and the gentle kiss of death. A bit of added energy would not be a new sensation for you, though I imagine we will all feel it soon enough.”

  “Okay,” I sighed. “So whether I feel it right now or not, magic is increasing, and it’s making Hecate difficult to track?”

  Faas nodded. “I couldn’t even track you in this chaos.”

  I turned as Alaric, Mikael, and Loki moved to stand closer to us. “So what do we do?” I asked the group in general. “I’d rather not wait for Hecate to come and squash out my energy.”

  Freyja nodded. “I agree it is not wise to wait. I think we should journey toward the apex of the magic. I have no doubt Hecate will try to use it.”

  “The apex?” I questioned. “You mean Yggdrasil?”

  She shook her head. “The magic seems to be flowing toward something. While I do not know the reason for this, I find it likely that Hecate will try to use it. So, we go to the apex, we find Hecate.”

  “But what else do we find?” Faas questioned. “There is other realm magic flowing into this land that even the gods are not familiar with. And the only person who could possibly give us a bit of insight is unconscious.” He gestured down to Marcos.

  Each of us gazed around our small circle, our moods somber. Faas was right, we had no idea what we’d be walking into.

  “Well,” I began, breaking the silence, “there’s only one way to find out. Let’s hunt down this apex.”

  Loki and Freyja both smiled, clearly ready for action. Mikael and Alaric, both battered and bruised, held similar worried expressions. While charging into danger had always been my preferred course of action, it often didn’t turn out too well.

  Chapter Ten

  Once again, we all piled back into the vehicles, though this time we took three. I ate a sandwich in the passenger seat of my truck while Aila drove. I had a second one sitting in my lap. If I didn’t have any fresh dead to gain extra energy from, food was the next best option.

  In the back seat were Freyja, Alaric, and Loki. The car behind us held Mikael, Sophie, Alejandro, Faas, Frode, and the third vehicle, a forest green SUV, held our other volunteers. That we had so many willing to face Hecate and whatever magics might await us both warmed and chilled my heart. Some would likely perish.

  We’d debated on bringing Marcos in his unresponsive state, but in the end had settled on lugging him into the SUV. If he woke up at some point, we wanted him where he could be useful to us.

  I finished my first sandwich and reached for the second one as we drove down the highway, heading toward Hillsboro. There were a few abandoned vehicles on the side of the road, and not much traffic besides.

  With one hand on my sandwich, I used the other to fiddle with the radio knobs, hoping for some news updates. After a few ticks of static, a woman’s voice came in loud and clear.

  “ . . . reports of blackouts in Hillsboro reached us right before all communication was lost. Coupled with the slew of recent traffic incidents, the city seems to have come to a virtual standstill. Authorities are currently investigating reports of what we can only believe are illusions: spectral forms, flashing lights, and unknown creatures. A public warning has been issued to not venture into Hillsboro until further investigation can be conducted.”

  I quickly hit the radio button to shut it off. “Well, that does not sound good.”

  “Is there a large population in Hillsboro?” Freyja questioned.

  “Around 105,000,” Alaric replied.

  I started eating my second sandwich as I turned to engage the backseat passengers.

  “Fairly large, then,” Freyja stated thoughtfully. “It could be that the magic is drawn to such a large congregation of people.”

  “But there are other cities,” I countered. “Why here?”

  Freyja shrugged. “To quote your earlier statement, there’s only one way to find out.”

  I glanced at Alaric in the middle of the backseat, meeting his worried gaze, then turned around, looking out the window ahead of me. We’d hit the outskirts of Hillsboro, and it seemed like a ghost town.

  Aila slowed the vehicle, forcing those following to slow in our wake. There were more abandoned vehicles here, some pulled off to the side, but some left obstructing the street. It was only a matter of time until one would block our way entirely.

  I nearly jumped when another moving vehicle appeared, a small white car, heading slowly our way. The passengers in the car glanced about warily, the female driver white-knuckling it on the steering wheel. She met my gaze as we stopped our vehicle to let her pass around a truck blocking half of the intersection, but she didn’t smile or wave.

  I turned my head, watching the white car pick up speed as Aila maneuvered around the truck in the intersection. The passengers of the passing vehicle were likely letting out a collective breath to have reached the outskirts of town. Many others had probably left before them. I hoped they’d be safe, but there was no guarantee. The best way to ensure the safety of others was to snuff out Hecate and stop the flow of magic.

  I flinched as a bright flash outside stung my eyes, then narrowed my gaze as a giant column of pulsing light shot up into the sky in the distance.

  “What the hell is that?” I hissed.

  Aila slowed the truck from a crawl to a stop, and we all climbed out. Those following us did the same, shattering the near silence with a cacophony of car doors shutting.

  I stared at the distant column, then watched as Freyja cast a worried look toward Loki. “It feels familiar, doesn’t it?”

  He nodded, his expression uncharacteristically somber.

  I stepped forward, raising my hand to shield my eyes as I peered at the glowing column, shimmering with a myriad of colors tinting the mostly white light. It was roughly five blocks away, and seemed wide enough to take up an entire two-way intersection. It spanned up into the sky, endless.

  Goosebumps erupted across my arms. I could feel what Faas had been talking about now. It was as if I could feel the magic flowing past me toward the column, like the gentle kiss of snowflakes touching my skin. Soft and magical, but full of potentially sharp, harmful energy.

  “How are we supposed to face that?” Sophie asked, moving to stand near Alaric.

  They both turned, then looked at me.

  I raised my hands defensively. “Hey, I don’t know anything about it. This isn’t my type of energy.”

  “No,” Freyja interrupted. “It’s mine, or really,” she glanced at Loki, “ours. The column is formed of magic coming from our realm.”

  “But how?” I gasped. “And why here? Shouldn’t this be happening around Yggdrasil?”

  She glanced at Loki again. “Do you think it could be…” she trailed off.

  “Well if it is,” he replied, “we’re all screwed.”

  “What is it!” Sophie snapped.

  “The Well of Urd,” Freyja explained. “We’d thought it had been lost with Yggdrasil, but it seems regrowing the tree dropped it into this realm. Or perhaps it’s been here all along, hidden all this time.”

  “The Well of Urd?” Mikael questioned, keeping his distance from Alaric. “Isn’t Yggdrasil supposed to grow out of the well?”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111