Dead Chaos (A Valkyrie Novel - Book 3)(43)

"It is not a question of giving up, my friends. It is merely the reality. The Jotunn are dangerous because they are also intelligent. They are smart enough to lace the tips of their weapons with poison." Sigrun pointed at my wound. "You will soon feel the effects too, although much milder as the arrowhead had not penetrated your body. This arrowhead, on the other hand, had all the opportunity to deliver its venom as it passed through my body."

I stared at the wound, worried. What if the poison slows me down and I can't help take care of Sigrun?

It seemed she heard my thoughts or perhaps sensed my dread. "Maybe you should leave me behind. I am just a burden now. This poison is too powerful. And soon I will be dead."

My jaw dropped and I exchanged horrified glances with Aimee and Joshua. "Sigrun, that's just about the stupidest thing I have ever heard anyone say. I brought Mika home to Asgard even when she tried to kill me. Do you really think I will leave you behind?" Terror and anger mixed within my blood. How could she think I would ever leave her behind?

And what made her think that I should. Was she really dying?

The mere thought was too terrifying to bear. What would I do without Sigrun? And Fen? My heart twisted thinking about Fen. Fen who had wanted to come with us. Had he had a premonition of sorts? How would he feel if we did lose Sigrun?

I shook the thought from my head. No. I refused to think about losing her. It wasn't going to happen. We were going to get her back to Asgard and then Eir would make her better.

I linked my fingers with hers and held on, despite the heat that radiated from her body. The small space was like an oven and soon, within my heavy fur coat, I began to perspire too. I patted her hand and then crawled toward Joshua and the entrance to stare at the empty sky. I glanced at my watch then realized I really had no idea how long it would take for Tyra to arrive. If I'd had two spare fingers, I would have crossed them.

Now I just took turns staring at the sky where Tyra would appear, and staring at Sigrun's pale face. I left the cloak folded over one corner so I had a clear view of the Bifrost from where we hid.

She groaned softly and I wiped at her forehead. Her lids were heavy and she struggled to open her eyes. "I am so sorry, Bryn."

"What for? You have nothing to be sorry for." I stared at her, waiting for an answer but all she did was sigh and slump against the wall. The head and about 4 inches of arrow still protruded from her body. It shuddered as she slid toward me. And as I caught her, she felt heavier than she'd ever been.

My heart hurt, freezing slowly into a ball of frigid ice. I swallowed hard, refusing to allow the tears to well.

Tears that now froze in my throat the way my heart already had.









Chapter 40




I stared at the arrow. A part of me wanted to tug it out and fling it as far away from us as possible but the rest of me didn’t want to cause Sigrun any further pain. Also, when we got back to Asgard, Eir could use the arrow to find an antidote for Sigrun. I gritted my teeth.

Something shimmered at the corner of my eye. A shadow from something large above us.

Tyra was here.

I had to get out into the open, so she’d see me and know where to land. A quick scan of the area confirmed it was clear and I ventured into a clear space a few feet from our hiding place.

The great, bronze dragon circled us one more time, preparing to land.

I crawled back to Sigrun and pushed the cloak off her. Aimee grabbed the cloak and helped as I gripped Sigrun around her waist. Holding her arm around my neck, I stumbled with her to the open space to wait for Tyra. Joshua stood, bow drawn, ready for anything, although there didn’t seem much need to hide ourselves now. The castle yard had been silent for ages, ever since they'd sent away the search parties.

Sigrun was dead weight against me and I frowned. I laid her out on the ground to make it easy for Tyra to carry her. No way was Sigrun able to climb onto the dragon’s back and hold on.

I moved farther into the clear area, leaving the others with Sigrun, and looked up at the sky as the dragon closed in. A movement blurred at the corner of my eye and something came barreling at me, hitting hard enough to topple me.

Flat on my back, I watched as Tyra hovered a moment then flapped her wings hard, rising slowly back into the air. She banked to the left and circled away. My heart twisted. We were stranded for the second time, like a horrible recurring nightmare.

And considering the enormous, ugly, salivating wolf holding me down, I was more than just stranded.

I was pretty much dead.

A moment later a voice called out and the beast pulled away. I scanned the area, noting that both Aimee and Joshua had hidden among the rocks, leaving Sigrun lying deathly still on the cold ground.

A Jotunn strode closer, each step making the earth shudder. He was at least twenty feet in height, much taller than the frost giant who I'd maimed.

And then in the space of a blink and a breath, he was so much smaller.

The Jotunn shrank before my eyes. Not that it surprised me. I knew they were shape shifters, but the shrinking was quite distracting. I blinked and held my breath as he approached until he stood before me.

The swirling of color in his eyes gave him away immediately.

"Loki." I uttered his name with hatred, revulsion.

He'd been a wily adversary, always one step ahead but also quite enigmatic and charming. Not that I'd forgiven him for stabbing Aidan with a poisoned dagger, nor could I forgive him for abducting Brody, and now imprisoning Odin in his strange in-between world. I felt such a deep rush of hatred for him.

"What do you want?" I spat the words at him, backing up slowly until I stopped. A few more steps and I'd have my back to the wall, something I wasn't keen on, either literally or figuratively. Plus there was Sigrun to consider, lying prone on the ground a few feet from me. I didn’t look at her in case that drew Loki’s attention to her unconscious form.

My satchel dragged along the ground with me. A subtle reminder of the bottle of the Norn’s water I’d brought with me. How to use it against this tricky god was another thing altogether.

"Hello, Brynhildr." He smiled and his face transformed from craggy, blue-veined frost giant to Loki the trickster. His gaze moved quickly from my face to my wingless back and he smirked.

I chose silence.

"Come now, Brynhildr. You are not known for being impolite. I’d say we’re old friends by now."

"I am no friend of yours. You’re a monster and a murderer. And I refuse to have anything to do with you."

An odd expression flitted across Loki’s features. A blend of disappointment and tempered fury. He paced back and forth, pondering whatever his problem was. He appeared to not relish the fact his plans had been thwarted.

"What do you want?" I gritted my teeth. Provoking Loki at this moment would not be in my best interest. Especially if I wanted to get out of this alive. Or get Sigrun out alive.

He stopped his pacing with a sudden jerk and swiveled to face me. He sucked in a breath and said, "I’ve decided that you, Valkyrie Brynhildr, the great Brunhilde reborn, should be the one to choose." The grin on his face was enough to make me want to reach out and slap it off myself. I clenched my fist and held it by my side.

"Choose?" I took a step toward him. "Choose what? Can I choose for you and all your henchmen die?"

"Of course you cannot, my dear Bryn. And besides that would be mean, wouldn't it?"

Oh, you haven't yet seen the mean in me, Trickster.

Then he held out a hand and smiled. And my heart plummeted.

A little ball swirled around and around in his outstretched palm. Within the ball I saw wings: tiny and delicate and devastatingly mine.

"What the hell are you up to?" I screamed the words at him, furious that he'd play such games with me. But was Loki ever the type to care about a person’s feelings?

"Oh, do calm down, Valkyrie. I can give them back to you though." He tilted his head and smiled. "If you comply, of course."

"Comply?" I felt like a parrot. What the hell was he up to? "Can you please come right out and say what you want instead of playing these word games with me? I don't think either of us has the time to waste."

"Very well." Loki took a step toward me, his hand still held forth, displaying my wings. I wanted to close my eyes to them. But I didn't want Loki to ever think he had the upper hand. He paid me little attention anyway. "Valkyrie Brynhildr, the choice is yours to make. On this hand I present your wings to be returned as soon as you say the word." Loki sketched a small bow, then flourished his other hand. Within that palm was another ball, the tree of life Yggdrasil with all the realms moving around it like a little universe. "On this hand are the nine realms, here for you to save from the ultimate destruction."

I frowned. "What? You want me to choose between my wings and the survival of the nine realms? Are you insane?"

"No, my dear. I am very far from insane. You see, I know who you are. And it's because of whom you are that you will be the one to make the choice. I only wish Odin were here to bear witness."

"I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean." I snapped at him, annoyed he wanted to continue being facetious. My eyelids were growing heavier as we spoke. The poison seemed to have been making silent progress through my bloodstream. Loki opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "And I don't really care what you mean, either. Just tell me what this stupid choice thing is all about and let's get it over with."