Page 35 of Soul of Shadow
“Does Odin know where it is?”
Elias shook his head. “None of the gods do. The völva insisted upon it. The Seal is, in essence, protection for humans against the gods.Allof the gods, Odin included. And the spell stipulated that only a human being could pull out the spear, since it’s humanity’s safety that’s at stake.”
“Damn. And they did thisalljust to protect humans?”
“That was the party line, anyway,” said Elias. “Doled out by the Allfather himself.”
“You don’t believe he was telling the truth?”
“Listen.” He kicked a pine cone across the ground. “I don’t know the guy. Obviously. I mean, the gods generally keep to themselves. All I know are the stories I hear.”
“Such as…”
“Such as his blood brotherhood with Loki.”
“Loki and Odin?” She knitted her eyebrows. “But I thought Loki andThorwere brothers.”
He waved a hand. “That’s a bunch of nonsense made up by Disney. No. Long ago, Odin and Loki were the closest any two gods could be. They sliced their palms and mixed their blood together in an unbreakable oath. Blood brothers, for all time.”
“Damn. I thought Loki was the trickster god.”
“He is,” Elias said. “He’s cunning. Devious. That was why Odin wanted him by his side. That was why he promised Loki that they would rule side by side, as equals, forever.”
Just through the trees, Charlie spied a dim green light floating just off the ground. She leaned forward, trying to make it out. “Do you see that?”
Elias peered around a tree. “Oh, yeah. Will-o’-the-wisp.”
“Will-what?”
“Sneaky bastards. Under absolutely no circumstances should you follow a light cast by a will-o’-the-wisp.”
“Why not?”
Elias slipped through the trees, drawing closer to the green light, then ducked low. Turning, he beckoned for Charlie to follow. She darted over and squatted beside him, pushing aside a patch of leaves to get a better look.
Fifteen feet away, a tiny, hook-nosed man with wings floated across a clearing. He had eyes the size of pool balls, nearly all white and manic looking. On his head was a feather-topped hat, and a wispy white beard swept all the way down to his buckled shoes. A bright-green lantern dangled from his right fist. The will-o’-the-wisp wasn’t looking at Charlie and Elias; his attention was squarely on the ground, and he seemed to be muttering to himself.
“Will-o’-the-wisps are troubled souls,” Elias whispered. “It is said that in life, they cheated someone out of their property. As a result, they cannot find peace in the afterlife. They’re doomed to wander Asgard forever, trying in vain to figure out where their real home is.”
Charlie perked up her ears, trying to hear what the creature was saying.
“This is right; this is wrong,” the will-o’-the-wisp muttered. He swooped down and picked up a stick from the ground, moving it two feet over before setting it back down. “This is right; this iswrong.” Then he picked the stick up and moved it back, repeating the process all over again.
“He’s trying to figure out the property boundary,” Elias said. “But nothing will ever feel right to him, no matter where he moves the stick.”
“That’s tragic,” Charlie whispered.
“It is,” he agreed. “But don’t let the act fool you. Will-o’-the-wisps were tricky in life, and they’re tricky in death. Before the Seal was laid, many humans were led astray by them. Innocent farmers would follow the green light of the spirit’s lamp, thinking it would take them somewhere wonderful, only to find themselves stranded in a swamp. Or worse.”
Charlie shuddered. “Got it. No following the green light.”
“Exactly.” Elias pivoted on his knees, reaching into his back pocket. “Now would probably be a good time for some basic protection techniques as well.”
“Go on.”
When he pulled his hand out of his pocket, a necklace dangled from his fingers. It was a simple silver chain, no other gems or trinkets dangling from the end.
“Are you giving me…” She raised her eyebrows. “Jewelry?”
