Page 17 of Between Broomsticks and Beating Wings
“After we speak to a god of Rune’s choosing,” Kari finally spoke, her chin lifted. Hearing my name roll off her lips did something terrible to me; a shift took place within my very core that I knew damn well would be permanent.
“A god?” Rayna laughed a horrible, twisted laugh. “This just keeps on getting better. Do I even want to know, Rune?”
“Help or don’t, but don’t just stand in my way. Not again,” I said. “I need yarrow and vinegar. Can you fetch some? Please.”
Rayna sighed, her eyes boring into me. “I have some in my chamber.”
As Kari waited, she sat upon the bench in the corner, sipping her still-warm tea and snacking on foods lining a slender tray. She’d stared out the window, ignoring me the whole time as she mindlessly stroked her cat. I watched her as she took in the Valhalla sunset, pegasuses darting through scattered rays of dimming light. Only then did she say, “How long was I asleep for?”
“Almost a day. It’ll be night again soon, and if I don’t leave, it will cause suspicion.”
“You’ll leave me here in this room?” she asked. I wasn’t sure if she was hurt or annoyed.
I nodded. “To go to Midgard, yes.”
“I’m surprised you’re not forcing me to go with you now that I’m not, you know, dead,” she said, her head cocked as she tossed a walnut into her mouth.
She made herself at home upon the seat, her confidence slowly finding its way back to her.
“Not yet, you’re not,” I said before realizing my words betrayed my meaning. She gawked at me and choked on a piece of walnut. “What I mean is, you’re still bleeding. Traveling through the Bifrost takes a toll on a mortal, a toll I’m not willing to take tonight.”
Before she could answer, Rayna came into the room with a basket of supplies. “I had to tell Asta you drunkenly sliced your foot open when she saw me with this.” She motioned to her basket.
“Wonderful.” I let out a sigh. Another strike with Asta was not what I needed. I may have been Odin’s favorite, but I certainly wasn’t the old wench’s.
Rayna set the basket down on the edge of the bed, motioning to Kari. “You said you’re a healer, so help yourself. Rune, I’m assuming you’ll still be coming with me tonight?”
“Of course.” I dipped my head. Tonight would be my first sober venture down to Midgard all year. For some reason, since the seeress arrived, I’d been too on edge to take a drink, even a sip. I didn’t trust the nonsense I spewed once the poison hit my willing veins.
“What do you expect me to do while you’re gone?” Kari asked as she began riffling through Rayna’s basket.
“I’m going to let you handle that question,” Rayna muttered to me. “I swear to the gods, if you’re late, I will chop your hairoff, Rune. I mean it this time. We leave out the front tonight. No tunnel nonsense.”
“I’ll be there,” I said. If any other sister had spoken to me that way, I’d have them by the neck. But Rayna’s patience with me was growing thin, and I more than deserved her threats—not that I liked her dishing them out in front of the mortal.
Rayna glanced at Kari one last time before growling and storming out of my bed chamber.
“What’s her problem?”
“You,” I said before I could stop myself.
“Why? You said I needed to be here for a reason mortals couldn’t know. I assumed the other valkyries would.”
I ground my teeth; this woman was pressing my own patience. Why must she have so many questions? What was I supposed to tell her?
“Oh, I took you from the mortal realm and broke at least three valkyrie oaths to bring you to Valhalla, and now I’m hiding you, because if Odin finds out, you’ll probably be killed, and I’ll be tossed out of my sect.”Yeah, just perfect.
Instead, I looked at the seeress and said, “You’ll remain in the room when I’m gone. I’ll make sure you have food and drink before I go. Please don’t alert anyone to your presence. The other sisters…” I scratched the back of my neck. “They can’t know about you untilafterwe speak to Odin.”
The seeress pondered upon this for a moment. “Fine, I’ll be quiet. Do you have any scrolls to study?”
I suppressed a chuckle as she glanced up at me. “I can grab a few from the archive. What’s your preferred topic?” I asked, indulging her just this once. I figured the more distracted she was, the less likely it would be that she found herself in trouble again.
Kari made it known what she wanted to study and which food she preferred, and I summoned a platter of turkey and rootvegetables before I left her. When I headed for the archive, a clearing of someone’s throat brought my attention behind me. Bodil stood awkwardly, as if she had something to say but didn’t know how to spit it out.
“Walk with me,” I demanded, knowing there could only be one reason Bodil would want to talk. “We can speak in the archive. You can help me find a scroll of spells.”
“Do you think it’s wise to give a mor—heraccess to the seidr not of her realm?” Bodil corrected herself, presumably not wanting to admit to a mortal lurking around the House of Wings.
