Page 33 of Between Broomsticks and Beating Wings
“I needed to do something to fill my time while you were off in Áma’s incantation chamber,” I said with a shrug, as if it meantnothing, as if the days I’d spent cutting and sizing leather and stealing Tove for measurements when she wasn’t looking was nothing. “We wouldn’t want him flying away, now, would we? Apple never shies away from a sharp turn. And, uh, the strap next to it is for you, in case you want it. It can be attached to your belt for added security.”
“That was…very thoughtful of you,” she said before strapping the harness around Tove’s chubby body. The strap was just long enough for him to comfortably rest between her legs as she straddled Apple. She hooked herself to the armor next, peering down at me when she was firmly secured. “Thank you.”
I nodded my head and tapped Apple’s rear to let her know I was coming on next. She lowered the wing next to me, and I had to get creative, reaching under Kari to grip the front of her saddle. I suppressed my grunt as I climbed aboard, hopefully looking more graceful than I felt.
“Well then. Let’s go to Hel, shall we?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ON THE ROUTE TO HEL
Kari
Apple took off into the sky, flapping her wings as her strong legs pushed off the stone beneath us. I could feel not only the wind on my face, but the push of air from her wings. It hadn’t been the first time I’d been on her back, but ithadbeen the first time I boarded her willingly, with Rune behind me, no less.
I fiddled with the leather around my waist, reminding myself that Rune would be there if it were to fail.
She’d made this for me?
Intentions aside, I truly was beginning to believe the valkyrie wanted to keep me safe. I hadn’t believed her saving me from the raiders was purely selfless, and I still held my fair share of doubts, but she didn’t need to make me a security strap to aid in my comfort. She didn’t need to make a harness perfectly sized to Tove’s body to keep him from tumbling off Apple’s back. Knowing I wouldn’t be responsible for dropping him allowed me to relax my rigid spine a little.
Rune was on either side of me, my ass pressed to her front. I was more than aware of the contact we made, and eachtime Apple swooped or turned, I pressed more firmly into the valkyrie. At first, each movement had me gritting my teeth, but I eventually realized I needed to thank her somehow. I had a sense she was enjoying the feeling of me between her thighs. I supposed I could’ve tried kindness for a change instead, though somehow, this was far easier than sweet words.
Having my guard up and constantly racking my brain for snarky commentshadbeen draining. It would do me as much good as her to let that front fall a little. I often found myself channeling my younger sister, Malfrid, whenever I needed something sassy to say. Malfrid was…well, she was something, and while I missed her dearly now, she’d often been the bane of my existence. I’d bet she was the one who’d convinced my other sister to try to off me during the months they lingered on Midgard, haunting our longhouse.
I tried not to think about that so much; the past would do me no good. It’d been years now, years to recover from the betrayal of waking up to see them hovering around me. Malfrid had been corporeal for a moment or two, and I’d risen to the sensation of a pillow against my face. She was a fool to think she would’ve stayed corporeal long enough to suffocate me. She should’ve stabbed me, slit my throat, but maybe that would’ve been too violent, even for her.
I’d been able to shove her off easily enough, and a moment later, any of her attempts at attack passed right through me. The days followingher lapse in judgement were awkward, to say the least, and I walked on thin ice, hoping I didn’t fall through at any given moment.
Rune shifted behind me, pulling me out of my dark, swirling thoughts. It was hard not to think of my family as we traveled to Hel, knowing there was a good chance that’s exactly where they resided. I still wasn’t convinced I’d have enough willpower not to see them.
My sisters were selfish when they tried to take my life so we could be taken by the valkyries together. And now, here I was, debating if I would tease them once more, to show them that while they were gone, I could keep cheating the game of death. Gods, it felt so wrong to even think about it.
“We’ll be leaving the valley soon!” Rune called out behind me. “Remember to try to breathe normally when we hit the mist. If you struggle, it will only make things worse.”
“Got it!” I called out, holding my tongue when I fought to yell out that it would’ve been nice to know that bit of information the first time around. I’d thought I was going to die. Everything in me believed I’d drown in the sky, the very last place I’d ever imagined my lungs filling with water.
The humidity had almost been unbearable, but I’d kept my eyes trained on Apple, knowing she wouldn’t lead me somewhere that would get us both killed. The fact she’d kept going, without even a neigh or snort of worry, kept me going as well.
I knew what to expect the second time around, and I was ready for it. Sure, it would be uncomfortable, but I wouldn't succumb to the thick moisture in the air, and that was all that mattered.
It was daylight this time around, and when we were above the valley, I swore Apple did an unnecessary loop just to show this place off to me. The only other time I’d seen it from an aerial view, it’d been tinted silver by the moon. The water from the multiple falls sprayed mist into the air that wet my face when we flew too close. I hadn't known where we were going, or if it was safe, but now, I could fully enjoy the view.
We took a dip through the sky that had me screaming out profanities, much to Rune’s amusement. She couldn’t hold back a laugh as I screamed something about “savage belly bugs” as my unique way to show both her and Apple that I was less thanthrilled. The sound from Rune had been pure, unadulterated joy. There was no mask, no hidden meaning or sass, just amusement, and the sound of it still rang in my ears.
How hadn’t I realized how nice the sound of her laughter is?
Maybe I hadn’t heard her laughing enough, not for real. With her, everything seemed like a stony façade. On this journey, I’d break her down if it was the last thing I did. I wouldn’t spend weeks with someone I barely knew.
I screamed again as Apple took the sharpest turn of my life, and Tove yowled and tried to dig his claws into my impenetrable skirt. With no luck, he swung out of my lap and into the air. There was a yank on the leather strap attached to his harness, but it held, thank the gods.
When Apple righted herself, I screamed, “Cut it out!” I held on to Apple’s saddle as firmly as my chilled fingers would allow, then situated Tove between my legs once more. I tried to swallow down my heart in my throat, but the effects of that little stunt still lingered in my body, as if they were there to stay. My shoulder ached where I’d been struck, even after being healed by time and various enhanced ointments.
“She’s just testing you!” Rune said. “Getting all your flight jitters out before we fly into dangerous territory. You won’t want to scream if something is chasing us!”
“Do you expect something to chase us?” I called back to her.
“At some point, yes! It’s inevitable on this journey.”
