Page 56 of Between Broomsticks and Beating Wings
Rune cocked her head, blowing out a large sigh. “I was worried you didn’t remember.”
“Our night in Nidavellir? I remember…most things,” I said. “Something about moss, Rayna smiling for once, and your armor. I remember why you didn’t have it fixed,” I confessed, memories coming back to me even more now as I spoke them aloud. I reached for the runic scribbles I’d jotted down, running my thumb over Rune’s crossed out name. “I’ll admit, I’d forgotten most of it, but I had a vision last night, and I heard the name Iris Ariti.”
Rune glanced down at my work, no doubt seeing the charcoal smudge where I rubbed my thumb down her name. “So, you do remember.”
I nodded slowly, then tilted my face to look at her. “Do you want me to call you Iris from now on?”
Rune looked taken aback, as if she’d never even considered this option, before finally saying, “I haven’t been Iris in a verylong time. The name ‘Rune’ reminds me of my rebirth, of who I was destined to become, not who I once was. I’m glad you remember me sharing that piece of myself, though, and while I don’t ever intend on going by ‘Iris’ again, I never want to forget it, or where I came from,” she said. “Will you hold on to this memory with me?”
“I will,” I promised, meaning it with every fiber of my being. “And if you want to add more memories to it, I will listen to stories of your past life and keep them alive in my mind too.”
“Thank you, seeress,” she said with a genuine smile. When she found herself smiling at me for a moment too long, she cleared her throat and ran her hand over her leathers. “Have you eaten?”
I shook my head, and, within the next second, there was a feast waiting for me on the table by the window. I didn’t hesitate to push the spell work off me and crawl out of bed. Rune, Tove, and I ate together, and as we did, I caught Apple soaring through the snowy Helheim sky. Rune told me about taking Apple out for a ride and refueling her power stores, and I had to say, I could tell the difference in the food she’d been able to summon for us. Everything was far fresher and more flavorful than it had been the past few days. The berries were so sweet, I was pretty sure I could die happy.
“Would you like to visit them today?” Rune asked, and I’d been wondering when she’d bring my family back up. Knowing when I finally saw them again, I’d have Rune by my side made it all the stranger. Haddy would be happy, I was sure, but would my parents be disappointed in me for arriving with the immortal presence that had haunted us all? On the other hand, she was a valkyrie, an attendant of Odin, and my parents were dedicated and loyal to our Allfather. Her visit could be seen as the ultimate blessing. She was as close to Odin as they would ever get.
Trying to guess what they’d think would surely drive me mad, as I hadn’t yet determined how I felt about the situation myself. Rune could be sweet when she wanted. She could pull complex feelings out of deep and hidden places within me. But she’d also been alive far longer than me, and I couldn’t help but feel like she always had a secret plan up her sleeve, and letting me in on it was her last priority.
“What are you worried about?” Rune asked when I didn’t answer her question.
“I didn’t expect to still be alive the next time I saw them, and selfishly, I’d hoped it wouldn’t be for a long time, not until I had a full life.”
“That’s not selfish. I’d say most families hope for the same thing for their living loved ones. I was there the night following the…pillow incident, you know. Your sisters were the selfish ones. I hope you know souls start souring the longer they stay on Midgard without their bodies. I think you’ll be surprised by the change you’ll see in them when you decide to visit. A change for the better.”
“Really?” I asked, thinking back to the feeling of the pillow over my face, the fabric that puckered in my mouth as I’d tried to take in a restricted breath. My hand instinctively found my lips, and I forced a smile when Rune caught my gesture. “Okay, I’ll see them today. I have no idea what I’m going to say to them, but I can’t hide away in this room forever, knowing my family resides in the same realm as me.”
“That’s my girl,” Rune smiled. She smacked her knee excitedly and brushed crumbs off her lap as she stood. “I’ll leave you to change and prepare. Dress warm. Double up on socks, okay? The dead may not be able to feel the cold, but we certainly can.”
Rune saw herself out, and I began getting myself together. There was a bubble rising in my chest, one of fear, ofapprehension, but also of excitement. I may not have planned to see my family until I was old and grey, but being here in the same realm was a gift I wouldn’t be taking for granted.
When I was dressed and as mentally prepared as I could be, Rune rapped on the door once more, as if she could sense I was ready to go. I tucked Tove under my arm, knowing he’d be happy to see the family again. He hadn’t moved on with them like he should have, and I often wondered if they worried about where he’d gone. If I could address their concerns and squash them, I would. My sinister boy was not only okay, but he was thriving.
Rune took us through Hel’s Hall, winding down torch-lit corridors, through snowy courtyards, dining rooms, and sprawling fields to find my family. Eventually, my arms grew tired, and I put Tove down. Turns out, I hadn’t needed to worry about his ability to trudge through the snow. He walked above it, leaving little paw prints behind but not sinking inches into the perfect powdery piles like Rune and I had been.
Finally, I saw a streak of golden hair, followed by the sound of infectious laughter I could never miss.
Haddy.
I ran toward the girl, leaving Tove and Rune behind. I didn’t care if she wasn’t expecting me, or if I scared her. The second I saw her sweet face, there was nothing I could do to stop myself from picking her up and twirling her around. She was heavier than I expected, assuming she’d be ghostly light, and the two of us tipped over into the snow.
A yelp slipped out of her as I avoided falling on top of her legs, but when she saw my face, she broke out in another bout of laughter.
“Kari!” she shouted, her voice full of joy but also a little fear. “What are you doing here? You’re not…dead already, are you?” She reached up and placed her hand upon my cheek. Her skin wasn’t warm, and it wasn’t cold either, but I didn’t care howunnaturally tepid it felt. She wasn’t passing through me, and that felt incredible.
“No! No.” I reassured her with a shake of my head, pressing my hand on top of hers so I couldn’t lose the feel of her on my skin. I didn’t even mind that my boots had filled with snow, the double lining of socks keeping my ankles dry for now. I had my sister right here in front of me. What else mattered?
Rune came up behind me, and Haddy peeked over my shoulder to take a look at my companion. “Rune? Tove!” Haddy scrambled away from me, kicking snow in my direction as she did. When she got to Tove, she picked him up and spun him around, much like I’d attempted with her. Tove meowed loudly and rubbed his little orange cheeks all over my sister, occasionally opening his mouth to scrape his teeth against her hands. I could hear his contented purrs from where I sat in the snow.
Rune reached a hand down to me, and I didn’t hesitate to take the support she offered. “You’re not going to last very long out here with that snow in your boots,” she said.
“I’m from Stormheim. You really think I can’t handle the snow?” I scoffed with a teasing eye roll, though we both knew she was right. Haddy and Tove may have been fine out here, but once the snow melted from the warmth of my boots, I was going to be in trouble. “Haddy, where are Mom and Dad? Malfrid and Odel?”
“Oh! They’re eating lunch by one of the great hearths. Let me take you to them, and then you can explain why you’re here with Rune,” Haddy said, nuzzling Tove one last time before putting him down. Tove promptly began using his tongue to smooth out any area Haddy ruffled up, which was pretty much his entire body. My sister shifted her attention to Rune. “Where’s Apple?”
Rune chuckled and pointed to the sky, where Apple was flying in loops in the distance. “Want to go for a ride?”
“Yes!” Haddy squealed. “You never let me before.”
