Page 64 of Between Broomsticks and Beating Wings
When I was back in the cozy cavern, now tainted by the unsettled feeling inside me, I began running my fingers along the walls to look for a hidden compartment or room. It wasn’tuntil I reached the back that I noticed my hand sliding right through the stone and false flame.
Looks like there’s more than one illusion around here.
I walked through the false wall, and I found myself in an ornate bedchamber, gold clinging to every surface. By the bed sat a wooden arch, and perched on that arch, a crow.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
“Oh, relax,” the crow said with a devious laugh. “I’m not here for the mortal. I’m here for you.”
“Show your true form,” I said, my chin lowering slightly. It wasn’t a bow, but if I was going to demand anything of him, I certainly wasn't going to do it looking down upon him.
“Only because you’re my favorite…” The bird began to shimmer. “Or so you were.” When it finished its sentence, the figure was no longer a bird, but a man. A god.
“Odin,” I breathed, my knees bending in respect. The stone bit into my armor, but I wouldn’t rise until he released me. I had a feeling he was going to keep me down here for as long as he liked. It was the mildest of punishments he could inflict on me, and I’d be lucky if it ended there. The chances of that were slim to none.
“Look at me,” the Allfather demanded, and I didn’t hesitate. He was draped in white and gold, as always, his beard impeccably groomed, his white hair flowing behind him as if it had a life of his own. A black eye patch was tied around his head to hide that he’d sacrificed one in the pursuit of knowledge.
He wasn’t a beautiful man, but he had an aura that made the air in my lungs flee. The very sight of him made me want to bend to his will, do anything he said, and thank him for it. It was the only reason I wouldn’t rise, not until he asked me to.
“Ah, there you are. I have to say, Rune, I haven’t beenthisdisappointed in one of my attendants in the past century. Stealing a mortal? What were you thinking?”
“I’m sorry, Allfather.”
“I’m sure you are. However, that isn’t much of an explanation, now, is it? What is your plan with the mortal? Why did you bring her to the mist? And why are you here now?” he asked in his familiar, booming voice. He rarely directed this tone at me, though, and I had to hold back a flinch. I’d show him my respect but never my fear. “Have you been hiding from me, my sweet soul collector?”
“I couldn’t help myself,” I said through gritted teeth, because he’d know if I was trying to deceive him. “I didn’t want to see her die, because I knew if she did, she’d be taken to Helheim, not Valhalla. It was a selfish lapse in judgement, not something I’d planned out in rebellion against you. And yes, father, I took her to the mist so your crows couldn’t follow.”
“Mmm…” He contemplated my words, all true. I wouldn’t give him any more reason to mistrust me. There was far too much to lose. “And after sparing her to avoid Helheim, why are you here now?”
“When we were in the mist, I discovered the mortal was given a morsel of Hel’s seidr upon birth, as were her mother and various ancestors. I brought her here to better understand why.”
“I see,” he said with a slow nod, stroking his perfect beard. “The mortal is free to remain here, if that’s Hel’s wish. That’s her concern, and I will not intervene. You, however, aremyconcern. It greatly pains me to take this action, but I can no longer trust your instincts, and if I cannot trust you, you have no further use for me.”
My heart all but stopped, and it felt like millennia were ticking by as I waited for his next words.
Is he going to kill me? Banish me from Valhalla? Turn me into a horse?
“Rune Dragomir, you shall keep your life, but not your title. You are hereby stripped from your position within the House ofWings. You are no longer a valkyrie, and you are no longer my attendant. Enjoy your mortality, and may it be swift.”
The armor secured around my leathers began to heat, parts of it already dripping to the floor. I looked down at myself and back to Odin, his singular eye glittering with satisfaction as he destroyed the only thing left of my title.
No, no, NO!
I didn’t move, didn’t scream or try to strip down out of the melting metal. I stood frozen despite the heat, staring at the god I’d once thought was everything.
Liquid gold pooled at my feet, and I watched as every detail Nori had painstakingly crafted turned into unrecognizable blobs. There was nothing left of the armor on my body, save for the shimmering residue trailing my ruined leathers. Even the weapons I’d strapped to my hips, back, and thighs were but a memory, and I grit my teeth as I saw the leather grip of my favorite dagger on the floor.
I’d never been so hollow, so raw, and the overwhelming feeling of nothingness was almost enough to distract me from the immortality leaching from my bones.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE GOLDEN CROW
Rune
Please be there. Please be there.
As my legs carried me down the tunnel as swiftly as humanly possible, I begged the gods to find Kari at the long stone table, receiving lessons on symbolism. Odin told me he would leave Kari’s fate to Hel, but I didn’t trust that sentiment for a second.
