Page 76 of Between Broomsticks and Beating Wings
I blew out a tormented sigh and muttered, “Thank you, sister” under my breath. I knew Rayna wouldn’t want me to acknowledge what had happened any more than I had. She was just as awkward and torn up about my missing seidr as I was, but what good would lamenting do for either of us? Bringing more attention to my inability to wield seidr like I once had wouldn’tbring it back, but heading into Sessrúmnir and speaking with Freyja could.
With how Kari trailed her gaze over my profile, I imagined she would’ve reached for my hand had she not been holding the realm’s most ridiculous fruit cake. I offered her a weak smile and followed Rayna down a moss-lined path.
“Does the moss glow here too?” Kari asked, glancing down the path as she walked beside me.
I knew what she was trying to do, so I didn’t suppress my laugh as I said, “No, seeress. That’s a Nidavellir specialty, though Fólkvangr has more than its fair share of oddities.”
“I’m surprised you consider them oddities,” Kari mused thoughtfully, Tove walking in stride with her.
“I didn’t come from a line of wand-wed women, and I rarely saw seidr being used until I was taken to Valhalla. As soon as I was inducted into the sisterhood, I did as much exploring as I was allowed to. Everything I saw was so new and exciting, and I hardly understood how any of it worked, including my own seidr growing within me. It took me centuries before the shock of it all wore off,” I admitted, thinking back on the times when I’d been just as curious as Kari.
“It’s hard to imagine a time when you were giddy and learning, when you didn’t claim to know everything.” She spoke in a light tone and paired her mock insult with a playful eye roll.
“Yeah, yeah, well, I was young once,” I said with a smirk and a wave of my hand. “And when you become one of Freyja’s attendants, you’ll eventually get used to such wonders too.”
“What if I don’t want to?” she asked. “Get used to it, I mean.”
I looked her over. “Life doesn’t have to be dull just because it stretches past when it was supposed to end. I know many attendants who’ve been alive far longer than me who live rich, fulfilled lives. Don’t use me as your example, seeress. Knowingyou, you’d never allow for such a routine and boring existence to claim you as I once had.”
Kari offered me a soft smile and a head tilt. A shadow was cast upon half her face, the sun blocked by Sessrúmnir’s tall stature as we grew closer. “I can already think up a few ways to keep myself entertained, though I have to admit, my plans will be ruined if Freyja doesn’t choose us both.” Her voice was deep and sultry, sending my imagination in all sorts of wicked directions. I smirked and opened my mouth to reply with something equally clever when someone else’s voice filled the space around us.
“So, you two have finally fucked, have you?” Rayna called out from ahead, where apparently, she was still within listening distance of us.
Damned valkyrie ears.
“I thought you two were going to take care of that in Nidavellir. I certainly did,” Rayna continued, showing us nothing more than the back of her head. I could tell by her tone alone she was having a grand old time up there eavesdropping.
“Alvion, I presume?” Kari asked, not seeming at all bothered by Rayna’s assumption. Was she not worried to admit she’d been with me? It took me a moment to remember we were both mortals now, her and I. There was no difference between us, no rules stating we couldn’t be together. I had no more oaths, and at the time we’d had each other, Kari had no obligations either. We were free of the gods, of any expectations to hide what we were to each other. Now was the best time to solidify— no, demand—that the world knew I was hers, and she was mine.
I couldn’t help but smile at that thought.
“How astute of you,” Rayna said, turning to face us.
“I thought most valkyries preferred the company of other women?” Kari asked. “Not that it’s any of my concern who you’re with. I, myself, have a range of preferences.”
“Most of us do, yes,” Rayna admitted, and she wasn’t wrong. It made our duties a whole lot easier when the men we encountered didn’t think they stood a chance with us, but that didn’t mean we all had the same desires. “Alvion wasn't always called Alvion. Though he’s always had the best beard, no matter what his name was.” She let out a small chuckle, her cheeks rosy with what I could only imagine was love. Rayna and Alvion had been loosely together for half a century, though neither one of them could give up their realm, and inter-world relationships were never easy. Even so, the pair had never moved on from one another, and I had to wonder who would give in first. Knowing Rayna, my wager was on Alvion.
“Rune did mention you had a thing for the hairy ones,” Kari said, and the three of us laughed at that.
Tove let out a loud meow as we arrived at the front steps of Sessrúmnir. Carved out of pale, grey stone, two large felines guarded the wide-set entrance into Freyja’s Hall. Kari’s lips parted as she took in their detail, and the soft pitter-pattering of my heart escalated into loud thumps against my ribs as I wondered if we were in above our heads. Kari was powerful, yes. Kari brought flame to Helheim using Hel’s own seidr, yes. And she’d been taught by a four-thousand-year-old wand-wed Asgardian, not to mention an all-knowing skald in the Cave of Whispers. But even then, she hadn’t been practicing long, and we had no way of knowing what Freyja wanted from her.
The Goddess of Fertility and Love was kinder and less erratic than most of the gods, but a goddess she was all the same. Kari had one chance at fulfilling Hel and Freyja’s deal by using her seidr to do Freyja’s bidding, and I had one chance at claiming a position in her sect. If a single thing went wrong, Kari and I would be right back where we were before Odin had stripped me of my title—opposite ends of mortality. If Alvion and Rayna hadtrouble in their inter-world relationship, what would become of us?
The sound of doors being swung open forced me to be present. Once impressed by the feline statues, Kari now marveled at the art brought to life. Bygul and Trjegul came strolling through the doors, their shiny coats gleaming a silvery blue. Freyja’s chariot cats greeted us with slight head nods, then turned on their heels, their tails motioning us to follow them inside the home of their goddess.
“Ready?” I asked under my breath.
“I only practiced my speech five times,” Kari muttered, motioning to the cake with her chin. “Maybe Hel should’ve made me do it one more time, just to be safe.”
I chuckled and shook my head as we walked up the grand steps of Sessrúmnir. “You’ll be just fine. You’re my seeress, after all.”
Kari’s chest stilled despite the strenuous steps, and she flashed me a coy smile when she realized I’d called her mine. I’d never get over that smile. She made even the fruit cake in her hands seem bitter in comparison. Nothing matched her sweetness.
Rayna made it to the double doors before us. She made a “hurry up” motion with her hand, wearing her sternest face as she disappeared through them. I quickened my pace, a jar of honey in one hand, a slightly disheveled bouquet of snow blossoms in the other.
When Kari and I made it into the building, we wound through stunning halls covered in ornate tapestries and paintings. A harp played in the distance, and it harmonized beautifully with the sound of trickling water coming from a sunny courtyard. After being in Helheim, this place felt as far from the snowy realm as possible. Everything, from the walls to the stone we walked upon, breathed life, and it was hardnot to let my guard down. Much like Hel designed her hall to provide comfort to her residents, Freyja designed hers for pure tranquility.
Bygul and Trjegul lead us into Freyja’s throne room, where the goddess sat upon a grand wooden chair carved with delicate patterns. Freyja’s golden hair flowed over her fur-lined shoulders down to her waist. She wore a white dress with a delicate gold rope tied around her midsection. She smiled as we entered her chambers, her eyes lighting up upon spotting the offerings in our hands.
