Page 79 of Valhalla is Full of Hunks
And not at all how I remember it.
Wait.
When wouldIhave seen this sword in action?
“Mmm… I suspected as much,” Hel hummed thoughtfully, leaning forward to pass the knife across the table. “I know this isn’t whatsomeof you will want to hear, but I believe Iola may play a far bigger role than simply being your group’sVölvadís.”
“Well,Ibelieve it’s highly inappropriate for the half-mortal’s blood to join ours on the blade,” Surt huffed, drawing my attention to him as I reached for the knife.
I was so distracted by his sour commentary that I hadn’t noticed Hel was handing it to me blade-first. Before I could react, she swiped, cutting a shallow line over my palm that stung like a bitch.
“FUCK!”I hissed in pain and stumbled, pitching forward.
“Iola!” Surt shouted, attempting to grab me before I touched his precious blade.
Too late.
My bloody palm touched the wood just as Surt wrapped his grabby hand around my arm. The world went dark before spinning into a kaleidoscope of blurred colors where I couldn’t tell right from left or up from down. When my vision cleared again, I was alone, lying on my back in the soft grass and gazing up at a blue sky through leafy green.
Where…
“WHERE IS IT?!”Surt’s furious voice had me sitting bolt upright and glancing around in a panic. He was standing a few feet away with his horns fully on display, but before I could point out this fancy feature, he stomped closer. “Your hand was on Laevateinn before I could stop you, soWhere. Is. It?!”
“I… I don’t know!” I replied, beyond confused howSurtwas in my vision with me.
When I’d guided Leia in the past, it was usually from within a dream insideherhead. She had astrally projected herself to Delphi when I was still searching for her on the mainland, and then we both visited the original temple together, through a shared vision. But those instances were because of her own gifts working with mine, the mystical island we were both pulling power from, and that the two of us had an unbreakable connection.
So how didthisjackass manage to tag along?
Refocusing, I realized Surt was babbling about “missing the one thing we need” while frantically gesturing toward what looked like a wall of wood.
No…
A really big tree trunk.
The World Tree.
So, we’re back on this bullshit…
“Surt.” I massaged the bridge of my nose, absently noticing my hand still stung from where Hel had cut it with the knife. “There’s no need to climb to the top and kill Norwegian Heihei because you’reno longerplanning on sneaking up on Asgard with an army for him to crow about—remember?!”
Try to keep up.
The giant was so caught off guard by my words that he forgot to stay mad. “Who’s… Norwegian Heihei?”
I grimaced. It was easy to forget how it was usually just me in these visions—especially as I only recalled bits and pieces after returning to my earthly form. So subjecting another person to my weird head movies in real time was a surreal experience…
Hey, wait a minute.
If I was simplydreamingabout Surt—gross—then I could say anything I wanted to him, with no consequences.
“Vídópnir,” I replied. “Because he reminded me of the dumbest cock I’d ever seen.” Then I gave the giant a lecherous once-over. “Speaking of which… your sexy horns are showing, dude.”
Surt’s eyes widened, his hands immediately flying to his head to feel the evidence himself. “By Mjöllnir,” he gasped, before gazing up at the tree reverently. “It must be my proximity to Yggdrasil…”
I sighed. As much as this big idiot had pissed me off recently—since we met, really—it didn’t feel right keeping a key piece of evidence from him.
Especially if it might encourage him to rethink his plan.
