Pursuit of Magic Page 5

I glanced down at the scroll and caught the word for payment. And stone. I dug into my pocket for the remaining two stones, found the one with the bird on it, then handed it over. “For you.”

  Huginn bowed his head and stuck out his giant clawed foot. I dropped the stone in, and his toes curled around it. Then he bent low enough for us to climb on.

  “This is wild.” I grinned at Cade, then scrambled up onto the giant raven. It was a bit weird to sit on feathers, but cool.

  Cade climbed up behind me.

  I gripped the feathers and crouched low. “We’re ready!”

  Huginn took off into the air, great wings carrying us high. The wind whipped my hair back from my face, and I laughed, joy filling me. I looked behind me at Cade and grinned. He looked happy, too.

  Huginn carried us high up into the giant ash tree, gracefully dodging leaves and smaller branches, which were the size of great highways in huge cities.

  Finally, Huginn landed on another branch, hopping to a stop. Once we were stable, I climbed off, hair windblown and cheeks cool from the breeze. Cade followed.

  “Thank you, Huginn.”

  The bird cawed and took off. I turned in a circle, trying to figure out where to go next. The branch was so wide that I couldn’t see over either end. It had to be miles across. In the distance, the tree trunk rose high into the air.

  “Which way?” Cade asked.

  I consulted the scroll once again, remembering something I’d read about a compass stone. Was this where I should use it?

  I skimmed the text. Yep. Compass stone.

  I pulled the last rock out of my pocket and held it flat in my palm. The carved arrow spun on the stone, which should be impossible since it wasn’t a separate piece of the rock—it was actually carved into the rock itself.

  But I was also standing on Yggdrasil, the world tree of the Norse gods, so things were already beyond belief. This stone wasn’t nearly the weirdest thing that would happen here.

  The arrow stopped spinning, facing toward the trunk. I pointed. “That way.”

  We set off across the tree limb, making our way over uneven ground made of giant bark. The bark was so jagged that it was almost like walking across broken land struck through with crevasses and ditches. I had to hop over those as often as I walked with regular steps.

  “This is truly amazing,” Cade said.

  “Don’t you go to the world of the Celtic gods?” I asked.

  “No, never. Earthwalking gods are reincarnates. My job is here, on earth. Though I probably could access the Celtic godly realm, I’m not sure how.”

  “Do you wish you could visit?”

  “Aye. I’d like to meet more people like myself.” He looked at me. “But then, you and Ana are similar in power.”

  I grinned. “That doesn’t make us like brother and sister, right? I don’t want this thing between us to go the way of Luke and Leia.”

  He grimaced slightly. “No. Not you, at least. Ana, perhaps. There is a sibling-like feeling for her. But not you. You’re a Viking.”

  “I am, aren’t I?” It was really freaking cool, now that I thought of it. And Ana would be a DragonGod from another mythos. “A Valkyrie. A DragonGod.”

  “Exactly. With the potential to be one of the most powerful supernaturals in the world. Have you gained the power of illusion? Because those Ice Giants didn’t melt when they arrived in Muspell. And the timing was just too convenient.”

  I nodded. “Yes. I think it’s a power from Loki, the trickster god.”

  His brows rose. “Loki?”

  “Yeah, crazy, right?”

  “Illusion is powerful.”

  “I know. But my water power is faltering. And my healing will go soon, too. It seems that with every new power that the gods gift to me, another one gets squashed or driven away. I can’t count on this one sticking around.”

  “But you can count on fixing your magic. You can do that, Bree.”

  “Thanks.” My heart warmed, but we’d reached the massive trunk of the tree. No more time to talk. I looked down at the arrow. “It’s still pointing to the trunk.”

  “There may be an entrance.” He went left, towards a shadowed area on the trunk, which was so big that it didn’t even look like it curved around. It was just a wall made of massive bark, with nooks and crannies. “Here.”

  I joined him. There, in the shadows of one of the nooks, the air shimmered darkly. Like the same portal that had led us out of Muspell.

  I tucked the compass stone safely in my pocket and stowed the scroll in my backpack. “Let’s go.”

  We stepped up to the shimmery dark air that led into the nook between the bark. It was big enough for us to walk in side by side, so I reached for Cade’s hand.

  He gripped mine, and counted down.

  On one, we stepped through.

  Into hell.

  The world we entered was dark—almost like it was underground. Or in a giant cave. High above, the air glowed golden, as if the sky were on fire. Though there was no red lava on the ground, the earth was black and jagged. It was like a bomb had exploded on a field of granite, tossing the rocks up into the air and letting them fall down as piles of debris.

  There were no paths or roads that I could see, just jagged earth that we’d have to weave our way around.

  “I have a feeling that this place will be no more welcoming than Muspell,” Cade said.

  “Probably worse.” I looked back up at the orange sky. It cast a warm glow on the ground below, but not in a welcoming way. “The sky looks like a fake tan that’s on fire.”

  Cade chuckled.

  I dug into my pocket for the compass stone. It spun, then pointed forward. “Let’s go. Hopefully we can make it through this world without being caught.”

  “Do you have any idea where we might be?”

  “It’s scary enough to be hell, but I think that’s supposed to be under the tree. So maybe it’s Svartálfar, land of the Dökkálfar, the Dark Elves.”

  He frowned. “Not good.”

  “No, they’re scary bastards, from what I’ve read.” I set off across the uneven ground, weaving my way between the jagged stones that pierced the sky. They rose tall on either side of me, some only six feet tall and others twenty.

  We walked in silence, all our effort focused on finding the easiest path through this miserable hellscape.

  I strained to hear every little thing, feel every little prick of magic in the air. There was no way this would be as easy as walking. The tension made my heart race and nerves jump.

  I hated the waiting. I wanted to jump, fight, go for it.

  Something was going to come for us—but what?

  When the loud growl sounded, the weirdest sense of relief and terror shot through me. It felt like a relaxing of my muscles combined with a sick surge of adrenaline through my veins.

  “Cade,” I whispered.

  “I hear it.”

  We stopped dead, then pressed our backs against a wall of rock and scanned our surroundings.

  The dim orange light cast hundreds of shadows at the bases of the jagged rocks, making it difficult to see what was coming.

  But by the time the monster appeared, I was shocked that I’d missed it. The wolf was way too big to slink about in the shadows of the rocks. It was easily six times the size of a normal wolf, with jet black fur and gleaming yellow eyes.

  Magic sparked around it, silver bursts of light.

  “It must be Sköll or Hati, the sons of Fenrir, the great wolf,” I said.

  Cade nodded. “At least I stand a chance against this one. Fenrir would do me in.”

  “Fenrir is the size of a castle.”

  Cade’s magic shimmered around him, and a moment later, he transformed into a giant gray wolf. He was still smaller than the other wolf, but that didn’t stop him from growling low in his throat and charging the bigger beast.

  My heart thundered as he ran, powerful legs carrying him around the jagged rocks.

  Sköll, which se
emed like the right name for him, bared his fangs and crouched low, the fur rising at his hackles. Cade rushed him, huge feet eating up the earth as he ran.

  Sköll leapt for Cade, and the two collided in a clash of fur and fangs. The growling was loud enough to vibrate through my chest, and the fight was fierce. They tore at each other, grappling on the ground.

  Fear raced through my veins like acid. I drew my sword and shield from the ether. There was no way I could let Cade take on this giant wolf alone.

  He was holding his own, tearing at Sköll’s shoulder with his white fangs, but Sköll leaned over and got one of Cade’s forelimbs between his teeth.

  He chomped down. I winced, feeling the pain as if it were my own.

  My mind buzzed and my skin chilled as a desperate desire to do something streaked through me. But what?

  I couldn’t throw myself between them. I’d be wolf chow.

  Sköll used his great weight to roll Cade beneath him. They were almost evenly matched, but I couldn’t rely on that.

  A jagged outcropping of rock towered over the two figures. I eyed it briefly, long enough to determine that my plan was only slightly insane but definitely better than throwing myself between two giant wolves, and raced for it.

  I scrambled up the side of the jagged rock, struggling to maintain my balance while gripping my sword and shield instead of the ground beneath me. The wolves thrashed on the ground below, growling and tearing at each other.

  I ran to the edge of the stone and jumped, sailing through the air. This was nuts!

  Chapter Five

  I landed on the back of Sköll, my blade pointed downward. It sliced through his shoulder, driving deep.

  The wolf howled and reared. I barely managed to cling to his massive back with my knees as I yanked the sword from his shoulder and stabbed again. His roar rent the night. He surged up on his back feet, releasing Cade from beneath him and throwing me off his back.

  My sword pulled free of his muscles, and I tumbled off him, landing with a hard crash on the ground.

  Next to me, Cade leapt up, growling and snapping his teeth as he lunged for Sköll. I stumbled to my feet and raised my sword, trying to look as big and threatening as possible.

  Ha. As if that would fool Sköll.

  The great wolf growled once at Cade, rage in his eyes, then turned and ran off into the night.

  My muscles sagged, and I dropped my arms to my side. “Holy crap.”

  Panting, I bent over, catching my breath. Fear bubbled through me, and I laughed, sounding crazy to my own ears.

  Magic shimmered around Cade, and he shifted back to human. I stood, catching sight of his bleeding and mangled arm. More blood oozed from his side and the gash on his thigh.

  Worry tugged at my chest. “He got you good.”

  Cade winced, raising his arm to inspect it. “His jaws were fierce. You shouldn’t have fought the wolf.”

  “Ha. As if I’d leave you.” I inspected his wound. Bile rose in my throat at the flash of white between the destroyed flesh of his arm. Broken.

  “Let me help.” I stashed my sword and shield in the ether and raised my hand to hover over his arm.

  “No, it’s unnecessary.”

  “You need it. I can see your bones.”

  He chuckled, then winced. “I can heal myself, remember?”

  “Oh, right. Of course.” It had just been the weird poison in the Fae realm he hadn’t been able to heal from. But I was so ready to jump in and save him that I’d forgotten.

  Yeah, I was definitely smitten with Cade.

  I waited as his magic surged. The lines on his face relaxed as the pain faded, and his muscles unbunched. The torn skin and broken bone knit back together in front of my eyes.

  “Wow, you’re good at that,” I said.

  “Practice.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’ve been doing this a while, huh?” I recalled his side gig fighting in wars for the good guys. He must have been injured a lot.

  He just shrugged.

  Now was not the time to poke around for more information, so I dug the compass stone from my pocket. It pointed us in the right direction, and we set off. I kept it gripped in one hand, with my sword gripped in the other. Best to be prepared.

  The landscape didn’t change much as we walked, but eventually, the stone beneath our feet turned to dirt. There were still jagged rocks all around, but there were fewer.

  In the distance, light glowed a bit more brightly. I pointed. “What do you think that is?”

  Cade frowned. “Hate to say it, but probably a settlement.”

  “Settlement of what, I don’t want to know.”

  “Agreed. If we can just—”

  He stopped talking as the ground shifted beneath us. Magic sparked on my skin, a warning that made my heart jump into my throat.

  Then a root burst out of the earth. There were no trees for miles, from what I could see, but it definitely looked like a root.

  Until it twisted into the shape of some kind of monster, with claws and fangs made of rock. It swiped out an arm, rock-claws glinting.

  Cade swung his sword, severing the arm. He lunged, taking the head next.

  I shoved the compass stone into my pocket and raised my sword. The next monster surged out of the dirt.

  It lunged for me, and I beheaded it with a swipe of my blade. The featureless head tumbled to the ground, and the body followed. We fought our way through a field of the creatures, slicing and swiping as we ran.

  Their claws dug into my flesh as they burst from the ground, somehow knowing just where I would run. They could probably feel me through the dirt. Every inch of me burned with pain as blood slicked my skin and dampened my clothes.

  My sword glinted in the weird orange light from the fiery sky above as I beheaded monster after monster.

  At my side, Cade was just as productive, leaving a trail of inhuman bodies. They didn’t bleed or make any noise.

  My lungs were burning by the time the monsters finally stopped leaping out of the ground. We were nearly to a lake that gleamed black and slick. I stopped, panting.

  Cade halted next to me, his wary gaze scanning the terrain that we’d left behind. The bodies of the monsters looked like broken sticks now. Totally unrecognizable as the beasts that had clawed at my flesh.

  If the cuts all over my body didn’t hurt like hell, I might have thought I’d imagined the monsters. Cade didn’t look much better, his neck and hands slicked red with blood.

  Why the hell had the monsters stopped?

  The sudden thought made dread rise in my chest. Slowly, I turned to face the lake. Was there something here that scared them?

  A head broke the surface of the water, black hair smooth against the skull. Huge dark eyes peered up from the water, stark against pale white skin.

  The creature’s head was only half out of the water, hair floating around it like weeds. Its eyes were glued to me.

  I swallowed hard, my skin gone cold. It looked like the creepy girl from that horror movie where she climbs out of the TV, except this creature was submerged in inky water, staring at me with evil gleaming in its dark eyes.

  “Stay away from the water,” I said. “That’s the Nökken. It will try to drown you.”

  “You don’t need to tell me twice,” he said.

  As quickly as we could, we made our way around the dark lake. The Nökken followed us with its eyes, spinning in the water to keep sight of us. My heart thundered louder with every step. The Nökken’s steady silence and stillness were creepier than an outright attack.

  Tension had tightened every muscle in my body by the time I made it to the far side of the lake.

  On this side, we were closer to the glowing light that hovered on the far horizon—the settlement.

  The Nökken still watched us.

  I was about to dig into my pocket for the compass stone when shouts sounded.

  I jumped. Cade’s gaze collided with mine.

  “Hide,” he mouthed.<
br />
  I nodded, and we hurried to a tumbled pile of rocks and pressed ourselves into a crevice.

  The shouts had gone silent, but I swore I’d heard at least three different voices. Who could they be?

  I glanced at Cade, who was so close I could smell his storm-at-sea scent overlaid with the tang of his blood. It turned my stomach.

  We could fight them. Or should we just hide?

  Something heavy slammed over me.

  A net!

  I thrashed, trying to break free, but magic imbued the net, binding me tight. Next to me, Cade couldn’t even move. I couldn’t move.

  I’d only been thrashing inside my mind.

  A silent scream tore through my head, a dull roar brought on by the sheer horror of being incapacitated.

  This was worse than anything.

  When the figures appeared in front of us, I shuddered internally, still bound by the net.

  They were tall and slender, with the pointed ears of the elves. Their hair was black as pitch, along with their eyes. Their skin was an eerie ice white, shot through with black veins. Strange clothes of textured black leather helped them blend into the dark surroundings.

  Six of them inspected us, their gazes traveling over our bloody forms. Their noses wrinkled.

  Without speaking, one of them flicked a finger, and we rose into the air, carried by the net.

  My heart thundered like a bomb in my head as I tried to fight my way free. But I didn’t move an inch.

  We floated along behind the silent contingent of Dark Elves. The Dökkálfar, they were called. Dangerous. Deadly. That meant I was right—this was the realm Svartálfar.

  If only we’d gone to the realm of the Light Elves.

  But nope!

  Dark Elves for us.

  My mind raced as we floated along, heading toward the glow on the horizon. We shifted in the air slightly so that I could see back the way we’d come. Behind us, a small ghostly white light flickered around the jagged rocks.

  Following us?

  I squinted toward it, but it disappeared.

  Damn.

  We shifted again as the elves moved our party around a large collection of rocks. With my neck frozen stiff, I could only see in the direction that they pointed us.