Siegfried let go the arrow, and just as he thought, Odilia ducked, almost falling. The arrows hit in her square in the chest. The bonds holding him loosened, hissing and sizzling before they faded into nothing. But Odilia burst apart in a flash of absolute darkness. The entire chamber went black.
When the darkness receded, he and Balor had been thrown against the stone. Hecate rested against the doorframe. Loki and Pompey were gone. Siegfried closed his eyes, attuning himself to the earth. Something big was moving, fast and on the surface, eight spindly legs skittering across the earth. A large spider. Loki was a shapeshifter—the spider from the prophecy?
“You will want this.” Balor reached into his cloak and tossed a vial of purple potion at Hecate.
Hecate caught it and held it up, looking at the way the light sifted through the liquid. Her eyes narrowed and a gust of wind lightly stirred the tendrils of her hair. She waved her free hand above the top, red light surrounding the jar.
“Strong magic,” Hecate said. “Very strong. I think the only thing that will cure Freya is much time and patience.”
If that.
The words weren’t spoken, but they hovered in the quiet air, drenched with the aroma of blood. “You take her, Siegfried.” She tapped the corner of her mouth. “Yes, in fact, sail to my isle. I have my workroom there. If she’s not improved by the time you reach Avalon, there are things I might try. As for Folkvang, someone needs to run it, and it cannot be Freya for the obvious reasons. I’ll remain here a few days, find someone well-liked to rule. Balor and I can forge whatever documents we need, naming someone else ruler in case of Freya’s demise.”
She rested her hand on Siegfried’s arm. “I know you have an obligation to the tribesmen, as Freya will hopefully feel again. I hope she feels anything again, but Folkvang is as secured as it is going to be. Your war is no longer in the mortal realm.”
Chapter Eleven
The dishes of meat shook, and Siegfried rescued his wine before it spilled. Freya simply stared at her meal as if she had no idea what to do with it. As if eating it were an alien thought. Siegfried wanted to find Odilia and slaughter her again, then let Freya do it. Soup sat in front of Freya. Vegetable. It sloshed over the sides of the bowl each time the ship quaked.
This was not how he had planned for her first visit to his ship to be. He did not want her under him, not lying there without any enjoyment. He missed her silliness, her smile. The situation was growing worse. Freya hadn’t eaten since they rescued her. She heard what he said, because occasionally, she responded in that blank tone.
There was the shaking again. Balder grabbed Siegfried’s wine this time. He’d been drinking more wine since he became fey. But it didn’t numb the pain of seeing Freya like this.
“Siegfried, something is going on aboveboard,” Balder said.
He blinked out of his somber thoughts. Balder was right. There were shouts and curses. Dirk was at the door then, a dwarf at his side. The dwarves had come, too. They had needed fey navigators. The Brisings weren’t at all upset to be on an real ship.
“There’s a…unicorn on board,” Dirk said.
“Keep tellin’ your men to let him come down here,” the dwarf said. “They seem to think you don’t want him here.”
Dirk sighed at the dwarf. “No. We do not know why a unicorn suddenly appeared on the deck, nor exactly how a creature with four legs made it across the sea.”
“Let him through,” Siegfried said. “He might be able to help.” If Enbarr had eased Freya’s sorrows after all the deaths, maybe he could help now.
Enbarr did not take his time in entering the small dining area, his tail flicking with impatience until he saw Freya.
“Bright Mane, my poor Bright Mane. Be at ease. I am here.”
Enbarr’s voice was gravelly but gentle in Siegfried’s thoughts. This was the first time Siegfried had heard the unicorn.
Enbarr ignored the others for a time, nuzzling Freya. His horn lit up, near blinding Siegfried and Balder. The crystalline light reflected from the glass and radiated heat throughout the cabin.
“That potion was woven with Shadow, eradicating her will,”
Enbarr said.
“If this persists too long, she will be lost. This is what Shadow does. She’ll grow despondent and fade. Her insides are still hurting from its persistent assaults, from fighting its bonds.”
“Can’t you do anything?” Siegfried demanded, remembering his own battle with Oblivion. “What is
fading
?”
“Fey death,” Balder said. “The fey fade away when they are ready.”
“Enbarr,” Freya said.
“There is a glimmer of light in the bleakness. Fragments of her soul remain, tattered and weak, but there. In that, she managed to save herself from the potion.”
Siegfried knelt beside her and took both her chilled hands in one of his. With his free hand, he whisked the veil of her moonlight hair away from her ear. He leaned forward and whispered, “Loreley.” He pulled away and saw a spark in her eyes.
“Remember, you gave me your name,” he said. “Kiss me. Kiss me like you need me.”
She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his lips.
“That was not what I meant,” he said. This was not Freya. Was Enbarr really right? Was there any of her left? He looked over his right shoulder at the others. “We need a different tactic.”
Enbarr patiently watched as Balder played a lilting tune on his lyre, singing of the fair River Queen who sent ships to their doom by enchanting them with her “unparalleled” voice.
Siegfried groaned, feeling an urge to reach for his panpipes. It was better than tears, and he was very close to tears for Freya. Instead of reaching for his instrument, he held Freya close, as if he could somehow squeeze her soul back together. He’d held her every night. He hadn’t slept, only watched for her to rouse from this stupor.
“Give in to your needs.”
Enbarr gave his arm a nudge.
He waved Balder to silence and placed the panpipes to his lips, trying to think clearly of some plausible solution. He was dimly aware of his melody changing as he thought of fixing Freya. Yet, he could not think of a solution, only of his desire to help her. All those rational thoughts turned to longing for the laughter they’d shared, her goofy smile, the acceptance in her eyes. He didn’t want to be without that again. He felt the hot tears on his cheeks. Was he starting to love her?
As soon as he thought the L word, the chair Freya had been sitting in crashed. The panpipes fell from his hands, and his arms filled with Freya. She squeezed him, her legs wrapping around his hips, her face buried in his neck. “You came for me. I knew you would.”
He stroked her hair. “Of course, I came for you, little one.” He let himself cry in her hair, relief, regret, so much more. She trembled in his arms, and he tightened his grip. He wanted her to feel secure.
She jumped from his lap as if she hadn’t spent the last few days in a stupor. “Er, um, I’m not supposed to do that.” She scratched her head and tugged down the blue dress Balder had woven for her. “It’s nothing, Freya. Come back on my lap.” He patted his thigh. She did, slowly and uncertainly.
Someone handed her a mug, and Freya drank from it deeply before she returned her attention to the rest of them.
Siegfried hugged her close. If she was swilling ale, she was definitely back. His mermaid on his lap, making him laugh, safe.
She turned to face him. “Don’t cry because I’m back.” Her smile faded, and she kissed the tears from his cheeks. Then she pressed her nose against his until his tears stopped. She whisked her hair from her face and frowned when her fingers snagged on a tangle. “I should go freshen up.”
“Your music is truly something unique,” Balder said when Freya had quit the chamber. “It was your song that brought her back, you know.”
Siegfried had not realized it, then he reconsidered. “When I had my Power Dream, I was standing in a barren wood. I played my pipes, and the forest began to grow.”
“All Horn-Kin have some sort of healing ability,”
Enbarr
said
. “Shadow Weaver heals the flesh. You can heal the spirit after Oblivion. Bright Mane heals sadness.”
Balder chuckled. “You’re stuck playing those panpipes, Siegfried. You cannot taunt me about being a bard any longer.”
“It’s worth it for what it’s done,” he said, thinking to extricate himself and go after Freya. He didn’t want to leave her alone. “And I can still wield swords and use my bow.” He needed to resolve things between them. She’d run because she did not know how to be with him now. But, knowing Freya, she’d wanted to see to her appearance before they talked.
“At least we know she’s well,” Balder said and sighed. “Unlike me. Loki is now going to focus all his attentions on me.”
“Balder, if you are afraid, remain on Avalon with Hecate,” Siegfried said.
“If it were only that easy. There’s a…woman.” Balder blushed. “A serving maid.”
“Bring her with you.”
“I’ve had some of guards take her away to hide her. I don’t even know where. I don’t want to know, lest Loki pry it out of me somehow, so he could use her against me. I do not think I’d be able to withstand all Freya did. She really does have her father’s blood. And her mother’s. When Loki is dispatched, they have orders to bring her back. That’s why I’ve been disappearing from time to time, to be with my Nanna. We are engaged.” Balder blushed at this admission.
“I am going to wed Freya,” Siegfried said, the thought hitting him. “I will press my suit with Woden.” He held up a hand when Balder started to speak. “I haven’t deluded myself into thinking that Woden will welcome my suit, a suit from an unknown, former mortal. But he seems the kind of man who appreciates feats of strength. I’ve already faced Oblivion. I’ve faced Loki. I’ve rescued his daughter several times. If that is not enough, I’ll go back to Jotunheim and slay damned Jotuns. If Freya still wants me.”
“You would still ultimately need Lugh’s approval for this match. She isn’t supposed to able to marry now.”
“I already have a committed, permanent relationship with her that is equally recognized by Otherworld law.”
****
Freya stepped onto the boat, feeling refreshed. She was in her human form again, and she needed to get un-naked. The bath she’d so desperately wanted had been best provided for by the sea. She pretended not to notice the dwarves staring at her as she strode across the deck.
“Ah, a mermaid has washed upon my deck,” Siegfried said, leaping from the rigging to land before her. “Come with me.”
She started to follow him only tripped over a bucket someone had been using. Siegfried caught her before she fell, draping her over his shoulder. A minute later, he deposited her on the thick, green wool sheets.
She sat and waited. What was this about? Nervousness welled inside of her. Was he reconsidering what he’d said about ending their relationship?
But it didn’t seem as if he wanted to talk. He peeled off his shirt and stretched out on the wide bed with her. He didn’t seem to mind that her hair was dripping. She was tucked firmly against his chest, his long body curled up around hers.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he said, his breath tickling her temple. “I think I understand a lot more now, Freya.” He leaned over her, her vision filled with his tattooed muscles. “I was ready to intervene, when you were fighting the Romans, when you were disguised as Swan.” He grazed a kiss across her brow and smirked.
She gasped up at him. “You…know?”
“I had you figured wrong. Freya, do you know what I was reading on my journey from Asgard?”
“Some of Cato’s writings, the proscription lists, or some other report? The boat log?” Was he trying to see how well she knew him?
“Fair guesses that would, on most days, be correct, but you’re wrong this time. I was reading about Bow and Swan.”
“B-Bow and Swan?” Surely she’d misheard. That couldn’t be. Shouldn’t the mattress melt so she could sink deep into the earth and hide from her humiliation? Well, she’d actually sink into the sea, then the earth.
“I owe you an apology for much of what I said. I need to know something, and I need you to answer me. Would you ever want me to stop piracy? I’ve only read one of your scrolls. Was Swan chained to Bow’s bed your idea of a perfect ending? Or was it Swan and Bow taking up farming and raising children?”
“Why would I want to farm? I mean, one of us would have to muck out stalls, and that’s a really shitty job. Literally.” She gave one of his flat nipples a playful tap. “We’d probably argue about that all the time. It’d be weird going out to slaughter our food while wearing my armor. But if I didn’t, I’d get sick. What would the other farmers think if they saw me in full armor to take out a pig? Who knows if we could even have a farm? Without you, Rome would overrun the tribes. We’re on the proscription lists, so we can’t own anything. They’d kill us. If we farmed in Asgard…I don’t know what that would be like. Snowy, maybe? Do you want to be a farmer? Is that why you’re asking? Do you have a secret passion for corn? And I might flood the fields if I got stuck with the mucking job.”
Siegfried tilted his head, sun-kissed strands falling into his eyes.
“What?
No. I don’t want to be a farmer. What I’m asking is if you would want me to give up piracy?” His fists rested on either side of her shoulders, permitting no escape until she answered his questions. Fortunately, this one was easy to answer.
“Good. I was worried you wanted to become Siegfried the Sand Crab or Siegfried the Beached Whale or Siegfried the Chicken Farmer. Oh, this is about Julia. I’m a little slow today, tonight, whenever it is.”
He lowered his head so his stormy eyes were inches from hers. Butterflies filled her stomach, making her dizzy. “Forget about Julia. What is it you want, Loreley?”
She was compelled to answer, the complete truth. It was unfair of him to do this to her, but he already knew so much. She swallowed and fought off the tummy butterflies as she continued to look into his eyes. “Well, you know I’m not in any hurry for babes. I wanted to be with you, at your side, not waiting leagues and leagues away from you. I wanted to keep you happy in whatever ways I could. If something happened to you, it’d happen to me, too. I’d heard you were serious, so I wanted to make you laugh and smile. But some of that’s changed. I still want all those things, only instead of waiting for you on your boat, I want to fight with you, be partners. You know, I was thrilled when you told me I’d be fighting Romans at your side. I guess I wanted that all along, only I have powers now. Why even have powers if I’m not going to do something useful with them?”