I kissed him, then, pulling him close to me. We had made love twice already, but I felt like I couldn’t get enough of him. I wanted to feel his body under my fingers, I wanted to feel his hardness inside of me, moving and shifting. I wanted him to take possession of me again and again, to ride me until I couldn’t walk, to own every inch of me.
“Make me yours,” I said. “Make me yours, with every touch and movement.”
He kissed me, and he went on kissing me, deeply, long and dark and pulling me into his world with the brush of his lips. He kissed me, and I fell into the dark brilliance of his alien nature. The Bonny Fae wore passion like I wore my fire, and when Tam’s passion met my flame, they ignited like wildfire, crackling as the glowing sparks showered every inch of skin, every place he touched me. Every nerve trembled as he worked his way down to my breast, and lower.
And as I cried out, he returned to lean over me, working his way inside, spreading my thighs with his weight, moving at first so slowly that I could barely feel the wave. Then he drove faster and faster, carrying me with him as we tumbled into a flare of hunger and need. Another moment, and sweet relief showered through me, holding me taut, until the wave crested and then, slowly, receded. Tam cried out as I held him to my chest.
Wishing the night could never end, we fell into that soft afterglow, and then, into a deep, dreamless sleep.
MORNING ARRIVED AND, after an early morning reprise of the night before, Tam let me get out of bed. I bathed, then kissed him before returning to my room to suit up for the journey. Heimdall had left word with the guards he would meet us for breakfast with the explosive.
Patrice was waiting for me. She had my leather shorts ready, and a leather corset. It would be warm, but protective. I suited up, staring at myself in the mirror. “Braid my hair, if you would, Patrice.”
“Yes, milady.” She paused. “How long till you return, milady?”
“I’m not sure, Patrice. We’re hoping it won’t take too long. Or be difficult.” I didn’t want to think ahead. Not when we were so close to going in. Nothing else had happened in Willow Wood since the earthquake and I prayed nothing more would.
Patrice seemed to sense my reticence, and she fell silent as she braided my hair and helped me on with my boots. She brought out my sword and dagger while I focused on centering myself.
“Thank you.” I slung Xan over my shoulder and belted my dagger to my thigh. “I guess it’s time to go meet them in council.”
“If I may be so bold, good luck, milady. And please be careful. I love being your maid.”
I smiled then, and pulled her in for a hug. She looked startled, but happy. “I’m glad. You’ll be my lady’s maid, you know, when I wed Lord Tam. Meanwhile, watch over things here. Keep an eye on Elan, if you would.”
“I will.”
As I left the room, I prayed that I would be returning to it. But so many variables were at play that I didn’t want to jinx the future. I headed toward the council chamber.
EVERYBODY WAS WAITING for me. I entered, and immediately my gaze fell on Heimdall, who was sitting beside Thor and Hecate, chatting amiably about something going on at the Temple Valhalla.
“Fury,” Tam said as he stood. “My love, please sit by me.”
I walked over and slowly sat down after slipping Xan off my back. I had learned that lesson the hard way. “Everybody’s here already. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“Not a problem.” Tam cleared his throat. “If we could begin.”
“Of course,” Heimdall said, setting something on the table that looked like a tray with nine children’s blocks in it. “Here you go. Nine charges. It was all I had time to make, but it should be plenty.”
I stared at the gray cubes. Each one would fit in my palm, and the tray itself was square, fitting three across and three down. The entire thing was about six inches wide by six inches long, and about three inches high. Small and compact, it was capable of destroying a magical portal. Shivering a little, I started to pull it toward me, then paused.
“Tell me what I need to know. Tell everyone, because that way if something happens to me, then somebody else can set the charge. I may be the only one who can find the portal, but we need to have backup to set the actual explosion. Just in case.”
“First, you can put it in your pack and carry it without worry. I have the triggers here. They have to be affixed into the holes on top of the blocks. The only caveat I’ll give you on that is do not allow the holes to get clogged. Keep them in a protective bag so they don’t get any dirt or mud in them. Keep the triggers separate until you’re ready to use them. Once you plug them in, you’ll have one minute to get away.”
“In other words, I probably shouldn’t just throw them into the portal and run?”
“No, because if the chargers come loose, they won’t work. You need to set them up, all together, right at the base of the portal. Then jump back through and get the hell away from there. Thing is, you have to set them up through the portal—on the other side, not on this side. They will only work from the inside of the realm you’re attempting to close off.”
I frowned, mulling over the info. “Which means, I have to actually enter the realm of Chaos in order to destroy the portal. And I will have one minute to exit after setting the explosives.”
“Correct.” Heimdall shrugged. “I wanted to give you a longer escape time, but the Horn Resounding was firm on that. You see, the horn, when blown, can topple mountains if it so chooses. I asked it to create a concussion to destroy the gate, and this is what it gave me for the magic. I would go with you, but it’s not my battle to fight, other than what help I was able to offer. Use them wisely—I won’t be allowed to make another set. That, too, was made clear.”
I lifted the tray and set it in front of me. The nine blocks looked innocuous enough, but together, they could bring down a vortex. “Where are the triggers?”
Heimdall placed a bag on the table. “Here. But I caution you again, do not carry them in the same bag with the explosives.”
I picked up my pack and tucked the explosives in one pocket, and the triggers in another. “All right. So, Thor, you’re taking us?”
“Yes. I can take you as far as the edge of the Bogs. I’ll wait there for your return. Odin has proscribed me taking you any farther in this matter. You see, we’re interfering with something Gaia created and we can only intrude so far before the Norns bar our attempts. Like the Fates, they limit what and when we can interfere.”
I frowned, and not at his comment about the Norns. “The Bogs? That doesn’t make sense. They’re on the opposite side of the Sandspit.”
“Not anymore,” Thor said. “Remember? They’ve expanded. You’ll find a great deal has changed since you were there. Getting through the Bogs won’t be easy. Take weapons with you and be prepared to use them.”
My heart sank. If things had changed that much, we weren’t going to be able to just march in and get this over with. “Anything else we should know?”
“Not that I know of, but I’m sure there is. Best to just be prepared for the unexpected.” He leaned back, his arms folded across his burly chest.
“Then the sooner we get moving, the sooner we get this over with.” I stood. “Are we ready?”
“I’ve had provisions set for you, and we’ve included everything we can think of that you might need to make the journey,” Tam said. “I wish I could accompany you.”
“You’re the King—” Damh Varias began, but Tam waved aside his protest.
“I know. We’re all aware of that.”
We had been preparing for this for a month, and there was no going back now. Tam stood, holding out his hand to me. I took his fingers in mine, bringing them to my lips.
“I love you. Please, take care of yourself,” he said. “Thia ayr ais thogham.”
“I’ll come back to you. I promise you. I love you.”
I leaned in and kissed him, trying to keep decorum, but
he pulled me to him and pressed his lips against mine in a dark, passionate kiss. I felt a rush of strength fill my body, and realized he was sacrificing energy to shore me up. I accepted his offering, drifting as his power merged into mine. We stood, frozen, creating a loop of energy, a circle running from him into me back to him again. After a moment, I finally broke away and, without a word, turned back to the others.
When I could find my voice again, I asked, “Hecate, are you coming?”
“I will be on the Crossroads, waiting should you need me. Queet will go with you.” She shimmered out of sight.
Elan and Jason spent a moment in the corner of the room, saying good-bye. I saw him press a ring onto her finger, but said nothing. It was a private moment, and they would announce their engagement when they were ready. But I understood the need to formalize things. What we were about to do felt a lot like a one-way ride.
After saying our good-byes, Thor led us out of UnderBarrow to where his chariot was parked. The goats looked as excited as dogs waiting for a walk. They were bouncing around, straining at their harnesses.
Thor motioned for us to file into the chariot, one by one. I waited till last, and then, with one last look at Tam, Shevron, Elan, and Damh Varias, who were standing to the side of the chariot, I entered the vehicle, ducking my head to enter the storage area. It felt like I was in the belly of a great ship. The next moment, Thor stepped aboard, and we were off and running, crossing the worlds as we headed back to Seattle and to the World Tree.
Chapter 10
RIDING IN A chariot was odd enough, especially one that felt like a battleship. But riding in a chariot drawn by Thor was like riding that battleship through a hurricane. Thunder and lightning crashed around us nonstop, and the hairs on my arms stood up, thoroughly electrified by both the storm raging around us and our proximity to the thunder god. My own fire crackled in response. While I worked with flame for the most part, fire and electricity went hand in hand and where my flame was, the other—whether in the form of forks or sparks—followed.
The others huddled on the floor. Finally, realizing we weren’t going to be there in seconds, I sat next to Jason.
The chariot reminded me of the hold on Laren’s boat—bigger inside than out and able to hold a massive amount of people and items given the apparent space. It would be so handy, I thought, for me to have a purse or backpack with a pocket extending into the astral realm like this. Maybe not one big enough to hold people, but to hold all the supplies we needed and weigh no more than the average handbag.
“What are you thinking about?” Jason asked.
“Purses.” I grinned.
He blinked. “That answer I did not expect.”
“I’m a conundrum.” I laughed. The combination of the approaching danger and the energy surrounding us amped me up like I had drunk too many glasses of wine. I leaned against the side of the chariot, listening as the massive hooves of Tanngrisnir and Tanngnióstr thundered through the woods. Or the sky. Or wherever we were racing. I thought about peeking outside to see where Thor had taken us, but something whispered, “You might not want to do that. You might not live to regret it,” so I restrained myself.
“Elan and I are getting married.” Jason abruptly broke into my thoughts.
Hans, who was sitting on his other side, clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man. Stand by your woman and child.” He looked giddy.
“What are you so happy about?” I asked.
Hans laughed. “I’m in my Lord’s chariot, riding through the ether. Is there much better than that?”
“Yes, old man of mine,” Greta said. “Riding with the Valkyries with Freya at the helm!” She was sitting opposite us. She was laughing too. I had the feeling they sparred this way quite a bit.
Tyrell and Kendall, who were sitting by her, looked vaguely uneasy. The guards, further inside the chariot, remained stoically silent.
“You asked her before we left, right? I saw you putting a ring on her finger.”
Jason nodded. “She said yes, as long as we remain in UnderBarrow. I have no objections to that. I’ll run my shop, she’ll work for Tam. The world will continue as it is.” He broke out into a broad smile. “And you, my ward, will become queen over UnderBarrow, wed to one of my best friends, and I will kneel at your feet. Talk about events I never saw coming.”
“Neither did I, and you’ll only kneel at official events. My first decree.”
Bantering over daily life and simple things felt good, and took my mind off what we were about to face. My nerves were on edge as it was, and the jolts from the storm raging around the chariot didn’t help. Every few seconds, thunder let out a rolling rumble, and even though we couldn’t see outside, the lightning was so bright it seemed to illuminate the inside of the chariot right through the burgundy walls. The storm seemed endless.
“How long has it been since we started? Thor said it should take an hour or two, and I don’t have a clue how long we’ve been on the move.”
“I don’t know,” Jason said. “It seems like hours, but…I have no idea, to be honest. When you think about the distance, a car could make it in an hour before everything went to hell, but given a chariot driven by goats, over broken roads? And are we even riding through the physical plane? I suppose I could figure out how long it would normally take us if this were a regular chariot and those goats weren’t some form of mutant monsters.”
“Never mind. It will take as long as it takes. I think, as with UnderBarrow, you’ll find that time on the outside of the chariot passes far differently than time inside,” Hans said. He pointed to my backpack. “You have the explosives, right?”
“For the fifth time, yes. I checked and double-checked.” Even though I had already done so twice since we started, I slipped off my backpack and opened it to make certain that everything was in order. Which it was.
I sat back against the inner wall of the chariot, trying to focus on a positive outcome. For a month, I’d played over how this would go, visualizing getting in there and out with a minimum of fuss. But the truth was, in my heart, I was afraid. It wasn’t the same type of apprehension that I faced with Abominations. There was so much more riding on this, and it rested on my shoulders, because I was the only one who could find the damned gate.
After a while, the chariot suddenly slowed, then came to an abrupt halt. I stiffened as the doors closing off the inner chamber opened.
Thor’s voice rumbled out. “We’re here. Come on out.”
I was nearest the door and as I cautiously crawled out, then straightened, I realized that I had no clue where we were in conjunction to Seattle. Ahead of me was a vast marsh, stretching farther than I could see. The foliage—nettles, poison oak and ivy, tangles of brambles and swamp grass and vines and cat-o-kills so high they were over my head—stretched out in an unending line to both the left and right. It was thick and cumbersome, and we were on a road that led into it, but the road didn’t look all that safe, and the asphalt had been broken in numerous places as it intruded into the swampy marsh.
Stunned, because I had only known the Bogs when they were a contained section of lower Seattle, I turned to Thor. “Where are we? What’s this road?”
“This is the road that goes past Glass Lake, the road leading to Bend. We’re standing on the border of what used to divide Seattle from the Edge.” Thor gazed straight ahead, a perturbed expression on his face. “I would ferry you further, but my goats don’t want to enter the Bogs and Odin forbade it. To your right, to the north, is where the Metalworks used to be. Follow this path and it will take you to the south of the World Tree. The pavement will end soon and a trail will take over. It’s rough, though, and there’s a lot of quicksand in there. Be prepared for hard travel.”
The reality began to hit home. Seattle really wasn’t Seattle anymore.
“What else should we know?”
“The Junk Yard’s nothing but a tangle of twisted metal. The structure folded during the sec
ond wave of the tsunami. There’s a small town called Shanty Town out toward what was the Peninsula of the Gods. It’s filled with the dregs of those who survived from the Junk Yard, so be cautious. Lyon is holed up in Old Seattle, which is northwest, around where Uptown and North Shore used to be.” Thor shook his head. “All of this is subjective knowledge, though, provided by raiding parties. But follow this trail about three miles, then turn into the Bogs themselves, off trail, and head north. That should take you into the Sandspit and the World Tree.”
By the time he finished talking, everybody was out of the chariot. Thor pulled off the road, parking to the side on a stretch of grass. “I’ll wait for you here.”
I looked at the pavement that stretched out behind us. Patches of grass were beginning to break through the asphalt. Another six months and the entire road would be hidden by the overgrowth of vines and plants. Nature was reclaiming what we had once taken from her. The only sounds around us besides our own voices were the clicks and buzzing of insects, the constant bird song that filtered through the air, and the whistle of wind. There were no traffic noises, no sounds of electricity or civilization.
The sun was starting to creeping over the skyline. We had set out at dawn, and now the day promised to be uncomfortably warm. I shaded my eyes as we gathered together.
“I suppose we should move out. If we’re careful and focused, I hope to make it to the World Tree by early afternoon, but that depends on how friendly the Bogs are. Three miles can seem like thirty in conditions like these. So be cautious. We don’t want to stumble into any patches of Wandering Ivy or the like.” I glanced around. “We should take walking sticks. The Bogs are marshy and there’s quicksand throughout them. You do not want to take a wrong step.”
The guards headed over to a stand of new willow saplings and quickly cut and stripped long, sturdy branches for everybody. We adjusted our packs. With no excuses left, we headed into the Bogs.