Demons (Eirik Book 1) (28 page)

“Go,” she said. “Make me proud.”

I chuckled, though it came out as a growl. I lowered my wings and walked forward. They dragged on the snow and slowed me down. I lifted them up. Much better. I had better balance with them up. I broke into a run. The ground was slick and I slipped a few times. My mother must be cringing. She wanted to be proud of me? I was going to make it happen.

Determination coursing through me, I whipped my wings faster and faster, slipping and gliding. If I didn’t make it, I would land in the river of a thousand cuts and poisonous snakes, or crash on the high walls surrounding Hel’s Hall. I was sure the wall wouldn’t survive. The disappointment in my mother’s eyes would be too much, and just when she and I were starting to have a decent relationship.

My feet left the ground.
Yes
! Lift off.

I looked down as I continued upward and wished I hadn’t. My vision blurred and my stomach heaved. I dipped and started to plummet toward the ground.

What the hell? I was a dragon scared of heights?

“Make me proud, Son.”

Mother’s words rang in my head. I opened my mouth and let out a frustrated roar, and my breath ignited. I shot up, my mother growing smaller and smaller, until she was a black dot on the pristine white castle grounds.

~*~

CELESTIA

The rumbling noises stopped. Were they keeping monsters in this place or was that growling sound made by Hel’s hound? Not that I believed everything Eirik said. What was taking him so long? Trudy was only a portal away. I focused on her, but like last night, no portal formed.

I opened the door and found the two guards. They stood straighter. They hadn’t left with Eirik? So I was the one they were guarding. I had wondered about that when they’d followed me at the gym.

“I still can’t open portals from here.”

“No, miss,” the first guard said. “But you can from the common room.”

“Am I allowed to leave the room?”

“Of course, miss. Where would you like to go?” said the same guard.

“To Trudy’s.”

He stepped back and his partner followed him.

“But you have to come with me, right?” They nodded. I sighed. Of course, the goddess didn’t trust me. I was the unwanted Witch in her hall. I wondered what she would do if I couldn’t leave. “Yeah, well, that’s okay. I can wait.” I started to close the door and saw Trudy walking toward us from the rotunda. Finally. “Are you coming to see me? Please say you are, because I’m going crazy in here.”

She laughed. “I am.”

“Won’t you get in trouble?”

“Not when the orders to come here and see you came from Baldurson. It’s weird that I couldn’t create a portal into the room. Hey, Creed.” She ran a finger along the cheek of one of the guards as she passed him. He was the one who often spoke. “I miss you guys now that you don’t guard the goddess.” She patted the chest of the second guard before following me inside the room. She was a terrible flirt.

Just before I closed the door behind us, there was a loud roar, followed by vibrations. We looked at each other, then the guards. They were laughing and nudging each other.

“Is that the six-eyed Hel’s hound?” I asked. The smile disappeared from their faces. Not Trudy’s.

“Garm? Nah. That, my friend, is the roar of a fire-breathing dragon.”

I shuddered. “You have dragons, too?”

“Oh yeah. They are rare, but we get them.” She started to close the door and paused. “Do you want to see him?”

I shook my head. “Oh no. I’m fine.”

“Please, miss,” Creed said, and the second guard nodded.

“I hate scaly things. I love dogs, though. I’m just not sure about a six-eyed giant one.”

Trudy’s eyes widened. Then she laughed. I wasn’t sure what was funny. But then again, she got a kick out of being annoying. The guards stared at me with lost puppy expressions.

“Fine, let’s go,” I said. “But we watch from afar. No, from inside the castle.”

We hurried to the rotunda, where the guards created a portal to the east side of the castle. I hadn’t been to the wing, although it was above the eastern dungeons. It was just like the Waiting Hall. Black and gray. We weren’t the only ones rushing to the windows. Portals popped up everywhere as the staff, the Grimnirs—including the old geezers—appeared, and guards hurried to look out the giant windows while whispering excitedly. They must not get that many dragons for this one to cause such a stir.

“This way,” someone said and took my arm. I turned to find Eirik’s father. Trudy grabbed my hand. The crowd parted to let us through until we were in front of the largest window.

Necks craned to see outside while I tried to nudge Trudy in front of me, but Baldur’s grip was firm on my arm. The servants had opened the windows, so we caught the blast of cold air coming from outside. I shivered, wishing I hadn’t left my coat. These people didn’t seem affected by the cold. Someone placed a warm, heavy cloak around my shoulder. I turned to say thank you and realized it was Baldur.

“Oh, I can’t—”

“Of course you can,” he said and smiled, but his gaze was out the window. “My son will not be happy if you fall ill.”

And where was said son? He was missing the big event. Resigned, I stared out the window, my heart pounding so hard I was sure everyone could hear it. Dragons. Dinosaurs. Alligators. They were all the same in my book. Scary.

Excitement rippled through the crowd, and I tried to see where they were pointing. At first, all I saw was snow, the river disappearing somewhere to our left, and a large melted area by the river. The dragon must have breathed some serious fire. Then I saw it, a black dock against the white background of snow-covered mountains and the mist.

I found myself watching with abated breath as it came closer. It was huge and fierce-looking. It dipped as though coming for us, then shot up, its wings sending a gush of cold air through the window. The crowd cheered. I pulled the warm cloak closer and resigned myself to watching the show.

A figure in a black cloak walked from the castle toward the giant melted puddle the dragon had left in the snow. The scepter was a dead giveaway.

What was the goddess doing out there? What if she got hurt?

Silence and unease descended on the onlookers, and I knew they were worried too. The dragon did several loops, clearly showing off. No, not showing off. It was trying to find a place to land. The goddess raised her scepter and lightning shot out, sizzled through the air, and hit an area to her left. She was guiding him. It flew around her and let out a cry. It was probably worried about hitting her. Its wings were massive.

It approached the area the goddess had marked and hovered. The flapping wings slowed down, but they still whipped up a storm of snowflakes until the goddess was lost in it. She must really love it to put herself in danger like that, not to mention the discomfort.

The dragon landed and the ground shook. The landing wasn’t graceful, but from the reaction inside the castle, they didn’t care. They clapped and laughed.

The goddess walked to the dragon, petted its head, pressed her face against its neck, and then started back toward the castle. The dragon followed her, its wings dragging on the snow, its gait a bit off. It was a flyer, not a walker. The wings went up and it found its footing. The crowd around me started to leave, but the excited whispers only grew. Rhys and his partner were with a group to our right. My eyes met his, but he acted like he didn’t recognize me.

I went back to watching the dragon and the goddess. It extended its neck toward her and bumped her with the side of its head. She stopped, looked back, and said something. The dragon’s mouth opened and closed as though talking back. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were talking to each other. Anything was possible in this realm. The goddess threw back her head, her laughter ringing in the air.

Okay, I may hate scaly things and not particularly like the goddess, but that was adorable. They made quite a pair, the tawny-scaled dragon pet of the rune-covered, glowing woman in black.

“Miss Celestia?”

I glanced over my shoulder at the guard. Most of the people had left and Eirik’s father had disappeared, too. I still had his cloak.

“It’s time to go back,” the guard Trudy had called Creed said.

“We’ll find our way back, Creed,” Trudy said, slipping her arm around mine. “That was entertaining, wasn’t it?”

“Is it her pet?”

Trudy laughed. “You have a sick sense of humor. He is—”

“Trudy,” Creed interrupted, speaking firmly. “The Golden One said we must escort Miss Celestia back to her quarters.”

“I told you I’d take her back, Creed.”

“
Kík iwáchne ní dragon én wuód goddess,
” he said.

I didn’t understand what he’d just said, except goddess and dragon. I glanced at Trudy, but she, too, wore a confused expression. She must have understood what he’d said because she grabbed my arm. “Come on, Celestia.”

“What was that about?” I asked when we got back to Eirik’s room. The guards were once again outside the door.

“The Golden One wanted you back here.” She sat on the bed and bounced on it before lying in it. “This is comfortable. So, what did you want to talk about?”

I folded the heavy white robe and placed it on the couch. “Why am I the only one grounded? I can’t open portals or go anywhere without the guards following me around like I’m an escapee from some jail. I thought we were both in trouble.”

“I’m grounded too, but Eirik said you wanted to talk to me, so I got a hall pass.”

“You watch way too many Earth movies.”

I settled down beside her, our legs dangling on the side of the bed and our heads almost touching. I studied the canopy. The frame of the bed was gilded and matched the frills on the edge of the canopy.

I glanced at Trudy, but she was studying the mural to our right. It showed a child and… Baby Eirik and his parents. The goddess looked happy. I glanced at Trudy, delaying the inevitable. I’d wanted to tell her the truth, but now that the time was right, I was worried about how she’d react.

“Did you paint that?” I asked.

She laughed. “No way. The goddess wouldn’t let me loose in here. You’ve seen my work.”

“Your work is beautiful, so don’t put yourself down.”

She shrugged. “Stolen memories of the dead. Totally morbid. I spend hours watching them, you know. The eastern hall is reserved for the gods, royalty, and those the goddess favors. I’ve observed royal balls and royal weddings, famous artists create their masterpieces, historical moments, the beginnings and the ends of dynasties, but I like the other halls better. The picnic trips and Christmas gatherings, first date at the movies, or first kiss.” She sounded wistful as though she envied them, which didn’t make sense. She despised Mortals. “Anyway, I heard the goddess showed you around today.”

“Yes, she did. We saw a few memories. One reminded me of Dad. He loves to fish.” I turned my head and found her watching me with wide eyes. I sat up. She did, too. “I’m from Earth, Trudy. I’m a Witch who can astral project anywhere. Usually, I try to help the people in my visions. I landed here when Eirik was first locked up in the dungeons, went home, and came back to help him. I’ll be going home today.”

She laughed. “I knew it. I knew you were different.” The smile left her face. “You can’t leave. You are the only one in the castle around my age. All the workers, the guards, and Grimnirs with children live in the village and only come here to work, so I never see people my age. My family and the guards on duty are the only ones who live here, and they are busy all the time. My sister has no time for me. Hanging out with the Grimnirs might be fun, but Mama always tells me to stay away from them. You are the first friend I’ve had in years. You just can’t leave.”

I felt bad for her. I hadn’t actually thought about the families of the workers here. I’d just assumed Hel’s Hall was the only building in the entire realm.

“And I’d love to stay, but my family is worried, too.” I reached for her hand and squeezed. “It’s just me and my dad, and so you can imagine how he feels seeing me unconscious.”

“Then promise to come back,” she said. “Now that you know how to get here, you can visit whenever you like. We can hang out on weekends and catch up. Oh, and you can see Eirik, too. I bet you’d like that.”

I ignored the last part. She was asking for the impossible. “Tell me about the village where the workers live.”

“No. Not until you promise.”

“I’m not making any promises, Trudy. Why don’t you visit me instead?”

Her eyes widened, then her expression grew pensive as though she was actually considering it. I was kidding. Grinning, she flopped back on the bed.

“Was that an invitation?”

I tried not to wince. I couldn’t imagine Trudy in Windfall. “Yes.”

“Good.” Then she started talking about the village. The husbands of most of the kitchen staff created weapons for the goddess and lived underground in a nearby village and grew indoor gardens. I assumed she meant green houses. But the majority traded with Dwarves in their homeland, Svartalfheim. She talked about a market place for traders in Nidavellir, the underground city of the Dwarves. Most of the food was grown in Vanaheim and Alfheim.