Secrets of Valhalla

To my son, Zachary Nasralla,

for revealing the most important secret of all . . .

F
RIDAY,
S
EPTEMBER 13TH

4:00 A.M.

H
e was behind her. His breath the crackle and spit of dampened wood on a bonfire. Sunna could hear the drag of his leg as it tore through the dead leaves on the ground, and she felt a stab of pride that she had caused that injury.

Yes.
He was stronger than her. Her powers had always been feeble when compared to the sheer force of his. Still, the pen she had wielded and plunged into his thigh had worked its own kind of magic.

The flaming branch in her hand lit the path ahead. An orange beacon, cutting through the dark inkiness of the forest. The World Tree wasn't far from here now. She could finally feel it pulling at her—guiding her to its lean silver branches. The tree was hope. Her lifeline to the Runes of Valhalla. If only she could reac—

A lightning bolt of pain exploded at the base of her skull, leaving the thought unfinished. Sunna's vision went white as bone as she felt something break at the back of her mind. It was the barrier she had so carefully built to hold Eleanor in that dark place beyond thought and memory. The wall she'd created, so that she could take over the other woman's body, was crumbling.

“For Odin's sake,” Sunna cursed, even as a wave of nausea made her sway on her feet. The other woman's desperation to take her body back, to be in control of her own limbs once again, was quickly overwhelming her.

Sunna dropped to her knees and tried to thrust the other woman back behind the wall. “I know you did not ask for this, Eleanor,” she hissed with a pained breath. “I know you did not ask to be a host or know that a goddess slept in your bloodline. But I am awake now and you have to trust me. We are in danger.” Her fingers clenched in the dirt. “We cannot waste time fighting each other.”

It was enough. She felt Eleanor collapse inward as if her resistance had simply evaporated, and the other woman disappeared into the darkness once more.

For a moment, Sunna was at peace. It reminded her of the dreamless sleep she had enjoyed for centuries. Before the alarm that told her Loki was free had sounded in her mind. Before she'd hijacked Eleanor's body and come to the Tangley Woods.

She got to her feet and began to run once more, not sure
how long she could go on. Her grip trembled on the branch, and by its flame she could see that Eleanor's once perfectly manicured nails were still bloody and torn from ripping off the ropes two days ago. Sunna smiled grimly. She had already escaped her pursuer once in this forest.
He was stronger, but I escaped,
she reminded herself.
And I can do it again.

“Sunna.” A voice thick like smoke snaked out from the darkness behind her. “Why persist in this tedious game of cat and mouse? A game you have already lost now that I am free.” The sound of burning wood crackled in the air. “Tell me where the Runes of Valhalla are. I know Odin told you.”

Sunna opened her mouth to reply but the words did not materialize. An immense force was pushing at every part of her being. Then it happened. She was expelled from her position of control and Eleanor took charge of her body once more.

That sneaky mortal tricked me,
Sunna realized as she entered the darkness and became a jumble of thoughts and fears without an anchor. Eleanor had never gone back behind the barrier, she'd just been waiting to pounce.

“The name is Eleanor Bright, not Sunna,” the other woman told her pursuer, her steps slowing. “I have no argument with you.”

Sunna heard the words as if from underwater. She was spinning in the gloom, looking for a way back before it was too late. Before he caught them.

The smoky voice gave a hiss of annoyance. “This time, perhaps, but that was not your name when you put me in the
ground. When you stole my daughter's kingdom to keep me prisoner.” There was silence as even the drag of his leg through the leaves stilled. “What had I ever done to you, Sunna?”

Eleanor heard genuine bewilderment in his voice, and a pang of guilt lanced her even though the crime was not hers. She stopped running.

“This Sunna person has been dealt with,” she insisted. “I'm in the driver's seat now. So let me go. . . . Please.”

The unseen figure laughed in answer, and the dry, desolate sound filled up the forest.

Listen
. Eleanor felt rather than heard Sunna's voice.
You need to stop pleading and start running. He has not forgotten and he will not forgive
.

But why did you imprison him?
Eleanor asked the intruder in her head. “What had he done?”

It is a long story.
Sunna had managed to stop spinning in the dark abyss and was now focusing herself into a hot ball of concentration.
But if you want the short version—it was not my idea.

But you didn't stop it,
Eleanor pressed.

No, I did not.
Sunna felt a flare of annoyance at Eleanor's accusing tone. In her day, mortals did not question gods, let alone rebuke them. But then, a lot had changed in the last two millennia.

Enough was enough.

Sunna's fiery ball of concentration was now white hot, and she hurled herself forward, forcing Eleanor out and retaking control.

“You left us no choice, Loki,” Sunna said, glad to have a voice once more. The gold, lightning-shaped pendant around her neck slapped against her skin as she scurried ahead, and despite everything, Sunna's curiosity got the better of her. She swiftly accessed Eleanor's memory of the day she'd bought the piece of jewelry. The other woman had been drawn to the pendant above all others, never knowing that the lightning bolt was the symbol on Sunna's rune. The link between host and god had been there even when Sunna had been in a deep sleep. They were blended. The thought was comforting somehow.

“There is always a choice.” Loki's voice chased away the memory.

The goddess felt a surge of relief as she glimpsed a flash of silver bark through the forest of thick trunks. “You wanted to destroy us—all of the day guardians. We couldn't let you.”

“Destroy?” Loki echoed. “All I wanted was honesty. Balance.”

“We had balance.” Sunna shouted the words over her shoulder but didn't stop running.

“We had tyranny,” Loki replied. “And because of you, Odin, and the rest of the day guardians, my family was torn apart. My son Vali was driven mad and killed his brother. Fenris was banished, Jörmungandr was thrown into the sea, and my daughter, Hel—” He broke off, unable to finish.

Sunna felt the forest fill up with the ancient, awful truth of his words. It filled every nook and crevice. “Odin could
have killed you but he didn't, remember that.” Her words sounded pathetic. Uncertain. And even though Eleanor had been pushed right back into the darkness, Sunna could feel the strength of the other woman's disapproval.

“I remember everything, I assure you,” Loki breathed. “But you remember this: sparing me was Odin's greatest mistake.”

The crackling voice was right behind her now, a tickle in her ear, and Sunna knew she was caught even though she hadn't heard any movement.

“The Runes of Valhalla will be found,” Loki promised. “I will take their power, and I will find the rest of the day guardians who wronged me. This realm that you call home will be mine. It will belong to the chaos.”

Sunna could feel Eleanor's terror pinching at the back of her mind, and all she could think to say was
sorry
.

Then she was engulfed by the smoke.