Page 31 of Secrets of Avalon
He shrugs and shakes his head. “No apology needed. Yggdrasil or as some call it, the World Tree, connects all eight worlds. It is also where we all draw our magickal energy.
“What did you say? Egg-what?”
“Ehg-drah-zil,” he says, slowing it down. “The World Tree. All magick comes from Yggdrasil.”
“Got it. Magick Tree, like from Norse mythology?”
“I suppose it could be.”
“Now, these doors… they’re Einstein-Rosen Bridges? Wormholes.” My heart does a little stutter-step and I take a deep breath. I’m no physicist, but when your mom makes it her life’s work to study the possibility of other worlds existing, you pick up a thing or two.
“I’m not familiar with that human terminology. It’s been too long since I’ve visited Earth. Not since that door was locked. We simply call them portals.”
“Why was it locked?” That explains why I couldn’t get through the one in the cave. Except there wasn’t a keyhole. Or a handle. “How do you unlock the doors?”
“Milady.” Fenrir edges closer to my other side. “That is a very long complicated story.” He glances up at Ares and shakes his head. The exchange is brief, but it’s quite clear he’s telling Ares to keep his mouth shut.
“You must find my children.” A huge, angry male voice bellows from across the massive hall. “Where are the Valkyries? What is taking so long? My children are out there… somewhere!”
“That’s my brother-in-law.” Wraith explodes from the corner our group tucked into and rushes after Hawke.
“Fuck, it’s Sahsa’s children.” Ares takes a step forward, but stops himself. With Kellan, Hawke, Destrien, and now Wraith gone, it’s only him and Fenrir standing with me in the shadows, hiding me from… who knows what?
“Who is Sahsa?” I ask, feeling like I’m constantly playing catch-up in a game where no one’s explained the rules.
“Wraith’s sister. The missing children are his niece and nephew.”
“Oh.” The word slips between my lips with a heavy thud. “Why are they looking for Valkyries? And do you mean actual Norse mythology-type Valkyries?” I ask, peering around Ares’ shoulder toward the panicked crowd on the far side of the hall. I can see Hawke’s silver-streaked black hair and Wraith, with his long onyx black hair right next to him.
“Valkyries can fly outside the portals, in the darkness of space between the planets,” he answers, like he’s telling me water is wet.
“They think the children were pushed out of the bridge into space?” My stomach drops to somewhere around my ankles and bile crawls up my throat. “How?”
Fenrir steps closer and speaks this time. “The magick has been unreliable for a long time. It did get worse after the Earth door was locked, but there were incidents with the portals even before that happened.”
Ares nods and makes soft humming sounds of agreement.
Movement to my right makes me turn. Walking into the hall through the main entrance are two women who look like they could’ve stepped off a high-fashion runway, if that runway was back in ancient Norse times and sponsored by a precious metals blacksmith. Both are tall, have this glowing, almost unreal blonde hair, and carry themselves with a kind of confidence that makes me want to stand up straighter just from looking at them.
They’re decked out in the most elegant armor I’ve ever seen–golden chainmail that shimmers with every step, sleek breastplates that catch the light, and leather and gold-plated war-skirts that somehow manage to look both fierce and refined. Their greaves and bracers are gold plated as well. But the winged golden crowns sitting perfectly on their heads are what really bring home the kick-ass shield-maiden vibe.
Every piece of art or old document I’ve ever studied always paints the Valkyries as these battle-ready angels, wings and all. But these two? They didn’t need wings to announce they were something otherworldly. It’s like watching a piece of ancient Norse mythology come to life right in front of me.
“Those are Valkyrie’s right?” I look up at Ares on my left.
He nods. “Sigrún is Queen of the Valkyries and the other is Bryn, her second in command. It isn’t often that Sigrún comes to Avalon herself, but the missing children are royalty and she’s likely here for the Changing of the Guard Ceremony.”
I continue staring from beneath the hood of the cloak Ares covered me with. “They’ll be able to find the children?”
“If the children are out there. They’ll find them.”
“I hope they’re not,” I say, the words a prayer under my breath.
“Aye, so do we all.”
CHAPTER 14
Miracles and Politics