House Of Gods 9 - Samantha Snow Page 0,18
most people, even immortals, are not. He’s in pain too.”
Brenna thought hearing those things would make her feel better. Knowing that Brandt hadn’t slept with anyone else certainly made her feel a little better. But it was still too much torture to be here with him and not be able to even talk to him without him feeling like a stranger.
“Thank you for telling me,” she said. She put her palm over Jerrik’s hand on the bed.
“You still don’t want to stay, do you,” he said.
“I can’t, Jerrik. It’s just too hard. I have to find a way to fix it because I can’t go through life like this without him. I’m going to go to Vanaheim and speak with Njord.”
“Why him?”
“I dunno, he’s old and wise, and he seems to always know about a bunch of stuff that we don’t. I figure if anyone could be of help, that maybe it would be him. Besides, I need to get out of here for a little while, and I don’t really have a burning desire to go to Hel or Valhalla.”
“There’s always Alfheim,” Jerrik suggested. “You could go be with Lopt and Celeste there.”
“Maybe. But first, I’d like to see what I can find out on Vanaheim.”
“Okay, I understand. I can come with you if you want.”
“Thank you,” she leaned forward and gave him a long hug. “You are one of my dearest friends, you know. But I’d rather you stay here with the other guys and keep an eye on Brandt for me. He needs you just as much as I have. I’ll be okay, and I won’t be gone long.”
Brenna said goodbye to everyone but Brandt when she left. She couldn’t stomach the thought of saying goodbye to him, even if it wouldn’t mean much. When she used her magic to step through to Vanaheim, Brandt had just come out of his room and caught a glimpse of her disappearing through the air. He felt a pang in his chest as he saw her go.
Brenna wasn’t familiar with Vanaheim at all, so when she got there and saw all of the mountains and trees, it took her a minute to decide which way to go. But she had only gone a few steps when she saw Njord walking toward her to greet her, and alongside him was the witch from Valhalla.
“Njord,” she said, surprised. “How did you know I was here?”
“I know everything that happens here,” he said. “It’s good to see you, Brenna. I think we know why you have come.”
We? she thought.
“What is she doing here?” Brenna asked as she looked at the witch. “You know she is the witch who cursed your granddaughter’s child, right?”
“There is much you don’t know,” Njord said. “Come, let us sit together and talk over tea.”
When they got to Njord’s home, the witch started the tea kettle and looked to be right at home. She looked less “witchy” than she had before; something about her even looked a little familiar, but Brenna couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Regardless, she still made Brenna feel uneasy. She smiled at her as if she were an old friend, and it creeped Brenna out.
“You said you knew why I came, so you must know what has happened to Brandt then.”
“Yes, we do.”
Again, with the “we” stuff. She wondered why Njord and the witch looked so comfortable with each other.
“Is there anything you can do to help? I have to find a way to help him get his memory back.”
“There is a way to do it,” Njord said as he took the teacup the witch handed him. “Thank you,” he said to her.
Brenna’s face lit up with hope. “Oh, thank God!” she said. “What is it? I’ll do anything.”
“You should always be careful about saying you’ll do anything before you hear what the bargain is to be made,” the witch said as she then handed Brenna a cup of the steaming tea. It smelled of flowers and licorice.
“Bargain?” Brenna asked. “The way to get Brandt’s memories is by making a bargain? Who is the bargain with, you?”
“Yes.”
“So, if I agree to this bargain with you, then you can and will restore his memories?”
“Yes.”
“All of them?”
The witch nodded.
“What do you want from me?” Brenna asked.
“A hundred years of your life.”
“Excuse me?”
“We have a special task for you, and in order to do what we need to be done, it will cost you one hundred years of your life. You will need to stay