House Of Gods 9 - Samantha Snow Page 0,39
Yggdrasil, then I will cease to exist.”
“You’ll die?”
“There is a difference between death and existence. Things that live and die can meet death in one world and life in another; that is why there are so many afterlives. Existing is a bit more complicated. If I were to die, then I would be able to be with Cai in one of the afterlives. But if I cease to exist altogether, then there will be nothing of me left in any world. If the magic of the forest is taken from it, then I will cease to exist. I guess you could say it’s a bit more final than death.”
Tara’s stomach churned over. “I agree with Cai; we won’t let that happen.”
Astra smiled and gave Tara a light kiss on the cheek before going to go help Cai. Tara stood outside the hollowed tree and brought Button to her chest. She thought about all of the things that could go wrong and what she could do to make them right. But she couldn’t come up with any answers that she thought would actually work.
“Maybe this is what leaders are supposed to do, Button, struggle with fixing hopeless predicaments.”
“Still talking to your bear, I see,” Rolf said as he stepped out from between the trees. “You’re an adult. I would have thought that you would have put away childish things by now.”
Tara looked around for Cai and Astra, but they had gone off farther into the woods, and Rolf had been sly about sneaking into the forest unnoticed.
“What are you doing here?” she asked her brother.
“You know why I’m here.”
“Do you really think that we are going to let you take the magic from Yggdrasil?”
“It’s cute that you think you’ll be able to stop me,” he said.
Tara had never seen her brother look so evil before. She had always remembered him being such a good kid. “What happened to you?” she cried. “When did you become so hateful and greedy? Do you know what will happen if you take the power from the forest? Astra will die! She cared for you, and Cai cared for you…how could you even think to do something like this?”
“Do you want to know what happened to me, dear sister?” Rolf said as he stepped up so close to her that she could feel his breath on her face. “You happened to me. You and that horned beast that you think deserves to preside over the realms. I have lived in your shadow for more years than I have the patience to count, and maybe if you had been smarter and less childish, then it could have been you and I ruling beside each other. But instead, here you are, a grown woman with a teddy bear who has fallen in love with an even bigger disgrace than your stupid bear. You do not deserve to rule anything, and neither does Tannin.”
His words felt like needles jutting into her heart. She had no idea Rolf had felt this way, that he had felt forgotten or inferior. If she had only known, she would have given him more attention and made sure he never turned into the jealous man standing before her.
“So who is going to rule then, you?” she asked. “You do not have the knowledge or the power to rule the nine worlds.”
Rolf laughed, and she felt the rush of air against her face. “Oh, but I am going to have that power very, very soon.”
He grabbed her by both wrists, knocking Button out of her hands, and pulling her beside him as he went into the forest to find Cai.
Tannin had gone to visit Helia’s favorite pub. Helia had been getting increasingly frustrated with him that he wouldn’t step in to help in the situation with Rolf, and Matt thought it was a good idea for Tannin to take a visit into the city to give Helia a moment to cool down. Tannin was completely fond of the idea since it gave him a reason to have a few drinks and push Tara out of his thoughts even further.
The pub was moderately crowded, but since everyone in Hel knew who he was, including the bartender, he was able to get a drink in his hand in less than thirty seconds.
“Ahh,” he sighed after he took the first sip of ice-cold mead. “There’s definitely no other brew in the underworld as good as this one here. I don’t know how you do it, but you must