House Of Gods 9 - Samantha Snow Page 0,57

underworld were wide open when they arrived in Hel, and both Helia and Matt were overjoyed to see Tannin walk into the throne room with Tara on his arm. Helia rushed up to him and hugged him so hard that it knocked the breath from his chest for a second.

“I knew you would do it. I knew you would turn into the powerful badass that I had always hoped you to be.”

Matt laughed as he stood beside Helia. “That is the absolute best compliment I have ever heard her give to anyone. Well done, man.”

Tannin shook Matt’s hand, and the four of them went to pour a bit of sweet wine in celebration, even though it was still morning. Helia had been one of the first ones to teach Tannin about how time was merely a construct and that alcohol bowed to no clock.

“So, what are your plans now?” Helia asked after they had all guzzled down their first glass. The sweet wine was just as tasty in the underworld as it was in the other afterlives.

“We are on our way to start our reign over the realms, starting with the first realm and working our way through them until we end up back at Yggdrasil. But first, I wanted to come and give you a gift.”

“A gift?” Helia asked.

“Yes, as thanks to you and Matt for your part in helping me to embrace who I really was, instead of fearing it.”

Helia smiled at him. She didn’t have a child of her own, and Tannin already had a mother in Kemma, but she felt as close to him and as proud of him as any mother could feel. “You don’t need to give us a gift. We cared about you, and we always will.” “

“I know that,” Tannin said. “Which is what makes being able to give you this gift all the more satisfying.” He reached out his hand and placed it against Helia’s stomach as everyone looked curiously on and felt slightly confused and awkward about what he was doing. “Don’t move,” he said to her softly.

Helia did what he said as Tannin closed his eyes. Warmth emanated from his hand against her stomach, and a soft orange glow seemed to swirl between his fingers. When he opened his eyes and lifted his hand, he smiled at Helia.

“What happened?” Matt asked. “What did you do?”

Helia started at Tannin with her eyes held wide open and her mouth opened into the shape of a small O. She seemed too stunned to speak. But then, as the tear rolled down her cheek, she managed to pull words together. “How are you able to do this?” she asked.

“I can do many things now,” Tannin said. “Does it make you happy?”

The tears were now fully streaming into two wet lines that rolled down her cheeks and dripped off her chin onto the floor as she nodded and then ran up to hug him again.

“Thank you,” she whispered into Tannin’s ear.

Tara and Matt were still utterly confused.

“What gift did you give her?” Tara asked him.

“Fertility.”

Matt was speechless as he looked over at Helia in awe. Even Tara, who had seen Tannin’s display of power in the forest, was awestruck by the notion that he could grant Helia such a gift. None of the gods were able to plant the gift of life within a barren womb, especially not the womb of the goddess of Hel, who was, by birthright, unable to bear children. Not even Yggdrasil itself was capable of instilling such a thing.

“It is what you wanted most, is it not?” Tannin asked Helia as the shocked looks began to make him second-guess whether he should have done what he did.

“It is,” Helia smiled at him. Then she turned to Matt. “Let’s go try my new gift out.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

As soon as she was able to cross the realms, Brenna excitedly prepared to head back to New York City…and to Brandt. As she was packing a few things into her bag, Brenna looked up to see the witch watching her.

“You’re leaving now?”

Brenna nodded. “My time has been fulfilled, the realms are well, and Brandt’s memory has returned.” Her hands shook with excitement as she shoved her jacket into her backpack.

“Be gentle with him,” the witch said.

“Who?”

“Brandt.”

“What do you mean?” Brenna stopped what she was doing and looked at the witch. “And why do you care?”

The witch looked pensive, and Brenna thought that she had that familiar look about her again.

“What I mean is that