Weaving Fate - Nora Ash Page 0,96

I muttered. “Why—"

A rumble interrupted me. It seemed to come from above and below—the sky, the earth beneath our feet, the giant root disappearing into the distance.

Another rumble, and this time the ground swayed beneath us and made Yggdrasil’s root tremor.

I gasped and stumbled forward, but managed to get my bearings by grabbing on to Modi’s coat until the earth finally stilled again.

“W-What the hell was that?” I croaked, looking to my travel companions for an answer.

“That was Níðhöggr,” Bjarni replied, his voice betraying the same grimness as was written across all three gods’ features. “The dragon is awake.”

Thirty-Three

Modi

“Awake? He’s awake?” The quaking in Annabel’s voice made me want to reach for her to offer what comfort I could, but Bjarni beat me to it.

“Yes.” I scrubbed my face with both hands and looked toward the horizon where the steam from the springs surrounding Hvergelmir met the air. “Unfortunately.”

“It’s not a problem,” Bjarni said, though the dark look on his face betrayed his true feelings on the subject. “Annabel will shield us and we will make it past.”

Behind him, Loki’s eyes went wide and muffled noises of outrage spilled past the sock still firmly wedged in his mouth. Bjarni gave him an annoyed glance.

“I suggest you quiet down, old man. We’re not far out now. A few more miles and he’ll be able to hear you.”

Loki let out a scream of rage—at least I assumed it was of rage, judging by how the veins in his neck and forehead bulged—but when Bjarni just snorted, he quieted with a murderous glare at his son.

“Yes,” I said, looking back to my mate. Bjarni still had his arms around her, but this time it did not fill me with anger to see a display of how close they were—just sadness.

I pushed it away and focused on the task ahead. “Annabel, you will need to rise a shield now. I do not want to risk us getting too close. I know every extra minute will be a drain on your power, but I will lend you what strength I can. If he catches sight of us…”

I did not have to finish that sentence. Annabel nodded, her mouth drawn into a grim line. “Then we’ll be crunchy and dipped in ketchup.”

“What?”

She shook her head. “Never mind. Let’s do this. Guide me.”

I reached for her with my hand and magic, pushing my power inside of her not unlike how I had penetrated her last night.

She gasped in response, and I had to force down my body’s reaction to the sound. Not the time.

Her golden light welled up around me, coming willingly when I called to it. I felt her consciousness brush against mine and shuddered with the pleasure of it.

Like sex.

I caught her thought—or the feeling of her thought—and the bubbling sensation of her amusement immediately after, along with a touch of embarrassment. Apparently she had not meant for me to hear that.

I pushed a brush of admonishment at her—ignoring my own thoughts desperately trying to turn in that direction as well. There was no denying the intimacy of taking control of her powers like this—of being inside her, touching her innermost—but we had a dragon to slip past, and a tight schedule to stick to.

If we were not in Valhalla by tomorrow evening at the latest…

With a force of will, I focused on our combined magic and lifted it up and away from our intermingled essences. When I opened my eyes, a golden shimmer caved around us, transparent apart from the odd sparkle of magic.

I looked back down at Annabel, a touch of pride in my gut. She was so strong. If she ever received true training, there was no telling how powerful she could become.

“How is it?” I asked, scanning her face for signs of strain. “Are you good?”

“Mm, I think so. For now.” She gave me a small smile. “Not sure for how long, though.”

“Let me know when you need support.” I lifted my hand from her nape and let it hover for a moment by her cheek. I wanted to brush away the strand of hair clinging to her skin there, but I stopped myself.

Sighing, I pulled my hand to my side and turned to Bjarni. “All right. Forward.”

The closer we came to Hvergelmir, the more sulfur tainted the air. But it was not just the scent from the multiple hot springs surrounding the well that warned of our closeness to the only inhabitant in the region. Periodically the ground would tremble