Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

I 've never interacted with Forsetti. The God of justice and trials flies under the radar. My people hold those who wage war and have heroic tales above all others.

I pray my contact is welcome. Sitting in the dirt, I cross my legs. It's now or never. Hand shaking, I draw a wobbly double-headed ax in the dirt with a stick. Leaning back on my heels, I lengthen my claw and prick my finger. I fill the symbol with the scarlet droplets. The sound of the running water helps me slip into a meditative state. Palms up, I wait, emptying my mind.

For a time, I float in the quiet space connected to the surrounding nature. The surrounding vibrations shift, triggering my fight or flight. I force myself to stay when everything else in me wants to run.

Thinking to distract myself, I examine the facts. The broach must be powerful to require the blessing of a god to use it. It could help us on our mission to find Fenrir's amulet.

Sitting in silence, I sink deeper into my mind. Thoughts rise and float by like bubbles. Is the blood of Fenrir what makes my family different ?

My mother was exceptionally powerful. Had that been the blood of the first wolf manifesting in her? I regret all the conversations we never had. I could see a similar wildness in my aunt. There's a fierce fearlessness that shines in her eyes. Is this why the Alpha hated me growing up? Because I didn't take after the women in my family?

Thinking back, I try to remember if I was ever tested. All the females were supposed to be vigilant about the sickness sweeping through our people.

The tiny hairs on the back of my arms and neck rise. I lift my head. "Whoa."

The churning water crashes into the river. Ripples become waves as the river resembles a choppy ocean. The white fog comes off the water. Squinting, I struggle to see through the wall it creates.

I close my eyes against the sudden dizziness. My chest tightens. The wind whips around me, tugging at my clothes and hair.

A blast of cold whips me like reeds. I hold my arms up to protect my face. Stillness falls.

I open my eyes. Suddenly, I'm seated in the middle of a large room with high, arched ceilings. The gold floor beneath me is cool to the touch. A man sits on a gilded throne seated on a raised dais. Clad in a purple tunic with white runes embroidered down the sleeves, he has a terrifying presence. Long golden locks surrounded his oval-shaped pale face. A beard falls to mid-chest. Brimming with power, his pale blue eyes are nearly white.

I lower my eyes, bowing my head as I wait for him to address me. The silence is loud. My heartbeat increases. Is he upset that I contacted him and came here?

"You've traveled far to see me. State your reason." His deep voice bounces off the walls.

I lick my lips. "To prove myself worthy of wearing my family's broach."

"Why?"

I look up, shocked by his question. "To help me defeat my enemies."

He hums and arches a brow. "Your enemies?"

"Yes." I nod, unsure what he's hinting at.

"You see them in the wrong because you believe you have the answers to the problems they address?"

"No. But I can't sit back and ignore the atrocities my leader is committing." I grip my knees, grounding myself as his powers encircle me, gliding through my mental barriers as he seeks the truth in my mind.

"Spoken like a politician," his voice rumbles.

"No." The words are more aggressive than I intended. I wince, preparing to be smote. That's angels, not gods, right?

"You disagree?" The amusement in his tone confuses me. I frown. To him, these matters must be petty grievances.

"I have no love for power, only an intense need to bring change."

"Do you know what you're asking for?" He tilts his head slightly. "This item will change you forever."

"I'm already altered."

"So sure." He clucks his tongue. "Words won't help you during your trials. Rise."

Wait, trials? I stand on shaking limbs.

"Let's see what you're made of." Forsetti gestures to the left.

A high-arched, heavy wooden door appears. Creaking open, I see nothing but blackness.

"Enter if you choose. But know this. Once you enter, the only way out is through."

Balling my hands into fists, I force myself to walk toward the portal leading to places unknown. I've come too far to let fear take control of my actions.

The temperature plummets at the opening. I pass through. It's like moving through Jello. On the other side, I drop.

The air rushing by steals my voice. I can't even scream. Tears fall. Time distorts, and hope fades. Will I continue to tumble into this bottomless pit?

I slam into something hard, and I'm bounced to the left. Breath taken from my lungs, I choke. Rolling to my side, I curl into a ball and wait for it to pass. Pain blooms on my back and chest. I take a shaky breath as my healing mends my damaged ribs enough for me to function.

Coughing, I taste the coopery flavor of blood. I spit and wipe the metallic liquid from my lips.

That's going to hurt in the morning. Assuming I make it out of here. I use my night vision to sketch a layout.

High walls rise on either side of me. Light leaks through a crack in the far distance. My eyes strain to make out shapes in such all-consuming darkness. The air is cold and damp. I hear dripping water in the distance.

Standing, I press a hand to my throbbing side and walk toward the light. I trudge forward. The air thins as I limp slightly. I can vaguely sense the fear from my mates in the back of my mind. Our connection is fuzzy, like a radio station full of static because the antenna is out of range.

I try my best to send them reassurance. My shoulder brushes against something hard and cold. I jerk to the right. My shoulder jams into the same dense material on the opposite side.

"Shit."

Continuing cautiously, I mind the tight space as the light grows brighter in the distance. Breathing shallowly, I fight back tears as my shoulders brush the walls. Rotating sideways, I struggle with images of winding up stuck and dying here in the darkness. Pinpricks of light escape, forming a thin rectangle. This is my way out.

I inhale as the passage narrows further, squeezing me. Legs trembling, I fight back tears as a slow panic settles in. My pulse throbs in my temples. Mouth salivating, I push back the nausea threatening to hit.

I reach my hand out to graze the shape of the door carved into the solid wall. It's too far. I'm not going to fit.

Studying the area, I look for a switch of a trigger. I sweep my foot over the ground, seeking pressure points. There are no discernable markings, only darkness. Maybe I missed a turn.

I look the way I came, and my stomach drops to the souls of my shoes. There's a wall. I'm trapped on all four sides. My breath comes in quick spurts.

Breathe. Think. The voice in my head sounds suspiciously like Bo.

Startled, I'm able to refocus. Dirt falls onto my face. I tilt my head and scream. Shiny eyes stare down at me, followed by flashes of white teeth. Claws click over the stone surface of the walls as they surge toward me.

Where the hell did they come from?

Run. Cadoc's voice frees me from the paralysis. I slam my shoulder to the left, ripping free of the spot I was wedged in. My shirt rips, taking skin with it. The wall holds, but I hear grinding.

There's a weakness. Gritting my teeth, I repeat the action. The stone digs into my flesh. Sticky saliva drips down onto my neck and face. The dark creatures move closer.

The wall groans and tilts. A sharp talon slashes across my back. I scramble to lift myself onto the hard slab. I kick out with my feet, facing the inky blue-black squat beings clinging to the edge of the stone wall in mid rotation.

The light from the new room revealed pierces the darkness and the strange creatures hiss, scrambling away. Breathing hard, I wiggle my hips, creeping my way to freedom an inch at a time as I scoot backward. I topple off the sideways stone into a heap on the dirt floor. The wall rotates, and I roll away, keeping my eyes trained on the opening until it locks in place.

What the hell did I just see? The wound on my back burns. Standing, I turn and find myself in a white room. Marble floors with thin veins of gold lead to a large copper archway. I cross the dirt line and step onto the slick floor, and the energy completely shifts. The section is just as charged, but the area is airy.

I sense spirits out of view, but very much present. Cautiously, I creep toward the archway. A warm wind circles me. I spin around, expecting an attack.

"You have nothing to fear here." An angelic voice comes from all around me.

I freeze, falling into a fighting stance.

"I'm here to give you a choice to regain everything you've lost." There's a soothing quality to the feminine voice.

I plug my ears, resisting its lure.

Bell-like laughter fills the air. "You have spirit." The voice is closer.

"Who are you? If you mean me no harm, show yourself."

"As you wish."

My skin tingles. Light bounces off a golden being. I raise my hand to shield my eyes and take in the luminous being in a white toga threaded around the waist with strings of gold. Their white skin glows. "What are you?"

"A being of the air." Her thin pink lips curve into a smile. "You don't have to continue on this path. I can offer you a choice."

If it's too good to be true, it is. "For a price, right?"

"Freedom, for your abandonment of this quest. Let someone else save the wolves who did nothing for you. They've grown too human and lack the honor of the old ways."

Too human? What the hell am I talking to?

"You don't recognize me." It frowns. "You're not ready." It holds out its hand, shooting a brilliant white light through the archway. The air shimmers. "Understand what it is you give up before you make your final decision."

I hesitate. The only way out is through. I recall Forsetti's words. If I stall out here, this is where I'll remain. Narrowing my eyes, I walk through the archway. Infused with warmth, the passage is the opposite of the previous one.

I frown when I find myself in the living room of my childhood home.

"Ylva."

I turn. "No." I take a shaky breath.

My mom walks toward me. "It's been so long since we last talked."

"You're not here."

"Yes, I am. This is an in-between place. There's so much I want to say, but our time is short." She grabs my hands and squeezes. I cherish her touch. If this is a trick, I'll take what time I can get with her and deal with the fallout later.

"In trying to keep you safe, we left you open for attack."

"What are you talking about?"

"We knew we were different. There's something in our blood that makes us stand out among the other wolves. If Erik had discovered it, we knew he'd exploit you." She scowls, and her forehead wrinkles.

"I don't understand. I was always underwhelming."

"No. You were protected." She shakes her head. "Look into our records. It's there if you know how to look," she insists.

"How do I look?"

"With blood and the broach." She releases my hands and cups my face. "You needed the broach to unlock the pieces of your power that were hidden. You can do this, Ylva. You were always meant for greatness. I'm sorry we let you down so badly."

"Mom, No. You didn't." I hiccup.

"I have to go."

"No."

Lowering her hands, she walks backward through the hallway. She disappears into the shadows, and I drop onto the couch. Hands in my head, my shoulders shake as I mourn her loss anew.

"Sweetheart."

"Dad?" My voice breaks. This is a cruel parade of my heart's fondest desires twisted into a sharp tool that cuts deep.

"I'm sorry for the way you've been treated." He walks over and takes a seat beside me. "Things aren't always what they seem. I left you in my brother's care before he was changed."

I wrinkle my nose. "He's always been a doormat for her, Dad."

"There's a spell to reveal what's been hidden from you, Ylva. If you choose to return, place your hand on the journal pages and recite these words. Blood will tell, blood will hide, show me what's protected on the other side."

"And if I don't." Staying in my home for an eternity doesn't sound bad.

He smiles sadly. "You can stay here and live in limbo while the world falls apart." There's no judgment in his words, only honesty.

"I'm tired, Dad." I lean against him.

He wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulls me to him, and kisses my temple. "I know, sweetheart. What you're being asked is a giant task, but you have help."

"Will you and Mom be here?"

"We could visit, but it's not our true home."

I slump, feeling defeated. It'd be a half-life.

"It's time for me to go, sweetheart."

I pull away, sniffling as he stands. "I love you. Whatever you do, we're proud of the woman you've become."

"I love you too, Dad." His figure blurs as he retraces his steps. The shadows in the hallway engulf him.

I hear footsteps in the hallway and brace myself. Jarl. I've never seen his spirit in my dreams.

"Hulda?" I'm shocked when the tow-haired vision of my old friend lost to the sickness years before step into the space.

"I know you're thinking about giving up, Ylva. But girls like you and me need you to stay the course. My death wasn't accidental."

"What?"

"The Alpha did something to me. It was more than a test for the disease. He injected me with something, and the sickness came on. If you don't stop him, he'll continue."

"No. that can't be right." I shake my head. "I know he's shady, but this is… genocide."

"I don't know what he hoped to accomplish, but we both know how it's ending."

"What if I can't? What if all this is for nothing?"

"Then you'll have fought a good fight." She places a hand on my shoulder. "But he doesn't fear you and your mates for no reason."

"He doesn't fear us." I snort.

"Are you so sure? Why else would he try to destroy your bond?"

"Because he's a dick."

Hulda snickers. "Besides the obvious."

"To put his people in the mix." I think back to his heavy-handed tactics. He'd given away his hand and showed his true colors before he was prepared. Those aren't the actions of a man confident he'll achieve victory.

"You see it now?"

"I miss you, Hulda."

"And I miss you. We're all here rooting for you on the other side. All the women in our pack who were lost, wronged, and forgotten. You have more help than you realized in this battle." She glanced behind her. "My time is up here."

I stand and hold out my arms. She steps into them, and we hug. I inhale the orange blossom scent and relish the softness of her curls.

She brushes her lips over my cheek and disappears in a surge of warmth and affection I feel to my very core. This is about so much more than me. I'd forgotten that. I can't walk away from this. The front door swings open. Sunlight flows into the room. I move to the threshold and exit, confident in my decision to stay the course.

Finding myself back in the golden room, I peer at the god seated on his throne.

"You passed the tests."

I give a jerky nod, unable to speak with exhaustion, and dehydration drying out my throat.

"Come closer."

I hobble toward him, ignoring the pain in the wound on my back and my side. Pausing in front of his throne, I sway before I regain my stance.

"This is going to change you. And it will hurt." He opens his hand. The silver oval-shaped broach with intricate intersecting lines rests in his palm. Reaching out, he touches my forehead and all the pressure points in my body light up.