Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Tyr waited inside the door of Metamorphosis as Celeste talked to the woman helping her and picked out several items to wear.

He thumbed through his phone messages to make sure he hadn’t missed anything important. An invitation arrived that a family dinner was scheduled for Friday at Odin’s place. For a moment, Tyr thought about taking Celeste but pushed the thought away. He would tell them he wouldn’t be attending. If Celeste was still with him, he needed to stay with her.

He scanned the rest of his messages and replied to the urgent ones, forwarded three to Herm to take care of, and decided he should send a quick text to Sy. He hadn’t wanted to say anything to Celeste, but he was concerned he hadn’t heard from her father. He had no idea what Sy planned, but it should have been taken care of within the last five days.

Tyr:

Sy- Just checking in. Everything ok? Celeste is almost healed. Let me know if you need anything.

He sent the text as Celeste joined him, wearing a pale pink t-shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of girly flats with giant bows on them. Around her broken arm, she sported a new sling made of silky floral material. She looked so natural. The outfit suited her perfectly. Score One Million for Metamorphosis. He shoved his phone away and pulled out his wallet, noticing the giant bag in her hand.

“Let me pay for those.”

Celeste shook her head. “She said it’s taken care of.”

Tyr glanced at the woman behind the counter, who nodded to him and smiled. He nodded back and opened the door.

The warm, muggy air made him breathe deeply. He scanned the street, looking at every shop and registering all the people going about their business.

“My dad mentioned the guy who held me lived on Earth, right? Not down here. No one is looking for me down here.” Celeste tried to squeeze around him.

Tyr stepped in her way, blocking her. “Your safety is my responsibility. Please, let me do my job.”

She looked up at him like she wanted to say something. Instead, she nodded. “Okay.”

Tyr turned and placed his hand on the small of her back and walked her to the car. He took the bag from her, opened the door, and put her inside before placing the bag in the trunk and getting in on the driver’s side.

He turned the vehicle over, and the engine roared to life.

“Can we go somewhere else now?”

Tyr looked at her. “Are you hungry?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s just…”

He waited.

She stared down at her arm still in the sling and blew out a breath. “The guy kept me locked up in a closet, and being out makes me feel better.”

Her words sucker-punched him in the kidneys. The man kept her in a closet? His grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles went white. A myriad of swear words made their way through his mind, and then he swallowed hard and blew out a breath.

“Sure. Do you have anything else you need or want to do?”

She thought for a moment. “I don’t know. What’s down here?”

“Everything you had in Midgard, we have down here.”

“I think… Is there somewhere quiet we can go? Somewhere I can relax outside? Being down here has opened something up in me. There’s a connection I can’t explain, but I’d like to maybe explore it a bit somewhere tranquil.”

Tyr grinned. “I know a place.”

Tyr pulled up to an expensive wooden gate with intricate designs carved into it. He turned off the car, climbed out, and then walked over and opened the door for Celeste before helping her out. She studied the gate but said nothing. As they walked across the sidewalk and approached the gate, the sounds of distant tinkling bells filled the air, along with a soft, gurgling waterfall.

Tyr pushed open the gate to a lush garden. The smell of herbs and flowers tickled Tyr’s nose and made him relax reflexively.

“Wow,” said Celeste. “I didn’t think something like this would exist in the Underworld. What is it? A temple?”

“Nah, this is Vali’s place. It’s kind of a yoga retreat meets meditation center, meets holistic medicine and farmers’ market.”

“That’s a lot.”

Tyr chuckled. “So is he.” He led her up the path through the garden to the simple, round, yurt-style building. “Vali decided when he got here that he wanted a place for people to cleanse and heal or get away from the world for a while to find balance. He focuses on the body and the mind with natural medicine, therapy sessions, meditation, and stuff like that.”

“Sounds expensive.”

They walked up the steps to the front door, and light music filtered out the door.

“He doesn’t do it for the money. He does it for the satisfaction of helping those who need it most.”

She nodded but said nothing as they walked through the front door into a circular open room. Shelves lined one wall with different jars of herbs and plants. Across the back wall, a juice bar with fruits and vegetables from all over Midgard stretched out. At the front of the room, a bright blue pond split to either side of the room and around the inside of the building. And in the middle, Vali stood in a ridiculous-looking yoga pose Tyr was sure would break every bone in his spine if he tried it.

Show off.

Several people stood in front of Vali, silently trying to achieve the same pose. Tyr and Celeste watched for several minutes before Vali opened his eyes and caught sight of them. He nodded to the class and dismissed them with a bow.

The class gathered their things and dispersed. Some went through a back door, several to the juice bar, and a couple through a small side door leading to the private rooms.

Vali approached them with a broad smile. His long, shaggy blond hair had been pulled back into a bun, and his goatee neatly trimmed to perfection. He wore a baggy white shirt opened in the middle, showing off several necklaces, and a pair of light-colored linen pants. Tyr kept from laughing at the sight. Vali, the God of Light, traded in his war armor and white sword to become a hippie-dippy love guru. It always amazed Tyr how much his kin had changed since coming to the Underworld. Only he, Vid, and Herm remained mostly unchanged.

Vali stuck out his hand as he approached them. “Tyr. I wasn’t expecting you today… or any day.”

Tyr shook with Vali, who pulled him into a hug. Tyr hugged Vali awkwardly. Another thing that had changed about Vali, he’d become so touchy-feely in the last century.

“Who is your friend?” Vali looked at Celeste.

“This is Celeste. Her father is a friend of mine. I’m looking after her while he is away.”

Vali bowed and stuck out his hand. Celeste went to shake it, and Vali clasped her hand in both of his. His smile faded for a moment but then returned.

“Celeste, it is a pleasure to meet you.” He kissed the back of her hand before she pulled away.

For some reason, the gesture made anger surge inside Tyr, and he fought the urge to punch Vali’s mouth for touching her skin.

“And you,” Celeste replied.

Vali studied her, and then smiled and turned to Tyr.

“So, what can I do for you today, Cousin?”

“Celeste wanted somewhere outdoors and peaceful where she can gather her thoughts for a bit. I thought of no better place. Do you have any of your outdoor suites available?”

Vali nodded. “I’m booked, but you are welcome to use mine if that works for you.”

“Thank you.”

Vali held up a finger for them to wait. He jogged to the wall of jars and removed several of them. He took out a bit of each and ground them together with a mortar and pestle before putting them into a small linen bag.

He hurried back over and handed them to Celeste. “These herbs are for healing. But they are also for soothing the mind. I’ll have some hot water prepared and sent out so you can make tea.”

Celeste took the herbs and smiled. “Thank you. That is very kind.”

Vali turned to Tyr. “Feel free to browse the fresh fruits and vegetables for anything you two might want. I made goat cheese this morning as well. There are three different varieties. Help yourself.”

Tyr nodded. “Thanks.”

“There are also extra clothes in my closet if you both would like to get into something less restrictive and lighter.”

Tyr nodded.

A woman with deep purple skin and white, glassy eyes called to Vali from across the room, and he turned toward the juice bar and nodded.

“Stay as long as the two of you would like. I’m happy to sleep in the garden if you would like to use my room.”

“That won’t be necessary. We will be heading back to my place before dark.”

Vali nodded. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Tyr led Celeste across the room and out the back door.

Celeste walked around the room in awe as Tyr removed his jacket and threw it onto a soft, creamy-colored bed. It was hard to tell the difference between the outside and the inside. Only a wooden doorway separated the spaces.

The entire room was made out of a grove of tall trees. Evergreens, maples, and oaks lined the walls of the circular room. A spongy moss with tiny purple flowers covered the floor. But outside the room, the moss morphed into long, thick blades of grass.

The ceiling was made of tightly woven tree branches. Yet somehow, the sun filtered through, lighting the room with a soft glow.

Every piece of furniture was made from natural wood and stone. It made her feel like she’d gone back thousands of years to a time when people lived naturally off the land.

On impulse, she slipped off her shoes and let her feet sink into the moss. A surge of peace washed through her, and she smiled. She wanted to strip off all her clothes and lie naked on the ground.

“I love it.”

Tyr watched her with interest, and her cheeks flushed at having wished to be naked.

“I thought you would,” he said.

A small rap on the door pulled their attention, and Tyr crossed to it and took a tray with a pot and two cups from the woman on the other side.

“Thank you.”

She gave a slight bow with her palms together. “Namaste.”

Tyr returned her bow and closed the door.

Celeste sniffed the small satchel of herbs Vali had given to her.

“Would you like to take tea here or outside?”

She shrugged. “Is there much difference?”

He motioned with his head for her to follow him as he walked out the door.

She sucked in a breath as she exited the room. Tall trees also surrounded them outside, but they didn’t cover the sky. On the far end, a waterfall trickled down into a pool big enough to swim in. The sounds of birds chirped and sang in the trees. Squirrels scurried across tree branches. And she swore an actual deer ducked behind a rock.

“I feel like I’m in a fairytale,” she mused.

Tyr snorted. “It does feel a bit like that, doesn’t it?” He walked to a table and set the tray on it. Celeste sat in one of the chairs, and he sat across from her. The chair groaned under his weight, and she was once again reminded of his immense size.

He held out his hand, and she gave him the herbs. He opened the teapot and set the linen bag inside before closing it again.

“Are there many areas like this in the Underworld?”

Tyr shrugged. “I don’t know. But my bet is there aren’t.”

“Did Vali create this place?”

“I’m sure he got some help, but yes.”

“From who?”

“Plenty of people in the Underworld have magic and are willing to use it for profit.”

Celeste wanted to ask him, like who, but she didn’t want to sound like a silly child asking—why? Why? Why?

Celeste closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

“My dad took me camping once in the redwood forest near San Francisco, I think. Just him and me for a whole week. I’d never been so happy before or since. We camped and talked, hiked and swam, and ate s’mores over a fire. It was amazing and so peaceful.”

“How old were you?”

She opened her eyes. “Ten.” Her smile fell as she remembered what happened as soon as they’d gone home. “When we got back, my mother was in one of her ‘moods’, as my father called them. She and Papa got into a fight, and she kicked him out. Literally, kicked him out the door and put some kind of blessing on the house so he couldn’t enter again because he was a demon.”

Tyr’s chest squeezed. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too. My dad’s been the only stable thing in my life. After that, my mother got worse and worse until I ended up as payment for one of her debts, and then here.”

“Wait.” Tyr held up his gloved hand. “You got beaten up as payment for one of your mother’s debts?”

“Yes and no. My mother owed a guy a lot of money from gambling. He, in turn, told his boss. They broke in about three weeks ago and dragged her out of bed and into the front room. They threatened to kill her if she didn’t come up with the money that day. She said she had something more precious than money. She told them I could read minds. The boss didn’t believe her at first, but then they hauled me out as well. He told me if I didn’t read his thoughts, they would kill my mother.”

“So, you did it.”

“I’ll be honest, there was a moment of indecision on my part. Not because Papa always told me not to use my abilities unless I had to and never to show them to humans. But also, because I was sick of my mother.” She sighed. “In the end, I couldn’t let them kill her. She’s my mother, after all.”

“So he took you? The boss?”

She nodded. “Said I was the prettiest songbird he’d ever seen, and I was going to be his forever.”

“What did your mother do?”

“Nothing. He promised that as long as I stayed, she’d have as many drugs and gamble all she wanted.”

Tyr’s hand slammed on the table, making it shake, and Celeste flinched.

“I’m sorry.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You didn’t scare me; it’s an involuntary reflex, I guess. I used to not be afraid of anything. It makes me so angry how my body reacts like that now. I want it to stop, but…”

“So, he took you and made you use your abilities?”

Celeste looked at her hands. “He tried. At first, he was nice, well, nice-ish. He took me to a fancy house and gave me expensive clothes and jewelry, shoes, and bags and said as long as I stayed with him and helped him, he’d give me whatever I wanted. That didn’t last, though. A couple of days later, he needed my help and took me down to the basement of his mansion. The man tied to a chair was a bloody mess. I expected him to die right while I watched…” She trailed off.

Her eyes took on a faraway expression. He wanted to ask more, but when it came to trauma, you had to let the victim speak in their own time.

“He told me it was time to do my job,” she whispered. “I needed to determine whether or not the man had been stealing from him. So, I delved into the man’s mind, and yes, he had stolen from his boss. But he had done it to pay the hospital bill for his little girl.”

She took a shuddered breath.

“What did you do?” Tyr asked quietly.

“I lied. I told him the man wasn’t stealing. I told him it had been someone else. That was the first time he hit me. He said he had proof the man had stolen from him, and I was covering for him. That night, I slept chained in a closet in the boss’s bedroom above his strip club. It was… awful, to say the least, and not because of the physical abuse, either. He made me watch… other things. After that, I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t be the reason he hurt people. And every time he took me to read someone, I stayed silent, and he would beat me. Later, he would apologize and bring me more gifts. Flowers, food, jewelry. Even a car. When it didn’t work, he tried to appeal to me… sexually. He…”

Tyr’s grip cracked the corner of the wooden table.

Celeste’s gaze traveled to where his metal hand gripped the wood and stayed there for a long minute.

Finally, her gaze connected with his. “He told me if I didn’t do what he wanted, I was no use to him, and he would kill both my mother and me. That’s when he used the bat. I thought he would kill me that night.”

“What stopped him?”

“Someone got stabbed in his club, and he left. When his guard put me back in the closet, I knew when he got back, I would die. So, I did the thing I’d only done once before in my life. The one thing my father told me I must never do unless it was the worst of emergencies. I opened up my mind to the entire world and called for him. I didn’t think he would hear me because I’d been calling for days with no response, but that time, it worked. Something about my kind of psychic power being amplified by the mix of his blood and my mother’s and my ability being able to break through the barrier that separates the realms or something. I don’t know.”

“And he came for you.”

“Yup. He set a fire in the dumpster outside. When everyone raced outside, he broke in, got me out, and brought me down here. Man, it’s only been less than a week, but it feels like it’s been a lifetime since that happened.” Celeste breathed in deeply and smiled. “Is the tea ready?”

Tyr poured them both a bright pink cup of tea. Celeste brought it to her lips, blew on it, and sipped. It tasted of berries and fruit with a hint of cinnamon and something else she couldn’t place. As it slid down her throat, it warmed her from the inside out and made her smile despite having just told Tyr about her ordeal.

It surprised her that she’d not shed one tear while telling him. Why was that? She thought for a moment and realized it was because she wasn’t sad. Wasn’t hurt. She was pissed. Super pissed. Mega pissed at what had been done to her. Now that her injuries had mostly healed, she only wanted one thing– revenge.

Revenge on Anton. Revenge on Amezodile. Revenge on her mother.

Tyr watched her with a heated gaze. She didn’t doubt that if she told him where Anton lived, he would leave that instant to let Anton endure his wrath. Problem was, he would never let her help. Just like her dad. And no matter what her father did to Anton, Celeste would get her own revenge in the end.

“I’ve never had tea before. I like it.” She took another sip.

Tyr nodded and sipped his own tea, but his gaze never left her face.

“So, I told you my story. You tell me yours.”

His eyebrows smashed together. “What story?”

“The story of how you misplaced your hand.”