Chapter Twenty-One

“Hel has stolen the Book of Odin.” The sentinel shook his head, sadness in his eyes. “I could not prevent her. She used the powers of darkness to circumvent my traps and overwhelm me.”

“Hel? Who is that?” Erika asked, aware the name sounded familiar.

“She is goddess of the underworld and daughter of Loki,” Magnor reminded her.

The sentinel pointed a bony finger at him. “If you intend to retrieve the sacred Book of Odin, you must travel to the land of the dead.”

“To the underworld? Are you daft?”

“You must go alone, Drift Lord. The queen of death will yield this treasure to no one else. But she won’t give it up easily. You’ll need a bargaining chip.”

“Great Cosmos, what would that be?”

Erika gazed at him in dismay. This just got worse and worse. How would he even get to the underworld? Didn’t you have to be dead to go there, if it really existed?

“She would value a flask of mead from the dwarfs. Made of blood mixed with honey and imbued with magic, the elixir instills wisdom upon all who drink it.”

Magnor glanced at Erika in consternation. Oh, no, not another quest, she could almost hear him saying in her head.

His mouth thinned. “Paz has a contact among the dwarfs. We’ll return to Florida. I need to catch up with my team’s progress anyway.”

He spoke in a melancholy tone, as though he blamed himself for this setback. It wasn’t his fault. He should be proud that they’d made it this far.

“My time is at an end. I have done my duty. Safe journey, my children.” The sentinel’s legs folded, and he collapsed.

“Wait!” Magnor rushed forward and knelt by the old man’s side, but the fellow didn’t stir. Magnor felt for a pulse. “He’s dead.” His voice held incredulity.

Erika signaled. “Let’s leave this place. We’re done here.”

Magnor rose and swept his cape behind him. His hand found the hilt of his sword as habit. “The sentinel neglected to tell us the way out.”

Erika strode to the wall of solid rock and walked the perimeter. She didn’t see anything that might be construed as an exit. No outlines in the granite, no knobby protrusions, no etchings in the stone.

Magnor caught up and placed his hand on her shoulder. His intense dark eyes captured hers. “I have an idea. The old man said, safe journey, my children. He addressed both of us.”

“So, what does that mean? I’m supposed to go to Hel with you?” Considering what had happened lately, she wouldn’t be surprised.

“That is my task. But the sentinel knew we have to work together. I assume he also knew of your powers. You hold the key to our escape.” He glanced pointedly at her wristwatch.

“You’re forgetting one thing. I don’t know how to use it.”

“Concentrate. Take us to Orlando, Florida.”

“Yeah, right.” Her feet picked up a low vibration, and she stiffened. “What’s that?”

The ground jerked. Then the entire cavern shook with a violent tremor. A jagged stalactite broke away and crashed onto the dirt. Boulders wavered, threatening to topple across their path. Debris rained down upon them.

“Cover your head!” Magnor swept his cape over them both as they crouched against a wall.

Erika peered out as dust clogged her nostrils. A huge pillar cracked. She felt the blood drain from her face. If those support columns failed, the entire mountain might crash down upon them.

“Do something,” Magnor urged, his face grim.

“I-I’ll try.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as the tremors continued. Bits of soil and stones flew through the air. A loud thud indicated a heavy rock being unseated. Soon more would follow. Something thwacked her on the arm.

There had to be another way out. They couldn’t have come all this way only to be trapped here. More rocks tumbled down, piling up around them, entombing them.

A loud cracking sounded overhead followed by a series of thuds. Magnor cried out with an exclamation of pain.

His arms, which had been wrapped protectively around her, went slack. Her heart racing, Erika thrust the cape aside to see the damage. Blood seeped down her husband’s pale face. A gnarled stalactite lay nearby.

“No-o-o,” she howled, cradling him in her arms. If only she could transport them to safety. If only—

Something smashed her on the head, and all went dark.

****

“Magnor, wake up!” A woman’s familiar voice roused him. “Come on, open your eyes.” She prodded his arm.

With a groan, he stretched and obeyed. Erika stared down at him, her flame-colored hair feathering her anxious face. She looked pale and drawn, a mat of dried blood on her temple.

“What happened?” He pushed himself upright, pausing as his head whirled dizzily.

“We were in the cave, remember? The tremors loosened rocks all around us. We both got conked out. When I came to, we were here. I-I think we’re back in the States.”

Bright sunlight hurt his eyes, which he shaded with a hand. One glimpse of the palm trees, the lush greenery, and the traffic, and he had an idea of their location. His PIP confirmed it. With a grimace of pain, he pocketed the device and dragged himself to his feet.

“Here, let me help you.” He hauled Erika to her full height, examining her with a critical eye.

Aside from that fresh bruise on her head, she appeared all right. Her clothing, ripped and dirty, was another matter. His lips curved upward. Despite everything they’d been through, she still held onto her purse strapped tightly on one shoulder.

“We made it to Florida. Good work, wife.”

Erika gazed at him askance. “Florida? How is that possible?”

“You must have activated your vector device. And good targeting, too.” He pointed down the residential street of attractive one-story homes and manicured lawns. “Our safe house isn’t far.”

Her eyes scrunched. “How would I even know that?”

“You must have gotten the information from me.”

“Like, we have some sort of mental connection? That would explain how I knew those answers in the casino contest. I’d wondered how the correct responses popped into my brain.”

“It’s my Tsuran blood. We forge a strong bond to our mate.”

They stared at each other, weighing what that meant.

Magnor readjusted his backpack. “Come, I must report in to my team. If Nira is here, you can meet her at last and exchange news.”

But as they started down the street, doors opened and residents emerged. Their blank expressions raised his hackles.

Tires screeched to a halt beside them, and the passenger window rolled down on a black sedan.

“Get in,” Paz hollered from the driver’s seat. “We’ve changed the safe house. This one has been compromised.”

They tumbled into the rear seat and then Paz took off in a cloud of dust. Magnor let his muscles relax. He took Erika’s hand, drawing circles on her palm while she sagged against him. At least now he’d be able to take better care of her. She’d been a true warrior, and he would be proud to introduce her to the Drift Lords.

“We picked up your wrist comm locator a short while ago,” the communications officer said to Magnor. “You’ve been off the radar for quite some time.”

“I have a lot to tell you.”

“How are you holding up, Erika?” Paz asked, glancing into the rear view mirror.

“I’m managing, thanks. It’s been an adventure.”

“I can imagine. Prince Zohar has called a strategy meeting since we’re all present.”

Magnor gave a terse nod. “Good, because we have dire news. I’ve hit a roadblock in my mission.”

Zohar greeted him with relief upon his arrival at their new headquarters, a nondescript house on another homogenous street. His dark brown hair brushed back from his forehead in his usual authoritative style, Zohar regarded him with somber eyes after giving him a brotherly slug on the shoulder.

“It is good to see you safely among us again, Lord Magnor. So this is your lady?” His eyes crinkled in warmth as he turned to Erika and held out his hand.

She took it with a smile and offered a firm handshake. “I’m Erika Sherwood.” Although married, she hadn’t had time to change her legal name. But why bother if she meant to get a divorce? She had no obligation to Magnor beyond their mission.

“Erika, this is Zohar Thorald, Captain of the Drift Lords and Crown Prince of the Star Empire,” Magnor said.

She bowed her head. “I am honored, your highness, sir.”

Zohar chuckled. “No formalities, please. Come inside, you both look like you could use some attention from our medic.”

Erika strode through the front door, her chin lifted. Magnor had no doubt she could hold her own in this crowd.

He spotted a familiar face and rushed forward. “Kaj, it’s good to see you! You are well, I hope?”

The young man offered him a rare smile. “Yes, I am fine, thanks. May I introduce you to Maggie Holten?” He signaled to a stunning brunette who joined them.

“I see you’ve been busy in my absence. You’ll have to tell me your story.” Magnor yearned to hear how Kaj had escaped captivity and paired with Maggie.

“Later. Zohar wants to hold a briefing.”

Magnor drew Erika forward and introduced her.

“Looks like you need some healing,” said Yaron, the team medic, as he strode over. A shy young woman accompanied him.

It appeared Kaj’s tale wasn’t the only one he’d missed, but his friends would have to fill him in later.

Yaron attended to their wounds and pronounced them fit for duty. He and Erika were allowed to wash up, change into clean clothes, and get a snack.

The team gathered in the family room with its entertainment center. Zohar took command, pacing back and forth. He scraped a hand through his hair as he began the session.

“Lord Magnor, you’re the last one here, so your news is the most fresh. You can start.”

Magnor came forward, unencumbered by his cape or sword that he’d left in the bedroom. His jaw taut, he faced his commanding officer.

“Sire, I regret to inform you that I have failed in my task to find the fabled weapon that will destroy the Trolleks.”

“What? I thought you’d discovered the hiding place for the Book of Odin.”

“Indeed, we did. A sentinel stood guard over the relic for many eons, waiting for a chosen one to appear. We passed the trials to enter the cavern where the book was kept. But when we met him, the old man gave us the bad news that Hel had stolen the artifact.”

“Oh, no.” Nira, who’d been seated on the couch, sprang to her feet. A redhead like Erika, her hair had a lighter tint and was much shorter.

“This is bad.” Zohar held his gaze. “How long ago did this theft take place?”

“The sentinel didn’t say. He collapsed soon after imparting his message. With his death, a quake commenced. We escaped the cave and headed back here.”

“We need that weapon now more than ever.” Zohar’s eyes narrowed. “How did you obtain transport to Florida?”

“Erika used her vector device. It was a subconscious effort on her part. She needs some lessons in that regard.”

“I’ll be happy to oblige.” Nira smiled approvingly at Erika.

Zohar held up a hand. “Let’s backtrack a bit. Tell us what happened from the first time you and Erika met each other.”

Magnor paced the room while recanting the start of their adventure. Snickers sounded when he mentioned the contest and how they’d gotten married on live television.

“I’d noticed her wristwatch and recognized the markings as similar to the ones on Nira’s timepiece. It seemed the best way to keep Erika close and protect her. From then on, things happened fast.”

“You sent me a copy of the scroll from the museum exhibit,” Nira reminded him with a thoughtful pout. “While I deciphered the writing at this end, where were you?”

“We were under pursuit. The Trolleks chased us into the streets. Then a strange thing happened. Ordinary people turned on us like robots.”

Kaj jumped to his feet, his gray eyes blazing. “That’s because the enemy is activating their army of mind slaves. Confounded people everywhere are being called to duty. The scope of infiltration into world governments is beyond anything we’ve imagined.”

“How did you get away?” Zohar prompted Magnor.

“Edith came by and gave us a ride.”

Nira’s eyebrows arched. “Edith Marsh? A gray-haired lady?”

“Yes, the Gatekeeper aided us.” They exchanged a significant glance. Magnor remembered Nira’s story about meeting the shotgun-wielding runecaster who lived in an isolated cabin outside Cassadaga.

“Edith is the person who first related the prophecy to me,” Nira explained to Erika. “The six daughters of Odin must unite with the six sons of Thor to chant the ancient words and prevent the coming darkness.”

“Will that get rid of the Trolleks and stop their invasion?” Erika asked.

“No, we were hoping Lord Magnor would take care of that problem for us. The verse we’re after will dispel Loki back to his underground prison. The inscriptions on our wristwatches hold the key to the rune.”

Magnor tilted his head, grateful Yaron had healed his lacerations with a tissue regenerator. “How are you ladies progressing in your research?” he said to Nira.

“We’re trying to make sense of the markings we’ve put together. Erika’s piece may complete the puzzle.”

“We’ll discuss this aspect later.” Zohar gestured to him. “Magnor, continue with your report. Where did Edith take you?”

Magnor clasped his hands behind his back. “She drove us to a safe house in the desert. Shortly thereafter, I spoke to Nira. She’d interpreted the scroll and gave us the coordinates for Copenhagen.”

“Right, and I picked you up in the shuttle and took you back to the resort,” Paz said. Beside him sat a lovely woman who wore her raven hair in a twist. Jennifer Dyhr, a fashion designer, had a figure like one of her models.

Magnor focused on his story. “We accessed the portal there and ended up in Los Angeles. This locale turned out to have another Trollek recruitment center inside a popular movie studio, but we also discovered a military command post.”

“You wasted time by taking a detour,” Zohar chided him. “If you’d gone directly to Copenhagen, you might have beat Hel to the Book of Odin.”

Erika, who’d been looking increasingly distressed by their discussion, leapt up from her perch. “Don’t blame him. He’s been wonderful. You won’t believe the things we’ve had to do to reach the sentinel.”

Zohar gave her an imperious glance. “Why don’t you fill us in then, Miss Sherwood?”

“Actually, I suppose it’s Mrs. Magnor now, although I haven’t officially changed my name.”

Magnor’s gaze swung toward her. Did she truly intend to stay wed to him? Why would she want to remain his wife?

Regardless of her motives, he doubted she had considered the consequences. He could be called to duty at any time if another threat emerged. And in the intervals when his Drift Lord duties didn’t occupy him, he had no place to call home.

She must have spoken in haste. Surely she wouldn’t care to tie herself to a man condemned by his failures.

Nonetheless, he tuned in to what she had to say with bated breath.