Chapter Twenty-Four

Magnor held his tongue, other than uttering appropriate words of admiration, during their tour of the dwarf king’s palace. When Rok’by, their guide, led them to the dungeon, he bit back his surprise. Hopefully this segment wouldn’t lead to a permanent visit.

But why would King Tiberius trick them? He’d want to show magnanimity, so the Drift Lords would value his worth. Then again, for all Magnor knew, inside the stoppered vial could be apple juice rather than ambrosia. He’d had to give up his sword to obtain the prize, and he wouldn’t leave without it.

A plan had hatched in his mind earlier, but this detour hadn’t been part of it. They’d entered a lower region carved out of rock and gloomy with sparse lighting. Two guards let them through a heavy iron door into the detention area beyond, where a single light bulb glared overhead in the central lane.

Barred cells lined either side of the corridor. Bedraggled occupants, mostly other dwarfs, stared at them with despair as they passed. Erika held a hand to her nose. It stank down here, from mildew and urine.

“What crimes have these people committed?” Magnor asked Rok’by, whose scowl indicated he was none too pleased about this visit, either.

“They’re thieves, mostly, who’ve grown too greedy for their own good. They get a flogging commensurate with the value of the goods stolen and then are locked down here until space is available in one of the forced labor camps. More serious crimes are punishable by death.”

“I didn’t steal nuthin’,” one of them shouted. “He’s lying. I spoke against the king’s taxes, and this is where it got me.”

“Is that true?” Erika asked in a tremulous tone.

Rok’by shrugged, while Magnor wished Smitty had been allowed to accompany them. Probably the king feared his chief courier might become tainted by too much exposure to humans.

A clanging noise distracted him, and he twisted toward the sound. The blond woman who’d faced the king’s sentence rapped a tin cup against her bars. “Help me! I’m innocently accused.”

“According to the evidence, lady, you’re a thief,” Rok’by sneered. “You’ll get your lashes on the morrow. That’ll teach you to steal from the dwarfs. Come on, humans, we’ve seen enough. Let this serve as a warning not to cross us.”

“Wait.” Unable to stop himself, Magnor approached the girl, who looked to be in her twenties. “What are you accused of taking?”

The prisoner gazed at him with frantic brown eyes. Her wrists no longer bound, she clutched at the bars, her pale face upturned toward him.

“Please! I’d come exploring with my partner. We’re archeologists, and he’d found references to a place that might have been the lost city of Atlantis. But it was a trick. He’d learned of the great treasure here and meant to raid it. He left me behind when we were discovered so I’d get the blame.”

Magnor’s brows drew together. Was there any truth in her words? He scoured her dirt-smudged face but could find no trace of guile. With the foul odor in this place, it was impossible to detect Trollek pheromones. Wouldn’t the dwarfs have tested her at first confinement?

“What was this evidence you found against her?” he asked their reluctant guide.

“She was caught red-handed in the treasure room. It appeared as though she’d tripped on a step and hit her head when she fell, while her partner got away without knowing she wasn’t directly behind. A patrol found her lying there with jewels in her hand.”

“That’s it? Didn’t your fellows think maybe she’d been telling the truth? A real partner would have come back for her.”

Rok’by glowered at him. “Be wary, human, or her beauty will confound you. Oh, she’s not a Trollek,” he said upon Magnor’s inadvertent step backward. “We checked to be sure. But she may be an agent of the demon himself, sent here to spy on us.”

Could she be confounded and acting on Loki’s behalf? If so, why? To determine where the dwarf king’s loyalties lie?

“Perhaps the whipping will kill her,” Rok’by added in a nonchalant tone. “Then she won’t have to slave in the coal mines. She’s a frail thing. It would be a blessing.”

The woman choked on a sob, while Magnor’s fingers curled. He clamped his lips tight to avoid betraying his emotion.

“May I have a moment to pray with her?” he asked, forcing his face into a mask of compassion.

Rok’by gave him a startled glance, while Erika’s eyes narrowed. She knew him well enough by now to tell he was up to something.

“I suppose it wouldn’t do any harm, but keep your hands where I can see them.” The dwarf stepped back, gesturing for Erika to do the same.

Magnor waited until they were out of earshot before leaning inward. “How do I know you’re being truthful and are not simply trying to gain my sympathy?”

“Oh, sir, why would I lie?” The woman’s voice held a pleading note. “These creatures won’t listen to reason. How could John do this to me?” Her eyes filled with tears.

“Was he your lover?”

“John is my brother. He’s always had a penchant for trouble. I should have learned my lesson when he took those Canopic jars from the tomb outside Cairo. Why did I trust him this time?”

Magnor was no stranger to betrayal. He’d have to take the chance that she wasn’t already a mind slave to the Trolleks. “I’ll get you out. Pretend you’re distressed by your fate.”

“It’s no pretense.” She grasped for him but met empty air. “Thank you, sir,” she said in a loud voice, “for bringing me comfort. At least I’ll go to my doom knowing my soul is at peace.”

“May the gods forgive you.” Magnor backed away, his head bowed while he altered his earlier plan for this new ripple.

He didn’t want Erika anywhere nearby in case he failed. In that event, it would be her job to deliver the mead to Hel and retrieve the Book of Odin.

Was this detour worth his mission? Was he being foolish in hoping to recover his sword and rescue this woman? Should he turn his back on them both and proceed?

He gnawed on his lower lip as Rok’by led them out of the dungeon, back into the palace with its brightly lit chambers filled with gold and works of art, and out toward the city gates.

He could no more turn his back on the imprisoned female than he could detach himself from his blade. This choice wasn’t one he consciously had to make. It was done for him by his past experience. Hopefully, the outcome wouldn’t make the Drift Lords sorry they’d accepted him into their fold.

Smitty arrived to see them off with a grumpy farewell. As soon as he and Erika were out of sight of the two dwarfs, Magnor increased their pace. He had the route to the surface on his PIP now. A towering cliff of sheer rock bordered one side of the narrow path leading upward, while a precipice dropped away on the other.

“What’s wrong?” Erika said after they reached the ledge where they’d first viewed signs of civilization below. She halted to regard him. Water dribbled down the wall behind her, glistening on the rock face.

“I’m going back.” He took the prized vial from his pocket and handed it to her. “Take this and keep it safe. Go on a little farther until you find a comfortable spot to wait.” He checked the time. Had so many hours passed already? “If I’m not back by midnight, get to the surface and use your vector device to return to my team.”

Her mouth gaped. “Are you crazy? What are you planning?”

“I want my sword. And there’s that woman.”

“What, the prisoner?” She raised her hands to heaven. “Now I know you’ve gone bonkers. Why, Magnor?”

His lips thinned. “She stands accused of a crime she didn’t commit.”

“Ah.” Comprehension lit her features. “But you don’t know that for a fact. She could very well be guilty. And why risk your mission for a stranger? Doesn’t the good of the many outweigh the good of the few, or the one?”

“Huh?”

Her shoulder lifted and fell. “It’s a quote from a movie. But seriously, you need to stick to your mission and use this vial to obtain the Book of Odin. Rescuing a prisoner from the dwarfs and retrieving your sword isn’t in the game plan. You’ll risk alienating the dwarfs, and they’re allies.”

“Then they should have given me the elixir freely without imposing conditions.”

“It’s not their way.” She brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Think clearly, Magnor, with your brain and not with your emotions. You’re blinded by your past in the case of that girl. Let it go.”

“I cannot. She is to be whipped tomorrow and might not survive the flogging. If there is any chance she is innocent, I must act to save her.”

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“No, you are not. You will obey me, wife.”

They faced off, staring at each other. As he gazed into her lustrous green eyes, he imagined sending her a mental message of how much he cared and wanted her to be safe. She’d be a distraction if she accompanied him. The words wouldn’t come to his lips so he transmitted them that way. His eyes took on a glow. He saw them reflected in her own.

Some believed his tribe had telepathic powers, from the way wild animals left them alone and from how they coordinated attacks on their enemy. Part of it was due to their ability to see well in the dark, but he’d had experiences that could almost verify this ability.

Erika dropped her gaze. “All right, but you’d better stay safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

No one else had ever said those words to him. Unable to resist, he swept her into his arms. He planted a kiss on her forehead when what he really wanted to do was ravage her mouth.

“Do not worry, I have a plan. The city has a sewer system, remember? That’s my way inside.”

He left her his cape for warmth and to unburden himself in case he had to crawl through small spaces. He’d noticed a treatment plant in the distance and would head there to find a point of entry.

****

Erika dozed off as she waited, huddling on the cold ground of a distant cavern. She’d followed the path until it had widened into this chamber. When she awoke, hours had passed. She stretched and yawned, then shook out Magnor’s cape which she’d used as a mat. It smelled of him, woodsy and masculine.

Her throat was parched, so she took a drink from the water bottle Smitty had supplied before they left. A nutrient bar gave her energy. Aware of a gnawing sense of disquiet, she stuffed the empty wrapper into her handbag.

Magnor was late. She’d overslept his deadline by two hours.

Standing, she raked her fingers through her tangled hair. Could Magnor trust the captive woman not to betray him, assuming he had sprung her from prison? Maybe she’d been a plant by the dwarfs, a test to see if he was trustworthy. If so, then by now he would have taken her place in the dungeon.

Erika understood his motives. He’d been wrongly accused and couldn’t stand to see others face the same injustice. But this was the wrong time to let his personal hang-ups get in the way of their mission. Too much was at stake.

Should she continue to wait for him despite his orders?

She reminded herself of what was at risk if she delayed her departure. Without the Book of Odin and its fabled weapon, the dark wave of invasion would spread across the globe.

All the while, Loki stirred, fueling the embers of distrust on the surface while feeding a writhing monster below that would burst free in a violent cataclysm. This would set off a chain reaction to shatter the dimensional barriers, widening the drift as Loki had intended from the start. The multiverse would be consumed in a great cosmic blast, and all because she and Magnor had been too selfish to focus on their goal.

Her shoulders slumped, and despondency seeped into her bones. Maybe Magnor would have been resistant to the plight of the female prisoner if she hadn’t come along. Her influence softened him and could lead to his undoing. She should have stayed behind.

She bent her head and took a few faltering steps toward the opposite end of the chamber.

Give yourself some credit, girl. He’s a full-fledged Drift Lord now, thanks to you. He wouldn’t have gotten this far without your input and encouragement. You strengthen him.

Her chin lifted, and her resolve firmed. By God, she was letting her old doubts take hold of her again. She thought she’d learned to ignore her sisters’ disparaging remarks and live life in her own manner. Evidently, old grievances were hard to let go. She could say the same for Magnor.

The two of them were more alike than they knew.

Determined not to leave without him, she paced back and forth, worry eating her innards and churning her stomach. Where was he?

She’d just decided to head back toward the city to gain intelligence when footfalls approached.

Hastening behind a column, she held her breath.

“I think she’s gone,” Magnor’s voice rasped. “It’s beyond our rendezvous time. We’ll meet up with her on the surface.”

“No, Magnor, I waited for you.” With a whoosh of relief, Erika rushed forward from her hiding place.

He looked magnificent, standing in the archway leading into the chamber. The bedraggled prisoner stood beside him.

Erika stopped short of embracing him. “I was almost ready to go on. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Erika, this is Imogene. We must make haste. The dwarfs are not too happy with me at the moment.”

She pointed to the sword strapped onto his hip. “I see you retrieved your weapon.”

“Yes, Grimshaw is mine again.”

“What? You have a name for your blade? Why didn’t you mention it before?”

He gave her a sheepish grin. “There was no need. And then there’s our tribal belief that sharing a name weakens a man.”

Imogene snorted. “Ha, that’s true for the dwarfs, too. But cutting their hair is what makes them vulnerable. They lose their power of invisibility along with their strength. If I’d had a pair of shears, I would have made my escape sooner. As it is, I have your warrior to thank for rescuing me.”

“That won’t last long if we don’t hurry.” Magnor gestured for them to move along.

“The dwarfs can become invisible?” Erika swallowed nervously as she glanced over her shoulder.

“Yes, so let’s go. We set off an alarm, and they aren’t far behind. I suspect they won’t follow us into the daylight. It’ll be dawn by the time we surface.”

They accessed the tunnels, climbed across ridges, and squeezed between boulders. Careful not to trip over the many protrusions in her path, Erika kept silent. She didn’t want to discuss sensitive information in the stranger’s presence.

Voices echoed from the path behind them for a while but then trailed off. Their pursuers must have given up, glad to be rid of the interlopers. She hoped the king wouldn’t hold Magnor’s actions against his team as a whole. They needed the liege’s aid in the coming battle.

Another hour passed while they maneuvered their way past various obstacles. Finally a dim light gleamed up ahead. It grew as they neared, and Erika cried out in relief when she saw the trees outlining the cave’s entrance.

The cool morning air chilled her skin, but she’d given the cape back to Magnor. She folded her arms across her chest while they paused to take stock of their surroundings. Ahead rose an evergreen forest in hilly terrain. Wind whistled through the pines, rustling branches and blowing hair into her face.

“I’ll find my own way now,” Imogene said with a grateful smile. The chilly temperature didn’t seem to bother her despite her ragged clothing and slight figure. “But first, I have a gift for you.” She lifted her skirt and removed an item strapped to her leg.

Erika peered at her with suspicion. “Didn’t the dwarfs search you when they took you captive?”

“They gave me a brief inspection, that’s all. Here, this horn will assist you in your quest.” She offered a shiny gold instrument in her open palm. “It blows a warning when your true enemy is near. Bring it with you to Hel’s realm, Lord Magnor. You will have use of it there.”

Magnor grasped Imogene’s arm. “This item possesses magic properties? Did you steal it from the dwarfs? And how do you know my mission?”

“I overheard your plea for assistance to King Tiberius. My only intent is to return the favor you’ve done me,” Imogene said in a sweet voice.

Magnor dropped her arm as though the contact burnt him. “That may be so, but it doesn’t explain your possession of this golden horn.”

“Milord, what is that American expression? Don’t look a gift hog in the mouth.”

Erika’s lips curved. Despite her doubts, she was beginning to like the woman. “It’s horse, Imogene. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Imogene glanced over Magnor’s shoulder. “We don’t have much time. A friend is picking me up, and he’ll be here soon.”

Had Imogene known Magnor would arrive to rescue her? That indicated it might have been her plan all along to get captured.

Worried about her trustworthiness, Erika almost missed the woman’s next question.

“Tell me, Drift Lord, how do you plan to breach the gates to the underworld?”

He pointed to Erika’s wristwatch, while she wondered how Imogene had gotten word to someone to meet her there. “I was hoping my wife could take me.”

Imogene shook her head, loose waves of hair framing her face. “Only one way exists to enter Hel’s domain, and you must go alone.”

“What’s that?”

“I’d think you would have guessed. Very simply, you have to die.”