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Alasdair placed his hand on the small of my back and pushed me into the pavilion ahead of him. I stumbled forward, trying to catch my balance.
If someone wanted to kill him, what did he expect me to do about it? Talk them down? Take them out before they realized I was a threat? I was on unfamiliar ground and not happy about it.
Drawing on my power, I searched my surroundings.
Where Ramzey’s tent had been cold and uninviting, and had somewhat resembled a morgue, Brunhildr’s pavilion was a bastion of luxury. Two burly security guards stood inside the door, flanking the entrance of the massive maroon and gold structure. An interesting place to put them. Clearly Brunhildr was more worried about what might escape her tent, rather than what might enter it.
The guards were dressed like Viking warriors and carried axe and shield in hand. If she was looking for a deterrent, they were doing their job well.
The structure itself looked almost like a circus tent, but with smaller rooms protruding from its three, nine, and twelve o’clock walls.
I strode past the guards, hoping Alasdair was behind me. I gave the guards a nod of acknowledgment, praying they recognized it as a sign of my benign intentions, and made my way further into the pavilion.
A massive yak skin rug had been placed over the calico flooring to add a layer of luxury. The main chamber featured gauzy curtains separating sections of Brunhildr’s shop like aisles at the supermarket. Signs were placed throughout the shop, but they were Viking runes etched into timber boards, so not particularly helpful for me.
At the edge of the main chamber, seemingly guarding the smaller adjoining rooms, stood three statues. Each bore an unmistakable likeness to an Aesir. Facing the entrance was Odin, the Allfather, watching the store with his all-seeing eye, while simultaneously guarding the rearmost cavern of the tent.
Thor stood watch over the adjoining room to my right, while Loki’s likeness as the trickster god stood by the room to my left.
Near the middle of the pavilion, a large pot boiled over an open fire. Beside it, several tables were covered with ingredients in what looked like a bizarre episode of MasterChef. Only in this episode, I couldn’t recognize a single ingredient.
“Alasdair!” a voice bellowed from the rearmost chamber, completely ignoring my presence.
A hand swept aside the gauzy purple curtain and the largest woman I had ever seen emerged from the back room. She was close to seven feet tall and broad shouldered. Her blonde hair was worked into tight braids that ran down the side of her head. She wore Viking leathers inlaid with gold detailing and bronze buckles. Her forearms were almost as big as my thighs, and she had the look of someone who was all too comfortable using her strength.
I might be a bounty hunter, but my instincts told me she was a hardened warrior.
“Brunhildr,” Alasdair called back. “You’re looking lovely as always. How long has it been?”
It was impossible to miss the note of groveling in his voice. Was he genuinely afraid of this behemoth? I could certainly understand if he was—she was an imposing figure—but I’d seen my mentor step up to a troll, and run into hand-to-hand combat with a wyvern. If he was afraid of Brunhildr, then I’d gravely underestimated just how dangerous she was.
“Too long,” she replied, straightening to her full height. “But not nearly long enough for me to forget you leaving me without a word.”
“Oh?” Alasdair replied. “Forgive my oversight, my dear. There was an urgent matter I needed to see to.”
“Was it the same urgent matter that prevented you paying me a visit last time you were in the Yard?” The question was closer to an interrogation than idle conversation.
The woman stepped past me, looming over Alasdair like a giant, blocking out the light from the lantern overhead and casting him into shadow. Alasdair shuffled backwards, went to speak, and then stopped himself.
The longer I stood watching, the more convinced I became that their dealings were not commercial. Somehow I’d ended up with courtside seats to some sort of relationship gone wrong. How Alasdair expected me to help with this was beyond me. So I took a step back and wished I had a carton of popcorn to enjoy his embarrassment.
“Come now, Brunhildr, that had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with Lazarus. He ambushed me as I left Ramzey. The scoundrel thinks I stole his bounty.”
“Lazarus is a little sneak thief,” Brunhildr replied. “He wouldn’t dare show his face in here. Not after he sold me those inferior eel tongues. I’d have his guts for garters.”
It was fun to watch Alasdair squirm, so I said nothing as the massive proprietor bludgeoned her way through his excuses.
There was probably a warning in there somewhere for me, but my intentions with Alasdair were more daydream than dating, so I pushed it from my mind. I wasn’t ready for another relationship, anyway.
“Yes, Brunhildr, but what kind of man would I be, if I brought my troubles to your door? Dragging you into my mess wouldn’t have been fair to you, would it? Fighting my battles is beneath you. So forgive a man his misguided sense of chivalry, would you?”
I raised an eyebrow. Clearly, he was capable of flattery when he felt so inclined. Or perhaps he was simply bargaining for his own well-being. If Brunhildr really was a jilted lover, it didn’t bode well for him. She looked like she could crush the life out of a man with her right fist.
“You’ve never been so shy before,” Brunhildr replied. “There was a time I couldn’t keep you out of my tent.”
Alasdair blushed furiously, his red cheeks visible around his copper beard.
“We’ve been over this, Brunhildr, and we decided to leave things as they were.”
“Oh, did we now?” Brunhildr replied. “Men really are daft at times. It’s a good thing you’re cute.”
Being referred to as cute was the sort of sucker punch every man’s ego needed from time to time.
Brunhildr turned to me. “And now I see why you’ve been neglecting my tent.”
I raised both my hands. “Oh, no, no, no. You have that all wrong. I am his mentee. Alasdair is just showing me the ropes, you know, as a hunter.”
My rambling deflection didn’t sound that persuasive, but she had caught me by surprise.
Brunhildr eyed me warily. The jealousy in her stare was as apparent as it was dangerous.
Which made me wonder why he had brought us here in the first place. Perhaps he should have come alone. For him to brave this Viking, she had to have something he needed bad enough to risk both our lives.
I figured a little groveling couldn’t hurt. “Alasdair told me you were the finest potion maker in the Yard. So I insisted we stop by. I’m sorry if our visit has raised unpleasantness.”
Brunhildr set one hand on her hip, while looking at her nails on the other. “Well, he wasn’t wrong, not about that at least.”
That was a loaded sentence if ever I’d heard one, and I didn’t want any part of it. So I pressed forward, gesturing about with one hand.
“I’ve never met a potion master before. Care to show me around? What sort of potions do you sell?”
Brunhildr smiled. “Just about anything you can imagine, dear, and quite a few you probably never even dreamed of.”
I ran my hand along the bench, pointing at the unusual components. “What’s all this?”
“This brew is an elixir of clear sight,” Brunhildr replied. “Useful for those who hunt or require a keen eye. One dose will help you see details your natural sight might have missed. It will help you see through all but the finest glamor, and your sharpened sight will make you one of the finest marksmen in either realm. Only lasts an hour, though, so it is best deployed carefully.”
I looked at the size of the pot. “You’re brewing quite the batch.”
“It’s one of my best sellers.” Brunhildr paused, as if she noticed she still didn’t know my name.
I extended my hand. “I’m Nora. Nora Byrne.”
“Brunhildr. A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she answered as she took my hand. In my world, single names usually meant superstars. In the Other World, it normally denoted deity.
“It’s fascinating,” I replied. “What else have you got?”
“What are you looking for?” she asked. “I can bottle your dreams, Nora. You’ll have to be more specific.”
It was like rubbing a lamp and speaking to a genie. When confronted with the prospect of wishes, even temporarily granted ones, it was difficult to narrow down exactly what one might want or worse, require.
“Well, I’m a hunter. And I’m not as young as I used to be. Anything that could give me an edge would be extremely useful.”
“Well, Nora, we have lots to choose from.” She pointed past Odin. “Under the domain of the all-seeing eye, we have potions that will increase your awareness, sharpen your mental acuity, or improve your spell craft. We can even increase your capacity to channel the elements.”
She pointed at Thor. “Then we have a range of brews, everything from strength to potions that will increase your natural stamina or martial prowess. Albeit, temporarily.”
“Martial prowess?” I cocked my head to the side. “How is that even possible?”
Brunhildr smiled. “That, Nora, is a trick of the trade. If I told you that, I’d have to kill you, because you’d be competition, and I can’t have that.”
Her words and their potential double meaning weren’t lost on me.
“Fair enough,” I replied, looking at the last statue, that of Loki. “And what’s over there?”
“Over there, we have elixirs of speed, cunning, and deception. Those who cannot work a glamor could affect one that would fool even the Fae. Or move as fast and as lithe as a Sidhe warrior in battle. What sort of budget are we working with?”
I knew better than to discuss budget upfront. Nothing here had a price tag. I was confident Brunhildr charged as she saw fit. Best not to encourage her to charge more than she otherwise might.
“I have means,” I replied, answering without being too specific. “I was hoping you could help me with something for my speed. For when I really need to move.
“A little strength wouldn’t hurt, either, and that potion you’re brewing to sharpen one’s eyes. That would certainly come in handy.”
Once I started naming things, I found myself wanting more and more.
“I think we can do some sort of deal,” Brunhildr replied.
She disappeared into the portion of the tent guarded by Loki and emerged with two vials. One looked like it had a clear fluid swirling like a tornado inside the vial. The other was red and seemed to thrum with energy. Then she slipped into the room by Thor and returned with a blue vial. It was a little bigger than my index finger but with an ornate stopper with a red ruby patterned into the top.
“I could do the three of these for twelve thousand,” Brunhildr replied, laying them on the counter.
Twelve thousand dollars? I tried not to balk openly; I didn’t want to offend the woman. I had no idea what the market for temporary boons was like. Was I getting a good deal or being totally ripped off?
“Twelve is pretty steep. At least for my budget. I just don’t know,” I mused out loud, like I was unsure. “The effects are temporary, aren’t they?”
Brunhildr leaned forward, tapping one hand on the bench. “Never underestimate the value of seizing a window of opportunity, my dear. History turns on small moments, and your life could hinge on the same.”
I’d never spent so much on an impulse purchase in my life. I wasn’t sure any potion could be worth that much money.
“Let me show you.” She left my vials on the counter and snatched up a beaker off the table. She poured a spoonful of it and held it out for me to drink.
I wasn’t in the habit of accepting food from strangers, particularly not one with the power to seemingly brew good fortune or deadly poison at whim. I looked at Alasdair and he nodded.
“That’s one of her bestsellers, sharpens your ability to connect with the elements. I’ve used it before. It’s safe.”
I opened my mouth, and she dumped the contents of the spoon onto my tongue. It tasted like gold and honey before the temperature in my mouth plummeted. It was like I’d licked a frozen pole. The energy of the Yard surged around me and I could feel the currents of Winter and Summer vying for control of it.
I closed my eyes as my entire being flooded with Winter’s might. When I opened them, foggy mist was descending from my fingertips, drifting down to the floor.
“An ice queen. Delightful,” Brunhildr said.
My entire being coursed with power. If this was potent for a human wizard, what would it do for a Sidhe like me?
I closed my fist and willed the mist raining from my fingers to stop.
“Oh, don’t be shy,” Brunhildr replied. “Give it a try.”
Her smile gave me confidence. I opened my fist, pointing at the floor, and mouthed words as if I was summoning a spell. I didn’t want to give away my true nature, so I was learning to lip sync, imitating a human practitioner to conceal my identity.
A massive spear of ice materialized from my open palm, hurtling into the floor of the tent. It pierced the floor and drove six inches into the earth beneath before trembling in place.
I’d barely needed to expel any effort at all. I hesitated to think just how much damage I could do if I was trying.
I reached into my pocket, pulled out the cash, and peeled twelve thousand dollars off the stack before setting it on the table.
“You’ve got a deal.”
Brunhildr eyed the notes that I put back in my pocket and reached for a brown leather pouch on her belt. Opening it, she pulled out a tiny capsule with pink liquid swirling about in it.
“If that other cash is weighing you down, maybe consider some essence of Cupid. A few drops will turn any man in your life into a machine in the boudoir. Handle with care.”
I eyed the pink potion and thought of who I might use it on, then I did my best not to blush in his presence.
“Men have caused me quite enough trouble for the time being,” I said. “Just these three, if you don’t mind.”
Brunhildr chuckled. “Men, they’re nothing but trouble.”
She pocketed the cash and the essence of Cupid, and handed me my vials.
I loaded them into different pockets of my leather jacket, feeling more confident than ever now that I had a little extra help on my side.
Brunhildr smiled at me. “A pleasure doing business with you. Come back any time.”
She turned to Alasdair. “What do you want, Alasdair? Clearly you want something, or you wouldn’t have stopped by.”
Alasdair set his knapsack on the table and reached into it. His lips moved as he muttered the incantation to open the portal. He pulled out an esky almost as large as the bag and set it on the counter.
It was packed with large black shapes that were unmistakably organs of some kind.
“What I wanted was to bring you a present, my dear. My way of apology. The hearts of three adult Dobhar-chú. A rare treasure for a rare woman. Consider them a gift and a fool’s hope at making up for any harm he might have caused.”
Brunhildr stared at the hearts, her jaw dropping open. “You’re serious? Where did you find them?”
“I harvested them myself, from three foolish beasts that wandered into our realm,” he replied, leaning on the counter. “When I cleaned the corpses, I couldn’t help but think you might appreciate these. We both know what they’re good for.”
“We do indeed.” Brunhildr grabbed Alasdair by his shoulders, yanking him into her chest. The embrace was so tight, I thought he might burst.
“Alasdair, you’re an angel,” she replied, barely able to contain her enthusiasm.
As she practically squeezed the life out of him, he beat his palms on the back of her armor until she eventually let him go.
“They’re terribly valuable,” she replied. “You must know that. And you’re giving them to me? All of them?”
“I meant what I said,” Alasdair replied. “I never meant to hurt you, Brunhildr, which is one reason I didn’t come when I was last here. I knew I needed to find a suitable gift with which to atone. I hope you’ll not think poorly of me now.”
“Precious chance of that,” she replied. “Ramzey will be green with envy. The little maggot has been trying to source these for years. They could fetch a fortune in his market.”
“No doubt,” Alasdair replied. “And I brought them to you anyway. Remember that next time you want to bully an old man.”
She smiled as she gave him a sideways glance. “Not that old, she replied. “Not where it counts.”
Alasdair could have done with a potion of invisibility, because he was blushing furiously.
“I was also hoping you might be able to help me with a potion of keenness,” he said. “Not too long ago, I faced a wyvern. It was so old and dangerous, I could scarcely scratch its hide.”
“Anything for you, dearest,” Brunhildr replied in the greatest attitudinal turnaround I’d ever witnessed. She made her way back past the Allfather and emerged with a vial of quicksilver fluid. “Coat the blade in this, and that old wyrm won’t stand a chance.”
She handed over the vial and leaned closer to him. “If you should happen to bring it down, I could use some of the scales. My supplies are running low.”
“If it’s fool enough to come back, I’ll see what I can do,” Alasdair replied. “Anything for you, my Norse goddess.”
Brunhildr beamed and Alasdair shot me a wink when she wasn’t looking. We packed our supplies, said our goodbyes to Brunhildr, and made our way out into the yard.
“Well, that was interesting,” I replied as we wandered down the grassy lane.
“Don’t you even start,” Alasdair said.
“Not old, indeed.” I chortled as the color rose in his cheeks. “Are we getting that drink? Or are there other jilted goddesses that you’d like to visit?”
“Yes, to the drink,” he replied, bristling at my barb. “And we will be meeting someone. He isn’t a goddess, smartarse, but he’ll kill you with a thought if he thinks it will serve his purpose. So keep your head down and follow my lead.”