The sleek ship carrying Keely and Leo was small and cramped with only basic bunks and a tiny galley for cooking, but it was fast. The second morning after they departed, Keely stood in the prow, letting the water spray her. Dolphins kept pace with them, gliding along with their silvery bodies. They made her feel hopeful, as if the world had not yet turned against them.
Life was so different now. Good golly, she had magic! How crazy was that? She looked down at her hands, wondering at the energy that flowed in her veins. Her encounter with Mimir had left her with a touch of Eifalian blood. She reached a hand up to her silvery white hair. It was cool to be able to do things. Like, she could sense when someone was lying. Howie was the easiest. His aura fairly burned with shame when he denied passing gas or taking the last serving of jookberry pie.
In a leather satchel, she carried the pink healing crystal she had acquired in Ter Glenn and the small phoralite shell that lit up at night. The shell had given her courage in the darkness more times than she could count. Orkney had become her second home, in a way, more home than Pilot Rock had ever been—at least since her mom had died.
A wave of regret washed over her as she thought of her dad and what he must be going through. Even though she’d asked the god Ymir to let him know she was okay, the great creator probably had far bigger things to worry about than whether or not a foolish girl had sent a message to her father.
Keely leaned back and let the sun warm her face. It would get colder soon. They had passed the eastern shores of Garamond at dawn and would soon reach Rakim, the icy island to the north. Memories of her last visit haunted her. If only she had done something different, somehow stopped King Einolach from sacrificing himself. A tear slid down her cheek at the memory.
Leo joined her. That boy moved silent as a cat. “Why so sad?” he asked, wiping the tear away with his thumb. “You’re thinking of the king,” he guessed. “It’s not your fault, you know. You couldn’t have seen what would happen.”
Keely shrugged, wrapping her arms tightly around her chest. “You don’t look so hot yourself. You’ve been quiet since we left.”
Tension coiled under his skin like a live wire, and then he exploded. “I should have never let Loki go! I should have just stayed in the underworld. I was the Sacrifice, and I failed.” He pounded his fist on the railing.
“Hey, stop it.” Keely gripped his arm, yanking him around to face her. “Don’t you dare say that. We all have a lot to bear. Sam killed Odin, someone he loved and respected. I let a king die, let him lose his head in front of me. You let Loki out of his prison. We can’t fall apart because we made mistakes; we have to go forward together, or we will never beat this.”
Leo didn’t look convinced, but before Keely could go on, Galatin called out, “Land ahead.”
Keely looked to her left and gasped as the forbidding cliffs of Rakim jutted from the sea. Snow frosted the distant mountains that divided Rakim from the Eifalian kingdom of Torf-Einnar. The Vanirian capital city, Galas, perched on the cliffs, warning off invaders with its high ramparts. The long trail leading up to the gates brought back memories of her last visit.
Galatin eased the boat into the channel. The air was crisp, and a light snow had recently fallen. Keely was grateful for the fur coat and comfortable deerskin boots she wore.
The docks were surprisingly deserted. A few ships bobbed, but the walkways were empty, as if everyone had left.
“Was it this quiet last time?” Leo asked as Galatin led them up the hill.
Keely shook her head, uneasy. They couldn’t be too late. They just couldn’t.
Leo took her hand and squeezed it. “Don’t worry; everything is going to be fine.”
Keely very much wanted to believe that, but as they crested the top, winded and out of breath, she gasped. The Vanirian army that had taken up ranks in the large arena, filling the barracks and the stands, was gone.
They stood looking down at the empty practice grounds.
“Maybe they’re out on a training mission,” Leo said.
“All of them?” Keely asked. “No, we’re too late. Loki’s beat us to it.”
“Not all of them.” Galatin nodded at an approaching rider. It was a Vanirian soldier, an older one, by the looks of it. Gray hair came past his shoulders, but he sat up ramrod straight on his horse. Vanirian horses were as big as Clydesdales, with well-muscled legs to hold their oversized riders.
He stopped in front of them and eyed them from atop his mount. “I know you,” he pointed to Keely. “You are the Eifalian girl. You should not have returned here.” He looked back over his shoulder to see if anyone else was coming. “Leave now, or I cannot guarantee your safety.”
Keely stepped forward, putting her hand on his horse. “Please, where is Joran? The king is a friend to us. He mustn’t go to war with the Eifalians.”
“Joran is no friend of yours, child,” he said bitterly, pulling his horse sharply away. “And it’s the Eifalians that have declared war on us. They will pay for their treachery.”
Behind him, the sound of more horses clattering over the bridge had him turning away. “I warned you. You should have left when you had the chance.”
A group of Vanirian soldiers rode up in a swarm, their faces angry masks. Keely was confused. They grabbed the visitors roughly, jostling them and shoving them. “I don’t understand,” she cried. “Why are you acting this way?”
“Keely!” Leo shouted. He reached for her, but a frost giant twisted her arms behind her back. When Leo struck out at one, the giant simply swatted him away and lofted him over his shoulder. Galatin drew his sword, then lowered it. He was surrounded by three of them.
Another horse rode up, pushing its way forward. A woman’s voice called out, “What is going on here?”
Keely recognized the regal figure. It was the queen, Joran’s wife. Keely wriggled free from the slackened grasp of the frost giant. “Your Highness, why have you gone to war against the Eifalians?”
The queen’s eyes flicked over her, then widened in recognition. “Come, this is better said inside the walls of the keep. I promise you no harm will come to you.” She snapped out orders to her men. Leo was set down, and the giants sheathed their weapons.
As they entered the main plaza, the streets were mostly empty. A few women and children hurried along. Except for the group that had ridden out to harass them, everyone left was either old, young, or female.
Keely’s anxiety grew with every step. What had Loki done to make Joran break their treaty with the Eifalians? And was it too late to stop him?
They were shown into a large salon with comfortable chairs and colorful throw rugs. Galatin stood guard at the door. Leo slumped down in a chair that was so big his feet barely reached the ground.
Everything inside the palace was sized for a frost giant. The broad sofa covered in velvety brocade would seat eight men comfortably. The ceilings were painted with a fresco of bare-chested frost giants locked in an ancient battle against some fearsome winged beasts.
Keely walked to the open window, drawn by the noises outside. In the garden, two kids were laughing and playing. She smiled, seeing the mischievous glint in the boy’s eyes as he teased his little sister with a ball he kept just out of reach. These must be Joran’s children. They had his chin and their mother’s coloring.
The door opened, and they all turned, bowing as the queen entered. She was tall and big-boned but still graceful.
“Please, sit; you have had a long journey.”
Keely perched on a seat to her right. “Your Highness—” she began, but the queen cut her off.
“Call me Reesa. We are not so formal here.”
“Reesa, I’m Keely. These are my friends Leo and Galatin.” Reesa’s slim eyebrow arched high as she looked at the soldier. “As I recall, last time you were here, you nearly lost your head.”
Galatin bowed. “I hope to keep it this time as well. The Vanir proved steadfast friends to Orkney in our time of greatest need.”
“But at what price?” Reesa probed. “We lost many men that day to those awful Balfin creatures.”
Galatin stepped forward. “And for that we are deeply sorry. I have no wish to be rude, but time is of the essence. What have the Eifalians done to deserve your ire? Surely it is a time for healing.”
The queen’s face grew dark, and her eyes went to the window, where the children could still be heard playing. “You remember the son that I lost?” she said quietly, turning to face Keely.
Keely nodded. “Yes. When I was with Ymir, he gave me a flute that belonged to him.”
Reesa reached to her throat and drew out the small carving. It hung on a long silver chain around her neck. “My son, Jorri, was my life. When he was lost, I thought my life would end. But then I was blessed with another son, Kaleb, and then a daughter, Madilyn.” Her eyes fluttered closed as she gripped the flute. “They brought me back to life and gave me reason to live again. Joran, too, became filled with joy and smiled once more. But then that man came and threatened us.” Her eyes snapped open, and Keely could read the fierceness there.
“What man?” Keely asked.
“Leyes.” Reesa said his name like it was poison.