“Are you saying Asgard is, like, an afterlife or something? You have to be a spirit to go there?”
“Not an afterlife. Just an alternate plane of existence with different physical laws.”
“We have to go back to the glacier,” I said. “When I lose things, I always look in the last place I saw them.”
“He’s not a set of keys. You’re in no condition to go traipsing around Mount Rainier. You nearly froze to death, Solina.”
“If Thorin hadn’t come for me, I probably would have. He came for you when you needed him, too, Baldur. You’re going to abandon him when he needs the favor returned?”
Baldur’s face crumpled. “No, but I’ve got Nina to think about, and keeping you safe is above everything else.”
I squawked and pounded a fist on my thigh. “Why can’t you just blip over there and take a look?”
Baldur sucked in a deep breath and blew it out in a rush. “Yes. I can do that much, at least.”
“Skyla,” I asked, “are you still planning to go back to the Aerie?”
Skyla shrugged. “Well, I was—”
“Good. Just promise me you’ll make time to look for Val.”
“Solina, you know how I—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I said. “We’re not going to abandon people every time a little bit of trouble comes along. If you find Val, tell him everything he’s missed.” I turned and pointed at Baldur. “You get your ass back up that mountain and find out what happened to Thorin and Grim.”
Baldur shook his head and gave me a defeated smile. “Are you sure you’re not fully Aesir? You command like a full-blooded goddess.”
I braced my hands on my hips and managed to peer down my nose at him despite his height advantage. “I’m a fast learner.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
After Skyla left for the Aerie, Baldur made me demonstrate the extent of my recuperation before he agreed to leave me alone with Nina as my only companion. I managed to create a palm-sized fireball but had to stop when dizziness overwhelmed me.
“This goes against my better judgment,” Baldur said.
“Your better judgment sucks,” I said.
Baldur winced, and his face reddened. “You have a fiery tongue, girl. My advice is to use honey rather than acid when you’re asking for favors.”
I bit off a retort, realizing he had a point and I had no right to disrespect him, especially after he had helped rescue me and set up shelter for the women who had found themselves suddenly under his protection. Besides, he had readily agreed to carry out my request.
“You are completely right. That was harsh, and I’m sorry.” I pecked a quick kiss on his cheek. My gesture flustered him, flushing his fair completion. “Thank you for checking on him.”
Baldur’s gaze flicked to Nina’s closed door. She had stayed hidden in her room all morning despite all the noise and excitement. “I’ll be back as soon as possible. If something happens and I don’t come back, take Nina and leave. Stay on the move until you can meet up again with your Valkyrie friend. She is fierce and brave. I think she is your best bet. Maybe she will find Val.”
“I hope so. Losing both of them would be a hit I’m not sure I could take.”
“We are a tough breed. Don’t discount him, and don’t discount Magni.”
Baldur moved, about to turn and leave, but a sudden memory struck me, and I reached out to stop him. “Keep your eyes open, Baldur. It could have been a hallucination, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, no?” And I told him about seeing Rolf Lockhart in my last moments of consciousness after my fight with Grim and Tori.
“Maybe you were having another vision.”
I nodded. “Maybe, but I wouldn’t take it for granted. We don’t know who he is or what he’s capable of. Just… be careful.”
Baldur squeezed my shoulder. “It was good that you told me what you saw. Even if it was a premonition, we can’t know when it might come true. I will be watchful.”
Baldur left after that. I went to the living room and turned on the TV. It did nothing to distract me, so I paced the living room. Eventually, my nervous energy sent me out to the front porch to check for signs of Baldur’s return.
The rental cabin sat at the base of Mount Rainier, just outside the national-park boundaries. Tall aspen and pine trees surrounded the house, and the sharp bite of winter flavored the air. Under better conditions, I would have enjoyed the refuge of such a magnificent setting. I huddled deeper into the blanket I’d taken from my closet and lost myself in thought. Maybe that’s why I failed to notice Nina had joined me until she spoke.
“It’s cold out here. How can you stand it?”
I flinched and twisted around to find her peering up at the blue sky, peeking through the breaks in the tree tops. “I’ve got an extra layer on,” I said. “Maybe you should grab a coat or something.”
“I don’t have a coat. Baldur hasn’t stopped in one place long enough to get me a decent set of clothes.”
“He’s juggling a lot of things. I don’t think it will be like this much longer.”
“No, it won’t. The wolf will eat you soon.”
I recoiled, hoping I had misunderstood. “What did you say?”
Nina shrugged and strolled to the railing at the front of the porch. “The wolf will eat you. I’m sure of it.”
“What a horrible thing to say.”
Nina turned around and leaned against a post. She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself for warmth. “Doesn’t make it a lie.”
