Perfekt Balance (The Ære Saga Book 3) (9 page)

“We’ll never give you Fenrir.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure you will.” Runa’s eyes
narrowed. “Which will make Tyr responsible for the fall of everyone
he loves. And your precious boyfriend will know he stood by and let
it happen. If only he’d been a better judge of character when he
was dating me.” Runa threw her head back and laughed.

I leapt
to my feet and reached for my dagger. My hand closed around
nothing, and I patted my waist frantically.
Where is
it?

“
What’s
the matter,
goddess
? Missing this?” Runa raised her hand. My dagger dangled
between two fingers.

“
When
did…”
Ugh. She took it while I was unconscious.

“
Do I
look like an idiot? I confiscated these when I brought you here.”
Runa held both hands up to the window. My phone and my dagger
glinted in the sliver of light. I lunged for them, my hands
reaching through the metal bars to close around my lifelines home,
but Runa stepped back before I could make contact. “I’ll let the
Asgardians find you eventually, but I plan to have some fun with
them first. A
lot
of fun.”

Before I could respond, Runa jammed my arms
back through the bars and slammed the window shut, encasing me in
darkness once again. The rage turned to a swirl, bile churning in
my gut as I took enough cleansing breaths to blow down the world
tree, Yggdrasil. No way was that wench—I mean, that creature of
Ymir—going to hurt another soul.

Especially not my friends.

I pressed my pointer finger to my wrist and
murmured into the com. “Call Tyr.”

And then I waited.

* * * *

When a
full minute went by and my arm was still just an arm, I gave up.
There was no sense in drawing attention to the com in case Runa
came back. It rang loud and clear on my end, a testament to
Mia’s
älva
dust-free design—the device worked even where dark magic
rendered light magic useless. My inability to make contact with my
brother must have been because of a problem on his end; maybe he
was still in the heat of his battle. I’d have to rely on my
abilities if I wanted a line out of here.

I
grounded myself and set a protection around my aura. When it was
secure, I pushed my energy outward, searching for the mind
signature I knew almost as well as my own. All of Svartalfheim
looked the same to me, and I tore across mile after mile of
dark-sooted plain. An eternity passed as I scanned the ground for
my friends. I could have been traveling in circles, for all I knew;
the sky was the same black void as the ground. The only light
cutting through the Svartalfheim night came from the homes of the
occasional settlement, and the parliament building.
Hold
on. The parliament building?
If the map Tyr made us memorize after last night’s dinner
was correct, that would mean I was three kilometers due north of
our drop-in spot. If I could find the outcropping where Runa had
captured me, I could follow my friends’ energy trails until I
tracked them down.

I pushed my energy south until I came to the
mountains. Once there, I shot over the range, intent on picking up
my brother’s blazing red energy trail of fury.

I didn’t have to look far.

On the cactus-strewn hill beneath me, Tyr,
Forse, and Brynn remained locked in battle with the outlaws who’d
conspired with Runa. Their auras were so dark I couldn’t get a
clear read on their strategy. The only thing I knew for sure was
that they fought to kill. Rage practically seethed from their
pores, the angry energy tainting the air with an unseemly
smell.

All
energy had a scent. It explained why easygoing souls like Henrik
smelled like sunshine, protective souls like Tyr smelled like
redwoods, and peaceful souls like Mia smelled like lavender. And
right then, those dark elves filled the plain with the undeniable
odor of an evil soul…sulfur.

I locked in on Tyr’s brain and entered
without asking permission, violating our self-imposed rule. The
minute I dove into his head, I remembered how complicated Tyr’s job
was. His brain monitored multiple scenes simultaneously, each scene
playing on its own screen like the inside of a mission control
room. On the right, Forse wrestled Tosk’s apparent
second-in-command—the dark elf wore an insignia on his jacket that
resembled Tosk’s. He threw Forse on the ground with the confidence
of a seasoned fighter. Forse rolled to the side, tucking his long
legs beneath him and jumping back before the second could deliver a
blow. When the dark elf crouched to attack, Forse leapt in the air,
delivering a front kick to the elf’s jaw that sent him reeling. The
second stumbled backward, howling as Forse threw a series of
punches that would have broken a mortal’s jaw. His frenzied attack
left me confident he had the upper hand, so I switched screens and
assessed Brynn’s situation.

Brynn’s opponent was Bagatha—the white-haired
female. She gripped a thick blade in her hand, expertly deflecting
the parries of Brynn’s rapier with her much shorter weapon. Where
Brynn was the embodiment of power, a striking contrast of Asgardian
warrior and ballerina-like fluidity, Bagatha battled like a viper.
Her short, choppy strikes betrayed her rage, and each time she
advanced on Brynn it was clear she struck to kill. If Brynn wasn’t
such a seasoned valkyrie, I would have been worried. But I knew she
had this. She always did.

You go, Brynn!
I
cheered her on.

“Elsa?” Tyr grunted as he swung his
broadsword. The weight of the weapon and the shock of finding me in
his head must have thrown him off-balance, because his equilibrium
shifted and he stumbled to the right. Forse stopped pounding on his
opponent long enough to steady Tyr. He pulled his gun, twisted his
wrist, and fired at Brynn’s attacker. The force of the capsule
launched Bagatha off Brynn, who in turn took off running. As she
distanced herself from the impending implosion, Brynn pushed off
her toes and flung her body into the air. Tyr held Tosk’s attention
with a one-handed parry, giving Brynn the element of surprise. She
landed easily on her toes, raising her arms above her head and
driving her rapier deep into Tosk’s back. Tosk’s mouth fell open as
he looked down, his bony fingers wrapped around the blade sticking
through his chest. A tar-like substance oozed from the wound, and
in the second it took him to reach behind his back and withdraw the
weapon, Bagatha let out a wail. My focus shifted again as the
implosive took hold. A pungent odor filled the air and Bagatha’s
hands shook as her bones, organs, then flesh were sucked inward.
With a sickening pop she disappeared completely, her remains no
more than an ashy film settling on black soot.

Forse’s attacker looked up in horror. Forse’s
rage was palpable, and I knew him well enough to understand he
needed a release. He holstered the gun and reached out so both
hands circled the dark elf’s neck. His eyes were dark as he
wrenched the elf’s head to one side, breaking the spine and
declaring unapologetically, “That’s for taking Elsa.”

If the sight of a dangling dark elf head
wasn’t so disgusting, I would have kissed him. Though since I was
nothing more than an energy signature in my brother’s head, maybe a
kiss wasn’t exactly appropriate.

An anger surge in Tyr’s brain brought my
attention back to my host. As Tyr prepared to drive his sword
through the still stunned Tosk, the elf pulled Brynn’s rapier from
his torso and flung it onto the ground. He twirled in a fast circle
and disappeared, leaving behind nothing more than a thick pool of
blood.

My brother, Forse, and Brynn swore in unison.
Then they formed a triangle, backs pressed together, and turned a
tight circle as they scanned the area for threats. Wanting to be
useful, I pushed my energy out and felt for additional presences.
Other than the occasional scavenging animal, my friends were
alone.

You’re clear,
I
signaled in Tyr’s mind.

“Elsa?” Tyr grunted. “Where are you?”

Oh, sorry! I’m in here! In your head. I’m in your head. I
would have asked, but you seemed kind of busy
, I apologized.

“You think?” he muttered.

“Is Tyr going crazy again?” Brynn asked
Forse.

“Shut up, Aksel. It’s my sister,” Tyr
growled. Since I was viewing the world through his eyes, I couldn’t
see my brother’s expression. But the way the sky turned a slow
circle before the screen focused on Brynn, I surmised he’d given
her an award-winning eye-roll.

“Elsa?” Forse flew into Tyr’s frame of
vision. He gripped Tyr’s arms and shook. Annoyance flashed through
Tyr’s mind. “Where? Where is she?”

“She’s in my head.” Tyr removed Forse’s hands
from his biceps. I could tell from the way his mind strained, it
wasn’t easy work.

Forse! Are you okay?
I shouted.

“Else,” Tyr complained. “They can’t hear you.
And that gives me a headache.”

Sorry.

“
Rule
number one. When we’re
inside
each other’s heads, we use our
inside
voices.
Remember?” Tyr chastised me out loud.

I said I was sorry
, I huffed.

“
She’s in
your head?” Brynn jumped in front of Tyr and waved with
characteristic enthusiasm. “
Hei
Elsa! Where are you? Are you okay? Sit tight;
we’re coming for you.” She adjusted her ponytail so her curls sat
less chaotically atop her cherubic face. “Tyr, where is she? Which
direction are we going?”

“I—” Tyr began.

“Well?” Forse’s lips were drawn. “Where is
she? Come on. What are we waiting for? Brynn, pick up your sword.
Let’s move.”

Brynn
dove for the ground and came up holding her rapier. “Ugh. Really?”
She pulled a rag from her backpack and wiped the black blood from
the blade. “Dark elves have the
grossest
blood. This will be caked on the handle
for-freaking-ever.”

“
Where is
she?” Forse placed his hands on both sides of Tyr’s face and leaned
close to stare into his eyes. “Elsa, I’m so sorry they got you. I
never should have agreed to facilitate this exchange. If I’d just
been able to reach you faster, I could have ported you out of here
and…” Forse looked heartbreakingly helpless. “I’m sorry,” he
whispered.

“Enough already!” Tyr pushed Forse back. “You
do realize you’re baring your soul to the war god, don’t you?”

“Elsa’s in your head,” Forse countered.

“
Yes.
But
you’re
in my
face.” Tyr took a step back, distancing himself from our
friends.

Move the other way Tyr! I like being that close to
him
, I
complained.

“Enough! All of you!” Tyr bellowed. “Forse,
Brynn, keep watch. Tosk might come back with new friends, since we
killed his old ones. Elsa, tell me where you are so we can come get
you.”

I don’t know
. I
sighed.
I’m
locked in some tower but you know how it is here at night. It’s
pitch-black outside, and the tower’s got enough dark magic I can’t
summon my orb. You guys are lucky Brynn has her brightener on, or
you wouldn’t be able to see anything
. Tyr glanced to his left, where the glowing
sphere hovered over Brynn’s backpack.

Right. Well, how did you find me? Do you remember passing
any landmarks on your way? Anything that can help us?
Tyr pressed.

I found you the same way I always do—I
pushed my energy out until I picked up on your signature. I tried
calling on my com, but you didn’t answer. You were probably already
fighting Tosk and his minions, and didn’t hear it hum.

I’m sorry, Elsa.

It’s fine,
I
reassured him.
I found you anyway.

So where are you?

I’m not sure. I know I’m somewhere on the other side of the
big mountain behind you. I passed the parliament building on the
way in, and I know I traveled for a long time looking for you.
Maybe you’re seventy-five kilometers from the place Runa’s holding
me? Maybe more?
I
guessed.

Tyr
swore.
You could be anywhere.

“Where is she?” Forse interrupted. My heart
tugged at the crack in his voice.

“Elsa, give me a minute with these guys,” Tyr
spoke aloud. “Forse, get the locator set up and set up two
scans—one for Elsa specifically, and one for all towers within a
fifty-to-two-hundred-fifty-mile circumference of the parliament
building. Elsa, do you know how high up your tower is?”

Between twelve and fifteen meters. And it’s surrounded by
water. But Tyr, I think the tower’s cloaked in dark magic—there’s
enough in my cell to mute my light magic, though thankfully my
energetic abilities are intact. I guess you know that, though,
since I’m in your head. But I think it will be too much for the
locator to see through. So even if
—

“Slow down. The dark magic’s strong enough to
mute yours? You’re not in Helheim, are you?” Tyr sounded
alarmed.

“Oh gods, is she in Helheim?” Brynn
cried.

“I don’t know. Let her answer! Elsa?” Tyr
pressed.

I’m not in Helheim. You’re still in Svartalfheim, and I
didn’t jump realms to find you, so I’m here, too. I just have no
idea where
.

“She’s not in Helheim,” Tyr voiced out loud.
I heard Brynn and Forse sigh in relief.

Oh, Elsa
. Regret
clouded Tyr’s vision as he directed his words inside his
head.
I’m so
sorry I put you in this position.