Bonds That Break (The Havoc Chronicles Book 3) (43 page)

But I was anchored to the World Tree, and I refused to quit. I refused to give up. I would to this for Rhys, for my family and friends, and for all the billions of people who had no idea they were counting on me to keep their world safe.

His tail came in first, the tip thrashing about, trying to stop him from going through the portal. I pulled harder and his back legs came through, scrabbling to find something to hold onto that would stop me from bringing him into the portal. His claws left huge furrows in dirt and rock as I pulled him along.

The strain was becoming greater. I could feel my snares reaching their breaking point. I was trying to restrain an unstoppable force, something that was never meant to be controlled or contained. 

I reached deeper and continued to pull. My world became nothing but pain and pulling. When Verenix was halfway through the portal, I heard a loud crack behind me. I risked a glance backwards and saw that one of the big roots had snapped and the world tree was now tilted at a slight angle.  

Not a good sign. I needed to end this now. I closed my eyes, reached even deeper and continued to pull. Verenix fought me for every inch, but I would not quit. I was strong enough to do this. Odin had gone to the brink of death to learn that the combined powers of the Aesir would be enough to bring Verenix back to the World Tree.

I would not be the reason this failed.

But I quickly realized I would be the reason this failed. I had reached the limit of my strength. It was all I could do to hang on and prevent him from going back. How could I possibly pull him the rest of the way in?

There was another loud crack, and I felt a jerk as the world tree shifted again, tilting even farther. It was only a matter of time until either it broke or I did.

I held on as best I could. If I failed, it wouldn’t be because I quit. I would not quit. I would not quit.

I would not quit!

From off to the side I saw a flash of white. Several of them. Dozens of them. The giant white swans from the lake by the tree where there, grasping onto my snare tendrils with their beaks and pulling with me.

Not only the swans, but thousands of animals had climbed out of the branches of the World Tree and were all helping me pull Verenix back in.

Massive wolves, bears, buffalo, and oxen all the size of houses grasped onto snare tendrils and started pulling. Huge badgers, beavers, and even elephants and lions worked together to help.

With their strength combined with mine, Verenix began moving again.

It was like a twisted version of some Disney movie where the princess was helped out by the friendly forest creatures. But we weren’t doing household chores or going for a walk in the forest, and there was no time for a happy little song. We had serious work to do, and I would take any help I could get.

With their help, once again Verenix started coming through the portal. But it was slow. Agonizingly slow. Even with all of these creature’s help, we might not make it.

Then I felt a wind from above. I looked up and saw an eagle far larger than any of the other creatures in this world. The majestic bird swooped down from above and grasped my snare with his talons. He beat his massive wings and squawked and screamed as he pulled.

It was the final piece we needed. Now we had enough strength to really pull Verenix in. With our combined efforts we pulled the last of Verenix through the portal. He roared and thrashed with anger, but he was through. For the first time in millennia, Verenix was back in his own world.

He twisted around and began snapping at the animals that had been helping to pull, but they were quick and dodged out of his way, leaving him even more frustrated and angry than before. The eagle flew in front of Verenix’s face, clawing at his eyes, and distracting it from the other animals.

Verenix roared in frustration and snapped at the eagle, who managed to stay just out of his reach, taunting him and luring him farther into the world and away from the portal. Verenix chased the bird to the base of the tree and then started climbing in a vain attempt to get high enough to catch him. Within a few minutes, they had circled to the other side of the tree and were both out of sight.

I collapsed to the ground, mentally and physically exhausted. All I wanted to do was lay down and sleep for a few dozen years. Then I would get up and feel much better.

But I noticed the quality of light around me was changing. I cracked an eye open and saw that the reason the light was changing was because the portal was shrinking.

It was starting to close.

Chapter 26

Restoration

Cold fear raced through me. I had no idea what would happen if that portal closed, and I was still on this side. Sure, I would have saved our world from Verenix, but despite the good vibrations I felt in this world, I didn’t want to stay here for eternity.

Forcing my exhausted body to obey, I ran for the collapsing opening. It continued to shrink at an alarming rate, so I pushed my speed to the limit. It was going to be close.

By the time I got to the portal it was too small for me to run through standing upright. I took a flying leap and jumped through the disappearing hole. I pulled my legs in at the last second, afraid that the closing portal might slice them off.

I hit the ground on the other side and rolled several times. I tried to get up, but exhaustion finally caught up with me.

I passed out instead.

***

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Rhys staring down at me, a worried expression clouding his features. I loved that man. I could look at his face forever and not get tired of it.

“Madison?”

“I’m ok,” I said. The fact that my voice slurred as I said those words made for a rather less-than-convincing argument.

I shook my head to clear it and slowly sat up. Rhys helped me, or I might not have succeeded. I took a deep breath and smiled. Verenix was back in his world. I could finally relax.

Couldn’t I?

“Please tell me there are no more monsters,” I said. “I’m sick of fighting monsters.”

Rhys reached out a hand and stroked my face. “There are no more monsters, Madison,” he said.

I liked it when he said my name. I liked it even more when he told me what I wanted to hear. A girl could get used to both of those.

“How’s your shoulder?” I asked. But even as I asked, I realized I could focus on it and see through his clothes and into the skin. The new skin was healing, and it was mostly free of dirt and germs. I had done an impressive job of repairing his shoulder if I do say so myself.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “You saved my life.”

“Yeah, you kind of owe me,” I said.

Rhys kissed my hand. “I will forever be indebted to you,” he said.

“You got that right,” I said, but I couldn’t help smiling.

Movement from behind us caught my attention. In a flash I was up and in a defensive crouch. Perhaps I wasn’t as tired as I thought. 

Odin and the other Aesir stumbled towards us. Odin and Thor had recovered their weapons from where I had dropped them before going into the portal. Odin held onto his spear tightly, using it as walking stick to keep himself upright.

But it wasn’t just Odin who looked weak – all the Aesir looked even older and more frail than before I went through the portal. Each of them seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

“You did it,” said Odin, weakly. “You sent Nidhogg back to where he belongs. You have undone the damage that Loki did.” He coughed and his entire body shook with the effort.

Frigg stepped forward and dropped to her knees in front of me, her hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. “Please,” she said. “My husband is weak and does not have much life left in him. Will you return his powers so that he may live? You may keep mine if you wish, but please spare Odin. There may come a time again when the world needs the help of the Aesir and Odin is the greatest of us all.”

I blinked in surprise, shocked at her words. Did she really think I was going to keep their powers and let them die?

A small voice in the back of my head whispered to me that I could. I could let them die and keep their powers forever. I would be the most powerful being on earth. I wouldn’t just age slowly, I would never die. I would be an immortal, the greatest of all the Aesir.

Think of all the good I could do.

But that was just an excuse, and I knew it. Besides, keeping all their powers wasn’t what I wanted. I had experienced that power. It was fun for a while, but the weight of the responsibility that came with it was more than I could bear for an eternity.

Besides, if I kept the powers, what would that do to my relationship with Rhys? It would have been difficult enough to age slowly and have him be a normal mortal, but to never die? Who would I share my life with then? What joy would I have? Would I find a series of partners, each time knowing that they would grow old and die while I remained young and perfect forever?

It would be a powerful, but cold and empty life.

“I am not going to keep your powers,” I said. “We need to find the stone, and I will gladly return them.”

The look of relief and gratitude in Frigg’s eyes almost made me cry. I remembered how Osadyn had been so determined to free Pravicus. Looking at the two of them together, I could see that even when stripped of all but animal instincts, Odin and Frigg were still deeply in love with each other. Odin had somehow managed to rise above his destructive nature and seek out his wife.

I wanted that kind of relationship with Rhys. I couldn’t do that if I had powers, and he was mortal.

“I have it,” said Rhys. He held out the stone. “It was on the cave floor when I woke up.” I took the stone from his hands and held it in my palm. It began to pulse and suck in the light.

“What do I do?” I asked Odin.

Lodur and Hoenir each held Odin up while he struggled to raise his spear with both arms and tap the stone with its tip. I felt a sharp pain in my palm as he touched the stone.

Then I began to change. It was hard to describe all the senses and ways of experiencing the world when I had the power. We don’t even have words in our language to describe how I experienced the world. Now, I could feel all that draining away.

I had thought losing the powers would be painful or somehow horrible, but it was surprisingly mild. It felt like I was deflating – like I had been a balloon or a tire inflated beyond what was safe, and now I was back to normal.

What I should be.

My vision and other senses returned to normal. All traces of Berserker enhanced senses were gone. Instead of feeling like I had lost something, it was actually a relief. As a Berserker, I had been over-stimulated for so long that it actually felt good to be back to normal. I wondered if Rhys and my Dad had felt this way, or maybe it was different for me since I had taken on so many other powers and gone beyond what a human could endure.

The stone let out a bright burst of white light and then fell apart into six pieces. I held them out, and each of the five Aesir took a stone.

Rhys and I watched as their powers came back and they began to glow. Their emaciated bodies grew younger and filled out with muscle and flesh. What had once been five ancient and decrepit invalids were now five glorious beings, shining with power.

Odin breathed in deeply and held his spear aloft, shooting out a blast of blue lightning into the air. He grinned at me, his single eye alight with joy.

“Thank you, Madison,” he said. “You have given us back that which we had thought lost forever.” Odin then bowed and the other four followed suit.

“We’re the ones who should thank you,” I said. “You sacrificed your power and lives to protect the world from Loki and Nidhogg. Without that sacrifice we would never have been born.”

Odin looked down at the last stone in my hand. “There is one stone left,” he said, gently. “With Loki gone it is rightfully yours if you want it. You can join us and become one of the Aesir. We can feast together in Asgard for the eternities.”

“What about Rhys?” I asked. “Could he share this with me?”

Odin shook his head regretfully. “No. Not in the way you are thinking of,” he said. “To join us and become an Aesir you would have to come alone.”

There wasn’t much of a decision to be made here. I had already made this choice when I gave Odin back his powers. I had tasted power already. Admittedly it was very sweet and delicious, but without someone to share it with, it would ultimately be empty.

I looked at Rhys, not to see if he wanted me to accept their offer – I already knew he would want me go if that was my desire – but to let him know that this was a choice I was making of my own free will. I was aware of my options, and I chose him over anything else.

Our eyes met, and like that first time back in school, it felt like I was once again looking directly into his soul. Only this time, he saw into mine as well. We stayed that way for several moments, drinking in the understanding of one another, feeling the warmth and love we had, and then the indescribable realization of seeing that love magnified and returned a thousand fold by the other.

And then the moment passed. Tears of joy ran down my cheeks as I turned to face Odin and shook my head. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m going to pass.”

Rhys took my hand and held it tenderly. We would stay together. Fragile and mortal, but together. Sharing the good and the bad, all the joy and pain that life brought.

No amount of feasting in Asgard could be better than that.

“Very well,” Odin said. He looked at our linked hands and smiled. “I understand.”

“May I ask you a question?” I asked.

Odin nodded his assent. “You may.”

“What will you do with the final stone?”

“I do not know,” Odin said. “I had hoped you would join us.”

“Can I make a suggestion then?”

Odin nodded.

“Destroy it,” I said. “We saw the damage that one bad person could do with that much power. I don’t know that there is a single human on this earth, myself included, who could live with that much power and not become corrupt. Who knows, the next time it might be something even worse.”