“That’s a story for another night,” I say.“It’s time for bed now.”
“Tomorrow, two sky children who want to protect Jörð’s earth children will marry,” Sif says.“To honor their father’s will.”
“And Freya brought us the heart stone,” Brunhilda says.“Now that the æsir have it, we’ll all be safe again.”
I shift Brunhilda over, and I pat the bed where Sif needs to move.“That’s all true.After tomorrow, the vanir won’t be able to terrorize earth’s children, not anymore.Our æsir heroes will keep us safe, just as Jörð and Veralden Radian always wanted.”
“Dad died to help Freya escape,” Áki says.“Without him, Odin and Freya couldn’t marry.”
“That’s mostly correct,” I say.“We’ll talk about it more after the wedding, alright?”I pat Sif’s head.“Your father was a hero, for sure, and we’ll all be thinking of him tomorrow, even Freya herself.”
“Will we see the heartstone?”Brunhilda’s biting her lip.
“Yes,” I say.“You’ll see it tomorrow, and trust me.Once you’ve seen it, you’ll never, ever forget it.”
10
Liz
When I wake up, I want to scream with frustration.
I still haven’t seen the stupid heartstone, but itmustbe what the blessed came back to retrieve.I didn’t see it anywhere when I met Freya before, but she must have it.
She apparently wore it at her wedding.
And I was there.
Or at least, someone a great deal like me was there.When I was telling that story, I sure felt like the story I was telling was true, but come on.Earth met sky and...they kissed?It seems ridiculous.Maybe the whole thing was just...bizarre.
Though human met dragon, andwekissed.So...
I remember something Freya said to me inside the volcano.When I chose to spare the poor fighter whose mother was sick, she was surprised.She said she didn’t expect a warrior like me to choose the strength to endure.
I had been angry.I told her she didn’t know me.
And she had laughed.“You’re right.And you’re wrong.”
Did she mean that she knewGullveig?That I was the same...and I was different?Is she one of the sky children who wanted to help the earth children?It was probably just a dream invented by my brain to answer questions that have been rolling around in there for a long time, but it feltsoreal.I can’t help wondering whether it could have been a memory, and that either telling my siblings a story or surviving the trip to the volcano shook it loose.
I’m more convinced than ever that Freya has answers, but every time I asked her a question, she was disgusted that I was asking the wrong ones.Did she expect me to remember things from my time as Gullveig?Or is she upset I hadn’t learned more about the time of the dragons before looking for her?
It’s not like Azar volunteered much information, but I blame his father for that.It sounds like Azar asked the right things, but Odin shut him down.I have some choice things to say to Odin when I finally meet him.I’m sure he’d incinerate me before I could say most of them.From what I hear, he’s even worse than Freya at ducking answers to things.
I loved both of them when I was Gullveig, though.That makes me question my sanity, or at a base line, my judgment.
Not that I have time for much thought at all.
Azar wakens me with a bellow just after the sun rises—Sammy’s sitting beside me, smiling when I wake.“Hey, buddy,” I say.“Did you sleep well?’
“I’m glad you’re back,” he says.
With his speech delay, it sounds like ‘I’m gwad yowa back.’
I pull him against my chest and squeeze as hard as I can.This is why I’m doing this.I’m trying to make a better future for these tiny people I love so much.A world they can’t create—a world they’re powerless right now to change.
A world they deserve.
Some humans are giddy the dragons are here.They’re excited that the life they’ve always dreamed is now in their grasp.Others want to destroy every last dragon invader, without any exceptions.I can’t help wondering how much of the positions we take has to do with the knowledge we have.Most of the humans are operating under mistaken assumptions, and that makes for bad decisions.
