He and Gordon and Asteria all feel the same way, which is how I know none of the dragons’ feelings—including Axel’s—are the least bit romantic.I wish I could be happy that he likes me, at least, but it’s almost worse.
He likes me, but not the right way at all.
Unrequited love is literally my least favorite trope in books and movies.That’s probably why I’m living it.It’s just how the world works.
Coral stretches and yawns.“Bad dream?”
I shrug.“My life.A nightmare.What’s the difference?”
“Is it really so bad?”She frowns.“He still doesn’t remember anything?”
I sigh.“I’ve been dreaming of either a past life or stuff I need to know in order to, I don’t know, help stupid Freya play her mind games.”
“What?”Coral’s querulous expression makes me laugh.
“They’re dreams that I’m living back in the times before the dragons left Earth.There were two main groups of them, and Axel’s nanny says that much is true.They called themselves the æsir and the vanir.The æsir are basically the blessed, and the vanir are like the evil version of them.”
“And?”
Yes, and?
I almost forgot that now we’ve bonded, he can hear most everything if he’s close and wants to.“Last night, I dreamed about the heartstone—finally.Itisa rock, and it was stuck in some gold pillar below Vanaheim.Freya’s evil father Bjorn was using it to face off against the æsir and it’s the reason he always won.Freja was my enemy, but then after my brother and hers both died, we teamed up to take it from Bjorn.Only, when we tried, Jörð gave me wings, which was cool, and she made my swords special...and then she turned Freja into a human, so that’s kind of a bummer.”
“Wait, Freja was a dragon, but Jörð, who is like, mother earth?”
I nod.
“She turned Freja into a person?”
“And she renamed me Gullveig—so Gyda and Gullveig are the same person, and renamed Freja so now it’s Freya.”I can’t help my heavy sigh.“Which is bad, because now we have the heartstone, but we’re trapped underground in a cave, and Freya’s dad just showed up.I think we’re both about to die.”
“Freya can’t die, not if she’s the same one who’s trapped under the volcano—Wait!”Coral stands up on the bed, flinging the covers on the floor.“You’ve met her.Arethey the same?”
“Yes,” I say.“They are.Which means somehow she escapes, but I’m not sure that I do.”
“Is he about to burn you, then?”Coral asks.
I shake my head.“He’s an ice dragon, so I don’t think he can.”
What?Axel’s poked his head almost all the way through the doorway.He looks ridiculous.Anicedragon?Those don’t exist.
“They were called the vanir,” I say.“Remember?Euphrasia said they did.”
“Then he can’t be the one who kills you,” Coral says.“The legends say Gullveig burns, don’t they?”
“Not that I think I’m actually her,” I say.“I’m probably just having freaky visions from Freya, trying to lure me back into the lava.”Although, I did get wings in the dream, too.That’s pretty...damning.
You’re not going anywhere near that mountain,Axel says.
“He may not remember you,” Coral whispers, “but he soundsexactlythe same as before.”
That makes me laugh.
Coral slugs me on the shoulder, hard.
“Hey, what’s that for?”
“I heard you almost died again yesterday.”
