"As you wish." He inclineshis head, but I can see the suspicion brewing in those silver depths. "Enjoy your... walk."
Loki's fingers dig into my arm as he steers me deeper into the gardens, his smile sharp as a blade. "Clever girl. Now..." Frost coats the leaves around us. "About that portal."
"You know," I drawl, dragging my feet, "portals aren't like Uber. I can't just punch in coordinates and—poof!—we're there."
"Do not test my patience." His fingers dig deeper, frost spreading from where he grips my arm. Despite wearing Baldr's golden features, Loki's rage bleeds through.
"I'm not testing anything, dickhead. I literally can't portal somewhere I've never fucking seen or don't have a clear description of." I yank my arm free, rubbing the icy spots. "What part of that isn't penetrating your thick, godly skull?"
Loki's jaw clenches. For a moment, I think he might strike me. But then he takes a breath, Baldr's smile sliding back into place like a well-worn mask.
"The Elemental Nexus," he begins, voice tight, "is a monumental tower at the heart of Zephyria. It's where the essence of air converges…"
I raise an eyebrow. "Wow, could you be any more vague? Maybe throw in a 'really tall' and 'kind of pointy' for good measure?"
His perfect face twists with barely contained fury. "Then allow me to paint you a picture, you insolent little—" He catches himself, forcing Baldr's serene smile back into place as a guard passes. Once we're alone, he continues through gritted teeth. "The Elemental Nexus. A tower of pure light and wind, rising from Zephyria's heart like a silver blade piercing the heavens. Ancient runes spiral up its crystalline walls, pulsing with power. At its peak, the very essence of air converges..."
"Gee." I cock my hip. "That's pretty. Did you practice that speech in the mirror? Maybe write it down first?"
"You dare—"
"What I dare to point out is that your flowery description sounds like something from a tourist brochure." I cross my arms. "Still can't make a portal from poetry, asshole."
His hand shoots out, grabbing my throat. "I'm done with your games—"
I claw at his fingers, light sparking between us. "Killing me—" I gasp out, "—won't get my fucking powers to work."
He releases me with a snarl, pacing like a caged animal. Baldr's perfect features twist with Loki's rage, the illusion slipping.
"Do it.Now."
I try to focus and picture the Nexus in my mind. But all I can feel is the emptiness where Rhyland should be, the hollow ache of our bond stretched too thin. Tears prick at my eyes, but I blink them back. I won't give this bastard the satisfaction.
"I'm trying," I grit out, pulling away from his touch. "But it's not exactly a two-second process."
"Try harder." His voice is a growl, Baldr's eyes glinting with Loki's malice. "Or perhaps you need a little more motivation." He looks back toward the palace, to where Erik disappeared. "I wonder... how fast do you think your Viking's brother can bleed?"
"Touch him, and I swear to every god in this realm and the next, I will end you."
"Then open the portal." He steps back, arms spread wide. "Prove yourself worthy of the savior's mantle."
I close my eyes, picturing the Nexus as he described it—the runes, the swirling energy, the sheer power of it. I reach for my light, feeling it build beneath my skin, crackling in the air around me.
And then, with a rush of wind and a blaze of blinding radiance, the portal tears open before us—a swirling scene of wind and snow, leading to the very heart of Zephyria.
Loki's laugh is a razor's edge, cruel and cutting. "Wonderful. After you, little savior." He gestures to the portal, Baldr's face alight with twisted glee. "Let's go retrieve my stone."
A familiar whinny splits the air. Through the trees, golden hooves flash as Gullfax emerges, his mane catching sunlight like spun gold.
Hope surges in my chest as I reach through our mental connection. "Gullfax, listen carefully. This isn't Baldr—it's Loki. Get Erik and Bryn to the Elemental Nexus. Now."
The stallion's eyes flash with divine fury. "I will tear him apart if he dares harm you."
"Off with you, you glittering nuisance!" Loki flicks his wrist like he's shooing away a common stable pony.
"He has Rhyland—my mental voice cracks. "I can't feel him anymore. Please, try to find—"
"Enough stalling." Loki's hand clamps on my shoulder, frost spreading across my jacket. "Through the portal. Now."
