Prayers once unheard shall bring the dawn.
Choose your heart over your mind
History is yet revealed, shadows must unbind.”
Sten’s body quivered uncontrollably as he came back to himself. Solveig held him through the last shudder as the burst of magic left his body. He tried to speak, but Solveig shushed him.
“Tell no one of this,” Solveig said firmly. “You will be in great danger if anyone learns that you just accessed your magic.” He nodded against her. “Leave now, quickly.”
She let him go, giving him a fond smile so those around her would assume the hug had been an embrace between friends. Sten stumbled slightly as he left, and it took every ounce of strength she had not to follow him. She needed answers.
The prophecy was fragmented and simple—not as beautifully crafted as she remembered them to be. But fuck, a prophecy.
A prophecy of such importance that it had broken through the bounds of the Block.
She went over the words in her head a hundred times until it was committed to memory, before reciting it to Gerrie on the way back to their tent. They discussed the possibilities as Gerrie tried yet again toconvince Solveig to come with her to Asgard. She was set to leave that morning, earlier than expected since Latham had moved up the vote.
Though tempted after the events of the morning, Solveig’s instincts told her she had to stay here for now. Her path would lead her to Asgard soon, but not yet.
Not yet.
They packed in silence and walked to the stables to gather with the rest of the party leaving for Asgard. Gerrie pulled Solveig into a hug.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”
“I’m sure.”
“Because it’s not too late.”
Solveig smiled at her friend. “Thank you for being there for me. I wouldn’t have been able to survive these last few months without you.” Her trepidation must have shown on her face, because Gerrie gripped her arms.
“You are strong, Solveig. The nightmares are not real. You got out.”
“It feels real.” She had meant it as a joke, but even to her own ears, she sounded scared.
“You could always ask someone else to keep you company. I’m sure there are larger, more muscular bodies than mine that you’d rather have comfort you.”
Solveig chuckled but stopped immediately when the prince’s face appeared at the forefront of her mind.
“Those males have nothing on you, Gerrie.”
“Well, that’s just not true. They have one appendage I lack.” She winked at Solveig who laughed for real this time.
“If you were a male we wouldn’t have spent so much time sleeping. It would’ve been so much more fun.”
“I could say the same thing about you.” Gerrie shook her head in disappointment.
“Damn the gods for not giving one of us a penis!” Solveig joked, raising her fist to the sky.
“If only you liked females,” Gerrie sighed.
“If onlyyouliked females,” Solveig retorted. Gerrie grinned at her.
“Damn the gods for that too!” she said, both friends laughing in earnest, delaying their farewell. Gerrie grasped her arm again. “I know you won’t let anyone else that close to you, and I know you don’t want anyone to hear you screaming, so I ...”
“Gerrie, that’s alright. I don’t want you to feel bad. I’m sure everyone in the vicinity has heard me screaming since I got back,” she said solemnly, hating the feeling of being so vulnerable, so out of control.
“See, that’s not exactly true. The first few nights, yes, they did. But everyone was understanding of the ordeal you went through. Well, most people were.” She rolled her eyes. “I assumed the night terrors weren’t going away and you probably didn’t want everyone hearing you, so I sourced a Sound Stone.”
