“Forgive me if this is an inappropriate question,” Lokken said, drawing my gaze away from the window. “But are you sure your mother is dead?”
My gaze jerked to Clara, instantaneous hope quickly dissipating by the solemnity in her eyes. She gravely nodded. “She’s most definitely dead. I cremated her remains myself.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
“Of course, though I didn’t notice anything remarkable about her passing at the time. It was shortly after we heard of your disappearance. Queen Illa called us personally to beg for forgiveness. There had been a terrible landslide above the fjord, Tafjorden. Tsunami waves had devastated the area. Her household had immediately gone down to help save as many villagers as possible, and in the chaos, you disappeared. There hadn’t been any sign of a struggle, and you hadn’t been caught in the landslide itself. She could only assume the incident had been deliberately caused to lure you out of the protection of the blood circle.
“As she listened, your mother… wilted. It was like the spark had blown out of her by an ill wind I couldn’t see or feel. Queen Illa assured us she would continue searching for you, but Helle said not to bother. You were no longer on this side of Yggdrasil.”
“She knew,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Even without any sign being left behind. How?”
“I don’t know, but it was like her greatest fear had come true. She simply gave up. I tried to console her, the same as Queen Illa. We would search. We would find you. She refused to listen. She retired to her bedchamber and never left it alive. I couldn’t get her to eat or rise from her bed. I begged her to Call her Blood. Use her magic. Something. Anything. But she stopped responding to my voice.”
“Where was Narve?”
“In the basement, or so I thought. But when she was so weak, I went down to release him, even if she was furious later. I hoped he could jar her from the deep melancholy engulfing her. But the chains were empty. He was gone.”
“So he could have freed himself at any time,” I said slowly.
She nodded. “Apparently. When she passed without ever opening her eyes again, I destroyed her body on a small pyre under the stars and prayed for your safe return.”
“When I disappeared, she must have known Loki was responsible. Where he would take me. She had no hope I’d ever escape Jörmungandr.”
Dörr lifted my hand to his mouth again. “She did not know you at all, my queen.”
I started to turn toward him, but something flashed in the grim-looking cliffs above the road. All the colors of the rainbow, sparkling against the dark rock. “Did you see that?”
“No, what?” Clara turned to look out the window. “I believe we’re near Skogafoss, if you’d like to see it. It’s one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland.”
Bjørg yipped, her eyes sparkling, her fluffy tail swishing against my thighs. She’d seen it too. “Yes. I think I would.”
“Geir, Her Majesty would like to see Skogafoss. Can you notify the other car we’re making a detour?”
“At once, Your Majesty.”
21
MYRK
Istill found it astonishing to be able to walk about in broad daylight without turning to stone. Though I could do without the annoying gasps and strange looks from the humans we passed on the trail along the river.
Perhaps it had more to do with my clothes—or lack thereof—than my physical appearance. I would’ve worn some of the new trousers, but none of the fancier shirts fit me right across my chest. Dörr had broader shoulders than me, but my thick barrel chest just didn’t fit into the shirt with buttons. The stretchy T-shirt was more forgiving, and to my untrained eyes, at least, went better with the athletic shorts than the trousers. Not to mention the simple boxy boots that barely fit my gigantic feet.
Manford would just have to frown and grumble until he finished a few shirts and found more appropriate footwear.
Evidently baring my arms and legs in this weather was shocking to humans who hurried past bundled head to toe in long, thick layers. Snow and ice crusted along the river’s edge, but the cold didn’t bother me, even in this human form.
“I’m sorry, my Blood,” Helayna said. “I didn’t realize there’d be so many people here.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “I couldn’t care less, my queen. Let them stare.”
“Skogafoss is one of the most popular tourist stops on the south loop,” Clara said. “Even in the winter. We have fewer hours of daylight this month, which means less time to spread out the visitors who don’t mind the cold.”
We rounded a bend to reveal the mighty waterfall. Water tumbled high above, spraying water across the glistening black rocks of the cliff, creating icicles and sheets of ice. The thundering roar increased as we neared, the air thickening with moisture.
“Oh,” Helayna gasped reverently. “It’s a rainbow.”
The late afternoon sunlight hit the water spray perfectly, creating a vibrant shimmering bow of light against the cliffs. Even my grumpy ass had to admit it was stunning.
