“There might be other hints in Loki’s words,” Heimdallr said. “The trickster loves to play games, after all. So there’s a reason he mentioned Mjölnir by name, whether he intends to help or harm, I can’t say. I can see everything on the rainbow bridges in all the Nine Worlds, but even I don’t know where Thor’s Hammer is.”
Myrk landed beside us. “Then perhaps we should find him.”
“Where do we start?” Helayna asked.
“We start by getting you inside and comfortable,” Clara said firmly. “Your staff is eager to meet you, and it’s already been a long, eventful day.”
She introduced several new wide-eyed humans to our queen. I feared our winged appearance might be the cause of alarm, but I’d rather be dark alfar if the god returned. Helayna didn’t mind our appearance—and her safety and comfort were paramount. Clara evidently agreed, for she insisted we get Helayna inside the house.
To my dark alfar eyes, this house was certainly grander than the one we’d left. Soaring ceilings of creamy stone and polished metals. Large, formal rooms. A table long enough for thirty or more guests, laden with enough food to keep even Gunnarr satisfied for hours. Though personally I didn’t like being among so many humans. At least the home was on the sea at the very edge of the bustling city, but my ears picked up the constant clamor of cars, planes, ships, and people nearby. Hopefully we hadn’t brought any undue attention to the house, especially Myrk and Svar flying overhead.
The new Blood might be a god, but he made no extravagant demands on our queen, pretending to be just another Blood like the rest of us. He made no objection to not sitting at her right hand—my seat—or her left—Clara’s. Even when the human stepped away for a few minutes. He didn’t proclaim himself a god to the other humans.
Yet I had seen him in action. Without any hesitation, he’d attacked while allowing me to shield our queen, as if we’d rehearsed for just such a threat. If Loki had been physically present, he would’ve been hard pressed to escape Heimdallr’s golden sword. As if he sensed me thinking about him, he met my gaze.
“You did well coordinating our queen’s defense,” he said. “It’s handy to have several Blood capable of flight.”
Myrk grunted. “Though we’d be fucked if it was daylight.”
“What I’m hearing is if we’re going to be moving from house to house, it’d be best to travel at night,” Helayna said.
“Which is easy in the winter months.” Clara returned to her seat with a smile. “We may need to re-think your travel during the midnight sun. I just talked to Kevin Isador, and he promised to pass along a word of warning to Karmen’s consiliarius, though I now have Dagny’s number and can communicate with House Sunna. He also reminded me of the phone he gave us in Minnesota and confirmed Karmen’s phone does work where she is if you want to talk to her directly. Though of course it’s always polite to go through a queen’s consiliarius first.”
“Oh good!” Helayna replied. “I’m glad House Isador was able to put Karmen in touch with her consiliarius. I’m sure Dagny will be as instrumental in helping her as you’ve been for me.”
Clara blushed. “It’s my greatest honor to help you in any way possible, my queen. Speaking of which, Franz confirmed Grimley’s team sent over several racks of clothing before they returned to London. Everything’s ready for you to examine in the queen’s suite.”
“My mother’s rooms?”
“No, your grandmother’s former suite. Helle had her own suite here. Would you rather switch suites? I’ll have Franz?—”
“No,” Helayna said quickly. “There’s no need to trouble anyone to move us. I was just curious. I would like to see my mother’s former rooms, but it can wait until tomorrow. I’m hopeful she may have left a diary or something for me.”
Clara turned to the human waiting at the door. “Please ask Franz to join us for a moment.”
“At once, ma’am.” The man disappeared.
“I don’t want anyone to go to any trouble…” Helayna began.
Clara patted her hand. “As I’ve said many times, your requests, wants, or wishes are never any trouble. I merely wantto ask him if he’s aware of anything your mother might have left for you. Besides, he’s eager to make himself useful in any way. In fact, I’m sure he and Pàtair are likely in a friendly competition to see whose house will win out and claim your heart.”
Helayna laughed softly. “There’s no competition in that regard. I feel much more at home in Vík than here. This house is beautiful but it’s not… mine. If that makes sense.”
Clara smiled, her eyes glimmering with tears. “That warms my heart, my queen, for I had it built with you in mind. I hoped you would love the house enough to make it your home.”
“My tree is there. I flew over the ocean there.” She tipped her head against my shoulder. “I nearly lost Dörr on the beach. Our blood mingles in the earth and makes it ours.”
I kissed the top of her head. “I could fall from outer space to the deepest trench in the ocean in seconds and still put myself back together. I will find you, even if I must crawl to your side. You will never lose me, my queen.”
HELAYNA
Franz wasa short round man with curly blond hair, mustache, and beard immaculately groomed into sweeping curves and waves. He wore an old-fashioned wool suit coat with tails, a starched white, frothy neckcloth, gleaming black boots to his knees, with a gold watch chain tucked into his waistcoat.
He took my hand and bowed like a courtier from a previous century. “Your Majesty, it’s such an honor to have you ensconced under our roof in Reykjavík. It’s been so long since an Ironheart queen graced us with her presence. How may I assist you?”
“Thank you for the warm welcome, Franz. I was curious if my mother, Helle, had any personal papers or journals that I might look through?”
He frowned—as if devastated he couldn’t pull said journal out of his own pocket to lay on the table before me. “Not that I’m aware of, Your Majesty. Her room is exactly as she left it, other than normal cleaning, of course. There is a desk in her suite. It’s possible she may have tucked something into the drawers to save for you, but she gave me no notice of any such offering to pass to her daughter. Would you like to search the suite tonight?”
