And suddenly, Ahti laughed, jumping into Njord’s arms and hugging him fiercely.
“Gods, I had no idea! TheseiðrI used to flee the Bog Mother’s prison worked a little too well. They took us from Sæborg,nøkkenserving Svanhild and her awful mistress, but Vellamo is down there. We have to free her!”
She kissed Njord’s cheek, smiled at Thori, and dove into the flooded shaft without hesitation, disappearing into the dark water as smoothly as a seal.
Njord attempted to follow her, but Thori remained rooted to the spot.
The flooded tunnel was barely visible, nothing more than a black shadow in dark waters, but Thori could imagine with horrible clarity how it went down and down, a narrow passageway without air, without light, and he couldn’t—
“Elskan,” Njord cupped his jaw, turning Thori’s gaze away from the tunnel. “Look at me.”
He focussed on Njord’s serene features with some difficulty.
“What’s wrong?”
Seriously?
“Unlike other gods present, I’m not a deity of the sea,” Thori said.
Njord’s eyes widened in understanding. Silly sea witch hadn’t even thought about the fact that others needed to breathe.
“It’s not that far down, you know,” Njord said, edging closer.
“Define far.”
Instead of answering, Njord leaned in for a kiss, deep and claiming, pulling Thori close by the hips. The taste of salt and fresh air filled Thori’s mouth as Njord shared the breath of the sea with him.
“You won’t drown,” Njord whispered against his lips. “I won’t allow it.”
Thori sighed. He should strive to be the invincible King of the Gods, fearless and cunning. Instead, he found himself relaxing into Njord’s warmth.
“Damn, why do I trust you so much?”
A small smile curled Njord’s lips.
“Come on.”
Thori nodded, following him to the edge of the tunnel.
“Ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
They jumped.
The water closed around them, shockingly cold, and panic started to rise in Thori’s chest. It was dark, so dark, and the walls were close, but Njord pulled him down with him, diving like a sea-wolf. Thori tried to hold his breath, but soon his lungs began to burn.
I won’t let you drown.
He took a breath, panic overwhelming him, and then—
He could breathe, the ocean’s ancient song resonating in his chest, making Thori’s powers reach out and react. Lightning over open seas. Storm and thunder. Two pieces of a whole, matching perfectly.
Suddenly, the tunnel spat them out, and they were falling, the world around them tilting sickeningly, like they’d traveled on thehron-rad, the magical pathways usually connecting the Nine Realms.
They hit shallow water, Njord’s power cushioning their fall. Thori straightened, surprised to be breathing air again and feeling sand under his feet.
“Where are we?”
