I want to scream to the gods. They’re both highly trained, and I’m still a novice. But my father’s voice resonates in myhead.“Excuses are the timber that builds a house of failure.”The comforting mantra eases the disorienting flicker of visions.
I slowly adjust, beginning to grasp the timing of my blessed power. I smile to myself, triumph stirring when the visions become sharper and I can move accordingly.
I see, in my mind, Julius resorting to his unsavory tactics and kicking dirt in my eyes. So I use my free arm to shield my eyes right as he kicks. But it blinds me to Odessa’s split-second decision to kick out with her foot into my loosened grip.
My sword flies from my hand.
I’m trapped between them and the fence, weaponless. Odessa’s smug grin makes my skin crawl, but it’s Julius’ words that have my stomach plummeting.
“Just as defenseless as your parents were,” he jeers.
The world cracks.
“A completely avoidable accident,” he claims, sharing a grin with Odessa. My attention shifts to her for confirmation of this ground-shuddering revelation.
She merely shrugs. “Had they just brought you to us, none of this would’ve happened. We just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t undo all of our carefully laid plans,” she tuts. “But now you’ve grown too powerful to let live. We needed a puppet, a figurehead, but you just had to manifest your powers,” she sneers.
The ground drops out beneath me, and the world grinds to a stop.
My body trembles, desolation creeping over me.
They murdered my parents to get to me?
The thought stops the grief, and anger rushes through my veins, cauterizing it in its path. It replaces the infection of fear with something razor-sharp and powerful.
Vengeance.
If I’m destined to die now, it will be on my feet, vindicating my parents, not on my knees like a coward. They will pay forwhat they took from me. But I need a weapon. I chance a glance in the direction of my sword, lying in the dirt too far away.
Julius follows my eye line and scoffs. “Do you really think you would be quicker than me?”
Odessa chuckles. Her tongue darts out and licks her bottom lip.
The taste of copper fills my mouth as I bite down on my split lip. I spit the blood on the ground, stalling for time and trying to think up a plan.
Every training I’ve ever had spins through my mind. I could scream for help, but would anybody be near enough to hear me? How effective would my fists be against two swords?
My necklace begins to warm. I’m startled at the change in temperature. Mathilda’s words bubble up from the recesses of my memory.
Pay attention to everything around you, even the wind.
The breeze shifts into a stiff wind, blowing my hair out of my face and whipping my braid behind me.Behind me,where a weapon is embedded in the trunk of a tree. I don’t envision myself as ‘worthy’, but maybe, just maybe, Odin would think my plight for vengeance is enough to draw his ax from the tree.
I fake a lunge in the direction of my sword, effectively drawing them away and towards it.
Time slows to a crawl.
I spin around, bracing one foot on the fence and wrapping both hands around the worn hilt. It’s smooth in places, from hundreds, if not thousands, of warriors attempting this very feat. I send up a silent prayer to Odin.
My muscles heave with all my might, straining against the pull of my arms and the push of my foot against the fence. The fence groans underneath the pressure of my boot, and my calloused palms give a small amount of traction against the ancient wood of the hilt.
Time continues to crawl, and I can hardly believe my eyes asthe trunk begins to give way, the ax slowly easing out of its wooden tomb.
The metal of the blade whines as it finally releases from the tree, the blade glimmering as it reflects the sunlight while in my hands.
My astonishing moment of victory is short-lived, and I whirl back to face my two enemies. They are frozen in place, a mix of horror and shock marring their features. Odessa takes one tiny step in retreat, but Julius throws his hand out to her, causing her to halt.
“Go get the others,” he orders her.
