Mina smiles gratefully before plunking down beside me and continuing, “They don’t use weapons and have no thoughts other than to kill what’s in front of them. They can’t even work together or use any kind of battle strategy. Your powers wouldn’t work against them because they don’t have any foresight for you to see. They always go for the easy kill. The trick is to not panic and just keep slashing away.”
I grimace. “Good to know.”
She grabs the book about Jotnar and flips to the back, where it lists the species that live there. “The giants are obviously much harder to fight because of their size, but they’re not very quick and rely heavily on their brute strength.” I nod along to her lecture, trying to absorb as much as I can. “The asphidras are an easy kill, too, just steer clear of their venom and theirblood. There blood is black, so it’s easy to see, but it’s essentially acid and will melt anything in its path. The venom is green, and it’s worse than their blood. It can paralyze you and subdue all magic.”
My brow furrows. “What’s an asphidra?”
Mina tilts the book my way and shows me a picture of a creature with greenish-gray scaled skin, long fangs, and elongated limbs.
“Yikes! It’s like a snake person,” I mutter, leaning away from the picture.
“You should see what the dragons look like or the shapeshifters in Sutr.” She shudders.
“And we’re supposed to battle all of these creatures in the Great War?” I ask, my mind whirling.
Mina shrugs. “Between us and our allies, we’re the only beings that stand between these monsters and total annihilation for the rest of the universe.”
With no way to know how our allies are doing, or even our gods, we might actually be the last thing standing in the way of our enemies, too. I close my eyes and breathe through the range of emotions that begin bubbling up at that thought.
Footsteps scuff against the stone floor as Lachlan strolls through the stacks and heads towards us, a smile gracing his lips. “Agatha said it was a marvelous plan and will make the preparations immediately.”
Happiness radiates through me. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” he murmurs, kissing the top of my head before heading back through the stacks, no doubt in search of the book I made him put down.
“I’m gonna put these back and see if I can find anything magic-related,” I mutter to Mina before hopping up from my seat.
“Uh-huh, good luck with that.” She chuckles before reclining on the couch.
Hours later, with no new knowledge gained, we call it quits. There’s nothing here about magic or how to contact the other realms, and my frustration grows again.
To stave off the feeling of hopelessness, I tell Mina and Mathilda, “We’re going to celebrate Midsommar this year.”
“Really?” Mina gushes. “We haven’t celebrated a holiday in ages.”
Mathilda shakes her head. “I can’t even remember the last holiday we celebrated.”
“Well, we are now. It’s going to be great! Cured meats, flower crowns, dancing, Bløtkakes!”
A round portrait of my parents catches my eye as we walk by, and once again, I wish they were here, or at the very least, could give me a sign, just a direction in which to go for the answers we need.
I know I’m on the right path thanks to my blessing earlier today, but where do I go from here? The last holiday I had with them, Samhain, flutters about my mind, bringing gloom with it.
26
SEEDS
I’m engulfed in my father’s strong arms as he tucks me tightly to his chest. A warmth settles through me as my mom gently caresses my hair. Her body pressed against my back. I’m sandwiched between them.
They whisper how much they miss me and how proud they are of me. I absorb their words and inhale my mom’s familiar cinnamon and vanilla scent. I can feel the stubble of my father’s beard against the top of my head.
This is exactly how I remember them.
I want to stay like this forever.
A feeling of complete and utter safety, which I had taken for granted, wraps around me, squeezing me tightly.
But all too soon, their edges begin to fade into nothing, and I struggle to hold on to them. My father’s deep voice calls out to me to forgive them as he fades away, the words echoing in the space between us.
