“Sol,” he started, but she held up her hand.
Solveig swallowed a shudder. The pull towards her was maddening. He could feel where that drop of blood had met the bond. Not enough to solidify it, but it was strengthened.
Westley felt the fatigue settle onto her shoulders, and he pulled her in close, bringing them down onto the bed and tucking her body against his. He pulled her back against his chest, where she fit perfectly.
“You’re the only thing that could break me, love,” he whispered into her ear.
He held her close as sleep took them under. The last thing he remembered was a line of the prophecy.
A heart’s promise lost, sacrificed to the sea.
The prophecy did not specify which mate would be lost.
Northstoodontheopposite side of the hallway, watching the two queens of Asgard press their ears to Westley’s doors.
“Sometimes I forget that while you two are our fearsome Asgardian queens, you’re still meddling mothers,” North said, amused. “You won’t be able to hear anything. The walls are built with trees from the dark forest here in Idavoll. They swallow sound.”
Koa sighed and straightened, pulling Aelfsi with her.
“Don’t look so disappointed that you couldn’t hear your daughter having sex,” Easta said with a laugh.
“Just wait until your youngling grows up, Princess Easta. You’ll find yourself doing all sorts of things you never thought you would to make sure she’s safe and happy,” Aelfsi retorted, glancing back at the door.
Easta smiled. “I can only imagine. From what I know of Solveig, she’s making him work for it, that’s for sure.”
“I just wish I knew,” Koa muttered.
“What would it matter? They’ve acknowledged it, the bond is there and strong,” North tried to assure the queens without luck.
“Yes, but it needs to be completed. If it’s not completed, we don’t stand a chance in Hel,” Aelfsi explained.
North and Easta shared a glance before North cleared her throat, all joking aside. “What aren’t you telling us?” she asked.
“In my final vision before the Block hit and my magic was stripped away, I Saw how this could end. A future where they were mated and the other where they weren’t,” Koa explained.
“That’s oddly specific,” Easta muttered.
“Has the vision changed since you got your magic back?” North asked.
Koa was already shaking her head. She placed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes. “It’s not completely unbound. Without all her power, Solveig can’t completely free us.” She reopened her eyes, the blue piercing the dark hallway.
Aelfsi laid a comforting hand on her wife’s shoulder. “She can feel that something has changed, we are just not sure what. There are more shadows than ever blocking her way, and she cannot See through them without all her power.” Aelfsi turned to Koa, meeting her gaze. Aelfsi’s harsh face softened. “It is not your fault.”
“It’s hard to believe that,” Koa whispered. The two shared a look so intense both North and Easta turned away to give them privacy. Koa broke the spell, taking a deep breath.
“Without knowing for sure until morning if their mating bond is intact, we have to make a plan.”
“Would it be best to go somewhere more private?” Aelfsi suggested.
“This is probably the safest place. The walls are thick, and no one is insane enough to dare to be down here—” North was saying.
“Except for us,” Easta interjected, her older sister shooting her a look.
“Yes, except for us. And if Westley and Solveig overhear, it’s not the end of the world,”she finished.
“Very well,” Koa said. “We have two options. If Solveig and Westley have indeed mated, their magic should be freed completely by the strength of their bond. The rest is fairly easy.”
“They would be the two most powerful beings on Yggdrasil. They could force the entire world to bow to them,” Aelfsi said, a glint of power entering her eyes.
