“Hmm. Is that so?” His pointy face scrutinizes me. “I thought you had visited her and called to her for the war on Asgard.”
“Well, yeah. But that was so long ago, and I don't know where she resides.”
“Oh?” he says, sounding unconvinced. “All right. That's it now.” He scurries up the side of the cave to the hole, disappearing after the lava monster releases him.
I’m surprised at the ease with which the cheeky little rodent can travel through the realms, unhindered even by monsters. Eyes fixed on the hole, Elan drops to her stomach, and I slump next to her, wriggling in close and leaning against her scales. My eyes remain fixed on the blocked hole where Ratatoskr disappeared, amazed how something so small could be the most annoying personality I’ve dealt with.
My gaze drops to the opening to the lava river. The monster's legs remain dangling over the top.
“Are we ever getting out of here, Elan?” I clasp the edge of one of her body scales and fiddle with the pointy edges. “The one person I think can save us is wiped out unconscious, thanks to the lava monster.”
She circles her neck around me, resting her head on her talons, not far from my leg. Don't worry. We’ll get out of this soon one way or another. Rest up. You need your strength.
Stretching my legs in front of me, I attempt to relax, only to have my feet twitch, restless from the fear and doubt churning through my thoughts. I've just been exiled from Asgard. Telling me to rest up is easier said than done. Also, we could do with some help. I don't want to be stuck here and want to get my life back to normal. I need to help Thor protect Asgard from the potential threat of the three siblings, especially after we recapture Loki.
At the thought, my forehead creases, and I mutter, “If the children are only going to attack Asgard if Loki is captured, wouldn’t it be better to leave him free?”
Elan hums. Possibly, but then that would probably leave you homeless for the rest of your existence. Not only that, we don’t know what Loki’s true intentions are.
I fold my arms over my stomach and pull my knees to my chest. “You're right. At times, he seems to be working for Asgard, and other times, he seems to be working against.”
I shake my head, pushing aside my doubts. My first focus should be getting out of here… after some much-needed rest. Visions of Odin being proud of me again as I hand Loki over fill my head, despite my attempt to clear my mind of all worries. Time passes slowly until my eyelids eventually droop and my head tilts to one side. Pulling my knees in closer to my chest, I snuggle into Elan. The hard scales bring me comfort as they press into my skin, for I know she is near, and I’m not alone. I wriggle, resting my face against her front leg just in front of her chest, and listen to her breathing. The slow and monotonous sound sends me off into a deep, calm sleep, finally pushing the day nightmares away.
Something jerks me awake. I jump as a rock crashes on the ground, not far from our side. Springing to my feet, I glance up at the top of the cave in time to see a massive hand sweep into the hole, aiming directly for us.
- Chapter Ten -
* * *
The enormous hand lowers, swiping one direction then the next and pushing us back into a corner. The arm shifts as the body attached to it moves to a better position. Something lowers over the top of the opening to the lava river, fixing my attention on a glowing red eye peering over the top. One long, curved horn sweeps down into the molten river and out again, forming almost a full circle.
Elan lurches protectively in front of me, her legs sprawled and her lips pulled back into a snarl, blocking the burning eye’s view of me. Undeterred by Elan’s efforts, the hand whips across the cave, swiping the large golden dragon out of the way.
Helplessness overcomes me as her large form is flung to the side like a small toy, slamming her against the wall.
A yelp reverberates through the cave, coupled with the thud of the impact.
Yanking my eyes from the mesmerizing lava gaze, I check to see if Elan is okay. A worried frown creases my forehead as I wait for her to move. I attempt to go to her only to have my effort wasted as a hand sweeps over, clasping me around the waist and yanking me upward. Struggling to push my hands down, I squirm but fail to shimmy out of its grasp. The grip is too tight, and no matter what I do, I cannot loosen its force.
My breathing grows ragged as panic weaves its ugliness through me.
I peer over the side of the hand to see Elan climbing to her feet, staring up at me. She looks tiny down there.
The hand yanks me through the hole, away from her concerned gaze. I catch a final glimpse of her golden eyes staring up at me as another hand swiftly blocks the hole enough to prevent Elan from flying out to help me.
I’m lifted farther until I’m dangling in front of a large dark face, eyes burning with lava and two horns that would impress the strongest of goats, shadowed by several smaller horns. The large horns are so big that they appear to be almost useless—ornaments, mainly used for show—whereas the smaller ones surrounding them seem a more practical size and an actual threat.
With wide eyes, I hold my breath as I let my gaze travel up to look at the hideous face now level with my body. Surt's form is enormous, and I flinch when I realize I’m being held in a direct line with the giant's mouth.
Lifting my focus to Surt’s eyes takes all my effort. I don’t want to be this close to pits filled with lava that act like eyes. I think they focus on me, but that’s hard to tell when the eyes have no pupils. They seem more like lava abysses, never-ending gateways to a fiery death I don’t want to experience.
The fingers shift, and one clasps me around my waist. I attempt to wriggle out of it but can't, eventually giving up and steeling my fear as I gaze up into the glowing eyes, mesmerized by the lava pits.
The enormous mouth spreads into something like a smile, exposing not teeth but red molten rock. That makes sense—Surt would have no need for teeth when anything consumed can be incinerated. I don't know how this giant can talk. I don’t want to be this close to Surt.
“So. You've had long enough to think it over?” His voice is deep, with an edge that expresses how difficult it is to talk through melted stone.
“To think over what?” I ask, playing dumb.
Impatience shows on his hard face as fiery evil climbs into his voice. “Are you going to tell me where I can find Freya?”
My insides recoil, and I want to curl up into a ball. This giant is huge. After a moment, I pull my thoughts together, reminding myself of what I stand for and why I’m protecting the goddess. I shove away the fear and encase my spine with emotional steel to bring strength back into my shoulders. “I don't know where Freya is. I've told you this.” I lift my chin, knowing that’s not a lie. “I don't know how you think threatening me is going to make me suddenly come up with something I don't know.”
A deep rumble, low and menacing, sounds in his throat. “I have it on good authority that you know where she is.”
I cross my arms and tilt my head to the side. “And who tells you I know?”
His eyebrows push into a vee as annoyance washes over his face. “I have it on good authority from Loki. He tells me that you know. He sent me a message through Ratatoskr.”