Page 17 of Goddess of Light

I nod. “Castle Synti. Louhi’s palace by the Star Swamp.”

Rasmus makes a muffled sound of protest—he knows the place. Everyone does. The Star Swamp is a realm of luminous bogs, of twisted spirits, of dangerous illusions. The swamp itself isn’t made of water but of Oblivion; falling in means a fate worsethan death. After Louhi left my father, it became her own seat of power in the north, one she shared with her shaman consort, Ilmarinen. It’s the last place she’d think we’d go, a place no sane creature willingly ventures, let alone us.

“Her palace?” Tellervo asks, her antlered head tilting in disbelief. The animals in Tapio’s beard grow silent, as if stunned. “You want to march right into her old domain? When everything that surrounds it is Oblivion?”

“Not march,” I say. “We sneak and we hide. We plan. She won’t be expecting us there, not if she believes we’re searching for her in our usual haunts. We find Nyyrikki and Mielikki and we head straight there. If we can do it undiscovered, then we might be able to gather enough allies and make a good enough plan. It’s shelter. We can turn it into a fortress.”

The Magician’s galaxies flare in a silent show of agreement. Tapio’s forehead creases with concern as he nods gravely, while Tellervo stares at me for a moment before she finally gives me a wry smile.

“You’re mad,” she says softly, “but I think we might need to be in order to survive.”

She gets it. I look over at Rasmus. “Well? If you know something or have anything to say about this plan, now is the time to speak up.”

He gnaws on his lip for a moment. “Ilmarinen is still there. Louhi left him behind.”

“And? He is mortal, is he not? I’m sure we can take care of him.”

“He is still a shaman, no matter how much magic Louhi has drained from him,” he says. “Remember, it’s his power that helped her gain so much. It would be a mistake to discount him.”

“But she’s been torturing that man for years,” Tapio says. “How could he still be on her side?”

The look in Rasmus’ eyes darkens. “Because that’s what abuse looks like. That’s what brainwashing looks like. Your loyalty is ingrained in you through pain,” he adds quietly. “Until it becomes all you know.”

I have to admit, I’m starting to feel a little sorry for Rasmus. I know I shouldn’t; I know he’s probably trying to manipulate me after I saved his life, after he saw my compassion, my weakness. My father never would have made such a mistake—neither would my mother, for that matter. Where I get this bleeding heart from, I don’t know, but I sure as hell don’t like it.

My eyes meet the Magician’s face, and I feel strength in those spinning stars. It gives me my resolve back.

“Then we’ll be ready for him and whatever magic he might wield,” I say as I nod at Tapio to lead us through the forest.

CHAPTER SEVEN

TUONEN

Rangaista,I think, my heart sinking like a stone as the figure comes down the steps into the dungeon.

The demon has returned to pay its grandson a visit after all.

But as it approaches, the shadow gets smaller and smaller until a dog made of metal, fur, and bone appears, sitting back on his haunches, his iron tail scraping against the ground as it wags.

“Rauta!” I whisper. “You came!”

Rauta lifts a paw as if to wave at me, and I notice the soft padding under the metal, enabling him to sneak around quietly.

“Good boy,” I tell him, moving to the bars and crouching down to his level. His head tilts, and he looks at me as if to say,now what?

“See if you can find something to break me out of here,” I whisper. “Are there any keys hanging on the wall somewhere?”

It’s unlikely, but Rauta understands and starts sniffing around, nose to the ground and tail wagging. I’m not surprised when he comes back shaking his head.

“Well, fuck,” I mumble.

Rauta pads forward and pushes his soft nose against one of the cell bars, opening his mouth and slowly running its irontongue along the metal. Then, he bares his metallic teeth, sharp and strong, as thick and long as my thumb.

I move back cautiously, unsure what he has planned.

The dog bites down on the bar, and sparks fly, the sound so grating, I have to cover my ears. He starts to tug at it as if it’s a meager chew toy, and I watch, wincing, as Rauta pulls the bar out, widening the gap. He moves on to the next bar, pulling it in the opposite direction until there’s just enough room for me to squeeze through.

Fuck. That dog is a lot stronger than I thought.

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