Page 38 of Baldr's Secret Mate

“It did not. Only that this place is ancient.”

“I guess that means we better watch our step.”

Mist moved close to me, linking his arm in mine. “There,” he said, giving me a bright smile. “That should keep us safe.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, feeling the sudden rush of giddiness over the bond. “I bet it will.” I held him tight, pulling him down the dimly lit hallway. “Now let’s get out of here.”

We made our way through the dimly lit ruins, arm in arm, relying on the faint glow of the strange fungus to lightour path. To our relief and possibly our doom, there was only one way to go. It seemed we’d somehow ended in a long underground corridor that had collapsed. I had no way of knowing if our side had a way out, but I tried to remain hopeful. The air was damp and musty, thick with the scent of decay and ages past. Our footsteps echoed off the crumbling stone walls, sending small pebbles skittering across the floor with each step. Here and there mounds of dirt filled the hallway that we had to crawl over, the walls having long since given way under the strain of the soil above us. I had a good feeling that the ruins weren’t exactly stable. But as long as we kept our voices low and moved quickly, I had to believe we could get out without inciting a collapse.

As we walked, I couldn't help but marvel at the ancient architecture around us. Even in ruins, there was a grandeur to the place that spoke of its former glory. Massive pillars, intricately carved with runes and symbols I didn't recognize, stretched up into the darkness above. In some places pure gold still clung to the stone, inlaid long ago by skilled craftsmen. Here and there, we passed remnants of tapestries and murals, their colors long since faded but still hinting at epic tales of gods and heroes. Maybe the spirit was right, gods really had roamed these halls at one point. I couldn’t imagine who else could afford such magnificence.

“I can't believe we're actually in Asgard,” Mist whispered, holding tight to me as we walked. “Do you really think the gods lived here?”

“Sure.”

“So you think they were real?”

“I think any god is real as long as you believe in them,” I replied. “And once you stop believing, they stop existing.”

Mist stared at me for a long moment. “I can’t tell if that’s wisdom or pure insanity.”

“You’d be surprised how often those two meet,” I chuckled. “But try thinking of it in a different way. Do you believe in gods?”

“I don’t know,” Mist said slowly. “It doesn’t seem likely does it? There’s not really much tangible proof they’re real.”

“But do you believe in love?”

“Of course!”

“But why?” I asked, shrugging with a smile. “There’s no tangible proof it exists. You can’t touch love or hold it in your hand. So shouldn’t that mean it’s not real?”

“But love is in all those stories!”

“So are gods.”

“But… But you can see love! And touch it! If you have a partner.”

“And what if you don’t? Does that mean love doesn’t exist?”

“It can feel like that sometimes…” he nodded.

“And it can feel like gods aren’t real either.”

Mist stared at me for a long moment. “I think I know what you’re saying, but it’s making my brain hurt.”

I laughed, leaning close and kissing his cheek. “Here’s my opinion. I think all gods recorded in history have existed at one time or another. I don’t know if they were once men or if they were ever mortal at all. But I think they were sustained by the beliefs of other people. But when those people stopped praying and believing and time marched on, those gods lost their powers and faded into the unknown.” I gestured to the ruins around us. “But phantoms didn’t build this metropolis. Something or someone did. So… I guess my thought is that the gods were real once and they might be real again if people start believing in them.”

Mist tilted his head to the side, looking at me with eyes filled with wonder. “That feels so… hopeful.”

I just shrugged. “I guess.”

“I should’ve known you’d be a dreamer. Especially with all the books you read and your visions.” He leaned against my shoulder. “I hope the future you see is just as hopeful.”

My heart sank, a cold sensation filling my chest. My stomach twisted, and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to smile. “Yeah. Me too.”

Chapter Twenty-One: Mist

“So… if I’m supposed to practice my magic, maybe you could show me something simple to try?” I asked, prodding Baldr as we sat down in the center of a large chamber.

---