Page 23 of Rune

I gave a small smile. “I’m sure mymóðirwill be found soon.”

“You are right. But tonight, at least we can celebrate that one part of the family is home again.” Balder reached past the raven knockers to open the door, and it swung inward silently.

Sound filled the large hall, spilling from both sides with a melodious crash. Lyre music, laughter, and the clink of glasses swarmed me. I gave Balder a look. “You told me it’d be a quiet evening.”

He laughed. “This is quiet. You’ll hear much louder parties than this, I assure you.”

Before fear could rise in gooseflesh on my skin, Balder extended his arm for me to take, and I placed a hand over his while bringing the other to feel the outline of the dagger clinging to my thigh beneath the silk, summoning strength from the blade. It was wildly unhelpful. I’d been trained to face Vikings, not gods.

We crossed the long hallway, turned right, and were faced with a domed room full of beings taller and stronger than I, with beauty unmatched by mortals. Before I could prepare myself, Balder declared in a booming voice, “The lost goddess, Ruin, returns!”

Every drink lowered, every conversation stopped, and every face turned our way. Balder chose that moment to drop my hand and stand back, leaving me alone.

I held my shoulders back and tried not to show fear.

Cheers exploded through the room. Frigg’s eye caught mine first, standing near the back of the room dressed in gray and armed with two swords crossed behind her back. She nodded approvingly at me, and tipped her glass ever so slightly. Four others stood around her, all built like boars and covered in hair just as dark as one, clad in the same mix of armor and finery. Behind them was not a wall but an open platform overlooking the valley, bathed in starlight.

My emergency exit was pinpointed.

I raked my eyes over the rest of the room, where none had moved. Jolted, I realized they expected a word from me.

A wide, silver platter sat atop a marble stand, holding tall glasses of red wine. I plucked one, and held it out. “It’s good to be home.”

The gods roared with cheers. I took a sip for courage, and walked into the chaos.

Bony hands reached for mine, wrists dangling with endless gold bracelets that clattered when our fingers met. I looked into the face of awoman much older than me, but she wasn’t merely looking at me, she was staring at me as if absorbing every detail of my looks into her memory and she couldn’t get enough. Her grip was strong. “Welcome back, young one. We’ve missed you so much.”

Before I could respond, she passed my hand to a man who came behind me, and he looked at me the same way—eyes wet with tears like I was the answer to prayers. “It’s so good to have you back,” he said.

It was a simple line, but with how tenderly he’d said it, it could have been the nicest thing anyone ever said to me. Like all of Asgard had been holding its breath, waiting for me.

Imagine that. Waiting for me.

I couldn’t help but feel like I was robbing Astrid of a special homecoming, but it was too late now to do anything other than enjoy it.

Another reached for me, taking my cheek in her cold touch. “You are just as beautiful as yourmóðir. It’s good to see you home.”

The line was repeated a dozen different ways.

“We’ve missed you.”

“We’re so glad to see you.”

“It’s good to have you home.”

Each one as genuine as the next, and each line warming my heart until it was dangerously buttered up. I’d never been welcomed like this, not even when I was missing in the mountains for two weeks a few years ago and finally stumbled home, half-starved and practically frozen. I was given mulled cider and a heated bath and warned not to wander too far from the beaten down path again.

I could get used to a fond greeting.

But those kind words would quickly turn lethal the moment they found out I was lying to them, and that warning rang through my mindas I slipped my hand away. “Thank you,” I said politely, stepping back. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Excuse me a moment.”

My feet traced a path along the outer rim of the circular room at a quick enough pace that it appeared I had a destination in mind, while I took the time to take in everyone.

The room consisted of two levels, an upper and a lower, with railings along the upper portion that gods leaned against to look down upon me. I avoided their gazes. One god didn’t stare though, he held a giant leg of meat in his hand while listening to a girl speaking to him. His hair was shaved on the sides, even more than mine, though his was light instead of dark and pulled into a tangled bun at the back. His arms were what captured my attention the most, specifically the unbelievable size of them, and how his head towered by the ceiling.

That must be Thor. It couldn’t be anyone else.

I quivered and moved on.

---