Page 51 of Rune

“Odin!” I shouted harder, the plea tearing from my throat until those around had quieted to watch as I clawed at the rails. “She should not be here! You marked her as your favorite. You could not have marked her just to let her die!”

At my words, the fire in Tova’s eyes dimmed, though her jaw was still clenched and she still stood on her toes like she was ready either to flee or to attack whatever moved. I had no doubt she would do one or the other.

Odin swung his eye to Tova, who stared at him with no shame. “She had my favor, and all my blessings,” Odin said. “But a week ago, she rejected them. Now, she will fight if she hopes to have my favor again.”

I tried to process his words. What did rejecting his blessing mean? Tova had been faithful to the gods her entire life, and nothing could sway her from that devotion. He must have gotten it wrong.

“You cannot do this to her,” I shouted again. “She has a family!”

“They all have families,” Odin shouted back. His voice wavered in a way that told me I was trying his patience. “But each of them has committed offense to me, and now they will fight to reclaim their place of honor.” By now, the entire arena was holding their breath as we fought, so they all caught it when his voice darkened. “They will learn the consequences of disrespecting the gods.”

The hairs on my arms stood on end. I held his gaze.

I hadn’t known the champions were specifically selected by Odin to pay for wrongs against him. Though he spoke of them, his words could have been for me. Someday, I would pay for disrespecting the gods. I had renounced them. I had lost my faith in them. I had turned away from belief and scorned it all.

“Do not anger him further.” Ve placed a hand on my arm.

I didn’t look at him. I looked back to Tova. She rocked on her heels a few times, taking in the line of mortals beside her. When her eyes met mine, I saw her plan in them. I couldn’t help her, but Tova had never been one to ask others for salvation. Before I could shake my head, she balled her hands in a fist and swung at the mortal beside her.

The knock of her fist resounded across the arena, and with it, madness erupted.

The other champions were already on edge, and the first sign of a fight sent them all in a rage of attacking one another with the only weapons they had: their hands. As the man Tova had punched steadied himself, a lithe girl flew to Tova’s side to wrap her hands around Tova’s neck and squeezed.

I yelped, but Ve grabbed my arm. “This is not your fight.”

“Let me go.” I ripped out of his grasp, calculating how far I’d have to jump to reach the arena with Tova and if I could land withoutdamaging my legs. Not likely, but as Tova’s face turned blue, the risk lessened until I’d tricked my mind into believing I could accomplish the jump.

I’d just taken my breath before jumping when the first champion came behind the girl strangling Tova, grabbed her by the waist, and flung her into the side of the arena. No one could miss the loud crack as her body hit the wood, and her head hung limply to the side.

Tova wasted no time in throwing herself at the strong first, ruthlessly jabbing her knee into his groin even though he’d just saved her. First winced. Tova got two more punches into his gut before he backhanded her across the face and sent her to the floor.

The gods were all on their feet, and amidst their shouts I couldn’t tell if they were cheering them on or calling for them to stop.

“What was your sister thinking?” Ve hissed under his breath. “Odin won’t be pleased.”

I tried not to look down at Odin and how far my sister was falling from his favor. “She was getting a head start,” I replied. Balder was looking at me from his seat nearby, with pity etched into the deep lines of his forehead. For some reason, the pity only irritated me further.

First towered over Tova, who struggled to get her legs under her.

“No!” I grabbed the rails. I was jumping this time.

To my surprise, Ve jumped first.

He leapt with far more grace than I could have, throwing himself into the arena with the others. With a swift motion, he punched First’s jaw to get him to stand back from Tova, turned to the rest of the champions, and roared, “Enough!”

His voice carried power that shook the dust beneath their feet, and all the champions stilled. Their chests heaved, and their eyes still blazed,but Ve stared them down until one by one they relaxed and fell back into line.

He offered a hand to Tova. She pushed it away.

“You will get your chance at glory tomorrow,” he said to them all. “For tonight, you will thank Odin’s mercy he did not strike you down for disobedience.” His wary look lingered on Tova before he turned for the girl who had been knocked against the wooden walls.

He knelt at her side, placed a hand under her head, and lifted it up. His other hand went over her forehead, and his eyes closed. He took three deep breaths. By the third, the girl was opening her eyes to blink repeatedly and scramble to her knees. Her hands rolled into fists while she flung her gaze around the arena with a growl in her throat.

“Easy,” Ve said in a calming voice that I swore calmed the gods as well as the mortal. “You will not fight today.” He stood as she calmed, and gave one more look to the other nineteen champions.

“That is the last time you will fight without someone dying,” he said. They all stiffened. “Tomorrow, the games begin. Get some rest.” He flicked his hand in the direction of the doors.

The champions hesitated, mostly First, looking at Ve like they might try to fight him. But then they swept their eyes over the rest of the gods and dropped their heads to retreat back into the dark tunnel leading to their cells. A guard stood there to make certain they all got in.

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