Page 34 of A Curse Carved in Bone
My hands turned cold because Bjorn had described that destination to me, and his words echoed through my thoughts.She told me that the shield maiden would unite Skaland, but that tens of thousands would be left dead in your wake. That you’d walk upon the ground like a plague, pitting friend against friend, brother against brother, and that all would fear you.
“It’s not a place I wish to go,” I whispered as we stepped into the dim confines of the cabin. Saga didn’t answer, and I took the opportunity the silence presented to examine the interior. As was common in Skaland, it was only one room, though there were touches of wealth that spoke to Harald’s influence on her life, from the multitude of thick pelts to the quality of the pots hanging near the hearth, to the richly colored hangings on the walls that I recognized as craft from the distant south.
The cabin itself was made of thick logs with a thatched roof, the smoke from the hearth minimal for it was well constructed. Awell-made table with two benches dominated the space, and to one side, a curtain hung from the ceiling to hide away the sleeping area. Dried herbs covered one wall, though the dust on them suggested that Saga was no better cook than her son. Indeed, I’d seen no sign of livestock, so either she was an excellent hunter or Harald arranged for her to be well provided.
“Sit.” Saga gestured to one of the benches. She then went to the fire and lifted off a steaming pot that smelled of red wine, cinnamon, and cloves. I revised my opinion of her skills as she ladled a cup for me before sitting on the other bench.
“It’s a relief speaking with you.” I curled my hands around the cup to warm them. “It has been so long since I spoke with anyone I could trust to answer honestly.”
Saga took a sip of her drink. “I can lie just as easily as you, Freya. But not about the visions that the Allfather has gifted me.”
“That’s something.” I drank, wincing as the liquid scalded my tongue. “It makes me feel at ease around you, even though we don’t know each other.” Shaking my head, I added, “It feels as though I know you because your words have impacted my life so greatly.”
“The Allfather’s words, not mine.” Saga smiled, revealing perfect white teeth. “I wish I could say the sentiment is shared, Freya, but in truth, you terrify me. In my weaker moments, I weep that my son did not kill you the moment he set eyes on you, but he has drawn a line in the sand and I will not cross it. I will not kill the woman he loves so dearly for it would mean losing him, and that is not a loss I can bear. I am selfish, and it seems the Norns know that well.”
I hesitated, then said, “Harald questions whether your foretelling has other interpretations. You believed that for Snorri to lose control over me, I had to die. What if there is another way?”
“Harald does love to chase even the smallest embers in the darkness,” she replied. “I do not share his hope, but I cannot say with certainty that it’s not possible.”
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, forcing myself to pressonward. “Did you witness when the gods stepped onto the mortal plane at Fjalltindr?”
“Yes. I watched from afar. They called you a child of two bloods and said that they were watching you.”
“They did not mean mortal and divine,” I said. “They meant that I had the blood of two goddesses in my veins. Hlin. And Hel.”
Saga sat up straight.
“I can curse people.” My words were no more than a whisper. “I can tear their souls from their bodies and send them to Helheim, leaving behind only an empty corpse.”
“In my vision, your eyes burned red.”
“They do that now when my emotions run high. Especially when I’m angry. It feels as though she’s taking control. She…” I trailed off, not wanting to admit the truth lest Bjorn’s mother believe me mad.
“What does she do?” Saga pressed.
Perhaps I was wrong to think she’d judge me for hearing Hel’s voice, for did not Odin show his children visions? “Hel speaks to me inside my head.”
Saga’s head tilted, and the faint wariness in her eyes made my face burn. Yet all she said was, “You communicate with Hel?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “At least, I think I do.”
“And Hlin?”
I shook my head. “Not in the same way.”
“What does Hel tell you?”
“She is covetous. She pushes me to take what I want and fuels my anger when I am denied. She…she encouraged me to send the souls of Islunder raiders to her.”
Saga shivered, then took a long sip of her wine. “When I saw you in my second vision, you stood in a field of countless dead, your eyes burning like coals. It was not clear how they’d died, and I assumed that it was in a great battle, but this makes a great deal more sense. In the future I have foreseen, you use Hel’s magic to send thousands to your godly mother in Helheim.” She let out a shaky breath. “You are amistress of death, Freya. Even the bravest of warriors will flee before you lest you steal their chance to journey to Valhalla. In Snorri’s hands, you truly would be a plague upon Nordeland.”
I could feel her fear and it turned my belly sour. “I’m not in his hands. I’m here, with you.”
“And yet I cannot shirk the sense that you remain under his control.” She pressed fingers to her temples. “As though he has a leash upon you.”
I could not speak on the matter. My oath to keep silent held my tongue still. Instead, I asked, “Saga, I do not want this future, but neither do I wish to die. Tell me how I might change my fate.”
The seer gave a slow shake of her head. “I see only one future, Freya. One dark and horrible future. If you came here seeking answers to how you might change your fate, I fear your journey was for nothing.”
