Page 76 of The Dark Rises
Well, damn, if Lux thinks it’s dangerous, that’s bad. “Thanks, friend.”
He grins up at me. “You can hold my hand.”
Probably for the best. Ignoring temptation was never my strong suit. “Thanks, I will.” Grasping his strong, leathery hand in mine, we swing our arms between us.
Cormal mutters curse words behind us.
Lux darts a glance at me, and I whisper, “He’s just upset he doesn’t have a friend to hold his hand.”
“Fucking hell, Meri,” Cormal bites out. “I’m fine, Lux…. Maybe a little bit grumpy.” His blue eyes flash a warning look at me.
It takes us three hours to get to the clearing, and I could have sworn we were going in circles, passing the same trees and flowers several times, but Madoc assures me that’s not the case.
Madoc walks up to the widest and tallest tree I’ve ever seen and knocks on it. He listens intently, then pricks his finger and smears it on the bark. A door opens in the trunk, and we walk through the tree into a small city.
“In the old days, it was a clearing with huts and campfires,” Rivan murmurs to me. “Over the years, they’ve picked up small modern conveniences.”
I swivel to look at him. “You didn’t tell me you’d been here before. Does Madoc know?”
He shakes his head. “As a daughter of Avalon, my mother was often called to obscure places. She came here to tattoo runes when requested. I usually went with her.”
“Every day, you surprise me,” I whisper back. “What an incredible story.”
As we near the main area, Odin appears with several large men and women. Muscular, fit, wearing a plethora of weapons. Warriors. Part of The Wild Hunt?
“Welcome,” he greets us. “Feel free to mingle, grab some food, or catch a nap. The gauntlet begins in an hour at the stroke of midnight.”
A gorgeous red-haired woman eyes me with curiosity.
“Hello, I’m Meri,” I say, introducing myself.
She tilts her head, studying me intently. “Brynhildr. You’re the queen who gave up her crown.”
“Good news travels fast,” I quip. “Can you point me to the restroom?”
She lifts a leather clad arm and points to a small building nearby. “Why?”
I pause and turn back toward her. “Family is everything. Blood or not, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep mine.”
Hmph. Maybe Leandra taught me something after all. By not seeing me as anything but a tool of revenge, she lost out on the daughter she could have had all those years. Smiling, I turn on my heel and head toward the building.
Expecting an outhouse situation, I’m pleasantly surprised to find real bathrooms. After finishing, I step outside and find Lux standing near Aamon.
“Aamon,” I say, smiling up at him. “We’ve missed you. Tell me how you like living here? It seems nice. Have you made any friends?”
He motions for us both to follow him. I glance around and find Madoc staring at us with a bemused expression on his face. Cormal, on the other hand, is scowling. I swear. It’s like they’ve switched places today. I motion walking with Aamon, and Madoc nods.
Aamon takes us to the training gym. The mess hall. And last, his house, which he shares with a few other equally terrifying creatures. He introduces each one, and I shake their hands.
One snarls at me, but Lux turns on him. “She’s my friend. Be nice.”
The beast’s dark eyes shift from Lux to Aamon to me, then slinks away.
“Friend?” another asks.
Lux explains to them what friend means with Aamon nodding in agreement, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.
My phone’s alarm goes off, causing everyone to scramble, but I quickly calm them down by showing them the phone. For a couple minutes, they all clamor to hear the different sounds it makes.
