Finally, Herrick managed to reach her side, but as he stood, the wind pulled him past her toward the wall of fire she was controlling. The only way to stop himself was to throw his arms around her and anchor his feet into the ground the best he could. Standing with Maude's back to his front, he could feel the tremors starting to set in. Even if she couldn't burn out in the traditional sense, something was pulling on hergaldertoo fast.
"You have to let go of yourgalder, or you'll burn out!" he shouted into her ear, hoping his words would break through whatever trance Maude was in.
She started to thrash in his arms, her nails carving deep gouges into his skin and her head connecting with his nose until the resounding crack of a broken bone echoed in his skull. He only tightened his grip, grunting at the shock of pain that was now ebbing into his bones with a sharp bite.
"Knock her out before she brings this whole place down on us!" Bryn shouted from across the room.
"Fuck," Herrick growled as he turned Maude in his arms so she faced him.
Gripping either side of her head, Herrick looked into Maude's eyes, the black pits swirling with something other than hiseldr. He could drown in her darkness and be happy to do it, he thought with a chuckle. But this was not her fury that churned in hiseldr'seyes.
Doing the only thing he could think of to pull her from her storm, Herrick pressed his lips roughly against hers.
The wind stopped, and the golden fire froze around them as if time had stopped. Maude was stiff for only a moment before she melted under his touch, her body reacting to him the way he hoped it would. They stood there, pressed against each other for a brief eternity before Maude slanted her mouth against his and kissed him back. Her eyes widened, clarity shooting through them as the deep tinge of her green irises started to peek through the black for a second before they rolled to the back of her head, and she collapsed.
Hergalderretreated instantly, clearing the small room.
They all breathed heavily for a few minutes.
"Every life Maude takes brings her closer to Hela," Bryn huffed out as she rose to her feet.
"We don't exactly have the luxury of another option," Hakon replied as he helped Dahlia to her feet. She released his hand quickly, nodding her thanks while avoiding eye contact. "She's the best fighter out of all of us."
"I resent that," Herrick said dryly, trying to find some humor in their bleak situation as he scooped Maude into his arms.
"She won't be able to fight her off for much longer," Bryn continued, her eyes on Herrick. "I know you haven't wanted to face the reality of her situation because you think it will all work out, but I am not willing to let Maude fall into Hela's hands just because it's the easiest way to do this."
"I'm not letting her fall into her grasp—," he started to say, but Bryn cut him off.
"I willnotlet the goddess of Hel possess my sister."
"Neither will I," he reaffirmed but internally shuddered as he realized that Bryn had been right to call him out.
He had been avoiding the thought that Hela might be trying to take over Maude's body. Hildr had said as much when they were in Hilgafell.
The dalkr Hela has been burrowing its way into Maude's fate. It has her in its grasp now.
The dagger she'd killed with for years was channeling Hela into Maude's consciousness, slipping further and further inside until it would be almost impossible to remove her. When her eyes blacked out, and that warmth that belonged to hiseldrdisappeared, it was Hela staring back at them. But why Maude? And why interfere like this…
The gods can interfere with someone's fate. Any of the gods.
"Damn it," Herrick breathed as he held Bryn's eye.
She nodded, understanding where his thought process had taken him.
"Come on," she said, waving for him to follow her into the tunnel. "You both look like Hel and could use some rest. We have time."
"No, we don't," Herrick bit out as he readjusted his hold on Maude and followed Bryn into the darkness. "We have until dawn."
49
Everything hurt.
Every breath, every movement of her eyes behind closed lids seemed to send waves of aching across Maude's body. She tried to sit up but found she was weighed down around her waist.
When she finally was able to open her eyes, Maude could see she was inside a tent she didn't recognize. While the carpets that covered the ground and the privacy screens were similar to the tent she shared with her sister and Dahlia, the furnishings were a little more sparse in this tent. There was also a large table set up with a map of Ahland pinned across it with small figurines to represent both armies.
This must be Herrick's tent,she realized, dazed.But how did I end up here?
