She tried to move her body and force herself back into control but found herself shoved into the back of her mind, clamped in irons that Hela had power over.
"See how the Flame Soldiers fall to their deaths, but Odin's precious Valkyries can't touch them," Hela crooned into her mind, her voice silky and beautiful despite the horrible things she was speaking of.
Maude then saw what Hela was speaking of. What looked like a gold mist hovered over the battlefield, with the occasional wing peeking through the veil between worlds. She realized she was seeing what the Goddess of the Underworld could see— the plane belonging to the gods that showed the Valkyries bringing the souls of the dead to Odin. But only the River Soldiers were being brought to Valhalla. The Flame Soldiers just lay dead in the mud, their corpses being passed over as if they weren't even there.
This was wrong— enemies or not, each warrior deserved the chance to live forever in Odin's golden halls.
"Vilde Shadowheart is controlling them," Hela whispered again, her voice slithering into Maude's consciousness and leaving an oily feeling in its place. "She plays with runicgaldershe does not understand, so her followers must be punished."
If Vilde is your enemy, perhaps we can come to an agreement, Maude offered, seeing a way back to control of her body.
"No," Hela whispered, the delight in her voice radiating through Maude's flesh. "I cannot oppose her. But with your body, I can defy her."
I don't understand, Maude said, exhaustion wearing on her the longer she tried to stay present.
"You don't have to," the Goddess replied. "You only have to understand what you'll lose if you fight me."
Darkness descended over Maude as she lost her battle to stay conscious.
When she woke again, they were surrounded by earth and shadows. A pinprick of light was visible. Her body stepped forward into shadows that swirled all around her, and as she blinked, they were standing on the threshold of a tunnel with a sandy beach stretched out in front of her.
"This shadow stepping skill of yours is handy," Hela's voice swirled around her again.
Shadow stepping?
"You do not know your own power. What a disgrace."
And how do you know about my power?Maude asked, irritated at the goddess's cryptic responses.
"I have been watching you for some time now, Daughter of Chaos,"Hela whispered as she projected images into her mind that flashed across her mind's eye rapidly.
Maude sitting in her window at the Palace of Wind and Embers, her tired face desolate as it stared east toward the Kingdom of Rivers. Then it was Maude jumping from roof to roof in Logi, her mother's shawl wrapped around her as she tried to blend with the shadows of the night. Then, Maude was standing on a rooftop as an empty city burned below her.
In every memory, there was a hound in the background of the chosen moments in her life. The shadow hound she had spied when they had needed to destroy Amsbrook. Fear crept into her heart as she realized just how closely the Goddess of Hel had been to her throughout her life.
"I have seen and heard all over the last twenty six years," Hela continued. "I know you better than you know yourself. It's how I managed to finally take over control of your body."
Bullshit. She would gain control over herself, she only needed to find the loophole the Goddess was missing.
Where are we?Maude asked as she tried to push forward. Her body didn't respond to her command.
"Look and see."
Her eyes narrowed as she saw the outlines of people in the water, a longboat rowing toward a fleet of ships.
"See who will be in danger if you continue to fight me,"Hela ordered as she brought their eyes to rest on the lone figure standing at the end of the boat, looking back toward the shore.
Herrick. Oh gods, Herrick.
"Yes, the General will die if you get in my way, Daughter of Chaos."
Maude shivered at the title but took a step forward toward him anyway. His face slackened for a moment in recognition as he spied her appearing from the shadows, but the Goddess yanked her control back from her before she could do more than make herself known.
Do not touch him, she growled at the Goddess.I'll do whatever you want; just leave him out of it.
"We have a deal, Maude Vilulf."
She got one last glance at Herrick before the darkness descended again, and she was shoved back into the recesses of her own mind. She held on to how the planes of his face felt under her fingertips, how his soft mouth seemed to mold against her perfectly, and how his body fit against hers. As she drifted into the darkest corner of her mind, a prisoner of both will and flesh, Maude remembered how Herrick made her feel.
