“I’ll carry you as soon as we pass the gate. Modgie usually locks it.” He peered ahead. “I’m not sure where she is. I didn’t see her earlier either.”
Below us was a boat moored on the banks of the river. Some Grimnirs were standing by the boat with souls.
“Those are damned souls heading to Corpse Strand. They’re waiting for Trudy’s father,” Echo explained.
We stepped off the bridge, and something dark and huge loomed ahead. As we drew closer, I realized it was the gate. It was open, and no one was guarding it. That couldn’t be a good sign.
“Do you think Celestia has gotten worse?” I asked.
“No. If she had, Eirik would be in the air destroying everything in his path.” Echo scooped me up and went into hyper speed. I buried my face in his neck to block the biting wind. Going at a hyper speed didn’t bother me anymore. The first time had been scary.
Just before we reached the building, something huge appeared as though spat by the air. Echo stopped and cursed as snow flew around us. When the flying flakes cleared, a giantess with wavy blond hair visible under her hat peered at us. Man, she was huge.
“Out of the way, Modgie,” Echo snapped, not intimidated by her.
“That’s not a soul you have there, Grimnir,” she said in a deep, smooth voice. “You know the rules about bringing girlfriends to this realm, you rascal.”
“This is Einmyria.”
Modgie studied me as though trying to see past the hood covering my head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Damn it, Modgie. She is freezing. How will you explain that to the goddess?”
“It’s okay,” I said. I wiggled until Echo lowered me to the ground. I didn’t dare remove the glove to shake the giant’s hand because my fingers were frozen, but I looked up and smiled. “I’m Cora, but people here know me as Einmyria. You must be Trudy’s sister, Modgud.”
The giantess frowned and continued to peer at me. Then she put four fingers inside her mouth and let out a deafening whistle. The ground shook and icicles fell from the turrets. I knew what was coming and braced myself. Echo planted himself between the hound and me, but I didn’t escape being showered by fresh snow. The hound wagged a tail as big as a tree branch, his breath steaming the air. He sniffed Echo, then licked him.
“What the…?” Echo muttered.
The hound moved his massive head and continued to sniff as though determined to find me. I shivered, cold and fear colliding inside me. He nudged Echo, knocking him sideways. I froze as four eyes stared at me and hot breath fanned my face. Then he did something strange. He lay down on the snow and made mewling noises, his tail slapping the snow.
“It’s okay,” Modgie said, stepping out of the way. “Garm can tell you are Einmyria.”
“How?” Echo asked, not masking his annoyance.
“Her essence is similar to the goddess’.”
“He’s been unfriendly the past year, and now he’s licking me.” Echo put his arms around me and headed for the entrance. “Crazy hound.”
“How long have you known Einmyria, Grimnir?” Modgud asked.
“None of your business, Modgie,” Echo retorted.
Man, he didn’t even try to be nice. “About a year, but he didn’t know who I was,” I said.
“You are the reason Garm’s been growling at Echo whenever he returns from Midgard,” Modgud called out. “The hound recognized your essence on him.”
I didn’t care why the hound had been mean to Echo. I wanted to get out of the cold and stop my man from making an enemy of everyone. Someone opened the front entrance of the hall, and Echo ushered me inside. He undid his coat and pulled me close, pressing my face on his chest. It was cute how he was trying to warm me. Usually, I was the one who warmed him. I turned my head to the side of his neck and sought the warmth there.
“Creed, find Maera,” Echo ordered. “Tell her Einmyria is home.”
I turned to see the person he was talking to, and my gaze met the guard, who stared at me with wide eyes. I was too cold to smile or speak. He bowed before a portal appeared, voices reaching me before it fully formed. He turned and hurried through it. The other guards lined up and bowed. I glanced at Echo, but he wasn’t paying them any attention. Warming me was his focus. He removed his gloves and cupped my face. Usually, he wore fingerless gloves. Not this time. My cheeks tingled as circulation returned to them.
“The magic here doesn’t use runes?” I asked.
“No. It responds to your thoughts,” he said. “If you want to go somewhere, you visualize it, and the portal opens to that place.”
Finding him was going to be easy. “Are you going to keep calling me Einmyria here?”
He studied me, a frown pulling his eyebrows down. “I’ll call you whichever name you prefer, Cora-mia, but to the people of the hall, you are Einmyria. If you prefer Cora, that’s okay, too.”
“No, I’m okay with Einmyria.” It was a beautiful name, and that way I could separate the person I was here from the one back at home.
The scent of freshly baked bread filled the air as the portal opened to reveal a pretty blond Dwarf. She stared at us, her hands clasped together on her bosom. Her chin started to tremble, and her eyes grew bright. I smiled tentatively, not sure whether I should say something.
“That’s Maera,” Echo whispered. “She took care of you as a baby, and was devastated when she thought you died.”
Tears streamed down her face as other Dwarves appeared behind her. They gasped and smiled or turned to whisper to each other.
“Our baby is home,” Maera whispered and walked through the portal, her arms stretched out. I went down on my knees and hugged her, fighting tears. I was a sympathetic crier. Behind her, the other Dwarves were either crying or fighting tears, too.
“She has the Golden One’s hair,” one of the Dwarves whispered.
“Her face. Look at her nose,” another said excitedly.
“And her lips.”
“They turn up the same way.”
“She’s the one.”
Maera stepped back and wiped her eyes with the edge of her apron. “I’m sorry for breaking down, but it’s a miracle to have you home.” She glanced at the staff peering at us through the portal. “Of course, she’s the one. Back to work everyone. The food will not cook itself. Astrid, come with me.” One of the younger Dwarves with black hair and green eyes removed her apron and curtseyed when she joined us. Maera waited until the portal closed before saying, “Welcome home, young goddess. This is Astrid. She will be your maid. Any time you need anything, find her and she’ll find me.”
“Thank you. You are Trudy’s mother.”
“That’s me, dyrr mín.” She turned to the guards and introduced them one by one. Each bowed before straightening up. I didn’t catch their names. “Creed,” she told the last guy. “Find Litr and bring him to me. Do not tell him Einmyria is home, or he will tell the Golden One. I want him and the goddess together when I give them the good news. Dagr, take the young goddess’ suitcase to her chambers. Astrid, go with him and take care of the rest. The rest of you, don’t say a word to anyone until I speak to the goddess.” The entire time she spoke, her eyes didn’t leave me and the smile didn’t waver from her lips. “Will you excuse us, dyrr mín?” She waited until I nodded, then gave Echo a censuring glance. “Come with me, young man.”
Echo followed her meekly. I had a feeling no one around here stood up to her. I couldn’t help overhearing part of their conversation.
“Why didn’t you warn us, you naughty boy? The Golden One wants a big welcome home party for Einmyria.”
“She heard about Celestia and insisted on coming. Once Cora… Einmyria makes up her mind about something, there’s no stopping her.”