After the Fire (After the Fire: Book the First) (23 page)

They
arrived at the riverbank. There was ice along the edges, but the
water was still crashing its way along as it always did. The air took
on an earthy, clean smell here. It was different than the smell of
snow, though that was here too. Eleni crouched down and cupped her
hands, drinking from the icy, rushing water. She looked at Fin. He
was frowning into the forest. He mumbled something to himself.

“What?”
said Eleni.

He
looked at her, the frown still on his face. “It's not right,”
he said. “Something's wrong here. Why did Loki wait so long?
Why didn't he just come and get you?”

“I
don't know,” said Eleni.

“Where
are the signs of life? Even the evergreens are dying.”

Eleni
hadn't noticed, but as she looked up she could see the higher
branches of every tree was trimmed in brown. Suddenly she clenched
her fists.

“Someone's
here,” she said.

“It's
too early,” said Fin, turning and squinting into the darkness.
“Eleni, where is the wolf?”

“I
don't know. She comes and goes as she wishes.”

“I've
never seen her leave your side for so long,” said Fin. “What
is this? What's happening?”

The
rushing sound of the river filled her ears. Fin was talking, but the
water was crashing so loudly she couldn't hear him. She shook her
head. Fin looked at the river, hardly more than a stream a moment
ago. The water was coming faster, carrying large branches and other
detritus in its wake. There was a rumbling under their feet and Eleni
felt cold water trickle over her toes. The river was flooding slowly
over the bank, running in rivulets along the ground, making paths
through the blanket of snow on the ground.

Eleni
peered into the darkness. She could probably see a good deal better
than Fin, but she saw nothing. She could feel something moving
around, though. She opened a palm and let the fire rise up. The area
became illuminated, and Eleni saw something flash in the forest
beyond: a pair of red eyes.

The
eyes were soon joined by a nightmare face, moving toward her,
lumbering on two legs through the bushes and low-growing branches. It
was huge, bigger than anything Eleni had ever seen. It was at least
twice her height, with matted brown fur and a face criss-crossed with
scars where the fur did not grow. Its short snout was almost
wolf-like, and a trickle of slaver ran out from between its rows upon
rows of sharp teeth that jutted out the sides of its lipless mouth.
Another one emerged on the other side of the bank, its evil eyes on
Fin. And right in the center, a man walked easily through the brush
and leaned against the trunk of a tree. Eleni knew him.

“Loki,”
she said.

“Oh,
you know me, do you?” he said, folding his arms across his bare
chest. He was wearing trousers in the style of the Krasna men from
Eleni's village. A large pouch hung from his waist, weighted by its
contents. His feet were bare, like his chest, but he didn't seem to
be bothered by the snow or the ice-cold water that was beginning to
wash across the ground. “You must have started remembering
then. Odd thing, that, is it not?”

Eleni
made her hands into fists, keeping the fire burning in one and
setting the other one aflame. She could feel the power building up
inside her arms and chest and belly. It was more than she had ever
felt before. She was stronger than she had ever been. Her vision went
slightly red and she knew the fire was there, too. It scared her, but
it was a welcome fear.

“What
is this, Loki?” said Fin. “Why are you here?”

“Have
you not heard?” said Loki. His silver hair shone in Eleni's
light. It hung in two plaits on either side of his head and down his
chest. “I'm collecting gods.”

“To
start Ragnarok,” said Eleni. “The end of the world.”

“Almost
right, ” he said, smiling. “Not the
end
of
the world. Just the start of a new world without all the people and
gods mucking it up.” He studied Eleni. “I think you'd
like it, little goddess. You should come with me.” Eleni
snorted.

“You
can't start Ragnarok,” said Fin. “Ragnarok has an order.
You can't just bring it on because you want it to happen.”

“Oh,
you mean how Fenrir eats Odin and Baldur and all that rubbish? None
of that is necessary. Not anymore. There is no order any longer,
Alaunus. Only chaos. And deep darkness to get it started. I only need
to make the world cold, and the rest will follow. The Fates are
separated, the world is teetering on the brink of destruction, and no
one can stop it. And all, from what I understand, because of one
godling that everyone just kept saving.” He looked at Eleni.
“All worth it, if you want my opinion. She is a vision. And all
that rage. It must have taken a lot of restraint not to kill those
villagers when they first put you in that box. Because I can feel you
like a furnace from here.” He looked back at Fin. “I
would just kill to have you on my side.”

“You
won't touch me,” said Eleni.

Loki
smiled again. “I don't want to touch you, dearest. I want to
teach you.”

“Enough,”
said Fin through gritted teeth. He raised his hands. The trees on
either side of Loki sprang from the ground, growing at dizzying
speeds. The trunks wrapped themselves tight around the chaos god and
Eleni could hear him grunt from the pressure. A sound like wood
cracking against itself rent the still, quiet air and Eleni couldn't
see Loki any longer. The two beasts continued to stare at them,
unfazed by what was happening to their master, or whatever Loki was
to them. Uncle, Eleni remembered, at the same time she remembered
their names: Hati and Skoll, sons of Fenrir, the wolf god of the
North.

A
heartbeat passed, then another. Eleni could hear hers pounding in her
ears, ready for the creature to pounce her. Another crack of wood.
Then a sound like a low hum. The earth beneath their feet began to
shake. A gentle rumble at first, then so violently that Eleni had to
crouch slightly to keep her balance. The trees on either side the
place Loki had disappeared began to tumble over, falling back with
deafening crashes that brought several other trees down with them.
The shaking grew more intense until Eleni was sure the earth would
open up and swallow them. Suddenly, with a sound that was louder than
anything she had ever heard, the trunks that had imprisoned Loki
exploded into pieces that flew through the air. Eleni ducked as part
of a log flew by her head and splashed in the water.

The
ground stopped shaking, the humming ceased, and Loki was standing the
same place he had been, without a scratch on him. He brushed bits of
wood off his shoulder. He looked at Fin and smiled. “Kill him,”
he said.

The
two beasts moved toward Fin ominously, their steps heavy and awkward.
Eleni moved toward Fin, placing herself between him and the beast
that had been watching her. The thing snarled at her, growling low in
his throat. Eleni pushed at the fire in her chest, sending it down
through her arms. It was so strong even she could feel it burning,
flowing down through her veins and her muscle and bone and skin. The
sleeves of her dress fluttered away on either side of her, reduced to
bits of ash. The beast hesitated. Eleni could hardly see, the world
had changed into one big bonfire. And the inside of her head felt
like it was an enormous cinder, burning the inside of her skull with
the heat. She could feel her hair giving off sparks.

“Fin,”
she said, her voice thick in her ears. “I can't control it.”

“Don't
worry about me, Eleni. Just kill Loki.”

“I
think it might kill me if I let it go. I'm going to burn up.”

“You
won't burn,” said Fin. “It's who you are.”

Loki
shouted something at her, smiling genially, but she couldn't hear
what he was saying. The flames were in her ears now. All she could
hear was the roaring of the fire. She could see Loki watching her,
his eyes wide with interest, as if entertained by what was happening.

The
beast came at her all at once, rushing towards her so fast that she
could only see him as a blur. She held out one hand to stop him,
surprised by the sudden attack. It jumped, rising up dizzyingly high,
a high-pitched screech audible above the sound of the fire in her
ears. It hurled itself toward Eleni, red eyes a blur through the
darkness of the night. Eleni put out her hand as its maw opened wide
and white teeth flashed.

“Stop,”
Eleni said softly. There was a burst of light in her head and she was
blind in the brightness of it. Everything went silent. There was no
fire roaring in her ears, no werewolf shrieking; nothing. A sensation
bloomed in her chest, an intense heaviness that seemed to want to
rush out of her. For a moment Eleni thought her heart would burst. It
stayed there, choking her, making her unable to breathe, to feel, to
think of anything but the crushing inside her chest. And then it was
gone, rushing out through her and she felt only pain.

She
screamed as the power coursed out of her chest and through her arms.
It scrabbled against her insides as it went like a thousand tiny
knives, tearing her up inside, burning its way as it went. She
remembered this now. The pain, the crushing sensation. It had been
this way before. And the last time she had done it, Perun had been
there, reversing the power and directing it back against Zaric. But
she couldn't think of that now. She had to hang on, to harness the
power. She was vaguely aware of screaming, more than one voice
shrieking as the sound returned to her ears. She felt the fire
wrapping itself around her body, almost caressing her, as it coursed
out of her hands. Her vision darkened slightly, and she could see
again.

The
world had become silent again. So silent that it hurt. Everything
hurt, but she couldn't understand why there was no sound. Then her
vision returned in full, and she saw. It took every bit of control
not to scream, but she managed to swallow it down. Her mouth tasted
of ash. A smell rose to her nostrils and it was like burning the
village all over again. Only this time, she had had no control over
it.

The
river had turned black and was hardly a trickle. Great trees that had
moments ago stretched up to the heavens were reduced to charred
stumps, barely rising out of the ground. The beast, Hati or Skoll, it
didn't matter which, was gone, his blackened ribcage on the ground.
Eleni saw parts of him, black and smoking, scattered all over the
ground. She looked around for Fin, but couldn't see him. The other
beast was lying behind her, half his face blown off, and his skull
and meat charred. He wasn't as bad as his brother and Eleni could see
him breathing. Just barely, but his chest was rising and falling, she
was sure of it.

Loki
stepped out from the edge of the burnt landscape where he must have
stepped back. He was staring at her with an expression Eleni didn't
understand. It wasn't fear or hate. Then he smiled.

“I'm
quite sure,” he breathed, “that was the most beautiful
thing I have ever seen.” Eleni then understood the look on his
face. It was awe.

“Fin,”
Eleni said, her voice cracking. Every bit of moisture had left her
body. She staggered, almost losing her balance.

“Alaunus?”
said Loki, raising an eyebrow. “He ran that way.” Loki
didn't take his eyes from her, but gestured past the still-breathing
monster. “He still lives, though I think it is a close thing.”
He took a step toward Eleni. “Why you chose him I'll never
know. An order god.” There was venom in his voice. “You
could have so much more. You could have everything.”

Eleni
raised an arm heavily, her palm toward Loki. “Do not come near
me,” she said, her voice husky.

Loki
looked at her with an almost gentleness. He walked toward her. “I
would be very surprised if you still had power within you. An
impressive display, but you must remember that you are very young.”
Eleni tried to bring a flame into her hand, but managed nothing but a
spark. She tried again. “You see?” said Loki, reaching
out to her. Eleni tried to back away, but he had edged an arm around
her waist. With the other he stroked her cheek. “Stay with me,
Eleni,” he whispered. “I can do so much for you.”

Eleni
closed her eyes, trying to swallow, but finding she couldn't even do
that. She was fighting unconsciousness, the edges of her vision
threateningly dark. “Why?” she finally managed.

“Why?”
said Loki. “You are incredible. So full of chaos and anger and
an unending desire to be loved. I can love you, Eleni, if you'll let
me. We would be good together, you and I. Unstoppable.”

“No,”
Eleni said weakly, her throat raw and painful. “Why Ragnarok?”

Loki
smiled. “The end of this world? The end of suffering and death
and gods bickering and humans poisoning everything they touch? You
could stop it all with me. You and I and a fresh new world.”
His face was very close to Eleni's. “Please,” he said.
“You could make the world into anything you like. You can hunt
for the rest of your life if you want. Or I can make you a great
fortress where you could lie and drink wine all day long. Anything
you want. Anywhere you want.”

Eleni
turned her head and saw a lump on the ground. It wasn't moving.
“Fin,” she said, without meaning to. Loki had said he was
alive, but he could be lying. Eleni looked back at Loki. He was
frowning like Eleni had hurt him somehow.

“Forget
Alaunus,” said Loki. “He has no power. No grace. I can
look like him if you want me to.” Loki began to change in front
of her eyes. He broadened, his shoulders widened, his hair changed
from silver to dark brown and stubble grew into a beard on his chin.
His long, thin nose became slightly bent. He blinked and violet eyes
became dark. It was Fin.

“Stop
it,” said Eleni.

“Come
with me, Eleni,” said Loki. It wasn't Fin's voice, but the way
he looked was disarming.