tightened his grip on Bragnon’s leg and snapped him up like a whip. The horrible beastie finally lost his grip on my arm, but managed to latch on to my ankle on the way down, his wicked nails gouging into my leg through my boots.
“This giant is spelled by a god, Verdi,” the pointy-hatted Urd said. “It will take all of us to break it. Here, let me put my things down.” For the first time, I noticed that each sister carried an armful of bags. I must’ve interrupted their shopping date.
Junnal glanced up, meeting my eyes. This was it. The cavalry was here. He said, with as much urgency as he could muster, “Grum. Tree .”
“I don’t understand what you’re telling me,” I pleaded. “Please, this is my only chance. Tell me how to get out of here!”
Junnal struggled to free his hand, but it was the only thing propping him up. Bragnon was in his other hand, still stretched taut between us. I shook my leg, trying to get him off, as Junnal brought a shaky hand up and pointed to my fist.
The one holding Gram.
Then he said, “In…tree.”
“ Nooo !” Verdandi screamed. “You will not leave here! You will not escape me!”
Put the dagger in the tree? Grum was Gram?
I could do that.
I hopped around, kicking out my leg with renewed vigor, but Bragnon held on stubbornly.
Junnal bellowed his frustration. I’m right there with you, big guy.
“You will not get awayyyy ,” Bragnon hissed.
“Watch me.” I twisted the upper part of my body, slamming Gram home at the same time.
“ Nooo !” Verdandi screamed.
“Oh, Verdi. You were never supposed to win this round. I told you she’d be gone in a few minutes,” Skuld said matter-of-factly. “I’m just puzzled why I can’t see what happens next.”
Light swirled at the tip of the dagger, and there was a substantial tug from the tree. A moment later, white light blazed out of the hole, and I felt myself being blessedly sucked inside.
At the same time, a shot of pain bloomed up my leg.
The sounds in the room quieted behind me as my body sailed into the vortex. The only things trailing in the darkness were Verdandi’s muted screams and Junnal bellowing one last time.
Then I was totally gone.
My body turned in on itself, tumbling, dropping, falling. I went numb, my brain threatened to go black.
Then everything ceased to exist.
Everything except the throbbing in my leg.
Where Bragnon had bitten me.
7
__________________________
____________
T he smell of sulfur stung my nostrils, bringing me back to consciousness with a gasp. Two seconds later, I didn’t have room to think about the smell of rotten eggs infecting my nose, because the throbbing in my ankle occupied all of my available brain space.
Bragnon had not only bitten me, but had shredded my boot, which had been lost somewhere in the transfer. The ride through the portal had been rough, like being tossed in a human-sized clothes dryer spinning at warp speed. My faithful scarf was also missing.
I was on my back, dirt coating the ground beneath me. Again.
This was getting old. I moaned as I brought my injured leg up and tried to cradle it against my body. “ Ow !” I rolled to the side, trying to focus my eyes in the low light, rocking lightly from side to side, urging the pain to go away.
It seemed I was in another cave, but this one had stone walls instead of earthen ones. It was more like a large cavern. It had a high, domed ceiling, and there were outcroppings of boulders piled up against the walls and scattered around the room.
I bent my head around, trying to get a look behind me, expecting to find the tree or some exposed bark, but saw only more rock.
The cave wall was smooth, but I spotted a faded archway set into the wall. That must have been where I’d been jettisoned from.
In a panic, I remembered Gram.
My ticket out of here.
Battling through the pain, I jerked onto my stomach, running my hands along the ground, frantically searching for the dagger. It wasn’t
“This giant is spelled by a god, Verdi,” the pointy-hatted Urd said. “It will take all of us to break it. Here, let me put my things down.” For the first time, I noticed that each sister carried an armful of bags. I must’ve interrupted their shopping date.
Junnal glanced up, meeting my eyes. This was it. The cavalry was here. He said, with as much urgency as he could muster, “Grum. Tree .”
“I don’t understand what you’re telling me,” I pleaded. “Please, this is my only chance. Tell me how to get out of here!”
Junnal struggled to free his hand, but it was the only thing propping him up. Bragnon was in his other hand, still stretched taut between us. I shook my leg, trying to get him off, as Junnal brought a shaky hand up and pointed to my fist.
The one holding Gram.
Then he said, “In…tree.”
“ Nooo !” Verdandi screamed. “You will not leave here! You will not escape me!”
Put the dagger in the tree? Grum was Gram?
I could do that.
I hopped around, kicking out my leg with renewed vigor, but Bragnon held on stubbornly.
Junnal bellowed his frustration. I’m right there with you, big guy.
“You will not get awayyyy ,” Bragnon hissed.
“Watch me.” I twisted the upper part of my body, slamming Gram home at the same time.
“ Nooo !” Verdandi screamed.
“Oh, Verdi. You were never supposed to win this round. I told you she’d be gone in a few minutes,” Skuld said matter-of-factly. “I’m just puzzled why I can’t see what happens next.”
Light swirled at the tip of the dagger, and there was a substantial tug from the tree. A moment later, white light blazed out of the hole, and I felt myself being blessedly sucked inside.
At the same time, a shot of pain bloomed up my leg.
The sounds in the room quieted behind me as my body sailed into the vortex. The only things trailing in the darkness were Verdandi’s muted screams and Junnal bellowing one last time.
Then I was totally gone.
My body turned in on itself, tumbling, dropping, falling. I went numb, my brain threatened to go black.
Then everything ceased to exist.
Everything except the throbbing in my leg.
Where Bragnon had bitten me.
7
__________________________
____________
T he smell of sulfur stung my nostrils, bringing me back to consciousness with a gasp. Two seconds later, I didn’t have room to think about the smell of rotten eggs infecting my nose, because the throbbing in my ankle occupied all of my available brain space.
Bragnon had not only bitten me, but had shredded my boot, which had been lost somewhere in the transfer. The ride through the portal had been rough, like being tossed in a human-sized clothes dryer spinning at warp speed. My faithful scarf was also missing.
I was on my back, dirt coating the ground beneath me. Again.
This was getting old. I moaned as I brought my injured leg up and tried to cradle it against my body. “ Ow !” I rolled to the side, trying to focus my eyes in the low light, rocking lightly from side to side, urging the pain to go away.
It seemed I was in another cave, but this one had stone walls instead of earthen ones. It was more like a large cavern. It had a high, domed ceiling, and there were outcroppings of boulders piled up against the walls and scattered around the room.
I bent my head around, trying to get a look behind me, expecting to find the tree or some exposed bark, but saw only more rock.
The cave wall was smooth, but I spotted a faded archway set into the wall. That must have been where I’d been jettisoned from.
In a panic, I remembered Gram.
My ticket out of here.
Battling through the pain, I jerked onto my stomach, running my hands along the ground, frantically searching for the dagger. It wasn’t
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