Thor's Serpents by K.L. Armstrong, M.A. Marr Page B

them to the lobby. You?”
    “Tired,” Reyna said.
    Ray smiled. “But safe.”
    They stood silently for a moment before Matt said, “The building’s clear now. It’ll be a safe place for those who need it.”
    “But not us,” Baldwin added quickly. “We’re not staying here, right?”
    Laurie almost laughed at the look on his face. Baldwin was all for adventure, and even the scariest monsters didn’t seem to make him pause for long. His attitude reminded her of Fen. Quickly, she shoved that thought away. She wasn’t giving up on her cousin, but she had to concentrate on right now.
    “Matt?” Laurie prompted. “What’s the plan?”
    “We need to go back to Blackwell,” Matt said. He quickly summarized his conversation with the Norns, and added, “If I’m looking for family to talk to, I need to start there.”
    “I want to check in with my family to see if they’ve heard from Fen,” Laurie said.
    “Right,” Matt said. “Laurie and I will go to Blackwell, then.”
    “Ray and I should come, too,” Reyna said. “I’ll watch Matt’s back and Ray can watch Laurie’s.”
    The truth was that Ray was the last person Laurie would’ve picked for reinforcement. It was easier when Fen was with them. Then, there was never any doubt as to who had her back. Ray wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t a fighter. He seemed nice but content to stay in the background. In essence, Laurie would be on her own.
    “Owen and Baldwin, you can handle whatever chaos is left here,” Matt said.
    “Sure thing,” Baldwin said.
    “Actually, the Berserkers can handle this,” Owen pointed out diplomatically. “Baldwin and I can go with you.”
    “Sure thing,” Baldwin repeated.
    Laurie flashed a grateful smile at Owen and told Matt, “That would work. Ray and Reyna can stay together with you, Matt, and Baldwin, and Owen can come with me.”
    “Fine,” Matt said. “Laurie, can you get us a portal to Blackwell?”
    “On it,” Laurie said. She turned to Owen and whispered, “Thank you.”
    He nodded, but said nothing.
    Then she took a few calming breaths, trying to find the peace that she needed in order to open a portal. It was like pulling taffy out of the middle of her body when she started to open a doorway. There was a weird, stretching feeling that started the moment she located the energy inside her that would then become an opening in the air. She clasped her hands, and then she slowly and steadily pulled them away from each other. The taffy feeling from inside her body was between her fingers, too, then. In the space between her hands, the air shimmered like there was something almost liquid and shivering in the air. It widened as she spread her hands farther apart and then stepped to the side.
    The feeling of opening a doorway was still uncomfortable even though it was floating there now. She knew what to expect, so the weird feeling of being turned inside out each time she did this was easier. She still didn’t
like
it, but it was the quickest way to get from the middle of the darkened museum to their hometown.
    “Go on,” she urged the four boys and Reyna.
    Baldwin dived through without pause. The twins held hands and stepped in with the sort of grace that made them seem more supernatural than she ever felt—even when shehad just opened up a magical doorway. Owen followed. Then, as soon as Matt went through, Laurie stepped into the portal.
    “Meet up back at the longship in no more than two hours,” Matt said once they were all together in Blackwell, and then he and the twins left.
    Laurie was standing with Baldwin and Owen outside the Thorsen Community and Recreation Center. The sky was dark here, too, and all she could hope was that Raiders or trolls wouldn’t be any better at seeing in the dark than she was.
    “Follow me,” she told Baldwin and Owen, and together they set out through the pitch-black streets of the town.

SIX

MATT
“BROTHERLY LOVE”
    B ack to Blackwell. The last place on earth