She nodded her head but didn’t speak.
“As long as we’re clear, baby.”
When he was sure she finally slept, he closed his eyes and joined her.
Neecy frowned at the sound of birds. Not her crows. These were birds that didn’t actually sound frightening. Yager was behind her, spooning her. His big arms wrapped around her waist like he was afraid she’d fly away.
Her naked skin itched and she realized it was because of the grass.
Neecy’s eyes snapped open. Grass?
She gave herself a moment to focus and quickly realized they were under an enormous tree. Its limbs twisted and turned leading up toward the stars while its roots led to the bowels of the earth. It took her a good thirty seconds to figure out exactly where she was—beneath the sheltering leaves of Yggdrasil or the World Tree. The way station between the different worlds of the Norse gods, including Asgaard, Helheim, Aesiras, as well as a few other worlds Neecy couldn’t remember the names of.
In the halls of Asgaard, Neecy would find Valhalla. Being that close to her final resting place until Ragnarok came gave her little comfort.
“Would you like some grapes?”
Neecy glanced up at the woman standing over her wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap, black overalls, and a plain white T-‐shirt.
“What is it with you and fruit?”
Skuld smiled as she sat under the tree. “I find it a wonderful icebreaker.” She popped several grapes in her mouth.
“Do you know why you’re here, Denise?” she demanded while chewing.
Christ, it was like dealing with a nun. They were the only ones that called her Denise.
“No. And I definitely don’t know why he’s here.” She motioned to the still sleeping Yager who, even in sleep, gripped her like his life depended on it.
“Well, let’s start with him, cause he’s easy. He refused to let you go.”
“What?”
“I tried to pull you away from him to bring you here and the man would not release you. So I had to bring you both. As a leader of the Ravens, I wasn’t too concerned about having him here, but talk about some strength. No wonder he’s Odin’s favorite. I just thought that was because he was the one who actually had the balls to take the big idiot to a strip joint.”
Neecy remembered what he told her last night. “I’m never letting you go, Neecy Lawrence. No matter what.” Apparently, he wasn’t kidding.
“So this is the deal…Didi wants to retire.”
Throwing Yager’s arm off, Neecy sat up abruptly. “What? Well, you can’t let her.”
“I have very little choice.”
“Since when?”
“Since I’ve kept the Crows mortal. At some point, if you survive, all of you will need to retire.”
Neecy’s eyes narrowed. “So what does that have to do with me?”
“I do love the sound of trepidation in your voice…and you know exactly what this means.”
“You want me to lead the Jersey Gathering?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
“I don’t know. I guess I never really thought about it.”
“Well, no one could ever accuse you of being power hungry.”
“Power hungry? I’ve got too much shit to do.”
Skuld laughed and it was a surprisingly soothing sound. “I see why Didi likes you. You’re strange.”
“I’ll try and take that as a compliment.”
Neecy glanced over her shoulder as Yager sat up, his mouth open in a wide yawn.
He nodded his head at the goddess. “Skuld.”
“Wilhelm.”
“Why are we here exactly?”
“It’s time.”
Yager brushed his hand over Neecy’s bare arm. A calming move that worked extremely well. “Time for what?”
“For Denise to prove her worth to me.”
“I haven’t already?”
“As a soldier, you’re exemplary. But I need a war-‐time leader.”
“War time?”
“This assault from the Hunters, Denise, is just the beginning. They want you gone for the same reason I want you to lead.” Skuld ate a few more grapes, turned her head to the right, and yelled, “I told you two I’m in a meeting! So one of you bitches get out here and water this goddamn tree!”
One of the Fates and Skuld’s sister, Urd maybe—Neecy didn’t know and she wasn’t about to ask—stepped out from behind the enormous World Tree and tossed a watering can at her sister. “Water it your damn self!”
Skuld’s barely concealed face turned frightening. No wonder many considered her a less-‐than-‐approachable god.
“Bitches.”
Skuld stood up. She was tall. Much taller than Neecy.
Neecy pushed herself to her feet as Skuld turned her back on her. Yager now stood behind her, naked as the day he was born. Unlike Neecy, who thankfully had on his MIT tank top that reached mid-‐thigh.
When Skuld turned back to face them she held an ax.
Great. More axes.
Neecy had never been a big ax fan when it came to her weapons, and now that she’d actually had one in her back, she’d like to avoid them. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem possible at the moment. She knew Skuld would only give it to her because she’d need it.
“This is a powerful weapon. One of the most powerful you’ll find.” Skuld ran her thumb along the edge. “You’ll need it for your Trial.”
She may not be an ax fan, but any weapon was better than no weapon. So when Skuld handed it to her, she took it gratefully.
“Any specific directions go along with this?”
“Now where would the fun be in that?”
Neecy sighed. “Of course.”
“But if you succeed at this Trial, you’ll become leader of the Jersey Gathering.”
Holding the weapon in her hand, Neecy felt the weight. It was heavy but filled with powerful Magick. She felt it running through her fingers. “And if I fail?”
“We’ll make sure to have a lovely funeral for you…with roses. I heard they were your favorite.”
Yager barely bit back his growl. “That’s not funny.”
Skuld chuckled. “Actually, it kind of is.”
Neecy took a few practice swings with her new ax. It was like she was born with it in her hand. “So what’s my Trial?”
“Destroy the Hunters. Especially their leader, Waldgrave. But I want them all, Denise. I want them weeping to Hella come dawn.”
Yager had no idea how he ended up here with Neecy, but he would be eternally grateful he did. He wouldn’t let her face this on her own. One or two Hunters…maybe. But all of them? With no wings and having just recovered from her last fight? No way would his woman be facing this alone.
Battle plans already filled his head. Ways of attack. Who should be on the team from both the Ravens and the Crows. Together, they’d make sure she’d pass this Trial.
Neecy swung the ax again, her muscles rippling under his tank top. Powerful runes covered the ax blade and its black handle.
“No Valhalla for them?” she asked.
“Sneaky bastards preying on my warriors? No. There’ll be no Valhalla for them.
No Valkyries to lead them home.”
Neecy nodded as her index finger slid across the runes on the ax. “Can I ask you a question?”
“You can ask me anything as long as it’s not about your death…which may very well be today,” she said with a huge grin.
Man, give him Odin any day. This goddess was a bitch!
Neecy, however, seemed unimpressed and continued on. “What exactly was Didi’s trial?”
Shrugging, Skuld picked up her water can and doused the roots of the World Tree.
“She was to get a feather from one of Odin’s ravens. You know, his actual birds Huginn and Muninn. But I wasn’t very specific…so she drove over to Mountain Creek, met with one of the Elders, and politely asked him for one of his feathers.