When Darkness Falls - LOKI - Book One (Editing)

19. Geirja ✓

     A low rumble echoed through the small cavern, and she watched the glow on the water ripple, causing her eyes to widen.

     "What was that?"

     She trained her eyes on the small burrows that led into the watering hole and backed up towards Thor. "That would be our cue to leave."

     Without hesitation, she gripped hold of Thor's hand tightly and told him to close his eyes as she returned them to the ground floor of the cavern. She stepped away from Thor after ensuring he had his footing and called you the high tower for Freya.

      "Athelia, you have to see this," Freya shouted loudly from the very top.

     "Freya, we have to go now."

    "You're really going to want to see this." 

    Freya looked over at Thor and smiled. "Can your hammer get you up there without breaking through the ceiling?" She asked him, and he nodded. "Good, and if I were you, I would hurry. I wouldn't want to see what a naejir would do to that pretty face of yours."

     Thor looked around him, instantly taking a defensive stance. His knuckles whitened around his hammer, and he quickly jumped up, the ledge shaking beneath their feet as he landed.

     "Scared?"

     Thor laughed. "Never."

     Freya quickly took Athelia's hands, desperate for ber and Thor to see what she had found. She pulled them closer to the dripping wall, unphased by the confused expressions they wore.

     "Are you ready?"

     "It's a wall, Freya?" Thor questioned, glancing back over his shoulder.

      Freya ran her fingers through her hair, searching for a golden clip that she removed and waved in their face, insisting that they watch it closely. She turned back to the wall, heaving it at the black stone. Though it didn't drop to the ground as Athelia had expected it to. The ripples of what stood before them sucked it up, leaving them standing in shock.

     "Can this planet get any odder?" Thor chuckled, taking a step towards it. He reached out, attempting to run his fingers through the translucent hole in front of them, but Athelia gripped his wrist and stepped in front of him as her dress faded away and Eiri filled the boys in her other hand. "What's wrong, Athelia?"

     "That's not supposed to be here," she said calmly and watched as the tip of her blade disappeared in front of her.

     "It's amazing," Freya exclaimed, throwing yet another barrette into the nothingness.

     Athelia took a deep breath. Amazing was not the word she used to explain the phenomenon before her. It was startling. She had been in these caves many times before, but she had never seen anything quite like this.

     She hesitated but took a step forward and slowly reached her hand forward, watching in disbelief as the coolness of the other side chilled her fingers.

     "Thor, we have to find my uncle. I need to talk to him."

      He shook his head. "Athelia, we can't. We're not supposed to be here."

      "Neither is this," she snapped. "Bronen has spoken about an occurrence such as this many times. He'll know what's going on."

     "Athelia."

     Freya watched as the two of them bickered back and forth, but she desperately wanted to feel it. She cursed herself for not doing it before she told Athelia, but while the two were busy attracting the likes of every naejir within the cavern, she reached forward but found herself on fire.

      Thor and Athelia turned to the girl as she let out a yelp. Athelia's eyes widened in horror as she watched Freya disappear into the void.

     "Freya!" She screamed, causing a series of blood-curdling growls Thor through the caverns below them. "Thor, we need to go."

     "Heimdal-"

     "No!" She shouted, her voice echoing through the peak again. Thor went to speak, but she pointed Eiri at him and his brows furrowed. "I'm going after her!"

      "For all, we know she could be dead."

     "But we don't know that." Athelia shook her head, trying desperately to ignore the low guttural purr running from below them. "No, if my uncle was right about the convergence, then this is just merely a portal between the realms. For all, we know she can be running for her life on Muspelheim. She has no weapons, no defense.

      "And if he's wrong?" Athelia ignored the theory and instead hilted Eiri and shook her hands, preparing herself with whatever was on the other side. "Athelia! What if he's wrong?"

     She glared up at him. "Then tell Jane she is a lucky girl."

12/13/21 - Grammarly Check. Edits & Updates.