Freyja patted her shoulder. “Yes, my dear, you are right. I swear that man has Berserker blood in him. With time of the essence, I will send you straightaway through the Glass’s portal.”
Freyr gave his sister a weird glance. “The Glass has a portal?”
Freyja shook her head. “No, and you never heard such a preposterous rumor, either.” She pulled Alva toward the Glass and, standing on her tiptoes, reached around and gently laid her palm against the back of the copper disc. The long, heavy black chains anchoring it to the ceiling barely swayed.
“I will need to hold onto my necklace for this type of magic, so you will need to place your hand over mine on the Glass.” Alva did as she was told and watched as Freyja’s elegant fingers wrapped around the fire opal pendant she always wore. The gemstone’s filigreed setting matched the golden amulet she wore across her forehead.
The goddess closed her eyes and silently mouthed the ancient spell. Alva felt the immense power of the goddess’s seidr, what some called magic and others likened to fate. The fire opal glowed, its center a magnificent swirl of colors.
In Alva’s mind, she heard Freyja’s sultry voice whisper, Through the hidden passageway and the Well of Urd to the land of Midgard, fly. Freyja’s eyelids snapped open, the rich purple of her eyes swirling before her as the room faded. Keep him safe and true to the plan and all will be well...
Alva landed with a thud, hard enough to jar her legs and force her down into a squat, with her hands splayed on the road in front of her, so she wouldn’t fall flat on her face. Lifting her hands from the pavement, she dropped her knees to the ground and sat back on her boot heels, rubbing her hands together to wipe away any dirt coating her palms. Directly in front of her stood Bernard, staring at her with a raised brow and his hands planted on his hips.
“What are you doing here? How did you find me so fast?”
Pushing herself off the road and into a stand, she glared back. “Thanks for the help and, if you must ask, I’m here to help you.” She rubbed the last of the dirt from her hands onto her skirt. “And how do you think I found you?”
He rolled his brown eyes. “The Glass?”
“Of course. Now, are you going to continue throwing yourself at an invisible barrier, or would you like to help me figure out who put here in the first place?”
He threw up his arms. “What do you think I’ve been doing since I got here?”
“Causing yourself bodily harm?”
A low growl filled the air as his gaze sharpened. “Save the sarcasm. Do you have a better idea? I’ve walked up and down Massachusetts Avenue and can’t find a weakness anywhere.”
She turned her head, staring down the wide road toward Dupont Circle and the White House, situated south and a bit farther east. “When we were watching the Glass, I noticed a strange shimmer over this part of the city. Freyja said it is bespelled, but neither she nor Freyr could think of a single person who would have that much power to place a barrier around such an expansive area.” She made her way to the curb and sat, patting the space next to her. “Come sit down and rest. A few minutes won’t make any difference. We need to use our brains right now, not shoulders.”
With each reluctant step, he walked toward her and sat, letting his hands dangle over each knee as he stared at the nearby Japanese Embassy. “Do you have an idea who could be behind this?”
She thought a moment before shaking her head. “No, I don’t. I agree with Freyja. No god is this powerful. I don’t even think Óðinn could create such an impenetrable barrier from Asgard. And yes, he is there, attending an important meeting with the leader of the Frost Giants. It seems Loki has been up to his usual tricks. I didn’t pay attention to the details though, so don’t ask.”
“I wasn’t going to. My only concern is righting the wrongs I’ve caused.”
Pressing her lips together, she fought the urge to ask the one question she knew she shouldn’t, but it slipped out from between her lips anyway. “Bernard, you lost your family once. Can you really let them go a second time?”