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Another series of steps, more visions of the past, and Hel was struck with a realization that until that very moment had escaped her.

“Those amazing Northmen expected a positive outcome, even when it wasn’t guaranteed.

Their unwillingness to relent, to believe that they would survive and thrive was woven into the fiber of their existence.

” Stopping and holding perfectly still, she whispered with a reverence that made her heart skip a beat.

“It was given to them by Hopper. Damn, that man is… is… He is simply remarkable.”

“And you come from those people, that land. Yes, Loki and Angrboda are your parents, but you know Odin pulled from the Enchantment of the Northlands when the Universe asked for his input into your existence. The All Father knew how great you were before you were a reality. He understood what The Powers That Be had planned. Now, all you have to do is get your blasted shit together and tell Hopper that you are already in love with him. That you have been in love with him since you first laid eyes on him on the Isle of Dreki all those years ago. And that you admire and respect him more than you ever knew possible.”

Ignoring Carys for the umpteenth time, Hel shook her head sharply and poured all she was into the song that became an uplifting anthem to her at a very young age.

Captivated by the words and melody, she could hear the scuff of the pads of the maiden’s fingers, calloused from long hours of back-breaking work strumming the strings of the lyre as if she was sitting beside the goddess.

She could feel the breathy, earthen harmony of the wooden flute played by the lass’s brother from his imaginary place on her other side.

These were her people. It was her history.

Letting her eyes slide shut, the sense of an ancient, Mystical Power more fierce than Odin, more intelligent than the All Father’s middle brother, Vili, and more wise and giving than the youngest of the three, Ve–it was the Power and Strength of the Great Giant, Ymir, the first Being to exist. No, Ymir wasn’t ‘alive’ before Chaos, because well, Chaos was the Primordial Void, the All-Encompassing Emptiness that existed before the Creation of the universe.

Chaos had breathed the Great Giant into existence, and because of that and what Ymir sacrificed, his very life’s essence was in every grain of sand, every blade of grass, every gentle touch of the wind, and every drop of rain ever created in the human world.

Because of his great sacrifice and hope for those fragile life forms known as mankind, Chaos also granted the Great Giant’s one, final wish and breathed into existence the Original Dragon, Fafnir.

Wrongly portrayed throughout history, a common theme that literally drove Hel nuts, Fafnir was formed from the elemental fire and ice that flowed within Ymir’s veins.

Absolutely massive and incredibly imposing, Fafnir, the Norse god of the Dragons, had scales so resilient no weapon could penetrate them and those he’d shed when first taking flight mixed with the primordial ooze of creation and formed the Black Iron used to forge the weapons of the Norse Pantheon.

Wings covered with not only those same impenetrable scales but also the granite of Helheim, they spanned an untold two-hundred-and-fifty feet, two and a half times larger than any other who would come after and when he pushed them backward and thrust them forward, the resulting gust was the cross breeze to the giant Eagle sitting at the edge of the world.

His eyes glowed the purest of white with gray elliptical pupils that quite literally saw into the heart and soul of all who stood before him. Although he never judged, he was known to give counsel to those wise enough to ask for it.

The length and width of his claws and teeth struck fear in those who dared get close enough for inspection, and his breath was said to be lethal, but Hel never bought that.

She knew it was the mixture of primordial fire and ice Fafnir could expel that was deadly.

She had also been told by the Dragon himself that he controlled what came out of his mouth and anyone who said any different could dare to contradict him to his face.

It was Fafnir who had explained to her that Ymir was simply everything and everywhere.

She’d gladly complied when the massive Dragon had asked that she sing to him, after which he’d graced her with a slight smile upon his snout as he said, “Dear Hel, do you know that the soulful song you have graced me with was born from the spirit, heart, and literal marrow of Norerl?nd, the Northern Lands that we both call home?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And do you know, Child, that only we can appreciate, can iterate, can bring to life the true meaning and feeling? Do you understand that that one song, the words of which only truly make sense in the language of the Ancient Northmen will not only speak to your soul, but for it?”

“Yes, dear Fafnir, I do, and I thank you for all you’ve given to each of us.”

With the memory of his brilliant white eyes looking deeply into hers, Hel once again sang in the Norse language of old:

“Tat maelti mín móeir, at mér skyldi kaupa

fley ok fagrar árar, fara á brott mee víkingum

standa upp í stafni, styra dyrum knerri

halda svá til hafnar…”

Then it happened. Her friends finally reached the front door. Reliving the past would have to wait.

Liv knocked with the force of the Ancient Warrior she was.

Then she rang the bell. Then she knocked again, and Hel stopped mid-stanza.

Sighing with such emotion that she felt it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, the goddess grumbled, “Someday, I will be able to finish that song in one sitting. I was really into the new feel and rhythm. Sadly, that day is not today.”

“I can throw some Magic at the door and help you make a run for it,” Carys offered.

“At the very least, I can mute that racket and kill that horrific doorbell. You know I hate that blasted thing with a fiery passion. I will never understand why the little Feydragon Em and her Mate, Nostradamus thought it was a fitting gift. You’re the goddess who possesses the Eye of Metis for heaven’s sake.

Nevertheless, my offer stands. Let Liv and Dade stand out there until the first cold wind blows across Helheim. ”

“I think the humans say something about a snowball having a chance in Hell, and we both know The Morningstar will never let that happen.”

“I was taking poetic license with the saying,” Carys snorted. “And you are right. Old Luci keeps everything scorching in his Realm.”

“Old Luci?” Hel snickered. “Does he know you call him that.”

“But of course,” Carys immediately replied. “Have said it to his face. Although that was a very long time ago. Before we were joined. But I will do it again if given the chance.” Stopping to add a pointed stare for inflection, the Dragoness added, “Now, about your visitors…”

“No need. Liv knows I’m here. She’s a freakin’ Valkyrie…

almost as strong as any god or goddess. Probably stronger when push comes to shove.

” Hel huffed out another exasperated breath, this one with such force that the curl touching the cheek of her dead side flew up, hung in the air for the briefest of seconds, then floated back into place.

“And she’ll know where I went. That’s what I get for talking too much.

I’ve told her more times than I can remember that I like to hide out at Garmr’s when I truly want to be alone. ”

Rolling her head to the side, she noticed the tip of the nail on the end of her middle finger was quickly being filed down to a little nub.

Letting her hand drop to her side, she put one bare foot in front of the other, not bothered by the bitter cold of the marble.

After all, the Spell that kept it at a chilly thirty-three degrees Fahrenheit had been a gift from her cousin, Ullr, the Norse god of Snow.

Since they were both pretty much outcasts, they were very close as children.

He knew how she hated wearing shoes and never wanted her to scorch the bottoms of her feet.

It didn’t matter that Helheim didn’t have fire and brimstone like Hell, the place where her Castle sat was very close to the center of the Earth and therefore way hotter than anywhere Topside–especially Galdh?piggen where Ullr’s Cabin of Ice stood tall and proud.

“But the Valkyrie has never been to the Wolfman’s Pub. For that matter, she’s never been in many of your tunnels and only ever seen the parts of Helheim that are close to the Castle.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Hel grumbled. “She’ll just send out that blasted Timberwolf of hers.

We both know that Dade will track me down.

” Another exasperated huff and she added, “You know I love that Wolf. He’s truly one of the good guys, or Wolves, as the case may be.

It’s just that I hate when Liv sends him to track me down. I feel like a bone being fetched.”

“Oh, don’t you worry, my beautiful girl. I am stronger and have more tricks than that blasted Lupine of Legend has ever seen. Besides, you know I’ve got your back. You don’t have to see anyone you don’t want to. Just ignore them all. They’ll get tired and go away sooner or later.”

“Thanks, Carys, but it’ll be easier to just let them in.

The Great Goddess knows I do not want Liv calling Ari and Fate and telling them I didn’t answer the door.

Quicker than two shakes of a lamb’s tail, another of my favorite human sayings–everyone with come running like the Castle’s on fire.

Then they’ll make a fuss, try to feed me chicken soup or something equally dreadful.

The last time it was saltines and ginger ale.

YUCK! The drama that ensues will drive me crazier than I already am. ”

Huffing out yet another infuriated breath, the Norse goddess of Helheim and the Dead stopped at the large, oval mirror with its ornate antique frame embellished with gems of every color, shape, and size.

It was given to her by Freyja on her three hundredth birthday after Loki left early with one of his many conquests, and her mother didn’t even bother to make an appearance.

It was the only reflective surface she trusted because there was no doubt that the Norse goddess of Love and Beauty had ensured it was pure, untainted, and not in any way Enchanted.

It showed the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It gave Hel the truth, and that meant more than almost anything to the goddess.

Pulling the long ebony tresses of the dead side of her body forward and pushing the white and silver waves of her live side to the back, she practiced smiling.

It was forced, almost as if it had been painted in place on the vibrant half of her face.

While her dead side, well, it was as unemotional and lifeless as the day she’d been born.

Nothing new and nothing she could or would change.

Trying again, Hel finally sighed, “That’s as good as it’s gonna get.” There was no shine or sparkle, or even light in her eyes, but yep, it was all she had to give.

Inhaling deeply, she searched for peace, serenity, a calm that had been sparce since Halloween and damned near absent since Valentine’s.

Slowly exhaling, she counted to five. Rolling back her shoulders, she stood as tall as she could.

Leaning closer, she saw the elliptical pupils of Carys’s eyes looking back at her.

Instantly, her smile became real, and the light returned to the eye on her live side.

Even the glowing Eye of Metis shone brighter.

Then the Dragoness reassured, “You got this, my girl. And I am right here if you need me to cause a distraction,” and Hel thought she might actually be able to open the door and not scream at one of her best friends in the whole world.

After all, none of it was Liv’s fault. If Hel was honest with herself, the Valkyrie was just as caught between a rock and a hard place as she was.

Sadly, that didn’t make her feel any better.

As a matter of fact, it pissed her off just a little bit more.

How did the rest of her friends get drawn into the drama that Desi and Faye had made of her love life?

Then Carys’s words actually registered, and she snorted sarcastically, “You’ll cause a distraction, huh? And exactly how would I explain that to Liv? It would definitely let the Dragon out of the bag.”

“As I keep saying, just let me come forth. We can deal with whatever comes after that together.”

“I know you’re right.” Hel heaved her hundredth heavy sigh. “I also know that I made a promise to you on Halloween. I told you that you could make your grand entrance into the world, and although several months have passed, I still stand by that promise.”

“As we both get older by the minute.”

“Okay, fine,” Hel snapped, glaring at the reflection of Carys’s eyes in the mirror.

“You find me a way out of going to anymore Matchmaking parties without causing the Omnipotent Beings known as Fate and Destiny to lose their ever-loving minds and you can burst forward, fly free, and announce your existence to the entire world with my blessing.”

“What are you doing, Hel? Trying to make a promise you know you will not have to keep?” Carys shot back. “There’s not another party. Desi and Faye have given up. You’ve finally won. You’ve worn them…”

“Don’t you be too sure, my dear Dragoness,” Hel taunted, imitating the voice, tone, and accent of her alter ego with eerie perfection for which she knew there would be retribution. “There are things you have yet to see.”