Dead Chaos by T. G. Ayer Read Free Book Online Page B

need? Is it food? Have you eaten? Shall I get you some Mead?"
    "No, that's not what I meant. I need you to tell me where to find someone."
    "Who are you searching for?" she asked as she rose, then brought her breakfast tray laden with fruit, oatmeal and honey and laid it on the bed between us.
    I swallowed a few mouthfuls of honeyed oats and my stomach gurgled. I hadn’t even realized I was that hungry. "I need to find Mimir."
    Sigrun gasped. "You what?"
    "I need to f—"
    "I heard you the first time." Sigrun cut me off, her voice grumpy as she frowned at me and crossed her arms. "Now, Bryn. What are you up to?"
    "Come on, Sigrun. I need your help. You are my only option."
    "Yes, come to me when you want to do something forbidden. Remember when you wanted me to get you into Valhalla? Try to remember how that turned out for you and Aidan." It was a low blow and Sigrun knew it, but she didn't seem in the least concerned.
    Sigrun was proving a harder nut to crack than I'd expected. I hadn't intended on telling her anything about the prophecy but it seemed I had no choice. If that didn’t convince her, nothing would. "Look, I overheard Frigga and Eir talking."
    "You eavesdropped on the goddesses’ conversation?" Sigrun stared at me, her eyebrows raised almost to her hairline.
    "No, I didn't eavesdrop. It wasn’t my fault they spoke freely because they thought I was asleep. I only heard part of the conversation though."
    "Very well. What did they say that was so important that you want me to break more rules for you?"
    I repeated the goddesses’ conversation to Sigrun and waited in tense silence as she processed my words.
    "But, what do they mean 'Will Bryn even have a choice in her destiny no matter how destructive it may be?’ That does not sound very good for you."
    "So you see why I need to speak to Mimir myself?"
    "Very well, then. I will help. But if you get in trouble, keep my name out of it." Sigrun sighed.
    "I will, and thank you," I said, giving her another awkward half hug over the platter of food. I eyed her face as she nibbled on a slice of apple. "So, how is Fen?"
    Sigrun's cheeks blossomed at the question and she kept her eyes on the fruit. "He is well. I think he is coping better since Mika left."
    "I still feel responsible," I said, my shoulders slumping.
    "You should not. None of Mika's betrayal was your fault."
    "But if I hadn't driven her so far—"
    "Stop being stupid. Why do you have to blame yourself for everything? Mika made her choice when she chose Loki and not Fen, who is her father . When a daughter turns her back on her father, she does not do it lightly. Mika made her choices with her eyes wide open. And now she is in Hel, paying for her crimes."
    "And this is when Fen needs you the most, right?" She just nodded. "So tell me how you two are?"
    "What are you trying to get at?"
    "Stop being deliberately obtuse. You know what I mean. You really should talk to him about where he wants to take your relationship." I stared pointedly at her as her cheeks reddened.
    "It is not a simple thing to do."
    "How complicated is it? Just ask him what his intentions are. Does he want to marry you or not?"
    "Bryn, my relationship with Fen is complicated. He is the one prophesied to kill Odin. How can I think of a relationship or even marriage with Ragnarok on the horizon?"
    "Wouldn't you like to be happy with Fen even if it means you are ecstatically happy for five minutes before the world ends?" I raised an eyebrow.
    "Well , if you put it that way, then yes, I would. But there is the other problem of Valkyries not being allowed to marry."
    "Well, didn't I, in my former life as Brunhilde, break that rule?"
    "Only for a while, then you left to live a normal life because you couldn’t do both. You couldn’t be a Warrior and a wife and mother."
    I nodded but I had no intention of backing down. "You do know that this is probably exactly what Fen needs right now."
    "What do you mean?"
    "This is the best time to get