A Midwinter Fantasy - Leanna Renee Hieber [106]
“Have mercy on an old man,” Odin gasped, reaching for Troy’s polished black boot. Sonja’s father took a half step back out of reach.
“You punished Vidar with a slave ring for the sin of saving my baby daughter’s life. Why should I show you mercy?”
“Stop, please.”
Troy’s breath hissed out, and his sword hovered in the air above Odin, ready to strike. “Relinquish Draupnir and your suffering ends.”
“No!” Odin banged his fist against the ice, an angry whine rising from his throat.
“He’ll never give up the ring,” Vidar whispered.
Sonja trembled, terrified that Troy might slaughter Odin right there in front of her.
Her father angled the point of his sword at Odin’s throat. “There’s another way to break your hold over Draupnir,” he said.
“I curse you, son of Loki. I curse you,” Odin ground out between clenched teeth.
Troy smiled grimly, pressing the tip of his sword against Odin’s throat until blood trickled onto the ice.
“Stop!” Odin’s bony hands fluttered together, and he tugged Draupnir from his finger. “You win . . . this time.” He held up the ring. The tense agonized lines of his body eased as he recovered from the way Troy had reversed the energy flow and attacked him through the ring.
Sonja lowered her crystal knife and sagged against Vidar, exhausted but relieved.
The tip of Troy’s blade touched Odin’s throat again. “Renounce the ring,” he commanded.
“Isn’t it enough that I’ve taken it—?”
“Renounce it. Now.”
“I release thee.” Defiance flashed in Odin’s single gold eye, only to be replaced by fear at another jab from Troy’s sword. “I release thee, Draupnir, gift of Brokkr and Eitri, to seek ye a new master.” He glanced longingly at the ring, then tossed it away.
A rent opened in the air, sucking in the ring. Searing elemental power burst through the chamber, whipping up a whirlwind of shattered ice that knocked Sonja and Vidar to the ground. Sonja lay still until the turmoil faded, Vidar covering her with his body. Once the air cleared, he grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet. Heart skipping with apprehension, she peered through the steaming, shattered ice for Troy. By some miracle, her father was still standing over Odin, untouched by the chaos.
“Don’t let him kill me, son,” Odin shouted to Vidar.
Two tall, dark-haired men appeared out of the murky air. Sonja needed a few seconds to recognize them. Huginn and Muninn now stood tall and straight, a bright intelligent glint in their eyes. Huginn’s gaze flitted from Troy to them and back. “Kill him, or we will.”
“Why put him out of his misery?” Troy moved aside so they had a clear view of the pitiful sight of Odin curled on the floor, looking like a vagrant in his dirty clothes. “Let us not deny him years of wretchedness in a shattered palace with no servants to do his bidding and no sons to bully.”
Huginn narrowed his black eyes and nodded. “Very well.” His outline shimmered; then the black raven rose into the air, larger and sleeker than before, to be joined a moment later by his brother. They flew toward the door and out.
Troy pivoted away from Odin and strode toward Sonja, sheathing his sword as he came. Sonja’s heart thudded, praying this was an end to the conflict between her family and Vidar’s.
“You did well, daughter.” Troy brushed his knuckles across her cheek with a smile. “Take good care of your crystal dagger. It will focus your power whenever you need it.”
His gaze settled on Vidar. He touched his fingers to his brow in some kind of a salute. “There’s nothing holding you here now,” he said.
Vidar returned the gesture. The two men stared at each other candidly, their eyes intense with unspoken acknowledgment of past friendship, shared pain, new beginnings. Then Vidar gave Sonja a cautious smile. “We’ll go somewhere warm. Perhaps I’ll visit my mother’s family.”
“The Folletti,” Troy said, his gaze drifting thoughtfully into the distance. “Italy will be a fine