Chapter 50
Hours passed before I finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, and even more hours slipped away before I woke again.
I just lay there, not caring. Not wanting to get up. Not wanting to eat. I stayed like that for almost a full day before I heard someone speaking on the other side of the door. A few seconds later, Frigga entered, Yara trailing behind her.
“I’m sorry, Princess Aurora. I tried to stop her,” Yara said, and I saw Frigga shoot her a sharp glare.
“It’s okay, Yara. You can leave,” I said without looking at either of them.
I could feel Frigga watching me, and to be honest, I didn’t care. She had done this to me—she and Odin—and I felt my anger flare again.
“My dear, are you alright?” she asked.
“No, I’m not alright,” I said briskly. “Is there any news of Loki or Thor?”
I felt her shock at my tone. “No. Thor has received the message, according to Heimdall, but there has been no reply.”
I nodded. “Then can you please leave me?”
That shocked her too. “My dear, I am sure Loki is alright. He may be hurt, but he’ll make it. I know my son.”
I leapt into a sitting position. “You don’t know your son at all,” I snapped, then jumped off the bed and stalked to the bedroom door. “Leave,” I said, staring at her.
Her eyes were wide, and I could feel the pain she felt at how I was treating her, but I didn’t care.
“Leave,” I repeated, more firmly. “Send word if you hear from Loki or Thor. Otherwise, leave me alone.”
I could feel her confusion, but she slowly stood and nodded. “If you wish,” she said calmly, though I could sense her inner turmoil as she walked out. I slammed the door behind her.
I still felt weak from not eating, but I just dropped back onto the bed and eventually dozed off.
It was halfway through the day when I woke again. My leather outfit was sticky and awful from sleeping in it and crying into it. I dragged myself to the bathroom and stripped out of it before slipping into a hot bath. My stomach growled, and as I let my hands drift over my belly, I started crying all over again. I was pregnant. Inside me was a tiny baby that Loki and I had created—and I’d never see it, never hold it, never watch it grow. Then I remembered how much Loki wanted a child, and I cried even harder.
There was a soft knock on the door. “Who’s there?” I asked between sobs.
The door opened and Yara peeked her head inside. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but Queen Frigga asked me to deliver a message.”
“What is it?” I asked.
She stepped in a little further. “Heimdall says Thor is returning to the palace. He will arrive in about an hour. The Queen wishes for you to be present in the council chamber when he does.”
I nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be out in a moment. Please bring me something to eat—I’ll dress myself.”
She bowed and left.
I took a deep breath and washed away the tears. My body felt a bit better after the bath, less drained, so I stepped out, dried my hair and body with a quick spell—and was hit with a fresh wave of nausea. I grabbed the edge of the tub to steady myself, waiting until it passed. After that, I dressed myself manually.
I could hear Yara moving about in the next room with the breakfast tray. When I walked in, I turned to her.
“Yara, could you go to Lady Eir and ask if she has another potion to help offset my Seiðr drain? Tell her I’m already feeling better, but I still get nauseated when I use magic.”
It must’ve been the tone in my voice, because she bowed and left immediately.
I looked at the food, and while I wasn’t eager to eat, I knew I needed the strength. I took the first bowl I saw and ate until the hollow feeling in my stomach eased. Just as I finished, Yara returned with a bottle, which I drank in one go.
I glanced at the clock and saw the hour was nearly over. Without a word, I stood and left the room, heading toward the council chamber. People stared at me as I passed, and I could only imagine what I must’ve looked like. I tried to remember what Loki had taught me about maintaining a blank expression. With effort, I managed to put it in place.
When I entered the chamber, I saw Odin and Frigga sitting near the fire. I nodded at them and crossed to a chair on the opposite side of the room. I sat and waited, keeping my face calm and closed. I could feel Odin’s surprise and Frigga’s hurt and confusion, but I buried those emotions.
It felt like I waited there for hours before the doors finally burst open and Thor strode into the room, slightly out of breath.
“Mother. Father. Sister,” he said, taking a seat.
Odin gave him a moment to catch his breath.
“My son, please—what happened?” Frigga asked. She could not wait any longer.
Thor grabbed a goblet from a side table and drank deeply. He took his seat again and began his story.
“Loki and Hela were getting close to finding the sorcerer. They told me they suspected Angrboda to have taken over this person. We had gotten wind of a rumor that she was hiding in one of the cities closest to Niflheim. Loki and Hela traveled to the underworld so they could approach the city from the Niflheim side, where it was least protected, and infiltrate it. They would find the sorcerer and then drag him—and Angrboda—back to Niflheim to end all of this.”
Odin nodded, and Thor took another sip of his drink.
“All seemed to go as planned until Munnin arrived with your message that Loki had walked into a trap. We charged the city and took it with very little resistance. The strange part was that most of the people there were ordinary citizens of Asgard—not individuals with corrupted or foreign souls. But as we scoured the city, there was no sign of Loki or Hela.”He paused, then continued, his tone heavier.
“It took almost half a day, but I was finally contacted by Hela. She is in Niflheim now and cannot leave at the moment.”
That made Odin straighten. “What do you mean? She betrayed Loki?”
Thor shook his head. “No, Father. That was part of the trap. She told me that she and Loki found the sorcerer—an Elven woman. Angrboda is indeed possessing her body, but it seems they are both active. It is like they are cooperating somehow, not merely one controlling the other.”
He glanced at me and then at Frigga before continuing.
“Loki’s plan was to keep Hela hidden and, at the last moment, use her to identify Angrboda and force her back to Niflheim. But Hela told me that just when they were about to act, Angrboda released all the stolen souls that had been used to hold the city.”
I saw Frigga’s eyes widen. Odin exhaled slowly.
“An immense storm of souls like that would drag her back to the realm of the dead,” he said, explaining for my sake. “She would remain in the same place, but she would only be able to communicate with the dead.”
Thor nodded. “Yes—she was taken against her will. She did her best to get a message to me. The effort caused her great pain, just to transition back long enough to tell me. But as far as we know, Loki was captured. They managed to take him and get him out of the city before we could liberate it.”
Thor lowered his gaze.
“But that is not all, Father. A few hours after we secured the city, we received a message. It was from Angrboda.”
I felt the shift in the room instantly. My eyes jumped to Odin as I felt the tension rise around us.
“What did it say?” Odin asked. I could feel his apprehension growing.
“It is a ransom demand. She wants to trade Loki for the elemental bracers.”
Thor’s voice was calm, but I could feel his restraint. He looked to Odin, waiting.
And Odin went still. I felt it—the cold, unyielding wall inside him. The decision had already been made.
“Father, please—let me take the bracers from the vault and trade them for Loki,” Thor pleaded.
But Odin’s resolve only grew harder.
“No, my son. You know as well as I that we cannot give her that kind of power.”
Thor’s shoulders sagged. Frigga stood and stepped toward Odin, but he raised a hand before she could speak.
“Frigga, I love him too, and I know everything you wish to say. But I cannot. As a father, I want to. As king, I cannot. Please—do not make this harder for me.”
I saw her falter mid-step. Her hand trembled. I felt her pain, her heartbreak. But I also felt her acceptance, even if it was reluctant.
Odin was fighting with himself. I could feel it. But something in me snapped.
I stood and left the room without a word.
I managed to reach my chambers without incident. As soon as I entered, I moved to the bookshelf and slipped into Loki’s private library. I made straight for the shelves I knew held powerful spellbooks—ones I had rarely touched.
I pulled the first one out and started reading. I read for hours. By the time I finished, it was dark outside.
But I now had an extensive grasp of some of Loki’s more advanced spells—teleportation, duplication, concealment. Most importantly, I found the one I truly needed: a spell to shield myself from Heimdall’s sight.
It was not very draining. All it required was focus.
I cast it carefully and hoped he was not actively watching me, because if I suddenly vanished, it would raise questions. But I had to take the risk.
Next, I returned to Loki’s room and began packing my things into the void storage. When that was done, I made my way to the healing ward.
Lady Eir was likely gone for the night. I approached a junior healer, feigning concern.
“I was hoping for another bottle of that potion Lady Eir gave me to restore my Seiðr,” I said lightly. “I am feeling much better already, but I still get a little nauseated after casting.”
The healer nodded and went to retrieve it. I followed discreetly, watching where the potions were stored. When she returned and handed me one, I thanked her and made to leave.
But as soon as she turned her back, I cast an invisibility spell, slipped back inside, and loaded a lot more bottles into my void storage.
Only two things left.
I headed to Thor’s room and knocked.
He opened the door almost immediately. When he saw me, he stepped aside to let me in without question.
“Thor, can you show me the message Angrboda sent?” I asked. “I am trying to find anything—some clue, some spell—that might help me locate Loki or at least assist your army in rescuing him.”
He hesitated, his emotions guarded. But after a moment, he handed me the parchment.
It was brief. Simple.
A trade. Loki’s life for the elemental bracers.
And a location I had never seen before.
“All seemed to go as planned until Munnin arrived with your message that Loki had walked into a trap. We charged the city and took it with very little resistance. The strange part was that most of the people in the city were normal citizens of Asgard—not individuals with corrupted or foreign souls. But as we scoured the city, there was no sign of Loki or Hela.”
I looked at him. “This location—could you show me on a map?” I asked, pulling an old atlas I’d found in Loki’s personal library from my bag and handing it to Thor. “If I knew where the place is, I might be able to use my magic to try a locating spell. It could help me contact him.”
Thor hesitated for a second, then took the atlas and pointed to the city where Loki vanished, and then to the location mentioned in Angrboda’s message. It was a mountain ridge, far removed from the Niflheim border.
“Thor… do you think there’s a way to change your father’s mind? To make him trade the bracers?”
He sank into a chair, and I dropped down beside him.
“I don’t think so,” he said, clearly distressed, tears forming in his eyes. “And I don’t know what she’ll do to Loki when she doesn’t get what she wants. She clearly did all of this to get her hands on the bracers. And she knows if anything happens to Loki, it’ll break our family.”
I could feel his pain, the guilt swirling inside him.
He turned to me and took my hand. “I’m so sorry, Aurora,” he said, his voice cracking. “I promised you I’d look after him and I failed. I failed you and I failed my brother.”
I couldn’t help it—I cried with him. I pulled him into a hug, held him while he wept, and when he finally pulled back, I wiped my eyes.
“Thor, this isn’t your fault. You did your best to keep him safe. The only ones to blame are Angrboda for doing this—and your father for valuing an artifact over his son.”
Thor looked at me, shocked. “Aurora, that’s not what my father’s doing. The bracers are incredibly powerful. If she got her hands on them, she’d be even more dangerous than she is now. It’d be like handing her Mjolnir, but with control over every elemental force. Not just lightning. All of it.”
I nodded slowly, but my anger didn’t fade. “Thor, Loki told me the bracers don’t work on everyone. They choose who can wear them. If someone isn’t worthy, they kill the person before they can even use them. In the last few thousand years, no one who tried survived. The odds that she’d live long enough to wield them are minuscule. I don’t understand why Odin wouldn’t just give them to her—and let her destroy herself.”
Thor blinked. “Is that true?”
I nodded again. “Loki doesn’t lie to me. And even if he did, I’d feel it.”
He looked shaken. “Then my father must not know this…”
“Thor, wake up.” I snapped. “It was Odin who banned people from trying on the bracers. He wanted the deaths to stop. He knows. He just won’t risk it—not even for Loki.”
It hit Thor like a physical blow. He sat back down heavily, pale and stunned. “Swear you’re telling me the truth.”
I kneeled in front of him and met his eyes. “Thor, I swear on my life, on Loki’s life, on everything I love—this is what Loki told me himself.”
Thor took both my hands and held them tightly. “Aurora, I believe you. And I trust you. Do you trust me?”
I tilted my head, trying to read him, but he gave nothing away.
“Yes, Thor. I trust you.”
He nodded. “Then tell me what you’re planning.”
I opened my mouth to play dumb, but he raised a hand to stop me.
“Aurora, I’m not stupid. I was raised with the god of lies. I asked if you trust me.”
I blushed. I could hear Loki teasing me about this. I took a breath. “I’m going after Loki. I don’t care if it’s dangerous or suicidal—I’m going to get him. I’m packed and ready to leave. I just needed two things before I went: the location Angrboda named, and the bracers.”
Thor didn’t flinch. “You’d give her the bracers?”
I nodded. “Yes. But I’d get Loki in return. And if, by some miracle, she survived using them, I’d have Loki with me—and we’d take her down together. I know I’m powerful, and I’d like to think I could protect him long enough for him to end it. I mean, I could definitely hurl her into a mountain or something.”
He actually smiled.
“How were you planning to get into the vault?” he asked.
“I know where they are. I know the wards. I was going to use an invisibility illusion to sneak down there, then blast the ward with brute force from my Seiðr. After that, I’d teleport.”
His eyes went wide. “You can do all that?”
I grinned. “I know how. I’ve never actually done it—but I think I can. Not without draining myself, though. That’s why I may have, uh… robbed the healing ward of Seiðr-restoring potions. Once I teleport to Shadow, he’ll keep me safe until I recover enough to fight.”
He frowned. “I don’t love the idea of you draining yourself, but… you’ve thought this through. It’s not elegant, but it’s a plan.”
I stood. “So, are you going to stop me?”
He rose too, then smiled. “No, Aurora. I’m going to do something much worse.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I’m going with you,” he said. “To get my brother back.”
I stared at him.
“I’ve been sitting here, trying to come up with a way to help him—and I had nothing. We’ll use your plan. If we need to change it, we will. But we’ve got to get out of here before Father catches wind of it.”
Then he cursed. “Raging bilgesnipes—I forgot about Heimdall.”
I smiled. “I’ve got him covered. I cloaked myself. And when you’re close enough, you’re cloaked too. But just to be sure…”
I focused and placed a separate shield on him. It drained a little more from me than my own, but not by much.
“If we get too far apart, it might be harder to keep it up—so stay close.”
He nodded. “Let’s go get my brother.”
He took some items from his room and placed them into his armor.
“Do you need me to put something in my void storage?” I asked.
He thought for a moment, then disappeared into a side room. When he came back, he handed me several weapons along with a few furs and rolled sleeping equipment.
“It is quite cold near Niflheim, especially now with the snow,” he said simply.
I nodded and put his things away. I had my own set of items to keep me warm. I just hoped I wouldn’t freeze to death.
After a moment, he was ready.
“All right, Aurora. I can get into the vault and check on things. But if you come with me, they may suspect something. So I think it is best if you make yourself invisible. There are a few wards that will detect you, but when we reach the vault, I suggest you take my arm and stay very close to me. The wards will react to Mjolnir’s magic, and the guards will not notice if you are right at my side.”
I nodded and cloaked myself, but left the illusion open enough for Thor to still see me. He raised an eyebrow, questioning it.
I shrugged. “This way, you can see me and anticipate me if I need to get close. Don’t want you to have to explain why you shrieked like a girl to the guards if I startle you.”
Thor laughed. “I do not think I would shriek like a girl. But I understand your point, and thank you. My brother would have enjoyed neglecting to do so, just to make me explain myself.”
Hearing him mention Loki—and the mischief they used to get into—made my heart ache again. Thor noticed and pulled me into a hug.
“Be strong, sister. We will get him back.”
I nodded against his chest and took a deep breath, putting on my calm face and hoping it would help me feel calmer too.
Thor pulled back and gave me a small smile. Without a word, he left his room, and I followed closely. I was tense, but everything through the vault went smoothly. I stayed close to him without getting in his way, walking just at his side and holding onto his belt so we moved as one. Like he’d warned, a few of the wards went off as he passed them, but the guards only smiled and greeted him. Clearly, him setting off wards was normal. He was friendly with them, said he was making his rounds to check on everything, and I realized it must’ve been something he did often whenever he was in the palace.
He didn’t go straight to the elemental vault but actually walked through the others like he meant to inspect them all. Smart. It made the visit look natural.
When we reached the elemental vault, he gently tapped my arm.
“Keep in mind, as soon as we grab the bracers, we must leave at once. Make me invisible and teleport yourself to the stables. I can be there within five minutes. If I do not arrive in time, take the bracers and Shadow and go.”
I squeezed his arm. “I will. But please don’t get caught.”
He gave me a quick smile.
He opened the door to the vault—and immediately froze.
Standing in the center of the chamber was Frigga.
“Mother. What brings you down here?” he asked, trying to sound cheerful, but I could feel she wasn’t buying it.
“I know what you are thinking, my son. But you cannot give the bracers to Angrboda. She is not destined to wear them,” she said calmly.
“Mother, please. I need to do this, to try to free Loki,” he pleaded.
For the first time since I’d known her, I saw Frigga lose her composure.
“Do you not think I want to?” she said sharply. “I am his mother, and I would do anything to keep either of you safe.”
I felt Thor flinch.
She took a breath, trying to collect herself. “But I have foreseen things, my son. Angrboda is not the one destined to wear them. You cannot take them—for the one who is must find them without interference. If we meddle, we risk jeopardizing fate. This person must come to the bracers freely, and choose to take them of their own will.”
I was silently begging Thor to ask who it was. If she told us, we could go get them and still save Loki.
But Thor just stood there.
It was driving me insane.
I released his belt and dropped the illusion.
Frigga gasped when I appeared, but I ignored her.
“Who is destined to wear the bracers? If you give me their name, then Thor and I will go and find them. Then we can get on with saving Loki,” I said, coolly and firmly.
She looked between us, clearly stunned.
“Whose idea was this?” she asked.
I lifted my chin and met her gaze. “It was mine. I needed information from Thor and he figured out I was planning something. After I told him, he wanted to help. So if you’re looking to punish someone, punish me. But know this—I won’t stop. I’ll find a way to get the bracers and save Loki.”
She studied me for a moment, unreadable.
“And what would you do with the bracers?” she asked.
I didn’t know why she wanted to know, but I answered anyway.
“I’d take them and give them to Angrboda. There’s a good chance they’ll kill her. If they don’t, at least Loki and I will be together—and with our magic combined, I think we can take her down. I’ve hurled people into boulders before.”
Her eyes were piercing as she looked at me, but then she nodded and stepped aside.
“Then go. Do as you planned.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. I saw Thor’s eyes go wide too.
“Mother?” he asked, stunned.
She shook her head. “I can sense there’s no stopping Aurora. So take them,” she said, motioning toward the back of the vault.
I didn’t know why she was allowing this—or if it was a trap—but the bracers were in reach.
I looked at Thor. “Will I set something off when I take them?”
He nodded and moved to the side of the room, fiddling with something behind a pedestal.
“You can take them now.”
Frigga moved aside. I passed her without looking.
As I stepped up to the pedestal, I felt it again—that strange pull, like the bracers were calling to me. Beckoning. I shoved the feeling down.
I didn’t have time for this.
I grabbed a bracer in each hand and lifted them from the pedestal.
Immediately, they began to glow—and I couldn’t access my Seiðr. When I tried to open my void storage, my magic was being pulled into the bracers instead.
I looked at them, then at Frigga and Thor.
“Are they supposed to do this?” I asked, starting to panic.
Frigga stepped forward. “Do not be afraid, Aurora. Do not use your magic. Put them on.”
I stared at her. “No, I can’t use them. I need to give them to Angrboda. She’s supposed to die trying to use them.”
Frigga shook her head. “It is true what I told Thor—Angrboda is not the one destined to wear them. If she were to use them for destruction… I do not know what would happen.”
She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
“Aurora, I have seen visions of what is to come. I have seen you wearing the bracers in the future. I promise you—I would never knowingly lead you into harm.”
I could feel tears press behind my eyes as she said that—because I could feel the love behind her words. But at the same time, they stabbed me in the heart, knowing she had already hurt me and Loki in the worst way possible.
But then I remembered Loki. He was still missing, in the hands of that witch Angrboda. My resolve solidified again. I took a deep breath and did as she said. I placed the bracers over my arms. They were fairly large, but as soon as they closed around my wrists, they began to shrink. Frigga carefully moved the leather of my sleeves out of the way, and the moment the metal of the filigree touched my skin, there was a surge—a drain of my Seiðr so sharp it took my breath away. I nearly blacked out. Somewhere in the background, I heard Thor call my name.
But just as quickly as it had come, the surge vanished. I could see Thor running toward me, but he stopped as soon as he saw me look at him. He stared, wide-eyed and worried, but to my surprise... I couldn’t feel his worry. Not like before.
I narrowed my eyes and really focused. His emotions were still there, but it was like sensing them through a thick haze. I could get a vague impression, but they didn’t settle into me the way they used to.
I turned to Frigga. Nothing. No emotions. I concentrated harder and managed a faint sense of concern and curiosity, but it was distant. Clearly, she did not wear her emotions on her sleeves the way Thor did. Even when I reached out and touched her hand, the connection did not sharpen much. I could feel her emotions a little more clearly through touch—but even then, it felt like they were far away, not soaking into me the way they always had.
“What is wrong?” she asked, studying me.
I shook my head. “Not wrong, exactly... just different.” I looked between her and Thor. “I can’t feel your emotions. Not unless I really concentrate on one person. Even then, it’s just a flicker. A glimpse. Not like before, when I felt everything like it was mine.”
Frigga’s eyes widened. “It must be the bracers. They are likely directing the majority of your Seiðr now. Did Loki tell you this might happen?”
I tried to remember. “He said the bracers need a lot of Seiðr, and that’s why people die if they try to wear them and aren’t worthy. It drains them completely.”
She nodded. “That is correct. And that is why Angrboda must never have them. We do not know how many magical artifacts she has gathered—if any of them allow her to suppress or redirect magical rejection, she might survive the bonding. And if she does survive, she would control all elemental forces.”
Frigga met my eyes. “But the bracers have chosen you. Even if you were to die, they would remain yours. The bond lasts until you are proven unworthy—or until one more worthy walks this realm. Only then will they move on.”
I stared at her. She had clearly thought about all of this a lot longer than I had, and my expression must’ve given me away, because she smiled.
“I will not give up my son when I know there is a way to save him,” she said gently. “Even if it places Asgard at risk, I would still do it. But I knew you were meant for the bracers. I could not simply give them to you. That is not how my visions work. I may bend fate, nudge certain moments—but I cannot simply hand you a destiny. The choice had to be yours.”
She stepped closer. “Without the right motivation, the bracers may have killed you. Your love for Loki gave you strength. It made you train your Seiðr. With it, you healed Shadow, saved Loki, gave him your Seiðr, helped him teleport... all of that built your power until it reached a level the bracers deemed worthy.”
I nodded slowly.
Frigga turned to both of us. “You must go. Thor, finish your rounds. Where shall you meet?”
“The stables,” he said.
She nodded. “Do either of you need anything more?”
Thor shook his head.
“I will teleport Aurora to the stables in ten minutes,” Frigga said. “Will that be enough time?”
Thor nodded again and turned to leave.
Frigga looked back at me. “Aurora… before you go—what is wrong?”
I hesitated, and she continued gently.
“Besides Loki’s disappearance. I know there is something else. I visited Lady Eir, and she refused to speak a word. But I can feel it in you. There is more. There must be a reason you are this angry with me.”
I shook my head and tried to walk away from her. I did not want to do this before I left. Not without telling Loki first and having him by my side again to face his parents. But she grabbed my arm.
“Please, Aurora—please talk to me,” she pleaded.
I turned and looked at her, focusing hard, and I could feel her anguish over this situation. It was faint and distant, a background echo rather than the flood it used to be.
“Swear to me that you will not tell a soul,” I said. “Not Odin, not Loki, not even to yourself when you think you're alone, or with any other trick in the book. Even if you find out someone broke their word and there would be consequences, you’re not allowed to act on it. And you're not allowed to stop me or interfere with my plans.”
She looked shocked at my words. “I swear,” she said. I knew she would only say it if she meant it—but I barely registered the weight of her oath. My mind was already spiraling, my chest tight with everything I had been trying not to scream. My hands clenched into fists, fingernails digging into my palms, grounding me only barely. “But please, Aurora, you are scaring me. What is wrong?”
The question ignited something in me—like she had the audacity to act as if she did not already know. As if she hadn’t been part of the silence that condemned me and Loki both. I could feel it rising—white-hot rage, like a flood of fire in my veins—and this time, I didn’t swallow it down. I let it burn.
“Everything,” I shouted, my voice raw and shaking. “And it’s your and Odin’s doing!” The fury poured out of me like a storm finally breaking. “But to explain it in the easiest way?” I laughed once, sharp and bitter, tears pricking behind my eyes. “Congratulations, you’re going to be a grandmother.”
I spat the word like a curse, like it tasted wrong in my mouth. My hands were trembling with the force of what I was feeling, of what I could no longer contain. My whole body shook—not from fear, but from the pure, unfiltered rage boiling over after days of silence. I didn’t care if I was hurting her. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted her to feel a sliver of what I had been drowning in.
I watched her as the words hit. The emotional shift was instant—shock, horror, pain—but I didn’t care. I wanted her to feel it. I needed her to feel it. Let her stand there, frozen, while the ground crumbled beneath her like it had beneath me.
“That is almost a fraction of what I felt,” I screamed, my voice ricocheting off the stone like a crack of thunder. “When I found out that not only am I pregnant, but the man I love was lied to his whole life!”
Frigga flinched, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
“Not to mention that my child and I won’t survive this!” I shouted, my fists clenched at my sides. “So the only option for me is to end the baby’s life to save mine—with the result that it robs me of any chance to ever have children again!”
I was shaking. Not from grief. From rage. Unapologetic, blistering, and burning so hot it threatened to incinerate everything in its path. And I let it. Let it pour out, searing the space between us. Let her hear it. Let her choke on it.
She just stood there, open and reeling. Good. Let her stay that way.
I stared at her, my eyes burning. Her usual mask of serenity was gone, shattered by the truth I had hurled at her. Now, every emotion—shock, guilt, sorrow—was written plainly across her face.
“Does that explain my behavior somewhat?” I asked, my voice thick with sarcasm, dripping with the fury I had held in far too long.
My voice didn’t break—it sharpened. I was practically vibrating with rage, my words slicing through the air like blades. I wasn’t yelling anymore, but the venom behind each sentence carried more weight than shouting ever could. I didn’t care how much it hurt her. She deserved to hurt.
I knew I was being cruel. I knew she was already breaking. But I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Not this time. Let her feel every ounce of it. Let her drown in it, like I had.
“Aurora, I am so sorry,” she said, stepping toward me.
I raised my hand, and she froze.
“I don’t want to hear it.” My voice cut sharp. “I’m furious, and I’m afraid of what I’ll do if I let go of that anger. So please—don’t.”
I could barely breathe through the tightness in my chest, but I kept going.
“And I expect you to keep your word and keep this private. It’s my decision who knows and who doesn’t. I’m the one who has to explain this to Loki. And don’t you dare punish Lady Eir for doing what you should have done so long ago.”
My voice cracked. The tears came fast, hot and unrelenting, and I didn’t try to stop them.
Frigga sank to her knees like my words had knocked the wind from her. She didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Just sat there, as if she had nothing left to hold onto.
But I wasn’t finished.
“Like I told Lady Eir, I can’t make any decisions without him. I won’t take his choice from him—like you did. And if I’m able to rescue Loki, and if we defeat Angrboda, don’t expect us to return.”
I drew in a shaking breath.
“I’ll do you the courtesy of sending word if we’re alive and safe. But I need to tell Loki far away from the palace. Far away from the people who did this to us. Because I don’t know what he’ll do when he finds out.”
Frigga was crying openly now, her hands limp in her lap, her whole body trembling. For once, there was no queen, no mask—just a mother, broken. But it didn’t change what had to be done.
Suddenly, I grew restless. I needed to get going. I did the hardest thing I had ever done and reined in my anger. It took a second, but I shoved it all behind a mask of stone—pure, cold, unbreakable.
“Can you teleport me to the stables, or do I need to do it myself?” I asked, my voice still raw but cold.
She wiped her face and straightened. “I shall take you.”
Normally, I would have embraced her. But after reading the spellbooks in Loki’s room, I knew it was unnecessary. So I took her arm and gave a small nod to signal I was ready.
With a tingle of magic, we were in the stables.
Thor stood ready with his horse, armored and silent. Arturo was with Shadow, holding the reins gently. A bundled satchel rested at his feet, and I already knew it would contain everything I needed for the road ahead.
I wiped my face again, straightened my spine, and stepped forward.
“Are these things for Shadow?” I asked, my voice steady.
Arturo nodded. I took the bag and slipped it into my void storage. This time there was no resistance—but I still felt it. My Seiðr passed through the bracers first, redirected and filtered, like every bit of power now had to go through them before it could obey me.
I looked up. Thor was watching me. His expression said enough—I still looked like someone who had been crying, and there was no hiding it now.
His eyes shifted past me, focusing on someone behind. I didn’t need to turn to know it was Frigga. Arturo gave a deep bow in her direction and then quietly stepped away, leaving us alone.
“Mother, is everything alright?” Thor asked, his voice thick with concern.
I mounted Shadow and looked at Frigga. She looked awful—tearstreaked, pale, raw. For the first time since I had met her, she looked her age.
She shook her head. “This is between myself and Aurora. Please do not ask.”
I saw Thor glance at me, but I looked away.
“Promise me you both will be careful, and know that I love you both very much. Please tell Loki, when you find him.”
Thor smiled gently. “We know, Mother. And you can tell him yourself when we return.”
I kept my eyes on her as he said it. She flinched. Subtle, but I saw it. Then she straightened her shoulders and smiled at him. The mask was familiar—I had worn it myself too many times in the past weeks. Strength she did not feel.
“See you soon, Mother,” Thor said, and nudged his horse forward.
I looked at her one last time. “Goodbye,” was all I said, and followed.