He flicked his wrist, and the witchfire zinged toward her so fast it was a blur.
Hestera twirled her emerald cane in front of her, and the witchfire snuffed out with a loud pop.
“I still have a few tricks,” she sneered. “It’s past time someone put you in your place.”
She thrust her cane out to the side. Swords rattled in the scabbards of the waiting Balfin soldiers. Hestera swung the cane forward, pointing the emerald tip at the alchemist, and the swords magically unsheathed. The weapons flew through the air, aimed directly at Vertulious’s chest.
He clasped his hands over his head, and the swords froze in midair. Then he threw his hands forward, and the swords turned, arrowing back at Hestera. She waved her cane through the air, but the swords kept coming.
Abigail acted quickly. “Escudio!” She thrust both hands forward. A bubble of energy sprang up around the old witch, and the swords clanked harmlessly to the ground.
But Vertulious didn’t stop. He spit witchfire at Hestera, bursting the bubble, and continued blasting. The old witch dodged over and over, evading his blasts until she was pushed up against the rocks, cowering back from him. He let the witchfire die.
“Your time is up, you dried-up bag of bones. It is I who rule this coven now.” He put his fingers to his lips and gave a loud, piercing whistle.
Around him, witches descended from the sky, landing their Omeras with loud thumps. Abigail almost cried out with joy when she recognized Big Mama. But the normally fierce Omera’s eyes were dull, and her head hung low. All the other Omeras wore similar expressions, with the exception of the shreek-Omera. It was horrible to see the magnificent creatures enslaved.
Vertulious held up Thor’s hammer. “In my hands I hold the most powerful weapon this world has ever seen. With my powers and this hammer, we can destroy the hold the Orkadians have over us and claim this world as ours.”
“No,” Abigail said. “If you use that hammer, if you threaten the balance in this world, the gods will erase this place.”
“The gods sit on their high thrones looking down their noses at us. Judging us,” Vertulious argued. “Once we take control, they will have no choice but to bargain with us.”
“The way Odin bargained with Rubicus,” a witch shouted. “He cut his head off.”
A sliver of hope ran through Abigail. Someone had stood up for them. Other witches grumbled.
“Rubicus was a fool,” Vertulious said. “I hold the power of the universe in my hands.” He raised the hammer and then threw it across the water at a distant outcrop. There was a loud rumble, and the bluff disintegrated, crumbling into the sea.
The hammer spun back to his hand. “I have the power to rip through any fortress. Destroy any stronghold. Wipe out entire armies. I can even destroy the wall that protects Asgard. The gods think they can erase this place, but if they dare set foot on these lands, it is I who will erase them. Who stands with me?”
The beach was silent. Abigail crossed her fingers, hoping the witches would stand against him, but a Balfin soldier hurried forward. His black uniform had ornate gold trim on the shoulders. A boy scrambled after him, holding the man’s sword and helmet in his arms. The boy was shaking so badly he dropped the helmet in the sand and bent to pick it up.
“Oskar? Is that you?” Hugo asked.
The boy looked up at Hugo, and hatred filled his eyes. “Coward, you ran away, and I had to take your place.”
“Lieutenant DeGroot, at your service.” The soldier bowed to Vertulious. “The Black Guard stands ready to destroy our enemy.”
DeGroot took his sword from Oskar and lofted it into the air. The Balfin army responded with a thumping of their boots and a rallying cry. Several of the young witch acolytes released high-pitched screeches, washing the entire beach in thrumming noise.
Smugly triumphant, Vertulious held up a hand for quiet. “Let them feel our wrath before I wipe them out of existence.”
He crossed his arms, signaling the ships. Witches were positioned with Balfin soldiers on each one. They placed giant balls of witchfire onto mounted catapults and launched them into the sky.
The fireballs flew in an arc and landed inside the city walls. Spires of smoke began to rise. One after the other, witches took to the air on the backs of Omeras, circling in the sky, ready to rain more witchfire down.
A volley of arrows sped out from the Orkadian stronghold, but Vertulious waved his arm, sending a ceiling of protection over the entire beach. The arrows fell harmlessly to the ground.
“And now we advance.” He looked down at Abigail. “I should eliminate you and your little friends for interfering, but I’d rather you lived to watch everything you care about be destroyed.”
He climbed aboard his shreek-Omera and left them on the beach.
Chapter 27
Abigail rushed to Madame Hestera’s side. The old witch rested against a rock. “Are you all right?” she asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
The old witch threw her hand off. “This is all your doing, witchling. Fix it, or don’t bother returning to the Tarkana coven.”
Stunned, Abigail got to her feet. Someone shoved her to the side.
“Move it,” Endera said. “You’ve done enough damage.” She knelt by Madame Hestera, putting an arm around her shoulders.
Abigail woodenly rejoined the others.
“What do we do now?” Hugo asked.
“We have to go after him,” Robert said. “If he breaches the wall, Skara Brae will be lost.”
“I’m afraid nothing can stop a witch that powerful, not with a weapon like that,” Rego said. “I think it best we get you somewhere safe.”
“No, I’m not leaving my father,” Robert said.
“If only we had something to fight back with,” Abigail said. “A weapon of our own.”
“Um, Abigail, what’s that?” Hugo pointed at the sea.
Something swelled under the surface. The Balfin warships swayed and tossed. The soldiers ran to the side of the ships, looking overboard.
“Is it the mermaids?” Robert asked.
“No. Look.” Abigail almost laughed out loud as a mass of cinnamon hair appeared, then a forehead, then a nose.
A familiar giant rose out of the water. He swatted at one of the ships, sending the men inside tumbling into the sea.
Utgard-Loki waded onto the shore.
“Where is my fjalnar?” the giant king roared. Behind him, four more giants appeared, sending waves crashing onto the docks as they walked out of the water.
“Utgard-Loki, it’s me.” Abigail waved her arms. “We need your help.”
He lowered himself down to her level, scowling. “You sent Thor after me.”
“Without his hammer,” she reminded him. “Just like I promised. Did you beat him again?”
“No. It was a draw. He was strong, but he couldn’t best me. Now, where is the thief with my fjalnar?”
“I have it.” Robert lifted his tunic. Underneath, a leather cord strung with several yellowed teeth was wound several times around his waist. He untied it and handed it over to the giant. “We need your help. There’s a powerful he-witch—he stole Thor’s hammer. He’s going to destroy my city.”