Her heart beat furiously as if it were going to burst from her chest, and it sped up to the point that she became too dizzy to sit upright anymore. Her eyes closed, and she felt the splash of wet mud against her face as she fell onto the ground. Just as she thought it was finally subsiding, and she felt her heart begin to calm and slow, she realized that it was too slow. Her heartbeat slowed and slowed until it ceased to beat at all. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn’t; nothing was working, and nothing responded to her brain’s instructions. She felt as though she were sitting in her empty mind in blackness, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did.
Am I dead? she wondered.
Her thoughts didn’t last long, because before too long, even they came to a halt.
When Astra and Norna returned to the others, the fire had died down to a few red-hot sparking embers. They had carried Brenna back from the lake together; Norna held her waist and legs, and Astra held her back and shoulders with Brenna’s head cradled up against her chest. The others were all asleep, enjoying a much-needed deep slumber thanks to the effects of inebriation. They laid Brenna down carefully next to Brandt, and he rolled over with his eyes remaining closed to wrap an arm around his lover as he slept.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The morning was cool and raining. It wasn’t the daylight which woke them since the forest had a shadow of greyness hanging in the sky; it was instead the pattering of gentle rain on their faces that caused eyelids to lift. It was almost as if the forest were empathetic to the slight hangover most of them had from the night before and tried to ease them into the day with a cool, dim, calmness.
Brandt woke immediately once he realized Kemma was tucked beneath his arm. He pried open his eyes and looked at her resting comfortably beside him. Her body was cool, and her skin was pale, and he became suddenly panicked that something had gone wrong. But when she opened her eyes to look back at him, he allowed himself to breathe again.
“Hey,” she whispered, accompanied with a tired but happy smile.
“Hey,” he said in return. “What happened, are you…”
“Immortal now?” Astra said from where she was sitting a few feet away. “Yes, she is. Just keep in mind, Brenna, that being immortal doesn’t mean you cannot be killed. I feel it important to make that distinction so you don’t run head-first into battle, thinking you’re invincible.”
“I know,” Brenna nodded. She had seen enough death of immortals to know better. “Thank you for what you did.”
Astra bowed her head slightly to accept the thanks. “It was Norna who did most of it.”
“Where is she?” Leif asked as he came awake and sat up. He rubbed his aching head. That liquor from Valhalla packed a solid punch.
“I think she went back to sit by the lake,” Astra said.
Leif got up and looked at Brenna. He was pleased the women had been successful, and he was also happy that everyone had enjoyed one night of lighthearted frivolity. He saw the others waking and sitting up in much the same way he had, holding their heads still until the aching stopped. The good thing about Valhalla liquor was that the headache didn’t last long. He laughed a little and then headed toward the lake to find Norna.
He found her sitting beside the lake, her feet dipped into the water and her head tilted back as she let the rain fall on her face. He sat down beside her and watched her in silence. He couldn’t tell if she had been crying, or if the streaks of dirt down her cheeks were caused by the falling rain.
“Do you miss it?” he asked.
“Miss what?”
“Seeing.”
“Not at all. It was a curse that I am now free from.”
He smiled. He had hoped that she wasn’t having doubts.
“Let me ask you a question now,” she said.
“Go ahead. I am an open book for you.”
“Will you stay with me?”
“What, here? By the lake?”
“No,” Norma brought her head down from facing skyward to look at Leif. Her cat-eyes were difficult for him to read. “Forever…”
“Please tell me you didn’t give up your sight just for me. I’m not worth it. Ask any of the people here, and they will tell you that I am barely worth the air I breathe.” He really wished that he could see what emotion was hidden behind those eyes.
They no longer made him feel unsettled; in fact, he had grown quite fond of her uniquely beautiful eyes. Even the color was something he now envisioned in his dreams. The only thing left that caught him off guard was the fact that he could never quite tell what she was thinking. This time though, he thought she looked sad. He felt guilt rise in his chest, and he hoped to the gods she hadn’t given up her virginity, her powerful gifts, for the likes of him.
“Have I upset you?” he asked.
“No. I am upset that you think you are not worth a love that would give up everything to be with you.”
Leif felt his heart in his throat.
“I did not make the decision to leave my sisters or abandon my role as a Fate for you.”
He felt a strange mix of emotions when he heard her declaration. The burden of guilt was eased, and he was glad he was not responsible for her choice. But he also felt a sad pang of disappointment; he was becoming increasingly aware that he would never be the center of anyone’s world. He knew it was selfish and arrogant for him to even think in that way, but he couldn’t help it.
“I was unhappy, and I did not believe in the same course my sisters shared. I was stuck inside an existence I did not want. But then you came across my path, and I wanted to be with you. You were the catalyst for me, not the reason for my choice but the spark that set the fire.”
Leif listened to her and watched her mouth move as she spoke. His eyes lingered on her every word, and he felt his heart pounding in a way that made him nervously excited.
“I did not give up being a Fate for you, but I would give up my soul for you. It saddens me that you think you are not worthy of such a love. You are.”
“I’m not sure what to say to that,” Leif said. He was at a complete loss for words.
“You could say that you’ll stay with me forever.”
“Forever is a long time,” he said.
“Yes, it is.” Norna looked out at the lake and sighed. She had heard tales of men and gods. She knew that lying with a woman was not something men found to be always a sign of commitment or even love. It was probably ridiculous of her to think that a man that had just met her and made love to her once would make such a devout promise.
“But I don’t think that it is long enough,” he finished.
“What?” Her cat-eyes blinked at him several times as though she were trying to see his face clearly.
“I will stay with you forever, and I will stay with you even after forever ends.”
A giant smile grew upon her face, and for the first time, Leif thought he could see the emotion behind her amethyst eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her slowly, putting his hand just below her ear to hold her face to his.
“Perhaps it is fate,” he teased as he whispered in her ear. “That we are together.”
“I don’t much believe in fate anymore,” she smiled.
“What do you believe in then?”