“Ummm . . . what the hell?” I asked.
“We don’t have long,” Erebus said. “Your near-death experience and the memory of your father appear to have unlocked your power. Congratulations. Do you remember what happened when you discovered who your mother was?”
I sat at the table and poured a cup of tea. “She’d left a message in my head. It was a strange experience.”
“Well, your father has done the same.”
“What’s happening to my body right now?”
“The power inside your body is building. I know it looks like it’s flooding out over the landscape, but honestly, that’s just the excess. Once your magic fully releases, it will be quite spectacular,” Erebus said. “My power here is waning. I will vanish soon and not return.”
“I promised you I’d find the real Erebus. He . . . you allowed yourself to lose a part of your soul and have it merge with my nightmare. And I intend to keep that promise.”
“I know. And I told you I was proud of you. That is still the case.” He got to his feet and held out his arms for an embrace, which I was happy to return.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to watch you grow over the centuries into the good man you are today,” Erebus said.
I blinked tears out of my eyes. “Thank you for everything you did. I don’t think I would have made it this far without you.”
“You will do great things. You can help stop Arthur and his people.”
“Portland first,” I said. “I can’t let those people die to further Avalon’s aims.”
Erebus smiled. “Like I said, a good man. Goodbye, Nathaniel Garrett Woden. I love you.”
“I love you too, Erebus,” I said, and he vanished from sight, leaving me alone and my heart aching. I’d first thought that Erebus was an enemy, someone not to be trusted, but over the years I’d discovered the truth about him and his desire to see me thrive and grow as a sorcerer. He’d been invaluable on more than one occasion, and his disappearance from my life was going to take time to get used to. I walked over to the stream and splashed water onto my face. It wasn’t real except in my mind, but the coolness made me feel a little better.
“My son,” a voice said from behind me a few seconds later.
I turned to see Odin. Though I had no knowledge of ever meeting him, my memories told me it was him. A few more seconds passed as the truth settled in my head. I was wrong about having never met Odin. I’d met him when I was only three or four. I hadn’t known I could remember back that far. I remembered his smile and his sadness when I’d left.
Over the centuries, I’d heard stories about Odin, but the knowledge now, that he was my father, made it different. His hair was short and white, and he had a long beard of matching color. Several beads had been threaded through the beard, and a nasty scar went from his cheek up over his eye, which I noticed he had two of.
He wore Viking leather-and-silver armor, and his arms were big enough that he looked like he was walking around with tree trunks strapped to his shoulders. He was imposing, and I would not have wanted to be on the opposite side of the battlefield to him.
“I thought you had one eye,” I said.
“Maybe. I don’t know,” he said. “I can only answer questions up until the day you were born and Erebus’s spirit was placed inside of you. I do not know how long it has taken for you to remove the blood curse marks that would be on you, and I do not know how your life is, but I hope you are happy. I hope you are a good man. I hope you will not hate me for not being a part of your life. It was the only thing I could do to keep you safe, to send you and your mother away.
“I’m sure you heard I hate your mother. I do not. I did not love her, but I did care for her a great deal. Frigg had agreed to your birth, which, let me tell you, was quite the goddamn conversation. Then, before you were born, I began to hear talk of people who were planning on waging war against me. So I am sending you away . . . sent you away. Damn it, this whole talking-to-you-in-the-future thing is weird.”
Odin ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
“Your mother is one of the finest warriors I’ve ever met, and I am sure you will take after her. I’m also sure you will have heard horrible stories about me and the things I’ve done. I assure you that some are probably true. I was not always a good man, although I am trying to change that. You were born to be a weapon. There were to be seven of you, although I fear a few will not survive. You were an insurance that Avalon and its various factions wouldn’t fight among themselves. There’s a boy born in Avalon; his name is Mordred. He’s the son of Merlin, and I’d like to think that despite your power, the two of you will be friends. Maybe if the seven of you do all make it, do all grow up to be friends, then that friendship will ensure that none of the factions use you for war. I know that this is a great burden, and I am sorry to place it on the shoulders of someone so young.”
“So young,” I said, mostly to myself. “Hera fucked up the ritual. It was a bit longer than you expected.”
Odin’s image did nothing for a second, as if the information I’d given it was outside the remit of what it could discuss.
“I held you the day you were born,” Odin said. “I hope you never needed to go to war. I hope that you never needed to fight and kill and that you were able to be happy, but if that’s not the case, I really hope you destroyed everyone who stood between you and happiness.”
Odin smiled. “Right, that’s the information done. One last thing. If I’m still alive, I’m in Asgard. Come find me. There’s a realm gate in Munster, near the southern coast, that will only open for the blood of my kin. A little dwarven gift for your birth. I have no idea if it’s still called Munster, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” A raven landed on Odin’s shoulder, and he sighed. “I have to go. I probably haven’t answered anything because I have no idea what the bloody hell I’m meant to say, but I really hope you decide to come find me. I want to see how you turned out, and I want to show you off to the world. The last time I saw you, you were four. You were this bundle of questions and inquisitive nature, you were stubborn and smart, and I was very proud to see that you were kind to others. There isn’t enough kindness in the world, especially from those who wield power. Maybe one day that will change. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you, Nathaniel Garrett Woden. My son.”
Odin vanished, and I found myself on my knees in the clearing once again, screaming as pressure inside my chest and head continued to build. The trees surrounding me were aflame, and lightning continued to strike the ground around me. My vision turned purple, and I looked up to the sky and roared in defiance as the pressure vanished in an instant.
My magic exploded out of me, instantly incinerating everything in the clearing and carrying on into the dark forest, destroying everything in its path. Dirt and rock were thrown up as the magic created a crater beneath where I knelt and a shield of air that prevented it all falling back onto me as it returned to the earth. Magic continued to surge, turning the forest into an inferno. I fell onto all fours, vomiting flame onto the ground, cooking the dirt, before lightning struck my back over and over, rolling me over and forcing me supine. Shadows moved over my hands, and I felt the touch of the wraith that lived in my shadow realm. It was cold but oddly reassuring.