Chapter Three Skalds claimed Odin fashioned the earth from the remains of defeated giants. He tossed their broken bones aside, the fragments forming islands. This morning the Norse god dressed Uppsala and her islands in thick, white mist, an innocent color when blood would spill and homes would burn. The swirling fog kissed Sestra’s skin and messed with her curls, the damp air friendlier than her...
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Chapter Two A Norse hammer hurled end over end, splintering the lintel. The square metal head narrowly missed an eager warrior running past. Brandr rushed outside to the clash of iron on iron. Men poured around him into the yard to war cries and the crack of wooden shields. A pair of behemoths brawled, ringed by the crowd holding pine pitch torches. He should leave, wanted to, but couldn’t. He’d...
Read More“I know why I like working alone,” he said. Her wide mouth stretched in a flat smile. “But today you’re looking for the treasure with me.” He almost laughed at having his own words tossed back at him, except his eyes itched and his body ached. Lack of sleep weakened him. His hand gripped and re-gripped his shield’s leather strap. It was all he could do to stop himself from dragging Sestra off to a soft grassy place, laying...
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