The Watcher ❪ Book 1❫

Chapter Seventeen

As the video played, I felt like throwing up. Around the hall, einherjar watched in shocked silence. Mumbled and grumbled protests began, mixed with laughter.

The projection only showed parts of what happened. Me and Magnus on the bridge, facing Surt as he summoned a fiery tornado. The camera zoomed in on Magnus threatening him with the deformed sword. Then Hearth and Blitz popped in with their practically useless weapons. Blitz smacked the fire giant with his 'MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS' sign. Me catching Hearth's toy arrow before it struck Magnus' behind (some looked impressed by that). Magnus being punched and kicked by Surt. Him puking.

The video fast-forwarded to Surt throwing his cannonball at Magnus and me intercepting it. The hologram zoomed in on my dagger in my hand. I saw a few warriors nod in approval. The video fast-forwarded again as Magnus started toward me.

The Valkyrie Vision resumed to Magnus backed up against the bridge railing. Surt had another fiery cannonball ready in his hand. He launched it. Magnus swung his sword and missed. Thousands of fighters grunted "Ooooo!" as the chunk of hot asphalt hit him in the gut. I flinched when the crunch reached my ears.

Surt charged, and they both went over the side, grappling as they plummeted. Right before they hit the river, the image froze and zoomed in. The weapon was impeded deep in Surt's stomach, but Magnus' hands weren't gripping the handle. They were squeezing Surt's big neck.

My hand flew up to cover my mouth. I looked at Magnus with wide eyes. He looked just as shocked as I was confused. An uncomfortable murmur spread through the room.

"No," he protested. "No, that's not how--Someone edited that. It's like a blooper reel."

Samirah's face turned grim. From the thanes' table, a certain captain of the Valkyries was smirking. She tampered with the footage. She wanted us to look like we weren't worthy of Valhalla!

Helgi set down his goblet. "Samirah al-Abbas . . . explain."

Samirah looked like she wanted to disappear within her scarf. "Cerise Fierro and Magnus Chase died bravely," she said. "he stood alone against Surt and she sacrificed herself to give him more time."

One of the thanes stood. "You say that was Surt. A fire jotun, certainly, but if you are suggesting it was the Lord of Muspellheim himself--"

"I know what I saw, Erik Bloodax. These two"--Samirah gestured to us--"saved many lives on that bridge. The video does not show the whole story. Magnus Chase acted like a hero and Cerise Fierro sacrificed herself for him. They deserve to be among the fallen."

Another thane got up. "The boy didn't actually die with the sword in his hand."

"Lord Ottar, the thanes have looked past such a technicality before. Whether or not Magnus gripped the sword at the moment of death, he died bravely in combat. That is the spirit of Odin's law." Samirah said, her voice strained.

The lord sniffed. "Thank you, Samirah al-Abbas, daughter of Loki, for teaching us the spirit of Odin's law."

She's a daughter of the God of Mischief? She doesn't seem like a psycho.

I could practically see the increase of tension in the hall. I glanced down at Samirah's hand as she fingered her ax. My own eyes drifted to my dagger. Don't do anything idiotic al-Abbas.

I looked up and met Gunilla's eyes. She was enjoying Samirah's humiliation, even poorly suppressed a grin. The bitch is a daughter of Thor, so of course, she was loving this. Thor and Loki are immortal enemies!

The thanes debated between themselves.

Finally, Helgi stood again. "Samirah, some-what unlike the girl, we are not seeing any heroism in this boy's death. We see a dwarf and an elf with toy weapons--"

"A dwarf and elf?" Magnus asked.

"Those are real?" I questioned.

We were ignored.

"--We see a fire jotun who fell off a bridge and took the boy with him. That's an unusual situation, a son of Muspell crossing into Midgard, but it has happened before."

"Shoot," muttered a lord with bushy sideburns. "Y'all should've seen the big ol' fire jotun Santa Anna had with him at the Alamo. I tell you--"

"Yes, thank you, Lord Crockett." The manager cleared his throat. "As I was saying, we see very little evidence that Magnus Chase was a worthy choice for Valhalla."

"My lords"--our Valkyrie spoke slowly and carefully like she was speaking to children--" the video is not accurate."

I cringed. Bad choice of words.

Helgi laughed. "Are you suggesting we shouldn't trust our own eyes?"

"I'm suggesting that you hear the story from my point of view. It has always been our tradition to tell of the hero's deeds."

Gunilla stood. "Pardon me, my lords, but Samirah is correct. Perhaps we should let the daughter of Loki speak."

The crowd booed and hissed. Some called, "No! No!"

Helgi silenced the hall. "Gunilla, you do your sisterhood credit by defending a fellow Valkyrie, but Loki has always been a master of smooth, honeyed words. Personally, I would rather trust what I see than have it spun for me in some clever explanation."

Warriors clapped. The Valkyrie captain sat down with a false apologetic shrug.

"You do know you being biased, right?" I approached, crossing my arms and arching my right brow.

His eyes snapped to mine and glared. And I glared right back. But the thing was, my eyes have seen so much pain that it reflected in them. They reflected the horrors of my past. He quickly looked away and turned his attention to Magnus.

"Magnus Chase!" Helgi called. "Do you know your parentage?"

I rolled my eyes. Like he knows.

"I don't know my father," he admitted. "But, look, about that video--"

"Cerise Fierro!" Helgi interrupted. "Do you know your parentage?"

I held my head high, trying not to show any weakness. "I never knew my parents."

I felt Magnus and Samirah's eyes on me. I ignored them.

"Perhaps you have potential we do not recognize," Helgi concluded. "Perhaps you are children of Odin or Thor or some other noble war god, and your presence brings us to honor. We will seek wisdom from the runes unless the All-Father would intercede?"

The throne remained unmoving and unoccupied. The ravens were still starring at us with their dark, intelligent eyes.

"Very well," the manager said. "Bring forth the vala and--"

Between the roots of the tree, where the waterfall touched the dark lake, a massive bubble erupted. BLOOP! Standing on the water were three tall women shrouded in white.

The only sound in the hall was the crackle of the fire and the waterfall. Thousands of warriors watched in shocked amazement, as the three women glided across the floor, coming toward us.

"Sam?" Magnus asked. "Sam, what's going on?"

"The Norns," she replied. "The Norns themselves have come to read your fate."

"Why does this always happen to me?"