The Twelve Stars

Chapter 14

"Let me go!" I yelled.

Due to my persistent struggle, Dragos eventually released me. I ran to Robyn whom Finn had caught in his arms. Tears ran down my face as Robyn's lifeless eyes stared upwards. Regardless, I placed my hands on the bloody hole in her chest. Light flooded through my fingers as I put all of my focus on healing her. In that moment, Robyn was all that mattered to me. My Magick came and went in flashes of light, fading on account of my emotions just as Finn had warned me. Eventually, Finn had to stop me. He placed his hand over mine and I looked at him.

"She's gone, Callyk," he said. I didn't want to give up. She couldn't be gone.

"Listen to him, Callyk," Solomon spoke, much to my disdain. Just at that moment, her body began to turn into ashes and vanished, floating up amongst the sea of infinite space that was Yggdrasil. Only her sword remained. My hands fell onto the ground, and the blood washed away in the shallow water that we stood in. I looked back at Solomon, my eyes full of vengeance, and stood up.

"You shouldn't have done that," I growled.

"I was just doing what needed to be done," it replied.

That's when I remembered Dragos still stood behind me. "And you," I said. I looked over my shoulder to see a stunned Dragos Starbringer holding his sword down in defeat. "This is all because of you." I didn't let his moment of weakness deceive me.

"I just came here for the Stone," he said. "And for my son." He looked at Finn. "As for how I came here, you forget that Ragnarök's Chosen  still live. Gods can move between realms. Now be a good son, Finn, and hand me the Stone."

For a moment, I thought that Finn was really going to do it. Take my satchel and hand it to him. "Finn," I said. He was doubting himself, torn between what was right and redemption from his father. Our father. I felt a rush of relief when Finn stepped back.

"No," he said firmly. "You call me your son when you can't even recognize the one you lost."

"Ragnar?" he scoffed, confused. "But Ragnar's dead-"

"No, he's not," I said. I grabbed the hilt of Robyn's sword and stood up. Dragos averted his gaze to mine. "You were always afraid of me, father."

His wide horrified eyes glued to me. "B-but you're not even-"

"Why do you think we travelled all the way to the Norns?" Finn asked.

"They were wise not to trust the word of a Shade," Solomon interrupted. My hands clenched. "Thankfully the Norns confirmed it-"

"You," I warned through gritted teeth. "Have no right to speak for what you just did-"

"I told you before. You should know by now, Callyk. We don't care for mortal affairs," he chuckled.

"Bring. Robyn. Back," I said. My voice trembled. "Now."

"I can only take life," Solomon answered. "To bring her back, you would need to travel to Helheim." I had the sudden desire to abandon everything and do just that. As if sensing my hesitation, there was a sudden change in the air.

I wasn't sure what had happened until I looked around me to see that Solomon and Dragos had been frozen in place. Only Finn and I seemed to be able to move.

"I can see how much you are hurting, Callyk," Thad spoke. We turned to face him. Still confined in the Tree. Around him lay the unconscious bodies of the Guard. 

I suddenly remembered the Allcron Stone in my satchel that hung over my shoulder and put a hand down to get it. My thought process was simple. If we switched back, I could finally end Solomon, give him the sentence that he deserves. I took out the Stone, Robyn's sword still in my right hand. "We need to switch," I said. Finn's eyes met mine with reluctant understanding.