Spaces Between

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•Chapter Thirty-One•
A Pyrrhic Victory
(EARTH)

It seemed that all chaos broke loose in the span of two seconds. I knew this because of three reasons; a loud blaring alarm exploded throughout the compound, every single fire sprinkler began blasting out frigid, cold water, and then Tove screaming.

I dove for my dagger before I could even comprehend what was happening. My fingers wrapped around the hilt and I shot to my feet. I grabbed Tove's arm and then I was pulling the both of us out the door.

The hallway was empty and Tove clung to my arm. The ice cold water raining down stung my eyes as I tried to see through it. Blinding orange and yellow lights flashing from the alarms on the ceiling, casting the hallway in a lurid, disorienting light.

"What's happening?" Tove shouted over the alarm. I lifted my head to attempt to smell the air, for Käro, for Alrekr, or for something to tell me an answer to her question but the sprinklers masked anything I could possibly smelt. A sinking feeling entered my stomach.

"I don't know," I said, "but we need to find the others."

An echoing explosion rocked through the compound and my breath hitched in my throat. I started pulling Tove down the hallway. The tiled floor was slick and I almost fell several times. We made it to the end of the hall, but that is when we heard a thundering thud.

I risked a glance over my shoulder, fingers tightening on Tove's arm.

Two figures stood at the other end—faces blurred through the water, but I didn't need to see them to be able to tell that they were Asgardian. A woman and man, both with bulky builds and wielding glistening, wicked blades.

"Tove," my voice shook, "run."

I whipped back around, pushing Tove ahead of me. The sound of the Asgardians' feet behind us echoing like thunderclaps through the blaring alarm. They were gaining—there was no way we'd make it very far.

I slipped trying to make the corner, the tiles like ice as the floor fell out from beneath my feet. I hit the ground hard, Tove falling down with me. I scrambled back up, pulling her with me as I caught another flash of silver in front of us.

"Alrekr!" The scream ripped from my throat the same time the two Asgardians rounded the corner. I had a little less then a second to throw myself and Tove towards Alrekr before the man's blade embedded itself in the wall where my head been. I stumbled, pushing Tove behind me.

"The boy and the heir, isn't this just sweet?" The woman snickered. She swung her sword in a circular motion as her partner ripped his own from the wall. "The Lord Alder will be very pleased."

Alrekr's grip on his own sword caused his knuckles to go white, "who the Hel are you and what do you want here?"

The man crackled, "so Malki's kid has got a voice."

Alrekr's face went as white as his knuckles.

"What of my father?"

"Last I heard from the guards, he was bleeding out in a cell, with that," the woman paused, sending me an amused glance, "green eyed brother of yours."