Destroyed Beauty {Pure Illusion Series: Book 3}

Chapter 8

A/N: Even though the readership and interaction for this book are not as much they were for books 1 and 2, I owe it to myself to finish what I started as well as the faithful readers who have stayed with me this long. In all honesty, book 3 is not the most glamorous or well written piece; I'm not as proud of it as I was with book 1 or 2. The story is still telling itself to me but no one appears to be listening. 

Enough whinning, onto the good stuff; this chapter is the first and one of the ONLY chapters I have ever written that is not in Loki or Sigyn's perspective. It was one of the hardest and challenging chapters to write; I loved it. For that reason, two chapters will be released this week! See you all Thursday ^_^

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Véar urged Vona into a faster gait into the woods, hoping that the mare would understand the urgency and direction she needed to take. Under her breath she muttered a simple cloaking spell, hoping to avoid her brother’s until she was safely away. It was not like her try to avoid his gaze, but the urgency and nature of the task was one that did not need to draw attention. Should the kingdom, or worse Odin, discover that Prince Loki was reverting to his old ways, the world she knew would be turned upside down.

Truth be told, the ebony healer did not truly believe that Loki was returning to his ways; he was far too invested in Sigyn’s life to throw that away because, just perhaps, he really did love her. Vona turned to her left, heading into a thicker tree line than Véar wished to go, but the way the mare moved through the trees indicated she understood what Véar was asking of her. The maiden relaxed in the saddle, concentrating on the spell that shielded her from Heimdall's gaze until she at last saw the destination that she had been hoping to see: the cusp of a cavern in the middle of the clearing.

Sigyn had spoken of it once, indicating it was most likely a secret passageway into Asgard from other worlds, but was unsure of how it worked. Véar had the benefits of knowing that it was indeed a pathway to the other realms, one of which Heimdall knew about and had pleaded for the All-Father to close up. Right, as if the All-Father would actually listen to his council; that was one of the things she hated about being a part of the house of Odin.

Slipping off Vona, she pulled the bag from the saddle and placed it over her shoulder. Patting the sorrel’s side, she smiled and gave the mare a kiss on her velvet nose.

“Go on home Vona, Sigyn will be worried sick if she sees you’re missing.”

The mare blew through her lips slightly, as if she understood what Véar was trying to convey. The ebony healer rolled her eyes slightly and turned the mare’s head for home then gave her a slap on her hindquarters as the mare started trotting in the direction of the royal stables. 

Véar turned her attention back to the gaping hole in the ground; the spell slipping as she prepared to utter the charm that would take her to what some would say ‘the world between the realms’.

“Forgive me Heimdall.” She muttered, knowing that her brother would hear her as her spell began to fade, but it was too late to stop her. Closing her eyes, she jumped, muttering the spell as she fell.

~~~

At first, all she could feel was the sensation of falling, but slowly the feeling of nausea overcame her and a warm feeling filled her body as she began to move through space to the Milli, the world between the realms. Her eyes still closed, she didn’t realize that she had arrived till she felt the tops of her feet -  not covered by her flats - being tickled by grass. Opening her brown eyes, she was blown away by what she saw; it was like nothing that the ancient texts read.