Filed To Story: The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert
The dead couldn’t experience life…
Jormungandr closed his eyes, exhaling heavily and trying to sense his way back home. To his surprise, the way to Asgard was clear for him for the first time since Ragnarok.
A bitter chuckle escaped him. Fenrir succeeded and defeated Vidar.
Only why did it have to end this way? His brother deserved so much better.
“You told me once you saw my ending.” Joran opened his eyes and looked at the Queen of the Western Kingdom, who was waiting patiently next to Fenrir’s dead body. “What was it?”
“If you ask me this, you already know the answer, she replied, confirming his suspicions.
She did not seek revenge on him because destiny had already taken care of it.
Joran had seconds to make the decision, so he looked around, his eyes drawn to Niki holding Bjorn in her arms.
The girl’s face was stained with tears as she rocked back and forth, whispering something to the bear’s ear. They had fallen in love indeed… Just like he wanted them to.
But he did not sense life in Bjorn anymore. That battle was lost.
Forrest and the witch stood over them, trying to console Nikki, but Joran knew it wouldn’t be this easy.
He had lost Bjorn again. He lost Astrea. He couldn’t lose Fenrir, too.
He was okay with his brother hating him, but he did not want to imagine him in the Underworld. Same as he did not want to see Astrea tortured by the separation.
“Well played, witch!” He smiled at Riannon, and for the first time, that woman had nothing to retort. “Here, my gift to you. I know you will use it wisely,”
He took a few portal beads off his bracelet and handed the rest to her. She hesitated before accepting it, but the gift was too valuable to reject it.
“I know you will use these wisely,” he added, standing up and crushing the beads in his palm to activate them. A huge glowing portal to Asgard opened up before him. “See, I am not that bad!” He winked at Riannon and stepped inside before he could hear her reply, walking out back into his home.
It was strange walking in Asgard again. Not to mention that it was the second time ever he did not have to be sneaky about it.
The portal took him to his siblings, and his heart clenched, seeing Astraea ready to fight his sister for Fenrir. If the Goddess of Stars and the Goddess of Death had a fight, it would result in another Ragnarok. And they were still dealing with the consequences of the first one. She was in so much pain, so desperate… worse than when he chained her in the silver pit.
Fenrir tried to reassure her, ready to sacrifice himself as always. How did someone so good get born into their scheming family?
His brother noticed him first, and Joran gave him a sad, apologetic smile. Astraea was about to lunge at Hel, but Jormungandr caught her while his siblings watched him.
“Dragonfly, stop,” he whispered. “This is not the solution!”
“Let go of me!” she yelled at him, realising who he was and trying to elbow him. Her star magic almost burned his skin when he added quickly. “I have a real solution! Just let me help you with this for once.”
She stopped fighting him. Astraea was too desperate, ready to do anything. He had seen and used many people in such a state to recognise this look.
“Remember you once told me I don’t know what love is?” He reminded her, and she remained silent. “I finally know. I love you, Astrea. A lot. And I loved Bjorn as if he was my son. I love my children even though I haven’t seen them for centuries.”
Her chest was heaving. She absolutely did not see where he was going with it.
“But most of all I love my brother,” the Serpent confessed. ” The one and only man who never failed me. Not really. The one who tried to help me and whom I betrayed in the worst ways. I love you both in my own sick way, and I know you deserve your lifetime together. I want you to have it.”
“What are you-” Fenrir stared at him, bewildered
“Take my divinity,” Joran suggested. “And you, Hel, take my life instead of Fenrir’s.”
“For the love of all things!” The goddess of Death rubbed the bridge of her nose. “It’s not how it works!”
“Then we’ll make it work!” Joran pushed Astraea into his brother’s arms and walked towards his sister. “Just think about it, Hel. This is what our family does. It’s in our blood!
One last trick. The universe needs to receive a god, and here I am. We have the same blood, the same lineage, and the same amount of divine power. The replacement will not affect the balance. It’s just perfect!”
“Oh, Jor!” She sighed and looked at Fenir, who wrapped his arms around Astraea. That woman would fight for him until she destroyed the Underworld and got him out. Maybe it was for the best.
“May I also add that if you agree to this, you will get the funnier and more handsome brother? I bet you get bored ruling the Underworld alone, and the righteous Baldur can hardly make you laugh!”
Hel rolled her eyes.
“Besides,” Joran added quickly, “if someone can get it all, it’s you. You were thrown down there and prevented from living your life. You never got a proper shot. Neither did Fenrir. And although we can’t free you, we can-“
“Free him,” Hel agreed. She knew full well Fentir spent years serving Odin just for the chance to have them reunited This was more than anyone ever did for her, and she was grateful to have a sibling like that
“Jor,” Fenrir called his brother, and the Serpent walked towards him and Astraea. “You really don’t have to.”
“I really do,” the Serpent disagreed and hugged them both tightly, placing his forehead on Fenrir’s. “Take care of each other, okay?”
“We will,”‘ Astrea promised, tears welling in her eyes again.
She noticed sparks flying from Joran into the sky, meaning he was already dying slowly, committing his sacrifice for them.
She hugged him tightly, still clenching Fenrir with her free hand just in case. She used to think of her Teacher as a monster, but now she wasn’t so sure about that anymore.
Everything he did paid off in the end and helped them to get here. She still couldn’t believe he was actually doing this. Maybe she was wrong about him all along.
“Astrea, I will remember our kiss even in the afterlife,” Joran mumbled, his lips grazing over her ear.
“Asshole!” Fenrir growled, feeling his brother’s divinity and immortality slipping through the cells of his new body.
“Always,” Joran smiled through tears, holding them both tightly.
“Thank you,” Astrea whispered, grasping him tighter too when she realised he was already gone and only specs of his divine essence were flying around them. She caught a fistful of the gleaming dust, and she did not find it in her to let it go with the rest, leaving this little reminder of her Teacher for herself.
Fenrir wrapped his arms around Astraea, not willing to let go. Just a few seconds ago, he was ready to leave her to prevent the love of his life from fighting his sister. He accepted his loss and now he needed time to believe that this was actually happening.
Their enemies were dead, and they both had eternity together.
They stood like that for a while, no one daring to disturb them.
Vidar was still slowly dying on the ground when Bash found him.
“I can offer you a deal-” The God of Vengeance hissed. “I can-“
“The only thing I need from you, I can get myself,” Bash snorted and sent a lightning his way, finishing him off.
Years of experience taught him to get rid of the problem at once.
Devoss walked towards Magnus to give him a few orders from the new rulers and although the latter did not seem too happy about one particular fox feeling comfortable in this realm, he obeyed, knowing Astraea trusted these people.
Midnight slowly walked to the couple that still was afraid to move and find out it was all a dream. Slowly, he nudged them with his muzzle, and they finally got distracted, peering at him.
“How did you …?” Fenrir had no words.
“When I jumped into the Source, I had Midnight’s horn with me. We got out of it together,” she explained with a grin.” And look at this!” She scratched behind the Nightmares ear, and two wide wings materialised on his back. “He got an upgrade!”
“That thing can fly now?” Fenrir whistled.
“Well, not yet,” Astrea admitted, “or we would have used it in a fight, but we are working on it.”
“You are really something, do you know that?” He brushed his palm over her cheek.
“I know,” she giggled. “You are a lucky man!”
“The luckiest man in the world!” Fenrir pulled her closer and crashed his lips into hers in a greedy kiss. The world around them faded away, leaving all the troubles behind.
For the first time, they didn’t have to count minutes and seconds together. They had all the time in the world.
“So, what now?” Astrea broke the kiss to breathe in.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?