Filed To Story: The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert
“Because you cheated on him!” the Asgardian spat.
“I was promised to him. Don’t confuse it with me promising him anything. These are different things!” she corrected, quickly avoiding two more warriors in the fog. There were so many of them! Too many!
“He deserved justice!” Magnus roared, searching for her.
“You will be telling me about justice?” she let out a mocking laugh. “I was the goddess of stars and justice! He should have challenged Fenrir if justice was what he wanted! Fenrir would have accepted, and that would have been a fair fight. Instead, he imprisoned him by making his trusted friend set up a trap and then tortured him when he was helpless. Some hero!”
Magnus was about to say something, but she appeared out of nowhere, hands sliding over his back and neck from behind and something cold and sharp poking at the artery in his throat.
The Asgardian kicked her with his elbow so hard that one of his soldiers would be on the ground already, but Astrea took it with a sharp hiss.
“Yield!” She gritted her teeth, not willing to give up. “This is a nightmare’s horn! Yield or die!”
“I will never yield-” he groaned, noticing the fog dissipating. The beads could work only for a limited amount of time.
The soldiers froze, seeing their commander taken hostage.
“This is a divine weapon!” she warned them. “Move and his blood is on your hands.”
She knew they wouldn’t. They had too much respect for him. She didn’t observe them for nothing and knew he was their group’s biggest weakness. They could sacrifice anyone else but him.
Unfortunately, Magnus had pride just like any other major god. It was his destiny, after all.
“I’d never-” he wanted to protest, but she pressed the horn a little deeper into his skin, drawing divine blood to the astonishment of everyone.
“If I have to kill you, they are next!” She said bluntly, not letting any emotions slip into her voice. He had to know that she meant it.
“Fine!” He dropped his sword to the ground. “Everyone stay in your place.”
“Good little god,” she whispered and felt his whole body go rigid. He definitely was not used to this.
Slowly, she took him with her to the dome building, pushing the main door with her foot, and was surprised that there were no guards inside.
The well was just within her reach, yet something felt really off.
“I am sorry,” Magnus said, and for a second there, she wasn’t sure what he was talking about.
Right until it sunk in…
There was no glow. She did not feel anything special in this place.
“What-what is wrong with it?” she asked and heard him sigh.
“Vidar knows you too well, I guess. He predicted you would try this,” Magnus admitted, and she shook her head in denial.
“He doesn’t know me at all!” She clenched the horn tighter in her hand, pulling the tall man closer to the well.
He did not fight her anymore, letting her have a proper look at the empty old well.
“Impossible!” she muttered, hectically thinking of what could have happened to the source.
“He transferred it to another place centuries ago,” Magnus replied to her silent question. “Several gods died helping him, but he couldn’t let you-“
“Gain my power,” she finished for him. “I know. Because he wants it for himself, and he wants me weak so that he could use me any way he likes, and I could do nothing about it!”
He stiffened again.
“What?” Astrea let out a bitter laugh. “A noble Asgardian doesn’t like to listen to the truth? You know I am right!”
“He is the ruler,” Magnus said, his voice darker than usual.
“A shitty ruler!” she exploded. “There has already been one before him! Too afraid of three children who wanted nothing but his approval!”
“It wasn’t like that-“
“It was exactly like that!” Astrea fought the tears burning her eyes. It was neither the place nor the time for emotions.
“And your father, a noble warrior loved by so many, watched him abuse those children and said nothing about it! I bet he did not like it too, but just like you, he justified it.”
“Jormungandr was his enemy!” Magnus roared. “They were equal rivals!”
“Compared to mighty Thor, he was just a kid back then!” The Dragonfly put him in place. “A strong, misguided youth who didn’t know any better because he didn’t see any better! And Fenrir-“
Emotions finally betrayed her, manifesting in a quiver in her voice.
“Fenrir did everything they wanted! He followed every rule!
He performed every task! He took all the humiliation! He deserved better-“
“My father had nothing to do with his chains-He made the first one weak on purpose so that-“
“He watched them torture him! He never said a word in his defence!” she screamed. “Just like you are watching and staying silent now! You know right from wrong! You know that a man like Vidar doesn’t deserve to win! You-“
She pushed him away, tired of this game. If the source was not here, then all of this was a waste of their effort.
Magnus couldn’t bring himself to turn and face her.
“He’ll be here soon,” he informed her. “Vidar will-“
“A true ruler would make this place flourish.” Astrea walked around the well as if to check there wasn’t a drop of divine power inside. A part of her still couldn’t believe it. “He would think of how to make his people happy. How to restore the lost balance without unnecessary sacrifices from any of the worlds. Because destroying the human realm will not do good to anyone, but Vidar doesn’t care! All he cares about is power, which does not belong to him!
Just like this place never belonged to him!”
“He won the battle with Fenrir,” Magnus finally turned, and their eyes locked. She could tell that he wanted her to confirm the knowledge he had, but she was a cruel assassin and never lied if she absolutely did not have to.
So, she offered the ugly truth.
“Won?” she scoffed. “He stabbed him in the back and used the moment to throw him out of here, closing the divine gates forever. He could never return after that. But there was no battle!”
“But then-“
“Then everything you ever knew was a lie!” She smiled sadly. “Welcome to the club.”
Magnus stayed silent for a while, processing the new information.
“He will come for you and get you-” The warrior looked at her differently now. She could tell he felt guilty.
“He’ll try.” Astrea sat on the edge of the well. “And I will fight him with everything I have. If I am lucky, I will kill him with the horn. If I am not lucky, he will have to kill me.”
The God of Strength watched her with pity, and she rolled her eyes.
“Trust me, that’s better than a life with him,” she confessed
“He is a sadist who has nothing good in him. There is nothing-“
A mighty roar echoed in the distance and she jumped to her feet, lips parted in shock.
“No,” she whispered, recognising the sound at once. “He couldn’t-“
Magnus looked out of the window, noticing his men ready to attack any moment.
“Go to the wedding!” he ordered and saw them confused by the unexpected order. “Make a formation around Valhalla and do nothing without my personal order. Whatever happens.”
Even more questioning glances followed.
“Now!” he shouted at them, and the soldiers bowed, quickly leaving the square.
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?