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  My gaze locked on her gnarled hand.

  I was pressed back as far as I could go, still trying to will myself through the tree. Verdandi was going to tear me to shreds with her evil, jagged nails, and there wasn’t anything I could do. I clenched my muscles, bracing for the impact, my hand tightening around the dagger still in my hand. Sweat had saturated the hilt, dripping onto the floor. I didn’t have enough room to strike her.

  She was too close.

  I had to try. I lifted Gram, but the old woman moved too fast, her hand whipping down like a cat batting at a toy on a string. Her nails landed against my neck, digging deeply as they slashed me, rending open my skin and drawing wet, sticky blood.

  I screamed, forcing Gram up between us, the pain searing me as I swung the blade upward. Instead of making its mark, it snagged on the sleeve of my wool jacket.

  I didn’t have time to be mad at my incompetence, because to my utter relief, Verdandi was suddenly flying backward, away from me. I watched in stunned silence, with my mouth hanging open, as she whizzed through the air, hitting the earthen wall like a bullet, bouncing off, and crashing onto the table.

  The wood buckled instantly, collapsing beneath her, covering her with broken pieces.

  “Not”—Junnal bellowed as it brought its sledgehammer-sized fist back around in front of its body, looking directly at me—“human.”

  I nodded dumbly, agreeing with it, as I glanced at the wood-strewn body on the floor, and then back at the giant creature. The thing had just tried to save my life by smashing Verdandi into the wall.

  It didn’t take Bragnon long to figure this out for himself.

  “You inssssolent troll!” Bragnon shrieked. “You will pay for thissss.” Then he dove for the giant’s legs. Junnal kicked out, but Bragnon found purchase and pierced his awful shark teeth into the troll’s leg, gouging at the hard flesh like a feasting piranha.

  The sounds were sickening.

  Junnal hardly seemed to notice as he reached down and grabbed Bragnon by the scruff of his rubbery neck. The little beast grinned, holding a mouthful of the giant’s bloody flesh between his incisors. Junnal roared, shook Bragnon a few times for good measure, and tossed him away like a reptilian rag doll.

  Bragnon crashed against the bookcase. The creepy jars exploded on impact like fireworks, spraying the room with glass and liquid and parts. The smell was immediately toxic.

  I covered my mouth, using the inside of my elbow, gasping and coughing as the fumes burned my lungs and tears rolled down my cheeks. The backs of my fingers grazed my neck. I pulled back my hand and saw my blood was still the color of a white glow stick, but it was fading to red as I watched.

  Verdandi was still under the table rubble, but I saw a foot twitch. She wouldn’t be out for long, and when she awoke, there would be hell to pay for all involved.

  I spun around and pounded my fist against the tree. “Please, please, open! I’m begging you!” I screamed. “Open. Pleeeeeease!”

  A loud, thunderous crash shook the ground, and I peered fearfully over my shoulder.

  Junnal now sat on the dirt floor.

  His hurt leg was covered in deep magenta blood, thick as paint. It leaked out slowly, like ketchup out of an inverted bottle.

  The giant stared straight at me.

  I eased around, swiping the blood still trickling out of my neck and rubbing it into my now tattered jacket. It left a long streak of neon pink in its wake. I was forced to lift my arm back over my mouth and nose, because the smell from the broken jars was too intense. My lungs felt like they were on fire.

  I quickly glanced over at Bragnon.

  He was out cold. The contents of the jars had spread out over his body, and now his clothing, a nondescript brown toga-like thing, was smoking. I hoped it was strong enough to eat through his hide.

  “Not. Human.” Junnal’s voice was quieter now, which meant it was at megaphone level. “Odin.”

  I froze.

  I wasn’t sure what to do.

  The giant creature shook his head, the boulder rocking back and forth. I shrank back. When he was done, his entire body listed to one side, like he was trying not to pass out after a night of hard drinking.

  The giant troll had been poisoned.

  Bragnon had bit him.

  I took a tentative step forward. This thing had tried to save my life, the least I could do was tell him thank you. I had no idea what to do to help him. “Um, hi, Junnal. I’m Phoebe.” I tread a little closer. “Thank you for…helping me. I wasn’t expecting that. I see you’re in pain. Can I do anything to help you?”

  He shook his head as he tried to focus on me, his eyes looking small in proportion to his massive body. He blinked a few times before he opened his cave of a mouth. “Odin. Me.”

  “You’re…Odin?” I had to admit I was a little shocked. “Really?”

  He pointed to himself and shook his lumbering head. “Send…Junnal. Odin.”

  Odin sent this giant to help me?

  I really hadn’t been expecting that. “That was nice of him. So what can I do? If I aid you, can you help me escape?” My voice was filled with hopeful optimism.

  Before the giant could answer, an angry shriek filled the room.

  It had come from the pile of wood.

  6

  __________________________

  ____________

  Verdandi kicked her legs out, and pieces of the table soared around the room like she had superhuman strength. She didn’t, because she was probably zero human, but calling her super alone seemed wrong.

  My eyes locked on her. I was riveted, even though I should be using this precious time to beg the tree to open its portal to take me home.

  She rose to a sitting position exactly how I would imagine a dead body would rise out of a coffin: bent perfectly at the waist, the transition effortless.

  Her veiny black eyes were wild as they scoured the room, searching for who to punish first.

  I regretfully backed away from Junnal, toward the safety of the tree, tugging my scarf over my mouth and nose.

  “Troll, what you have done will cost you your life,” Verdandi seethed once her eyes lit on Junnal. “I will tear your head from your shoulders and spit into your decaying body as it withers and dies!”

  That was a serious threat.

  The rest of the wood covering her flung off, like the walls had become magnetized.

  Junnal glanced from Verdandi to me, his poor head listing even more. “Grum. Tree.” With effort, he lifted his massive hand and gestured to the tree. Then he dug his fists into the dirt and scooted to the side, trying to position himself between me and Verdandi.

  I wanted to go give him a bear hug.

  Instead, I pondered what grum tree meant.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the tree. Maybe that was the sacred name of the tree for giant trolls? Possibly a password?

  “That’s right, Junnal, come closer,” Verdandi cackled as she stood. Her dress was tattered and hung in ribbons around her. “I will enjoy making you bleed.” She swung her hands out in front of her with an evil grin, her teeth making ugly clacking sounds as she wiggled her fingers, muttering something under her breath.

  Her head bobbed once, and poor Junnal arched backward, grabbing on to his massive throat with one hand.

  “How does that feel, troll?” Verdandi raged as she stalked closer. “You caught me by surprise once, but that will never happen again.”

  My back thumped against the tree, and it startled me. I glanced down at my body. Gram was still thankfully clutched in my hand. The color of my skin was back to normal. I leaned into the tree and immediately felt its energy. As I absorbed whatever it gave me, my hand began to brighten.

  “You will die!” Verdandi seethed, continuing her assault on the giant, who so far was not cooperating with her plan.

  Junnal, still gripping his neck with one hand, had pulled himself closer to Verdandi. They were almost eye to eye, though Junnal was still taller, even t
hough he sat on the dirty floor.

  “How can this be?” Verdandi’s voice quaked with anger. “You are not immune to my powers, lesser! You will fall, and then I will kill the human impostor.”

  Bragnon picked that moment to stagger to his feet, brushing the potions and shattered glass off like they were minor irritants, taking most of his toga along with them. Charred black holes dotted the rest of the fabric, but his skin was unmarred as far as I could see.

  That was really too bad.

  He came straight for me.

  I dropped my scarf and twisted around, bringing both of my hands up to pound on the bark. “Please, grum tree, open up! The nice troll said to ask you. He gave me permission! I don’t want to die here. Please open up!”

  “You will not leave. You will dieeee,” Bragnon hissed from right behind me.

  There was a loud roar of anger.

  I glanced around as Bragnon did the same. Junnal had changed directions and was now making his way toward us.

  “Giant, you will not get away from me!” Verdandi shrieked. “Die, die, die!”

  The big guy just kept coming.

  Bragnon turned back to me, his wide mouth curling up in a sinful smile laced with horrible, painful intent. “I will kill you firsssst. The giant cannot harm meeee.”

  He sprang.

  Before any concrete thought hit my brain, I swung Gram in front of me. But Bragnon’s wicked fingers grabbed on to my arm, forcing the knife down.

  “Grum. Grum,” Junnal wailed impatiently, his voice barely above a whisper, but still echoing like a drum around the room.

  Bragnon twisted my arm painfully, and I cried out.

  “What is wrong with you? Why won’t you die?” Verdandi squealed as she marched up to the injured troll and kicked him. Junnal was almost to Bragnon and me.

  It was going to be one big party at the tree.

  “Verdandi?” A breathy female voice rang out from the hallway. “What’s happening? Urd has rushed us home. She said you were in danger!”

  “I know she’s in danger, you harpy. I just saw it,” another voice added. “The bastard child is here, and Verdi’s been felled by a troll.” They were almost through the doorway.

  My grip began to fail. Bragnon was going to make me drop the dagger, and then he was going to kill me. He knew it and snickered with glee.

  I pulled back at the last moment, using the tree as leverage, yanking my arm up. At the same time, Junnal grabbed on to Bragnon and pulled. The beastie’s legs went out from under him, but he held on to my wrist in a death clamp that rivaled Hercules.

  “Why won’t you die, imbecile?” Verdandi screamed. “You are not immune to my magic!” It was lucky Junnal was big and sat between me and the hag. I knew without hesitation that Verdandi’s attention would transfer to me once she spotted me, and she would rip out my throat with her wicked fingernails.

  “Well, this is quite a scene,” a breathtakingly beautiful woman said from inside the doorway. “Verdi, how come you didn’t invite us?” Her hair looked like spun gold. It was amassed in a halo towering around her head, flowing over her shoulders and tumbling down her chest. Her features were as precise and perfect as Verdandi’s were ancient and horrid.

  It was hard to believe they were actual sisters.

  Right behind her, another figure stepped into view. She was tall, plain, and remarkably thin, with long, greasy black hair. She wore an actual black pointy hat. “I told you, Skuld, and I’m never wrong. You should know that by now.”

  “Well, what I’m seeing, Urd, is that this girl will be gone in just a few minutes. Only, I can’t quite see where she’s going.” Skuld, the woman with the Rapunzel hair, cocked her head and studied me. “That’s odd.”

  “This little bastard isn’t going anywhere!” Verdandi seethed between a very clenched jaw. “Help me kill this troll, and then we’ll kill the girl together. And then the stain of her existence will be wiped out for all of time.”

  Bragnon’s tenacity as he held on to my wrist showed no bounds. He was fighting Junnal’s tug with gusto, kicking his short legs and arching his body. The giant couldn’t get him off. If Junnal tugged any harder, it would take my arm off.

  Junnal gave out a loud bellow, his voice ripping through the room.

  “The giant is resisting my magic,” Verdandi yelled in frustration. “It is impossible for any troll to withstand our power!”

  Junnal tightened his grip on Bragnon’s leg and snapped him up like a whip. The horrible beastie finally lost his grip on my arm, but managed to latch on to my ankle on the way down, his wicked nails gouging into my leg through my boots.

  “This giant is spelled by a god, Verdi,” the pointy-hatted Urd said. “It will take all of us to break it. Here, let me put my things down.” For the first time, I noticed that each sister carried an armful of bags. I must’ve interrupted their shopping date.

  Junnal glanced up, meeting my eyes. This was it. The cavalry was here. He said, with as much urgency as he could muster, “Grum. Tree.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re telling me,” I pleaded. “Please, this is my only chance. Tell me how to get out of here!”

  Junnal struggled to free his hand, but it was the only thing propping him up. Bragnon was in his other hand, still stretched taut between us. I shook my leg, trying to get him off, as Junnal brought a shaky hand up and pointed to my fist.

  The one holding Gram.

  Then he said, “In…tree.”

  “Nooo!” Verdandi screamed. “You will not leave here! You will not escape me!”

  Put the dagger in the tree? Grum was Gram?

  I could do that.

  I hopped around, kicking out my leg with renewed vigor, but Bragnon held on stubbornly.

  Junnal bellowed his frustration. I’m right there with you, big guy.

  “You will not get awayyyy,” Bragnon hissed.

  “Watch me.” I twisted the upper part of my body, slamming Gram home at the same time.

  “Nooo!” Verdandi screamed.

  “Oh, Verdi. You were never supposed to win this round. I told you she’d be gone in a few minutes,” Skuld said matter-of-factly. “I’m just puzzled why I can’t see what happens next.”

  Light swirled at the tip of the dagger, and there was a substantial tug from the tree. A moment later, white light blazed out of the hole, and I felt myself being blessedly sucked inside.

  At the same time, a shot of pain bloomed up my leg.

  The sounds in the room quieted behind me as my body sailed into the vortex. The only things trailing in the darkness were Verdandi’s muted screams and Junnal bellowing one last time.

  Then I was totally gone.

  My body turned in on itself, tumbling, dropping, falling. I went numb, my brain threatened to go black.

  Then everything ceased to exist.

  Everything except the throbbing in my leg.

  Where Bragnon had bitten me.

  7

  __________________________

  ____________

  The smell of sulfur stung my nostrils, bringing me back to consciousness with a gasp. Two seconds later, I didn’t have room to think about the smell of rotten eggs infecting my nose, because the throbbing in my ankle occupied all of my available brain space.

  Bragnon had not only bitten me, but had shredded my boot, which had been lost somewhere in the transfer. The ride through the portal had been rough, like being tossed in a human-sized clothes dryer spinning at warp speed. My faithful scarf was also missing.

  I was on my back, dirt coating the ground beneath me. Again.

  This was getting old. I moaned as I brought my injured leg up and tried to cradle it against my body. “Ow!” I rolled to the side, trying to focus my eyes in the low light, rocking lightly from side to side, urging the pain to go away.

  It seemed I was in another cave, but this one had stone walls instead of earthen ones. It was more like a large cavern. It had a high, domed ceiling, and there were outcroppings
of boulders piled up against the walls and scattered around the room.

  I bent my head around, trying to get a look behind me, expecting to find the tree or some exposed bark, but saw only more rock.

  The cave wall was smooth, but I spotted a faded archway set into the wall. That must have been where I’d been jettisoned from.

  In a panic, I remembered Gram.

  My ticket out of here.

  Battling through the pain, I jerked onto my stomach, running my hands along the ground, frantically searching for the dagger. It wasn’t anywhere near me. “No, no,” I cried. “It can’t be gone!”

  I scrabbled some more in the dirt, pulling myself along like a crab.

  It wasn’t here.

  I finally gave up and struggled to sit. The pain in my ankle ignited like wildfire. I cried out, reaching to put pressure on my leg, anywhere, just to try to stop the throbbing. My brain reeled from the intensity of it. I’d never experienced anything this painful in my life.

  But I couldn’t give up. I had to find my lifeline. Gritting my teeth, I started to inch my way forward, running my hands around, upturning rocks and stones, hoping it had just been covered when we landed. “Please, please,” I whispered. “Please be here.”

  “Looking for something?” A low, throaty growl, decidedly male, sparked from the shadows to my left. “I can tell you right now, you’re not going to find it.”

  My head shot up, and I cringed. I wasn’t ready to fight another big bad.

  Using all my strength, I propelled myself backward as quickly as I could go, fighting through the blazing pain that had become my leg, until I was pressed against the smooth part of the rock wall, right where I thought the portal opening was.