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  Sword of Light

  Heroes of Asgard Book Two

  S.M. Schmitz

  Copyright © 2018 by S.M. Schmitz

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Mythology Glossary

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  4. Havard Reveals a Prophecy

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  8. Havard’s Memory Scars Me for Life

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  13. Havard Gets Hitched

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  18. Gunnr Is a Total Badass

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  23. Arnbjorg Challenges Odin

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Also by S.M. Schmitz

  Mythology Glossary

  If Gavyn gives one of the characters a nickname, I’ve put it in parentheses right after his or her actual name

  Aegis—a shield belonging to Zeus and Athena, which may have conferred special attributes to its bearer.

  Aesir—one of the two tribes of gods in Norse mythology, and the tribe associated with most of the Norse gods such as Odin, Thor, and Tyr. The other tribe is the Vanir.

  Anhur—Egyptian god of war who was sometimes portrayed with the head of a lion, which is why he can shift into a lion in this series.

  Anubis—in Egyptian mythology, Anubis is a god of the dead and is associated with jackals.

  Ariadne’s Thread—in Greek mythology, Daedalus, the brilliant inventor, is tasked with creating a structure to hold the Minotaur. He builds the Labyrinth, but he does such a good job, he himself could hardly escape it. In one of the more popular versions of this story, some Athenian kills King Minos’s son, so as retribution, the Athenians are required to send seven girls and seven boys as a sacrifice to the Minotaur every seven years. One year, that includes the Greek hero, Theseus, but he’s all like, “I’m not just going in there as a sacrifice—I’m going to be one of the most badass heroes ever,” and decides to enter the Labyrinth to slay the Minotaur, but Ariadne sees him, thinks, “Whoa…dude. Lust, er, love at first sight!” and gives him a thread to help him find his way back out.

  Arnbjorg—isn’t a real mythological figure; I made her up for this story. She is the love interest of Havard.

  Asalluhi—Mesopotamian god of incantations and magic.

  Asclepius—Greek demigod or god associated with healing. His staff has a single serpent wrapped around it, but it has gotten confused with Hermes’s over the centuries so that the caduceus (the name of Hermes’s staff) is often used in modern medicine instead of the staff of Asclepius.

  Asgard—the realm of the Aesir, one of the two races of gods in Norse mythology. The other is the Vanir (who originally lived in Vanaheim).

  Badb (Agnes)—Irish goddess of war. One of the triune of goddesses who form the Morrigna.

  Balder—son of Odin and Frigg and the most beloved of the Aesir. Balder is killed by a mistletoe arrow that Loki convinces Balder’s blind brother, Hödr, to shoot at him. Now wait: it’s not quite as cruel as it seems. After Balder dreams about his death, his mother has every object swear an oath that it will never harm her son, except she didn’t get the oath of mistletoe. Since nothing would hurt him, the gods would take turns hurtling arrows and objects at Balder, which bounced off, leaving the much-loved god unharmed. But when Loki learns about the mistletoe loophole, he makes a dart, spear, or arrow from it (gotta love it when sources conflict), and poor Balder is murdered by his twin brother.

  Belatu-Cadros—Celtic god of war. His name is also given as Belatucadros.

  Berstuk—an evil Wendish (a Slavic ethnic group of eastern Europe) forest god. Yeah, what else really needs to be said about an evil forest god?

  Bukavac—in Slavic mythology, this is a demonic monster that is often portrayed as having six legs and gnarled horns. I made up the halitosis part, but if you think about it, what monster wouldn’t have horrible breath? They probably don’t do a lot of teeth brushing while hanging out in the underworld.

  Dagr—in Norse mythology, Dagr is the personification of day. Odin gave him a horse (Skinfaxi), and he and his mother, Nótt (night), would ride around the world bringing day and night.

  Drekavac—in Slavic mythology, this is the name of a furry, humanoid forest demon whose name translates as “the screamer.”

  Elysium—also known as the Elysian fields, it’s part of the ancient Greek concept of the afterlife where those chosen by the gods would spend eternity in happiness and peace.

  Erymanthian Boar—in Greek mythology, the Erymanthian boar is a huge boar that terrorized the mountainous region of Arcadia. It is famously killed by Heracles (Hercules) as the fourth of his Twelve Labors, which he completed as penance for killing his wife and son. Now wait: Heracles wasn’t a terrible guy—Hera was a terrible goddess. She cursed him, making him insane, and when he regains his sanity, he’s grief-stricken over what he’s done, and he seeks forgiveness from both mortals and gods alike. Disney left out that part in the movie.

  Forseti—in Norse mythology, he is a god of justice. The only mention of him in the Poetic Edda discusses his home and identifies him as someone who settles disputes. I’ve made him the mediator in this series as well.

  Frey—Norse god of prosperity, fertility, and peace. He and his sister, Freyja, are members of the Vanir and were brought to Asgard to live among the Aesir when the war between the two tribes ended.

  Freyja—Norse goddess of love, sex, fertility, and war. Known for her unparalleled beauty, she’s often coveted by different gods and mythological figures, while she tends to covet jewelry, particularly Brísingamen (her necklace).

  Gerd—gastroesophageal reflux disease. Just making sure you’re paying attention. In Norse mythology, she’s Frey’s wife. Frey saw her from a distance and instantly fell in love with her.

  Gunnr (Keira)—a Valkyrie. In Norse mythology, Valkyries would select which men would fall in battle and bring them to Valhalla.

  Havard—isn’t a real mythological figure. He’s made up for this story, in which he’s a god of war. I know his name is a pain in the ass (trust me: I’m the one who’s having to type it), but I chose it because of its meaning. It contains old Norse elements that translate as “high defender” and I thought that was fitting for his character. If it helps, I keep pronouncing it as “Hav-ard.”

  Heimdall—Norse god whose impeccable sight and hearing make him an excellent watchman for the unfolding of Ragnarok. He also possesses the gift of foresight (ability to foretell future events).

  Hermes—in Greek mythology, Hermes is the messenger of the gods, whose staff, caduceus, is usually depicted as having two serpents intertwined on it. His staff has mistakenly gotten mixed up with the staff of Asclepius, the Greek mythological figure associated with healing. The caduceus is often used as a medical symbol.

  Hildr (Heidi)—one of the Valkyries.

  Idun—Norse goddess whose apples grant the gods eternal youth.

  Inanna—Sumerian goddess of beauty, love, sex, war, and justice. Yeah, I have no idea why the ancient Sumerians decided to lump all those different characteristics together. Maybe they just ran out of deities.

  Inti—in Incan mythology, Inti is a s
un god and was one of the most important deities of the Incan civilization.

  Ljósálfar—in Norse mythology, it is the realm of the “light elves.” In this series, it refers to the Norse’s name for Ireland.

  Mama Pacha—in Incan mythology, Mama Pacha is an earth and fertility goddess who can cause earthquakes.

  Medeina—a Lithuanian goddess of forests who is sometimes depicted as a she-wolf with an escort of wolves…so, of course, she can take the form of a wolf in this series.

  Menhit—Egyptian war goddess whose name roughly translates as “she who massacres.” Nice, right? She’s often depicted as a lion goddess, so she can shapeshift into a lion in this series.

  Morrigna—a triune of Irish war goddesses formed the Morrigna. The three goddesses are usually given as Badb, Macha, and Nemain, although Nemain is sometimes replaced with Morrigan or Anand. Each goddess represents a different aspect of war.

  Nergal—ancient Mesopotamian god of war and pestilence. He wreaks havoc in The Guardians of Tara series, so he’s taking a backseat to some other gods at the moment.

  Niflheim—in Norse mythology, Niflheim is sometimes used interchangeably with “Hel,” the underworld over which the goddess of the same name ruled. It is a land of darkness and cold, and one of the two original realms (the other being fire) from which all other realms were created.

  Ninurta—another ancient Mesopotamian war god, Ninurta played a small enough role in The Unbreakable Sword series to warrant a bigger part in this series. His enchanted weapon, Sharur (sometimes a talking mace, sometimes a talking spear) will be back in book two, but unfortunately, it doesn’t talk to Gavyn.

  Odin—the All-Father of the Aesir, Odin is one of the most famous gods of Norse mythology. Although he’s a war god, Odin is also associated with magic and wisdom. His wife is the goddess, Frigg.

  Paricia—an obscure name in Incan mythology, this god may be synonymous with Pacha Kamaq. He is most known for sending a flood to wipe out people who weren’t paying him the proper respect. In this series, he is a water deity since he’s sent tidal waves to punish people for not submitting.

  Ra—in Egyptian mythology, Ra is one of the sun gods (specifically, god of the noon sun). He is associated with falcons and is often depicted with the head of a falcon.

  Róta—one of the Valkyries.

  Serpopard—an animal found in Mesopotamian and Egyptian mythology, it’s supposed to be half leopard, half snake.

  Sharur—Ninurta’s enchanted weapon (either a mace or spear), which could supposedly talk…I’m really not sure what good a talking weapon is.

  Sif—in Norse mythology, Sif is Thor’s wife. An earth goddess, she is best known for her beautiful blond hair, which Loki infamously cut off as a prank…and not surprisingly, Thor didn’t take it too well and threatened to kill him. Loki got away with his life after promising Thor he’d have a golden…wig?...made for her. The same dwarfs who make Sif’s new hair make Mjollnir as well as several other gifts for the gods.

  Sigyn—in Norse mythology, this is Loki’s faithful wife who willingly stays with him after he’s bound in the cave. Since a venomous snake was hung above Loki and dripped its venom on him, she would hold a bowl over her husband’s face.

  Supay—in Incan mythology, this god of death rules over Ukhu Pacha (the underworld) and commands an army of demons. Gavyn is not a fan.

  Thor—god of thunder, storms, and fertility, Thor probably shares the top-honor of being the most recognizable Norse god along with his father, Odin. He defends Asgard with his hammer, Mjölnir, and is also known for being a protector of humans.

  Tuatha Dé—the gods of Irish mythology. Also known as the Tuatha Dé Danaan, which means “tribe of (the goddess) Danu.”

  Tugarin—in Slavic mythology, this is a concept of evil that often takes the form of a dragon.

  Tyr—Norse god of war who lost his right hand when he put it in a wolf’s (Fenrir’s) mouth so he could be restrained. So look: Fenrir would only allow himself to be restrained if some dumbass stuck a hand in his mouth because he suspected the fetter the gods had brought was enchanted. And Tyr was apparently that dumbass. I mean, the gods did bind the wolf that was prophesied to be such a terror, and supposedly he’s gonna stay bound until Ragnarok just like his dad, Loki (yeah, because Norse mythology is F.R.E.A.K.Y y’all), but he’ll just break free then and kill Odin anyway, so what was the point?

  Ukhu Pacha—the underworld in Incan mythology.

  Ull—Norse god associated with archery. Not much is known about him, but it’s always good to have expert archers on your side.

  Valaskjalf—one of Odin’s halls. While Valhalla is the hall associated with his dead warriors, Valaskjalf is where he watches over all the realms.

  Valhalla—one of Odin’s halls. Famously portrayed as having a golden roof, slain warriors are brought to Valhalla by Odin’s Valkyries. Here, they fight each day in preparation for Ragnarok and those who fall again rise each night when they all dine with Odin himself. Peachy afterlife, huh?

  Vanir—one of the two tribes of Norse gods, the other being the Aesir. Frey and Freyja are from the Vanir.

  Vigrid—field on which many battles of Ragnarok are prophesied to occur.

  Wepwawet (Willy)—Egyptian god of war associated with wolves, which is why he shapeshifts into a wolf in this series.

  Yngvarr—doesn’t exist in Norse mythology; I made him up for this story. Brother of Havard and also a god of war.

  Zababa—ancient Mesopotamian war god.

  Chapter One

  Of all the places I’d never wanted to wake up, which I’d cataloged quite a few times considering the drunken dares between Hunter and me, in the hands of a bunch of angry gods had never made it onto the list. Mostly because I’d never even thought I’d end up in the hands of a bunch of angry gods. But once I found myself there, it quickly rose to the top of that list. I really don’t recommend becoming a prisoner of any kind of god—angry or not.

  I slowly sat up and rubbed the back of my head, which throbbed with a dull headache, but I couldn’t remember falling or anyone hitting me and there was no lump. The pain extended into my neck, wrapped around through my left ear, and landed behind my eye. Nothing in the room looked real. The walls waved and rippled and shimmered and the floor bubbled like a hot spring, so I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them. For a brief moment, everything settled into place but I blinked, and the walls began to melt.

  A door opened and a woman—no, a goddess whose voice I immediately recognized—entered. “You’re finally awake,” Inanna said.

  She appeared to be melting, too, which was far worse than the walls.

  “What did you do to me?” I asked, closing my eyes again because watching a person melt was way too disturbing, even if that person planned to kill me.

  “We just sedated you. It’ll wear off.”

  “Why am I alive?” Probably a stupid question, but I was kinda known for asking stupid questions, so why stop now?

  “Because we think you can lead us to something we want,” she said.

  I snickered. “First of all, you probably should have told your minions to capture me alive then since quite a few of them tried to kill me. And secondly, the only thing I can lead you to is a lifetime of bad decisions.”

  She snickered now and sat on the other end of the bed, so I opened one eye just enough to peek at her. Since her face was still melting, I quickly closed it again. “First of all,” she said, mimicking my tone, “if they’d managed to kill you in New Orleans, it was no great loss. We simply saw an opportunity and took it. And secondly, you don’t know you can lead us to the Sword of Light, but you will.”

  I inhaled a quick breath and opened my eyes, despite the melting room and melting goddess and my melting brain. “How do you know about that?” I breathed.

  She lifted an eyebrow at me, which temporarily shifted her features back into place. “Because it wasn’t a Norse sword. It was ours.”

  I shook my head slowly. No w
ay. That sword had belonged to Havard, and he alone could wield it. It couldn’t have belonged to the Sumerians. Inanna must have sensed my confusion because she continued, “Our god of magic, Asalluhi, made the Sword of Light. It’s the most powerful weapon among our kind, and with it, we could easily vanquish your new friends.”

  “It won’t work for you,” I insisted. I’d suddenly become violently jealous of even the suggestion that someone else would be using my sword. A tiny voice in my mind reminded me it wasn’t really my sword, so I told that voice to shut up and mind its own business. And then that voice told me to shut up and mind my own business, which I really didn’t appreciate considering I’d been drugged and kidnapped—for the second time in a week, I might add—and was now nursing the world’s worst hangover. I thought the voice called me a pansy, but Inanna began talking again, and I was forced to listen to her instead of the silent argument in my head.