“But you didn’t call that marker in. Maybe he’s upset that you didn’t.”
“Loki is known for his vindictiveness,” Beast growled.
“Yeah, but I thought we parted on good terms. Surely my not calling him for help wouldn’t upset him enough to screw with me like this.”
“It does seem a step up from his other tricks,” Tess agreed.
“Still, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be involved. I guess we’ll have to contact Verðandi and get her opinion,” I said.
“Yes,” Tess said excitedly. “Verðandi gave us the power to create our tats. She must be able to reverse whatever was done to you.”
I nodded, but in my own mind, I wasn’t sure.
Chapter 20
raphael
The sky was beginning to lighten in the east. It was marvelous to be able to see it. There had been a measure of doubt in my deepest thoughts that I’d ever be able to see again. A blind Wanderer would not be of much use to Verðandi. For that matter, a Wanderer without tattoos wouldn’t be much use to her either. The real question was what was keeping me from burning tats and focusing my magic. Would Verðandi be able to restore my powers? It wasn’t something I ever expected to need to ask.
“So, how do you contact Verðandi?” Tess asked.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Slowly shaking my head, I said, “That’s a good question. I’ve never contacted her before.”
“What?” Tess’s voice was incredulous. “In more than forty years of working for her, you’ve never needed to call on her?”
“That’s right. Never needed to, rarely wanted to, and I don’t like the idea of having to contact her now. I’m supposed to be able to handle any problems that arrive without her assistance.”
“Damn it, Rafe. This is no time to be cocky about your powers. You’ve already admitted that you don’t know what’s happened to you and with your powers reduced to… what? A couple of tats? How can you think you’re going to be able to fix this without her help?”
Tess was pushing her role as my apprentice, but it was my own fault. We were much closer than a Wanderer should be with his Apprentice. Not that it really mattered. She was most likely right and I needed to stuff my pride in a box and leave it there until I was at least capable of handling magic again.
“All right, you’re probably right–”
Beast snorted and said, “Of course she’s right. I’ve told you that your cockiness was going to get you into a bind that you wouldn’t be able to get out of.”
“My cockiness didn’t get me into this. It was a booby-trap that my ward didn’t detect.”
“If you’d been cautious, you would have had your shield up,” Beast growled.
“Screw that. I can’t walk around with my shield up twenty four hours a day.”
“Why not?”
“Because…hell, just because. It would be too inconvenient,” I snapped when I couldn’t think of a good response.
“Hah,” Beast chuffed.
“Rafe, can we get back to how we contact Verðandi?” Tess asked.
I almost snapped at her, but held my outburst for the next time Beast put in his two cents worth. “All right. I’ve heard that a lot of the gods know when someone says their name in a series of three. I don’t know if it really works, but it’s the first thing that comes to mind.”
“Okay, like that horror story about the girl in the mirror.”
“What?” I asked.
“You don’t know the myth about Bloody Mary?”
“Bloody Mary? Oh, yeah, I’ve heard about that. Walt told me that he took care of it long before I became his apprentice.”
Tess started. “What?”
“Yeah, I think it was in the early sixties. Unfortunately, several people had been killed by the time he figured out how to banish the girl’s spirit for good.”
“Now you’re just fucking with me,” Tess said.
“No, not at all. I’ve told you that most myths have a basis in reality.”
“I thought you were just talking about mythological creatures and things, not urban legends.”
“How do you think urban legends got started? Something happened and before a Wanderer could take care of it, the legend was up and running.”
“That’s just freaky.”
I shrugged. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Therese, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
“Did you just misquote Hamlet?”
I grinned. “I may not be as well read as some people, but over the decades I’ve had a lot of chances to read.”
Tess ginned wryly. “You don’t strike me as the book worm type.”
“I may not meet the typical definition, but I enjoy reading.”
“Are you just changing the subject to avoid having to summon Verðandi?” Tess asked.
“What? No, I just…okay, maybe I’m a little hesitant to call my boss and tell her I’m broken.”
“Rafe…”
“All right, all ready. Verðandi, Verðandi, Verðandi. There, I’ve said it.”
When I finished, I looked around to see if the Norn would appear. In fact, all four of us looked around expecting the goddess to appear again.
After a few minutes, I shrugged. “I guess she isn’t listening or is too busy to come.”
“If one of my descendants called me for the first time in nearly fifty years, I think I would show up,” Tess said.
“Yeah? Well, that’s you, not Verðandi.”
“Maybe she can’t hear you,” Tess suggested.
“Why wouldn’t she be able to hear me?”
“Maybe the same stuff that’s blocking your power is preventing your summonings from working.”
“Okay then, Tess. You try,” I said.
Tess nodded and then took a deep breath. She spoke rapidly as if she was afraid of losing her nerve if she didn’t hurry. “Verðandi! Verðandi! Verðandi!”
“Yes, child?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. I hadn’t
