Wind blustered past, bringing with it flurries of snowflakes that bit at my exposed skin. We started down the hill with the wind at our backs. It howled in our ears. I pulled my hood closer, but the piercing wind only sounded louder, eerily similar to the wail of a lost soul.
Chapter 15
We entered the stone circle. Heidel held her blade with a firm grip, though I noticed a tremor in her hand. The tales of death and evil spirits were hard to ignore as we walked through the pillars.
Kull followed his sister, his blade shining bright silver against the backdrop of snow. The wind howled louder through the stones, so I pulled my hood low over my face, but it did little to lessen the chill.
“What are we looking for?” Kull called over the wind.
I wasn’t sure. I’d seen my godson’s dreamsoul here, but that had been in a vision. With my mortal eyes, I wasn’t sure what to look for or where to look. The place seemed deserted, but I knew that magic could easily be concealing him. “Search for anything unusual. Magical talismans, unusual tracks, anything. If my godson is here, I need to know.”
“I’ll check the far side,” Kull said. “Heidel, you take the stones to the north. Stay within earshot of one another. If you see anything strange, don’t confront it. Regroup, and we’ll take it together,” Kull said.
“I agree,” I said.
We went our separate ways.
Snow crunched underfoot as I made my way through the labyrinth of monoliths. A strange eeriness clung to the ancient stones. The wind quieted. The air held a fragile stillness. I inspected each stone, looking for any clues to my godson’s whereabouts.
As the sun rose higher, I began to doubt my purpose here. I’d circled the area several times and had found nothing. What if Jeremiah weren’t here? What would I do? I had nowhere else to look.
No. I had seen him here. I knew this was the right place. Perhaps I needed to focus on something else.
I scanned the area again, this time searching for a pattern in the stones’ arrangement. I’d presumed there was none, but as I peered closer, I started to see it.
Five tall stones surrounded the rest, and the tallest of all sat at the center. It wasn’t hard to make out the pattern now that I knew what to look for. They formed six points, making the creation appear to be the mjölnir —Thor’s sacred hammer.
If I’d read my history books right, the stone in the center would be the most powerful. I walked to where I estimated the center of the arranged pillars would be. I approached a stone twice the height of Kull.
Runes were etched into the wind-worn surface—Viking runes. Some were too careworn to make out, but others looked well preserved. I removed my gloves. The stone chilled my hands as I ran my fingers over the rough surface.
Kull approached me. “I’ve seen nothing out of the ordinary. Have you?”
“I might have found something.”
Heidel joined us at the stone.
I pointed to the runes and then replaced my gloves. “Do you recognize any of these symbols?”
“These are old markings from the days of the first crossing,” he said. “We don’t use this language anymore.”
“Can you read it?”
He pointed at an X shaped symbol at the top edge of the stone. “This is the symbol for gift. And this,” he moved to an ∑, “means reunite. Or perhaps destroy.”
Heidel raised an eyebrow. “Reunite or destroy? The two words are completely different. How are we to tell which is correct? You should have paid better attention in your studies.”
“You are correct, sister. But remind me, did you ever pass the ancient languages trial?”
She sniffed and looked away. “Ancient languages bore me.”
Kull turned back to the stone, a smug smile on his face. “There’s more. These three symbols together may represent a phrase or a single word. But I’m not sure what it means. Palace or beleaguer. But that makes no sense either.”
“So the first word is gift, and the second is destroy or reunite. The third word must make sense with the first two,” I said.
“The gift of destruction,” Heidel suggested. “Perhaps the third word explains the type of destruction.” She studied the stone. My breath came out in white puffs as I watched Heidel examine the runes.
“I think this may tell us how the spirit killed them,” Heidel answered. She pointed to an M shaped rune. “What is this symbol?”
“Blight,” Kull answered. “Or plague.”
“And this one?” she asked.
“Beneath.”
“And this?” I pointed to a pair of symbols in the center of the stone.
Kull didn’t answer for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was hushed. “Regaymor.”
The wind picked up, whistling with fury through the barren stones.
Heidel backed away from the stone. “It’s an entrance to the catacombs.”
“Are you sure?” Kull asked.
She nodded. “Our first ancestors built extensive catacombs beneath this temple. Hundreds are buried beneath.”
“Should we remove it and look inside?” I asked.
Both warriors stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had.
“You believe your godson’s soul to be in the catacombs?” Kull asked.
“He isn’t up here. It would be the logical place to search next.”
“Are you sure?” Heidel asked. “You’ve seen the inscription on the stone. You must realize what lies beneath. Plague and death. The reason we shouldn’t be here in the first place.”
“But I have to at least look. It’s the only chance I have to find him.”
“And kill us in the process?” she asked.
Kull rested a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Our ancestors will protect us. That and Bloodbane.” He unsheathed his sword. His smile would have seemed charming if it weren’t for the glint of madness in his eyes. “I say we should go.”
“And risk ending up like our ancestors?”
“We’ve faced worse.”
Heidel squared her shoulders. “No. We’ve never faced anything like this. This isn’t some beast
