Odin. Every time I looked at him, more memories returned, and not all of them were from my life as Sabine. I believed Al, even though it seemed dumb to blindly trust some random voice that just popped into my head. My mother had warned me about witches hearing voices, but what this voice was saying felt true, and it jived with what was happening.
Maybe I could track down the gods on my own when I wasn't with my husband or the Squad. But for now, all I could do was as Al suggested; let the memories come. So, as we walked through the hallways of Hades' home, I glanced at Odin and Ull often; using them as triggers for the memories that would help to keep my true path alive.
Around us, the palace seemed abandoned; no wildlife roamed the gardens, and no gods roamed the halls. Persephone and Hades had a staff that had looked after the grounds and palace for them, but they were gone. The gardens were overgrown, dust covered the furniture, and spider webs hung from the ceilings. And this was the Underworld so it wasn't your average spiders in those webs.
“Watch out, darling.” Thor angled me away from a hanging spider the size of my head.
“How did I miss that?” I muttered as I gave it a wide berth.
“You seem a little distracted,” Thor said with concern. But then his face shifted into an expression of fury, and he shouted, “I stopped her from killing you, and you turned around and executed her.”
“What?” I asked in horror.
Thor's face went back to its normal self; albeit worried. “I said you seem distracted. Vervain, are you all right?”
Pull it together, that was just a memory.
A memory of what? I asked Al just before I said to Thor, “Sorry; I'm fine. I thought you said something else.”
Thor took my hand; giving me a skeptical look as we continued down the hallway.
That was your break-up, Al explained. A pivotal moment for you and Thor. Look; if something seems weird like that again, don't react right away. Give it a chance to distinguish itself as either a memory or reality.
Okay. I really broke up with Thor?
He ended it, honey.
I stumbled, but Thor steadied me. Fortunately, he was used to my clumsiness and didn't say anything.
Sorry, but it's the truth, Al went on. I can't tell you much more; it will interfere with the return of your memories. It would make you question whether I had planted the suggestion in your mind. But I will explain things that you see if you need me to.
Why did he leave me?
Just try to remember, Al said patiently.
I let Thor lead me through the hallways as my attention turned inward. I was a witch; I knew how to meditate, even when my body was moving. It was easy enough to focus on finding the trace of a memory that had just popped up. I latched onto it, and it unfolded.
“This isn’t your fault,” I whispered.
“I didn’t say it was,” Thor's voice turned to ice, and I took an involuntary step back. “I said it was your fault. You used my love for you to kill her.”
I focused on my surroundings in the memory; Thor and I were in our bedroom, but the drapes were shut against the night air and there was a fire burning beside him. It cast his face into sinister shadows that made his furious expression seem evil.
“What?”
The memory-me was shocked; completely unprepared for Thor's attack. I had known he'd be mad about... holy hellfire; I had killed Sif! Sif is Thor's ex-wife and Ull's mother. Why had I killed her?
“I called to her to stop her from killing you, and when I asked you for the same mercy, you took her head,” memory-Thor went on.
“I would have shown mercy,” I said.
I felt my hand lifting to reach to Thor even as I felt his current hand already holding mine. It was the strangest sensation; reliving the memory while experiencing the present with the same man.
“I would have done it for you,” I went on in the memory, “even though I knew she’d come back and try to kill me again. I’d have spared her for you, but when I drew away, she used the distraction. She tore into my thigh wound. You must have seen that. I tried to show mercy, and she tried to kill me.”
“Her tearing into your leg would not have killed you.” Thor shook his head as if he was disappointed that I’d try to lie to him.
Who was this man? This wasn't the Thor I'd married. He would never treat me like that. I nearly let go of the memory, but Al interrupted.
Keep going, V, Al said. I know it's rough, but you gotta see this.
I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and let the rest of it play out.
“Damn you, Thor!” I had screamed, and Thor narrowed his eyes at me. They flashed with lightning, and it hurt me to see that it was in anger instead of passion. “I’d been losing blood from that wound for awhile by the time she tore into it. If I’d gone without healing any longer, I’d have bled out. I’m not a goddess. I can’t heal myself like the rest of you.”
“No, you’re not a goddess,” he said it coldly; as if my DNA explained all of my traitorous shortcomings.
Cold shivers ran over me. I didn't want to know that Thor could be like this. At the same time, I felt the
