Secrets of Valhalla Read Online Free PDF Page B

time—” the woman began, but something in Mary’s stony expression stopped her. “I have been left here for the dragon Nidhogg,” she said as calmly as if she was reading a weather report. “The dragon lives in one of the underworld realms, deep in the earth, and Loki has summoned it to take me prisoner and guard me until he has found all the runes.” Eleanor began to shake, her composure cracking. “Loki has escaped his prison and is searching for the Runes of Valhalla right now. If he manages to activate them and absorb theirpower, we are all lost.”
    â€œLoki?” Buzz’s voice had graduated from a croak to a squeak as he cast a quick look at Mary. They’d just been talking about that guy. “Enchanted rope and a dragon?” he continued. “You cannot be serious.”
    Eleanor began to honk with laughter, and for a moment Buzz was reminded of his mother. She had a completely unexpected laugh as well.
    â€œI don’t think I have ever been more serious, young man,” the weatherwoman said.
    â€œBut dragons don’t exist!” Buzz’s voice echoed around the forest, taunting him with its shrillness.
    â€œActually,” Mary interjected. “There is the Komodo dragon, which has been known to grow as large as nine feet.”
    â€œNot now, Mary.”
    â€œSorry.”
    â€œLoki doesn’t exist, and enchantments definitely don’t exist.” Buzz made sure his voice was a bit quieter this time. “Because magic doesn’t exist.”
    Eleanor’s jaw clenched, impatience radiating from her like sunbeams. “And so how do you explain what you just saw?” she asked. “This rope turned to fire and back again. You saw it. This is Loki’s magic.”
    â€œIt’s got to be some kind of trick.” Buzz jumped to his feet and started peering into the dense foliage of the forest. “I get it—I’m on a reality show, right? One of those prank ones.” He started waving his hands wildly. “Hey, camera people, you cancome out now. They don’t pay you enough to sit out there in the cold.”
    â€œStop waving like a maniac and look at my hand.” Mary stood and held out her palm. “That’s no trick.”
    â€œAnd I’m no trickster.” Eleanor’s voice was soft. “That title belongs to Loki, and he has left me here for Nidhogg.” The last words were thick with painful defeat. “My real name is Sunna, and I have taken control of Eleanor’s body. An eternity ago, my kind were worshiped as gods and goddesses. We were the day guardians, tasked with keeping the natural order of time.” She laughed bitterly. “Then, it came to pass that I and five of the other day guardians battled Loki—the guardian of Saturday—and imprisoned him. The battle left us with only a shadow of our former abilities, and we were weak.” Her fingers clenched, then unclenched slowly. “Odin, the head of our council, issued a prophecy. He said we would face Loki again in the Ragnarok and that we must be ready.” She nodded to herself. “So we placed what little was left of our magic into stone runes, hoping a long rest would help to rejuvenate our powers. We then put our god selves into a deep sleep, dormant within the minds of our most faithful followers. Since then, I and the other day guardians have traveled down the bloodlines of their descendants.”
    She touched her neck, and for the first time Buzz noticed the lightning-shaped pendant that sat at the hollow of her throat. Sunna seemed to come back to herself, and she stared at them, her amber eyes almost appearing to glow. “Loki willsoon discover that I lied to him.” Her voice was urgent. “I told him that the runes were in the Realm of Valhalla. They are not.” She grabbed Buzz’s hand with surprising strength for someone so slight. “He plans to make the day