Empty Altars by Post Judith

Author:Post, Judith [Post, Judith]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: fantasy, paranormal romance, norse, paranormal, ragnarok, Romance, greek, witch, mythology
Published: 2012-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Diana's eyes felt heavy. She'd worked into the early hours of the morning. Noir had come to help, and now the damned cat refused to wake up.

She poked him to annoy him. "Move it, feline. This is a big day. Inga's doing her first reading."

He opened a yellow eye, yawned, and closed it again.

She was tempted to pick him up and cart him into the kitchen, but decided against it. When Noir was in a pissy mood, he was impossible to live with. Instead, she gave him the middle finger and tramped to the wooden table, alone. Inga and Freya were already there.

"You're up early," she told her fellow goddess.

Freya licked her lips. "I heard Inga moving around out here, so I came to join her."

Inga tore off a chunk of bread and swallowed it down with a gulp of milk. "What do you want? Bread? Cheese?" Nervous energy roiled off her. The girl was looking forward to her first reading as much as most women looked forward to a pap smear.

Diana went to the ceramic jar that held wine and poured it to the rim of her goblet.

"Isn't it a little early for that?" Freya asked.

"I don't care."

"Do you dread teaching me that much?" Inga demanded.

"I didn't, but you're all wound up. This isn't a test. I mean to help, so that I can lead you through your first reading."

"I'm nervous." Inga pressed a hand to her breast and burped. She blushed fiery red. "My stomach's churning."

"The runes won't attack you. They're a gift, not a curse."

"I know. I know." She put her hand over her mouth and rushed out the door. Soon they heard the sound of retching.

"The silly girl's made herself sick with nerves," Freya said. "Can she do a reading when she's that afraid of failing?"

"She has to start somewhere." Diana looked at Freya. "You should read your runes too. You've listened to each of our lessons. You should give it a try."

Inga returned, looking pale. "Freya can go first."

"With what? I don't have any runes." Freya spread her hands. "We didn't make two sets, and we used all of the rowan wood we brought back from Asgaard."

"With these." Diana went to the wooden shelves, opened a clay jar, and brought out a soft, leather pouch on a cord. She handed it to Freya.

The goddess took it warily. "Where did you get this? Gudrun's runes burned to ashes."

Diana motioned for Freya to open the pouch. "At Ragnarok, you're going to fight monsters and giants, right? So what better runes than those made from a giant's ribs?"

Freya studied the bones and grimaced. "They're black and jagged."

"Charred when the giant's flesh burned—the giant you helped defeat. I asked the dwarf, Olaf, to roughly shape two ribs for me. Then I carved your alphabet on each one with magic. I cast a spell. They're petrified. I wanted to surprise you."

"Burnt bones." Inga's hand went over her mouth again, and she hurried away. Freya wrinkled her nose.

"You're not squeamish, are you? You hover over dead bodies after battle.

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