Land of Lost Things by Cat Weldon

Author:Cat Weldon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

Hel picked up Vali’s knife from where it had been left by her throne. She hurled it across the room. It flew through the air, trailing green sparks. ‘SHUT UP!’

Whetstone stepped forward. ‘As fun as this is, maybe we should focus on the contest.’ Hel snapped her head back towards him, her needle teeth snarling. Whetstone tried to keep his eyes on the top half of her face. ‘What sort of game do you fancy? Charades? Hide-and-seek? I spy? Lotta is really good at poetry.’ Lotta aimed a kick at him.

‘It’s a trap,’ Vali called in a sing-song voice as he picked up the knife.

‘I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!’ Hel bellowed, pummelling her fists on her throne. ‘GET OUT!’

Vali sat down on a bench, his back towards his sister.

Whetstone waved his hands, trying to attract her attention again. ‘So, the contest. If we win, we get to leave, with the shield and the answer to any question we want to ask.’

Hel’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. ‘Any question?’

‘What?’ Whetstone opened his eyes innocently. ‘Isn’t that something Heroes traditionally get in the Sagas?’

Hel sniffed. ‘And when you lose?’

‘We’ll give you the riddle,’ Lotta answered, her eyes bright.

‘What?’ Whetstone made a grab for Lotta’s arm, but she ducked away. There was no way they could give Hel the riddle. Whetstone’s heart thumped loudly.

‘Yeah, I bet your dad would love it if you could give him the riddle.’ Lotta skipped away from Whetstone, her skin glowing copper in the candlelight. ‘As spoken by the magic cup of Chief Awfulrick.’ Lotta waggled her eyebrows at Whetstone like she was trying to tell him something. But whatever message she was trying to send, Whetstone wasn’t receiving.

Hel sucked in a breath. ‘The riddle?’

‘Yes. Vali might know why Loki wants it, but he doesn’t know what it is.’

Hel squinted at Vali, who ignored her.

‘Loki would be so impressed. It’s what he really wants, after all. He doesn’t care about having Whetstone as long as he has the riddle.’

‘Lotta, you cannot be serious,’ Whetstone muttered, grabbing her arm.

‘We have to offer her something – I need my shield,’ Lotta growled.

Whetstone turned back to Hel. ‘We’ll give you something else instead. I know where we can find a scrying bowl – or how about a big fluffy cat? It could keep you company?’

‘We’re not giving her the cat!’ Lotta hissed.

‘I don’t want a stupid cat – I want the riddle!’ Hel thumped the arm of her throne.

‘You can’t have the riddle!’ Whetstone yelled.

‘Then you can’t have the shield!’ Hel yelled back.

‘I NEED MY SHIELD!’ Lotta bellowed.

‘Your shield?’ Hel snarled. ‘You mean, my shield.’

‘It’s a trick,’ Vali called out again.

‘SHUT UP, VALI!’

Hel sat back in her throne breathing heavily. She jiggled her leg, sending the scent of decay wafting into the room. Whetstone tried not to breathe through his nose.

Hel took a deep breath. ‘OK. It’s a deal.’ She narrowed her eyes at Whetstone. ‘The riddle versus the shield and one question.’ She held up a single finger as emphasis.

Lotta nodded enthusiastically.

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