Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6)(83)

But now, the god himself stood in that spot.

Nike, Sigyn, and I looked up at him, and I realized that we weren’t the only ones in the library anymore. All of the statues had turned their heads in his direction, and they weren’t statues anymore, but real, live people.

Real gods and goddesses.

My breath caught in my throat, even as I tried to look everywhere at once at all of the figures I’d read about in my myth-history books, since they’d all come to life right before my eyes. Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess, with her sleek, feline body. Athena, the Greek goddess, with her wise, solemn features. Coyote, the Native American trickster deity, with his wide, mischievous grin. And hundreds of others from all the cultures of the world.

All gathered here to watch this—Loki’s final defeat and punishment.

“We have all agreed as to what his fate is,” Sigyn said. “He has brought this upon himself.”

One by one, all of the gods and goddesses nodded their heads in agreement, giving their approval for what was to come.

“Eir,” Nike said. “If you will be so kind, please.”

On the balcony above, a goddess stepped forward. Black hair, green eyes, pale skin. I recognized her from my trip to Colorado—Eir, the Norse goddess of healing and mercy. The one who had given me the silver laurel leaves and the mistletoe bracelet.

Eir stepped forward and held out her hands. A force rippled off her, shot through the air, and slammed into Loki on the far side of the balcony.

The evil god let out a scream, and I realized that the mistletoe bracelet around his wrist was glowing with an intense silver light.

And then it started to spread.

I watched as the mistletoe sprouted, and more and more vines slowly began to curl out of the bracelet, reach up, and wrap around his body. Loki screamed and screamed, but there was nothing he could do to stop the slow, steady onslaught. The vines quickly crept up his arms, trapping his hands against his sides before climbing up his chest and neck. He tried to keep his face up out of the greenery, but the vines wrapped around his head, pulling it down, before swallowing him whole. After a while, even his screams faded away to nothingness.

That silver light flared a final time, pulsing brighter and more intensely than ever before, and I had to close my eyes against the burning brightness.

When the light faded away, and I finally opened my eyes again, I realized that another statue had been added to the pantheon—Loki.

His head was down, and his eyes narrowed, as though he were glaring at the mistletoe bracelet on his wrist, the source of all the vines that had wrapped themselves around him. But he was solid stone, even while the other gods and goddesses still showed their true forms. I let out a long, tired breath.

And just like that, it was done, and Loki was locked away—forever.





Chapter 31


“So it is done,” Nike finally said in a loud, booming voice, echoing my own thoughts. “Forever.”

One by one, the other gods and goddesses nodded their heads at her before stepping back and slowly melting into their stone forms once more. In an instant, only Nike, Sigyn, Vic, and I were left in the library.

“What’s going on?” I said, staring up at the pantheon. “What’s happening? Why are they leaving?”

“The Twilight of the Gods is upon us, Ragnarok, some mortals call it. Either way, the gods are withdrawing from the mortal world,” Nike said, glancing at Sigyn. “With a few notable exceptions, of course.”

A faint grin pulled up Sigyn’s lips. “Some of us still have work to do.”

Nike returned her grin. “And warriors to mold. Spartans in particular.”

Sigyn’s smile widened. “Something like that.”

“But why?” I asked, totally not understanding their cryptic talk.

“Because we have caused too much damage here over too many years,” Nike said. “Too much pain, too much sorrow, and too much death. We will not risk that happening again. We will not risk another god trying to rise up and enslave everyone as Loki attempted to. It was a mutual decision.”

I knew that what she was saying made sense, but I couldn’t help but feel a pang of loss and longing all the same. Because the gods’ withdrawing from the world meant that Nike would leave too. She’d been such a big part of my life these last few months. I didn’t always agree with the goddess, and I’d long since grown tired of her games and riddles, but I also didn’t want to lose her the way I had my mom and Nott.

I swallowed. “Will I . . . ever see you again?”

She gave me that familiar, slightly mysterious smile, the one that was so old, knowing, wise, and yet so infuriating all at the same time. “Perhaps. But never fear. I will always be here, watching over you.”

“And don’t forget about me,” Vic piped up, breaking his long silence. “I’ll always be with you, Gwen. For as long as you will have me.”

“So . . . what do I do now?” I asked. “What happens next?”

“Whatever you want to happen, Gwendolyn,” Nike said. “Although Loki is gone, there will still be battles for you to wage as my Champion. And for others as well. Your friends, your . . . family.”

Something about the way she said family made me think of Rory, but before I could ask her exactly what she meant, she smiled at me again.