I hopped awkwardly from each side of the well-worn path from home to the Bifrost site, strategically finding every crispy leaf along my way. They crumbled between my toes and sent a shiver up my spine of satisfaction when the texture was just right—not quite crunchy, not just dry, certainly not soggy at all—simply crispy, like the ever-moist air of our world.

My argument with Mum that morning replayed in my mind again and again, and I kept replying out loud as if she were still listening. "No, I don't want to wear shoes. No, I don't want to do chores. No, I have no interest in staying on Narvlheim until my skin turns grey. If Vali could leave home and settle in Asgard at twenty years old, why treat me like I'm still a baby at nineteen? Haven't I earned the right to be seen as an adult yet?"

She didn't have much ammunition against me besides her paranoia and usual dose of overprotection. Always insisting that I be within reach of her, of Father, of Uncle Freyr and Nanny...if Vali were still living at home, she'd surely make it his business to keep an ear or eye on me. It had been months since he'd returned to Narvlheim, yet I knew if I could convince him to vouch for my strengths, Mum would have to relent.

Vali's spring training season would end tomorrow with a new distribution of ranks, and he was expected to take a few weeks' relief from his duties. In the past eight years since he'd been part of Asgard's army, he never failed to return home for the short retreats. On the chance that he might arrive tonight and go with Father in the morning for the rank announcements, I convinced Mum to let me leave our argument in favor of waiting by the Bifrost site for my brother.

Besides my crispy underfoot companions, I wiled the hours away practicing flash spells and searching for anything unfamiliar and worth documenting, though Vali and I had chronicled everything in this part of Narvlheim long ago. There weren't many things for me to discover anymore. Still, I exercised the few gifts that seemed somewhat unique to me and didn't require Father's stiff discipline to achieve.

Flash. A perfect rendering of me appeared in the tree at my side, comfortably settled in the crux by the trunk.

Flash. Now I threw a projection to another tall perch in a tree across the path.

Flash. Two more of me, one donning my usual deep green tunic and one in all black, walked side by side with alternating gates at the front. They continued down the route without a care.

My projections swayed their hips seductively and twirled their fingers, beckoning invisible foes into my trap. The ones in the trees came down on their own and walked forward until all of us merged together into my true self.

If Vali had shapeshifting, I had this. Real illusion. No one could match my skill, not even Father. He taught me well.

The wind breathed small fairy knots into my long black hair, but I didn't do much to discourage them. I could spend hours untangling them later. Anything to distract me from Mum's nagging once I returned home...

I barely noticed how long I'd been walking when the deep scar of the Bifrost site came into view. It was practically carved into the tough rock beneath; Father trimmed back the foliage to keep the area clear annually. As the only formal gateway to our world—and him as Steward of Narvlheim—he took pride in presenting it as if he owned the whole planet. A small gesture compared to the grand Bifrost machine on Asgard, which I'd only seen a handful of times.

Hopefully more, though. And soon. Vali might like the comfort of his old room from time to time throughout the year, but I craved freedom. Far-off worlds no one knew yet. Magic we couldn't dream of. Yggdrasil was new and bursting with possibility, yet if what Nanny said was true, we couldn't waste time to see it. Humans, Aesir, Narvir, everyone...we were all equally mortal and fragile in ways most weren't before the Ragnarok, not that I could compare. Frankly, I thought most of the tales my parents told about Old Yggdrasil were exaggerated. Water that healed and gave foresight? A whisper in the mind across distance? Nine whole realms instead of the known four? Ridiculous.

I plopped onto the weathered bench and stretched my back, reminiscing of the days when Vali would walk here with me and wait for Father. Mum rarely came with us since she hated traveling by Bifrost, but she trusted Vali enough to keep me safe. He was the perfect guardian, always careful and kind and...well, a bit too strict when it came to the people who wanted to share my company, though he meant well. Vali never missed an opportunity to tell me how he'd take me with him when he could. Never leave you behind, he'd say. Now the time had come. I'd ask him to keep his word.

The Bifrost crashed before me, making me jump with surprise—it was still too early in the day for training to be over, wasn't it? I had at least a few more hours to burn waiting for Vali.

Afraid I might be sucked into conversation with some diplomat Father knew, I sprinted to duck behind a nearby tree. A poor disguise, but it didn't feel important enough to cloak myself completely.

The shimmering lights moved in a way that tricked my mind into thinking they weaved back and forth, up and down, all at once. Eventually, the patterns slowed. Wind kicked up a thick cloud of dust which swirled in all directions. I shielded my eyes with my hand, only barely focusing on the figure at the center of the portal.

He wasn't Vali—that, I was certain of right away. He was the same height, but more boxy somehow, like his shoulders were a true pair of wings. His brass helmet was molded like a hawk, with an impressive beak to protect the man's face and eyes. Even turned slightly away from me, he had a commanding presence that was enhanced by the dancing of a maroon cape.

I squinted and couldn't help but reveal myself slightly, stepping away from the trunk of the tree for a better view.

The man whistled a few sharp notes, loud enough to make me jerk. In an instant, the tree above me shuddered and chirped.

He turned around to witness the commotion and smiled widely, letting the shine of his teeth glimmer in the afternoon light. Homing in on me as if I were his prey, the man lowered his face and didn't look away, mesmerizing me with the false eyes of his helmet.

I wasn't enchanted by any spell; no, this was a deliberate stare on both our parts. He was fascinating. Handsome by aura alone. A confidence oozed off him which was matched by his imposing stature and the chiseled mimicry of his breastplate, which made me wonder if he was as striking without it.

A flutter in my gut made me want to bat my eyes at him, for no reason other than the fact that Mum would surely be immediately disgusted by him—she didn't approve of my seeking carnal attention from anyone. Admiring him was an act of rebellion.

"Fair maiden, why must you hide and wait in such a place?" He came toward me in slow plods, extending his right hand as an invitation. "The feathers above you say you're not normally shy."

I smirked, letting the heat flood my cheeks in a demure way. "Do they? What else do they say about me?"

"Oh, many things." He came within a full stride of me and stopped, keeping his hand outstretched. Waiting for me to make a move.

Hmm...dual control. I like that. My turn now. I fully came away from the tree and approached him, barely resting my hand atop his and making a small curtsey, which felt awkward and too formal for my taste. "Go on."

He chuckled, raising his helmet ever so slightly, piercing me with cerulean blue eyes and a lovely angularity to his face. "They say you are quite gifted. A sorceress, a painter...one destined to reach far beyond the edges of known Yggdrasil and make the great tree whole again. Why, you are Hela Lokisdottir, of course."

"I'm afraid knowing my name isn't much of a feat," I said while snickering and tugging at a lock of my hair. "I take after my father, and he is difficult to miss."

"Ah, yes. I can relate to that as well." He removed his helmet entirely and shook out a shoulder-length mane of loose waves, blonde and thick and touchable.

"Wow..." In that moment, the flutters in my gut turned to a fast-running river, and I was suddenly very conscious of my informal clothing and un-preened self. "You certainly take after Uncle Thor, don't you? Forgive me for not recognizing you sooner, Modi."

"That can be forgiven. Haven't years passed since we've seen so much as a fleeting glance of each other? I've waited for what feels like eons to seek you on my own." He bowed before me with an exaggerated whip of his cape.

I snorted. "Gods, you're proper."

"Don't you deserve to be flattered and wooed?" He took my hand again and pressed his warm, light pink lips against my knuckles. "A woman in your position shouldn't accept anything less than worship."

"Worship sounds lovely, but what position do you mean?"

Modi kept his hand in mine while standing to full height again, enclosing me in his stout shadow. "You and I are similarly burdened by our parents and potential. I have a kingdom to inherit. You do, too; the Narvir expect you to take your father's place as Steward since Vali's made it clear his soul belongs to the guard. Hela, imagine what good we could do for New Yggdrasil if we combined our houses."

"Our houses are already combined, aren't they?" I tipped my head and tried to read past his pulsing aura which still mesmerized me. "Our fathers are brothers."

"Not by blood." He focused on our hands and brushed his thumb over my knuckles where he kissed before. "Truth be told, many people do not believe their connection is remotely legitimate. They're more good friends than family."

"Oh." I couldn't help but stare at the pulsing vein in his neck. Visible anxiety. Was that an effect of my presence? The power alone thrilled me. "I...I suppose that's true."

Modi sighed and released me, returning quickly to the Bifrost scar. "Forgive me. I've been too forward. I hadn't expected to find you so soon after arriving, and my head ran away with me. This was always impossible."

"Wait." I swallowed hard and followed him, lightly touching his shoulder to make him turn toward me again. "Did I say something to make you think you weren't welcome?"

"You don't need to say anything." He shook his head while talking. "I should've listened to Vali."

I waited for him to elaborate. His thought was unfinished. It lingered in the air, begging me to ask questions and seize it before the moment was lost. "Listened to him about what, exactly?"

He folded into himself slightly, as if ashamed. "He said you would never agree to my advances, and I shouldn't try...forbade me from asking, actually. Your place is here and always will be."

"My place?" Suddenly my argument with Mum all morning replayed in my mind with a new sourness. "Well, that's certainly condescending. Said as if I have no choice."

"Do you?" His honest eyes flitted toward me. "Or does it sound familiar, like the universe already knows precisely what you're meant for?"

I swallowed hard. My uncertainty and adolescent wish to carve my own path filled the pause between us. "I suppose it's not the first time I've been told what my future is."

"I thought so." Modi's stare lingered. Probing me beyond what little emotion I showed on the surface.

"But...how would you know all this? What made you want to seek me out in the first place?"

He hummed and looked above me to the tree again. "They told me."

"What?" I twisted and tried to find who he was talking about.

"The birds," he said with a chuckle. "They have ways to spread words just as they spread their wings. Nation to nation. Realm to realm. I didn't need to see you myself to know you longed for freedom."

"Wow." I shook my head and looked at him with a new shine of admiration. "I didn't know that was even possible. I'm afraid animal speak isn't a strength of mine, let alone one of my father's."

"Then you'll have to take my word for it. They told me you could use a hero—who am I to say no to a damsel like yourself?" He raised his right hand toward my face and hesitated for a moment before tucking my hair behind my ears. "My aims are pure, I swear it. You deserve to live the life you wish. And naturally, I hoped to find a companion as beautiful as you. After admiring you from afar—now that you're the proper age to decide—is it so hard to believe that I would at least try to give us both what we're longing for?"

"That does make sense, so—"

"I mean, it's not as if I'd choose you as a target for some grand scheme to take over Narvlheim." He cocked a brow, tilting the edge of his lip up in an impish tease.

I smiled. "No...I don't suppose you'd do that. But Vali—"

"Right. Vali." He stepped away again and sighed.

"I don't understand. Did you mean what you said? He forbade you from seeking me?"

"Oh, yes. He'd be furious if he knew I was here. Please don't tell him." Modi put his hands on his hips and looked up toward the sky. "If only he weren't so laden with guilt, he might trust you with greater freedom."

"Guilt? Guilt about what?"

Modi met my gaze with a heartbroken frown. A secret. A quiver of his gentle lips. "I dare not say."

My pounding heart couldn't make me beg faster. "Please do. What guilt would make Vali want me to stay here?"

"Overprotection would absolve him of his own neglect." He squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I...I know why you have but one brother, not two."

I blinked quickly, absorbing his implications. "Are you saying—"

"Please, Hela. Don't tell him I came, I beg you. For my sake, for yours, for your whole family...it's best if we never speak of this again." He bowed a bit and swept his cape around him in a flourish. "I thank you for the pleasure of your time, no matter how brief."

"Leaving so soon?" My voice jumped in tone to a place much higher than my natural timbre. I coughed to put it back. "I can keep our visit between us, so long as your birds can, too."

He smiled with a soft glow in his cheeks. "How kind of you. Now I worry we'll be caught by staying here. Perhaps we can meet another time. Do consider what I've said...you have the power to decide your own fate, Hela. If you wish to stay on Narvlheim forever, I will always be an ally. Just know it isn't your only option. Together, we could join forces and oversee the rest of Yggdrasil, like my grandparents did in joining Asgard with Vanaheim."

"Alright. Thank you." I curtseyed for him since that seemed the best way to answer his bow from before.

Modi's eyes traveled over me, openly scanning my face to my feet and back again as he hummed through a breath. "Remarkable," he whispered.

"What was that?" I asked, leaning a bit closer to him.

"It's just..."—he brushed against my cheek again, sending a shudder through me—"...I didn't believe this sort of thing was possible. Not really."

I narrowed my eyes, though I hoped he wouldn't move away. My expression alone willed him to keep talking.

"After so many years...so it can happen this fast." Modi found my hand and pecked my knuckles before stepping back three times and disappearing in a new prism of light, not even needing to look away to summon the Bifrost stream.

I'd been left alone at a genuine crossroads: one that led to the sky and one back to my home. Perhaps it was the opportunity I'd prayed for, beckoned by songbirds and wrapped in maroon. His open admiration was delicious already, while the prospect of staying compliant had long since turned stale.

My determination to unbridle myself was now greater than it had been after leaving home. And if Vali wouldn't agree to let me follow him to Asgard, now I knew another man who would.