Akira could hear him. She wanted so badly to reach out and cling to him but she could not force her body to move. And that alone scared her. She’d heard the chanting of Hel’s priestess but had felt no relief from them. Everything about this was wrong. Calling the wrong goddess to remove this curse would kill her. It wasn’t Hel she needed or Eir. She needed the one who had cast this curse; only he could remove it safely.

Freyja watched the girl. For as long as she could remember, this family had called on her for guidence, protection and aid. Yet, this one girl lay beyond her help and it hurt. She’d kill Loki if she could but since she couldn’t, she’d curse him too.