Loki's Wolves - Armstrong Kelley L.. Страница 35

Ray wriggled in his bonds and pulled off a ring. Then he held it out as best he could, pinched between his fingers. “Is this what you want? More of this? Treasure?”

Aerik made a move to snatch the ring, and Ray quickly tossed it onto the grass. All three trolls dove for it. Leaf came up victorious, chortling in that scraping-rocks way that made Matt’s teeth clench.

“That’s what you want then?” Ray said. “That’s treasure?”

“Yes,” Aerik said, bouncing. “Treasure. More treasure. Aerik want treasure.”

“Give them your ring,” Ray whispered to his sister.

“What? I am not—”

“Reyna!”

Reyna grumbled, but managed to yank it off and tossed it. Again, it was like a football tackle as all three went for it. Leaf got this one, too, but Aerik snatched it away, and they argued in wordless rumbles before Leaf gave in.

“There,” Reyna said. “Now, if you can untie us…”

“More treasure,” Sun said, rolling forward to crouch in front of her. “Want more.”

“We don’t have more with us,” Ray said.

Reyna wriggled her fingers. “See? No more rings. That’s it.”

Now Leaf sidled forward, rocking from side to side, knuckles dragging. “More treasure.”

“We don’t have—”

“More treasure!” Aerik roared as he shot forward and grabbed Ray by the throat.

Aerik swung Ray up, Reyna dangling behind him by her bound hands. He lifted Ray overhead and started to squeeze. Ray gasped and kicked. Reyna shouted and tried to twist around.

“Treasure!” Aerik shouted. “Give treasure or Aerik break son Frey. Break his bones. Grind his bones. Do now!”

Matt yanked off his amulet and lunged from his hiding place. “Did someone say treasure?”

Aerik turned, the other two turning with him, and Matt found himself facing off with three trolls. He swallowed and found his voice.

“Remember me?” Matt said.

“Son Thor.” Leaf held up an injured hand. “Cracked Leaf fingers.”

“Right. And the son of Thor has a very special treasure, doesn’t he?” Matt unclenched his fist and let the amulet fall. “You remember this, too?”

“Hammer,” Sun said. “God Hammer.”

“And the god Hammer is a very special treasure, isn’t it? Better than a whole mountain of rings and coins. It has power. Thor’s power. Giant-killing power.”

He swung the amulet. All three pairs of beady eyes tracked it, back and forth.

“You want this?” Matt asked.

Three ugly heads nodded.

“Then put those kids down.”

Aerik dropped them, Ray landing on Reyna, who let out an oomph.

“Good. Now, I know all three of you want it, so we have to make this a race. I’ll throw it. First one who gets it wins the power of Thor. Is that fair?”

They nodded again. Leaf inched forward. Aerik shot out a long arm to stop him, and they grumbled at each other for a moment before Leaf moved back in line.

“Everyone ready?” Matt said. “On the count of three. One.” He pulled his hand back. “Two.” He flexed his arm. “Three!” He pretended to whip the necklace, instead tossing it up, hidden, in his fist.

None of the trolls moved. Matt lowered his fist to his side and waved with his other hand. “It’s out there. Go get it.”

“Is in hand,” Sun said.

“What?” Matt held out the hand he’d waved. “No, it’s empty. See?”

“Other hand.”

Aerik took a long stride forward. “Son Thor think Aerik stupid. Aerik not stupid. Hammer in hand.”

Matt opened his other hand and faked surprise at seeing the necklace there. “Huh. It must have gotten caught on my finger. Sorry about that. Let’s try again.”

He waved Aerik back in line between the other two. Behind them, Ray and Reyna were working furiously to get free. Reyna had one hand out and was pulling at the knot. Matt tried to stall, but the trolls started grumbling and rocking back and forth, as if ready to attack.

“Okay, okay,” he said. “Here we go. I’ll throw it this time. Everyone ready?”

The trolls nodded. As Matt had been stalling, hoping the twins would get free, he’d tugged the amulet off the cord. Now he gripped the cord, letting it dangle, but held the amulet firmly between his thumb and palm. He counted down and then whipped the cord as hard as he could.

Again the trolls just stood there.

“Didn’t you see it?” he said, waving with one hand as he slid the amulet into his pocket. “I threw it this time.”

“I saw it!” Ray piped up. “I can still see it, on the base of that grave over there.”

“Is black strap,” Aerik said. “Thor son threw black strap. Not want black strap.”

Why isn’t it working? Laurie tricked them easily.Panic swirled in his gut.

Laurie moved forward. “But the black strap is what holds the Hammer on his neck. It’s over there. Just like Frey’s son said. See it?”

“Is trap,” Aerik said. “Hammer in pocket.”

“What?” Matt said, patting his pockets, hoping his hands weren’t shaking. “How would it get in there? I threw it. It’s—”

Aerik charged.

Matt shoved Laurie out of the way and hit Aerik with a Hammer blast. A perfect hit, almost instantaneous, and he couldn’t help grinning as the troll sailed to the ground. Unfortunately, there were two others with him, and they were charging now. Matt dove to the other side, away from Laurie, hitting the ground and rolling.

“Hey!” Fen shouted. “Ugly number two! Over here!”

As Matt got to his feet, he started motioning for Laurie to get to safety, then stopped himself: they needed to get the twins untied. She was a step ahead of him and already racing toward them as her cousin baited the trolls.

Matt hit Sun with the Hammer as Fen dodged Leaf’s charge.

Fen ran up beside Matt as Aerik lumbered to his feet. “Word of advice, Thorsen? Stick to fighting. You have no future as a magician.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Aerik rushed them. Matt sent him flying with the Hammer, but by then, Sun was on his feet and Leaf had wheeled, and they were both running at Matt and Fen. They dove opposite ways, and the trolls went after them.

As Sun lunged, Matt launched the Hammer. Or he tried to. Nothing happened. He rolled as Sun’s fist came down, hitting the ground with a boom. He tried the Hammer again, focusing harder, getting madder. Sparks fizzled and drifted to the grass, barely even making it smolder.

Matt saw that massive fist coming at him again and tried to scramble up, but he was too late. It caught him in the shoulder, and he crashed into the nearest grave, his head striking it hard enough that he blacked out for a split second. When he came to, he was hanging three feet off the ground, staring into Sun’s face as the troll held him by the collar.

Matt clenched his fist and called on the Hammer. His hand barely glowed.

“You’re out of juice!” Fen yelled. “Think of something else.”

Matt started to yell back that he could use a little help, but Fen was facing off with Leaf. The twins were free and now with Laurie. The three of them were dancing around Aerik, trying to keep him distracted.

Sun shook Matt. “Give Hammer. Give Hammer now.”

“Wish I could,” Matt muttered. “But I seem to be running on empty.”

“Sun break Thor son. Break him—”

Matt swung at Sun and hit him square in the jaw. A knockout blow… that barely made Sun flinch and sent white-hot pain stabbing through Matt’s arm, like he’d punched a brick wall.

That’s what he is. A brick wall. Like Fen said. They’re monsters made of stone. You can’t fight—

“Give Hammer!” Sun roared. “Give now!”

He shook Matt so hard his teeth rattled and his stomach lurched and all he could see was the blur of Sun’s beady eyes and open mouth and—

Yes!

Matt clenched his teeth and waited for Sun to stop shaking him. Then he pulled back his fist and punched the troll in the eye. Sun let out a grating howl. Matt hit him in the other eye.

Sun dropped him, and Matt hit the ground as Sun staggered back, yowling a nails-down-chalkboard yowl.