Gears of Thunder: The Valhalla Mechanism, #2

By Kendra Moreno

Ottilie Kingsford thought she knew her world. She lived a double life, dodging disappointing bachelors during the day, spying for the Queen at night. She craved adventure and excitement, but there was none of that in the streets of London.

Until a single mission changes her entire perception of reality.

Now, with Ragnarok raging across earth, Tillie is knee deep in mythological creatures and the Gods who imprisoned them. FIghting dark elves and the deepest secrets of Asgard coming to light, Tillie, Thor, and Loki must search for a cauldron that could slow the end of days. Mischief, Espionage, and Thunder collide in an epic power, but will that be enough to save the realms from utter destruction?

The thrones of civilizations begin to crumble. The nine realms will tremble as they waltz in the ashes of Ragnarӧk. If Tillie can't stop it, Yggdrasil will burn.

It's time to learn just how much fortune favors the chaos...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kendra Moreno
• Release date: Sep 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393865193

Book preview

Chapter One

There was something terrifying screaming from below, and I didn’t think it was human.

I stood on the edge of the largest crack through London, the one that travelled alongside Birmingham Palace, the one that claimed the home I grew up in. I’d never suffered from vertigo, but standing on the edge of something so massive gave me the urge to go down into the large crevice. Something about the darkness at the bottom itched my curiosity, made me long to explore the darkness. Along the walls, bits and pieces of homes, roads, anything really, were trapped there, giving everything a surreal appearance. It would be like falling down a rabbit hole to something far more monstrous.

But the sounds that came from below, the screeches and howls, none of those could be human.

If I thought there was a chance there could be survivors below, I would have found a way to get there, but the darkness was so thick, the fall too great, unless someone clung to the sides, there was no way to survive a fall like that. Human bodies weren’t meant to take such damage. We’d scanned the sides as best as we could, and when we found no survivors, I lit a flare and tossed it inside. It grew too far away to see before it ever hit a bottom. It had taken long minutes for the light to be swallowed by the darkness. We never found out how far down the cracks go.

I couldn’t believe only weeks ago, I was just a normal spy, trying to avoid the judgmental eyes of the other ladies on my street. Before my life changed, I’d only worried about too-tight corsets and Calvin’s backstabbing. I only had to worry about the constant barrage of clockwork beetles climbing on my desk and windowsill. Back then, I just wanted to find an adventure, held out hope a man would come along with the urge to travel the world. Now, an adventure far larger than I could have never fathomed had me in its jaws and refused to let go.

Ragnarök. Gods and Goddesses. Giant wolves and snakes. It all sounded so far-fetched, and yet, that’s exactly what my life was made of. And now, we were preparing to go to an entirely different realm from mine. I didn’t know what to expect from Niflheim, but then again, that was the least of my worries. I didn’t know what to expect from Thor and Loki either, of the romance blossoming between the three of us. I asked them not to try and label our relationship, and so far, it had worked. We’d been so busy with preparations, we’d hardly spent much time together since the battle against the wave and the dark elves.

At the end of the world, it seems foolish to long for alone time with my Gods, but it didn’t make the feelings less strong to recognize that. What I wouldn’t give for a moment to sit and tease them again, to worry more about convincing Thor to take his shirt off rather than saving the nine realms from the End of Days. I sighed. It had been entirely too long since I’d seen Loki or Thor without a shirt.

Another long, loud, monstrous screech echoed up from the bottom of the giant crevice, bouncing around London, and around me, people kneeled and began to pray. I wasn’t religious myself, long since believing if there was a God, he needed a little help with taking care of the bad guys. As a spy, I’d seen too many things that belonged in Hell to believe the big guy could do it all by himself. I fully believed I was put on this Earth to be the first line of defense against human demons.

Of course, two Gods then walked into my life and my beliefs shifted just a smidge.

Next time you pray, make sure to say my name.

Loki’s words echoed in my head and brought a smile to my lips. The trickster was all smooth innuendo and playful smirks, but beneath the mask, he was caring and kind, only seeking to sit in a place without judgement. I knew the desire all too well, and though I was only a human woman with an unknown lineage, we dealt with the same masks. Curious, I tilted my head up to the sky, closed my eyes, and for the first time in too many years, I prayed. Not to a God sitting in his throne in Heaven; I still didn’t think that would do much good. I prayed to a God with nothing but magic and fire in his veins.

Loki, I breathed. What did one even pray for to the God of Mischief? In the blistering heat of our hearts, may you be hailed. May my body shake in the onslaught of your presence—

The purr came from nowhere, strong fingers grasping my hips so suddenly, I nearly stumbled into the crevice. Loki kept me steady, pulling me back against his hard body quickly. Tell me, little spy, he murmured in my ear. How did you come to know one of the prayers from long ago?

It worked, didn’t it? I grinned back at him, struck by his beauty all over again. The God of Fire, Mischief, and Magic was an image that should have been hung in museums, forever remembered in paint, but even painted by the greatest hands, they’d still pale in comparison to the man currently holding me. If the flaming red hair hanging loose around his shoulders didn’t grab you, the brilliant green of his eyes would. And that was without the horns. In his primal form, Loki was nothing but seduction and sorcery.

I like the way it sounded, he murmured, keeping his hands firmly on my hips against all the rules of my world. I was an unmarried woman. I shouldn’t have been alone with a man, let alone have one with his hands on me, but then again, I wasn’t sure what I expected from the God of Mischief. Rules were made to be broken by him and that freedom called to my soul. I wanted to break rules, too. I like the way you call out my name. As soon as we get a chance, I’ll make sure to grant the shaking of your body while I—

Tillie!

We both groaned. It seemed, no matter when or how, we were constantly interrupted by duties and preparations. Still, I didn’t look at the person calling me in annoyance, not after I thought I lost her. My mother came from between two buildings, her thick coat nearly swamping her, but it was a necessary response to the everlasting winter currently claiming London, and probably the rest of the world. Not everyone could have their own personal fire God keeping them warm.

Loki stared at the other people kneeling at the edge of the crack, praying to a God who never answered. My God answered my prayer quickly, appeared just as I’d hoped. I wondered what it felt like to have your prayers unanswered, to long for simple acknowledgement and hear only silence. There was a reason I wasn’t a religious woman. It was quicker to pull out a blade and take care of a bad person than it was to wait for a God to forgive him.

Next time, he whispered in my ear as my mother drew closer. Try kneeling when you pray to me. That’ll make it interesting.

I snorted. Last time, you kneeled for me, I pointed out, grinning. But, perhaps, I would kneel for the God of Magic and worship him, for the right price.

Loki’s eyes lit up with flames, but he couldn’t act on those thoughts before my mother appeared, her gaze dancing between us. Was I interrupting? she asked. She knew damn well she was interrupting, but there were things that needed to be discussed. We’ll be leaving for Niflheim soon. Apparently, Skadi had been wrong. If anyone knew where the cauldron was, it would be the dwarves, so we would be travelling to their realm before anything else. The cauldron might not be in the realm of the dark elves, no matter what Skadi thought she read. Since Odrorir was forged by the dwarves, that was where we would begin our search.

Not at all, I answered my mother, curling the corner of my lip up at Loki. We were just talking about prayers.

I bet you were, mother teased, eying Loki closely. Though everything in me had thought my mother would be aghast to realize I was in a relationship with two men, she seemed perfectly happy with the outcome. In her eyes, it was bragging rights. The other day, I heard her telling Lady Smith all about how her daughter has two powerful men vying for her attention, both handsome and successful. I nearly lost my wits when Lady Smith asked what Loki and Thor’s profession was, only for my mother to throw out the first thing she could think of. Lady Smith, though she believed in the end of the world now that her house was gone, wouldn’t handle the idea of Gods standing beside me too well. Instead, my mother had claimed Thor and Loki were emissaries from another country. Lady Smith hadn’t seemed to believe the lie, but she’d begrudgingly admitted that Loki and Thor were rather handsome fellows.

I’ll leave you two to talk, Loki interrupted my thoughts, pressing a chaste kiss against the top of my head. It was a far different kiss than what I wanted from him, but he wouldn’t disrespect my mother by turning the kiss into something more sexual. Apparently, Gods were far more gentlemanly than human men, much to my surprise.

I watched him go, watched as he moved through the street with an aura of power around him, joining Thor where he helped sift through the rubble for supplies. We would need as much as possible on the airships, and though our rate was too slow to build enough ships for all of London, we were trying. As the strongest, Thor had been able to speed up the process a little, but he was only one man, and even Gods needed rest, no matter what Thor claimed.

My mother took my hand when Loki walked away, squeezing tight, and it reminded me of when I was a child. She used to clutch onto me as if afraid I would disappear, as if she couldn’t believe I was real. Now, I do the same to her. For brief moments, I thought I’d lost her, had struggled with the thought, and I was thankful she was still able to stand beside me now. I couldn’t imagine facing this new challenge without her.

So, another realm, mother mused, smiling at me. And here I thought your first adventure would be somewhere such as Africa.

We were due to leave Earth, or Midgard as Thor called it, the next morning. We still had to pack our bags. Though most of my belongings had been lost in the great chasm before me, I’d had my short sword and battle axe returned at last. I no longer had to wear dresses and hide the weapons. At the end of the world, it turned out no one cared about the weapons on my thigh after they watched us battle the dark elves. I’d gained a new reputation in London, and for the first time, it wasn’t one I detested. Someone started calling me ‘Battle Axe’ as a moniker and I really, really liked it, even if all the attention made my skin crawl. Spies were meant for dark corners and undetected missions, not famous names and recognition. Still, I rather liked no longer having to wear dresses and jewels.

So did I, I answered. I never expected to go on an adventure like this. A month ago, I’d dreamed of a man sweeping in who was closer to my age, a little less boring, in the hopes he would take me on safaris and trips. Instead, I got something far superior.

I glanced over my shoulder toward where Thor and Loki stood talking to a group of the Queen’s guards. They insisted on accompanying us outside of Birmingham Palace, even though I had the best guards possible in Thor and Loki. Thor claimed there were never enough men and welcomed them with relish. Loki was nice enough, but didn’t trust them to do more than help carry any supplies we found.

As if he could sense my thoughts, Thor glanced over to me, a smile pulling at his lips. Another beautiful man. Strange, I hadn’t used the word beautiful so much until I met them. Where Loki was all magic and mystery, Thor was the complete opposite. Like an open book, he broadcasted everything he was simply by standing. Though he was currently wearing a little more than the simple white shirt and suspenders he typically preferred, the light coat did nothing but highlight his sheer size. With auburn red hair pulled back in a tie and blue eyes that put the sea to shame, Thor drew gazes wherever he went, by both women and men. He couldn’t hide from the attention, whereas Loki preferred to do so. They were opposites in most ways, and yet, I cared for them both so much, it scared me. It hadn’t been enough time for such things, but I supposed at the end of the world, you follow your instincts a little bit closer.

You like them, don’t you? my mother asked, following my gaze and smiling gently when she saw who I stared at.

They’re good men.

No, I mean really like them. I’d even wager you l—

Don’t, I stopped her. Once you say it, it can’t be taken back, and it’s entirely too soon for such notions.

I understand. She leans closer. Just remember, with the world ending, you don’t want to have regrets either, Tillie. I see the way they look at you. They are just as smitten as you are.

Everything in my training revolted against following my heart. Emotions got in the way of my mission. Though my mission had shifted thanks to the Queen, all the training I’d been privy to my entire life urged me to step back, to evaluate the feelings, to make sure they weren’t leading me down the wrong path. During training, we were encouraged to deny most feelings completely. A cold spy was a spy who would do anything, and while that should have scared the guilds, it didn’t. There were some spies who could take any mission without flinching, no matter the images they would be forced to watch. I wasn’t one of them.

It was much too soon for such feelings, to be thinking of things in those terms, and we lie best when we lie to ourselves. I could admit to myself I was infatuated with Thor and Loki, that I liked them, but to admit more? There was too much that could go wrong to speak of such things. We already went against the grain with our relationship.

Victoria said she expects you to leave in the morning. Mother’s eyes focused on me, her beauty striking me as it always has. Though there are grey streaks in her hair and slight wrinkles around her eyes and lips, she was still as beautiful as the day I stepped off an airship with a nearly empty bag too big for me to carry.

I nodded. We still have to pack our bags, but we had to come out here first. I needed to see it one more time. I needed to remind myself what we’re fighting for. Something about the large splits in the earth seemed to help shift my mind from adventurer to saving the world. It all sounded like some fictional serial story in the newspaper. I kept waiting for the major plot twist, for someone to appear and claim it was all a dream. Mother used to go on and on about the newspaper stories. I didn’t much care for them myself. The story was almost always getting good before it ended, and you had to wait until the next week to find out what happened. Besides, the women were always demure little women. I didn’t like reading stories where it was always a man saving the day.

You’ll come back, my mother said, her voice hard. You go do what you need to do, and then you come back. I’ll never forgive you if I’m left waiting here for your return.

I tugged her into a hug. I knew this was hard for her. It was one thing to send your daughter out in the streets to find the bad people of London. It was an entirely different beast to see her off to another realm entirely, with far more at stake than a single criminal causing trouble. I’ll come back, I promised. The Gods themselves couldn’t keep me from doing so.

We held onto each other for long moments, and though my mother was a few inches shorter than me, it was a comfortable hug. I would protect her, keep her safe, and though there weren’t many people I cared for, I’d march into the very bowels of Hell for my mother. Which was good, because Niflheim was supposed to be worse than Helheim, according to Skadi.

I’ll be back before you know I’m gone.

You better be, my mother chided, releasing me, but her hand stayed firmly clutched in mine. Lady Smith is trying to convince Victoria to host a masquerade in Birmingham Palace. She claims all the destruction is perfect for the mystery. She rolled her eyes. That woman would host a party in Hell if she could.

Laughing, I bumped my mother with my shoulder. I’d probably finally enjoy attending it if the party was in Hell.

But I didn’t like masquerades, not really. It seemed foolish to wear a mask to a party when I already wear one every place I go. Only my mother and the two Gods behind me knew what I was like without it, but that was enough for me.

Tell Lady Smith I expect to come back to the most extravagant masquerade I’ve ever seen, I said, kissing my mother’s cheek before pulling her away from the crevice. We had plans to make, and before we could pack our belongings, we needed to speak to the Queen—I couldn’t call her Victoria as freely as my mother without cringing—and make sure we knew all the plans. While we were in another realm, Earth would be in a mad dash to make as many airships as possible, all while battling the earth tremors and the water that ebbed and flowed, threatening with more waves. None of us knew when the next stage would hit, and that was a far more terrifying thing to think of.

Worrying about the dwarves seemed like such a small thing compared to what my world worried for. The faster we found Odrorir, the faster we could slow the End of Days.

Chapter Two

The Queen had taken to conducting business in her chambers rather than any office. When I’d asked her why, she’d claimed it was far too idiotic to make herself uncomfortable at the end of the world by using a room ripe with bad decisions and ancestors. Which is how we found ourselves standing in a room literally