The road home seemed considerably longer than it had any right to be.
Lexander had traveled it enough times to know every bend, every hill, and every stretch of forest.
Normally, the journey took a day.
With this group, however, he was beginning to suspect they might be lucky to make it home before winter.
The first problem was Thor.
The second problem was Lysandra.
The third problem was Loki.
And somehow, all three problems seemed to be getting worse the farther they traveled.
Thor walked beside Lysandra, occasionally glancing at her with an amused smile.
Lysandra noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You keep looking at me.”
“I like your attitude.”
“That sounds like a personal problem.”
Thor laughed.
“You really are Lexander’s sister.”
“Unfortunately.”
Lexander, walking several paces ahead, heard them.
“I heard that.”
“That was intentional,” Lysandra called back.
Io laughed.
Lexander shook his head.
“I regret bringing everyone together.”
“No, you don’t,” Io said.
“No.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I can be miserable and smile.”
“That’s a useful skill.”
“Years of practice.”
Behind them, Loki was still having a difficult time accepting what he had discovered.
He walked beside Lisbeth.
“So you’re really Freya.”
Lisbeth sighed.
“You’ve said that at least twelve times.”
“I’m making sure.”
“You’re annoying.”
“I’ve been told.”
“Frequently, I imagine.”
“Very.”
Lisbeth glanced at him.
“And you’re Loki.”
Loki smiled.
“Unfortunately.”
“Then perhaps we have more in common than I thought.”
Loki laughed.
“I like you.”
“You’re the second person to say that today.”
“Who was the first?”
“Thor.”
Loki looked ahead.
Thor was currently attempting to convince Lysandra that calling her “Thunder” was not reasonable.
Loki nodded thoughtfully.
“She has good taste.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
Up ahead, Mara walked with General Atreyu.
She had remained unusually quiet since Loki had identified her as Brynhildr.
Atreyu finally broke the silence.
“You’re going to have to tell me what that was about.”
“No.”
“Mara.”
“No.”
“You’re the leader of the Valkyries?”
“No.”
“You didn’t exactly deny it convincingly.”
Mara sighed.
“Do you want to know the truth?”
“At this point, I’m afraid not knowing would somehow be worse.”
Mara looked toward the road ahead.
“I remember pieces.”
“Of what?”
“Things that happened before this life.”
Atreyu was silent.
“And Loki remembers more than I do,” she continued.
“That sounds reassuring.”
“It isn’t.”
They continued walking.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then Thor stopped.
Everyone else eventually stopped too.
Lexander turned around.
“What?”
Thor pointed toward the sky.
“There.”
Everyone looked up.
High above the distant mountains, a faint shimmer of colors stretched across the clouds.
A rainbow.
Thor smiled.
“Oh.”
Loki immediately looked annoyed.
“No.”
Thor looked at him.
“What?”
“I know that look.”
“What look?”
“The look you get when you’re about to suggest something spectacularly stupid.”
Thor smiled.
“I was going to suggest we use the Rainbow Bridge.”
Lexander stared at her.
“The Rainbow Bridge?”
Thor nodded.
“Yes.”
Lexander looked at Loki.
Then back at Thor.
Then at the rainbow.
He rubbed his chin.
“So let me get this straight.”
Thor waited.
“You’re telling me there’s a magical bridge that can take us straight home?”
“Yes.”
Lexander pointed at the road beneath their feet.
“And we’ve been walking all day?”
Thor hesitated.
“Yes.”
Lexander stared at her.
“Why?”
Thor shrugged.
“Loki didn’t want to use it.”
Everyone turned toward Loki.
He folded his arms.
“I had reasons.”
Lexander raised an eyebrow.
“Such as?”
Loki thought for a moment.
“I don’t like bridges.”
Lexander stared.
“You don’t like bridges.”
“No.”
“You’re a god.”
“Yes.”
“You can shapeshift.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve ridden magical beasts.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve apparently traveled through realms.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re afraid of bridges?”
“I never said afraid.”
“You said you don’t like them.”
“There’s a difference.”
Lexander looked at Io.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“About what?”
“I no longer think humans are the strangest creatures in existence.”
Io smiled.
“Fair.”
Thor stepped forward.
“It’s perfectly safe.”
Lysandra crossed her arms.
“Is it?”
Thor nodded.
“Usually.”
“Usually?”
Thor realized her mistake.
“It’s safe most of the time.”
Lysandra looked at Lexander.
“Your friends are terrible at reassuring people.”
“They’re gods.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
“No.”
Lexander looked back toward the rainbow.
“Can it actually take us home?”
Thor nodded.
“If we can reach it.”
Lexander looked at the distant mountains.
“And how exactly do we do that?”
Thor smiled.
“That’s the fun part.”
Lexander immediately regretted asking.
A few minutes later, they were climbing.
The path led upward along a rocky ridge until the rainbow seemed close enough to touch.
Thor moved easily over the rocks.
Loki complained the entire way.
Io tried not to laugh.
Lisbeth remained remarkably calm.
Mara looked as though she had done this a thousand times.
Atreyu looked as though he wished he had stayed behind.
And Lysandra?
Lysandra was enjoying every second of Thor’s discomfort.
“You said this was easy,” she remarked.
“It is.”
“You slipped twice.”
“Strategic movement.”
“You fell.”
“I was testing the ground.”
“You landed on your face.”
Thor glared at her.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“Immensely.”
Thor grinned.
“You’re definitely my kind of person.”
Lysandra shook her head.
“I’ve decided I don’t like you.”
“You’ll change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
“You will.”
“I won’t.”
Lexander walked between them.
“It’s like arguing with yourself, you know.”
Both women stared at him.
“We’re not arguing!” they said simultaneously.
Lexander smiled.
“Good.”
Loki looked at him.
“You realize that saying that means you definitely are arguing.”
Lexander’s smile vanished.
“I hate you.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
Eventually they reached the top of the ridge.
The rainbow was no longer distant.
It stretched across the sky before them, brilliant and almost solid, its colors shifting like light reflected through crystal.
Thor stepped forward.
“Everyone ready?”
Atreyu looked at the bridge.
“No.”
Thor laughed.
“You’ll be fine.”
Mara stepped forward first.
She placed one foot onto the rainbow.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the light beneath her feet hardened.
Mara looked back.
“It’s safe.”
Atreyu sighed.
“Of course you would be the one to volunteer.”
She smiled faintly.
“Someone has to.”
One by one, they followed.
Lisbeth crossed next.
Then Io.
Then Atreyu.
Loki waited until everyone else had gone.
Lexander noticed.
“You’re afraid.”
Loki glared at him.
“No.”
“You’re afraid.”
“I am a god.”
“Who doesn’t like bridges.”
“That is completely different.”
Lexander grinned.
“Come on, Loki.”
Loki stepped onto the bridge.
He immediately grabbed Lexander’s shoulder.
Lexander looked down at the hand.
“Really?”
“Don’t make this difficult.”
“You’re holding me.”
“I know.”
“Do you want me to hold your hand too?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“You look like you need emotional support.”
Loki glared at him.
“Walk.”
Lexander laughed.
Finally, Thor and Lysandra were the last two remaining.
Thor offered Lysandra her hand.
Lysandra looked at it.
Then at Thor.
“Really?”
“You don’t have to.”
Lysandra smiled.
“I know.”
She took Thor’s hand.
Thor’s smile widened.
“See?”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“Too late.”
Together, they stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge.
The moment they did, the world seemed to vanish beneath them.
There was no ground.
No wind.
No mountains.
Only light.
For one breathtaking moment, Lexander felt as though he were falling upward.
Then—
Everything stopped.
The group landed on solid ground.
Lexander stumbled forward and caught himself.
He looked around.
The familiar towers of home rose in the distance.
Everyone had made it.
They had returned.
Lexander stared at the city.
Then he laughed.
Io looked at him.
“What?”
Lexander shook his head.
“Nothing.”
“What?”
He gestured toward the Rainbow Bridge behind them.
“We could have done that yesterday.”
Thor laughed.
Loki groaned.
Atreyu muttered something under his breath.
Lysandra smiled.
And Lexander started walking toward home.
For the first time in what felt like forever, the road ahead didn’t seem dangerous.
It seemed familiar.
Safe.
Almost peaceful.
Which, considering who was traveling with him, was probably a terrible sign.
Lexander glanced over his shoulder.
Thor and Lysandra were still walking together.
Loki and Lisbeth were arguing about whether she really was Freya.
Mara and Atreyu were quietly discussing what had happened.
Io was beside him.
And the others were finally coming home.
Lexander smiled.
Maybe seven really was a charm.
At least until the next disaster.
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