Chapter 15
Belinde could sense Odin’s presence. He was in the Great Hall now because the shields were down. Belinde transitioned to the entryway of the Great Hall and walked in. She saw Odin sitting in a straight-backed chair facing the wall mural with his gnarled staff resting across his knees.
"Adjustor," the Elder of Elders said in greeting as she arrived.
"Elder," Belinde said as she lowered herself to one knee and bowed to the elder god.
"Rise, Adjustor Dagmar. There is no need to stand on ceremony when we are alone," the great sage informed her.
Belinde rose and walked in front of Odin where she knelt then sat back on her heels. "I know what you would ask of me," the elder interrupted her before she could speak.
"And?" Belinde asked brazenly.
"Of course you have my permission to leave The Estate. Where will you go?"
"Back to the circle to pick up the scent and from there, I'm not sure," she replied.
"Have you spoken with the adjustor?" Odin asked.
"He is unconscious, sire," Belinde replied, confused.
"The dragon?" Odin asked impatiently.
"Egg can't speak, sire. He only trills," Belinde replied. Odin chuckled at her response.
"Belinde, you cannot speak as gods do but we seem to be getting along just fine." Belinde knew she was missing something. "You speak with words and you listened to words," Odin explained. "Dragons speak with thoughts and listen to thoughts. This is why the Sly have hunted them to near extinction."
Belinde felt a moment’s rage at the thought of anyone harming Egg. "You're right," she admitted. "I'll try and speak with Egg before I leave."
"Then I wish you good fortune in your revenge," Odin said, indicating the conversation was over.
"More important than revenge, I want answers," Belinde explained, feeling that the elder god didn't quite approve of her actions. "I need to know how the shields were brought down and who specifically is behind these recent attacks. I am, of course, hoping that I'll get a chance to kill my way toward a few answers."
Odin tipped back his head and laughed. His booming laughter filled the hall. Leaning forward, he rested a giant hand on Belinde's diminutive shoulder. "Then Adjustor, you not only have my permission," the Elder of Elders paused to smile, "you have my blessing."
Belinde felt every muscle of her body bulge with new strength and power. She felt buoyant yet focused. If this was a real blessing, then there was definitely a right way and a wrong way to ask for permission. She smiled up at the sagely elder. "I'll find Egg," she said as she rose. Odin smiled and pointed upward towards the end of the hall. Belinde turned in the direction that he had pointed and a massive sapphire head lowered from the shadows and stopped a hands breadth from her face. Belinde gulped, "Oh my! Egg, how you've grown."
"I'm sorry for not talking to you sooner," Belinde thought to Egg. Suddenly, images started flooding into Belinde's mind. She saw Declan fighting valiantly, wounded horribly near the beginning of the battle, yet not noticing. She heard Declan's thoughts as he worried that he might not see her again. She reached out to wrap her arms around Egg's snout and press her cheek against his face below his right eye. Another series of images flooded into her mind, the last of which was Egg chomping down on the body of an unidentified man and shaking him ruthlessly.
"I'm on it," she thought at Egg as a basso rumble rose from deep within the dragon. Belinde flashed the dragon a mental picture of her pretty new sharp things and pistols. Egg seemed pleased with the news. As much as she was going to wreak havoc on the bastards responsible for her lover's current condition, those responsible were very fortunate that one adjustor was staying at his post tonight. She understood that the dragon was where he should be.
"I'll be back in time for breakfast, Egg,” Belinde thought to the dragon. “Protect Declan and the elders while I'm gone." Belinde sighed and straightened her shoulders. "Time to go make some friends, then cut them in half," she finished with a wink.
Egg noted the slight pop as the surrounding air rushed in to fill the gap she had left. Glancing at the elder nearby, Egg saw that the immortal wore a mischievous smile.
The adventure continues in “Sharp Things”.
About the Author:
Please visit my website at www.brennan-barrett.com where you will find a blog, additional artwork, and a treasure trove of other goodies. Fans can email me at
[email protected] I am a Vocal Coach and Reiki Master, living in beautiful British Columbia.
I’ve been writing as a hobby for years and just recently decided to share my stories with the public.
My works are of course, entirely fictional, except for the gorilla with the Scottish accent; he’s real, it's the accent that's fake.
Thank you:
I would like to thank Jane Vadheim for her tireless assistance in editing and proofreading.
Thank you to my two great proofreaders Ash M and recently Carolyn Garber, thank you so much.
I would like to thank Dana Smith for her assistance as a test reader and in providing advice in French terms and spelling.
Discover other titles in The Adjustor Series by Brennan Barrett
Sharp Things
Bits and Pieces
The Naughty Necromancer
And
J. Godfrey After Life Consulting:
Book One: A Hanging Grave
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