Bauldr's Tears: A Retelling of Loki's Fate (Bauldr's Tears #1-3)

Alydia Rackham


Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
4.50 · 2 ratings · 377 pages · Published: 04 Jun 2017

Bauldr's Tears: A Retelling of Loki's Fate by Alydia Rackham
When young, solitary archaeologist Marina Feroe meets a beautiful young man with an interest in Norse myths, she believes her life has turned for the better. But the last thing she expects, when she sneaks after him into the woods one night, is that he is actually Bauldr, younger son of Odin.
Days later, winter suddenly descends.
Bauldr has been killed.
Marina is the only one who knows how to bring him back—but to do so she must travel all through Midgard, with Hel’s wolves on her heels.
She has no choice but to bargain help from the only one who will listen:
Loki, the Mischief Maker.
The one who murdered Bauldr.

“Speak,” Thor bade her, taking another swig of mead. “Tell us this horrible tale of yours.”
“Yes, please do,” Loki said snidely.
Marina tucked her left hand against herself, a quiver running down through her whole body as Loki’s eyes narrowed. She cleared her throat—but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
She looked down at Bird, panicked.
“You know which one I mean, Marina,” he said easily. “Go on. It’s one of my favorites.”
She swallowed, cleared her throat again, took a breath…
“There are several versions of this story,” she managed. “But I think…I like the version my dad told me best.” She swallowed. “Once upon a time…” she said, unable to think of anything else. “You wake up…Your Highness…and discover that Mjollnir isn’t anywhere in your room.” She paused, grasping her left hand with her right. “It’s been stolen.”
“How?” Thor demanded. “No one can pick it up but me!”
Loki snapped his fingers and grinned. Thor frowned at him.
“What?”
“Well, it’s obviously magic,” Loki said, as if Thor was stupid.
“You did it, then!” Thor pointed at him. Loki’s mouth fell open.
“I did not!”
“How do you know?” Thor cried. “You don’t even know the story!” He whirled on Marina. “Did Loki do it?”
“No,” Marina admitted.
“See?” Loki gestured sharply at her.
“But he goes to find out who did,” she went on. “So…he borrows Freya’s winged cloak and flies all the way to Jotunheim—”
“That would be a nice thing to have,” Loki remarked. “A winged cloak.”
“Be quiet,” Bird told him.
“…And he sees Thrym, the king of the Frost Giants, standing on a cliff,” Marina said. “Loki lands beside him, and asks him about their problem. Thrym admits he took the hammer. He’s very proud of himself for stealing something right out from underneath Thor’s nose. Loki tells him that Thor wants it back. Thrym says no.”
“You ought to kill him,” Thor muttered.
“I ought to try, yes,” Loki nodded. “If I wanted to wind up pasted to the side of the mountain.”
“Shut up and let the little thing talk,” Thor ordered. Loki searched the ceiling in exasperation, scooted noisily back and propped his feet up on the table.
“Talk,” Thor said again to Marina. She risked a glance around—
To see that many of the other Aesir had started listening to her. They had quieted their conversations, and their blue eyes found her.
“Well,” Marina shifted tightly, her voice low. “Thrym tells him that the only way he’ll give Mjollnir back is if they bring Freya to be his wife.

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