Free Bridge of Mist and Fog by nikki broadwell

published after she vanished. The Tower has since become an international best seller and been at the top of the list for months.
     
    Airy stared at Fehin. “The Tower is on the reading list for my Modern Lit class!”
    Fehin looked surprised. “Wow. I haven’t even read it. She wrote another one earlier. It’s called The Hanged Man. Are you familiar with the Tarot?”
    “Not really.”
    At Airy’s puzzled expression, he continued. “I was born in the future but I was kidnapped by a sorceress when I was a year old. My mother searched for me and then gave up because she thought I was dead. That’s when she came back here. But in reality I was living with Loki.”
    Airy’s confusion deepened. “Loki is…?”
    “The Norse God of fire. He’s also known as the trickster god. He raised me until I was six.”
    Airy watched Fehin’s eyes darken with the past. “You didn’t see your mother for five years?”
    “Someone got a message into the past that gave her the idea that I might be alive. Mothers and their cubs.” He threw his hands into the air and then laughed.
    “It’s not funny, Fehin. It sounds terrible for you and for her. How old were you when she came back?”
    “I was six when she worked out a deal with Loki.”
    “And when you conjured the island?”
    “Seven. I’ve lived there ever since.”
    “Only seven years old? Wow. I wasn’t supposed to come into my powers until this year.”
    “But you told me you’ve been able to do these things your entire life.”
    “I didn’t know they were special. I just had my sixteenth birthday so maybe I’ll discover other things I can do.”
    “I did too.”
    Airy heard Fehin say something but when she looked at him his mouth was closed. “Telepathic communication?” she asked, surprised.
    Fehin smiled and looked down. “Just thought I’d try it out. And I thought you should know that my mother spent time in the Otherworld. It’s where she met my father and where I was conceived.”
    Airy heard a noise behind them and looked toward the door. Someone had just entered the darkened room where they’d been perusing the microfiche archives. A second later something smashed into the back of her head. She heard Fehin’s scream just before she blacked out.

13
    It was dark as pitch now that the machine had been hurled to the ground. Fehin was trying to locate Airy when he caught sight of the person who hit her. Unbelievably it was Wolf. “How in hell did you get here?” he asked his brother.
    Wolf smiled, showing teeth that had a distinctively canine look to them. “Hell, indeed,” he said. “It was easy—I followed you.”
    “But I was with Gunnar on the boat.”
    “I guess you could say I stowed away.”
    Fehin moved to Airy and picked up her limp hand. “Why in Loki’s name did you hit her?”
    “She was getting on my nerves and I wanted to talk to you.”
    Fehin put his fingers on Airy’s wrist feeling for a pulse. It was steady. “So what is it?” he asked, lifting Airy into a seated position.
    “I need your help to get my powers back. My mother had good luck here in Milltown so I thought that I…”
    “I can’t help you,” Fehin said, pulling Airy closer.
    “Oh, I think you can. I’ve seen your handiwork.” Wolf stared at him, his eyes narrowing. “And if you don’t I’ll really hurt this girl you seem so fond of—maybe not today, but soon. You know I’m telling the truth.”
    Fehin tried not to let the creeping revulsion overtake him. Yes, he did believe him but he wasn’t about to admit it. “Get out of here,” he said, focusing on Airy. He knew his brother was gone when the putrid air in the room cleared. And a moment later Airy opened her eyes. “What happened?” she asked, rubbing the back of her head.
    Fehin helped her up and the two of them headed out of the library and then slowly made their way across campus toward the dorms. On the way he explained about his brother, trying to ignore the look of horror than