Shatterproof

by Stein Willard

  “What are you thinking about?”

  Hlif spun around. The blonde looked much better than she did a few hours before. The lingering pain in her eyes was gone and she looked rested. Throwing a glance at the shadows behind her, she wondered exactly how much Bo had heard and seen.

  “Are you thirsty? Would you like some water? The doctor said you could have some liquids, but not too much though.” At Bo’s nod, she filled a glass from a carafe on the bedside. With gentle care, she lifted the blonde and helped her to take a few swallows. She was aiding Bo in lying down, when the blonde spoke.

  “What are we going to do about Loki?”

  Startled, Hlif’s head jerked up to look at Bo, the action tipping the glass in her hand and spilling its contents on Bo. Horrified, Hlif placed the glass on the bedside table and using her hands, began to pat Bo’s chest. She didn’t know what made her realize how utterly inappropriate and futile her actions were as she clumsily and ineffectively dabbed at Bo’s soft breasts. Hlif shook her head and quickly lifted her hands.

  “I’m… I’m… My apologies. I… I…”

  Bo appeared completely unfazed by Hlif’s dismay. “It’s not the first time you’re touching them.” She held Hlif’s gaze. “Is it, Valkyrie?”

  Hlif took a step away from the bed as she made a mental note never to doubt her instincts again. Raking her hands over her face, she lifted her head to face Bo.

  “You know.”

  “I do.” There was a gentle warmth in the pale eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Hlif swallowed hard. Why, indeed? She looked down at her hands and found them trembling. “Would you have believed me?”

  Bo tried to sit up, but aborted the action with a soft groan. “Probably not, but I would’ve wanted to hear it from you?”

  Someone told her. But who? “How did you find out?”

  “Visions or dreams, I think.” She gave Hlif a crooked smile. “I’ve been having these dreams since I turned eighteen. From the way you held me last night, I should’ve known that you were the woman from my dreams. But most of it came from visions I’ve had over the past fourteen hours.”

  Visions? Really? Hlif gave Bo a dubious look. Bo wasn’t really expecting her to believe that.

  “Do you remember the first time we met?” She cocked her head to the side. Hlif noticed that she had said ‘we’ and not ‘Gurith’. “You saved my life on the battlefield and then I invited you back to my tent.”

  Hlif blinked rapidly. She remembered that night well. She had fallen hard for Gurith that night. Upon her return to Asgard, she had told Idunn that she would not be seeing her again. Hlif had known then already that her heart would only belong to one woman.

  “Do you remember?” Bo pushed. Hlif nodded, wondering where this was going. “Well, you told me who you were then and I believed you.” Bo reached out her hand and Hlif hesitated for a split second. When she felt the soft hand in hers, she had to stop herself from bringing it to her lips. “You allowed me to think of you as a stranger, Hlif.”

  “My wings aided in the process, if you recall. I can’t see you believing me, had I approached you with the truth within a few hours of our meeting.”

  “Last night when we were doing the dishes; something happened between us.” Bo looked pensive. “It was strange how powerful the connection was. Something inside me recognized you.”

  “Our hearts…” Hlif swallowed. It’s now or never. “Our love for each other has always been strong.” She waited breathlessly for a reaction. Bo was watching her closely.

  “You’re right. I probably wouldn’t have believed you.” She smiled unexpectedly. “I’m just so relieved to know that there is a reason why I felt utterly out of my depth around you. That has never happened to me before.”

  “What does that mean for us, Bo?”

  The silence that followed was unsettling. She had waited over two millennia for this moment and now that it was here, she was terrified. Times were different back then. Warriors believed in gods and the power of their blades, Bo was of another time – one where science and physical evidence ruled. She would be stupid to believe that the lawyer would simply accept her fate like that. It would take longer to convince Bo.

  “Come lie next to me.” Bo held out her hand. “I want to hold you as you did me last night.”

  Hlif searched the light eyes. Maybe she should stop overthinking this and just go with the flow. Bo hadn’t answered her question, nor had she rejected her. They still had time to talk. She would give Bo the time she needed to work through everything.

  Careful not to jostle the injured woman, she stretched out next to her. Hospital beds were custom made to accommodate their tall Nordic clientele, something Hlif appreciated as she settled in. Bo carefully rolled onto her side so they were facing each other.

  ***

  Bo was stunned by the sheer magnitude of emotions coursing through her as she caressed Hlif’s face with her eyes. If she had found Hlif compelling before, the heady rush that accompanied the knowledge that Hlif was, in fact, her heart’s companion, filled her with excitement. She had ‘lived’ through their whole courtship and snippets of their lives through her visions.

  A practical woman would question the veracity of the whole situation, even after all the truths had been lay bare. However, Bo wasn’t only a practical woman; she was a lawyer as well. When faced with overwhelming evidence, she knew not to fight it, but to consider a deal. Nothing was cast in stone and least of all matters of the heart.

  Bo cupped Hlif’s cheek and watched as the stormy eyes closed. Hlif had given up everything for her. Immortality. Family. Friends. It was time to prove her dedication to the selfless woman. Be it as Bo Witteman or Gurith Haardraad. The way she saw it; they were like a double-sided coin. Gurith had known and loved Hlif. Bo, on the other hand, was very nearly in love with Hlif, her attraction for the other woman was that strong. If there was one thing Hlif deserved, after the millennia of waiting, it was to be loved.

  She lifted her hand and waited for Hlif’s eyes to open. They were a little darker and filled with turmoil. Bo moved closer, watching the muscles in Hlif’s face tense up before her eyes slammed shut. Their breaths mingled as she came close enough until there was nothing else between them. Bo closed her eyes at the first touch of their lips. Everything shaded to white behind her eyes.

  Gurith wrenched her mouth away, her eyes wide. This had been the most profound experience in all of her twenty-two years of life and she found she wasn’t the only one affected by it.

  The Valkyrie was staring back at her with a dumbfounded expression on her face. There was no way that Hlif’s reaction was feigned. If this was a hint of what they could expect, then they both were in for a spectacular time together. Gurith locked her fingers behind the dark head and brought the surprised woman in for another kiss. This time, she was generous with her usage of tongue and teeth. Her unexpected aggression seemed to have aroused the taller woman, for Hlif grabbed Gurith near and inserted her leg between Gurith’s. Soon, they were undulating wildly against each other, not once breaking their kiss.

  Bo deepened the kiss slightly. She might be channelling Gurith, but for now, she wasn’t in any physical shape to restrain her inner-Gurith. She gently ran her tongue along the seam of Hlif’s mouth and slipped in eagerly when it opened. Hlif sighed softly and emboldened by the sound, Bo slipped her hand under Hlif’s shirt and ran her nails over the strong back, causing the Valkyrie to arc sensuously. She felt a dampness pooling in her underwear and she ached to grind herself against Hlif.

  The clearing of a throat, made them pull apart, their breathing erratic.

  A grinning nurse was looking at them from the doorway. “The patient’s vitals spiked and I thought it wise to check in on her.”

  Hlif drew away, taking her delightful heat with her. “I’ll wait outside.” She gave Bo a tiny smile and left the room.

  Bo lay quietly, fighting to get her heartbeat under control.

  “Exc
ept for that gorgeous woman raising your heart rate, I’d say nothing else seems out of the normal.” The nurse winked at her. “Maybe I should get the doctor to prescribe a gorgeous overnight stay for all our patients.”

  Bo had a clear idea of what it must’ve looked like when the nurse entered the room. She was scared to think what might’ve happened had the nurse not interrupted them. Her lips tingled and she could still feel the faint vibrations of her nails raking over Hlif’s back. Then there was the taste. Oh, that glorious taste. She closed her eyes. If lightening tasted like something, it would surely taste like Hlif’s kisses. Dangerous and scorching hot. What an apt description of the Valkyrie.

  “I’ll check up on you again later.” The nurse turned at the door with a teasing smile. “Try to keep it to heavy petty only.”

  Bo covered her face with her hands. Sweet heavens! What was wrong with her? A psychotic man with daddy issues was pursuing her and here she was trying to see how far she could test Iceland’s public indecency laws. She slowly dragged her hands off her face to find Hlif standing by the bed.

  “Are you okay?”

  She sighed. “I wasn’t completely honest with you.” She watched the look in Hlif’s eyes grow cool. “Besides the visions, I also had a visitor.”

  “Who was it?” Hlif’s voice was eerily quiet.

  “Odin, your father.” She had never seen Hlif angry, but the rage that surged in her eyes, made Bo hold up her hand. “Just listen, please. He came to warn me that Loki was here.” The Valkyrie was struggling to rein in her temper, something so contrary to the woman usually cool, unflappable nature. “He said he wanted to do something for you. Something he should’ve done back then. To protect me.”

  Hlif stood motionless. Like a statue. Cold and distant. Bo sat up and patted the place next to her. “Come here.” Hlif didn’t move and only when Bo threw the bedding off, ready to go to Hlif, the other woman came to sit next to her. Bo reached for Hlif’s hand. “He appeared genuine, Hlif.”

  “You don’t know him the way I do.”

  “I know, but I can tell when someone is filled with remorse.” She tried a few times to pull Hlif to lie down next to her. She gave Hlif a pleading look and the Valkyrie stiffly stretched out next to her. Bo nestled into the welcoming heat of Hlif’s larger body. “You don’t have to believe in his sincerity; I won’t expect that from you.” She glanced up into Hlif’s hardened face. “But what are we going to do about Loki?”

  “I’ll kill him.”

  A shudder moved through Bo at the coldness in Hlif’s voice. This was Gurith’s Hlif, not Bo’s gentle and polite Hlif. She felt the Valkyrie’s arms tighten around her, engulfing Bo in her heat. Wanting to cut out the horror that awaited them, she closed her eyes and listened to the strong heartbeat under her ear.

  Unsurprisingly, she quickly dozed off.

  ***

  Loki looked up at the building, his hands pushed deep in his pockets. This was not something he wanted to do. Loki the Trickster was not a fighter. He employed people who got their hands dirty for him. Taking in the hospital building, he had counted less than ten people entering and exiting the hospital in the past hour.

  “We are ready, sir?”

  Loki looked at his men and nodded. He had decided to keep this whole thing contained and not cause a scene. “Good. I’ll be expecting to hear from you.”

  “Copy that, sir.”

  As his driver pulled away, Loki turned back to watch as his men melted into the shadows. If Hlif was in the hospital, which their contact had confirmed, Loki doubted he would be seeing any of them again.

  Luckily, his Plan B was a more solid bet.

  ***

  The corridors were quiet and all the lights were dimmed. Nestled cosily in the strong arms of her protector, Bo listened to the soft breathing of her bed mate. She had been awake for almost two hours and had used the time to watch Hlif sleep. It was such a mundane thing to do for such a dynamic being. Nonetheless, it was an excellent time to study the woman without getting side-tracked by her sheer magnetism. She didn’t know what pricked her senses, but her quiet perusal of Hlif was rudely interrupted. Something was off. She turned her head to look at the door. Hlif had locked the door earlier. The doorknob turned slowly and Bo looked at Hlif ready to wake her. Only, the Valkyrie was already awake, alert eyes fixed on the door. She placed a soft kiss on Bo's lips before she slipped from the bed.

  “I need you to fake being asleep.”

  In the gathering shadows of the room, Hlif glided to the door using the shadows. She listened at the door before she gave Bo a curt nod. Mussing her hair, she yawned loudly before she unlocked the door and pulled it open. Through the slits of her eyes, Bo recognized the nurse who had walked in on them earlier.

  “Time for my rounds,” she said cheerily. “If you could wait outside for a little while, please.”

  “No problem,” Hlif mumbled around a yawn as she stepped around the nurse. Just as the woman had her back turned, the Valkyrie struck. The nurse valiantly tried to fight back, but the powerful headlock proved too much for the smaller woman. Hlif pulled the unconscious woman into the shadows and propped her up in the dark corner behind the door.

  Bo sat up, but Hlif signalled for her not to move. She pulled a dagger from behind her back and pressed back against the wall next to the door. Bo was struck by how deadly Hlif looked with the light from the corridor throwing shadows on her chiselled face, her body taut as a bow as she waited. Two shadows appeared in the door and Bo stiffened in alarm. Both entered the room soundlessly. The door slammed shut behind them and they spun around, but weren’t fast enough.

  Bo watched a lot of movies, especially action-packed thrillers. Seeing the bad guys cut down wasn’t something new to her. However, seeing the cold, efficient way that Hlif dealt with the intruders, was equal parts admirable and terrifying. The blade of the knife flashed a few times and the men silently crumpled to the floor. Even in the dark, the large pools of blood forming under their bodies were visible. She hugged herself as she lay under the covers, watching Hlif slip from the room.

  Hlif, the Supreme Valkyrie was in a vengeful mood.

  Chapter 17

  There was a tightness in her veins as her blood pumped furiously through her body, exacerbated by the smell of terror in the air. Her enemies knew she was stalking them and they were scared. Terrified. Hlif stopped dead in her tracks. If they were scared of her, they would know of her prowess as a warrior. If so, then why risk a full-frontal attack. She was missing something and leaving Bo unprotected was probably the worst idea right now. She turned on her heel and made a mad dash down the corridor.

  Bo!

  She was at the centre of all this.

  In her eagerness for vengeance, she’d forgotten about that and it could cost her dearly. She came to a stop before Bo’s room and peered around the door. The bed was empty and Hlif’s heart plummeted. She searched the interior of the room. Someone was there. Hlif could feel the hairs on her nape bristle. She needed to deal with this person to get to Bo.

  Hlif entered the room as she tightened her grip on the hilt of the dagger. She was almost next to the bed when she caught a whiff of the intruder’s scent. It was out of place here, but still very familiar to Hlif. With her senses amplified by adrenaline, she could feel Bo nearby. Out of sight, but not far. That didn’t mean she wasn’t detectable to the intruder.

  Hlif walked to the bed. “Are you okay, Bo?”

  “Yes, but I think we’re not alone,” a small voice said from under the bed.

  Hlif pierced the darkness behind the door. “I know.” She tightened her grip on the dagger. A god killer. She would hate to hurt this particular person, but if it came to them or Bo, she had no choice.

  “Will you at least tell me why, Idunn?

  The shadows stirred and Idunn stepped into the dim light. Her eyes were sad, but her mouth was set in a firm line. They stared at each other for the longest time. It hurt Hlif to face her friend and former lov
er at that moment. Over the millennia, Idunn had been her only real friend. Or so she thought. The goddess was there when the loneliness threatened to overwhelm her. She held Hlif when the burden of her situation weighed heavy on her. Hlif, on the other hand, leaned heavily on the proffered shoulder every time it was available.

  “I’m doing this for love.” Idunn pursed her lips. “I’m here because I love you.”

  No! Hlif shook her head slowly. “Idunn.” That was the last thing Hlif had wanted to hear. Idunn knew that no other women would ever be enough after Gurith. She had been clear about that to discourage the goddess from fostering any hope of even a physical liaison between them.

  “What? Did you think that telling me you couldn’t love me would miraculously have terminated my feelings for you?”

  Hlif had no answer for that. Idunn approached Hlif and the Valkyrie registered the fact that the other woman was dressed in full armour. Idunn came prepared for a big showdown.

  “And so you’ve decided to throw your lot in with Loki?” Idunn was here to kill Bo. “I can imagine what he could’ve offered you to side with him.”

  Idunn’s gaze trailed to the bed. “With her out of the way, it would probably take another two thousand years for her to be reincarnated.” She met Hlif’s gaze. “That’s a long time to pine over someone, but enough time to help you forget about her.”

  Hlif inhaled deeply. “That’s not going to happen, Idunn. If Borgny is killed, I assure you that I will choose to follow her in death this time.” She saw Idunn’s eyes widened in horror. She held up the dagger and took in a battle stance. “Let’s settle this.” Idunn was not a fighter, nor was she immune to the celestial weapon.