Shatterproof

by Stein Willard

  Uhm...

  She blinked. Gurith. She’d almost forgotten about her. Except for a few out of character moments during the night, the woman had mostly stayed in the shadows. She looked at Hlif again as the Valkyrie chatted with Magarethe. That there was a lot of woman. More than enough for the both of them and some.

  We need to find a way to sort out this…this association of ours, Gurith.

  I fully agree. Having to step in at the last moment last night when you were fading, shouldn’t happen.

  Bo blushed and when she looked up from her mug, found Magarethe and Hlif looking at her.

  “Flashbacks,” Magarethe said smugly. “They’re really fun.”

  I love your mother, Borgny.

  Bo shook her head at the question in Hlif’s eyes. She wasn’t in the mood to discuss her vulgar alter ego right now.

  Vulgar? Really! Weren’t you the one who grabbed Hlif’s…?

  She quickly rose from her seat. “I think I’ll go unpack and lie down for a moment.” She fled the room, but she could still overhear her mother’s dry comment.

  “Must’ve been quite a night for the poor girl. I knew you would be a handful.”

  An uncontrollable bout of coughing ensued and Bo wondered if it had been wise to leave Hlif to the mercy of her mother.

  ***

  Shawn studied the hilt of the dagger closely; turning it around in his hands before he gently placed it back on the soft cloth. His eyes were wide with wonder.

  “It’s still a lot to take in, after all this time.”

  Harald shrugged. “Well, you’re lucky that you have all the first-hand knowledge at your disposal.”

  Shawn studied the other man as he calmly sipped his coffee. He was clean-shaven and dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, the archetype of the modern Nordic man. Handsome and powerfully built. “Now that you’ve found Gurith and your family, what are your plans for the future?”

  The pale blue eyes brightened. “I’m thinking of staying and helping out at the security firm. It seems as if Hlif will follow Bo to America and I find I like it here.”

  “Not a bad idea. Would you be fine being so far from your daughter?”

  He hesitated for a moment. “She doesn’t remember me much, but I know that she’ll be happy and safe with Hlif.”

  Shawn kept his eyes on Harald and not on the woman who had entered the tent. Bo was dressed just as casual as Harald, jeans and a t-shirt. She came to stand next to Harald’s chair and placed her hand on his shoulder.

  “With all the drama of the past two months, we never had a chance to talk, the two of us. Gurith remembers you and I speak for her when I say that she’d love to reconnect with you.”

  Harald smiled broadly, his eyes shining brightly at the news. “I’d like that very much. Please tell her that.”

  “She heard you.”

  Harald squeezed Bo’s hand. Shawn pointed at the coffee pot and Bo quickly shook her head.

  “Hlif warned me about the coffee here.”

  “You get used to the taste,” Harald offered helpfully to Shawn’s disgust. Two sets of identical blue eyes met his and they all burst out laughing.

  “Well, we can’t all afford gourmet coffee made by someone who had centuries to refine the art of brewing it.” He pointed at the chair and Bo took a seat. “Thanks for coming over to help out with identifying the objects. I’ve received the go-ahead for the museum and now I’m rushing to classify the items while the Ministry is sending some architects over to inspect the tomb.”

  “Sure. I’ll help with anything.”

  They have made great headway when Hlif entered the tent two hours later with Styrofoam packs containing their lunch. Shawn liked seeing how Bo’s face light up at the sight of her partner. Hlif was dressed for work in one of her usual three-piece suits, this time minus the jacket.

  He and Harald dug into their lunch while Bo and Hlif picked at theirs, their desire for each other much greater than their appetite for food. Feeling sorry for them, he informed Bo that she’d been quite helpful, but that she could take a break and inspect the site with Hlif while he worked with Harald. Both women shot out of their chairs and were gone before he could change his mind.

  He had news for anybody who tried convincing him that love simply wasn’t enough to withstand some hard times. In the strangest of events ever, he’d been a witness to the existence of a love so powerful it endured for millennia and had remained shatterproof despite the countless blows from the harshest adversity.

  Death.

  Shawn caught Harald’s knowing look and they both smiled.

  EPILOGUE

  Three months later…

  Hlif disliked crowds.

  She looked around for Bo and saw her in conversation with a group of well-dressed patrons. When she had decided to follow Bo to the States and to take over the office here, she knew that Bo’s life included an active social life. Since she moved here a month ago, they had spent their nights at home watching television or making love. Hlif had dreaded their first social event since she still felt ruefully out of touch with the social customs of the country. Besides feeling uncomfortable with so many people around, she didn’t want to embarrass Bo.

  She felt a hand on her arm and smiled with relief at Magarethe, who was accompanied by Jennifer. The older woman squeezed her arm gently.

  “Not one for crowds, I see.” Jennifer held a champagne glass out to her. “Don’t worry, they’ll all get drunk soon, and then you’ll feel as if you’re at a zoo, from the way some of them will act.” She looked around. “I must say, Sara certainly managed to bring the Nepalese theme to life. Even the catering was done by a Nepalese chef.”

  Hlif wanted to kiss the woman for drawing her attention from her discomfort by engaging her in conversation. She agreed. Sara had indeed managed to pull off a miracle in such a short period. From Bo’s conversations with Sara, Hlif knew there had been a delay in the transportation of the cargo, amongst many other issues. However, it all seemed to have come together rather nicely. The ‘who’s-who’ of the city were in attendance and enjoying the show. The cultural attaché from the Nepalese embassy was in high demand, as soon after his short speech, he was besieged with questions and demands for more information on the pieces on display.

  Magarethe and Jennifer were discussing a particular piece they’d seen earlier, when the hair on Hlif’s nape bristled. She turned to see Maxima approach. She immediately recalled the strange, but short conversation, they’d had back in Iceland. The woman had good reason to be concerned, for only supernatural beings would elicit the kind of physical response Maxima’s proximity had on Hlif.

  Maxima looked relaxed and more than a little relieved. It must’ve been quite difficult for Maxima considering the stress Sara had been under to get the exhibition up and running on schedule. She looked rather striking dressed in a tuxedo with a white jacket, which emphasised her swarthy Mediterranean looks. She smiled brightly at them and greeted the two older women, each with a kiss to the cheek. She shook Hlif’s hand and looked around.

  “After all these years, I still struggle with crowds.”

  Glad to hear that she wasn’t the only one, Hlif nodded. “Does it ever get better?”

  “I hope so; otherwise I’ll have to drink more to feel less awkward.”

  Hlif grinned and glance in Bo’s direction. She was talking to an attractive, older woman now. Bo suddenly glanced her way and smiled. Hlif returned the smile and saw Bo gestured to the woman before the two of them began their trek across the large room towards her.

  “Do you think we could meet and talk a little,” Maxima said quietly next to her, immediately drawing Hlif’s attention. The woman’s eyes were serious.

  “Yes, we should talk. Give me a call when you find the time, I’ll come see you.” When Maxima smiled warmly, Hlif realized just how heavy the issue had been weighing on the other woman.

  “I’ll be in touch.” She noticed Bo approach. “I think Aspen would love to join us.
If it’s okay with you, I’ll let her know.”

  “That would be helpful. That way we can come to a decision together.”

  Maxima nodded slowly. “You sound so sure. Do you believe me?”

  She tilted her head to the side and studied Maxima closely. “Believe me, we do have something to discuss.”

  Bo reached them and after a quick kiss to Bo’s cheek, Maxima excused herself. Hlif felt the newcomer’s eyes on her and she turned her attention to Bo’s friend. The woman gave her a slow smile and held out her hand. Ah, she was one of those. Rich, flirty and very confident.

  “Lisa Vaughn, pleased to meet you.”

  “Lisa, this is Hlif Svendson,” Bo hooked her arm through Hlif’s arm. The look she gave Hlif made her knees weak. “The love of my life.”

  “Oh!” The woman looked shocked as her gaze darted between Hlif and Bo. It finally settled on Hlif. This time her eyes had a soft glow to them. “So, you’re the lucky woman, Hlif.” Not sure how to respond to that, Hlif only smiled. “The gorgeous and quiet type. Congratulations, Bo.”

  Bo blushed and moved to her mother. “Lisa, meet my mother, Magarethe.”

  Hlif felt the air shift as the two women studied each other. Her brow slowly crawled upward at the change that came over Lisa Vaughn. The woman, who had earlier been so confident and flirty, all of a sudden appeared shell-shocked. The haughtiness that had clung to her had disappeared completely. She looked almost shy as she reached out her hand. Magarethe, on the other hand, had a piercing, almost predatory look in her eyes as she watched the other woman. Hlif glanced at Bo and found her lover sporting a confused look on her face.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Magarethe.”

  “The pleasure is all mine.”

  The air still crackled between the women even when Lisa moved on to greet Jennifer. Jennifer seemed to have noticed the undercurrent and she quickly drew Lisa into the conversation she and Magarethe had been involved in about one of the pieces.

  Bo pulled Hlif aside and looked up at her with wide eyes.

  “Did that just happen or was it my imagination?”

  “You weren’t imagining it, my love.” Hlif desperately wanted to kiss Bo at that moment. She looked gorgeous in a white short-sleeved dress that clung to her tall body. The evening dress ended with a long slit on the side, which exposed a tanned leg, to gracefully pool at Bo’s feet. It had been hard for Hlif to restrain herself when the blonde had floated into the lounge of their home, where Hlif was sipping on a drink while waiting for her.

  “Are you okay with your mother and your friend being…you know?”

  Bo frowned. “Aren’t we jumping the gun here?”

  Hlif glanced at the women as they talk animatedly. The chemistry between Lisa and Magarethe was growing stronger as the seconds ticked by. Their eyes kept straying to each other even as they tried to fake an interest in whatever Jennifer was saying.

  Jennifer excused herself politely and came to join them.

  “If your mother had a curfew tonight, just know that she might not stick to it,” she said with a naughty smile before moving on. Magarethe and Lisa were staring wordlessly at each other and Hlif shrugged.

  “I think you’re right. Maybe we’re jumping the gun here.” The remark earned her a pinch on the arm.

  “Let’s go join our friends at the bar,” Bo suggested. Aspen, Maxima and their spouses were standing at the bar chatting. “Maybe we could slip away early. Lisa will make sure my mother gets home safe tonight.”

  Much later that night, they ended up making love in the Jacuzzi. Hlif cradled Bo against her afterwards, looking up at the dark sky. What she missed the most about Iceland, was the night sky. Even then, it wasn’t anywhere near as pleasurable as waking up next to Bo every morning.

  “You know, we’re luckier than most couples.”

  Hlif tightened her hold on Bo. “Why do you say that?”

  “We don’t have to worry about getting married and it not working out.” She lifted her head from Hlif’s chest. “What do you think?”

  “You’re right. I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you and I knew then already that I’d love you forever.” Bo smiled as she ran her hand over Hlif’s chest. “Why do you bring up marriage? Do you want to get married?”

  Bo looked worried. “Is it not too early for you? I mean you’ve just moved here and you’re still adjusting and stuff.”

  Hlif cupped Bo’s cheek. “You know I’d do anything and everything for you, don’t you?” She saw Bo becoming worried. “But getting married to you will be something I’m going to do for myself. I’ve always wanted it and anytime will be the right time for me.”

  The pale eyes filled with tears. “So, if I asked you now, would you say yes?”

  “Yes.”

  Bo curled her arms around Hlif’s neck. “Hlif, Supreme Valkyrie, and daughter of Odin, will you marry me?”

  “Borgny Witteman, it would be an honour to be your wife.”

  They kissed deeply before leaving the warmth of the Jacuzzi for the comfortable bed in their room to celebrate their engagement.

  THE END

  OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

  The Guardian Series

  Book 1:A Guardian’s Touch

  Book 2:A Guardian’s Love

  Book 3:A Guardian’s Passion

  Book 4:A Guardian’s Salvation

  Book 5:A Guardian’s Eternity

  The Eternal Series

  (Guardian Series spin-off)

  Book 1:An Eternal Family

  The Stone Warrior Series

  Book 1:To Be Unbroken

  Book 2:Carved in Stone

  Other

  Afterglow

  Phantom of the Heart

  Spoils of War

  Random Convergences

  Hereafter

  Blood Oaths (Anthology)

  Worlds Apart

  Thicker than Blood (Anthology)