by T. G. Ayer
"My dear, thank you so much for coming."
"It's my pleasure, my lord. I would have loved to see Ellen. Is she around?" I asked, moving closer to him.
He hesitated for a moment, then looked sadly at my face. "Sorry, dear, Ellen's gone skiing in the Alps. She left yesterday. Probably why you don't know." His voice was ragged as he spoke, as if he were holding back a rising dam of tears.
"Oh well, I'll bump into her sooner or later." I gave a shrug. "I was just wondering. If she's stuck, I could probably help her out," I said, keeping my eyes on his face. He hesitated again, his eyes flicking to his guards who stood closely behind him.
"What do you mean?" he asked, fear flashing across his face.
"Oh, you know, with school and stuff." I shrugged. "You'll tell her, won't you? I'm happy to be her savior." I giggled, and the lord's lips curved in a parody of a smile as I kept deadly serious eyes on him. For once, I was glad another human being was aware enough to read between the lines. He knew what I meant, but I needed more information from him.
I glanced at Joshua, then back at McClellan. "Lord McClellan? Might have a word with you in private?" I asked, giving him a sultry stare. That should throw his frosty goons off a little bit. They were listening closely to our conversation and seemed to be getting impatient.
"Of course, my dear. We can talk outside." He led me to the balcony where I was sure Siri and Ed were waiting, but when we walked out onto the marbled patio, it was empty.
Joshua walked closely behind us with the frost giants bringing up the rear. They seemed agitated, as if McClellan were acting out of character. Which he probably was considering I was pressing him for info.
As I walked toward the balustrade with McClellan, I faked a trip and fell to my knees. As soon as McClellan came close to help me up, I whispered, "Where are they keeping them?"
This time he didn't hesitate. He whispered an address in my ear, and thankfully I didn't need to worry about memorizing it. My attention remained on the frost giant guards who were more suspicious than ever.
As I rose to my feet, I whispered. "As soon as we have them, we will come for you."
He said nothing, but the look in his eyes showed me how grateful he was. Then he took a deep breath. "Ah yes, my dear. I am so glad you are friends with Ellen. She's a good girl."
Joshua closed in on my left while the two, now exceedingly suspicious, Jotunn closed in on us. One went to McClellan and whispered something in his ear, to which the old man said, "She's just a friend of my daughter's. Of course I have to speak to her." Then he turned to me, clearly upset by whatever the Jotunn had said. "I'm sorry, my dear. You'll have to excuse me. Duty calls."
I continued to smile and nod respectfully as he stalked off, his guards in tow.
One of the frost giants gave me a suspicious glare, and I tightened the glamor around my wings. My glamor was particularly powerful, but I couldn't tell if he knew something or not.
I held my breath as Joshua and I watched them go. As soon as they left the balcony, Edrik and Siri appeared, the air around them silky and shimmering. I looked at Siri. She was about to transform when the Jotunn that had eyeballed me returned through the doors and headed straight for me. Everyone stiffened.
"May I see your invitations, please?" he asked, his hand held out, palm up. Fury rippled through me at the gall of this creature. We had just established that the frost giants were controlling McClellan by holding his family ransom, and it was seriously pissing me off.
I wanted to slice his head off his body right there, but the only weapon I'd brought was Gungnir, and right now a spear between the eyes looked doable. I glanced at Joshua then Edrik, a sign to be ready just in case this creep decided to try anything.
He didn't wait too long to make his move. "Stay right where you are and don't move," he growled, as if we were about to obey him.
I couldn't wait to figure out if they'd made us. Surely enough time had passed for them to have figured out we weren't who we claimed to be. By now, the whole house full of guards should be descending on us, and I could only assume this particular Jotunn was the first of the lot.
He reached inside his jacket and withdrew a gun, which he aimed at me. Joshua pushed me behind him. "Careful where you point that thing, man," said Joshua, injecting a good amount of annoyance into his voice.
"I said don't move," the Jotunn repeated, and I could tell from the look in his eye that he had no compunctions about pulling the trigger.
Hidden by Joshua, I slipped the spear free from the harness behind me while watching the Jotunn as his hand moved to his side and he grabbed the speaker of a walkie-talkie. I couldn't allow him to speak into it and let security know where we were.
I gripped the spear and slipped around Joshua. At the same time, I saw Edrik glamor up and fly straight at the frost giant. I certainly didn't need his help, but thankfully, I could still see the haze of his glamor and was able to tell the two apart.
The only problem was they were now wrestling on the ground before us, grunts and growls emanating from the struggling pair. I winced, hoping it wasn't loud enough to alert anyone. We had to get this sorted.
I glanced at Siri. "Scale up," I said, and she gave me short nod before walking backward a few yards. I didn't bother to tell Joshua to get up onto Siri because I knew he wouldn't do it without me.
It was pretty hard not to watch Siri's transformation. Golden dust and light swirled around her, the sparkling ball growing larger until it was the size of a semi. Then in a puff of golden smoke, the dust and light disappeared and a golden dragon stood in its place, giving a sniff that sounded more like a sneeze.
The Jotunn on the floor was in the perfect position to see the dragon, who now stared back at him. He struggled even harder, and I was proud of Edrik giving the creep a run for his money, matching him in both strength and technique.
But it was time to end this.
I waited, then aimed my spear. As I calmed myself, I said three words, "Edrik, go right."
He moved immediately, rolling off the Jotunn and away toward Siri. I didn't see his reaction to her new form, my eyes focusing on the Jotunn. I aimed and threw the spear. It landed in the middle of the frost giant's neck, the slight plink of metal against stone confirming it went right through.
The Jotunn huffed, then fell slack, his glamor disappearing to reveal a blue-skinned, blue-veined ugly-as-hell frost giant. I grabbed Gungnir and pulled it out of his neck, making a face, knowing I'd have to wipe frost giant blood off it. And I had nothing with me. We certainly hadn't planned for every situation.
I held the spear away from me, thinking only of the rich and expensive fabric of the dress that would certainly be ruined by the Jotunn blood. I ran for Siri and she knelt, lowering her leg so we'd have something to climb up on. Joshua and I made it all the way up to the top of her back before realizing Edrik still stood beside her, stock still.
"Edrik," I called as loudly as I dared. "Get moving."
But he seemed deaf to my voice. Siri glanced around at me, her great big golden eyes asking a question I couldn't understand. Then she turned around and opened the claws of her arm, wrapping them gently around the Ulfr.
Siri lowered her body, and I could feel the tension build and ripple through her as she prepared for takeoff, but she never got off the ground.
The Jotunn I'd stuck through the neck groaned and shoved himself up on his elbows. I stared at him over my shoulder in horror. What the hell was he? Some kind of Terminator frost giant?
I turned back to Siri, ready to tell her I'd sort him out once and for all, but instead, in her low dragon voice, she said, "Leave him to me." The was a certain edge to her tone that told me she would not welcome my interference. So I stayed silent on her back.
She shifted to face him, one hand still holding Edrik, whose face was now red and stressed. She opened her mouth and sent a column of flame straight at the frost giant. She fried him to a crisp, leaving nothing more than a pile of ash on the floor.
Then she flapped her wings and rose into the air, the wind she generated blowing the ash all across the patio and out onto the lawn. There was no sign of the Jotunn left.
With a snuff and a toss of her head, she turned and flew away from the castle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Siri flew off, flapping her leathery wings hard against the cold night air. I wondered if it was difficult for her to carry all that extra weight and chided myself for not thinking of checking with her before we set out on this escapade. A glance behind me at the brightly lit castle confirmed nobody had come running to look for the frost giant. I snorted. When they did finally miss him, they'd wonder forever where he'd gone.
I was still chilled to the bone to think that Loki had been right there within reach and I couldn't do a thing about it. It looked to me like he wanted to be near the big deal when it finally went off. Knowing the audacity of the god he'd likely carry out the purchase himself. Poor McClellan. He'd never stood a chance against the Trickster.
The wind grabbed my hair as Siri banked right and headed in the direction of the helicopter, which still sat waiting in the field. As we flew closer, I managed to make out the dark splodge of shadow that was our ticket out of here. It gleamed in the dull light of the moon like a giant whetstone. At this time of night, it was hard to see if we'd destroyed crops or other vegetation by landing in the field, but that was the last thing I had time to think about right now.
Siri leaned forward, stretching out her forelegs, and for a moment I was worried how she'd land, crushing our poor Ulfr agent. But Siri touched ground smoothly on three legs, settling beside the helicopter and lowering her hand to gently place Edrik on the ground. So gently he didn't even need to regain his balance.
She paused to let us slide off her. The scales along her back were smooth as silk, and although I'd been concerned about something catching the fabric of my gown, I needn't have worried. The only thing I had to concern myself with was Odin's spear still coated with frost giant blood.
As soon as we were clear of the dragon, Siri transformed smoothly back into her human form, with just a smattering of golden dust and just a light puff of golden air. She fluffed out her golden hair and smoothed down her dress as she followed us back to the helicopter. It was the strangest sight I'd ever seen. A golden dragon transforming into a girl in a golden gown. Just uniquely beautiful.
As soon as we stepped inside the helicopter, the pilot started the engines and began to flick buttons and knobs on the console in front of him. I laid the spear on the floor in front of me, setting a foot on it so it wouldn't roll away and disappear beneath the seats. We strapped up tight in preparation for takeoff.
After we were airborne and on our way, I asked, "Anybody have a wet wipe?" The pilot pointed behind his seat. Siri, sitting back to back with him, leaned sideways and withdrew a small black bag, unzipped it, and produced a packet of baby wipes. I grabbed a few and proceeded to deal with the spear, all the while making a disgusted face.
Siri giggled. "It's only blood," she said, thoroughly amused.
"It's frost giant blood. That's just eww," I said, glaring at her. Everyone broke out into laughter at that.
After the laughter died down, I noticed Derek staring at Siri, his eyes a little rounder than normal, pure admiration on his face. Looking at me, Siri followed my gaze to Derek and frowned. "What's the matter?" she asked, her cheeks a little pink.
He sucked in a breath. "I can't believe it. You toasted him to ash."
She chuckled. "That's the way you deal with a frost giant. No nonsense, no messing around. Just toast," she said with a cheeky grin.
I snorted, staring at her, wanting to laugh. "You enjoyed that," I said suspiciously.
"I'm afraid I did." She giggled. "It's not often I get to use my abilities to win battles. Not that this one was on any kind of grand scale, but I still think it counts." She shrugged, her lip twisting in a wry smirk.
I shook my head at her, then tried to refocus my attention on someone else who might need it more. I glanced at Edrik, who sat quietly beside me, his face turned to the window. I nudged him in the side. "Hey, you okay?" I asked, watching his face.
He turned to me and a small smile curved his lips as he said, "Sure, as okay as a guy can feel about being a coward." His jaw was tight and his shoulders tense as his mouth twisted in self-disgust. He glanced away again.
I touched his arm. "Hey, there is nothing cowardly about feeling the way you do. Is it the heights or the dragon?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
"The height," he said softly, the skin at his eyes tightening. "There has never been a need for me to be airborne before. The helicopter is bad enough, but at least being inside helps." He stopped abruptly and pumped his jaw.
"It really is okay, you know. Everyone has fears. Besides, it's not as if you need to fly on a dragon's back for your job. Who knows? The need may never arise again." I shrugged lightly, hoping he saw I meant what I said.
But his gaze turned on me, his emotions giving it a distinct loping shape. "I am a warrior. Warriors do not fear."
I snorted. "If you told me you didn't fear anything, I'd tell you you're off my team."
His eyes widened and confusion flickered within their dark depths. "Why would you do such a thing? You need brave warriors by your side."
"I need warriors who are afraid way more than I need one who is fearless. Fear means you will not be reckless. Because recklessness courts danger." I met his eyes, tilting my head a little to examine his face.
He lips curved wryly. "You know, for a human girl, you are extremely smart."
"You forget. I am no longer human." I winked.
His smile disappeared and he shifted more toward me. "I do apologize, Brynhildr. I did not mean to insult you."
I waved him off. "No need to apologize. I've been human most of my life so I can't deny being one. And despite my wings and my responsibility, I have yet to begin to feel un-human," I said with a grin.
He nodded. "Thank you for being so good to me. We have heard much of what is said about you, Brynhildr. And I see that it's all true."
Startled, I did a quick double take. "What have they been saying?" I asked, curious as to what people said about me behind my back. It had never bothered me before what people discussed while I wasn't around, simply because in the past, most people disliked me or what I was the moment they met me. But since my entry to Asgard, I could think of only one person who'd made me feel like I was back in school, and that was the Valkyrie Astrid, Freya's former 2IC. As for her, I hadn't seen hide nor hair of her for a while.
Edrik shook his head and laughed softly. But his attempt to answer me was disturbed by Derek, who was trying to get my attention. "We've located the address that McClellan gave you and we already have a team in place. I'm assuming you want your team to go in ASAP?"
"I do. And how soon can you rustle us up some house plans? And find out if the place is alarmed. How many guards, that sort of thing," I asked. I was thinking off the top of my head. This kind of super-spy espionage stuff wasn't something I'd ever expected to do. "We can finalize a plan of attack as soon as we know what we are up against."
Derek was already tapping away at his keyboard before I finished speaking. I was beginning to have a soft spot for the kid, with his bumbling ways and his tendency to go off on a tangent. I wouldn't say adorable because, well, how many nerds are really adorable? But he'd grown on me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Once we returned to HQ, Iain led us to the upper level of the main house and showed us a set of rooms. Much like New York HQ, the London offices provided comfortable resting areas for visiting teams. We were glad for a shower and a hot meal. I stood by the window and looked out at the dark street. The world continued to spin, people continued to live, while we fought to allow them the privilege of their ignorant and peaceful lives.
I sighed, the memory of Loki and his inter-dimensional abduction making me shiver. How the hell was he able t
o do that? And it was the second time too. The last time he'd taken me mid-travel, I'd told Odin, but even he hadn't been able to come up with a way to prevent it.
I frowned and rubbed my forehead. What did Loki have that enabled him to find me on the bridge whenever he wanted? He didn't seem to have the same kind of ability to track me when I wasn't traveling. I stiffened. Loki did have my blood after all the experimentation he and his son had done on me. Maybe he had a way to find me in the bridge by using my blood, some kind of weird nine realms magic or something.
I stretched my neck and kneaded the knots in my shoulders, then sank onto the bed. I knew I wouldn't get any sleep. My mind wouldn't let me, considering everything it had to process and everything I was anticipating over the next few days.
While we got a little R&R, Derek was working magic with his little fingers. After struggling to even get comfortable on the incredible firm and comfortable mattress, I hurried back downstairs to check on him and was glad to find him bouncing around, impatient for someone to show up.
His hazel eyes sparkled when he saw me, and he beckoned me, excitement coloring his features. "Oh good, I was waiting for someone to come down."
"You should have come looking for us, then," I said, pulling up a chair and sinking into it.
"Oh, I didn't want to disturb you guys." The wary expression on his face said he wouldn't have dared. I opened my mouth, almost giving in to the urge to advantage of this opportunity to be alone with Derek. He saw me hesitate and asked, "What? What do you need?"
I scanned the room and found it empty, then focused on Derek. "I need you to do some research for me, totally off books." He leaned closer to listen. Seemed he too liked the idea of a top-secret mission. "Is there a way for you to digitally hack into the Bifrost?"
