by S. T. Bende
“And snakes.” Janna shook her head. “What was that about? He can control snakes?”
“Animal manipulation is an advanced dark practice.” Torstein scowled. “I was unaware that he had that ability.”
“Yeah, well, now we know,” Axel said. “So let’s stay away from barns.”
“And the zoo,” Raynor said drily. “I read that they keep polar bears there. Can you imagine what he could do if he got a hold of one of those?”
“Or wildcats,” Brigga whispered. “I read they had those, too.”
“How about we just steer clear of all carnivorous animals?” Axel said easily. “And let’s get this crystal locked away, so we can get back to our boring, collegiate lives.”
“Yours may be boring.” Brigga snorted. “The three of us are in for an earful if Lexi finds out we’ve been gone all night.”
“Luckily, she’s too lazy for Friday morning classes,” I pointed out. “So long as we make it back in time to catch Morgan on her way to folklore, we’ll be fine.”
“We’re nearly to my compound.” Torstein steered the vehicle off the highway, and up a steep hill. “It shouldn’t take long to get this secured, and then I can drop you all off.”
“Sounds good.” Axel leaned back in his seat.
We drove the rest of the way in silence. When we turned into the renowned Spiritual Center for Meditation, I released my hold on Axel’s hand. My pulse quickened as I peered out the window. “There are cars here?”
“Of course,” Torstein said calmly. “Sunrise meditation begins in half an hour.”
“Right.” I’d forgotten about the practicalities of Torstein’s serenity now empire.
“No need to worry. Nobody will see the crystal,” Torstein assured us. “I’ll park around the back.”
He drove past the main building toward the north end of the campus. This side of the compound was home to a collection of bungalows and Torstein’s underground vault—the one currently holding a gaggle of energetically enhanced quanta crystals. He parked in a small garage, then ushered us into the attached bungalow.
“This is my place,” he said. “I’ve got two full bathrooms so Ingrid, Axel, Raynor—feel free to shower and change. Towels are in the hall closet, and my bedroom’s back there.” He pointed. “You’ll find yoga clothes in the bottom drawer of my dresser—help yourselves to whatever fits.”
“Thanks,” I said gratefully. My bare arms were still covered in goose bumps.
“Janna and Brigga, why don’t you come with me? It never hurts to have backup. Once we get the crystal into the vault, I’ll drive you all home.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Janna said.
“I’ve been wanting to see your vault,” Brigga admitted. “Is it true the crystals sing when they’re together?”
Torstein arched his brow at me.
“What? It’s really weird.” I shrugged. “I had to tell somebody.”
“Yes, they sing.” Torstein smiled. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
The three of them headed outside. I went into Torstein’s room and raided his drawer for clothes, while Raynor pulled fresh towels out of the closet.
“You two can go first,” he offered when I came out. “I’ll take the next open shower.”
“Thanks, Raynor.” I traded him sweats and a T-shirt for a thick, white towel. Then I tossed a second set of workout clothes to Axel. “These are for you. See you guys when I’m not covered in saltwater.”
“But it’s such a good look on you,” Axel teased.
“Isn’t it though?” I winked.
I retreated to one of the bathrooms, intent on warming my goose-pimpled flesh with a gloriously hot shower. I’d have much preferred a bath—an hour-long soak in a bubble-filled tub would have been absolute heaven. But after the night I’d had, I had little doubt that this shower would be among the most exquisite experiences of my entire week.
I only wished it could have lasted longer.
Chapter 3
THANKS TO LOS ANGELES’ all-too-predictable traffic, Torstein pulled up to fraternity and sorority row just minutes before we had to leave for class. Axel and Raynor leapt from the SUV and ran across the empty lawn of the Alpha mansion. Most of their housemates preferred to sleep in on Fridays, which made sneaking inside pretty easy for them. Whereas at the Kappa Mu house . . .
“Why are there so many people?” Brigga leaned over my shoulder. She pointed out the darkened window, counting the unusually large number of girls gathered on the porch. “It’s normally just us, Morgan, and a handful of freshmen on Friday mornings.”
“They’re all pledges,” Janna observed. “Maybe they had some kind of event.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Whatever it is, we need a cover story. Uh . . .” I drummed my fingertips on my sheathed sword. “We’re dressed for combat, so theatre rehearsal?”
“Aren’t those usually after school?” Brigga frowned. “We’re also in a car, so early morning coffee run?”
“With swords?” Janna shook her head.
“Besides, they have coffee in the house. Maybe we—oh!” I jumped as a tight fist rapped on Janna’s window. The serene face of our sorority sister/resident yoga instructor, Kenzi Takahashi, peered through the glass. She tucked a strand of glossy, black hair behind her ear as she motioned for Janna to roll the window down.
“What’s that story, now?” Brigga hissed.
“Shh.” Janna forced a smile on her face as she lowered the glass. “Good morning, Kenzi.”
“There you are!” The beads on Kenzi’s caftan clicked as she stepped back onto the grass. “I was worried when you didn’t come to yoga, but it looks like you had another meditation class today. Morning, Torstein.”
Ah, there it was. Our cover story. Thank you, Kenzi.
“Hello.” The guru folded his hands together in prayer. He bowed his head so his long, blond hair fell over his face. When he looked back up, his sky-blue eyes twinkled. “Yes, we were doing a special session together. Because today marks an ancient Norwegian nature ritual, and it’s important to honor our ancestors.”
I snuck a look at Janna. Was that true?
She shrugged as she opened the car door.
“Ooh.” Kenzi nodded. “It’s vital that we pay respect to the souls who have paved the way so that we may follow our unique path of incarnation.”
I glanced at Brigga as we climbed out of the car. Sometimes I had no idea what Kenzi and Torstein were talking about.
“I apologize for keeping them so long. I didn’t realize you have a standing yoga session.” Torstein smiled ruefully. “Perhaps I can make it up to you with a private meditation. What are you doing now?”
Kenzi’s face lit up. “I don’t have class until noon.”
“Great. Hop on in.” Torstein motioned to the now-empty passenger seat. Kenzi climbed inside, and gave the guru a beatific smile. She’d once told us that one-on-ones with the world-renowned spiritual coach were rare—and highly sought after. I wasn’t sure if she had a crush, or just really admired his . . . enlightenment. Either way, her smile lit the entire street as she and Torstein drove away, headed off to discover their inner peace.
Or something.
“Well, that was easy.” Janna walked toward the throng of pledges. She raised her voice as she said, “Good thing our morning meditation class is over in time for school!”
“Yes,” I agreed loudly. “It’s always nice to start the day with a meditation class.”
“You bring that to meditate?” One of the pledges stared at my shield.
“It was a heritage meditation,” Brigga said quickly. “Honoring our ancestors.”
“Oh, right. Because you’re exchange students.” Another pledge nodded. “I’ll bet you miss . . . Sweden?”
“Norway,” Brigga corrected. “And yes. We do.”
“More than you know,” I muttered.
“We’d better get going,” Janna said. “We don’t want to be late for class.”
“Of c
ourse,” one pledge said as she stepped to the side, clearing the path to the door.
I followed Janna and Brigga upstairs and quickly changed out of my borrowed sweats into something more suitable for a morning class at So Cal State. The students here were very particular about their clothes—at least, the female students were. The males seemed to throw on whatever was comfortable. I was only mildly jealous.
When I was dressed, I appraised my outfit with a sigh. “I will never understand their folk costumes.”
“What? Mini-skirts and tight sweaters aren’t your favorite look?” Brigga twirled in front of the full-length mirror. She’d swapped her combat gear for a short, flared skirt and a top that left very little to the imagination. The entire ensemble was in what the girls here called “winter white.”
Whatever that was.
“No. They’re not.” I tugged the hem of my black skater skirt and adjusted the tie on my ballet sweater. The last few weeks had been a crash course in fashion words. Though, to be fair, learning that had been a lot easier than learning to swordfight with Axel without killing him.
“Hustle, ladies,” Janna said. “I just saw Morgan go downstairs. You know how she feels about being late.”
“Better hurry then.” Brigga handed me a notebook. “Class starts in twenty minutes. This week’s lecture is on local legends.”
“How do you remember so much?” I slipped the notebook into the satchel hanging from my desk chair. Then I snuck a quick glance in the mirror. My freckled face was even paler than usual, so I pinched my cheeks to give them a flush of color.
“I’m the disseminator. It’s my job to procure and distribute information.” Brigga rolled her eyes. “Besides, you’re too busy training with Axel to stay on top of our homework assignments.”
“I pull my academic weight here just fine, thank you very much.” I shouldered my bag and tossed my crimson curls over one shoulder. “Besides, someone has to protect our butts in the field.”
“Someones,” Janna corrected. She dusted a coat of blush over her cheeks, giving her cocoa-hued skin a rosy glow. Then she smoothed the front of her dress and grabbed her own pack. A piece of paper fell out, and I bent to pick it up.
“What’s this?”
“Hmm? Oh, good find. It’s my notes on the map we found in Sverrir’s camp. I was brainstorming during astronomy class and—"
“The planetary alignment is in two weeks.” I traced my finger along the page. “His map predicts the energy will funnel to somewhere just south of here. In . . . San Diego?”
Brigga stopped combing her hair. “Our winter formal is in San Diego.”
“What are the odds,” I said drily.
“We don’t have time for that now.” Janna retrieved the paper from my hand. She slid it into her desk drawer and walked through the bedroom door. “Everybody, downstairs. We don’t want Morgan asking questions.”
“Morgan always asks questions,” I mumbled. I plastered a smile on my face and followed my teammates to the first floor. When we reached the dining room, Morgan looked up from the coffee cart with a smile.
“There you are! I was just about to come and check on you.” She raised a travel mug to her lips and took a drink. “Are you ready for Folklore?”
“Almost.” I quickly poured some coffee into a takeaway cup and attached its lid. “Okay, now.”
Janna furrowed her brow. “You actually like that stuff?”
“Not at all,” I admitted. “But it works.”
Janna picked up her own cup and filled it. “Fair enough. Brigga? Want some?”
Brigga wrinkled her nose. “I’ll pass.”
I shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
The four of us walked outside. Raynor and Axel stood on the sidewalk, both with their arms folded across their chests. They’d swapped their borrowed clothes for the athletic pants and hoodies their fraternity brothers wore to classes. I was momentarily distracted by the loose waves that framed Axel’s thick beard—he usually kept his hair pulled back in a man-bun. But it wasn’t long before my eyes zeroed in on the twin sets of yoga pants and cropped tops standing in front of our teammates. Lexi and Becky, my nemesis and her second-in-command, faced Axel and Raynor with their chests pushed forward. They alternated flirty hair tosses with hands-on-hips “I’m listening” poses, and though their backs were to me I could clearly see that they were on the hunt. Lexi’d had her eye on Axel since the day we dropped into Los Angeles. And because she was exceptionally thick-headed, she couldn’t process that Axel was my boyfriend. Even if his eyes did linger on her bare midriff for a few seconds longer than was absolutely necessary.
Irritation nudged at my gut. Why was Axel even—
“What are they doing up?” Janna grimaced.
“You know Lexi would never miss a chance to torture us.” I rolled my eyes.
“Do you think she knows we snuck out?” Brigga wrung her hands together.
“Torstein covered for us,” I reminded her. “And if you think she’s into Axel, just wait until she catches sight of Mister Tall, Blonde, and . . . what did you call him? Gods-level-gorgeous?”
“Shh.” Brigga swatted me. “Raynor will hear you.”
“What will I hear?” Raynor stepped to the side and grinned at Brigga.
Lexi turned around with a scowl. “We were talking.”
“And now we’re walking,” Morgan called from down the sidewalk. She waved the boys toward her. “Sixteen minutes until Folklore.”
“Of course.” Raynor nodded. “Becky. Lexi. Have a good morning.”
“You’ll let us know?” Lexi twirled her hair around one finger. She batted her lashes. “You know, about our offer?”
“I don’t think that it’s the best idea.” Axel reached out and rested his fingertips on Lexi’s shoulder. Every nerve in my body pinged with irritation.
Why is he touching her?
“Just think about it,” Lexi wheedled.
“Think about what?” I stepped forward so I stood closer Axel.
“Please.” Lexi kept her focus on my boyfriend. Whose hand still had not left Lexi’s arm.
What the actual Helheim, Axel?
“Look, we appreciate it,” he said. His fingertips tightened around her shoulder. Lexi practically purred.
My irritation jumped to anger. “What do you appreciate?”
Axel turned to me with an easy smile. Apparently, he was oblivious to his tremendous display of idiocy.
Typical.
“I appreciate Lexi’s invitation to, uh . . .” His eyes glazed over as Lexi pulled her shoulders back and stuck out her chest.
“Her invitation to what?” I prompted through gritted teeth.
“Huh? Oh. To present the seniors at the winter formal.” Axel’s gaze slowly shifted from Lexi’s cleavage to my clenched jaw. “Hey, you okay? You look tense.”
I swear to gods, I am going to kill him.
Raynor chimed in just as I balled my fists. “What Axel’s trying to say is that as honored as we are, we have to decline. The terms aren’t agreeable given our situation.”
“What are the terms?” I drew my elbow back. I still hadn’t ruled out clocking Axel in his insanely square jaw.
“Just think on it, mmm? It would make the formal so . . . perfect.” Lexi ran one finger along Axel’s considerable bicep. “Well, we’ll see you around.”
“See you.” Axel shot Lexi a goofy smile before sauntering to my side. “Hey, you,” he said as if nothing had happened.
That’s it. I’m punching him.
He tilted his head and stared at me. “You really do look tense. Anything wrong?”
A low growl built in my throat. If Axel thought it was okay to flirt with other girls—especially really awful ones—in front of me, then maybe we weren’t where I thought we were.
I turned on my heel and stormed down the sidewalk.
“Ingrid!” Axel’s footsteps pounded behind me. “Are you mad?”
“Are you seriously asking that?”
I took a furious drag on my coffee. Hot liquid splashed down my throat, and I sputtered.
“Come on, Shieldmaiden,” he pleaded. I shirked his hand off my shoulder. “Just talk to me.”
“Wouldn’t you rather be talking to Lexi?” I didn’t slow my stride.
“Not particularly.” He fell in step beside me. Janna, Brigga, and Raynor kept a safe distance.
“Oh, no?” I glared at him. “Because your focus seemed pretty clear.”
On her prominently displayed chest.
Grr.
“Well, ja.” Axel looked confused. “I was clear that I wouldn’t be her date to the formal.”
My cup slipped from my hand. Axel’s hand snaked out to catch it before I dropped my coffee all over my shoes.
“Can I have some?” He didn’t wait for an answer before lifting the cup to his pale, perfect lips. “Mmm. This is good stuff.”
“Lexi asked you to the winter formal?” I balked.
“Well, technically she asked if Raynor and I would present the seniors.” Axel took another drink. “What she didn’t mention until later was that we’d have to be her and Becky’s dates to do it.”
My eyes narrowed to slits. “What do you mean, later? How long were you talking to her?”
Axel took one more sip before passing the cup back to me. “I don’t know. Why? You jealous, Shieldmaiden?”
I tossed my hair. “Ha. You wish.”
“Aw, don’t be like that.” He slung an arm around my shoulders and led us down the sidewalk. “You know you’re the only girl for me.”
“Didn’t look like it,” I muttered.
“I was just maintaining our cover.” He leaned in to brush a series of feather-light kisses along my neck. Goose bumps broke out across my skin as his tongue moved slowly up to my ear. Gods, he was good at this.
“Ja. Well . . .” I reluctantly leaned away. “Just remember this cover will end. Lexi’s not going home with us.”
“Good.” Axel leaned in again. “Now, how can I make you less mad? I know. What if I—”
