by Brenda Drake
“Cannonball!” Kyle yelled right before his balled-up body slapped into the water beside them.
A mini tsunami rolled over Stevie and she swallowed a bunch of water. She choked and went under. Something wrapped around her leg and dragged her down. Kicking hard against the water, she moved her arms frantically trying to get back to the surface. The air in her lungs was running out and her heart hammered in her throat. Bubbles surrounded her and she couldn’t see.
Strong arms wrapped around her chest and whatever was around her ankle slipped away. She broke out of the surface, gasping for air and coughing up water. Blake held her from behind and swam to the edge of the pool.
“Shit, man,” Kyle said from outside the pool. “I’m so sorry.” He grasped her arms and pulled her out.
Stevie leaned over, trying to catch her breath.
A wave of water came out of the pool and smacked against the tiles as Blake pulled himself out. He wrapped his arms around her. “Easy,” he said. “Slow down your breathing.”
“What was in there?” She coughed up more water. “Something grabbed my leg.”
Blake glanced at the pool. “There’s nothing in there.”
Kyle went to the edge of the pool, searching for whatever Stevie had felt around her leg. “Dude, look at that.” He pointed across the pool.
Stevie and Blake looked to where he was pointing.
“Is that a trail of mud?” Stevie scooted away from the pool on her butt. Only stopping when her back hit the wall.
Blake ran around the pool to the other side. Crouching in front of the trail, he touched the mud, then glanced around the area. He went over to the door leading to the outside patio and shut it. His feet slapped across the tiles as he returned to Stevie and Kyle.
“I think a snake got in,” he said.
“A snake?” Stevie jumped up, fell onto a chaise lounge, and hugged her legs. “I want to go back to my room.”
“Come on,” Kyle said. “We’ll walk you back.”
“I can’t.” Tears burned her eyes. “Is it still in here?”
Blake bent over and lifted Stevie into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck. His chest rose and fell against hers.
Kyle held open the door leading to the hall for them. Blake carried her out and put her down. She stood there on the carpet in her wet cami and underwear, water dripping off her onto the carpet.
“I’ll get your clothes and a towel,” Blake said and returned to the pool area.
“Nice,” Kyle said, his eyes traveling over her. “You should wear less clothes more often.”
She gave him an incredulous look. “You’re such a perv.”
“And you like that about me,” he said, slouching off down the hall and saying over his shoulder, “I’ll leave you alone with your hero. And by the way, Grace keeps shooting down my advances. Looks like your Romeo is stuck with another Juliet. But not to worry, you always have me.” He jumped and slapped the roof before turning down the other hallway.
“Yeah, not happening!”
She had to laugh. There was something about Kyle that was endearing.
Sort of.
fimtán
Blake kept his eyes on the pool as he grabbed Stevie’s pajama bottoms and an abandoned towel from a chaise lounge. The muddy track with traces of sea matter suggested the creature in the pool was Draugr—a spirit covered in algae with a lust for drowning its victims. It must’ve ensnared Stevie’s ankle with one of its seaweeds.
But it let go. There wasn’t a fight. Why?
The creatures from the nine worlds of Yggdrasil were after Stevie. They knew she had the horn. He should have realized that when Jörd showed up in her chariot. She knew it was Stevie when he wasn’t certain yet. He needed to perform the ritual to save her before all of Yggdrasil descended upon them.
On his way out of the pool room, he spotted a deflated ball and a wrapped net to the side of the door, giving him an idea.
When he returned to a trembling Stevie, she had her arms wrapped around her chest, lips turning a little blue. Her hair was a wet tangled mess. The drenched pink tank top hanging from her shoulders revealed her heart surgery scar. It reminded him how weak she was, but he always thought of her as strong. Her will and her stubbornness made up for the limitation of her damaged heart.
As he got closer, he noticed her top and panties were a little see-through, and everything that reminded him he was a male noticed it, too.
He cleared his throat and regrettably wrapped the towel around her and handed her the pajama bottoms. “I found what had attacked you. It was a volleyball net. You know, like the one at the park, but for water.”
She gave him a doubtful look. “Then where did the mud come from?”
“Must’ve been some kids. They left the patio door open.”
The worry lines in her forehead disappeared. “That’s dangerous. Someone could drown. Case in point, me. We should tell the front desk.”
“I shall tomorrow.” He wasn’t going to, but telling her he would seemed to make her feel better. “Right now, you need a hot shower.”
And he probably could use a cold one.
Blake shuffled across the restaurant to where Kyle sat with Stevie. Plates were stacked on the table from the breakfast bar. He stretched out his fingers. His hands would betray how nervous he was if he didn’t get them under control. There would be a full moon tonight and it was time for him to end the evil chasing Stevie.
“Good morning,” he said, approaching. “Where’s Grace and Amira?”
Stevie glanced up, putting down her glass of orange juice. “I feel good this morning. I told them to go enjoy the last day of the con. We can join them after we’re done here.”
“So, did you get a chance to tell her after I left last night?” Kyle asked. “Or do I need to hit her over the head and we kidnap her.”
“What are you talking about?” She glanced between them. “Blake?”
Blake combed his fingers through his hair. “I haven’t gotten to it yet.”
“To what?” she asked.
“Guess it’s up to me,” Kyle said. He cleared his throat. “So, you know your comic books. Norse mythology and all that shit? It’s all true. Well, sort of. It’s a little exaggerated, if you ask me. Anyway, my name is Lajos. I’m from Asgard and the son of Thor and Járnsaxa. Blake’s true name is Einar, and he’s the son of Thor and Sif. We’re half brothers.” He took a breath. “You need a minute to catch up?”
She crossed her arms. “There’s more? What is this? Are you trying to get into character?”
“No. I’m completely serious. And just wait. You’re going to love this.” Kyle huffed a laugh. “We’re here to find Heimdall’s Horn. Actually, Blake’s supposed to retrieve it. Our father sent him instead of me. He has trust issues with me. But that’s another story. Anyway, can you believe that? So the horn. It’s around your neck.”
She covered the charm with her hand, a doubtful look crossing her face. “Did you hit your head last night?”
“I’m being serious, remember?” Kyle looked over at Blake. “I told you she’d take it better coming from you. No one ever believes me.”
“It’s all true, Stevie,” Blake said, reaching in his pocket for his keys. “We need to return it to Asgard, but there’s a big problem. It’s bonded to you. We have to remove its hold. The horn is what makes your heart fail.”
Stevie uncrossed her arms. “This is messed up. If you wanted the charm, you just had to ask me. Of course, I would never give it to you, because you both are ridiculous.” As she stood to leave, Blake caught her hand.
“Come outside with me and I’ll prove it,” he said.
The look she gave him spoke volumes. She didn’t trust him. “Why can’t you show me here?”
“It requires outside resources,” Kyle answered for Blake. “And it’ll cause some damage. Maybe loss of life. Pretty sure you don’t want that to happen.”
“You’re not funny.” She pushed her chair out of her way. “I
’m not in the mood for your jokes.”
“Stevie, wait.” Blake followed her out to the lobby. “Please let me show you.”
She spun around to face him. “Why are you guys playing games with me? I’m trying to recover from—”
“We’re not,” Blake cut her off and took her hand in his. “There’s a full moon tonight. We have to hurry…” He shook his head. “Wait. No. You won’t understand until you believe who I am.”
“Who we are,” Kyle added, coming up from behind Blake.
Her eyes went from Blake to Kyle then back to Blake. She sighed and Blake knew she was giving in.
“It won’t take long,” Blake said.
“All right.” She shot a look at the reception desk. No one was there. “Where do you want to go?”
“Follow me.” He led her outside by the hand.
Kyle followed a few steps behind them. “Finally. Some reasoning.”
The gray sky defused the sunlight and a slight breeze blew Stevie’s hair around her face. Her soft hand in his felt comfortable and warm. How could he lead her into the danger they must face. He kept telling himself there wasn’t another option. She’d die either way. No number of surgeries would stop her heart from deteriorating. The only way to save her was to bring her into the storm.
He stopped once they reached the back of the hotel.
“I’ll watch out for any party crashers.” Kyle waited beside the corner of the building.
“Stay here and don’t move,” he said. “If you get in the way, you could get hurt.”
She raised her eyebrow. “Okay,” rolled off her tongue.
The asphalt was cracked and uneven as he walked a safe enough distance away from her. He was thankful for the gray skies. For what he was about to do, wouldn’t draw as much attention as it would with clear skies.
Blake removed his keys and summoned Jölnir. The hammer grew inside his hand. Stevie’s eyes went wide as he pointed it to the sky and pulled lightning from it. Bright bolts of light danced across the clouds.
Stevie gasped and stumbled back. “How…how did you do that?”
He released the charge across the sky and lowered his arm. She backed up when he walked toward her.
She dropped and sat on her heels, gulping for air.
His hammer retracted to charm size and he crouched down in front of her. “Easy there. Breathe. In and out. Again. In and out.”
Her breaths steadied and she grasped his hands. “That was real.”
He nodded. “Yes, it was. Don’t be afraid. Those comics of yours. The ones about Thor and Asgard. It’s all true. Kyle and I are his sons. We were sent by our father to retrieve something very dangerous to both our worlds.”
“I can’t believe it.” She stared up at the sky. “You shot lightning from a hammer. You were there at the warehouse. You protected us.”
He touched her cheek. “I’d do anything to protect you. I need you to know that.”
“All right,” Kyle called to them. “Enough with the mush. May just drove up. We have to go.”
“Where are we going?” Stevie asked as Blake helped her to her feet.
He looked pointedly at her. “We can end it all. Stop the creatures from our world from attacking you, but you have to trust me. We’ll explain things on the drive.”
May’s Suburban, with Veterinary and Rehabilitation Center painted on the side, parked at the curb. The doctor hopped down from the vehicle and let Saga out before dashing across the parking lot to Stevie. She pulled Stevie into a hug.
Saga darted around Blake, and he reached down to pet her. “It’s okay, girl.”
“I don’t understand,” Stevie said through heavy breaths. “How can this even be happening?”
May grasped Stevie’s face, turning her head to look into her eyes. “It’s true. Asgard exists. Thor does, too. When your aunt was younger, she had a love affair with Sif.”
“See,” Kyle interrupted. “That’s why Thor had an affair with my mother.”
“I think Sif’s affair with Jules was in response to Thor’s indiscretions,” May said.
“You lie,” Blake said.
“I don’t,” May said. “I was there. Witnessed the entire relationship. It was during my birthday party at a bar. Sif was interested in Jules’s necklace. The one with the horn charm. By the end of the night, they left together.”
“Sif seduced Jules to get the horn,” Kyle said. “She’s more cunning and deceiving than my mother.”
Blake’s jaw tightened. “I won’t warn you again, Lajos. Don’t speak ill of my mother.”
Kyle held up his hands in surrender. “All right, easy. I apologize.”
It didn’t matter what Sif had done. She was a loving mother to Blake. At the moment, only Stevie mattered to him. If he lost his temper, he and Kyle would fight. And their last fight lasted months, mountains had been razed and forests had burned.
May continued her story, “One night while Jules was with Sif, three beautiful women came to them. Sif called them the Norns. The women told Jules a Midgard daughter had to protect the horn and it had chosen Jules. They warned that the box she found it in would call the gods and creatures of Yggdrasil, alerting them of the horn’s location. That she had to keep the lid to the box closed at all times. Too afraid to wear the charm, Jules placed it in the box and hid it. But with the trinket off her neck, her heart became weak and she died.” Her eyes teared and she swallowed a thump of emotion building in her throat.
“There’s more.” May cleared her throat. “There was no saving Jules. Since you were the only girl left in her bloodline, Jules knew it would take you next, so she left you the necklace. I didn’t know that you had to wear it to stay protected, or I would have told you. That your heart would fail without it—” A sob escaped her lips. “I loved Jules more than anything.”
May pulled an envelope out of her pocket. “When I was cleaning out Jules’s old room for Blake to move in, I found this note. I never saw it there on the shelf. When she died, I had closed off that room. I couldn’t go in there. Couldn’t face the painful memories her things brought me. The note contains instructions on how to keep you safe and how to remove the bond. Sif told her about a ritual that would do it.”
Stevie wiped the tears from her eyes. She hadn’t realized she was crying. “What do we need to do?”
“We need to do that ritual,” May said. “It’s dangerous and you could die, but if we don’t try, you will certainly die. Parts of your heart will keep failing and soon there won’t be any operations that can save you.”
“I have to see my parents,” Stevie said. “What if I die without seeing them one last time?”
“We haven’t time,” Blake said. “We must get to Golden Gardens Park. Set up everything. By midnight today.”
May touched Stevie’s cheek. “On the way, you can video chat with them. Will that do?”
Stevie nodded. “I guess so.”
“Let’s get on the road,” Kyle said. “We must be ready before it gets dark.”
Stevie stepped away from May. “I need to get my suitcase.”
May opened the Suburban’s back passenger door. “Okay, grab your things. I’ll wait here for you.” She patted her leg. “Come on, Saga. Get in.”
Saga darted over to her and climbed inside.
“What about Amira and Grace?” Stevie said, trying to keep up with Kyle and Blake as they strode to the entrance of the hotel.
The glass doors to the lobby slid open as they approached. “We’ll leave them a note with Grace’s keys at the front desk,” Blake said.
Blake accompanied Stevie to her room. As she packed, he wrote the note and placed it on the desk.
“I’m going to pack,” he said, reaching into his pocket then dropping Grace’s keys on top of the note. “We’ll take those down when we leave. You okay to be alone?”
She nodded as she stuffed her Sif costume into her bag. “I’ll be done soon.”
He gave her one last look before exitin
g the room. She pulled her long chestnut hair over her shoulder. He noticed a beauty mark on her shoulder. How had he missed it? There were things he didn’t know about her. Things he wanted to learn.
Pulling his gaze away from her, he shut the door. His thoughts following him to his and Kyle’s room.
Tonight, he could lose Stevie. He’d never done a ritual before. Kyle hadn’t, either.
May’s story scared Blake. He couldn’t lose Stevie. There is one great love in everyone’s life. Blake’s mother had told him that once. He was beginning to think he’d found his in Stevie Moon.
sextán
A rush of confusion hit Stevie. How could all this be true? Things like this didn’t exist. Were they punking her? No. That hammer was real. It actually pulled lightning from the sky.
I’m dreaming. I have to be. This isn’t real.
If it was real and they were going to do a ritual that could kill her, she had to tell Blake how she felt. She fumbled with the doorknob and yanked the door open.
“Blake,” she shouted, then hurried through the hallway.
He waited for the elevator. When he spotted her, he ran to meet her. “What’s the matter?”
“I,” she said and stopped, trying to catch her breath to continue. “I pushed you to Grace. She liked you, so I didn’t want to hurt her, because I felt I owed her for something she did for me. That was wrong. You can never force a heart. And maybe, if Grace doesn’t get everything she wants all the time, she’ll appreciate it more when she does get it.”
Blake rested his open palm on her cheek. “All of that doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It does matter.” Stevie tried to muster up the courage to tell him how she felt. It scared her. She didn’t like revealing her feelings to anyone. Every time she had, it ended in embarrassment or hurt feelings.
This is Blake. Just tell him already.
She stared into his beautiful blue eyes. The softness in their depths gave her strength. “I just wanted you to know, especially if anything happens to one of us, that my feelings for you is more than just friends.”
That lopsided smile of his appeared on his face and melted all her fears away. “Does this include benefits?”
