Perfekt Order (The Ære Saga Book 1)

by S. T. Bende

  “I know, but… well…”

  “I know.” Tyr kissed the top of my head, and I looked up at him. “You don’t have to worry about me. I promised I’d always come back to you.”

  “Yeah.” I ducked my head. “But dragons? Come on, that’s scary.”

  “Naw, dragons aren’t scary. Now meeting your brother? The one who said he’d end me if I ever hurt you? That’s scary.” Tyr set me gently on my feet and leaned down. When he stood, he held up a bouquet of pastel pink flowers. “For my girl. Sorry for tracking dwarf dust in the house.”

  I took the flowers from his hands and inhaled deeply.

  Tyr picked up his duffle bag and wiped his feet on the mat before stepping into the hallway. “These grew in the meadow where Heimdall dropped the Bifrost. I couldn’t resist bringing my girl a piece of ‘Dwarfheim.’”

  “Ha ha.” I cuffed him on the shoulder and padded down the hallway to put the flowers in water. “You look exhausted. You should just go upstairs and sleep; Jason won’t mind if he doesn’t get to see you until—”

  Tyr gripped my forearm and spun me around. He cupped my cheek in his palm and stopped my words with a kiss. “The only thing I want to do right now is be with you. I missed you.”

  “Well, you’ve been off all day slaying dragons. Literally.” I shook my head. “You have a really bizarre job, you realize this?”

  “I do.” Tyr pulled me into his arms and sat on the kitchen stool. “And you’re about to have one, too.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned back. “What does that mean? Does Henrik have another robotics project for me? Oh god, you don’t need another limb, do you?”

  “No, nothing like that.” Tyr chuckled. “My limbs are fine.” He picked me up so I could sit on his lap. “Do you remember learning about the Keys?”

  “Unifiers, Healers, Seers. I know the deal,” I recalled.

  “Right. Because of my title, my mate will be granted a key role, so long as she’s got the inclination.” Tyr stroked my hair.

  “At marriage. I remember.”

  “Well?” Tyr tilted his head.

  “Well what?”

  “Well, do you want to be my Unifier?” Tyr held my gaze with a soft smile.

  I froze.

  “I’m not proposing, Mia. I know you; you’re not ready.”

  “Are you ready?” I squeaked.

  “Of course. I’ve been waiting my entire existence for you. But you’re only seventeen. You need to be able to vote, first.”

  “Gee, thanks, Mom.”

  Tyr laughed. “No, I’m asking you to start thinking about whether you want to take on the Unifier job. Since I have no intention of letting you go, and you’ve got a steep learning curve because you’re a mortal, you have to think about whether it’d be a good fit for you.”

  I took a slow breath. “That’s kind of a big deal. Can a human even be a Unifier?”

  “My human sure as Helheim can.” Tyr winked. “You’re something else, Mia Ahlström. I wouldn’t count you out for anything.”

  I kissed the tip of his nose and slid to my feet. “You’re learning.” I winked over my shoulder as I crossed to the stove to check on the pot roast. It looked fine, but I used the baster to cover it with broth just in case. “I’ll talk to Elsa about it. I’ve got, like, a thousand questions for her anyway.”

  “I would expect nothing less of you.”

  I stuck out my tongue. “And speaking of questions, tell Henrik to hurry up and ask Brynn out already. It’s driving her nuts.”

  “Brynn’s not allowed to date. Not for a while, anyway. If you want to push anyone, my money’s on Forse. He’s had a thing for my sister forever. And he’s way more impatient than Henrik.”

  “Want to bet on it?” I checked the contents of the refrigerator. Meemaw’s dark chocolate cheesecake was cooling nicely, so I pulled the heavy whipping cream out and brought it to the standing mixer. “If Henrik asks Brynn out first, you owe me a really, really good back rub.”

  “I do that anyway. You should have asked for something bigger.” Tyr came up from behind and wrapped his arms around me. He took the cream from my hands and opened the carton, then poured the contents into the mixer and set it on high. “And if I win? If Forse asks Elsa out first?”

  “Well, then you get to pick your prize.”

  Tyr set his hands on the counter, one on each side of me, so I was boxed in. He lowered his mouth to my ear and whispered in a gravelly voice, “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  I turned around and smiled up at him. “Want to do me—”

  “Yes.”

  “A favor?” I narrowed my eyes as I continued.

  “Yes.” His eyes absolutely burned with desire.

  “Go take a shower? You smell like dragon.”

  Tyr chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “As you wish, prinsessa,” he called as he jogged up the stairs.

  I smiled as I closed the refrigerator door. By the time Tyr walked back into the kitchen, wearing dark jeans and a blood-free Henley, I’d started to peel potatoes. And for the next hour, I prepared a proper Southern supper with my Norse god boyfriend, while he told me all about his day relocating dragons and negotiating with dwarves.

  I’d landed myself a completely crazy, utterly unbelievable life, with a man—a god—who I loved beyond logic or measure. It was a far cry from Mama’s fairytale happily-evah-aftah.

  It was even better.

  This was my happy. And I loved every single minute of it.

  **Reviews are huge for indie authors, and your feedback means a ton! If you enjoyed Mia and Tyr’s story, pretty please consider leaving a review. Even a few words help, and the Norse crew and I truly appreciate it! Mange takk!**

  **The Ære crew will return in Perfekt Control (The Ære Saga: Book Two). Sign up for my READER’S GROUP to get a free copy of the Elsker Saga novella, Tur, and stay up to date on sales, release info, giveaways, and the latest happenings from our crazy Norse crews. And be sure to swing by my website at www.stbende.com , and say hei hei. Skål! –S.T.**

  MANGE TAKK!

  Mange takk for reading the first book of The Ære Saga. I hope you enjoyed reading Mia and Tyr’s adventures every bit as much as I enjoyed writing them. (Seriously, I had a blast!) It’s been an epic adventure getting to share these crazy Asgardians’ stories, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of truly amazing readers. I am incredibly grateful for you. Tusen takk for dreaming across the realms with me! Skål y’all!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe . . . where she became overly fond of McVitie’s cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.

  Find S.T. on her website ( www.stbende.com ), or over on the RagnaRockstars Street Team - her readers’ private Facebook group!

  WANT MORE OF THE NORSE CREW?

  Find out what happens to our favorite Norse gods in THE ÆRE SAGA.

  THE ÆRE SAGA: PERFEKT ORDER

  THE ÆRE SAGA: PERFEKT CONTROL

  THE ÆRE SAGA: PERFEKT BALANCE

  THE ÆRE SAGA: PERFEKT MATCH (Coming 2017)

  THE ÆRE SAGA: BOOK 5 (Coming 2017)

  And meet the other Norse crew (including Henrik’s brother Gunnar!) in

  THE ELSKER SAGA.

  THE ELSKER SAGA: TUR (a novella)

  THE ELSKER SAGA: ELSKER

  THE ELSKER SAGA: ENDRE

  THE ELSKER SAGA: TRO

  THE ELSKER SAGA: COMPLETE BOXED SET

  And the bonus Elsker/Ære crossover novella …

  SUPERNATURAL CHRONICLES: THE ASGARDIANS

  CONNECT WITH S.T. BENDE ONLINE

  The Norse crews and I love to connect with readers! Find us online at

  Website: http://www.stbende.com
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  S.T. Bende on Twitter: @stbende

  Tyr Fredriksen on Twitter: @tyrfredriksen

  Ull Myhr on Twitter: @ullmyhr

  Inga Andersson on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/IngaAndersson/

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  Join the RagnaRockstar Street Team – my readers’ private Facebook group!

  See what happens when the valkyrie next door faces her ultimate challenge, in

  THE ÆRE SAGA: PERFEKT CONTROL

  Rule the realms.

  Brynn Aksel is a valkyrie—a battle goddess tasked with protecting both the God of War and the future of Asgard. She fends off giants and dark elves with an iron fist, a glossy smile, and no less than perfekt control. She’s focused one-hundred-percent on rising through the valkyrie ranks, and not at all on her lifelong crush on Henrik Andersson—the one guy in all the realms who could be her undoing.

  Henrik serves as War’s other bodyguard, and he’s too focused on protecting their shared charge to realize that Brynn’s a girl. When an unprecedented surge of darkness abducts the Goddess of Love, Brynn’s already-steely focus is singularly directed on her new assignment—accompany Henrik to recover the realms’ source of light before the cosmos descends into chaos.

  While battling demons, dragons, and the not-quite-dead, it becomes clear that immortality does not equal invincibility. And when Hel herself puts a hit on Brynn, the valkyrie has to decide if staying in control is worth losing everything… or if it’s time to rule the realms.

  And now, a sneak peek at the next chapter in The Ære Saga:

  THE ÆRE SAGA: PERFEKT CONTROL

  CHAPTER ONE

  “STUFF IT, BRYNN,” TYR muttered as he pulled a smoking pan from the oven. The God of War stood in our open kitchen. His girlfriend’s frilly pink apron popped against his standard uniform of jeans and a Henley. He glared at me as he dumped the blackened contents of the pan into the sink, where it blended with a sea of similarly situated peers. Our kitchen had morphed into a veritable cake graveyard.

  “I didn’t say anything.” I held up my hands.

  “Didn’t have to.” Tyr threw the empty cake pans at the stovetop, where they clattered loudly in protest. “Your obnoxious little laugh speaks volumes.”

  I forced my face into a neutral position and tilted my head at the lacy fabric tied around Tyr’s waist. “Your cooking attire took me by surprise. That’s all.”

  Tyr pulled the oven mitts from his hands and threw them at me. Hard. My fingertips stung as I plucked them from the air.

  “Was that really necessary?” I asked.

  “Was cackling like a caffeinated hyena necessary?” Tyr countered with an eyebrow raise.

  Harrumph.

  “The apron’s Mia’s. I thought if I wore it while I cooked, maybe this time I wouldn’t burn her förbaskat birthday cake.”

  I waited in silence while Tyr scrubbed the big silver bowl clean, pulled a box of cake mix out of the cupboard, and turned to me. With his narrowed eyes and tight-lipped frown, he was the picture of resignation. “Apparently, this apron’s not the reason my girlfriend’s such a great cook.”

  “No, it’s not.” I bounded across the kitchen to rescue the cake box from Tyr’s hand. He was squeezing it so hard, I thought it might need saving. “Fred’s going to make the packet explode,” I pointed out.

  Tyr clung tighter to the box with his prosthetic right arm. Mia, Henrik and I had developed it under the guise of an engineering project, and it had saved his life when the homicidal wolf Fenrir bit his original arm clean off. Now, Fred served proudly as Tyr’s right forearm, attached by biomechanical medicine, Asgardian magic, and just a touch of fairy dust.

  When poor Mia discovered her freshman lab project was actually the saving grace for an Asgardian deity, she thought we’d led her straight to the psych ward. But crazy was the name of the game when you were tasked with protecting the God of War.

  Apparently, diplomacy was the name of the game when you were trying to help him bake.

  “Okay, fine. Kill the poor mix.” My tone softened when Tyr’s shoulders drooped. “Look, Mia’s a great cook because she loves it. She likes taking care of us. She especially likes taking care of you. And the last thing she’d want on her birthday is for you to beat yourself up over something as silly as a birthday cake. You can always order one from the bakery. Want me to call them?”

  “No, Brynn. I’m making my girlfriend a förbaskat cake. If you’re not going to help, then get out of my kitchen.”

  “I share kitchen custody, you know.” I elbowed past him and opened the refrigerator. I pulled out the carton of eggs and set them on the counter, then closed the door behind me. “When Mia started spending weekends here, her bodyguard did, too. Remember?”

  When Asgard’s resident war god fell for Redwood State University Engineering undergrad Mia Ahlström, I’d been reassigned from my valkyrie post to protect the sweetest mortal this side of Midgard. And when the evil wolf Fenrir made a hit on Tyr’s life, Mia and her newly christened bodyguard started spending a lot more time at War’s impeccably decorated cabin in Arcata, California. Instead of collecting fallen soldiers for Odin and Freya as I’d done as a battle valkyrie, these days I attended Engineering classes, workouts, and study sessions with my charge. I also got to weekend with the uber-uptight war god, and the hottest bodyguard in the history of the realms, Henrik Andersson.

  Immortal life was looking good.

  “Ja, you stay here sometimes.” Tyr ran his hands through his dark blond hair. The normally tousled strands now looked downright disheveled. “But you’re useless in the kitchen. I need someone who can fix this. Where’s my bodyguard?”

  As if he’d heard Tyr’s summons, the front door slammed, and Henrik’s footsteps sounded in the hall. A moment later, the tall frame of the guy I’d had the hots for since kindergarten filled the kitchen doorway. I bounced on my toes—the movement usually distracted me from the unavoidable stomach flutters I got whenever I looked at Henrik’s chestnut hair, easy smile, and thick, muscled arms. But there was no avoiding the twinkle in his grey-blue eyes as he looked around the kitchen.

  He grinned at the brooding war god stewing over the stove. “Having trouble, mate?”

  Tyr let out a growl that echoed across the cavernous kitchen.

  “He’s trying to make a birthday cake for Mia.” I pointed to the sink, now overflowing with blackened culinary rejects. “But it’s not going so well.”

  “Well, did you offer to help him?” Henrik asked.

  “We all know Brynn can’t cook,” Tyr retorted.

  “I can too cook!” I threw a nearby dishtowel at Tyr. He plucked it out of the air before it could smack him in his surly face.

  “She can cook,” Henrik agreed. He walked around the big island in the center of the room and slung an easy arm around my shoulders. An army of angsty butterflies took flight somewhere beneath abs two and three. If I hadn’t had my whole entire life to get used to hiding my emotions, I probably would have giggled.

  “Thank you, Henrik.” I stuck my tongue out at Tyr. “Henrik says I can cook.”

  “Your cooking’s fine. It’s the baking you’re lousy at.” Henrik pulled his arm away and moved to inspect the oven. When his back was to us, Tyr turned to me with a smirk.

  “Shut up, Tyr.” I scowled as I shoved him. Hard.

  “Well, there’s your problem.” Henrik adjusted the dial on the stove. “Your temperature’s off.”

  Tyr’s brow furrowed as he scrutinized the box on the counter. “No, it’s not. The thingy’s at three hundred and fifty. The directions say three hundred and fifty.”

  “Ja.” Henrik walked to the sink and washed his hands. “But you’ve got the broiler turned on. It’s overriding the temperature control and frying your cake.” He turned off the water and dried his hands. “You want to keep at it a
lone, or do you want some help? I don’t mind pitching in, but if I’m doing this we’re chucking that lousy cake mix and doing it from scratch.”

  A small wrinkle appeared between Tyr’s eyebrows as he weighed his options. Mia would be home from class soon. He’d obviously started early enough, judging by the sea of slaughtered cakes, but now he was down to the wire. He let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’ll take the help,” Tyr acquiesced. “But I am decorating it myself.”

  “Whatever you say, kille.” Henrik pulled milk, flour, cocoa powder and sugar onto the counter. Without even glancing at a recipe, he added ingredients to the standing mixer. “Brynn, grab me the red food coloring, would you?”

  “Um, sure.” I glanced around the kitchen, my eyes darting from cabinet to cabinet until they fell on Tyr. He gave me a wicked grin.

  “You wanted to help, remember?” Tyr said.

  “Oh, like you know where it is, Captain Cake Killer.” I glared.

  “To the left of the stove, just above the spice rack,” Henrik offered without turning around. His back flexed as he reached for the oil, the corded muscles straining against his thin grey T-shirt. I sighed. Loudly.

  “Uh, okay. Thanks.” I crossed to the cabinet, wishing I could wipe the smirk off Tyr’s face. My indiscreet ogling hadn’t escaped his notice.

  It never did.

  I handed the food coloring to Henrik then situated myself next to Tyr. Backs against the stove, arms across our chests, we kept ourselves safely out of Henrik’s path. It was better for everyone this way.