by ST Bende
Fabulous.
My knees gave out beneath me as a furious roar rang through the space. I dropped to the ground, scraping my thighs on the rough stone floor. Heavy footsteps thundered outside the room, and I scrambled on my knees to dive on the far side of an enormous cupboard. My shoulder struck a basket of blankets someone had placed against the wall, and I threw one over myself to avoid being seen. Then I lifted the blanket just enough to peek out. I kept my face to the ground and poked my head around the corner of the cupboard. As I watched, the door burst open, and two figures stormed through. They were shrouded in shadows, their faces obscured by traveling cloaks, but as I peeked around the corner of the cupboard, I could make out the difference in their size. The first appeared to be a male of human stature, a little over six feet tall. He moved with an air of grace as he swept through the room. The figure behind him seemed to be a female over twice his height. She moved with the refinement of an inebriated mountain goat. She stormed behind the man, emitting a grating wail I could have sworn I’d heard before. Twice, she tripped on the benches strewn throughout the hall. When she stumbled a third time, she picked up the offending furniture and threw it at the wall behind me. It ricocheted off the cupboard, splintering into a thousand pieces and showering shards of wood across my back. One pierced the blanket and dug into my flesh like a tiny needle, making me wish I’d worn my thick flannel pajamas to bed. The extra coverage, though unflattering, would have come in handy.
“Where did you take them?” the woman shrieked. “Where are my babies?”
The man turned on one heel, his hands steepled together. When he spoke, his voice came on a hiss. “Patience, Angrboða.”
The enormous woman swiped at the man and he dove out of her reach, landing unceremoniously on the floor. The female stormed to his side. “Where are they?”
The man righted himself. In the moment he pushed his hood slightly off his face, I caught a glimpse of something familiar, but before I could register what it was, he tugged the hood over his jaw, so he was completely obscured.
“Angrboða.” The man shook his head. “Have you no faith? The children are with their father. He will take care of them.”
“That’s not possible. They can’t be with you—you’re here.” The woman raised her hand and the man stepped back.
“Oh, am I?” The man waved his arms in front of him and his figure disappeared. A voice came from the spot where he’d been standing. “Or am I just a projection?” He flickered back into view.
“You sent a hologram to tell me you took our children? You selfish, evil…” The woman lunged and her hood flew off her face. For the first time I could see her grotesque features: yellowed, pointy teeth set against purple lips. Dirty, mottled skin covered in pox, and stringy, blue hair that fell to her waist. From what I could remember from Olaug’s lessons, she seemed to be a mountain giant. Her people loathed the gods, to the point where they’d staged a dozen rebellions in the last five hundred years. Two had nearly been successful.
“Ah, ah, ah.” The man wagged his finger. “If you hurt me again I won’t tell you where I’ve sent them.”
“You have one minute,” the giantess hissed.
“Do you remember their prophecy?”
“Of course. The three of them together will bring an end to Asgard.” Recognition dawned on the giantess’ face. “Have you sent them to fulfill their fates?”
“Indeed.” The man crossed his arms, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “They are safe with me, inside Asgard’s walls.”
“The gods will be dead by morning.” Angrboða clapped her hands together. The joyful gesture was a contrast to her dour form.
“Not so fast. First they must turn themselves in.”
“But the prophecy said—”
“The prophecy said they would end Asgard. And they will. But to do so, Odin must believe he has them under control. He has hunted them all these years—once he believes they are no longer a threat, he will let his guard down and they can do their jobs. The children are aware of this. And they are prepared.” The man walked to the window and faced outside.
“Will they be hurt?”
“No more than necessary. The girl will be given a realm to rule. Odin will unknowingly hand her an entire army to assist our cause. The boys will be separated, one cast to Midgard, the other guarded in Asgard. But when the time comes, they will break their entrapments. And they will be ready.”
The giantess’ eyes glazed, and I saw the ember of excitement begin to glow. “So it begins,” she whispered with a crooked smile.
“So it begins,” the man confirmed.
The room filled with an air of evil, a sick joy passing between the cloaked figures. I drew my knees to my chest and curled up against the side of the cupboard. Then I pulled myself out of the vision, willing myself back to my happy place. I tunneled through the blackness with enough force to propel a rocket. My overwhelming anxiety filled me with a sense of dread. Whatever the monsters had been plotting, it hadn’t sounded good for my family.
I dragged my eyelids open and turned toward a familiar smell. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I buried my face into the taut muscles in front of me. Ull woke with a start, pulling me close and brushing his lips against the top of my head.
“Sweetheart. It is okay. Everything is going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not!” I wailed. “They’re in Asgard! Or they were. Or they’re going to be. I don’t know what I saw. Or even when it happened. But it’ll be terrible. And I didn’t stop it!”
“Shh,” Ull soothed. He stroked my hair while I cried myself out. My tears came in heaving sobs, the undignified kind one should never emit in front of others. But Ull didn’t judge me. He cradled me between the ridges of his biceps while my eyes poured and my nose ran all over his impeccably perfect torso. When the muscles between my ribs hurt too much to cry anymore, my wails gave way to whimpers. Eventually I felt numb.
“Oh, Kristia.” Ull reached with one arm to tuck a sheet around me. “You are freezing.”
“I’m f…f…fine.”
“Your teeth are chattering. Here.” Ull lifted my chin with his forefinger. He pressed his lips gently to mine, holding perfectly still while I struggled to do the same. “Oh, sweetheart.” Ull squeezed me gently, the thick muscles of his arms wrapping around the thin fabric of my nightie. I felt so safe pinned to him, the heat of his body coursing against my skin. It wasn’t long before my jaw stilled and my breathing slowed to match Ull’s rhythmic heartbeat. When a full minute passed, Ull pulled his head back. Then he brushed two fingers against my temple. “You look like you have seen a ghost. What happened in that head of yours?”
“I have no idea,” I admitted. “One minute I was here, and the next I was in some…” My brain fought against itself. It felt like something was blocking the path to my vision. I tried to push around the obstruction, wanting to remember every trivial detail of my time in that disturbing dream. But the only things I could remember were the feelings—fear; desolation; anger; and finally, joy. None of it made any sense.
“Where were you?” Ull pressed.
“I can’t remember,” I admitted. “It was a big room, I think. But I don’t remember what it looked like, or what was outside the windows, or even why I was there. But I remember a conversation. Something terrible was planted in Asgard. And whatever it was, it’ll be the end of everything.” I tried to bury my head against Ull’s shoulder, but he held my chin lightly between two fingers.
“Try to remember. Did it feel like the past? Present? Do you remember who was in the room with you? You said something was going to be the end of everything. What do you mean?”
My head moved back and forth. “I don’t know,” I whispered. “I just know that something awful is about to happen. I wish I could remember more.” Tears pooled in my eyes. Ull wiped them with the pad of his thumb before they could overflow.
“This is twice in two weeks that you have not been able to remember your vi
sions. It worries me.”
“I’m the worst goddess ever! I have one job, and I’m failing miserably.” The tears began anew.
“Shh. That is not what I meant. You are doing just fine. Someone has figured a way to block your visions. Whether the person you are seeing is wiping things clean from inside the vision, or someone from the outside is telekinetically tampering with your memories. I do not know.”
“Gods can do that?” I sucked in a breath. The sudden rush of air chilled my teeth.
“Some gods can,” Ull confirmed. “Which means other races could have the ability as well.”
“How would that work? Both scenarios.”
“Let us assume this is a tenth realm vision. You have left your physical body to travel to the spirit plane.”
“It can’t be.” I shook my head. “If that were the case, I’d bring my visions back with me.” Most people were taught that the mythological Norse universe contained nine realms, when in reality there were ten. That tenth realm existed solely to acquire information—a spirit could leave its body and travel to the realm, procure whatever information it needed, and bring it back to its physical form. It could be dangerous to separate spirit from body, but I’d never heard of a situation in which you didn’t bring your memories back with you…unless you didn’t make it back at all.
“Not necessarily. The location you visited could have a device called a block. That block would prevent you from carrying any memories you created while on the property back to your physical self. So if, say, you happened to visit the same location in both of these visions you cannot recall, then I would assume that whoever resides at that location would have placed a block somewhere within the property. That would mean anyone attempting to project their spirit onto the property would be unable to recall what they had seen once they returned to their home realm.”
I rubbed my eyes. “There’s a technology to keep you from bringing knowledge back from the tenth realm?”
“Yes. I have never seen it, and to my knowledge no one I know has ever encountered it. But I do believe it exists.” Ull stroked my cheek with his thumb.
“And the other scenario—the mind-altering thing. That’s terrifying.”
“I know.” Ull’s mouth turned down. “But I do not believe that is happening to you. If it were, you would display symptoms throughout the day, not just after two isolated visions.”
“Thank heavens.” I exhaled. The idea of someone getting inside my head was almost as disturbing as knowing something horrible was coming to Asgard. “But how am I supposed to protect everyone if I can’t remember what I’m seeing?”
“It was only two instances,” Ull mused. “I am willing to wager you visited the same location both times, and that location has a block somewhere on site. If that is the case, it will not affect what you see anywhere else.”
“But what if the bad guys know that? If they’ve figured out there’s one secret meeting spot they can go to, and we’ll be none the wiser because it’s a blind spot for the newbie goddess?”
“I have news for you,” Ull whispered in my ear. “The bad guys are not that smart. In thousands of years, Asgard has never come close to falling, in part because of our highly organized military, and in part because our enemies are extremely simple beings. Whoever placed this device would have to be paranoid for an all-together different reason. Who knows? It could even be an overprotective parent trying to shield her children.” Ull chuckled. “Inga’s dad has done far worse to keep her safe.”
I mulled over Ull’s assessment, his words triggering something. It was fuzzy, and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but the tickle in my mind confirmed he was on the right track.
“That feels right, I just don’t know what it means yet. So what do I do?”
“Exactly what you are doing.” Ull ran his nose along my neck, and I shivered. “Share your visions with me as you have them. Let me help you with your physical abilities, so you feel you have the tools to defend yourself if need be.” Ull blew lightly into the hollow of my neck, then traced a small circle with his tongue. “And if you are truly concerned, feel free to let me help take your mind off things.”
Ull raked his teeth across my collarbone, and my eyes rolled closed. Then he laced his fingers through mine, running his free hand down my arm. The backs of his hand transferred an almost unbearable amount of heat to my over-sensitive skin, and when he reached my shoulder he continued down along my ribcage, before placing his hand firmly around my hip. He jerked me against him. The sudden increase in pressure made me gasp. My body responded instinctively. But I took a deep breath. Before things could go any farther, there was one more thing we needed to discuss.
“I really hate to say this, but I think we should go home soon.”
“Anything you want, my love.” Ull nipped at my ear and I groaned. “Are you not enjoying yourself here?”
“I’ve never been happier in my entire life.”
“Then why would you want to leave?” Ull’s tongue dipped just behind my earlobe. Good gravy. It took everything I had to retain cohesive speech.
“Because…um…oh. Right.” The forgotten vision. “Because I think something is coming for us. Can’t you feel it?”
Ull raised one blond eyebrow. “There is only one thing I feel right now. Want to hazard a guess as to what it might be?”
“I’m nervous, Ull. If whatever I saw tonight was right, then sooner or later things are going to head south. And when they do, I don’t want to be thousands of miles away from everyone we love.”
Ull eyed me levelly. “You amaze me, Kristia. We are on our honeymoon, and you have the perspective to think about our family.”
“How could I not?” I blinked. “I love them.”
Ull kissed my forehead. “Fair enough. When would you like to leave?”
“I don’t know. A few days, maybe?”
Ull threw his leg over my hips and rolled on top of me. He wrapped long fingers around my wrists and held my hands over my head, pinning me down. I squirmed, but he held on tight; I couldn’t get away.
And I didn’t want to.
He stared down at me with inky eyes, and all the blood drained from my head. My insides began to buzz as Ull lowered his face to whisper in my ear. His breath was cool as he spoke, and icicles traced an intricate pattern as they skated down my spine.
“Well then, darling, we had better make the most of those last few days. Starting with tonight.”
When I shivered, Ull let out a low groan. He pushed his tongue against my lips and I parted them to let him in. He licked lightly at the tops of my teeth before pushing deeper. My free hand flew to his hair, fisting the sleep-tousled strands and pulling him even closer. We’d talked enough.
I shifted so our foreheads were touching, then I opened my eyes and blinked up at him. He stared back at me, his eyes my absolute favorite shade. With a grateful sigh I pulled his face to mine, murmuring my promise against his pale, pink lips.
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
My hands flew to my stomach as I awoke with a start. It had been five days since we’d talked about leaving, but neither of us had been able to tear ourselves away. Since we’d landed on Asgard Cay it was like time had stopped, and nothing else existed. Maybe it was the magic of the island, or maybe it was the fact that we could finally be alone together, but whatever it was, we’d been so wrapped up in each other we hadn’t paid attention to anything outside this little bubble.
Now the spell was broken.
“Do you feel that?” I rolled over and rested my chin on Ull’s bare chest. It rose and fell rhythmically, but I could tell his breathing was forced. The pounding of his heart against my jaw betrayed his fear.
“Yes,” he whispered. His gaze was locked on the ceiling.
“I feel like the world just dropped out from under me. What does it mean?”
Ull’s eyes found mine. The anxiety in his stare took me back. Ull was the epitome of confidence, even in
the most terrifying situation. But whatever woke us up must have been worse than I imagined.
“Oh my gosh.” Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. “What does it mean?”
Ull shook his head, forcing his features into a neutral position. “I am sure everything is fine, sweetheart. Maybe we ate some bad beef.”
“That’s not true, and you know it.” I blinked back the tears. “What’s happening?”
Ull rubbed his hand along the small of my back. It felt warm against the fabric of my negligee. “I honestly do not know. But I think we need to pack.”
Ull wrapped strong arms around me and kissed the top of my head. My chin quivered. “I guess the honeymoon’s over.”
“Impossible.” Ull stilled my chin with a kiss. “This was only the beginning.”
I nodded, and rolled out of his arms. “I’ll get the suitcases.”
“I will call the Valkyries,” Ull countered. He picked up his phone from the nightstand and dialed. “Give me a status report.” He barked into the device. He listened for half a minute, then shook his head. “There has to be something more. Kristia and I both felt a shift. Have you checked with Tyr? I understand he has returned to Asgard.” After another moment of silence, he nodded. “Ja. I understand. Bring the plane around immediately. How quickly can you have it here?” He looked at me and held up two fingers. “Two hours will do. See you then.”
He put down the phone and stood facing the open French doors. He wore only striped pajama pants, and his bare back was tensed against the light morning breeze. Each individual muscle was bunched into a tight knot, matching the fists he held at his sides. With the light reflecting from the ocean outside, and the glow hovering just above his tousled blond strands, he looked more like a god than ever.
