by ST Bende
Our friend paced the entryway like a caged chipmunk.
“I have no idea.” I shrugged. “But it has something to do with my new ring. Old ring. The ring.”
“Who gave you a ring?” Ull squinted.
“My grandmother? I think.”
“Your grandmother passed away.” Ull stared at Inga. “What is going on?”
“This.” Inga stopped pacing long enough to point the ring at Ull. “Kristia got this in the mail.”
Ull sucked in a sharp breath. “Where did it come from?”
“Here.” I offered the envelope and the note. Ull read it quickly.
“Ardis’s parents sent this to you?”
“Yes.” I took back the note. “Mr. Behrman was Mormor’s attorney, and it sounds like she asked him to hold this for me.”
“Why is he only sending it to you now? Your grandmother died two years ago.” Ull raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t know. The note says he just found it. Though how it could have disappeared from a safety deposit box is beyond me.” Even in Nehalem, those things were locked up tighter than a clam with lockjaw.
“May I see it?” Ull held out his hand and Inga dropped the ring into it. The silver band rested calmly in his palm. “It is not working.”
“Of course it’s not.” Inga rolled her eyes. “Have Kristia hold it.”
Ull nodded and I took the ring between my pointer and index fingers. As I did, it emitted a sharp beam of light. I loosened my grip and the ring floated on its own. My gaze darted between Inga and Ull. They were both staring at the floating object as if they’d seen a ghost.
“No,” Ull whispered. “It has been missing for decades.”
“It’s been missing since Kjell defected.” Inga gave Ull a pointed look. “You know what this means.”
My hand shot into the air. “I don’t know what this means.”
Ull plucked the ring out of the air. With a gentle touch to the small of my back, he guided me to the couch. “Inga, would you get her some water?”
Inga nodded, and flew into the kitchen. She came back seconds later, with three glasses and a plate of scones.
“How’d you know I was hungry?” I took a pastry.
“You’re pregnant.” Inga shrugged.
Ull rubbed my leg softly as I bit into the scone. While I chewed, he took the note out of my hand. “Hmm. I did not see that coming.”
“Me neither. But we should have known the Three Sisters wouldn’t have cast the Seer from a pure mortal. No offense.” Inga shot me a look.
“What is going on?” I was trying to be patient, but this was getting weird. And in this crowd, that said a lot.
“Kristia.” Ull set the note down and turned his attention to me. He held both of my hands in his. “That letter says the ring is a family heirloom. That it was a gift to your maternal ancestor from her husband, Kjell.”
“So why is my family heirloom floating? And why is Inga acting so weird?”
“Because it is not a family heirloom from your mortal side. It is an heirloom from your Asgardian side.” Ull didn’t break eye contact.
“I don’t have an Asgardian side. I mean, I do now, obviously. But I didn’t six months ago. And I didn’t two years ago, or whenever Mormor left this ring with Mr. Behrman.”
“Yes you did.” Ull gently rubbed the tops of my hands with his thumbs. “When we were dating and I wanted to become a human so we could be together, I told you about a god who had left Asgard to marry a mortal. Do you remember?”
“Vaguely.” Ull’s threat to give up his immortality was something I tried not to think about anymore.
“His name was Kjell. He was a warrior, and he fell in love with a mortal on a routine peacekeeping mission to Midgard. He approached Odin and asked that she be granted admission to Asgard, but Odin refused to create an immoral. He said it went against the laws of the realms.
“Kjell left Asgard, and never returned. He relinquished his immortality, married the mortal, and eventually died a Midgardian. He got to spend his life with the woman he loved, and by all accounts he got the life he wanted. But Odin was furious. He never believed Kjell would really leave. He was one of Odin’s finest warriors—captained the Elite Team for twenty cycles, and held a kill record that was only recently topped. Losing him was the impetus Odin needed to create the test that allowed you to join our family.”
“So Kjell moved to Earth and married the mortal? What happened to them?” I asked.
Ull’s eyes twinkled. “Jens watched them for a few years. Kjell found work as a fisherman, and set up a home with his bride not far from where you used to live, in Oregon. After a few years, he and the mortal had a baby. Jens watched for a bit more, to see if the baby displayed any supernatural gifts. It appeared she was as human as her mother, and so it was decided the happy family could live out their days without Asgardian supervision.”
“So you don’t know what happened to Kjell’s family after that?”
“We did not. Until now.” Ull tapped the note. “Your grandmother was in possession of a ring that belonged to Kjell. The note said it was a family heirloom, a gift from your great-great-great-great-great grandfather to his bride.”
“Which means…” My stomach fluttered.
Ull held my gaze. “It means you were never fully human. The Asgardian genes were depleted by a few generations of mortal pairings, not to mention Kjell’s relinquishment of his immortality, but the reason you had visions all your life; the reason you felt so drawn to our world; the reason Elsker chose you for me…it is because you are Kjell’s descendant.”
It was a full minute before I was able to blink.
“I was never fully human.”
“No.”
“And this ring…”
“It’s the Healing Stone,” Inga offered helpfully. “Kjell won it from a fire giant in battle, and he took it with him when he left Asgard.”
“The Healing Stone. It’s the lost artifact that can help Olaug.” My voice broke.
“It can. But it can only be activated by its rightful owner.” Ull squeezed my hands.
“But I’m not its owner: Kjell is. Was. Whatever. Why does it float for me and not for you guys? You’re more Asgardian than I am. Was. Arugh.” I shook my head.
“Because the ring does not belong to us. Magic dictates that an object is loyal to whomever creates or captures it, so long as the transfer is final. Kjell won the stone from the giant, thereby winning its fealty. And he put that fealty to good use. Your great-great-great grandfather knew that once he relinquished his immortality, he would be vulnerable to all sorts of attacks. Asgard’s enemies would track him down and kill both him and his bride on sight. Taking down a god, even a retired one, would be a great prize. And while he was not concerned for his own fate, he wanted to protect the woman he loved. So Kjell asked the light elves to make the stone into a ring for his bride. It would not be able to stave off death by natural causes, but it would protect against supernatural elements—enchanted weapons, curses, crushing spells.” Ull raised an eyebrow. “When Kjell reached Midgard, he gifted the ring to his wife and its fealty transferred to her. She must have passed it to her child in her will. And she to hers. And so on. Until it became your grandmother’s. And now, yours.”
I stared at the ring as it lay on the coffee table. It twinkled at me.
“So, not only am I the Seer, but I have a magic healing ring, too?”
“Yes.” Inga clapped her hands. “You know what this means?”
I let out a breath. “Olaug’s going to be okay.”
“Exactly.” Ull nodded. “When you put on the ring, you will be able to imbue anything you touch with therapeutic properties.”
“So our baby…” I rubbed my stomach.
“Will be healthy as a Pegasus.” Ull kissed the top of my head.
“A doctor for a father and a healer for a mother. Plus you can see what he’s going to do before he does it? Poor kid’s going to have no fun in high school.
” Inga giggled.
“Sweetheart, are you all right? Your forehead feels warm.” Ull held the back of his hand to my face.
“It’s never ending, is it? Just when I think I have a grip on this life, there’s a whole new twist. It’s kind of crazy.”
“There is definitely something new every day,” Ull agreed.
“So I’ll be able to protect our baby from Loki, and dark elves, and jotuns, and…well, all the things,” I mused. “And I’ll be able to protect you guys if, Odin forbid, we’re ever cursed. But first we need to take care of Olaug.”
“Already on it.” Inga typed into phone. When it beeped, she nodded. “She’s on her way upstairs.”
My stomach churned. “How do I know what to do? This ring didn’t exactly arrive with a manual.”
“It will just come to you,” Olaug’s voice came from the doorway. She tottered into the living area and sat beside me on the couch. “Put the ring on.”
The ring rose from the table and floated to my right hand. It hovered, waiting for me to unclench my fist. I gulped. “Okay.”
The minute the ring was on, I felt a surge of energy. It pulsed from my hand to my heart, and back again. Cool air hit the whites of my eyes as my brows shot up. “It feels…weird,” I whispered.
“Bet you’ve felt weirder,” Inga pointed out.
I shuddered. There was no need to revisit Idunn’s little procedure.
“Now place your hand over my heart,” Olaug instructed.
My fingers shook as I rested my palm against Olaug’s heart. The energy pushed away from me now, from my heart, down my arm, and out through the ring. The blue stone glowed, and nine beams emitted from its center. I jumped at the ring’s sudden outburst. It was brighter than the midday sun on Asgard Cay, and the way it moved energy through my body left me feeling like I’d just downed an entire case of energy drinks. I took a deep breath and kept my hand against Olaug’s chest. My palm vibrated against Olaug’s ribcage, filling her body with light. When the light dimmed, I pulled my hand back.
Holy mother of pearl. This life was crazy.
“Did it work? How do you feel?” I held my breath.
Olaug flexed her hands experimentally. Then she stood, and turned in a slow circle. “I feel…wonderful. The pain is gone.”
“Are you certain?” Ull stared at Olaug.
“I am certain.” She nodded. “Well done, Kristia.”
My voice shook. “I’m not entirely sure what I did, but I’m glad it worked.”
Ull turned to me. He rested his large hand on my belly. “How are the two of you?”
“We’re fine.” I stroked his jaw. “And thanks to Kjell’s ring, it looks like we’re going to be fine for a long time.”
Ull drew me to him, wrapping strong arms around my shoulders. “If any of this is too much for you, just say the word and I will take you and the baby away. It is wonderful that you have this gift, but if it interferes with you or our child’s happiness, I will make all of this disappear.”
“I can handle it.” I lay my cheek against Ull’s chest. “Do you honestly think I’d back away from something like this?”
“I wish I could say yes.” Ull shook his head. “But if there is one thing I know about you, it is that you love a challenge.”
“Not half as much as I love you.”
“I can see we’re not needed here any more. Olaug? Walk me home?” I heard Inga and Olaug’s laughter as they closed the door behind them, but I didn’t see them leave. My eyes were locked on Ull’s perfect face: the strong line of his jaw, the sparkling orbs of his eyes, and the pale pink lips that lowered themselves onto mine. Ull kissed a trail from my mouth down the side of my neck and I melted.
“It seems we have an evening of celebrating ahead of us.”
“Mmm. What did you have in mind?”
“How about dinner in the garden? Grilled steaks, twice-baked potatoes, and fresh green beans, courtesy of your doting husband.” He nibbled his way up to my chin.
“I like the sound of that.”
“And for dessert, fresh apple cobbler. You will need your strength for phase two of our celebration.” He breathed on my ear and I shivered.
“I can’t wait,” I whispered. I brushed my lips against Ull’s, kissing him soundly. He was only too happy to give in as he picked me up, and started running. I couldn’t help but laugh as he raced down the hallway. And once again I marveled at the amazing turns my life had taken since Ull Myhr dropped into it.
“You know something?” I gazed up at him and twirled a lock of his hair around one finger. “Jeg elsker deg.”
“I love you too, darling.” Ull beamed down at me, and closed the bedroom door behind us.
I let out a soft sigh and traced the line of his jaw with one finger. This god, this life: it was everything I had ever wanted. I was absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Jeg elsker deg,” I whispered again. “Forever.”
He winked, then kissed me softly. “Forever.”
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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. She hopes her characters make you smile and that, one day, pastries will be considered a health food.
Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende or her blog. While you’re at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr—when he’s not saving the cosmos from dark elves, he loves meeting new friends. Especially the human kind.
CONNECT WITH S.T. BENDE ONLINE
Ull and I love to connect with readers! Find us online at
Blog: http://stbende.blogspot.com
E-mail: [email protected]
S.T. Bende on Twitter: @stbende
Ull Myhr on Twitter: @ullmyhr
ST on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stbende
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If you liked The Elsker Saga, you’ll love Ednah Walters’ Runes Series. This heart pounding, action packed, upper young adult paranormal romance is rooted in Norse mythology, and the first book is free on all platforms. Check out this excerpt from Book One, RUNES, and find out about all of Ednah’s books at http://www.ednahwalters.com/.
RUNES
Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.
Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.
Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.
And now, a sneak peek at the bestselling Amazon series,
RUNES
(Book One)
By Ednah Walt
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Raine Cooper does not believe in magic or the supernatural, until her new neighbor, Torin St. James, uses weird markings to heal her and she starts seeing things others don't see and feeling things she's never felt before. There’s only one solution, she must find out what he is and why he can’t leave her alone because everything about him says he’s not human.
I texted Coach Fletcher, in case I didn’t make it on time, then slipped behind the wheel. The tire pressure should hold. Please, let it hold.
I backed out of the driveway and reached out to shift gears when my new neighbor left his garage, pushing a Harley. Shirtless. I swallowed, drooled. His shoulders were broad and well-defined. His stomach ripped.
He glanced my way, and I quickly averted my eyes and stepped on the gas pedal. My car shot backwards instead of forward and slammed into something, jerking me forward. Panicking, I hit the brakes and looked behind me.
“Oh, crap.” Of all the mailboxes on our cul-de-sac, I just had to hit the Petersons’.
Cursing, I shifted gears, moved forward until I got off the curb, switched off the engine, and jumped out of the car. Everyone had their mailboxes imbedded in concrete, but not the Petersons. They had to go overboard and use a fancy, custom-made miniature version of their house. Now the post leaned sideways like the Tower of Pisa, with red paint from my car all over the white pole. Their mailbox was totaled, the mail scattered on the ground.
Someone called out something, but I was busy imagining Mr. Peterson’s reaction when he saw his mailbox. He was a big conspiracy theorist. The government and people were always out to get him. He’d believe I deliberately knocked down his stupid mailbox.
“That looks bad,” Blue Eyes said from behind me, startling me.
“You think?”
He chuckled. “From that snarky comment, you must be okay.”
“Peachy.”
