by S. T. Bende
I opened my eyes a fraction of an inch to look at my love. The dull ache turned to numbness, and within seconds it overtook my entire body. I forced myself to breathe. I only managed two shallow intakes before my lungs gave up.
And then the peace came back.
“No!” One forceful syllable kept me from drifting away. Ull pried my mouth open. Two warm breaths pushed down my throat. Then Ull leaned into my chest, pumping hard. One, two, three…My consciousness shifted, and I saw the scene from outside my body. Ull’s brow furrowed and his eyes stared unseeingly at the ground. After thirty counts he resumed the breaths. Then pumps. Breaths. Pumps. Breaths. Pumps. He broke out in a sweat. The adorable flop of blond hair that normally fell over one eye was so soaked it stuck to his forehead. Breaths. Pumps. Breaths. Pumps. The cycle went on and on. He should have been exhausted, but the more time that passed the more frantic he became.
It’s okay. Let me go.
The gut-wrenching sob tore at my soul. Ull wept. I could see each individual tear falling from his eyes. They came slowly at first, each easily distinguished from the others, but soon they flowed in a torrent, binding together in a shimmery mist. The mist began to sparkle, and it moved toward my body, sealing me in a luminous shell. Ull’s shoulders shook. He hunched over my torso in a heartbreaking display. He lifted my head into his lap, cradling me in his forearms and kissing my forehead, as if sheer willpower could bring me back.
Oh, Ull.
I wanted to touch him, to comfort him. To let him know I wasn’t hurting, that it would all be okay. But I didn’t know that. What would happen to our family? Ardis? Inga and Gunnar? Had Tyr and Odin stopped the ship? Were our realms on a collision course set for complete and total destruction?
“Kristia,” Ull moaned as he squeezed my shoulders. “Baby.” Each syllable came as a gasp. Ull’s silvery tears now encased my entire corpse—he must have cried a full gallon of them.
As I marveled at my poor husband’s shimmering tears, they started to vibrate. Slowly at first, and then with the speed of one of Inga’s beloved racecars, they shook just above my skin. My fingers and toes tingled as the tears started to bounce off each other like drops of water on a hot skillet. My arms and legs regained feeling, and warmth filled my chest. The sparkling liquid continued its dance until the warmth spread from the top of my head all the way down to my feet, and it leaped off my body and pooled onto the ground just as I drew an enormous breath.
“Kristia!”
I heard Ull’s joyful shout before I could exhale. He cradled me and pressed warm kisses to my forehead and cheeks before claiming my mouth.
“Oh, sweetheart!” He pulled me to his chest so tight I could feel his heart beating. The rapid thrumming betrayed the terror he must have felt. “I thought you left me.”
He lowered his head to mine again, crushing my lips against his. His tongue parted my lips almost forcefully, and as he pushed against me I melted into his embrace. How could he think I would willingly go anywhere without him?
“Ull,” I murmured. I ran my fingers through his hair, pushing the sopping strands off his sweat-stained forehead. “I love you so much.”
I felt an ache in my left wrist but I didn’t care. I pulled Ull close again and he kissed me with abandon, seeming to forget that I was battered, bruised, and had recently been staked by a madman. He rolled so he hovered lightly over my torso.
“Do not ever leave me again.” It was an order, and I nodded weakly.
“Okay.”
I reached up with my good arm and pulled him on top of me. The weight of the enormous god resting directly on my injuries hurt like the dickens, but I was too relieved to think straight. All I could register was the feel of Ull’s lips, his body on mine, and the absolutely heavenly smell that was my husband.
Until I heard the pop.
“Ull?” I looked up.
“Run. Now!” He jumped to his feet and lifted me alongside him. He pointed me away from the trees and gave a shove that sent me stumbling across the clearing. When he saw me safely sprawled at the base of a boulder, Ull charged in the opposite direction.
It took me a moment to clear the ringing from my ears, and by the time I could stand unsupported, the battle was underway. Ull’s stunning spell had worn off and Loki was on the attack. The two gods were only forty yards away from my rock shelter—far enough that I was safe from the flying fists, but near enough that I could hear every sickening blow. Loki wrenched his bicep out of Ull’s grasp and darted to the base of an evergreen. Ull pivoted to face his foe, lowered his head, and charged. He threw himself at Loki.
I’d never seen anything like it. They were unmatched physically, Loki tall and wiry, and Ull taller and brawnier. If it had been a fistfight the outcome would have been clear, but while Ull came at Loki with physical attacks, Loki responded by casting spells. They sent Ull reeling as no punch from Loki’s thin frame could. My heart lurched each time he was struck. Seeing Ull under fire tore at my soul.
I knew that Ull was just as skilled a magician as Loki, probably more so, but his anger marred any logical attack. He charged again, a terrifying battle cry erupting from his throat, barreling down on the half-jotun like a bull in a fight. It might have been beautiful if it weren’t so scary. Loki’s eyes betrayed his fear, but he muttered an incantation and with a wave of his arms sent Ull flying high in the air, legs flailing, before a sturdy tree stopped his trajectory. The tree cracked and fell to the ground but Ull landed on his feet unscathed. Anger seethed from every inch of his magnificent being and he lowered his head to attack.
“Are you all right, Kristia?” For the first time I realized I wasn’t alone in my corner of the woods.
“Sif?” I looked around, wondering just how many of my brain cells had been sacrificed in my brush with death. “I thought you were fighting the wolf and the snake.”
“I am trying.” Sif gritted her teeth. “But it has not been going so well since Odin called for Thor. We thought this would be such an easy fight; that one of us could handle it. We were wrong.” Greenish-blue bruises marred her otherwise perfect body. She looked as if she’d had a run-in with the wrong end of a hungry mountain lion.
“What? Thor isn’t here?” I looked around and saw we were in a familiar landscape. The English lavender was missing, but in every other way it was the battlefield from my nightmares. The place I’d been killed a thousand different ways by two terrifying monsters. Oh, jeez. How many times was I going to have to cheat death today?
“Sif? Are we in Asgard’s battlefield?”
“We are. You. Me. My son. That monster Loki.” She jutted her chin to her right. “And a giant wolf and serpent who have been playing cat and mouse with me all afternoon.”
“You haven’t killed them yet.” My heart sank.
“No. And I only have the one sword, so there’s not much I can ask you to do to help me.” She squinted. I followed her sightline and my insides churned. My breath came in jagged gasps as I saw the demons circling in the distance, making their way toward us. “The best you can do is stay behind me and hope they do not attack from opposite sides.”
“I can do more than that.” I spoke through gritted teeth. Planting myself a few feet away from my mother-in-law, I held my fingers together and closed my eyes. An uncomfortable pressure built behind my lids as I sent my energy to the center of my frontal lobe. Ignoring the pain, I pushed the pressure down my neck, along my arm and to my fingertips. They began to burn from the cold, and when I opened my eyes a blue cloud swirled against my palm. With more care than I’d ever exercised, I opened my fingers. I had one, maybe two shots at slowing these things down, and misfiring was not an option.
The wolf lunged toward Sif and I raised my palm. With a vicious swipe I sent a stream hurtling in front of the animal. An icy surface covered the ground, and Fenrir skidded on four paws. He slid across the surface, totally out of control, and slammed into a nearby tree.
“Did you do that?” Sif turned to me.
> “Yeah. Ull showed me on our honeymoon.”
Sif hid a smile. “I do hope you are able to teach him to relax. Eventually.”
I closed my eyes and turned toward the snake. “I’m working on it.”
A low hiss alerted me to the snake’s movement, so I directed another ice field at the ground, hoping to slow its trajectory. When I opened my eyes, the oversized reptile was moving calmly across the frozen surface while Fenrir stalked across his own ice block with cat-like reflexes. Somehow I’d forgotten their father was part jotun. With frost giant genes, a little winter weather pattern might take them by surprise, but it wasn’t going to deter them for long.
While I regrouped, I whipped my arm around my head. A blizzard whirled toward the demonic duo. They pushed through, gaining traction as they moved. A hailstorm followed, earning no more than a mocking snarl. When my pathetic attempt to summon lightning proved useless, I had to admit defeat.
This wasn’t working.
Ull had taught me to assess my surroundings. There weren’t any conventional weapons lying around, and the wolf had already halved the distance between us. I couldn’t see the snake anymore, but I knew he was en route. Not far away, Loki was mounting roundhouse kicks to Ull’s jaw. The scene shifted to a slightly darker red and I used my right hand to grab the only thing I could find. It was a stick, three feet in length and six inches in diameter, with a sharply pointed end. It looked vaguely familiar; it would have to do.
I thought back to the lesson Ull gave me on our honeymoon. If I ever found myself without a weapon, a ninety-degree strike with a broken branch would give me enough time to run. But I wasn’t running.
“Let’s end this.”
Chapter Fifteen
I NARROWED MY EYES and stood against Sif so we were back to back, slowly pivoting to fully assess the field. Suddenly she yelled out, a guttural cry that emanated from deep in her chest. I permitted myself one brief glance and saw her running full bore toward the enormous wolf. She leapt to meet him midair, sword drawn at the ready. I heard the horrifying sound of claws and metal tearing flesh and fur, but I didn’t get to see what happened after that because I was under siege.
My heart thudded against my ribcage, sending adrenaline coarsing through my veins. Fear roared between my ears as I realized the snake had found me. Its oversized trunk wound its way through the dirt and rocks until the animal came to rest just beyond my reach. Beady red eyes assessed their target, and a faint hiss escaped slanted nostrils. I stabbed, but it rose to stand on its tail just outside the radius of my crude weapon. I stabbed again, realizing with alarm that the snake was at least eleven feet tall and measured a full four feet in diameter. It was even bigger than it had been in my nightmares.
I took a step back to reassess and the snake struck. It lunged for my feet and I jumped. The red eyes focused and it struck again, this time catching me on the ankle and piercing my leg with venomous fangs. My calf felt like it had burst into flames. Poison ebbed from the snake, making its way up my leg and taking root in my blood stream. I shifted my weight onto one foot, willing myself not to cry out. I narrowed my eyes as the snake struck again, this time aiming for my torso. Pounding fists on fur sounded behind me, and I knew Sif was locked in her own life or death battle. Raising the stick as high as my mangled hand would allow, I jumped out of the snake’s path and forced my stake into the creature’s trajectory. It met its target at just the right moment, driving all the way through the serpent’s leathery skin. The snake paused mid-strike, its reptilian features frozen in shock. It fell to my feet with a thud, and I kicked it fiercely, stomping on its head for good measure. The crack of its skull was music to my ears.
I turned to find my mother-in-law standing atop her own captive, and I averted my eyes just before I heard the piercing of metal on flesh. There was a groan, then a gurgling, and when I glanced up, Sif withdrew her sword from the wolf’s chest.
The monsters from my nightmares would never bother me again.
Though I saw Sif wilt with exhaustion, I knew I was needed elsewhere. I turned my focus to my husband, who was locked in battle. Ull had been holding his own, but Loki now had the upper hand. Loki threw uppercuts at my beloved’s perfect jaw, and my world turned even redder.
It was time to cancel Loki’s birth certificate.
The numbness in my compromised leg wasn’t going to stop me. I shifted my weight and tugged at the stake firmly lodged in my attacker. As I tried to free it, I heard a pop from the far end of the field. Gunnar landed in the trees, crossbow in hand, and ran for Loki at full hilt. Loki waved his hand at Ull and sent him flying. He struck a tree and fell to the ground, then sat up slowly, cupping his jaw in one hand.
“Ull!” I shrieked. My heart pounded frantically as I watched red liquid course through his fingers, dripping in a pool on the dirt. He was losing blood, and though he waved his free hand at the wound, his magic was taking its sweet time; he’d been badly hurt. Gunnar growled at Loki and fired off three arrows in quick succession, but Loki’s footwork was fast and he evaded the onslaught. Gunnar circled, stalking Loki as he backed away, then aimed his crossbow and shot again.
Loki conjured up a sword and flung himself at Gunnar. Gunnar spun out of the way, and Loki flew past, landing face-first in the dirt. He jumped up as Gunnar approached from behind, but he wasn’t fast enough. Before Loki could turn around, Gunnar nailed him in the back of the head, first with his crossbow, then with his fist.
Gunnar drew an arrow and took aim but Loki laced his sword through the weapon and ripped it from Gunnar’s grasp. He delivered a swift knee to Gunnar’s groin before throwing him into a rock. Gunnar bounced off the hard surface and onto the dirt, doubled over in the fetal position. He held his hands between his legs as he let out a loud groan. The sound of pain echoed through the clearing. After a few seconds, Gunnar rolled onto his back and stared at the clouds. If his unfocused gaze was any indication, he was massively disoriented.
I was afraid for him, but Loki must have decided he wasn’t a threat anymore—he turned his attention back to Ull.
I held my breath. Ull was back on his feet, charging at Loki. The jotun cackled as a demonic half-smile lit up his horrible features. As Ull leapt to pounce, Loki met him midair, their bodies colliding with a thunderous clap. They fell to the ground, exchanging blows so forceful it sounded like a storm was rolling in.
Ull pinned Loki beneath him and let out a roar. Rage filled his eyes and he swung punch after punch at Loki’s head. I heard the now-too-familiar crunch of breaking bones and watched Ull’s tremendous biceps flex as he relentlessly punished my attacker.
Then the battle took a turn.
Ull swung at Loki’s face, breaking the jaw and leaving a trail of blood on his fist. Loki returned the punch with a kick to Ull’s shin, making Ull cry out. Ull drove a knee into Loki’s torso, and Loki emptied the contents of his stomach in a thick brown stream. The next second he drew himself up and swiftly kicked Ull’s chest. Ull was left heaving on his knees, gasping for breath.
Loki paused, having momentarily gained control. Ull was trying so hard to reorient himself, he didn’t realize Loki now crossed behind him. Loki raised a hand to deliver the ending blow, and the scene shifted to a dark crimson.
I was furious. Balder was dead. Sif and Gunnar were barely breathing. And now Loki wanted to kill the only man I’d ever loved.
A girl can only take so much.
I twisted the stick protruding from the snake and pulled until it was free. My left hand was still bleeding, but it was strong enough to hold the stick steady, so long as I controlled it with my right.
Loki’s back was to me. His fists hovered over Ull’s head.
I ignored the blinding pain in my poisoned leg and took off at a full sprint. Loki didn’t even notice when I started running toward him—I’m not sure he could have. I thought I’d run fast on Asgard Cay, but that was a Fun Run compared to the power building in my legs now. I pushed off the ground, picking up speed with e
ach step. The earth flew under my feet, the field blurring as I advanced on my target.
I was about to knock Loki into the middle of next week looking both ways for Sunday.
“Nobody,” I breathed as I ran. “Hurts.” I was closer now. “My.” I raised the stick over my head. “Husband!”
I screamed as I thrust the stick through Loki’s ribcage with all the force I had left. It pierced his thick skin all the way through, stopping only when my hands came to rest against his spine. I released the stick but it didn’t budge.
Loki turned, his eyes wide with shock. A full foot of wood protruded from his chest, which was quickly turning scarlet. Blood seeped from the wound, covering his torso in its sticky film. His eyes bulged and his fave visibly paled as he glanced down.
“You,” he growled. “Die already.”
“Fat chance.”
He lunged at me, but he didn’t have the strength to make contact. He just fell forward, un-impaling himself as the impact drove the stick back out of his body. And he didn’t move again. His body was limp on the ground, face-first in a pile of his own blood.
Ull knelt a few feet away. He’d taken in this last bit with hooded eyes. He shakily drew himself up to his full height, muscles still flexed for battle. Drawing a circle in the air with one finger, he conjured a silvery bubble. It lowered onto Loki’s body, trapping the lifeless creature within its skin. Ull raised the bubble with a finger so it was suspended several feet above the ground. At this, Ull’s body sagged. Mine did too. His eyes found me, profound relief evident in his gaze. I nodded in agreement. He looked to Gunnar, who was getting unsteadily to his feet.
“You all right, man?” Ull asked. He lifted his shirt to wipe the blood off his jaw, affording me a glimpse of his spectacular abdomen. My pulse quickened.
“That was some fight.” Gunnar rubbed his wrists. Ugly bruises covered his arms. “It’s been a while, eh?”
“I think we are getting older.” Ull lowered his shirt and rolled his shoulders back.
