by S. T. Bende
“Indeed.”
“Mother?” Ull called across the field. Sif pushed herself to her feet.
“I am all right, son. Thanks to your wife.” She shot me a weary smile. “I could not handle them both on my own.”
Ull crossed the clearing in ten long strides. When he reached my side, he tenderly stroked my now-discolored leg. The pain began to ease immediately, and I knew he was working his special brand of magic to eradicate the snake’s poison.
“You were incredible.” He treated me to the rakish smile I’d first fallen in love with. “I have never seen anything like that in all of my years. You truly are…” He shook his head.
My breath caught as he slowly lowered himself on one knee, taking both of my hands and kissing them softly. He bowed his head.
“Your Grace.” He threw my long-ago words back at me.
“Stop it.” My cheeks flamed.
“I mean it, Kristia; you saved my life. And my mother’s. And probably Gunnar’s, too. You said all along the prophecy was not law—that we could write our own fate. I did not believe it. But you did the impossible. You altered our destiny.”
“We altered our destiny. You saved my life first.” I pulled him up so we stood eye to eye. Well, eye to chest, but I craned my neck to look into the baby blues that held my heart.
My knees buckled. Ull caught me easily, one arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me so my chest was pressed against him. He leaned down, dipping me so low my head tipped back. I felt cool breath at my neck, then the tip of his nose running along the ridge of my jaw. I shivered. His hand cradled my head and he lifted me slightly, bringing my face to his.
“Kristia,” he exhaled.
“Mmm.” It was the best I could do. He’d wiped my brain clear of all cohesive thought.
“I love you.” And just like that his touch went from cool to hot. He brought his lips to mine with a force I wasn’t expecting. One hand grabbed at my hair while the other crushed me to him, his enormous palm flat against my shoulder blades. My skin burned and I dug my nails into the muscles of his back, desperate to close even the smallest gap between us. Ull’s hand dropped to my lower back—now he fully supported my weight. I fought to breathe as his mouth moved to my jaw, then the hollow of my neck.
“Ull,” I moaned softly.
“Guys.” Gunnar cleared his throat. I’d forgotten he was there. I tried to right myself, but Ull wasn’t letting me move.
“What?” Ull hissed. He gave Gunnar what could only be described as the stink-eye.
“Sif is right there. She’s staring at you.” She was. Ull’s mom was just across the clearing, doing her best to hide her smile.
“So?” Ull seemed unbothered, but eventually he had to give in to my squirming. “Oh, all right, darling.”
He set me on my feet before he glanced down.
“Look at your hand. You are hurting.” He kissed the wounds softly, murmuring something I couldn’t understand. The blood stopped. I watched in awe as the cuts healed themselves. As long as I lived, I’d never get used to that particular talent. Ull wrapped his arms around me, careful not to agitate the bruises he hadn’t yet assessed. But the precaution was unnecessary. My pain was gone.
The day caught up with me. Breathing in his familiar scent, I started to cry. The tears came slowly at first, and then heavy sobs consumed my body and I wept terribly in Ull’s arms. The enormity of what it would have meant to be separated from him for all time hit like a logging truck with busted breaks. Ull held me until my tears slowed and my sobs were reduced to pitiful hiccups. He stroked my hair, gently picking the leaves from its tangled mess. When I collected myself enough to look at his face, it held such tenderness that I nearly started crying all over again.
I clung to his chest—I’d almost lost him forever. His gentle murmurs and soft kisses reduced the hiccups to sniffles, and I focused on keeping myself very still until my eyes cleared.
“I was so afraid I was going to lose you,” I whispered. “I never should have left Ýdalir.”
“Shh,” Ull soothed. “You will never be without me. You, my dear, are stuck with me.” He held up his ring finger. “No take-backs, remember?”
“Is Ardis okay?” I asked timidly.
“She’s fine,” Gunnar told me, closing his mobile phone and ending a conversation I hadn’t realized was happening. “She’s actually safe in New York. Inga just checked on her. What you saw was an illusion.”
I hung my head. I still had so much to learn.
“Do not feel bad. Loki is a terribly powerful magician. He is much more skilled than I am. Any one of us could have been deceived.” Ull pulled my hands from my face, looking me in the eye. “But please do not ever leave my side again. I need you with me, always.”
“Always.” Forgetting that his mom was in the clearing, I reached up to kiss Ull’s perfect mouth. I curled under his arm, molding myself to the muscles of his torso. He rested his cheek on my head. He must have been exhausted.
“Is Loki dead?” I asked quietly.
“Unfortunately, no. It takes more than that to kill a god.” Tell me about it.
“But he nearly killed me. How?”
“We have a bit of an Achilles heel in our left wrists—the vein that runs from our fourth finger to our heart can be compromised.”
“He pierced my vein,” I whispered.
“But you survived. Thank Odin.” Ull kissed the top of my head.
“You fought hard, Kristia.” Gunnar threw his crossbow over his shoulder and grinned. “Good work.”
“You have never been more beautiful to me.” Ull’s look made me blush, though I wasn’t about to object to the way he placed his hands on my hips.
“Is Loki going to attack us again?”
“I doubt it. He will not wake up any time soon. And when he does, there is no way, magic or no, he could possibly escape that bubble. It is an Asgardian prison cell. Odin will put Loki on trial for his crimes, and in all likelihood he will receive a life sentence. Asgard willing, we will never have to worry about him again.”
Sif dusted herself off and began to cross the clearing. “If I have anything to say about it, that monster will be locked up into perpetuity.”
“Locked up? No. Ull, we have to kill him right now. If we don’t, Olaug will die. He cast the Crushing Curse, remember?”
“You think killing him will end the curse?” Ull asked.
“When I was in the tenth realm, Loki said the only way to break the curse was to kill him, or find some secret artifact nobody can find.”
“The Healing Stone?” Gunnar rubbed his neck. “Nobody’s seen that for years.”
“We have to save Olaug.”
“We all agree on that.” Sif nodded as she reached us.
“We cannot kill Loki ourselves. I would if I could. Nobody has more reason than I do to want him dead.” Ull’s eyes blazed.
“Then why can’t we kill him?”
“It is a physical impossibility—at least for me. Loki protects himself with magic so strong, not even Odin can unbind it. It is remarkable you were able to incapacitate him so fully. You are much more powerful than you give yourself credit for.” He stroked the small of my back and a tremor ran up my spine.
“So how do we help Olaug?”
“Well, I wager debilitating Loki will have slowed the curse significantly. A curse is only as powerful as the one who casts it, and if Loki is suspended in unconsciousness, then his curse will reflect that.”
“He predicted her death in two days.”
“That will not be possible. He is too weak for the curse to follow through to completion. But it may linger in her spirit. She may feel some residual effects.”
“So how do we cure her?”
“So long as Loki is incarcerated, his curse will be frozen. But if for some reason Odin delivers less than a life sentence, then we would need to find the stone.” Ull pulled me close. “Do not worry yourself, darling. One way or another, we will take care o
f Olaug. I promise you.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, too exhausted to do much more. “How’d we end up in Asgard anyway? I had a vision of Jotunheim.”
Ull twirled his finger in the air. “I could not stop the transport, but what kind of magician would I be if I did not at least throw in a detour?”
“What about Thor and Odin? Are they okay?”
Gunnar grimaced. “I don’t know. Inga hasn’t heard anything, and Olaug isn’t back from Asgard yet. We have to wait.”
“I will return to Odin’s hall to see what more I can do.” Sif squeezed Ull’s arm, and turned to leave.
“Sif, you need to rest,” I argued.
“Not if Thor needs me.” Her face was grim as she raced through the forest.
“Will she be okay? Shouldn’t she take the Bifrost or something?”
“My mother can handle anything. And Odin’s hall is only twenty miles away. It will only take her a few minutes on foot; no need for magic.”
“Right.”
Just then, two warriors emerged from the trees. Ull instructed them to take Loki’s body to Heimdall. I heard them mutter the oath before Heimdall opened the Bifrost into the clearing, and the two warriors and the disgraced half-jotun disappeared from my sight.
“Heimdall’s more than twenty miles away, huh?” I pointed to the dust left in the Bifrost’s wake.
“Protocol,” Ull explained. “Prisoners require armed Bifrost transports. No exceptions.”
I breathed a heavy sigh, exhaustion overcoming me. My limbs could have been made of lead; each movement took what felt like an overwhelming amount of energy. Ull supported my weight as we made our way toward the portal Loki had used to bring us from Ýdalir.
“Sorry, Gunnar,” I said with a sideways glance. “I didn’t mean to get you into a fight.”
Gunnar waved a hand at me. “Shoot, Kristia. It’s been way too long since Ull and I did something like that. It was great.” He chucked me gently on the arm.
At the portal Ull instructed me to hold on to him and close my eyes until we got back to Bibury. “This will not feel good.”
He wasn’t kidding. By the time we’d reached the pasture behind Ýdalir I was bent over and barely retaining the contents of my stomach.
“It does get easier, love. Each transport is less painful, I promise.” Ull stroked my hair as I stood.
“Can’t wait,” I muttered.
When we reached the cottage, Inga ran out. She jumped into Gunnar’s arms and pelted him with kisses. He winced at the sudden contact and she leaned back, taking in his bruises.
“Oh baby, you’re hurt.” Inga touched Gunnar’s bicep with the back of one finger.
“I’m almost healed, don’t worry about it.” Gunnar leaned to kiss her again but she held up her hand.
“Nonsense. The ones on your arm are still green. Ull. Fix him.” She set her stare on Ull.
“Vær så snill,” Ull reminded her. “You didn’t say please.”
“Fix him, Myhr.” Inga didn’t blink. “Vær så snill.”
“As you wish.” Ull waved his hand at Gunnar, and the bruises disappeared. “All better now?”
“I was nearly better before. But thanks anyway, mate.” Gunnar laughed, and pulled Inga close. He dipped her low to the ground and planted a solid kiss on her lips. “Missed you, doll.”
“Me too.” She gazed adoringly at him as he set her on her feet. Then she tugged on his hand and beamed at me. “Come on. There’s food inside. You’ll all feel better after you eat.”
We followed her into the house, where the kitchen counter held plates full of fresh apple turnovers. We helped ourselves to the pastries and I began to feel physically better immediately, though whether from eating the apples or from being back home, I couldn’t say. Inside, however, I was a ball of anxiety. We still didn’t know how the rest of our family had fared.
But when Olaug finally arrived, her jubilant smile said it all.
“They have done it. Tyr redirected Thor and the Valkyries to disable the ship. The beasts are dead. Heimdall took Loki to the prison chamber to await trial. Ragnarok is over. We have won!”
Inga jumped up and threw herself at Gunnar at the same time Ull swept me into his arms. Twirling me joyfully, he gave me a very thorough kiss. My fingers curled into his thick hair, pulling him closer as I breathed in that woodsy scent. A low rumble built in his chest and he was the first to break our embrace.
Looking to his friends, he said, “Gunnar, Inga, please make yourselves at home. You know where the guest room is. Olaug, thank you for everything you have done for us today. As always, we would have been completely lost without you. But if you will all excuse me.” Ull turned for our bedroom, holding me tight in his arms. “I need to be alone with my wife.”
The celebration continued behind us, as he whisked me off to our peaceful sanctuary. And I finally accepted that I got to keep this glorious man for my own ever, ever after.
Chapter Sixteen
IN THE MORNING, ÝDALIR was filled with the scent of fresh apple pastries. I opened my eyes and laid my head on Ull’s bare chest. It rose softly with each breath, and I listened to the restful sound, feeling more relaxed than had in days. It was finally over. Loki was locked away; Jotunheim was severed from the realms; the ship was in splinters at the ocean’s floor, and the serpent and wolf were dead. Nothing stood in the way of our happily ever after.
I let out a contented sigh, and Ull stirred softly beneath me. One arm looped slowly across my waist, a thumb stroking the small of my back in lazy circles.
“Mmm,” Ull murmured. “God morgen, Mrs. Myhr.”
My stomach fluttered eagerly. Good morning, indeed. I lifted my head, and his impish smile confirmed my hopeful suspicions. Ull kissed me soundly, just as Olaug’s cheerful voice interrupted from the kitchen.
“Breakfast is ready!” She bellowed, much to my annoyance and Ull’s laughter. I hastily threw on fitted jeans and my favorite ballet sweater. We made our way to the kitchen, where the atmosphere was jubilant.
I pulled Olaug aside. “How are you feeling?”
“Better than I have in days. Whatever you did to Loki seems to have worked—I feel practically as good as my old self.”
“I’m so glad.” I hugged her. “But I have a confession: I told Ull about your condition. I had to. He says you’ll improve with Loki all out of sorts like this, and so long as Loki stays in jail, the curse will freeze. But if he’s ever released, Ull and I are going to track down that lost artifact to heal you.”
Olaug shook her head. “Nobody knows where it is.”
“One way or another, we’re going to get this thing out of you. I promise.”
“I have no doubt, Granddaughter. Now go. Eat.” She gestured to the counter with crinkles in the corners of her eyes.
I needed no further invitation. Olaug’s fresh apple tarts smelled delicious. I handed one to Ull as I bit into another. The light pastry melted in my mouth; I was ravenous. I joined Gunnar at the kitchen island, clamoring for the freshest batch.
It was this gluttonous sight that greeted Inga when she walked into the room. I stood up, my mouth still covered with pastry crumbs, and walked over to hug my friend. Ull followed, a tart in each hand.
“Great job yesterday, Kristia.” Gunnar came over and wrapped an arm around Inga. “I’m sure glad Ull decided to get over himself and start dating you.”
“Me, too.” I pushed Ull lightly in the arm. “See? All that worrying for nothing.”
“My love, I do not think I will ever stop worrying about you. But now I know you are capable of handling yourself.” My legs turned to jelly as he kissed me.
“Actually, Kristia, I have a message for you. You have been called to Asgard. Odin wants to thank you.” Inga bounced on her toes. A personal summons from Odin was a big deal.
I leaned on Ull.
He smiled. “Asgard owes much to you. Come.”
“Shouldn’t I change?” I glanced at my outfit self
-consciously. A formal visit to Asgard should warrant more than a wrap sweater and denim, though I doubted I had anything fancy enough in my closet to wear to Odin’s pad. When I’d been kidnapped by the jotun and ported to Ull’s home realm, I hadn’t been terribly concerned with my appearance. But now that I’d be going at Odin’s invitation…well, was pretty sure this was a situation in which Mormor would have advised looking my best.
“Nope.” Inga gestured to her own ensemble. She wore slim jeans and a cardigan with her flats. “Asgard is strictly come-as-you-are.”
“Whatever you say.”
“You look beautiful, darling.” I shot Ull a grateful glance.
We gathered in the chamber, a snug fit for five. Ull spoke the oath and the Bifrost opened. This was even more uncomfortable than yesterday’s portal transports—it felt as if my bones were sucked up and my skin followed a few seconds behind. My head spun, but before I could pass out, my feet touched a smooth surface. A brightly-colored rainbow wove under my feet. It stretched across the sky, ending at a towering castle growing out of the clouds, brilliant white in the soft pink light. Golden turrets rose from the castle, and shimmering lakes rested at symmetrical intervals around its base. Lofty trees provided shade, their leaves blowing lightly in the soft breeze. Paddleboats were moored at small wooden docks. It was peaceful, pristine, and perfect.
Asgard.
I took it in slowly. Ull squeezed my hand. “Are you ready?”
At my nod, he led our group across the bridge. Ull walked half a step ahead as I looked around in awe. When we reached the castle, a huge man I assumed was Heimdall opened the outer door, ushering us inside. We walked up the steps to a golden inner door. It opened on its own to reveal an enormous hall, filled to capacity. The peaked ceiling bore arches of gold, crossing majestically from one end to the other. Brilliant light streamed from sparkling windows, showering the hall with pearls of luminescence.
The hall fell silent when we stepped inside. I looked up the long aisle and saw Odin in ivory robes sitting on a great throne, Frigga at his side. The room and its occupants were almost blindingly beautiful.
