by S. T. Bende
“The very one.”
“Wow.” I exhaled. “This is huge.”
“You are family now. I always knew I would share my recipe with Ull’s bride, I just didn’t know I’d have to wait this long to meet her.”
When the apron was tied tightly around my back, I pulled out a fresh hand towel. “Is this a goddess lesson day, too? I feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface, and there’s not a lot of time left.”
“I feel the same way.” Olaug plugged in the mixer. “Do you have time to go over some things? If not, we can just make a quick batch of waffles and I will get out of your hair.”
“No! Stay, please. My afternoon is free as a bee.”
“Excellent. Then please hand me three eggs.”
“Hold on. I won’t remember all of this.” I ran to my bedroom and returned with a notebook and a pen. “Okay. Go.”
Olaug chuckled. “You do realize much about being of Asgard will be instinctual, don’t you? The relationships, the extrasensory enhancements, they are just going to come to you as you go along. They are not things that can be taught.”
“Maybe. But I also know an extra half-teaspoon of vanilla can completely wreck a batch of chocolate chip cookies. And I’m not taking any chances with Ull’s waffles.”
“Fair enough.” Olaug smiled. “Whip the eggs thoroughly.” My pen flew across the paper as I took verbatim dictation. “Make sure the butter is completely melted, and do not overuse the cardamom. You will want to, but the savory should never overpower the sweet.”
“How much do I use?”
“Some.”
“I’m going to need something more specific than that.” Compulsion wasn’t a hat one could just take off.
“I’ve never measured it. I just use some.”
I dug through a drawer until I came up with measuring spoons. “How about this. I’ll hold these over the bowl so I can measure what ‘some’ means and write it down.”
Olaug smiled. “If you wish.” She added the remaining ingredients and patted my hand. “The sugar comes next. Whip it into the eggs until the mixture is slightly stiff.”
She continued, adding her personal touches to each ingredient as she cooked. Finally, the batter was ready.
“Oops. Should have plugged my waffle iron in sooner. Sorry!” I moved to pull my iron from the cupboard, but Olaug put a hand to my arm.
“Norsk waffles have their own kind of iron.” She pulled a heart shaped waffle maker from the bottom of the grocery bag. It heated quickly, and in no time we sat at the kitchen table with two fresh cups of Earl Grey and a batch of homemade waffles.
“These are amazing.” Flavor danced around the corners of my mouth as I took another bite. “Even better than the ones at the church.”
“I have had a veritable eternity to perfect them,” Olaug pointed out. “And speaking of eternity, let’s talk about your new life. When you and Ull promise ‘till death do us part,’ it’s going to mean a whole lot longer than you grew up thinking it would.”
“I know. I can’t wait.”
“Look at you.” Olaug reached across the table to pat my hand. “Your smile could be seen from the heavens. I’ve only ever seen one bigger. Ull just lights up when you are around. It is such a blessing to see you two together.”
Heat tickled the back of my neck. “You love him so much.”
“Of course.” Olaug pulled her hand away to spread jam on a waffle. “I used to take care of him while his mother was away. Did he ever tell you about it?”
“Ull doesn’t talk about his childhood.”
“I know.” Olaug’s voice was soft. “It was an unhappy time for him. After his father passed and Sif married Thor, she was away for months at a time in battle. In Asgard, when you marry you assume your husband’s position, and as you will become Goddess to Ull’s God of Winter title, Sif became Thor’s battle goddess. She followed him off to fight, and left her little boy in my care.”
“But didn’t she want to be with Ull all the time? Especially after everything he’d been through?” If I were lucky enough to have a family, I wouldn’t leave them for anything. I’d be there for my babies’ first steps, first words, first everything. There would be no way I’d leave them for months at a time. Ever.
“It didn’t matter what she wanted.” Olaug watched me carefully. “This is the way things are done in Asgard. The Aesir have a duty to the realm that supersedes duty to self.”
“Are you saying that if Ull and I get to have children, I won’t be allowed to be with them?” My heart squeezed.
“I am saying that unless someone shakes things up, Asgard will continue to operate the same as it has done for millennia. And in my humble opinion, that would be a true travesty. I like endre.” Olaug lifted her waffle.
“Endre?” I repeated.
“It means change,” Olaug explained. “Someone has to be the one to bring it to Asgard. Don’t you agree it’s time?”
Oh.
I gave a tiny nod as Olaug took a bite. When she’d finished chewing, she wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “Now as Goddess of Winter, you and Ull actually have a fairly non-confrontational assignment. Not to say it is not difficult, but it is a non-combat position, which is rare among the Aesir. Since Odin has always given Ull discretion in performing his duties, I would imagine you would be able to stay together the majority of the time. There will be some travel as weather anomalies pop up in the realms, but for the most part you will be able to choose a base and work out of it. Together.”
“That’s good.” It would have been scary to think about navigating immortality all by my lonesome.
“Ull does a significant amount of research for his post. Satellites move around all nine realms, transmitting data to whichever base he is working out of. Ull analyzes the patterns, looks for trends, and performs necessary adjustments.”
“How does he do that, exactly?” And more importantly, how was I supposed to do it with him?
“He hasn’t shown you? He is able to manipulate the climate with his hands.”
“Excuse me?” There was no way she was being serious.
“Kristia, he is God of Winter. He draws on his Odin-given gift and generates weather patterns through his hands. He sends them to the necessary coordinates through the teleportation system he developed with Heimdall. If the situation is truly extreme, he visits the climate personally and performs necessary adjustments.” Olaug tilted her head. “What did you think he did at work?”
“I—I don’t know.” My fingers tore apart the heart-shaped waffle. “I guess I hadn’t really thought about how he controlled the weather. Seriously? With his hands? He just…” I waved my hand across the table and wiggled my fingers, miming falling snow. “Poof?”
“It’s a little more complicated, but yes. Poof.” Olaug’s eyes crinkled.
“And I’ll be able to… poof, too?”
“You will. At your transformation, the power will be ingrained and Ull will be able to show you how to channel it. Along with your other powers.”
“My other powers?” The waffle fell onto my plate. “What else will I get to do? Am I going to get the speedy thing Inga has?”
“Of course. Speed of movement, enhanced sight, increased strength, and enhanced physical sensitivity are just some of the changes you’ll see after your transformation.”
“Enhanced physical sensitivity?” I squeaked.
“Yes. It’s innate in all goddesses, but it will be especially strong in you because of your title. You’ll be able to feel a storm coming just by the way the moisture in your skin adjusts. If a dry season is approaching, you will know it by the way your hair and nails react to the air. Even the slightest atmospheric shift will resonate within you. Your nerve endings are going to heighten in ways most goddesses won’t ever experience. It will help you tremendously in your work.”
So I was going to marry Ull, turn into a goddess, and traipse off on my honeymoon with heightened sensitivity? Did anyone else
see this as a ginormous recipe for disaster?
“Awesome.”
“Are you frightened, Kristia?”
Was I frightened? The fate of the cosmos rested on my being able to use my visions for the greater good, but I had no idea how to properly channel them. If I didn’t get a grip on my mental tic soon, things were going to end very badly for everyone I loved.
Frightened didn’t even begin to cover what I was.
A shudder danced along the length of my spine. I hated the feeling of being so grossly underprepared. But as much as I wanted to ask Olaug to help me practice using my visions right now, I knew she’d give me the official Asgardian party line—It’s too soon. It’s too dangerous. Wait until after you’re changed. I took a breath and relegated my panic into the corner of my brain. My anxieties could be dealt with later.
“I’m a little scared,” I admitted. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to go through with this though. I would do anything to spend a thousand lifetimes with Ull.”
“I know you would.” Olaug leaned back in her chair. “It is what made me love you every bit as much as he does. Ull never let himself wish for a family. I was afraid he was broken. But you have given me faith. That he sees a future for himself, after all of this time… it is a miracle.”
“I’ll take care of him, Olaug. I promise.”
She hugged me tightly. “You will take care of each other.”
That night, I paced my room. The Asgardians told me I wouldn’t be able to fully control my visions until I’d been transformed, but Olaug’s comment had really gotten to me. I was frightened. Mormor hadn’t raised me to sit helplessly on the sidelines, and I didn’t like doing it one bit. I was sick of waiting to do something to help my soon-to-be family. Ull had waited lifetimes to find me, and here I was sitting on my mental tic like it was an unwanted birthday present. I didn’t want to wait any more. It was time to test-run my gift.
Elsker wasn’t scheduled to give me my first formal training session for another week, but we’d talked a little on the phone. From the very little she’d told me, I gathered I was supposed to get to a calm space in my head, breathe deeply, and ground myself to the earth. Then I could project a part of myself wherever I wanted to go. Apparently once I was changed, some special Asgardian power would kick in and make this all easier, but so long as I was human it was nearly impossible. Pish. Mormor used to claim I was so stubborn I’d argue with a lamppost. If there hadn’t been so much truth to those words, I’d have admitted she was right.
I knew Ull and Elsker were just trying to protect me. They were so nervous about all of this. And while I knew what I was doing was risky—I hadn’t forgotten Ull’s warning about being kidnapped and losing all my powers, or the whole burning pajamas debacle—the way I saw it, I’d had these visions my whole life without any training anyway. What was the worst that could happen?
I closed my eyes and focused on the backs of my eyelids. Then I pictured a rope pulling me down to the floor. There. That should be grounding enough. Now, to the traveling. I didn’t have anything I really needed to see, and I was smart enough not to go looking for Asgard’s enemies on my first go-round. So I pictured the living room. It was only forty feet away. An image of the couch came to mind and I bit my cheek, focusing on the throw pillows.
“Come on, alleged Asgardian power.” I clutched my grandmother’s necklace for luck. “Show me how this works.” I opened one eye; I hadn’t moved. And neither had my spirit, or whatever it was that Ull failed to explain back at Ýdalir. I squeezed my eyes shut and pictured the couch again, this time imagining my body floating toward it. I peeked from one lowered eyelid—still nothing.
I closed my eyes a third time and squeezed the necklace so hard the tiny hammer stabbed my hand. Suddenly I did feel something, but it wasn’t what I’d been going for. Needles pierced my skull from all sides and the backs of my eyeballs felt like they were on fire. My head throbbed and I grabbed at my temples. My chest rose and fell with no control on my part, and my body shook violently.
In all my nightmares, I’d never once given in to the pain. But with one final shake, I was consumed by the darkness.
I never even saw it coming.
Chapter Six
“KRISTIA!” EMMA’S SHRIEK BROUGHT me back from the darkness. Cold hands cupped my cheeks while something damp dabbed at my forehead. Was it a washrag? My eyes burned too much to open.
“Where am I?” My voice sounded shaky.
“In the living room. My God, Kristia, what happened? You’ve been convulsing for like, two minutes! You’re covered in sweat. We need to get you to the hospital.”
“In the living room…” I was in the living room. So I had done it then? But I wasn’t supposed to have actually moved—I’d only meant to travel in my mind. And I hadn’t seen mental pictures of the living room, only flashes of light as I’d been overcome with pain. “How did I get here?”
“I have no idea! We just heard a thud and came running.”
“Hospital, Kristia. Now.” Victoria was here too; both girls were in their pajamas. They must have jumped out of bed to help me.
“No, no thank you.” I sat up slowly. The pain that wracked my body ebbed just a tad. “I’m okay, really.”
“You are not.”
“Yes, I swear. I just need to lie down.”
Skeptically, Victoria helped me onto the couch while Emma ran for a glass of water. They sat with me until I convinced them I really was fine, which took two full episodes of Sports Wives. When the last episode ended, I let them walk me to my room.
“Are you sure you are all right? Have you ever had a seizure before?”
“I swear, Emma. I’m fine. Really. I’ll yell if I need anything.”
“You can’t yell if you’re having a seizure,” Victoria pointed out.
“I just… need to sleep. Really,” I added when Victoria gave me a pointed stare.
“All right. But if you want to tuck in with one of us just to be safe, you should probably head to my room. Emma snores.”
“I do not!” Emma squealed.
“You sure you will be all right, Kristia?” Victoria crossed her arms.
“I swear. I’m okay. Go to bed, really.”
“We’re right down the hall if you need anything.” Emma patted my legs and followed Victoria across the hall. I could hear their concerned whispers as they walked.
When they’d finally gone back to their rooms and all the lights were off, I grabbed my mobile from the nightstand dialed.
Olaug picked up on the third ring.
“I kind of did something.” My tone was steeped in guilt. Olaug listened to my confession in silence.
“Elsker and I told you not to try this on your own. You do not have the abilities to use this gift yet.”
“Clearly,” I grumbled.
“You are not supposed to physically travel. Can you imagine what would happen if you sent your body to the frost giants? Or the dark elves? Do you have any idea what they would do to you?” I knew Olaug was very upset with me.
“I’m so sorry, Olaug. I should never have done this.”
“You are right, you never should have done this. Thank Odin you only tried to see your living room. And thank Odin your friends were home. You could have been seriously hurt. Wait.” She stopped her tirade. “How did you manage to move?”
“I don’t know. I just did. I’m sorry, Olaug, I promise I won’t try it again until I’ve been changed.” I felt awful—Olaug had put a lot of effort into keeping me safe and getting me into Asgard. Here I was, throwing it away like yesterday’s leftovers because I couldn’t wait just a few more weeks.
“You had better not try this again, young lady. But how did you move? You are not a goddess yet; Asgard’s magic should not have worked on you.”
“Seriously, Olaug, I have no idea. I was picturing the living room and holding my necklace and—”
“Your necklace.” She made the connection I hadn’t. “It is elfin made.”
An image of Elfie flashed in my mind, but I pushed it out.
“So? Wait, does this have anything to do with the Seer thing? Because honestly, the necklace has been really helpful with the whole Elf Man situation.”
“Kristia,” Olaug admonished. “Everything you do for the rest of your existence will have to do with you being the Seer. You do realize this?”
“I’m starting to.”
Her voice softened. “It is a tremendous honor to have been chosen, but it must also feel like a great burden. Especially as you are not from our world.”
“About that.” I’d been wondering. “How did a human end up being the one these Sisters prophesied to have this…” This what? Curse? Extreme inconvenience? Living nightmare? “…this power?”
“I do not know.” Olaug sighed. “It does not make sense that they would go outside the Aesir and Vanir. And Elsker cannot tell us why. The Sisters never explain their prophecies, even to their lesser Norns.”
Of course. I was gifted with a power Odin literally gave his eye for, and nobody seemed to know how I got so lucky.
“Is Odin upset they chose me instead of a real god? Like him?”
“He does not understand their choice, but he does not question it. He knows we each have our role to fill, and it was not his destiny to wield this power.”
So the ruler of Asgard was Zen. Even so, I’d have wagered good money he wished he’d asked the Norns about his fate before he handed over his eyeball.
“What does this all have to do with my necklace?” No point beating a dead fish. I moved back to the original question.
“Well, elfin-made objects bear elfin magic.”
“So it’s elf magic that’s making my necklace work? I thought it was Mjölnir?”
“It is both. As The Seer, you can channel Mjölnir’s magic through your necklace, but as a human, elfin magic can channel through you. It would not happen to a god; Asgardians are too powerful for that kind of magic. But because you are still human…” She sighed. “Kristia, please promise me you will not try this again until you have been changed and Elsker can properly train you. If you accidentally channeled the wrong kind of magic when you were trying to…” I could almost see her shaking her head on the other end of the phone. “Not to mention you do not know how to control your own energy. You have no idea how dangerous this could have been.”
