by S. T. Bende
“I won’t do it again. I’m sorry, really. I promise I’ll listen to you the next time you tell me not to do something.”
“You had better. Ull will never forgive me if I let anything happen to you.”
“I know.”
“And Kristia,” Olaug continued, “I’m afraid I cannot let Elsker instruct you until after you are changed. If the elfin magic affected you this strongly, then it is too risky to let it access your human form. Elsker can work with you as soon as you are back from your honeymoon. After you are immortal.”
“Aw.” I sighed, but I didn’t argue. I’d made a pretty bad judgment call tonight. Best to put my faith in the gods.
“I understand. And I won’t do anything until after I’m changed. I swear.” It was only a few more weeks, after all. I could control myself until then… couldn’t I?
It was not shaping up to be my night. I spent an hour counting the leaves on the tree outside my window before I passed out, and once I finally did, I was plagued with what I could only assume was a bridezilla-level wedding nightmare. I’d never even seen the girl Thor had chosen for Ull, so I had no idea if the one in my nightmare looked anything like the real Skadi. And since Ull had been more than clear that he’d never considered marrying her, I had no reason to be insecure, but as I tossed and turned, I dreamed about the goddess Ull’s father thought would be his perfect match.
“You can’t be serious, Njord. You’re dumping me?” An almost-pretty brunette sat on a granite bench. The long corridor was bordered with beveled columns, opening onto the lake surrounding the palace. It was clear to even my un-indoctrinated brain that we were somewhere inside an Asgardian castle.
“Try not to think of it like that, Skadi,” Njord pleaded with her. He was a handsome man with light eyes—a slighter, less intimidating version of Ull. “You know as well as I do you’re in love with someone else.”
“So?” Skadi swiped at her tears. “I’m with you, aren’t I?”
Njord sat beside her. “I can’t spend my life with someone who doesn’t love me.”
“I love you. Just not the way you want me to.” Skadi’s chocolate hair rippled around her shoulders as she let out a sigh. “I’m not like the rest of you.”
Njord rested a hand on Skadi’s knee. “I know you feel that way. But you’re a fighter. You could be happy if you let yourself.”
“Yeah, right.”
Njord shook his head. “You’re stronger than that. You’re an Asgardian.”
“Maybe I’m cut from a different cloth than the rest of you.”
“Maybe you are.” Njord stood and looked down at her.
“Don’t do that. I don’t need your pity.” Skadi rose, and for the first time I saw that she was tall—very tall. She’d have towered over me, and she stood eye to eye with Njord. Her sleeveless dress revealed thick, muscular arms and though she moved with typical Asgardian grace, she wasn’t what anyone would call delicate.
“I don’t pity you. I just wish you could see what I see in you.”
“Right. Because obviously you see just enough to dump me.”
“I told you, it’s not—”
“I don’t need you. Ull loves me more than you ever did. The prophecy just confused him.”
“Skadi.” Njord touched her shoulder and she jerked away. “Ragnarok is not the reason Ull turned you down.”
“Yes. It is.” Skadi spoke through clenched teeth. “Now that we’re older he can appreciate what I have to offer.”
“Oh, Skadi.” Njord stepped in to touch her, but Skadi slapped his hand away. “You haven’t heard.”
“Haven’t heard what?”
“Ull is getting married. To a mortal.”
Skadi was silent for a full ten seconds before the corridor was filled with animalistic shrieking.
“Ull fell in love with a human during one of his trips to Midgard. She knows what he is and she’s willing to stand with him at Ragnarok. They’re getting married this summer and Odin’s going to make her a goddess. Thor even signed off on it.”
“Thor likes me,” Skadi practically spat the words.
“Apparently the human won him over.”
“She’s going to be a goddess? Can that even happen?”
“I guess.” Njord crossed his arms over his chest. “Things are changing here. Ragnarok is coming. Odin couldn’t lose Ull so close to the final battle. Letting the mortal in was the only way to keep him.”
“The only way.” Skadi balled the fabric of her dress in sizeable hands. “What about me? He can marry me. We can fight together.”
“You can still fight together,” Njord pointed out. “We’re going to need every warrior we have. You know that.”
“I’m supposed to fight for a realm that’s letting humans in?”
“Not humans,” Njord corrected her. “One human. The woman Ull loves.”
“Ull doesn’t know love.” Skadi paced the hallway.
Njord watched as she stalked the corridor like a caged lion. “Maybe the human showed him that life doesn’t have to be miserable. There can be joy, even if the Norns did hand you a tough deck.”
“If you’re referring to my father, don’t.” Skadi stalked back down the hall. “That was years ago.”
“You’re obviously still hurting.”
“The only thing hurting me right now is getting dumped by a complete loser. I’m twice the warrior you’ll ever be.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and stared the pale man down.
“You win, Skadi.” Njord held his hands up in surrender and slowly backed down the hall. The lion was about to pounce.
“You’re right, I do,” Skadi screamed as Njord turned on his heel and walked away. “And don’t you ever forget it!” She stared at the blond god’s back as he turned the corner. When he was out of sight she dropped onto the granite bench and pulled her knees to her chest. She rocked herself back and forth. “Ull does love me. We’re going to be happy. Forever.”
I pulled myself out of the dream as fast as I could. I didn’t think it was a vision—with the exception of Elf Man’s visits, my visions were consistently mundane and rarely about anything of importance. I also knew I wasn’t suffering from insecurity. I’d won the bachelor god’s heart and even sold Thor on changing me. But none of that mattered. I didn’t want to linger in this twisted dream any longer than I already had. This was obviously the byproduct of some bizarre pre-honeymoon jitters. Or maybe I was just nervous about fitting into Asgard. Either way, I wasn’t going to get back to sleep. Since the night was pretty much a wash, I grabbed my blanket and headed to the couch. I flicked through the channels until I came to Emma’s favorite guilty pleasure: Late Night Telly Shoppe. I let the models displaying their as-seen-on-TV products numb my mind, and by some miracle I eventually drifted off.
“Where are we going?” Ull and I had left Cardiff two hours ago, right after we finished our classes for the week. The past month had been fairly uneventful, and I hadn’t felt so free in… ever. I was nearly done with school.
“I told you, we are taking an early honeymoon.” Ull kept his eyes on the road but his smirk taunted me.
“How much longer until we get there?” Traffic on the busy street was moving slower than a Sunday afternoon.
“We will get there when we get there.” He knew full well he was driving me nuts.
“Ull! Are you always going to be so cryptic?”
“Are you always going to try to ruin my surprises?”
“Point made.”
“And besides…” Ull broke from the trail of cars and turned down a street lined with Kensington row houses. Their red-brick facades were offset with shiny white pillars and big windows. “…we are here.”
He drove around the block, pulling into an alley where the garages were hidden. He parked in one and crossed to help me out of the Range Rover. I waited until he came around, forever cognizant of that first time I’d wacked him with my door. Oops.
“Are you going to tell me what t
his place is?”
Ull grabbed my hand and led me into the house, closing the garage door behind him.
“If I must,” he teased. We made our way up one flight of stairs then another, each floor housing sleek, modern furniture that looked like it belonged in a showroom. The space was open and airy.
One more flight and we reached the third story. It was completely different than the other two—it reminded me of Ýdalir. Modern country furnishings dominated the space, from the overstuffed couch covered in plush throws to the dark wood of the table and chairs in the dining area and the charming lamps in the kitchen. This was more like it. Despite my choice of man, the Scandinavian furnishings that dominated the first two floors would never be my style. The much homier top floor opened onto a generous stone deck overlooking a park, bordered by a wrought iron fence.
“Seriously Ull, where are we? Did you rent this place for the weekend?”
“This is our city home.”
“Our city home?” Ull had never mentioned this.
“Yes, sweetheart. I keep a residence in London—it is terribly convenient. And since we will be married soon it is yours now, too.”
“We have a city home?” This was wild. I walked to the French doors that led to the deck and touched the rich fabric of the curtains. “Is that Kensington Palace?” The structure was just a block away.
“It is. I love hearing the children in the park.”
I looked again. It was springtime, and the park was covered in pale yellow daffodils. It was beautiful.
“Geez, Ull.” My thoughts danced between awe and accusation. “Why didn’t you ever mention this before?”
“It never came up.”
He owned so many houses he could forget to mention them? The guy quite literally had it all. I walked over to the couch and curled up in its corner, picking at the wrists of my sweater.
“Sweetheart, what is wrong? Why are you sad?”
“Because it’s all too much.” I focused on pulling the little balls of lint at my wrists. “You have everything.”
“Everything I have is yours.”
“But what if I’m not any good at this?”
“At what?” Ull sat beside me.
“At any of this.” I gestured around the room feebly. “At being like you. Fitting into your life. What if I end up disappointing you?”
“You could never disappoint me.”
“Fine. Even if I’m okay at being a goddess, which is a huge if, what if I’m not any good at being a wife? I’m a decent cook, my grandmother made sure of that, but I can’t iron at all. Never learned how.”
“Darling.” Amusement upturned a corner of Ull’s mouth. He thought I was ridiculous.
“Don’t laugh at me!”
“I’m not laughing at you.”
I wrapped my arms around my knees, and stared at the houndstooth throw folded neatly in a basket. “Yes you are.”
“My love, do you really think I would leave you because you cannot iron? While it is a terrible travesty,” Ull eyed me gravely and I swatted at him, “you must realize I have been living on my own for a long time. I can iron.”
“Oh.” I forgot about that. “That’s right.”
Ull pulled at my arms until I released my grip on my legs. He drew them across his lap. “Kristia, you will make a fine wife. Just keep being yourself.”
Laughter rang through the open French doors, and I glanced at the green expanse of Kensington Park before responding. “Myself spent eighteen years in a one-light town. I’m not feeling so great about being able to keep up with the gods.”
“Are you anxious, sweetheart?” Ull rested an arm lightly on the back of the couch.
Anxious. I could practically hear the sirens of the understatement police.
“Sweetheart?”
“A little,” I admitted.
“Talk to me.” It was an order, and I picked at my sweater again before I met Ull’s eyes.
“What about Skadi?” It was more morbid curiosity than insecurity that made me bring up the other woman. I was reasonably sure my nightmare had been more dream than vision, but it was hard to shake the image of the enraged goddess set on stealing my man.
“What about her?” Ull stroked my hair.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t be happier with someone like her—someone who’s more like you?”
“Kristia, please. Skadi could never make me happy. You make me happy. Period. I really do not wish to talk about Skadi again.”
“But what if she wanted to be with you?”
“What if she did?” For the first time, Ull betrayed a hint of impatience. “Do you really think it would change the way I feel about you?”
“I don’t know.” I stared at my lap. “Maybe.”
“Kristia Tostenson,” Ull raised my chin with a firm finger, “there is not now, has never been, and will never be anything between Skadi and I. Am I clear?”
I nodded. Relief flooded my insides.
“What about my friends?” I moved on quickly, knowing I’d exhausted his patience on the Skadi issue. “Once I’m changed, will I see them again? I mean I know I can’t tell them what I become, but will I get to visit Ardis? She’s been my best friend all my life. What happens to us?”
“Oh, darling. I thought Olaug had talked about this with you. I should have realized.” I shivered as he touched my cheek. “Of course you will see your friends. We will visit them whenever we can. I know how important they are to you. I could never keep you from them.”
“But aren’t we going to have to move to Asgard?”
“I hope not. Odin has been most generous in letting me telecommute, so to speak. So long as we have adequate security for you, and so long as the threat of Ragnarok is at least somewhat distant, I imagine he will continue to allow us to work from Ýdalir with Olaug. Unless you want to move to Asgard?”
I shook my head. “I like our life here.”
Ull smiled. “I do, too. Any more questions?”
“Only about a hundred. But I think that covers it for now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I rested my palms on the cushions of the couch, and leaned in so our faces were nearly touching. “I’m sure.” I brought my lips to his.
He caught on immediately, pulling me to him with such force it left any sense of my propriety behind. I grabbed at the thick muscles of his arms. My mood was clear. Ull seemed only too happy to acquiesce, pulling me onto his lap so suddenly my breath caught in my throat. He wrapped his fingers around my waist, holding me firmly against him. My stomach felt warm, and my limbs started to tingle. I ran my hands up his biceps and across his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath. Ull moaned, the low sound vibrating beneath my hand. As I trailed my fingers toward his abs, Ull grabbed my wrist.
“Much as I want to do this sweetheart, we need to go.”
“Where?” I panted.
Holding me in one arm he pulled two tickets out of the air with his free hand. “I believe your favorite play is in town.”
“What did you just do?”
“Much Ado About Nothing. Your favorite, ja? I got us two tickets.”
“No, I mean… did you just pull them out of the air?”
“Oh, right. I never explained the whole conjuring deal, did I? It is nothing big, just… one of the unusual things about me is that I have… extra powers. I can elicit and eradicate objects, control elements, that sort of thing. Only a handful of the gods have the ability. It is rather convenient.” He shrugged like it was nothing. “I ordered these when we decided to come to London; they have been in the car. I was just too lazy to go downstairs to get them.”
“So you’re a magician?” Would the surprises never end?
“I have some additional abilities, yes. I do not use them often; I try not to get lazy. Though of course it is helpful in battle.” He was thoughtful. “Does this worry you?”
“Not nearly as much as it probably should.” My instincts told me even stranger experie
nces awaited me as Mrs. Ull Myhr.
Ull wrapped both arms around me and stood. He set me on my feet, then held out his hand. “Shall we go to the theatre?”
I’d never needed to take my mind off of the real world so much in my life. “Absolutely.”
Chapter Seven
ULL AND GUNNAR FINISHED packing to leave on their bachelor trip when we got back to Cardiff. It would be short—just two days of fishing on a lake near the Cotswolds. When they returned, we’d have a week to cram for finals, then exams, graduation, and our wedding. It seemed like an eternity had passed since I’d first met Ull when I was visiting the British Museum. I could hardly believe how much had happened since then.
“You realize, Mr. Myhr,” I folded his favorite sweater and placed it next to his waders in the suitcase on his bed, “you weren’t exactly the easiest guy to get to know.”
“You had your work cut out for you winning me over, ja?”
“Please.” I glanced around the bedroom of his Cardiff flat. It was considerably smaller than the master in his London home—correction, our London home—but it was still distinctly Ull. Simple furnishings, a framed rugby poster… and a closet full of impeccably-tailored cashmere. “If I remember correctly, it was you who besieged my flat with flowers for a week before I’d even talk to you again. Good thing Emma was on her hayfever medication.”
“It worked out for me in the end.” Ull planted a chaste kiss on my forehead.
“This is strange.” I folded a pair of jeans and put them on top of the sweater.
“My pants?”
“No. Helping you pack for your bachelor party.”
“I would hardly call it a bachelor party. Bachelor parties are sordid and undignified. Gunnar and I are going fishing. A gentleman’s pastime.”
“Yes, heaven forbid you be undignified.”
