by Kristie Cook
Ull took my hands and spoke very deliberately. His voice held a reverence. “Kristia? Do you know what this means?”
“I think so.”
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
“It’s kind of out of my hands at this point.” I shrugged.
“No it is not. I can take you somewhere until this is all over. Alfheim or”
“Ull. I am not turning my back on your family. I told you. I want to help.”
“And Thor agreed to change you?” Ull tilted his head.
“When Elsker told him I was … what I am … he sort of had to say yes.”
“Ull, this is the best possible solution,” Inga soothed. “You get to marry Kristia. She gets to be one of us. Thor gets to keep his son. Asgard gets its strongest warrior. Everyone wins.”
“Everyone but Kristia.” Ull’s words came through a clenched jaw.
“What do you mean?”
“Kristia does not win. She has to give up her life to be with me.”
“This is what I want,” I interrupted.
“You do not know what you want. You are young, Kristia. You do not understand what you are giving up.”
“I understand what I’m getting. An eternity with you.”
“But you lose so much. You will give up your mortality. Miss out on time with your friends. And you are the one from the prophecy? Every enemy of Asgard will hunt you. They will want your gift. You will require constant protection. You cannot have a normal life.”
“I don’t want a normal life, Ull. I want you.”
“Now, maybe. But what happens in a decade or two? In a century? Are you honestly able to say that you know what you will want for the rest of time?”
“Yes.” My hands were planted firmly on my hips.
“You are so stubborn, Kristia!” Ull looked like he wanted to explode.
“And you are so bossy! Aren’t you listening? I know I will want you forever. That’s the only thing that matters to me. The rest …” I parroted his words. “The rest will work itself out.”
“But your friends”
“I will see them sometimes, just like you would see your friends if you became human. That’s enough for me. Ull, you have to trust me. This is the best thing for us, I promise.”
“I do not agree with you.”
“I know. But you love me. You want me to be happy. And you know I won’t be happy if you turn your back on everyone when they need you. This is the only way we can help your family and stay together. I can’t marry you if I’m taking anything away from you, and I can’t let you give up your immortality. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was planning to talk with Thor, Ull, I really am. I shouldn’t have gone behind your back. But this is the only way for us.”
“I do not feel right putting you in danger.”
“You’re not doing anything. This is my choice. And it’s going to be all right.”
“You do not know that,” Ull whispered.
“I actually do.” I tapped my head. “Great Seer, remember?”
“Ull, you forget yourself,” Olaug said quietly. “As the prophecy stands, if you do not fight—if Asgard does not put forth its absolute best army—then we all die. Kristia included. Remember the foretelling; our enemies will burn the Earth and swallow the sky. Earth and Asgard will both fall. This is the only way to keep her alive.”
Ull’s shoulders dropped—he was beaten. He, of all of us, lived by that prophecy. It governed almost every decision he’d ever made. Conceding defeat, he glared at Inga and Gunnar. “We are not done talking about this.” He turned to Elsker. “And you are on my list for dragging her into this.”
“I did not drag her into anything,” Elsker countered. “The Three Sisters set her fate centuries ago. I simply located her.”
“You have to agree, this is the best thing,” Inga pushed.
Ull sighed with weariness that hinted at his real age. “If I agree to this, will you promise to inform me of your visions? Every vision you have. Immediately. No more of this behind-my-back nonsense. If I am going to let you go through with this, you must be honest with me about every single thing you do. Promise you will give me every opportunity to protect you.”
“You want total access to my head?”
“Essentially.”
“I don’t know. Some of the visions are pretty silly.” Not to mention I didn’t want to lose all semblance of privacy.
“I do not care,” he growled. “That is my compromise. Otherwise, the deal is off.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. “I’ll tell you about all of my stupid, insignificant visions as soon as I have them. Happy?”
“Not particularly. But seeing as you are so insistent on defying my wishes, this seems like the only way I can have any control over your safety.”
“Well if that’s settled, I believe you owe me a thank you.” Inga was smug.
“I will thank you when Ragnarok is over and Kristia is safe. Until then, you are on my list too.” He looked at Gunnar. “Gunnar, you were in on this? How could you do this to me?”
“Would you cross Inga?” Gunnar shrugged.
“Kristia, are you certain?”
“Absolutely.”
Ull sat in defeat and took my hand across the table. “Are you going to defy me for the rest of my existence?”
“Yep.”
“You are a brave girl, Kristia Tostenson.”
I drew a thin breath. “Brave for you”
“You will prepare her?” Ull turned to Olaug.
“Of course. She will be an exceptional partner for you, Ull. I will see to that.”
“She already is.” Ull spoke quietly and my cheeks grew warm. “I really have no say in this, do I?”
Gunnar, Inga, Olaug, Elsker and I shook our heads. Inga flashed a victorious smile as she clasped Ull’s hand, still firmly clenching my own. “Well now that that’s all taken care of … I believe we have a wedding to plan!”
“We?” I looked at Ull.
“Of course. We’ve been waiting lifetimes for this you know—Ull Myhr, a married man.”
“Well”
“So naturally, we have to make this the absolute best celebration ever. And who better to see to it than yours truly? I’m seeing a seven-tiered cake, gilded chairs, a full marquee with up-lighting …”
Ull raised an eyebrow. “Are you ready to spend an eternity with this lot, darling?”
I didn’t know the first thing about what my future would look like. I had no idea what becoming an immortal would entail, and I didn’t know anything about being married to a god. But I did know the answer to Ull’s question. I leaned across the table and planted a soft kiss on his perfectly pale lips.
“I’m ready.”
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NEWSLETTER
Everblue
by
Brenda Pandos
1 - ASH
“So, tell me everything, Ash.” Tatiana stretched out on her blanket in rapt attention. Her toes—complete with ruby-red polish—were out of her flip-flops and curled into the sand as if it was summer, though the chill of March lingered in the air and patches of snow dotted the coastline.
“Nothing exciting happened today.” I shivered in my jacket, sitting on a nearby boulder with my arms looped around my folded legs to keep warm. “I swear.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her bask in a little bit of sunlight and wait in anticipation while the icy water lapped the beach just beyond us. Daily we did this—the drama report from South Tahoe High. Her home-schooled existence left little to no excitement, which meant I couldn’t start talking about anything else until I’d dished out every dirty detail from my craptastic day.
“Fine.” I rolled my eyes.
After I filled her in on the drama, I studied and secretly envied our differences. Tatchi, with her long, tan legs could have any guy at South Tahoe High School she wanted
. Her iridescent blonde hair flowed like cascading water down her shoulders; a perfect match to her azure eyes. I, on the other hand, the Irish redhead that freckled in the sun, walked around school unnoticed by guys. Constantly smelling like sunscreen and chlorine didn’t help either.
She lapped up my account like a lonely dog whose master had just come home. She never cared how similar the stories were. To Tatchi, my words were her lifeline to society, to a real life she craved—her live reality show with me as the narrator.
“Oh, wow. What did he do?” Tatchi rolled over onto her stomach and kneaded her hands together, hungry for more.
“Nothing. He acted like nothing happened. The whole thing kinda backfired.”
Tatchi laughed and laid her chin on her folded hands. “Serves her right. Then what happened?”
The longing on her face tugged at my heart. I turned away to watch the endless span of sparkling water across the lake—only the snow-covered mountains gave away its end—and shook my head. “Nothing. I came home. Just another totally boring day.”
“Not in the slightest,” Tatchi giggled. “I can’t wait ’til this is our life.”
I smiled, knowing we’d be breaking out of this tourist trap soon enough and she’d be free. Then she’d finally see that living the drama was vastly different than hearing about it—especially when the heartache happened personally.
We sat in silence for a moment as the past drifted in like the tide in my mind. Tatchi would love nothing more than to finish her senior year in public school, but her parents were super strict—similar to mine. Only, their concern didn’t lay with what kind of education she’d get at STHS or the influence from her peers. No, they hid a big secret. One I’d discovered a long time ago and was the reason I avoided her house.
“Do you have swim practice tonight?” Tatchi asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“No.” I jumped back into reality. “There’s some banquet for the teachers so it was cancelled.”
“Nice to have a break, huh?”
“Meh. I like practice and it’s not like you can do anything anyway. You’ve got a curfew—”
“Not for much longer. How many days again?” Tatchi sat up and copied my pose by curling her arms around her legs too.
“Like I have to tell you.” I scrambled over and pulled the tattered brochure from my book bag. Every word on that thing had been read at least a hundred times.
Last summer, I’d gotten the hair-brained idea to get a post-office box so Tatchi could apply to colleges in secret. She wasn’t thrilled about the idea, afraid how her family would react, but after we sent out applications and were accepted to Florida Atlantic University, we both became excited about the possibilities.
“Only five months and six days ‘til we‘re free,” she said with a coy smile, though nervously fidgeting with her charm bracelet, the vial of blue liquid sparkling in the sun just right.
I grabbed her hand. “Your family will be thrilled, I know they’ll be. You’re the first to go to college and on a scholarship. They’ll be happy for your accomplishment.”
Tatchi and her twin brother Fin helped run the family sailing business, Captain Jack’s Charters. My Gran’s curio shop, Tahoe Tessie’s Treasures happened to be on the same pier. Without college, both of us would be slated to stay and eventually take over the family business, putting down roots like our parents.
“Well …” she said with a sigh, a glint of worry reflected in her eyes, “you just don’t know them.”
The childhood flashback of her dad’s angry face shimmered across my vision. I gulped down my hesitation. She needed me to be strong for her when she finally told them.
With a deep breath and as much compassion as I could muster, I looked her in the eye. “How could they not be proud of you? Sure, they’ll have to find someone to take your place in the office, but that’s nothing. And you can’t pass up a scholarship—”
“It’s not that. It’s other things.”
My stomach clenched. Now seemed like an opportune time to finally discuss what I saw so many years ago. Her dad had a serious problem. In fact, keeping the family secret to herself wasn’t healthy, constantly living vicariously through my warped interpretations of other teens.
I’d just about broached the subject when Tatchi suddenly gasped.
“What’s wrong?” I asked and glanced over to where she looked, afraid her father might be storming down the beach towards us. Instead, a red Jeep rolled over the ridge and down the rocky path that separated our neighborhoods.
She tsked. “What does he want?”
My mouth parched as I caught a glimpse of Tatchi’s twin brother through his windshield. He wore his usual black baseball hat, and looked nothing short of adorable.
“He’s coming here?” My voice cracked.
“Apparently.” She pressed her brows together and looked toward her house. “Let me find out what he wants.”
Fin parked and got out before she could intercept him.
“Hey, Ash,” he called out with a wave.
My stomach flipped into a knot as I smiled and waved back.
They argued for a minute, but I didn’t catch what about. I stood, trying not to gawk, as I shamelessly adored his broad shoulders and beautiful blonde hair. Under the bill would be his piercing blue eyes fringed with paintbrush lashes—the ones that always melted my knees.
My crush started years ago, right after we’d met when we were ten—right on this beach. With a deep breath, I tried to relax and not dream of a relationship that probably wouldn’t be. As far as I knew, he didn’t think much of me beyond meaningless flirting.
Tatchi threw her hands in the air and stormed back in my direction.
“Drama on the home front. I have to go,” she mumbled as she snagged her blanket off the sand. “Sorry.”
“Is everything okay?”
Fin watched us, which made me even more nervous.
“Yeah, it should be fine. I’ll try to call later.” She smiled and gave me a hug. But more of an, “I’m leaving for a trip and saying goodbye,” tighter kind of hug. I grimaced, unsure what to say.
She left with a sigh and headed toward their house, brushing past Fin without even a look. Once she was out of view, Fin turned and instead of going back to his Jeep, he walked towards me. My pulse quickened.
2 - FIN
Ashlyn stood awkwardly as I approached. Her curvy hips and wavy red hair took my breath away. For a moment, I caught her scent and hummed—honeysuckle with just a hint of chlorine from her morning swim. Briefly, I imagined us playing in the water. She’d give me a run for my money in a race.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Her green eyes darted away. “Not much.”
“Sorry I interrupted—” I pointed towards the imprint of my sister’s towel in the sand.
“Oh,” she said with a gulp and a smile, “it’s okay.”
She pressed her lips together and suddenly all I wanted to do was kiss her right then and there. I took a deep breath and glanced at my feet.
“Is school going good?” I asked, kicking a rock.
“Yeah.” She shrugged and then shot me that look—one with a hint of yearning behind it. I couldn’t help myself. I stepped forward and cupped her cheek. Her skin was soft as a rose petal, but within her startled eyes I caught my reflection—my very selfish expression.
Her whole life flashed before me. This kiss I desired to give her would change everything—her dreams, her life with her family, her future. Innocent and trusting, she closed her eyes and tilted her chin upward in anticipation anyway. My soul protested, but I did the only thing I could—the responsible thing.
“You’ve got something on your cheek,” I said, wiping my thumb over her skin.
She opened her eyes and pulled away, her cheeks reddening. “I do?”
I stepped back and grimaced at myself. I was being one of those guys, the jerk who led girls on and toyed with their emotions.
“I’m going t
o go,” she said, rubbing her hand where I’d touched, and faked a smile. “See ya later.”
She quickly stumbled up the path towards her Grandmother’s house before I could comment, but I heard what she said under her breath. “I’m so stupid.”
I sulked back to the Jeep and slammed the door, hating myself for being such an ass. The only reason I’d come in the first place was to tell Tatch about the meeting we had to attend, not get distracted by Ashlyn’s captivating beauty. And I’d made a complete mess of things.
I spun out of the spot, and drove the small distance back to our house.
When I went inside, I spotted Mom in the kitchen, eyes wild with frustration, her waterproof bag and random stuff spread out over the countertop.
“Where have you been?” she barked, hands on her hips.
“Sorry.” I lowered my head.
Mom’s right eye twitched, as if she couldn’t decide whether to yell at me or just move on with things. I noticed she had changed into her most ornate, beaded bikini top and skirt—obviously for the meeting.
I casually took a seat on the bar stool.
“We’ve still got time,” I gestured toward the bay windows. The sun still peaked above the horizon.
“Close enough. Your father has already left to meet with everyone. I guess you look okay. Just put on whatever you’re going to wear to the hatch.” She grabbed Great-Grandmother Sadie’s sacred shell-encrusted bikini top. “Tatiana!”
Tatch came around the corner, taking a second to sneer at me. “What?”
“I want you to wear this.”
Tatch cringed. “What’s wrong with this bikini top?”
“It’s a special meeting. I want you to look your best.”
“But that’s for like … a promising or something.” Her face wrinkled up in horror.
Could this be a trick and not a standard meeting? Promisings in our world were the equivalent to weddings but prearranged between parents. Our parents, who fell in love before getting promised, didn’t think the arranged unions were fair. They said, when the time came, we could make up our own minds. At least that’s what I thought they’d said.
Tatiana blanched. “Oh, dear Poseidon. Please don’t tell me you have arranged someone for me to—? Is it Azor?”