by S. T. Bende
“It’s the only option, and you know it,” Johann pressed.
As I got closer, they schooled their expressions into complete neutrality.
“Oh, stop. I heard you. What’s wrong?” I asked.
Tore sighed. “You’ve been through enough.”
“We all have. Look at this place!” I threw my arms up.
“True.” Tore accepted that with a nod. “We need to move to a new safe house. Trondheim’s our only option. We will be stronger there, surrounded by our ancestors, but . . .”
Norway? The boys wanted me to move to Norway? “But?” I pressed.
“But, I spent time there as a child. We all did—even Nott. It’s our Midgardian motherland, and she’ll be expecting us to show up there. We’ll have to take extreme precautions, use only the strongest shields. If we go there, I’ll ask the Alfödr to fit us with the best security measures Asgard can offer.”
I couldn’t speak. The shock of the day had finally settled in. Instead of refusing to move halfway across the world or arguing that we should just give up on poor Earth and spend whatever days we had left on Asgard, I simply nodded.
Tore looked surprised at my immediate approval. “Okay,” he said. He turned to Johann with a determined grimace. “Make whatever calls you have to in order to get us set up. We’re moving to Trondheim.”
“On it.” Johann jumped on his phone.
A silent understanding passed between Tore and me, and we wasted no time getting back into action. We finished our work with the McNealys, packed up what we were able to salvage from the house, and delivered both the four-wheeler and the contents of our freezer and pantry to our neighbors. The roads were completely ruined, and even if they made it to the local grocery store, it would be a while before the shelves could be restocked. No delivery trucks were getting anywhere near town for a very long time. Nott had made sure her earthquake cut the humans off from everything.
Four hours after the quake, we lifted off the back lawn of the safe house in a private helicopter Tore had procured from God knows where, since the local airports were shut down. Mack’s eyes misted as we flew over the remains of the safe house and into the open sky. “It was a beautiful home,” he whispered.
Poor, sweet Mack. The water, broken plaster, and wood chips had sent his inner neat freak into a state of shock. Killer rested his head atop Mack’s knee as if he sensed the light elf’s sorrow.
“It was, but our next home will be, too,” I offered. I had no idea if that was true. For all I knew, we were on our way to live out our final days in a yurt colony.
“It’s going to be okay, Mack.” Greta reached over to touch Mack’s knee. He gave her a tight smile.
“Thanks.”
We stared silently out the windows for a long time. As we flew over a snow-capped mountain range, a thought flashed across my mind.
“Hey, how do we know Trondheim survived Nott’s attack? Wouldn’t she level that place if she knew it was important to you guys?”
Bodie shook his head. “Nott wishes she could bring down Trondheim. It’s protected. You’ll see when we get there.”
Bodie’s cryptic comment made zero sense, but I was too exhausted to push the issue.
Tore took my hand in his. He gently stroked my palm with his thumb. “The three primary Norns live at the base of Yggdrasil, the world tree that connects the nine realms. But the Norns who serve beneath Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld have a special affinity for Norway, and specifically for Trondheim. They vacation there, spend years at a time living and working among the mortals. They could sell you your coffee or farm your fruit, and you wouldn’t know. They have a deep love for the land there—the Norns would never let Trondheim fall.”
I blinked at my boyfriend. “The Norns as in, like, the fates? The ones who prophesized that I would kill Nott?”
Tore nodded in reverence. “The very same.”
Whoa.
Greta met my eyes with a small smile. “It’s okay,” she mouthed.
Was it? I scanned the faces of my friends. Every one of them looked broken. The earthquake had shaken more than the ground—it had shaken our morale. And I had no idea how we were going to get it back.
We rode out the next hour in silence. When we reached an airport that hadn’t been affected by the quake, we exited the helicopter and boarded a private jet. Leather recliners awaited inside, and I crashed into the first one I came to. Tore took the seat directly across from me, looking every bit as exhausted as I felt. I was vaguely aware of Killer laying atop my feet. I liked Tore’s dog, but I also missed Scarlet. I knew the boys had sent her back to Nidavellir to be with Milkir, and I hoped she’d be happy until I was able to visit her again. I closed my eyes and pictured her crimson scales and twinkling eyes.
‘Miss you, girl.’ I pressed the thought into the universe. And as I drifted off to sleep, I could have sworn I heard Scarlet’s voice inside my head, letting me know she missed me, too.
* * * *
Dragons and birthday cakes danced through my head for what seemed like just minutes, but when I peeled my eyelids open again, the rest of our party was awake, alert, and either zipping up their bags or stuffing them beneath their leather seats. The ground approached outside my window, and my team was preparing to disembark. How long had I been out?
“Hey, Allie.” Tore reached over to stroke my cheek. “We’re getting ready to land.”
“Are we in Trondheim?” I must have slept the entire way.
He nodded. “I asked the pilot to put us down in a field near a farm that my mother used to bring me to. I loved that place—they grew the sweetest lingonberries I've ever tasted.”
Johann piped up from behind me. “We can hike to the safe house from there. The Alfödr is having it swept for threats, but the shields should be set by the time we arrive.”
Killer nuzzled my knees, and I scratched his ears as the plane landed. I’d just flown in a private jet to Norway. Norway! No big deal. Snort. We touched down in a smooth landing, and a few moments later, the pilot and co-pilot stepped out of the cockpit to open the door for us.
“Have a safe trip.” They waved as we grabbed our bags and exited the plane.
“Thanks,” I murmured.
There was indeed a little airstrip on the dirt. From what little I knew of farming, I surmised the field was mostly used by crop dusters. The landing strip certainly wasn’t sturdy enough to support a commercial jet, but it was plenty big to support our little ten-seater. I just hoped we hadn’t disturbed what appeared to be a quiet farming community with our impromptu travel plans.
“Well?” Tore came up from behind me. “What do you think?”
I turned a complete circle and took it all in. Wide open fields with rows of flowers and greens waved in the light breeze. Colorful farmhouses dotted the horizon, and the sky was a brilliant blue that was a near-perfect match to Tore’s eyes.
“I think it’s beautiful,” I said honestly.
“Glad you like it.” Tore placed a hand on my lower back and gently guided me forward. “Pilot wants to take off,” he offered by way of explanation. The minute we cleared the runway, the plane’s engines surged to life, and in moments the airplane had soared out of view.
“Guess we live here now,” I deduced.
“That we do.” Mack bowed in his Namaste pose. “Allie Rydell, velkommen til Norge.”
“Yeah,” Bodie chimed in. “Welcome. First time in Scandinavia, huh?”
“Yes,” I answered honestly. “First time overseas, actually. Though I have done a fair amount of inter-realm travel in recent weeks.”
Bodie laughed. The entire mood of our crew had lifted; everyone was smiles, and laughter, and velkommen-s. I couldn’t help but smile, too. Trondheim had some seriously happy juju. I understood what Bodie had meant about it being a special place. The whole town lit up with an energy that was similar to the Liv’s—strong and pure and life-affirming. I took in the rows of crops, the people picking the harvest, and the children ru
nning in a nearby field. I was just about to tell Tore how much I adored our new home, when a garbled cry escaped his throat. I put my hands on his chest in concern.
“Tore?” I asked.
But he gently pried my hands away and took off at a sprint. He tore through the crops, his feet pounding heads of leafy, green lettuce as he crashed through the field shouting the last word I expected to hear. “Mom!”
“What?” Bodie followed Tore with his gaze. He looked every bit as confused as I felt.
Unsure of what else to do, we dropped our bags and ran after Tore. When we caught up to him, he stood, dumbfounded, in front of a blonde-haired farmer. She wore dirt-covered pants and an oversized hat. But on closer inspection, she looked exactly like the woman in the picture he’d shown me back in my room in Canada. But that was impossible. Tore’s mom was dead.
Wasn’t she?
“Mom!” Tore tried to hug the woman, but she shrank back.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Her hands were crusted with dirt, and her face showed signs of long days in the sun. But she was definitely the woman from the picture.
So, why didn’t she recognize her son? And how the hell was she alive?
Tore looked like he had been punched. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Finally, he croaked, “Bodie?”
Bodie just stood there, gaping. Mack and Johann wore twin expressions of confusion, and even Greta seemed to be at a loss. I tuned into the woman’s energy and gently probed to see if I could figure out what was going on. The woman’s lower five centers seemed fairly normal—radiant green mixed with the same shade of Liv-blue I’d seen in Tore when he’d dropped his shield. But the woman’s head was another story entirely. The centers were warped, their coloring faded. Everything was out of focus, as if the centers had somehow been wiped clean. This woman had sustained a high level of brain damage, but whether it was energetic or physical, I couldn’t tell.
“Her brain . . .” I didn’t know what to say. “Bodie? Can you remind her?”
Bodie took a deep breath and introduced himself, shaking the woman’s hand with barely-contained emotion. He told her that there was a bug on her hat, and she allowed him to reach up to touch her head. Some of the darkness in her sixth center receded with whatever Bodie was doing with his gift, but the haze didn’t clear. My heart sank. Whatever he’d done hadn’t fixed her.
Bodie pulled his hand back. “Her memories are gone. I can’t fix this. I’m so sorry, Tore.”
Tore turned to look at me, a helpless expression in his endless blue eyes. I took his hand in mine and squeezed, lending all the support I could. The guys and Greta moved closer to Tore, stepping forward to place supportive hands on his arms and back. Then each of us turned our attention to the impossible reality smiling blankly at us from the middle of a Norwegian lettuce field.
Tore’s mother was alive. And she had no idea who she really was.
*Allie and her protectors return in NIGHT WAR SAGA: REDEEMER.
**If you liked this book, please leave a review! Reviews are hugely important to indie authors, and we truly appreciate them. Mange takk! <3
See what happens next for Allie and her protectors, in
NIGHT WAR SAGA: REDEEMER
Hunt down the weapon pieces, destroy the night goddess, protect Midgard (Earth). That was always the mission . . .
When an unexpected sacrifice turns Allie’s world on its head, she discovers her true function within the Asgardian world. Her new purpose has much higher stakes—and significantly bigger dangers—than she ever could have imagined. And as the Goddess of Night unleashes an unparalleled wave of fury across the realms, Allie’s dream of a peaceful future with her favorite protector all but disappears. Nott’s determined to control Midgard. But Allie has more to fight for than ever before, and she’s determined to end the Night War . . . no matter what it costs her.
Read REDEEMER now!
Mange Takk!
S.T.: Takk to Leia, for dreaming up another Asgardian tale with me. I can’t wait to see what the crew gets up to in Redeemer. Mange takk to the readers who embraced this Norse crew with open hearts and the teams who championed this series from the beginning. Leia and I wouldn’t get to dream in Allie’s world without your support, and we are beyond grateful you share your reading time with us. Takk to our designer Alerim, our editor Eden Plantz, our proofreader Tricia Harden, our brilliant beta readers, and to Stacey Nash for all the things. Jeg elsker deg to my gorgeous husband and our biggest little blessings from God—I love you to the moon and back. Takk to everyone who is a Defender of Midgard—thank you for preserving this amazing realm for future generations. And, as always, mange takk to MorMorMa, the Force, the trees, Peet’s Coffee, and the makers of Traditional Medicinals Spearmint Tea and McVitie’s Caramel Digestives. Because, reasons.
LEIA: I have to thank S.T. for embarking on this co-author journey with me! We have created something amazing. Thank you to my release team and Matefinder pack for being so supportive and keeping me smiling. I write these books for you. For all of my readers, I am so grateful. Thank you, Alerim, for the beautiful cover, and Eden Plantz, for the edits. To my supportive family and to anyone I forgot: Thank you!
Also by S.T. Bende
Meet the God of War and his Norse crew in THE ÆRE SAGA.
PERFEKT ORDER
PERFEKT CONTROL
PERFEKT BALANCE
Meet the God of Winter and his Norse crew in THE ELSKER SAGA.
TUR (a novella)
ELSKER
ENDRE
TRO
THE ELSKER SAGA: COMPLETE BOXED SET
See the crews together in the bonus Ære/Elsker crossover novella . . .
THE ASGARDIANS
Stay in touch with S.T. at www.stbende.com. And get a FREE copy of TUR and stay up to date on the latest news from S.T. by signing up for her newsletter at http://smarturl.it/BendeNewsletter!
All’s fair when you’re in love with War. Mia Ahlström just discovered her new boyfriend is the Norse God of War. Choosing Tyr may be the biggest distraction—or the greatest adventure—she’s ever had.
Read PERFEKT ORDER now!
Also by Leia Stone
MATEFINDER TRILOGY (Optioned for film)
Matefinder: Book 1
Devi: Book 2
Balance: Book 3
HIVE TRILOGY
Ash: Book 1
Anarchy: Book 2
Annihilate: Book 3
NYC MECCA SERIES
Queen Heir: Book 1
Queen Alpha: Book 2
Queen Fae: Book 3
MATEFINDER NEXT GENERATION
Keeper: Book 1
Water Blessed
Stay in touch with Leia: www.amazon.com/author/leiastone
Facebook: www.facebook.com/leia.stone/