by C. Gockel
“We do not think, Kristia.” Elsker stopped glaring at Thor long enough to look at me. “We know. Even Thor must know, if he can get over himself long enough to admit he is wrong. Touch her necklace Thor. Go on. Touch it.”
“I will do no such thing.”
“Why should he touch my necklace?” I whispered to Olaug.
“Because if it’s the necklace from the prophecy, to anyone else, it is just a necklace. But when The Seer puts it on, that necklace channels Mjölnir’s magic. They were forged from the same piece of metal.”
“Touch it, Thor.” Elsker was brave. I’d never be able to order Thor around like that.
“Fine. But only to prove what a liar you are.” Irritated, Thor marched away from the Bifrost and held his hand to my neck. “May I?”
“Sure,” I whispered.
Thor held the charm between two fingers. Nothing happened. He turned to Elsker, still touching the silver. “See you old woman? It is as worthless as your word.”
As he spoke a faint beam of light came from the necklace.
“What?” Thor spun around. The necklace shot nine beams in quick succession, each stronger than before. The last beam was so bright I shielded my eyes. When I lowered my arm, the light had dimmed. Inga’s hand was over her mouth and Thor was staring at me.
“Great Odin,” Inga mouthed. “You’re The Seer?”
Olaug bowed her head, then looked at me with awe. My legs shook. Whatever this meant, it was a very big deal to the gods.
“It cannot be. The Seer is human?”
“I have been trying to tell you this for eighteen years.” Elsker was impossibly smug.
“And you brought The Seer to my son?”
“Yes. They are the perfect fit. It would take an extraordinary heart to warm Ull’s. And it would take an extraordinary warrior to protect The Seer.”
“You might want to sit down Thor,” Olaug offered.
Thor lowered himself onto the leather chair.
“You too, ladies.” Olaug gestured and we sat on the couch while she retreated to the little kitchen and returned with a fresh pot of tea and five cups. Inga and I distributed them quietly.
“What happens now, Elsker?” Thor lifted his cup.
“First of all, you lift my banishment, you nitwit. And apologize.” She was a sassy one. I liked her a lot.
“I am sorry Elsker. Odin was wrong to cast you from the realm. I will make sure this is rectified.” Thor sounded sincere.
“Thank you.” Elsker gave one nod. “Now, agree to change Kristia. The Seer isn’t going to be very effective as a human, is she?”
Thor looked at Mjölnir for a long time before he spoke again. “You will use your gift to protect Asgard, Kristia?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You will be good to my son?” His words were gentler and something almost like tenderness crept into his eyes.
“Yes sir, I will.”
“He has seen much pain in his life. I expect you shall treat him with kindness.”
“Of course. Ull is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
He paused again, closing his eyes as he fought against his impulses. Everything he knew was being challenged and I knew this decision cost him. “Then Miss Tostenson.” He extended his free hand. “Welcome to Asgard.” I winced at the firm handshake. “Ahh, so fragile.” He patted my arm. “Well, not for long.”
“Thank you, sir,” I gasped. I looked at Inga, my eyes wide.
“I shall speak to Odin about our conversation. Of course Kristia’s conversion will be known in Asgard, but I think it best if we keep the details of her gift a secret.”
“Agreed, Thor. As far as we are concerned, the fewer who know of this the safer Kristia will be. Odin shall be fully briefed, and Ull and Gunnar of course, but no one else.” Olaug picked up a notepad and began writing.
“Excellent. And I will ensure you are granted entry to Asgard, with full apologies from my father.” Thor stood and rested a hand on Elsker’s shoulder. “I cannot believe you found The Seer.”
“I cannot believe you ever doubted her.” Elsker shook her head.
“I apologize, Kristia.” Thor turned and entered the Bifrost. “I am needed in Asgard. You will train her, Olaug? Prepare her for life as a goddess?”
“I shall do my best.”
Thor nodded once. “Very well. Inga, Kristia.” he nodded to each of us in turn. “I shall see you at the wedding.”
“Thank you,” I called feebly as he disappeared into the chamber. Good gravy. What had I gotten myself into now?
The moment he was gone, I turned to Elsker. “You’re amazing! I can’t believe you stood up to Thor like that!”
“I had to. He was being inordinately stubborn.” We smiled at each other.
“It’s nice to meet you. Er, see you again I guess. I don’t remember meeting you the first time.”
“You were a cherubic baby.” Elsker touched my cheek. “I am so happy Ull went looking for you.”
“Oh, no. Ull.” We’d gone behind his back and convinced Thor to change me. I wasn’t sure what scared me more – fulfilling some ancient prophecy as an all knowing visionary or owning up to Ull about what I’d done. “Um, Elsker? Do you think you could stick around for a couple of hours? Help me soften the blow for Ull? He wasn’t very happy with the idea of Thor changing me. He’s really not going to like knowing I’m... I’m…”
“The Seer,” Elsker said gently. “It is a tremendous honor. And a tremendous responsibility. Are you all right?”
“I think so.”
“I will help you.” Elsker rubbed my arm.
“We all will.” Olaug nodded her assent.
“I’ll tell Ull,” Inga laughed. “Serves him right.”
“And of course I will stay.” Elsker patted my hand. “I have waited a long time to see you and Ull together.”
“Well, you won’t have to wait much longer.” Olaug cocked an ear toward the stairs. “He is here.”
Chapter 19
“Hei ladies.” Gunnar’s voice was both a greeting and a warning. “We’re back, early!”
“Wait here,” I whispered to Elsker. No need to freak Ull out with the excommunicated Norn the second he walked in the door.
“Hei hei,” Ull’s hearty voice bellowed. As far as he was concerned, Gunnar and Inga had joined us for a weekend at Ýdalir to get away from school. He had no idea Olaug helped us plan a secret meeting with Thor, or that Gunnar had taken him fishing to keep Ull out of the house all day. He certainly had no idea Inga and I had been plotting for weeks to get me into Asgard. Just how angry was he going to be?
“In here,” Inga called as we rushed up the stairs and into the living room. “We were just, uh…”
“In the garden! We were in the garden!” I finished hurriedly. “Boy, it’s a nice day.” Time had not improved my acting skills. Inga elbowed me as she rolled her eyes.
“Sure is. Gunnar and I had a great afternoon fishing.” I could hear Ull hang his coat on the hook under the mirror, before he carried a cooler into the living room. “Supper is here!” He swaggered with bravado, making me smile despite my nerves.
“I caught the biggest one,” Gunnar boasted.
“No, I caught the biggest one,” Ull countered.
“Yes, but yours got away, didn’t it?” Gunnar patted his shoulder in mock sympathy. “Sorry mate, doesn’t count.”
“It counts,” Ull muttered.
I kissed his cheek. “It counts to me.”
Ull looked grateful. “Way bigger than Gunnar’s fish.”
“Aw, that’s why it got away, mate.” Gunnar smiled.
“Stop bickering boys, tea is in the garden,” Olaug called from outside. She had busied herself bringing tea and cakes to the backyard sitting area and we gratefully followed the sound of her voice. As we gathered around the table Olaug nodded. She wanted me to tell him. Right now. Was she crazy? Inga caught my terrified look but she nodded too.
“What d
id you girls get up to this afternoon?” Ull asked through a mouth full of scone. Olaug raised an eyebrow. There wouldn’t be a better opening. Why did Ull have to choose this moment to be perceptive?
“Funny you should ask that. Um, well, we sort of had a visitor.” Do it, Tostenson. Tell him.
“How nice – who was it?” Ull picked up his teacup. It was so fragile in his enormous hand. I hoped it survived my news. It would be a shame to break Olaug’s set.
“Uh, well, it was, uh… your dad.”
Very deliberately, Ull set his cup down. The china was saved. “Thor was here?”
“Yes. Here. At Ýdalir,” I continued unnecessarily.
“Why?”
“Well, see, Inga and I sort of thought that maybe there would be a way to convince him that I should get to be one of you, so we asked him to come and–”
“Inga,” Ull thundered. “How could you? Kristia has been through enough!” Ull stood so forcefully that his chair fell to the ground. He started pacing in the small space, crossing from the table to the yew dale and back again in clipped strides. His body started to shake, and the veins in his forearms throbbed as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
“Ull.” I wanted to defend my friend, but he held up a hand to silence me.
“Of all the deceitful, underhanded things you could have done.” His voice grew louder with each word. “Inga Jensson Andersson, how could you do this to her?”
“I didn’t do anything to her Ull. I did it for her.” Inga jumped up, hands on her hips. “This is what she wants. You are what she wants.” She poked Ull in the chest and he shook with rage.
“She does not know what she wants!” Ull thundered.
“Enough!” I couldn’t take it anymore. “Stop yelling at her! Inga did this because I asked her to. This is my fault. I want you to be able to protect your family, and I want to be able to protect you. Thor agreed to make me a goddess because I want him to. I can do this Ull – you just have to believe in me!”
“Kristia, how could you ever think I do not believe in you? You are the strongest woman I have ever met. Frustratingly, irritatingly strong in every possible way. You are the only woman who has ever been brave enough to challenge me. Well, except for this one.” He glared at Inga. He knelt down so his eyes were level with mine. “But what you want to do is incredibly dangerous. Why would you think this was a good idea?”
“Because she is The Seer.” Elsker stepped out of the house. “And she knows it is going to work.”
“Kristia is The Seer?” Gunnar clapped his hand to his forehead. “Did not see that one coming. Did you see that, doll?”
Inga shook her head.
“Elsker.” Ull stood. “How did – where – what are you doing here?”
“Kristia needed me.” Elsker crossed to Ull. She stretched up to touch his cheek. “Oh my sweet boy, you are just going to have to trust her. She will be fine.”
“Elsker,” Ull enveloped the tiny woman in a hug, “I thought I would never see you again.”
“You cannot get rid of me that easily,” she tutted. “Now did you hear me? Your fiancé is the one the Three Sisters prophesied.”
Ull looked at me, then Elsker, then back to me again. “No.”
“Yes,” Elsker confirmed.
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 in
sistent 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.”
Endre, Book Two in the Elsker Saga, is available at your favorite retailer.
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