by Lizzie Vega
The young woman interpreted Iris’s tone of voice to be a threat. She took her arms from Stefan and swiveled towards her with a raised fist. “Heks,” she hissed.
Iris stopped in her tracks.
Stefan lowered his head and whispered quietly into the young woman’s ear. Her eyes widened and then she looked again at Iris. Her eyes softened and a subtle suggestion of a smile crossed her lips. She nodded her head to Iris and, still holding his hand, stepped to Stefan’s side.
Stefan was quick to speak, “Iris, I know I owe you, especially you, an explanation of what has happened here. I can shed some light on this mystery you are all participating in.”
Iris put her hands on her hips defiantly as Katie and Samantha joined her. The others slowly gathered around Iris. Parker, shaking and white as a ghost, stood next to Katie. Michael kept his distance and quietly remained inside the summoning circle.
Stefan took a deep breath, “First, I want to so deeply thank all of you for working on this, um, project and keeping it a secret. Going forward, secrecy will absolutely critical.”
“Most importantly,” he continued with a broad smile, “This is my sister, Annika.”
There was a pause as his words sunk in. Katie responded for the group with a quiet, “Oh my God.” There was a genuine curiosity as they tried to process what that meant. Mac and Allie shared a look and then looked at Iris. She was not smiling.
“Stefan,” she said sternly, “exactly, what have we done here?”
“Maybe we should all sit down,” Stefan gestured over toward the sofas, “this could take a while to explain.”
“I’ll bet,” was Katie’s response. Iris just shook her head and they made their way to the lounge area. Katie leaned into Iris as they walked into the lounge, “Any chance this is your ‘bridge the gap’ guy?”
Iris just cleared her throat and nodded.
Katie grimaced, “Oh shit, what are the odds?”
Iris just smirked sarcastically, “Yeah, exactly.”
Samantha noticed Michael had yet to move from where he had defended Parker. It was clear he was listening, but he seemed distant under the circumstances. He just stood there staring at the shield. She walked back into the summoning circle.
Sam put her hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze, “You were amazing, Michael, but are you ok? You seem, um, you feel different.”
“No, I’m ok,” he responded quietly, “I thought, at least at the beginning, something else might happen, but I guess not.” He brightened a little, “I think this is just beginning.”
She tugged on his arm, “C’mon, I’ll bet this guy has a remarkable story to tell.”
“I’ll be right there, save me a seat.” Sam smiled and joined the others at the chairs.
He stood for a moment at the edge of the circle that Iris had carefully laid out on the floor, the slowly spinning stars had dimmed considerably and they began to wink out one by one. The light show had come to a quiet end. He sighed heavily and bent down to pick up the shield.
Mac snapped on the lights and that startled Annika a little. She blinked her eyes at the fluorescent shop lights that hung from the ceiling. Stefan assured her that everything was ok with a quick word and a smile.
Stefan had Annika remove her robe to be more comfortable but even with the simple embroidered tunic, she still looked formidable. Stefan got her seated comfortably on one of the sofas and the others pulled their chairs into a circle around the new strangers.
Michael was the last to join them. He carried in the shield with her sword carefully balanced on top of it. He placed it gently at her feet, “So you feel safe.” He backed away from her slowly and took a seat next to Sam.
Annika smiled warmly at him, “Veldig kjekk.” Michael took a seat and Stefan stifled a snicker, shaking his head.
“Thank you,” he said to Michael, “she just paid you a fine compliment.”
“I’ll bet,” was Iris’s response, “Ok, professor, you have a lot of explaining to do.”
Stefan nodded, “Yes, I do,” he said quietly but he said it directly to Iris. He turned to the group, “Well, I’m not sure where to start. You will have questions, actually you might want to take notes.”
“My name is Stefan Lindvig and, I am” he emphasized, “a visiting professor at Concordia. This is my sister Annika, as you have seen, she’s not from around here,” he tried to laugh but it didn’t play very well.
“Through a series of events about six years ago, I was stranded here in this time. Annika and I were separated from each other by a rival warlord in our kingdom. I was tricked into being sent here as a way for him to gain power. His wizards meant to send me, well, just far away, but they did something maybe extra and I ended up moving forward in time and found myself here.
He looked around the room as the jaws began dropping.
“When I saw news reports of blue lightning in the area, I knew that someone was, one way or another, experimenting with the same magic that brought me here. I had to investigate.”
Iris cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest, “I’ll bet,” she said again.
Mac spoke up, “So let’s get this straight, “You’re from, like the 11th century, from a kingdom and you’ve travelled through time and now we’ve brought your sister here to be reunited with you?”
Stefan nodded, “Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Except, I had no idea that she would come through the portal. That was completely unexpected.”
To Stefan’s amazement, Mac just nodded, “Ok, continue. Well, wait, you couldn’t go back?”
“No, or at least that is what I was told when I was sent here. The portal was only one way. The return trip required a key to reopen the portal that was lost long ago.”
Michael pointed at the shield, “You mean that relic, right?”
“Yes, exactly, I can’t believe that you had it in your possession. It’s priceless.”
Parker suddenly spoke for the first time since Annika attacked him, “Michael and I started with only four small pieces, it started growing when the lightning started.”
Stefan sat silent for a moment, “Only four? How did the rest of the shield assemble itself?”
Parker just scratched his head, “All we did was draw sketches and use our computers to simulate what we thought it would look like based on our imaginations. We’re geeks, that’s what we do.” He shrugged his shoulders and pointed at his roommate, “If Michael hadn’t gotten the first pieces from the old man at the antique shop, none of this would have happened.”
Stefan straightened, “What old man?”
Michael looked at Stefan hesitantly, “I wasn’t supposed to say anything,” and Sam noticed he began to get that faraway look in his eyes again, she put her hand on his arm. “Michael, it’s ok, you can tell him.”
“Mr. Goodmund gave them to me.”
Annika, up to this point, was sitting quietly listening to the conversation. Given the language barrier, they had assumed she understood very little of what was being discussed.
She sat up straight, “Goodmund?” She looked as equally stunned Stefan, “Alec Goodmund?” She put her hand to mouth in shock, but then she began to pepper Stefan with questions and they began to converse excitedly back and forth in Norwegian.
The discussion went on for a bit and then Annika grabbed the collar of her fur coat and then pulled out the jeweled pendant from around her neck.
Stefan’s expression went from inquisitive to very serious. He looked at the pendant and then at the group, “Dritt,” he said.
“Uh-oh,” said Parker suddenly, “My grandmother taught me that word. We’re in trouble.”
Stefan ran his hand through his hair. He was clearly rattled. Iris, who had yet to say anything even remotely kind to him, interjected, “Stefan, what’s wrong?”
He took a deep breath, “Call it a wrinkle,” he winced. He asked Annika a couple of questions and she now had the same worried expression on her face.
“It’s
a likely complication. When you summoned Annika here, it just happened to be during a wedding ceremony.” He slumped back into the sofa, “her wedding ceremony.”
Iris looked genuinely concerned and addressed Annika directly, “I’m so sorry, there was no way we would have known.” From the tone of her voice, Annika sensed an apology.
She abruptly clapped her hands as if to command Iris to stop talking. Her eyes flashed in anger. She shook her head and started speaking, her voice was strong, almost irritated at first, but the anger soon gave way and her voice broke once, then again. She grabbed the front of her tunic and, a moment later violently grabbed the hem of her skirt.
Although the others couldn’t understand a word she was saying, her emotional state, spoke volumes.
The tears they had seen when she first arrived, had returned and flowed freely. The beautiful strong warrior buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
As her story had unfolded, Stefan’s expression changed into one of anger, then as if he was in pain. He wrapped his arms around his sister, rocking her gently.
Iris got up and knelt in front of them wrapping her arms around the both. “I’m sorry, Annika, I’m so sorry.”
Stefan reached over and touched Iris’s arm gently, his eyes were brimming with tears, “No Iris, don’t apologize. You rescued her.”
Mac looked over at Michael and Parker, “Any bets on who the groom might be?”
Michael sighed heavily and looked at Samantha and Katie who were both crying as well, “I’d put even money on a very pissed off ancient Viking warlord. And we just stole his bride.”
Sam took Michael’s hand, her voice was shaking and unsure, her eyes were focused on Annika. “No. This is the right thing. She wanted to get away from him.”
Parker shook his head wearily, “I’ll bet he has a bigger sword than she does. We’re pretty well fucked.”
Chapter 35
It was simple question.
“What do we do now?”
Stefan raised his voice, “Don’t panic. I believe we have some time before anything, or anyone, comes back through the portal,” and he nodded toward the open warehouse.
Michael shook his head, “I watched the stars go dark just as we came in here. I watched the portal close.”
Stefan looked at Iris and cocked his brow, “Let’s hope our spellcaster here, is as powerful as she seems.” That finally got a tiny smile out of Iris.
“Yeah,” she said, “I don’t mess around,” but she couldn’t resist a small dig at him, “At least, I’m being authentic.”
Stefan nodded his head in agreement, “Ok,” he said, “I had that coming. I’d like to talk to you about the other night, Iris.”
Parker got snarky, “Oh, yet another likely complication?”
Katie saw that as an opportunity and she stood up, “Hey, if that’s going to be a long story, maybe we should get some food. You guys chat and we’ll be back in a little bit,” and she made a gathering motion with her arms to get everyone moving.
Allie just laughed, “You guys go, Mac and I will be over in the corner watching the playback.” She grabbed Mac by the arm, “C’mon sweetie, let’s go watch the show again, these two need some privacy.”
Parker grabbed his keys and held the door open as Michael, Sam and Katie made their way out. Iris called after them, “Nobody says a word to anyone about this, Right? Don’t even make jokes about it. That means you, Parker.” For once, he didn’t have a snappy comeback. This was serious, and he knew it. He just nodded and they were gone.
With Allie and Mac huddled in the corner with their headphones on, it was now only Iris, Stefan and Annika sitting together in the lounge.
There was an awkward moment as Iris just stared at Stefan. It was clear that he would begin the conversation and she was going to be patient. Annika looked at Iris and then back at her brother. A little smile crossed her lips, “Kjæresten din?”
Stefan reacted with a chuckle, “Yes, Anni,” He looked back at Iris, “My girlfriend, or at least, I hope so.”
Annika caught the puzzled expression on Iris’s face and she slid over closer to Iris and put her hand softly on Iris’s arm. She put her other hand to her chest, “Jeg er Annika” she said in a soft melodic accent. She looked at her brother and said, sternly, “Stef, snakk til henne.”
“Oh, God, you’re ganging up on me. Yes, I’ll talk to her.” Iris laughed at that and Annika smiled warmly at her. She looked at Iris and reached up and tapped her fingernail on one of Iris’ large gauge earring hoops, “Nydelig.”
“Yes, she is beautiful,” Stefan interjected but Annika raised a finger and cut him off, “Snakk,” and she put her arm down and sat there quietly with her hands in her lap.
“Iris,” he began, “Everything, I have said to you, and I do mean everything, mostly everything is true. While I was drawn here by the lightning, from the moment I first saw you, I knew it was going to be far more than…I mean the time I have spent with you, was absolutely real.”
Iris wasn’t buying it, quite yet. “Our first meeting wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”
“Actually, it was. And I can’t explain it. I first saw you when you were with the two boys at their apartment and then all of you at the Cosplay party. I had watched the boys track the lightning strikes in the city. Figuring that out was a stroke of luck, really.”
“Your arrival at the coffee shop wasn’t part of stalking me?” she asked.
“No, not at all. In fact, I wasn’t paying attention when I walked in and when I turned and saw you, I, um, really wanted to meet you. Everything I told you about me is true, just some of it took place a longer time ago.”
He stopped talking and looked at his sister, she just sat there peacefully listening to him but she looked pale and sheen of perspiration was visible at her temples. “Gar det bra?” he asked her and Annika nodded her head, “Jeg er flink.”
Stefan looked at Iris, “She looks pale to me, I asked her if she is feeling alright. She said she’s tired.”
Iris looked at him incredulously, “If I had just traveled about a thousand years or so, I would be a little pale as well.”
“True enough,” he said, “Iris, I truly want you to understand that you mean the world to me.”
Iris held up her hand with a snort, “I will give that some thought. Right now, your actions are more important than your words. I think it’s fair to say that we have all had quite an evening. There is a lot to think abou...” She stopped in mid-sentence. She had begun to process something else. She turned to the young woman and then looked quickly back at Stefan.
“Annika?” Iris raised her arm up to show her a small white crease on the skin of her elbow, a scar from a childhood bike accident. She took three of her fingers and curled them in a hook. “Stefan?” she asked calmly, “what is her word for accident?”
Stefan raised an eyebrow and looked at his sister and then back at Iris, “ulykke”, he said. His voice sounded far away, he knew what was coming and he let out a deep breath.
Iris reached across Stefan and drew her fingers over his back. She looked at Annika as she did it, “Annika, ulykke?”
Annika looked at her brother and then looked back at Iris and shook her head, “Nei, Amund.” she said, her eyes grew sad.
Iris cut a tense look toward Stefan but then she looked back to Annika, she drew her fingers across her chest to point at her tattoo, “uncle Sygni?” she asked.
Annika’s eyes lit up, “onkel Sygni og Alexandra, ja.” She rattled off slew of Norwegian. Iris could tell from her enthusiastic response that at least part of Stefan’s story might hold some truth.
Iris hesitated but she had to ask, “Stefan, who is Amund?”
Annika grasped the jeweled pendant hanging around her neck and held it out for her to see, “Amund,” she said quietly.
Stefan looked at Iris, “He, apparently, is indeed, the groom.”
Iris slumped back in her chair in shock, “Oh, fuck. Does everyone back in her
time get married in chain mail and furs?”
“No, not usually,” he replied and sat back with his chin in his hand, “That’s usually reserved for psychotic warlords and their brides.”
“Oh, fuck,” she said again and looked warily over into the now darkened warehouse, “we are in trouble, aren’t we?”
Stefan sat quietly for the longest time, his hands steepled in front of him. Annika leaned and rested her head on her hand. She stared out into the darkness of the warehouse.
Iris reached over and jostled Stefan’s knee, “Stef, tell me about Amund. What is he to you?”
She heard Annika sigh at the mention of his name. The young warrior just sunk deeper into the sofa and laid her head back on the cushion and closed her eyes. Maybe it was the harsh light of the lounge, but Annika did look pale to Iris. While it wasn’t overly warm in the lounge, a small bead of sweat ran down along her hairline, “Are you sure she’s alright?”
Stefan asked Annika a couple of questions and she answered, her eyes squinted and she touched her temple. “The lights are bright for her and she has a pretty good headache. Not surprising really, I felt the same way when I arrived. It should pass.”
Iris ignored the opportunity to again question his honesty, and stood up, “It’s ok, we’ll talk about that later, I’ll be right back.” She walked across the room and shut off the bank of lights directly over the sofa area. “That should help a little, back in a second.”
She walked over to the table and grabbed her bag and then stepped into the bathroom. She came out with a glass of water and a hand towel that she had run under the tap.
“Tell her to swallow these,” as she handed some aspirin to Annika. He told her what to do and after she had taken them, Iris brought the cool washcloth up and blotted her forehead. “That should help a little, right?” she said quietly.