Thunderstruck

by Brenda Drake

  fjórir

  Nothing was better than a triple scoop turtle sundae at Double Dips after a long Saturday morning of chores and a lunch hour of vlogging. For a fall day, Stevie was hot. The new location for recording the vlog was like being in hell. Actually, hell might’ve been better than the toolshed in the backyard of Amira’s house.

  She shoveled a spoonful of nut-covered vanilla ice cream in her mouth and almost choked when Trevon approached their table with Kyle at his side. A small amount of caramel sauce dripped on her chin and she quickly wiped it away with her napkin.

  Trevon dropped onto to the seat beside Amira and practically plowed into her, shaking the table as he planted a sloppy kiss on her lips. “Wouldya look at my girl. Hot.”

  Kyle took the empty seat next to Stevie. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she said a little uncertainly, wondering why Trevon had brought Kyle with him.

  Amira wiggled out of Trevon’s arms, giving him a light smack on the shoulder. “How many times do I have to tell you hot isn’t a flattering adjective. I prefer smart, maybe beautiful, possibly flawless, but not just hot.”

  He smiled that goofy one he did when her words hadn’t registered to him. “Did I mention she’s a mix of sweet and sour?”

  She elbowed him. “Give it up. Or I’ll dump this sundae on your head.” Amira popped up and stormed off in the direction of the bathrooms.

  Trevon shrugged, then rushed after her. “Baby, what did I do?”

  A nervous laugh escaped Stevie as she realized Amira and Trevon had left her alone with Kyle. The new guy. The too gorgeous to be in Ballard new guy. He belonged on the big screen or something. Normally she wasn’t into redheads, but his wasn’t a carroty color, it was on the darker side, almost brown.

  “That looks like a mess,” he said, draping his arm across the back of his chair and slouching in his seat.

  The air around them felt off. Like he’d just zapped all the positivity out of it. “It’s a yummy mess. Don’t knock it until you try it.”

  “You know, you’re not bad looking,” he said. “If you put some effort into it, you’d be, as Trevon said, hot. And what is that nest on the back of your head?”

  Stevie dropped her spoon. It clanked loudly against the dish, causing the older couple near them to flinch and shoot her a displeasing look. “It’s called a bun. How could you possibly not know that?” She was at a loss for words, who the hell says that to another person? “And who asked you, anyway, Kyle? I couldn’t care less what you think of me.”

  “No need to be nasty,” he said. “I was just offering some advice. If you worked on it, maybe you wouldn’t repel guys.”

  Who does he think he is? If it were a thing, she would actually feel her blood boiling. She wanted to smack his gorgeous face that caused all the girls at school to swoon over him. And those green eyes on her were unnerving. It was as if they were scrutinizing her.

  “Great.” Stevie turned her best glare on him. “Let me see if I can repel you.” She paused. “It’s not working. You’re still here.”

  He laughed so loud that everyone was now looking at them. “You have a little fire. I like that. Ups the hot meter.”

  “Okay, I’ve had enough.” She practically shoved him out of the booth so she could make her escape. “I’m out of here.”

  The crisp autumn air cooled her hot face as she stepped out of Double Dips. “That guy is such an ass,” she said under her breath, then she realized that Amira had driven them there. “Great, just great.”

  “Good evening.” She was surprised to hear Blake’s voice.

  She turned, her bad mood instantly lifting at the sight of him. “Hi. What are you doing—?” Beside him was a white dog with bright-blue eyes. It looked like a cross between a wolf and husky. “Is that Saga?”

  “Yes, she’s back to normal,” he said, reaching down and petting her head. “We had such a scare the other night. Dr. Hompluem did a splendid job.”

  Stevie scratched behind Saga’s ear, burying her fingers into the thick, soft fur. “Wasn’t she bigger? Much bigger?” Like a giant.

  “She was recently groomed,” he said. “A significant amount of her coat was removed for the summer. She appears smaller now.”

  “I guess.” She had gotten sick, and things were a little off. Maybe Saga was just less fluffy. But that wolf that had attacked her and Amira at her father’s warehouse was real. And large. Stevie had a strange feeling about Saga. She reminded her too much of the wolf.

  Then there was that guy in the dark hood with what looked to be Thor’s hammer. There was no way she imagined any of that. The security cameras caught the wolf and the guy. Plus, the window was shattered. Amira witnessed it, too, sort of. Well, the paws of the creature, anyway. And now, she was banned from filming there. Her dad feared it was too dangerous.

  “I ordered a burger to go,” he said, pulling her attention back to him. “I’m going out to Golden Gardens Park to let Saga run in the water. You want to join us?”

  She glanced back through the parlor’s window. Amira was still arguing with Trevon by the bathrooms and Kyle was watching them, a cocky smirk on his face.

  “I’d love to,” she said and gave Saga one more scratch behind the ears.

  Saga took up the entire backseat. She was still a large dog, but the other night Stevie swore that Saga had been as big as a bear. Even the oversize examining table at the vet hospital had been too small for her.

  Blake guided his Prelude along the road, going under the speed limit and riding his brakes at each curve.

  “Hey, Grandpa,” Stevie teased. “We might get there today if you go the speed limit. And the brakes would like you better if you rode them less.”

  “You’re being humorous.” He looked over, a crooked smile playing on his lips. “Take it easy on me. I’m a novice. Only been operating a vehicle for a month.”

  She liked his smile. “Then I’m impressed.”

  The bright afternoon sun teased through the leaves and shimmered across the windshield. The light hitting Blake’s face illuminated his eyes, too blue to be real. It was more like a color she’d seen in comic book drawings.

  The beach area surrounding the bathhouse was more crowded than she had thought it would be in October. It was the only building out there. Stately, with tall windows and brick walls, it was a beautiful place for weddings.

  Some guys passed a ball back and forth over a net in the volleyball pit. Couples and groups walked the shoreline and darted in and out of the water, only getting their feet wet, not daring to go any farther into the cold water.

  Blake got out, grabbed the hamburger bag and a larger brown paper one, and then lifted the seat to let Saga out of the car. Stevie followed them down the path to the beach. He was quiet as they made their way to where Saga dashed into the water, the cold obviously not bothering her. The animal was gorgeous. Come to think of it, the guy was, too. His sweat jacket was just the right amount of snug, showing off well-developed biceps every time he raised his arm to throw a stick for Saga to chase.

  He gave her a sidelong glance, a smile playing on his lips. “She loves it here.”

  Stevie couldn’t deny it. That smile. The spark in his eyes. He was out of this world, or at least out of this town. What was going on with Ballard? Two breathtakingly hot guys had moved there within a month of each other. Sure, they had cute guys around town, but they couldn’t touch Blake and Kyle. However silly that sounded, it was true.

  “Yeah, it’s almost like she has never played before.” Stevie shaded the sun with her hand, watching Saga dart down the beach with the stick tight in her mouth. “She does know to come back, right?”

  “She has played before…but it has been a long while.” The worry on his face was adorable. He really cared about Saga. There was nothing more attractive to her than a guy who loved his pet. “Let’s eat. She’ll come when she smells food. She’s always hungry.”

  They found a bench at the edge of the path overlooking the water.
Steep rocks were on the other side of the walkway from them. Birds soared overhead and nature chattered around them. Blake opened the larger bag and removed a large container full of mixed, bloody food.

  Stevie wrinkled her nose. “What is that?”

  “May prepared it. A sort of uncooked stew with raw meat and vegetables.” Blake whistled and placed the container on the ground. “Saga! Come get it, girl.”

  “You’re on a first-name basis with Dr. Hompluem? When did that happen? She’s strict about that sort of thing.”

  “She told me to call her that when I moved in,” he said, his attention distracted as Saga thumped up the paved path.

  “You’re living with her now?” The situation was just so strange that Stevie couldn’t believe it. May never liked strangers. She was always suspicious of everyone. Something was up. Why would she let Blake move in?

  “The Perkins are a kind couple,” Blake said, “but Saga is too much for them. I didn’t want to burden them with an injured dog, especially while she’s healing. She’s quite restless. I had mentioned this to May, and she offered her guest room to me.”

  “That was nice of her.” Stevie was still suspicious. The Perkins were good people. Loved kids. Had four of their own. All had moved out and started families. They loved animals. Stevie was pretty darn sure they would take in just about anyone or anything in need. That’s why they’d sponsored foreign exchange students.

  Saga chomped on the mixture, her tail down. She trusted her owner enough to relax and not be on guard. There was a gentleness to Blake. A strong silence that settled around him. It was there like the moment before a bolt of lightning struck out into a dark sky. Or right after when the strike left a haze behind. When all that was left was thunderstruck.

  And she liked him.

  She wanted to hang out with him. Get to know that side of him that he hid from the world.

  He glanced her way. “What’s the matter?”

  Oh God, was I staring? I was staring.

  “Nothing.” She looked away, across the Shilshole Bay, her cheeks heating. “Just taking it all in.” That wasn’t at all obvious. Seriously. Why am I so nervous?

  She hadn’t even liked him the first few weeks of school. He seemed arrogant, refusing to socialize with others. He was rude most times. He’d turned Grace Kirby down. Everyone wanted Grace. Heck, even Stevie had a girl crush on her.

  He sat on the bench, pulled out a wrapped burger, and held it out to her.

  “I can’t take your food. Besides, I don’t eat meat.” She dropped her bag on the bench and plopped down next to him.

  “It’s a veggie burger. I got it for you.”

  She gave him a suspicious look. “You got it for me? How did you know I’d come?” Their hands touched as she reached for it, sending a spark from her fingertips through her body, and causing her heart to race widely. It was different from when she had one of her weak episodes. This was full of energy, full of want. She gasped, hoping he hadn’t noticed how his touch affected her.

  He hadn’t. Instead, he pulled out another foil-covered sandwich. “Who can resist spending time with Saga? Look at her. She’s beautiful.”

  Stevie unwrapped the sandwich, taking in calming breaths. Hers had grilled mushrooms and onions on it. “How did you know this was my favorite?”

  “Lucky guess, I suppose.” He unwrapped his as he watched the sailboats and kayakers bounce over the waves.

  Right. Lucky.

  “Dr. Hompluem told you.”

  The corners of his mouth curved up. “Possibly.”

  She took a big bite of her sandwich, unable to stop herself sneaking glances of him. His profile was perfect, as if the gods had chiseled it or some poetic thing like that. He would make a great model for a comic book hero—just add a cape, some tights, and let nature handle the rest.

  “Do you like comic books?” Her own question surprised her. She normally avoided talking about comics as Stevie Moon. She worried others would discover her alias, Comic Cam. Being anonymous was the only way she’d do her vlog. And it was important. She had many sponsors, and they paid her a lot for product placement during her shows because of her large following. The money all went to charities, and she wanted to ride the fame as long as she could to help others.

  His startled look surprised her. “I haven’t ever read one. You like them?”

  “Um, well, not really,” she said, still wondering about his response. “I was just thinking you would make a great Thor. Amira and her friend Grace Kirby like to cosplay for the Jet City Comic Con in Tacoma. They let me tagalong. It’s the first part of November. I’m going as Sif.”

  He practically choked on a piece of burger.

  “You okay?”

  “Yes. Just went down wrong.”

  She reached into her bag, grabbed her water bottle, and handed it to him. “Here. Drink.”

  He unscrewed the top and took a swig.

  The waves grew angry in the bay and the kayakers struggled with their paddles. Stevie looked up at the sky. There were a few clouds but none of them looked like storm ones. “That’s strange. Look at the water.”

  His gaze followed hers.

  “What is that?”

  “It looks like a quake.” Blake stood. “Grab your bag. We have to go.”

  They rushed down the pathway, Saga on their heels. The sand slowed them when they reached the beach.

  “Get in the car.” He pointed at the parking lot before sprinting down the beach with Saga at his side. “It’s a quake,” he yelled. “Everyone out of the water…!” Stevie could barely hear what he was yelling to the people by the shoreline over the crashing of the waves.

  Sailboats headed out farther from the shore for the quieter waters. The kayakers had made it to the beach and picked up their crafts, dragging them out of the water. Everyone ran from the beach. The waves grew taller and wider. Water rolled over something just under the surface. It looked like a serpent’s body, and then it was gone. The waves hit the beach several times before slowing down. Whatever it was, it was no longer there.

  Stevie dropped to a squat and hugged her bag. What had she seen? Was it a whale or something? But would a whale come into the bay from the ocean? It had to be that, but it looked like a snake. A very large one. Maybe the size of a submarine or bigger. No. It had to be a whale. It had to be.

  Blake knelt in front of her and grasped her arms. “Are you all right, Stevie? Your heart?”

  “My heart’s fine. I took my medicine.” Her bottom lip quivered and she shook uncontrollably. “I saw something—a serpent—it looked like a snake. Did you see it?”

  He brushed her hair from her face. “It was a small quake. It made the waves roll resembling a serpent’s body, which explains what you saw. It’s gone now.” He hugged her. His arms around her comforting and warm.

  “You smell like lemons,” she said, the panic inside her subsiding. “May gave you her homemade soap.”

  “You have a good nose,” he said with a small laugh, one that said he was just as freaked out as she was. He stood, bringing her up with him. “I should get you home.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “Saga!” His eyes searched the beach for her. “Come on, girl!”

  The white husky faced the water, staring out at the bay. Her tail was down between her legs, which told Stevie the dog was scared. Stevie’s eyes traveled over the now quiet bay. Everyone went back to what he or she was doing before the surge of waves. The kayakers carried their vessels back into the water, the sailboats slowly returned, and strollers walked in the shallows.

  When Blake whistled, Saga finally turned away from the water and darted for them.

  Blake was quiet the entire ride back to her home. Something more had happened in the water than the explanation he’d given her. She had seen a body of some sort just under the surface. Whatever it was, she was determined to find out what it was.

  fim

  Járnsaxa had her hand around Lajos’s throat, figurative
ly that was. Though she controlled her son, she also spoiled him. Blake never trusted her. She was always searching for ways to get rid of his mother. Her affair with his father was the work of cunning and deceit. She had lured his father away from his mother twice, giving Thor two sons.

  Blake sat at Kyle’s desk and leaned back in the chair.

  Lajos fit the persona of Kyle Lieberman perfectly. He enjoyed playing football and having the girls at school fawn over him. His bedroom was decorated just as a mortal boy of his age would have it. Posters. Mismatched furniture. Clothes and shoes strewn on the floor. Blake had watched a few teen shows on May’s flat screen to get a better grasp on how to act. One of which, he believed was fake. He hadn’t run into any bloodsuckers at school.

  “So, I hear you saved Fenrir’s pup—” Kyle went silent when the door to his room opened.

  “I’m going out. So I’ll leave you boys to talk,” Járnsaxa said. She wore a tight dress that hugged her figure, and her red hair was straight and slick around her face. Before shutting the bedroom door, she added, “Remember, my name is Sax here. And I’m sorry we’re raining on your parade, so to speak. It’s not personal. I hope you know that. You already have an upper hand being Sif’s son. Lajos must find that horn. He needs all the help he can get to win Thor’s favor. You understand, don’t you? Anyway, I’ll be back later.” She blew Kyle a kiss and shut the door before Blake could answer her question.

  “So, why are you here? What do you want?” Kyle stretched out on his bed, his back against his pillows.

  “Jörmungandr was in the bay,” Blake said. “Or it could have been one of its leeches. I didn’t get a good look at it. Whatever it is, it’s searching for Heimdall’s Horn, and innocents could get hurt in its path.”

  Kyle sat up. “Are you sure? Maybe it knows where it is. We could follow it. Find the horn.”

  “I don’t think it does. It seemed as if it were seeking it. I think it wanted to get on land, but I was there. It sensed me.”