Perfekt Order (The Ære Saga Book 1)

by S. T. Bende

  “How do you know about Freya’s girls?” Tyr shot me a glance.

  “Brynn explained everything the night I found out what you are. So why me? Why didn’t he trail someone else and attack them?”

  “Honestly?” Tyr tapped the steering wheel. “I have no idea. With the hack on the Norns’ security, he had to know I was fated to be with someone who might be a mortal; though the prophecy that I’d end up with someone not of Asgard could just as easily have been about a Vanir, or a light elf, or, Odin forbid, a mountain giant. I guess because Freya had bought into the idea my partner would be human, Fenrir was willing to, too. That day, you were running on a path that led directly to my house, so maybe he thought you were going to see me. And I never met the other girls, not that I know of, anyway, so I don’t know what they looked like. But Fenrir should have known me well enough to know that I’d be attracted to you.” Tyr winked. “I’ve always had a thing for leggy brunettes.”

  “So he tried to kill me because I was jogging toward your house, and because I’m your type?” My voice squeaked. “That’s crazy.”

  “It could have been a hundred other reasons. We’ll probably never know.” Tyr shrugged. “But I came out of my house when I heard the growling, and I got to you in time to help. Just know that I was taking care of you then. And I’m trying to take care of you now.” Tyr leaned forward slightly. “You said on the beach that you trust me. This would be a really good time to prove it.”

  We’d have a heck of a lot to talk about after all this went down, but his expression was so adorable, it only took two minutes of stewing before I resolved to meet him halfway.

  “Okay. Here are my terms. I will move in with you as a trial. One week. If, after one week, we feel it’s too much too soon, you will let me move back to my house without any guilt or judgment or weirdness. And I’ll follow whatever rules you need me to so you feel like the wolf won’t get to me. I won’t go jogging by myself, or go to the store late at night, or whatever. But if it’s making things awkward with us,” or if I feel like I’m too attached to handle it when, someday, you have to move back to Asgard full time, “we stop right away. Deal?”

  Henrik snickered from the backseat. Tyr and I both glared at him.

  “Sorry. I’ve just never seen anyone barter with him before. Barter with Freya, yes. Idunn, for sure. But never with Tyr.” He doubled over laughing.

  “Do we have a deal?” I asked again, ignoring the peanut gallery.

  “What happens if I say no?”

  “Then I go back to my house and carry on with my life like there’s no crazy wolf chasing us, and you just have to deal with it. I’ll call my brother if you try to abduct me and make me stay with you, and you do not want to tick off Jason. He threatened to end you if you broke my heart, just so you know.”

  “Oh he did, did he?” Tyr smiled.

  “He did. So do we have a deal?”

  “Fine. Deal.” Tyr nodded. “Now stop distracting me, both of you. If there really is a portal in these woods, Fenrir might come back—and he might bring friends. We know he’s working with someone, it’s only a matter of time before whoever it is shows up.”

  I shivered and squeezed Tyr’s hand. We drove in silence for a few miles before I worked up the nerve to ask.

  “What kind of friends does a killer wolf hang out with?”

  “His siblings.”

  “That’s right. The wolf has a brother that’s a snake.” I remembered, but it still seemed absurd. “And their sister is Hel.” While I played with the wrists of my sweater, I wondered what other human euphemisms were about real people.

  Tyr kept talking. “Odin knew Jörmungandr was going to be a major problem, so he threw him in the ocean of Midgard. The serpent got so big, he bit onto his own tail and held on. But his jaw locked, and he hasn’t been able to free himself. Remember, when Jörmungandr lets go of his tail, your world’s gonna end.”

  “So if Fenrir brings Jorga… Jomug… forget it. If he shows up with the snake, there’s going to be some kind of apocalypse?” I pressed my palms against my thighs.

  “Pretty much. But you can sure as Helheim bet they’re gonna try and kill you first.”

  Well, that pretty much sucked. Suddenly my brother’s live a little advice wasn’t looking so hot. A shudder wracked my body. I hadn’t given a lot of thought to how I might die, being seventeen and in peak physical condition from downhill training, and all. And it wasn’t like there was an ideal way to go. But death by giant wolf god and/or snake monster weren’t exactly top of my list.

  “Get over here, prinsessa.” Tyr held out an arm, and I scooted as close as the console would allow.

  “I’m still mad at you for trying to order me around,” I clarified. “This doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for your seriously backwards bonehead move.”

  “Trust me, I know. And I also know all of this is intimidating. You’re tougher than you look, and I appreciate that you haven’t jumped out of the window to get away from all the crazy. But I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Not today, not next week, not ever. I’ll fight to the death to make sure you’re safe. You get that?” He spoke with a vehemence that left me slightly awed.

  “Yes,” I whispered. His stubble tickled my lips as I leaned over to plant a soft kiss on his cheek as he drove. When I pulled back, he settled me neatly under his arm.

  “Now hold on.” He narrowed his eyes and stepped on the gas as we hit the freeway. “It’s gonna be quite a ride.”

  ****

  When we got to Tyr’s house, he jumped out of the Hummer with his arms outstretched. He muttered something I couldn’t understand, and a shimmering bubble appeared. It covered the house, stretching in a twenty-yard radius around the structure.

  “You’ve made that before. What is it?” I climbed out of the car, now safe inside the golden sphere.

  “Protective casing.” He murmured again, this time aiming his hands at Elsa’s cottage. “This should keep Fenrir away until we relocate to the northwest compound.”

  “I’ll check on your sister, then meet Brynn at the girls’ house.” Henrik glanced at his phone. “Forse ported over so he could look after Elsa. You just worry about Mia.”

  We’re relocating? And who’s Forse?

  “Call immediately if anything’s off at the cottage,” Tyr ordered.

  “You know I will.” Henrik handed Tyr the bucket of fish, jumped into the driver’s seat, and peeled the Hummer out of the drive.

  “Inside, Mia.” With his free hand, Tyr lifted me in a fireman’s hold and sprinted into the house.

  “I am capable of walking on my own,” I pointed out from my position on his shoulder.

  “Yeah, but you can’t run as fast as I can.” Tyr slammed the door behind him and placed the bucket on the ground. I squirmed until he set me on my feet.

  “Why don’t we race without you using your super speed? Then we’ll see who’s faster.” I planted my hands on my hips.

  “Great. Tomorrow. Right now, we’ve got a few things to take care of.” Tyr darted up the stairs with otherworldly speed, slammed some doors, and returned to the first floor in the time it took me to draw two breaths. He circled the downstairs rooms in two seconds, and skidded to a stop in front of me. “It’s clear.”

  “That’s really freaky, you know that?”

  “It’s efficient. Now let’s get you something to eat. Mac and cheese okay? I’m not really in the mood to fry up those fish anymore.” Tyr headed toward the kitchen.

  I picked up the bucket, then called out. “Tyr. Wait.”

  He pulled off his baseball cap to rake his fingers through his hair as he turned around. “What’s up, baby?”

  “It’s going to fall.” I pointed to his pocket. The vial with the fish’s breath poked out of the top.

  “Jeez, thanks.” Tyr tossed his hat on a side table and grabbed the vial. “I forgot all about this. Better put it away.”

  “You do that. I’ll put the fish in the kitche
n.”

  We walked down the hallway together. At the end, I turned right and deposited the bucket on the counter—we could freeze them to cook later. When I returned, Tyr had removed a mirror from the wall. He turned the dial on the safe hidden behind it, and the door swung open. When the jar was safely in the vault, he sealed it shut.

  “The rest of the ingredients are here. All except the bear’s sinew.”

  “When are we going to track that down?” I asked as he re-hung the mirror.

  “We aren’t. It’s too dangerous.” Tyr tried to lace his fingers through mine, but I pulled away.

  “You’re going to have to stop underestimating me at some point. I’ve already proven I can outshoot and out-fish you. Who knows? I might just be an exceptional bear tracker.” I crossed my arms.

  “Wouldn’t doubt it. But I can’t have you out in the woods with that dog lurking around. I’ll take care of the bear.” Tyr reached for my hand again, but I stepped back. He gave me a long look. “You can be mad at me all you want, prinsessa; it’s not going to change anything. You’re staying here until I know you’re safe. You might as well make yourself comfortable.”

  With that, Tyr walked past me into the kitchen. I stood in the hallway and resisted the impulse to stomp my feet. Instead, I took several deep breaths, and followed the world’s most irritating deity, gearing up to give him another piece of my mind.

  But when I saw him leaning against the open refrigerator door, shoulders drawn with tension as he moved milk, butter and cheese to the island countertop, my rebuttal ebbed. He was in the middle of a living hell, and I was upset over a temporary living situation.

  I shook my head. Pick your battles, Ahlström. His day’s going way worse than yours.

  “Here.” I crossed to the cabinet and pulled out the grater, knowing full well Tyr was making his special brand of comfort food. “Let me help. I’ll grate the cheese.”

  Tyr’s shoulders sagged with relief as he handed me the block of cheddar. “Thank you, Mia.” He kissed the back of my head as I began shredding. “I’m sorry about all of this. I swear I’m doing everything in my power to set it right.”

  “I know you are.” I moved the cheese along the blades. “But you don’t have to do everything by yourself all the time.”

  Tyr’s laugh was dry. “How about I let you help me dissect the nerves after I bag the bear. Sound fair?”

  “Hardly. But I’m assuming you’re done negotiating for the day?”

  “You assume correctly.” Tyr pulled some bacon out of the fridge and tossed it onto the counter. “I’ll leave as soon as the stars come out. It’s easier to smuggle a bear around the woods in the middle of the night than it is during the day. You never know who’s watching.”

  I shivered. “You think someone besides the wolf is watching you?”

  “Who knows? Luck favors the prepared, right?” Tyr dropped a stick of butter into the pan, then whisked in some flour. A whole stick of butter? No wonder his mac and cheese was so good.

  I set the grater in the sink and handed Tyr the cheese as he filled a pan with water and brought it to a boil.

  “That’s why I’ve got everything I need for the dissection set up in the garage.”

  “Serious?” I blinked.

  “Serious.” He added milk, cheese, salt and pepper to the flour mixture, then poured the noodles into the pan of water.

  “It’s like the bloody Batcave around here.”

  “You wish,” Tyr teased. “After we eat, I want you to take a shower and get comfortable. Brynn should have left a change of clothes for you.”

  “When did she do that?”

  “Henrik messaged her while we drove home.” Tyr shrugged. “He should be here soon with the rest of your stuff. After dark, I’ll go sedate the bear. We’ll extract the nerves, double check all the ingredients are in the safe, and we can both be in bed by ten-thirty.”

  “Easy as that, huh?” My stomach flopped. So many things could go wrong between now and then.

  “Easy as that.” Tyr came over and sat on the stool next to me. He took my hands in his and kissed each palm in turn. A pulse shot up my arm and went straight to my lower abdomen. Bear hunter. Immortal warrior. Superhuman kisser. God. This man was unreal.

  When the timer eventually beeped, Tyr stood to remove the dish from the oven. He doled out generous portions and returned to the island with two heaping bowls.

  “Now eat up, prinsessa. We’ve got a long evening ahead.”

  ****

  Henrik didn’t come home that night. He didn’t answer his phone, either. Tyr filled his voicemail with messages, each more frantic than the last. While he buzzed around the room, doing that still-unbelievable flying thing in his panic, I pulled out my phone and texted Brynn.

  Where is Henrik?

  A moment later, I got a response.

  With me. There’s a bit of a situation. We have it under control.

  I typed quietly.

  Tyr’s freaking out.

  Brynn’s response made me giggle.

  Must be a day ending in “y.” Tell him we’ve got this. Do whatever you have to do to get the rest of the ingredients, NOW. Tell Tyr I said ingredients are Code Orange. I’ll send Henrik as soon as I can. Bye!!

  Tyr stopped moving at the sound of my laughter. His eyes fell to my phone. “What is it?”

  “Henrik’s with Brynn. Apparently there’s a situation, but they have it under control. She thinks you should do the bear thing right away, though.”

  “I’ll get Freya to stay with you. Let me call her.” Tyr brought his phone to his ear and began a heated conversation. “What do you mean you’re still securing the northwest compound? I thought the reinforcements were almost finished?”

  There was a long pause.

  “I see. And Forse? He hasn’t left Elsa’s has he?” Tyr’s eyes closed. “All right. I’ll figure something out. Take care of things there.”

  He shoved his phone in his back pocket and squared his shoulders.

  “Freya’s busy?” I kept my tone light to offset the heaviness in my gut.

  “I’m not going. I won’t leave you here by yourself.”

  “I’ll be fine. Put an extra spell on the house or give me one of your fancy space weapons or something.” I shot my brightest smile at Tyr, and he flinched.

  “Maybe I can get Brynn to—”

  “You want me to trust you? That works both ways. I can take care of myself,” I said gently.

  Tyr’s eyes softened. “I know you think that. But this monster…”

  “Isn’t going to get within a hundred feet of me. I’ve shot plenty of guns.” I pointed at the secret space-gun closet. “Just give me one of those.”

  Tyr glanced at the closet, then back at me. He crossed to the door and opened it. He reached in and handed me a rifle. “Fine. But the fancy space weapons are too risky. Do you need a refresher on how to use this one?”

  “You’ve seen me shoot. I’m better than you.” I winked.

  “In your dreams.” Tyr kissed the top of my head. “I don’t like leaving you, Mia. The bear can wait until Brynn and Henrik get back.”

  “Maybe. But if it matters, Brynn said to tell you the ingredients were Code Orange.”

  Tyr froze. “Let me see.”

  I handed him my phone. His face turned white as he read the text. “Förbaskat.”

  “Go.” I nudged him through the front door. He stood on the porch, casting enchantments in a wide circle. A thick lavender bubble formed around the property line, anchored to the ground by a swirling black mist.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He typed on his phone and squinted at the screen. “There’s a black bear fishing a hundred yards south of here. This shouldn’t take long.”

  “There’s an Asgardian app for bear tracking?”

  “There’s an app for everything.”

  “Well, I’ll be here.” I kissed his cheek and pushed him off the porch. “Go.”

  Tyr stared at
me. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  I picked up the rifle and held it at eye level. I took aim at a rock just inside the left edge of the property, and fired off a shot. The rock exploded in a spray of tiny shrapnel.

  “I’m good,” I assured Tyr.

  “Great Odin, you’re so beautiful right now. If I didn’t have to…” He tore his eyes away from me and jogged into the forest. He yelled over his shoulder as he ran. “I’ve got plans for you when I get back.”

  “Hurry home,” I called after him. Then I went back into the house and locked the door.

  And I waited.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  THIRTY MINUTES LATER, I stood in Tyr’s garage, huddled over the sleeping body of a live bear. The animal exhaled softly as Tyr made an incision in its upper deltoid. Tyr’s tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he worked. If the situation weren’t so dire, I would have teased Tyr about his tic.

  “Pass me the smaller scalpel.” Tyr held out his hand. He hadn’t been kidding—there was a full laboratory setup in his garage. Next to the motorcycle he’d arranged a sturdy operating table, complete with complicated lighting apparatus and medical machines I’d never seen in a human hospital.

  In the middle of it all lay eight feet of sleeping bear. His thick black fur popped against the matte metal table, and his paws were so massive I was sure he’d take us both out with one swipe if he knew he was being operated on.

  “You’re sure he won’t wake up, right?” I kept my voice low while I searched through the tray of surgical equipment. When I found the small scalpel, I handed it to Tyr.

  “Pretty sure.” He grinned. He bent to kiss my cheek before returning to the bear’s shoulder. “You can go inside if you’re scared.”

  “No way.” I shook my head. “I want to help you.”

  “I love that about you.” Tyr looked up. “You’re something else, Mia. I’m sorry for all of this. I never meant to put you in danger. I swear if anything happens to you…”

  Tyr turned his attention to his work. He didn’t look up again.