Dragonslayer (Twilight of the Gods Book 3) (12 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Instead of sitting around the house worrying about Jacey, Christian showered, dressed and headed in to work for a while. The economy in Ragnarok was mainly agriculturally based, and years ago the farmers of the clan had formed a co-op to protect their interests. A few dozen small family farms acting individually didn’t have the same negotiating power as one larger entity did. Christian managed the offices and feed elevator, contracted supplies and services, coordinated shipping schedules and basically made sure that the clan members remained financially solvent. This time of year the workload was lighter than usual. He got caught up on email, went through and approved the timecards that had piled up and after checking in with Ben to make sure everything was running smoothly, he decided to skip lunch and head over to Aiden’s house to work off some of his tension. He was surprised when Aiden answered the door wearing nothing but a scruffy old pair of flannel pants and a scowl.

Christian raised an eyebrow. “I thought farmers didn’t sleep in.”

“They do when they were up half the night fighting dragons. What’s up?”

“I thought I’d see if you wanted to spar with me, but I’m fine on my own.”

There were dummies in the barn, rune-marked with a spell that would make them move and fight like warriors. Because they were also spelled not to actually hurt their human opponent, it took away some of the challenge. He’d have rather had Aiden as a partner, but he’d make do.

“Come on in.” Aiden stepped back from the door and started down the hall. “We were just getting ready to eat breakfast. Join us and then I’ll partner with you.”

Christian ate with Aiden and Grace, feeling out of place, as he sometimes did when they were together. It was the way they sometimes looked at each other as if sharing some private joke. The way Grace would reach out to touch Aiden’s shoulder as she passed by him on the way to the coffee pot, and the way Aiden only smiled when Grace stole the last piece of bacon off his plate. Raquel and Fen were the same way, and Christian was genuinely happy for his friends. It only bothered him some of the time.

When Grace got up to leave, Christian said goodbye to her and then excused himself to head out to the training barn. There were several outbuildings on Aiden’s property. The old barn directly behind his house was the oldest, and that was where the hunters did most of their training. It was drafty, and his breath puffed in the cold air as he shoved the crude door open to step inside. He wouldn’t mind the cold once they got started.

The barn itself was fairly empty. They kept their weapons here under a fairly strong glamour, but they weren’t locked up. They hung on the far wall. Mostly swords, although there were a few spears and shields. They rarely practiced with shields. As jötnar didn’t use weapons, there was no need to carry shields with them on the hunt. Every other year the clans would hold a tournament during the winter months when the surges were weaker. The only time he’d used a weapon other than the sword was to test himself against other Æsir.

He stripped off his coat and threw it on a crude bench before fetching his sword. As soon as his hand gripped the hilt, he felt steadier. The worry for Jacey was still there, but some of his restlessness faded away. He warmed up while he waited, loosening up the tight muscles in his shoulders and back.

Aiden was only a few minutes behind. He took his weapon from the wall, pulled it from its scabbard and hung the old leather carefully back on the wall. His mother had made the scabbard for his father as a wedding gift. He didn’t bring it on the hunt anymore but didn’t quite have the heart to retire it either.

Christian moved toward the center of the room and waited for Aiden to join him.

“I hate this,” he said. “The waiting. Maybe we should go out with the hounds.”

“They’ll do better without us. Fen says we make too much noise and muddy the scent trails.”

“Jacey’s in Decorah and I’m here twiddling my thumbs. You know, I always thought you were being melodramatic when Grace left town.”

“It’s difficult,” Aiden said, and then shrugged. “But then, Grace is my wife and Jacey’s not even clan.”

Aiden lifted his blade and Christian moved forward to meet him, the soft, almost crystalline sound of Skimstrok sliding against Skimstrok making him smile. Their blades remained cold and silver gray. They only glowed when the portal was open and the magic of Asgard spilled into this world.

“I know you don’t like the idea of her working alone, but she’ll be fine out there,” Aiden said, circling slowly to the right and keeping his eyes on Christian’s torso. “It’s her world, her people. She doesn’t have to hide who she is. She won’t get sick away from the fault. She—”

Christian attacked. A shock traveled up his arms as Aiden moved to block his blade. He withdrew slightly, stepping to the left and attempting to slip beneath Aiden’s guard. It was no use. Aiden knew it was coming and blocked him easily. They’d trained together since they were children. It was rare they were able to take each other by surprise. They tested one another’s guard, letting their muscles warm. After the first couple of minutes, their breath no longer steamed in the chill winter air.

Aiden pulled back, slightly out of breath. Aiden was shorter than he was, but broader and stronger through the chest. He shook his head, fine droplets of sweat scattering from his brow. “Your problem is that you don’t like to take the back seat. Honestly? I always thought you’d challenge me for the position of Odin.”

“You shouldn’t have worried about that. Even without the Norn’s blessing, we all would have known it was you.”

Aiden grinned, circling left on light feet. “I didn’t say I was worried.”

“My father wanted me to challenge you,” Christian admitted. That was ninety percent of the reason why he hadn’t done it. The other ten percent was that he wasn’t quite that stupid.

“Besides, you’re not doing such a bad job.” Christian knocked aside a weak feint. “You only fuck up occasionally, and that keeps you humble. You’re more manageable that way.”

Aiden’s eyes flickered with amusement. “You’re the only one who gets to be perfect, is that it?”

“I’m not perfect.” Christian grinned. “I only look the part.”

The wind pushed at the door, making it creak, and he instinctively turned his head. Aiden took advantage of his distraction, moving forward with a speed that shouldn’t have been possible for someone of his size. Rather than engage him, Christian danced back, out of range, before repositioning himself with his back to the center of the room and taking a stand. Recognizing that he’d lost the advantage, Aiden hesitated, tested his flank and then slowed again when Christian twisted his body to deflect the blow. He cut it too close, and Aiden’s sword nicked his side along a rib. It was a shallow cut, but it stung enough to wake him up. He reacted faster when Aiden’s blade changed direction to slice at him again.

Aiden laughed, and Christian swung low at his legs as he turned back to center. Aiden jumped, and before he’d replanted his feet, Christian lunged, missing only because Aiden had the reflexes of a damned cat and arched his back to avoid the tip of his blade. He wasn’t smiling anymore, though, and that was something.

“You like her,” Aiden said. “Keeping us from wiping her memory and sending her on her way, letting her tag along on the hunt last night. That’s what this is about.”

“I like her.”

Aiden’s eyes widened slightly. Had he expected Christian to deny it?

“There’s nothing going on between us, if that’s what you’re trying to ask. But I like her. She’s in over her head in a mess she never asked for. I want to see her make it out alive.”

“Don’t get too attached.”

“Do I ever?”

Neither spoke for a time as they fought in earnest. When they separated, Aiden swiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. “You should have told me about Raquel and the geis.”

“It was Raquel’s problem, her risk, her decision to try and figure it out before involving the whole clan.”

“The clan became involved when she brought Kamis back to live among us. Do you think he’s trustworthy?”

“No.” From the beginning, he’d thought the witch more trouble than he was worth. “But I still think you need to give Raquel time to learn to control him before you do something that can’t be undone. Fen wouldn’t survive it if something happened to Raquel. You know how hounds are.”

Aiden nodded and moved forward to attack again, but he was slowing down. Or his heart wasn’t in it this time. Christian beat it aside easily. Aiden’s expression said his thoughts were elsewhere. This was the reason Christian had never challenged Aiden’s position. They’d grown up together—him, Aiden and Fen. Christian had seen how the burden of leadership had shaped his friend from a laughing young boy to this hardened man. He understood why Jacey always gave Aiden a wide berth. Most of the clan did the same. Christian had never once envied Aiden’s position, and he’d do whatever he could to ease the burden on his friend. They all would.

“She’s smart,” Christian said. “Raquel will work it out, and Kamis… He’s not as bad as I thought he’d be.”

The door creaked again, and this time Christian ignored it. When Aiden looked up, he began his attack, pulling back at the last minute when Aiden’s expression changed to one of irritation. Lowering his blade, Christian turned toward the door.

Kamis stood there, momentarily outlined by the bright afternoon sun. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. Aiden took a step in his direction.

“What are you doing here? Grace just left to see you.”

“Fen returned home for lunch. I wished to give them a few moments alone and went for a walk, which took me here.” He held up a small object about the size of a guitar pick, a blue so deep it was nearly black until it caught the sun and became translucent. “I found this in the woods. A scale from the dragon. We should be able to use it to anchor the summons spell. At the very least, we’ll be able to keep it confined to our territory.”

“Good,” Aiden said. “Today?”

“If you wish.” Kamis smiled mockingly. “Although I suggest we first decide what to do with the beast once it answers the summons.”

“That part’s easy,” Christian said, slicing through the air with his blade and watching the dust motes scatter in its wake. “We kill it.”

Chapter Fourteen

It was late by the time Jacey got back into Ragnarok. The streetlights reflected off the sheen of frost on the neatly raked lawns. All of the shops were closed up and most of the houses were dark. Her phone rang just as she pulled into Christian’s driveway. Closing her eyes at the sight of the number, she tipped her head against the seatback and answered the call. Her mother, returning the message she’d left that morning. It seemed like it’d been days ago.

“I got your message about the cat,” her mother said without preamble. Jacey might have been offended by the brusqueness of her tone if not for the worried note that accompanied it. “I thought you said this was only an overnight trip. It’s nothing dangerous, is it?”

“Not dangerous,” she said. “Just…more complicated than I expected it to be. Sara’s leaving on a business trip in the morning and you’re the only other person who has a key. I know it’s inconvenient, but I don’t have anyone else to ask.”

The pause on the other end of the line was pointed. Her mother sighed. “Fine. Of course I’ll feed your cat for you, even though she’s an evil creature who hides under your couch and swipes at my ankles every time I walk in.”

Jacey smiled at that. It was true, she did not have the most sociable of cats. She’d found Widow in a dumpster behind the apartment, too young to survive on her own. She’d had to feed her with an eyedropper for weeks after the vet warned her that she probably wouldn’t survive. But the black kitten had been a fierce little thing. She’d survived. Her people skills left something to be desired.

“Thanks,” Jacey told her mother. “I’ll be back before you and John leave for your cruise.”

“Are you okay, sweetie? You sound exhausted,” her mother said with a frown in her voice. “At your age, you should be tired because you stayed out dancing too late, not because you’re working too hard.”

She was tempted to tell her mom she was tired because she’d been out all night hunting dragons with a Norse demigod, but the woman would probably be ecstatic about that news. Or have her committed. It was a tossup.

“You only live once. Yep. Got it.”

She climbed out of the truck and winced when her back cracked as she straightened. The shocks on the truck needed to be replaced. She walked toward the house as she wrapped up the conversation with her mother, promising to call her the next day to let her know when she’d be home. She’d keep the promise to call. The coming-home part might be a problem, but she’d have to wait until tomorrow to sort that one out.

Opening the back door, she slipped into the mudroom and was surprised to see the light on in the kitchen. The sound of the television came to her, and she sighed as she hung up her coat. Every muscle in her body ached. She’d skipped dinner, thinking she’d drive through somewhere on the way home. Then she’d realized that there were no drive-through fast food places for fifty miles in any direction.

The television cut off as she stepped into the kitchen. Christian rose from his seat on the couch and came toward her. His gaze swept from her face down to her mismatched socks and back up again before his expression settled into a concerned frown. “Rough day?”

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “A long one.”

“Sit down and I’ll warm you up dinner.”

She blinked as he turned around and headed for the refrigerator. “You cooked me dinner?”

His head popped up above the open door and he smiled. “You said you’d be late, and I thought…” Straightening, he nudged the door closed with his hip and shrugged. “I had to make food anyway. It wasn’t a problem to save you a plate.”

He stuck it in the microwave and then leaned against the counter. His big hands wrapped around the beveled edge of granite. This beautiful man had made her dinner. She wasn’t used to people taking care of her. “You’re the best roommate I’ve ever had, Christian, have I told you that? I feel like I should help you out with the water bill or something.”

“You’re helping us out, not the other way around, and I like having you here,” he said quietly, and there was that look on his face again, the one she didn’t quite know how to interpret. She only knew that it made her heart beat a little faster every time she saw it. Blue eyes intent and expression solemn. He seemed to be waiting for something from her, but she didn’t know what it was. Silence stretched, but before it became awkward, the microwave dinged and Christian pushed away from the counter to grab the plate. She watched his back as he crossed the kitchen. The way his muscles moved beneath his thin shirt. The angle of his hips and the brace of his long legs as he stopped to pull a fork from the drawer. She seriously could just watch him all day.

He set a plate in front of her and then took down a glass to fill it with water. The baked chicken was covered in a caramelized glaze, only slightly sweet, and she was pretty sure he’d made the mashed potatoes from scratch.

“Did you find anything today?”

“Kamis found a dragon scale to anchor the summons spell. He and Raquel are still working on it. Once they get that straightened out, they’ll start on something to contain it long enough for us to kill.”

She looked up sharply. “Kill it?”

The image of the dragon flashed through her mind—a shadow, sleek and deadly. She knew it was dangerous, of course she did. Both because it was a predator and because its presence here increased the risk of discovery for Christian and his clan. She’d just thought they’d be able to catch it or send it back to Yggdrasil.

Before she could ask him about that, he said, “Your interview with World Conservation is on Friday.”

She was surprised he remembered. She’d only mentioned it once, days ago. She shrugged. “I rescheduled it.”

“We have a few days. You could still make it.”

She shook her head. “I worked it out. Even if we take care of the dragon tomorrow, I’ll still need to stay here to close out the reports I have. And I want to study the dragon. Will Aiden let me do that?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him. He might be reluctant. I already told you that you can’t share anything you’ve seen here. Even if you learned everything there was to know about dragons, you’d never be able to publish that information.”

“I know that. I don’t like it, but I understand the need for secrecy. And I agreed. I keep my promises.”

He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. His head tipped slightly to the side as he studied her. “I thought that job was important to you.”

She nodded and swallowed the last bite of her dinner, chased it down with a sip of water. “It was.”

“Not was. It
is
important to you. Your ticket out of Iowa. Bigger and better things.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“No.”

“I told them I was in the middle of a case and they understood.” She grimaced. “I think they understood. They want to have the position filled by the end of the month, so it’s unlikely I have a chance at this one, but they have another opening up in the spring.”

He didn’t say anything, just watched her with a considering look. Shaking her head, she got up to scrape her plate. “Stop looking at me like that. It was a long shot anyway.”

“Jacey…”

She nudged him out of the way of the dishwasher and loaded her dishes before turning to face him. “What?”

“Look what I’ve gotten you into.” She went still as he raised his hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Sometimes I think I should have let Kamis wipe your memories.”

“No. You definitely shouldn’t have.” She wrinkled her nose. “And you didn’t get me into anything. We’re helping each other, remember?”

He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I remember. I’ve done precious little to help you out so far.”

“It must be hard.”

His gaze, which had drifted to her mouth, lifted instantly. “What must be hard?”

“Carrying the whole world around like that. How do you get up the stairs without crashing into the walls?”

His eyes lit with amusement. “I manage.”

“It’s a wonder.”

“You know, most people here are grateful for the hunt. They’re happy to turn the problem of the portal and jötnar over to somebody else to handle.”

She paused and then shrugged. “I’ve always been a little strange.”

“That’s probably why you fit in so well here.”

His smile was warm and genuine. It was the same way he smiled at the other people in his clan, his friends. She felt aglow at the warmth of it. She’d never really fit in anywhere before.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come back tonight,” he said. “After the dragon. Most people would have run.”

She flushed at the note of approval in his voice. “If you think about it, it works out better this way. I was more worried that it was a people problem and I was going to have to deal with them on my own.”

“You think dragon is the better option?”

She smiled. “Dragon is always the better option.”

He laughed and then reached over to flick off the kitchen lights. The lamp in the living room was still on, casting half his face in a soft, golden light. Half remained in shadow. The intimacy of the moment struck her. Here she was, standing within touching distance of a man she barely knew. She was staying in his house and he was watching her with a strange and complicated expression on his face. She thought it was attraction, but she didn’t really trust her judgment on such things.

“I should probably get to bed,” she said hesitantly, half hopeful that he’d make her another offer.

“Good night, Jacey,” he said. “Wake me if I’m not up when you’re ready to leave.”

The image popped into her mind of her in Christian’s bedroom, touching his bare shoulder to shake him awake. She agreed to talk to him in the morning and then escaped up the stairs before he could guess at the direction of her thoughts.

But the image lingered long after she’d showered, brushed her teeth and climbed into bed. A stair creaked as Christian made his way to his own room. She could hear him moving around in there. Small, comfortable sounds, the water turning on briefly and a closet door closing. She imagined him undressing, stripping off his modest shirt and letting it fall to the floor. She pictured those muscles his T-shirt had only suggested at. Her imagination painted him with a light dusting of golden hair across a hard swell of pectoral muscles, shadows on his rippled abdomen. When the imaginary Christian in her head reached for his belt buckle, she groaned and rolled over, kicking the quilt off her legs.

Before she lost her nerve, she got out of bed and crossed to the door. The wooden floor was cold beneath her feet, and goose bumps rose on her bare legs. She was wearing one of Christian’s big T-shirts as a nightgown, and it smelled like him, like the detergent and fabric softener he used. She hesitated for a moment with her hand on the doorknob. Then she took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped into the dark hall. His room was almost directly across from hers. The door was closed, but there was a thin stream of light coming from beneath the door. She could hear the muffled sound of the evening news.

She almost turned around, but this…this was exactly what she’d decided she was going to start doing. Taking chances, going after what she wanted, living her life. Christian had told her he wanted an Æsir bride, and that was fine. It wasn’t like she was interested in actually
marrying
the man. She just wanted to taste him. Maybe he’d be okay with that and she’d missed out by not asking for clarification. Didn’t she owe it to herself to find out?

She raised her hand and rapped her knuckles against the door. The sound was much quieter than she expected, but she’d done it. One knock was all she had in her. If he didn’t come to the door then at least she could say she’d tried…

Her thoughts stilled as the door swung open. Christian stood there backlit by dim light. Shirtless and wearing a pair of flannel pajama bottoms that looked ready to fall from his hips at any minute. He kept his hand on the door and tilted his head slightly to one side, eyes narrowed in concern.

“Everything all right?”

“Everything’s fine.”

He looked at her expectantly. She could feel the heat creeping up her neck. “I was wondering…” His gaze sharpened and she swallowed hard. “I was wondering if you had any extra toothpaste. I’m all out.”

He hesitated for a moment and she thought he was about to call her a liar, but then he stepped back, asked her to wait, and then walked back into his room. She couldn’t see much through the door, only partially ajar. A smooth expanse of wall painted neutral gray. A neatly made bed and then Christian returning with the toothpaste in hand.

He passed it to her with a small smile. “If you need anything else, just let me know.”

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded and beat a hasty retreat back to her room, feeling his gaze like a weight on her back as she walked away. She didn’t hear his door close until she was lying in bed calling herself an idiot.