Tro (Elsker Saga Book 3) (19 page)

The wolf lunged toward Sif and I raised my palm. With a vicious swipe I sent a stream hurtling in front of the animal. An icy surface covered the ground, and Fenrir skidded on four paws. He slid across the surface, totally out of control, and slammed into a nearby tree.

“Did you do that?” Sif turned to me.

“Yeah. Ull showed me on our honeymoon.”

Sif hid a smile. “I do hope you are able to teach him to relax. Eventually.”

I closed my eyes and turned toward the snake. “I’m working on it.”

A low hiss alerted me to the snake’s movement, so I directed another ice field at the ground, hoping to slow its trajectory. When I opened my eyes, the oversized reptile was moving calmly across the frozen surface while Fenrir stalked across his own ice block with cat-like reflexes. Somehow I’d forgotten their father was part jotun. With frost giant genes, a little winter weather pattern might take them by surprise, but it wasn’t going to deter them for long.

While I regrouped, I whipped my arm around my head. A blizzard whirled toward the demonic duo. They pushed through, gaining traction as they moved. A hailstorm followed, earning no more than a mocking snarl. When my pathetic attempt to summon lightning proved useless, I had to admit defeat.

This wasn’t working.

Ull had taught me to assess my surroundings. There weren’t any conventional weapons lying around, and the wolf had already halved the distance between us. I couldn’t see the snake anymore, but I knew he was en route. Not far away, Loki was mounting roundhouse kicks to Ull’s jaw. The scene shifted to a slightly darker red and I used my right hand to grab the only thing I could find. It was a stick, three feet in length and six inches in diameter, with a sharply pointed end. It looked vaguely familiar; it would have to do.

I thought back to the lesson Ull gave me on our honeymoon.
If I ever found myself without a weapon, a ninety-degree strike with a broken branch would give me enough time to run
. But I wasn’t running.

“Let’s end this.”

I NARROWED MY EYES
and stood against Sif so we were back to back, slowly pivoting to fully assess the field. Suddenly she yelled out, a guttural cry that emanated from deep in her chest. I permitted myself one brief glance and saw her running full bore toward the enormous wolf. She leapt to meet him midair, sword drawn at the ready. I heard the horrifying sound of claws and metal tearing flesh and fur, but I didn’t get to see what happened after that because I was under siege.

My heart thudded against my ribcage, sending adrenaline coarsing through my veins. Fear roared between my ears as I realized the snake had found me. Its oversized trunk wound its way through the dirt and rocks until the animal came to rest just beyond my reach. Beady red eyes assessed their target, and a faint hiss escaped slanted nostrils. I stabbed, but it rose to stand on its tail just outside the radius of my crude weapon. I stabbed again, realizing with alarm that the snake was at least eleven feet tall and measured a full four feet in diameter. It was even bigger than it had been in my nightmares.

I took a step back to reassess and the snake struck. It lunged for my feet and I jumped. The red eyes focused and it struck again, this time catching me on the ankle and piercing my leg with venomous fangs. My calf felt like it had burst into flames. Poison ebbed from the snake, making its way up my leg and taking root in my blood stream. I shifted my weight onto one foot, willing myself not to cry out. I narrowed my eyes as the snake struck again, this time aiming for my torso. Pounding fists on fur sounded behind me, and I knew Sif was locked in her own life or death battle. Raising the stick as high as my mangled hand would allow, I jumped out of the snake’s path and forced my stake into the creature’s trajectory. It met its target at just the right moment, driving all the way through the serpent’s leathery skin. The snake paused mid-strike, its reptilian features frozen in shock. It fell to my feet with a thud, and I kicked it fiercely, stomping on its head for good measure. The crack of its skull was music to my ears.

I turned to find my mother-in-law standing atop her own captive, and I averted my eyes just before I heard the piercing of metal on flesh. There was a groan, then a gurgling, and when I glanced up, Sif withdrew her sword from the wolf’s chest.

The monsters from my nightmares would never bother me again.

Though I saw Sif wilt with exhaustion, I knew I was needed elsewhere. I turned my focus to my husband, who was locked in battle. Ull had been holding his own, but Loki now had the upper hand. Loki threw uppercuts at my beloved’s perfect jaw, and my world turned even redder.

It was time to cancel Loki’s birth certificate.

The numbness in my compromised leg wasn’t going to stop me. I shifted my weight and tugged at the stake firmly lodged in my attacker. As I tried to free it, I heard a
pop
from the far end of the field. Gunnar landed in the trees, crossbow in hand, and ran for Loki at full hilt. Loki waved his hand at Ull and sent him flying. He struck a tree and fell to the ground, then sat up slowly, cupping his jaw in one hand.

“Ull!” I shrieked. My heart pounded frantically as I watched red liquid course through his fingers, dripping in a pool on the dirt. He was losing blood, and though he waved his free hand at the wound, his magic was taking its sweet time; he’d been badly hurt. Gunnar growled at Loki and fired off three arrows in quick succession, but Loki’s footwork was fast and he evaded the onslaught. Gunnar circled, stalking Loki as he backed away, then aimed his crossbow and shot again.

Loki conjured up a sword and flung himself at Gunnar. Gunnar spun out of the way, and Loki flew past, landing face-first in the dirt. He jumped up as Gunnar approached from behind, but he wasn’t fast enough. Before Loki could turn around, Gunnar nailed him in the back of the head, first with his crossbow, then with his fist.

Gunnar drew an arrow and took aim but Loki laced his sword through the weapon and ripped it from Gunnar’s grasp. He delivered a swift knee to Gunnar’s groin before throwing him into a rock. Gunnar bounced off the hard surface and onto the dirt, doubled over in the fetal position. He held his hands between his legs as he let out a loud groan. The sound of pain echoed through the clearing. After a few seconds, Gunnar rolled onto his back and stared at the clouds. If his unfocused gaze was any indication, he was massively disoriented.

I was afraid for him, but Loki must have decided he wasn’t a threat anymore—he turned his attention back to Ull.

I held my breath. Ull was back on his feet, charging at Loki. The jotun cackled as a demonic half-smile lit up his horrible features. As Ull leapt to pounce, Loki met him midair, their bodies colliding with a thunderous clap. They fell to the ground, exchanging blows so forceful it sounded like a storm was rolling in.

Ull pinned Loki beneath him and let out a roar. Rage filled his eyes and he swung punch after punch at Loki’s head. I heard the now-too-familiar crunch of breaking bones and watched Ull’s tremendous biceps flex as he relentlessly punished my attacker.

Then the battle took a turn.

Ull swung at Loki’s face, breaking the jaw and leaving a trail of blood on his fist. Loki returned the punch with a kick to Ull’s shin, making Ull cry out. Ull drove a knee into Loki’s torso, and Loki emptied the contents of his stomach in a thick brown stream. The next second he drew himself up and swiftly kicked Ull’s chest. Ull was left heaving on his knees, gasping for breath.

Loki paused, having momentarily gained control. Ull was trying so hard to reorient himself, he didn’t realize Loki now crossed behind him. Loki raised a hand to deliver the ending blow, and the scene shifted to a dark crimson.

I was furious. Balder was dead. Sif and Gunnar were barely breathing. And now Loki wanted to kill the only man I’d ever loved.

A girl can only take so much.

I twisted the stick protruding from the snake and pulled until it was free. My left hand was still bleeding, but it was strong enough to hold the stick steady, so long as I controlled it with my right.

Loki’s back was to me. His fists hovered over Ull’s head.

I ignored the blinding pain in my poisoned leg and took off at a full sprint. Loki didn’t even notice when I started running toward him—I’m not sure he could have. I thought I’d run fast on Asgard Cay, but that was a Fun Run compared to the power building in my legs now. I pushed off the ground, picking up speed with each step. The earth flew under my feet, the field blurring as I advanced on my target.

I was about to knock Loki into the middle of next week looking both ways for Sunday.

“Nobody,” I breathed as I ran. “Hurts.” I was closer now. “My.” I raised the stick over my head. “Husband!”

I screamed as I thrust the stick through Loki’s ribcage with all the force I had left. It pierced his thick skin all the way through, stopping only when my hands came to rest against his spine. I released the stick but it didn’t budge.

Loki turned, his eyes wide with shock. A full foot of wood protruded from his chest, which was quickly turning scarlet. Blood seeped from the wound, covering his torso in its sticky film. His eyes bulged and his fave visibly paled as he glanced down.

“You,” he growled. “Die already.”

“Fat chance.”

He lunged at me, but he didn’t have the strength to make contact. He just fell forward, un-impaling himself as the impact drove the stick back out of his body. And he didn’t move again. His body was limp on the ground, face-first in a pile of his own blood.

Ull knelt a few feet away. He’d taken in this last bit with hooded eyes. He shakily drew himself up to his full height, muscles still flexed for battle. Drawing a circle in the air with one finger, he conjured a silvery bubble. It lowered onto Loki’s body, trapping the lifeless creature within its skin. Ull raised the bubble with a finger so it was suspended several feet above the ground. At this, Ull’s body sagged. Mine did too. His eyes found me, profound relief evident in his gaze. I nodded in agreement. He looked to Gunnar, who was getting unsteadily to his feet.

“You all right, man?” Ull asked. He lifted his shirt to wipe the blood off his jaw, affording me a glimpse of his spectacular abdomen. My pulse quickened.

“That was some fight.” Gunnar rubbed his wrists. Ugly bruises covered his arms. “It’s been a while, eh?”

“I think we are getting older.” Ull lowered his shirt and rolled his shoulders back.

“Indeed.”

“Mother?” Ull called across the field. Sif pushed herself to her feet.

“I am all right, son. Thanks to your wife.” She shot me a weary smile. “I could not handle them both on my own.”

Ull crossed the clearing in ten long strides. When he reached my side, he tenderly stroked my now-discolored leg. The pain began to ease immediately, and I knew he was working his special brand of magic to eradicate the snake’s poison.

“You were incredible.” He treated me to the rakish smile I’d first fallen in love with. “I have never seen anything like that in all of my years. You truly are…” He shook his head.

My breath caught as he slowly lowered himself on one knee, taking both of my hands and kissing them softly. He bowed his head.

“Your Grace.” He threw my long-ago words back at me.

“Stop it.” My cheeks flamed.

“I mean it, Kristia; you saved my life. And my mother’s. And probably Gunnar’s, too. You said all along the prophecy was not law—that we could write our own fate. I did not believe it. But you did the impossible. You altered our destiny.”

“
We
altered our destiny. You saved my life first.” I pulled him up so we stood eye to eye. Well, eye to chest, but I craned my neck to look into the baby blues that held my heart.

My knees buckled. Ull caught me easily, one arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me so my chest was pressed against him. He leaned down, dipping me so low my head tipped back. I felt cool breath at my neck, then the tip of his nose running along the ridge of my jaw. I shivered. His hand cradled my head and he lifted me slightly, bringing my face to his.

“Kristia,” he exhaled.

“Mmm.” It was the best I could do. He’d wiped my brain clear of all cohesive thought.

“I love you.” And just like that his touch went from cool to hot. He brought his lips to mine with a force I wasn’t expecting. One hand grabbed at my hair while the other crushed me to him, his enormous palm flat against my shoulder blades. My skin burned and I dug my nails into the muscles of his back, desperate to close even the smallest gap between us. Ull’s hand dropped to my lower back—now he fully supported my weight. I fought to breathe as his mouth moved to my jaw, then the hollow of my neck.

“Ull,” I moaned softly.

“Guys.” Gunnar cleared his throat. I’d forgotten he was there. I tried to right myself, but Ull wasn’t letting me move.

“What?” Ull hissed. He gave Gunnar what could only be described as the stink-eye.

“Sif is right there. She’s staring at you.” She was. Ull’s mom was just across the clearing, doing her best to hide her smile.

“So?” Ull seemed unbothered, but eventually he had to give in to my squirming. “Oh, all right, darling.”

He set me on my feet before he glanced down.

“Look at your hand. You are hurting.” He kissed the wounds softly, murmuring something I couldn’t understand. The blood stopped. I watched in awe as the cuts healed themselves. As long as I lived, I’d never get used to that particular talent. Ull wrapped his arms around me, careful not to agitate the bruises he hadn’t yet assessed. But the precaution was unnecessary. My pain was gone.

The day caught up with me. Breathing in his familiar scent, I started to cry. The tears came slowly at first, and then heavy sobs consumed my body and I wept terribly in Ull’s arms. The enormity of what it would have meant to be separated from him for all time hit like a logging truck with busted breaks. Ull held me until my tears slowed and my sobs were reduced to pitiful hiccups. He stroked my hair, gently picking the leaves from its tangled mess. When I collected myself enough to look at his face, it held such tenderness that I nearly started crying all over again.