Tro (Elsker Saga Book 3) (24 page)
“Yes.” Inga clapped her hands. “You know what this means?”
I let out a breath. “Olaug’s going to be okay.”
“Exactly.” Ull nodded. “When you put on the ring, you will be able to imbue anything you touch with therapeutic properties.”
“So our baby…” I rubbed my stomach.
“Will be healthy as a Pegasus.” Ull kissed the top of my head.
“A doctor for a father and a healer for a mother. Plus you can see what he’s going to do before he does it? Poor kid’s going to have
no
fun in high school.” Inga giggled.
“Sweetheart, are you all right? Your forehead feels warm.” Ull held the back of his hand to my face.
“It’s never ending, is it? Just when I think I have a grip on this life, there’s a whole new twist. It’s kind of crazy.”
“There is definitely something new every day,” Ull agreed.
“So I’ll be able to protect our baby from Loki, and dark elves, and jotuns, and…well, all the things,” I mused. “And I’ll be able to protect you guys if, Odin forbid, we’re ever cursed. But first we need to take care of Olaug.”
“Already on it.” Inga typed into phone. When it beeped, she nodded. “She’s on her way upstairs.”
My stomach churned. “How do I know what to do? This ring didn’t exactly arrive with a manual.”
“It will just come to you,” Olaug’s voice came from the doorway. She tottered into the living area and sat beside me on the couch. “Put the ring on.”
The ring rose from the table and floated to my right hand. It hovered, waiting for me to unclench my fist. I gulped. “Okay.”
The minute the ring was on, I felt a surge of energy. It pulsed from my hand to my heart, and back again. Cool air hit the whites of my eyes as my brows shot up. “It feels…weird,” I whispered.
“Bet you’ve felt weirder,” Inga pointed out.
I shuddered. There was no need to revisit Idunn’s little procedure.
“Now place your hand over my heart,” Olaug instructed.
My fingers shook as I rested my palm against Olaug’s heart. The energy pushed away from me now, from my heart, down my arm, and out through the ring. The blue stone glowed, and nine beams emitted from its center. I jumped at the ring’s sudden outburst. It was brighter than the midday sun on Asgard Cay, and the way it moved energy through my body left me feeling like I’d just downed an entire case of energy drinks. I took a deep breath and kept my hand against Olaug’s chest. My palm vibrated against Olaug’s ribcage, filling her body with light. When the light dimmed, I pulled my hand back.
Holy mother of pearl
. This life was crazy.
“Did it work? How do you feel?” I held my breath.
Olaug flexed her hands experimentally. Then she stood, and turned in a slow circle. “I feel…wonderful. The pain is gone.”
“Are you certain?” Ull stared at Olaug.
“I am certain.” She nodded. “Well done, Kristia.”
My voice shook. “I’m not entirely sure what I did, but I’m glad it worked.”
Ull turned to me. He rested his large hand on my belly. “How are the two of you?”
“We’re fine.” I stroked his jaw. “And thanks to Kjell’s ring, it looks like we’re going to be fine for a long time.”
Ull drew me to him, wrapping strong arms around my shoulders. “If any of this is too much for you, just say the word and I will take you and the baby away. It is wonderful that you have this gift, but if it interferes with you or our child’s happiness, I will make all of this disappear.”
“I can handle it.” I lay my cheek against Ull’s chest. “Do you honestly think I’d back away from something like this?”
“I wish I could say yes.” Ull shook his head. “But if there is one thing I know about you, it is that you love a challenge.”
“Not half as much as I love you.”
“I can see we’re not needed here any more. Olaug? Walk me home?” I heard Inga and Olaug’s laughter as they closed the door behind them, but I didn’t see them leave. My eyes were locked on Ull’s perfect face: the strong line of his jaw, the sparkling orbs of his eyes, and the pale pink lips that lowered themselves onto mine. Ull kissed a trail from my mouth down the side of my neck and I melted.
“It seems we have an evening of celebrating ahead of us.”
“Mmm. What did you have in mind?”
“How about dinner in the garden? Grilled steaks, twice-baked potatoes, and fresh green beans, courtesy of your doting husband.” He nibbled his way up to my chin.
“I like the sound of that.”
“And for dessert, fresh apple cobbler. You will need your strength for phase two of our celebration.” He breathed on my ear and I shivered.
“I can’t wait,” I whispered. I brushed my lips against Ull’s, kissing him soundly. He was only too happy to give in as he picked me up, and started running. I couldn’t help but laugh as he raced down the hallway. And once again I marveled at the amazing turns my life had taken since Ull Myhr dropped into it.
“You know something?” I gazed up at him and twirled a lock of his hair around one finger. “
Jeg elsker deg
.”
“I love you too, darling.” Ull beamed down at me, and closed the bedroom door behind us.
I let out a soft sigh and traced the line of his jaw with one finger. This god, this life: it was everything I had ever wanted. I was absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude.
“
Jeg elsker deg
,” I whispered again. “Forever.”
He winked, then kissed me softly. “Forever.”
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Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe…where she became overly fond of McVitie’s cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of
The Elsker Saga
. She hopes her characters make you smile and that, one day, pastries will be considered a health food.
Find ST on Twitter
@stbende
or her
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@UllMyhr
—when he’s not saving the cosmos from dark elves, he loves meeting new friends. Especially the human kind.
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Want more information on upcoming books?
Join the RagnaRockstars Street Team
THE ELSKER SAGA
?
Find out what happens to our favorite Norse gods in…
THE ELSKER SAGA: TUR
(a 10,000 word novella)
And meet a whole new Norse crew soon in ÆRE
See how Ull and Kristia’s love story began in
(A 10,000 word novella)
Inga Andersson is the envy of every girl in Asgard. On the surface she has it all -- great friends, a job as Odin’s personal fight choreographer, and a happy ever after with her realm’s hottest assassin. But when evil invades Asgard, her perfect world comes crashing down. Someone is planning to kill off the gods, and Inga’s best friend Ull is first on their list. With the Norse apocalypse a nanosecond away, Inga has to decide how she’ll spend her final moments of freedom. Because from the moment this battle begins, Inga’s happily ever after will be nothing more than a memory.
Some things are worth fighting for.
And now, a sneak peek at the beginning of Kristia and Ull’s story:
THE ELSKER SAGA: TUR
BREATHE, INGA. YOU’VE
got this.
An angry god was coming at me from across the clearing, legs pumping with decent speed. He was a blur of red hair and clenched fists, the visible embodiment of rage. Thick, blue veins pulsed beneath muscular forearms, and I could feel the fury seething from every pore. I managed to avoid the first series of punches, but the livid deity landed a fast uppercut that sent me flying. My ears rang as I shook my head, evicting the stars behind my eyes. It wasn’t like me to miss a sucker-punch.
I jumped to my feet just in time. The god charged at me like a Celtic dancer -- head down, arms at his sides. Interesting approach. I sidestepped him, but he circled around, hooking my neck with one arm and forcing me down. He pounced with outstretched hands, clearly aiming for my throat. I tucked my knees over my head so he landed face first in the dirt. He came up, spitting bark and angrier than ever.
“Good,” I murmured as the god started circling. “Now I’ve gotcha.” When he lunged again, I caught his fist between two hands. His eyes widened as I squeezed. Hard. When I heard his knuckles crack, I bent my knees and pushed off the balls of my feet. I threw my arms across my chest, hurtling my opponent off the ground. He landed on his back, the air leaving his lungs in a painful sound. I left him clutching a complete set of broken fingers.
“Nice effort, Christian.” I tilted my head and offered a hand to help him up. “You nearly got me a few times there. Do you know where you went wrong?”
My student glared as he hoisted himself up with his good arm. “
Nei
. But Odin knows you’re going to spell it out for me.”
“It’s not my idea of a good time to teach you basic combat skills on Sunday morning. You’re the one who almost got himself killed in Jotunheim last week. Not me.”
“That wasn’t my fault, the--”
“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care if they shoved starkweed root under your fingernails and used voodoo to make you sprout a second head. Your commander asked me to get you up to speed so you don’t get anyone else in your unit killed. And it’s my day off. So hurry up and tell me what you did wrong.”
“The guys were right about you. You’re a nightmare.” My charge cradled his broken hand. What a baby. While I normally enjoyed my job as Fight Choreographer and Chief Tactical Advisor for Asgard’s warriors, some days, it could be a royal pain. Since Christian had neither stopped whining nor improved his attack in the past ninety minutes, this morning garnered a
royal pain
checkmark.
“Thank you. Now, tell me where you went wrong.”
“Uh…” Christian glared at me. He was probably wondering how a girl just beat him at hand to hand. They were all like that the first time we worked together. Seasoned warriors cherished private sessions with me. Greenhorns loathed them.
“Where was your head two minutes ago?” I probed.
“I wanted to kill you.”
“That’s good. But you were coming from an emotional place. Combat’s all about strategy. If you’ve got too much going on here,” I tapped his chest, “Then you can’t focus on what should be going on here.” He ducked before I could tap his head. Touchy little bugger.
“Fine. Let’s go again.”
“Can you stay in your head this time, or do you need to cool it for a few minutes? If you’re going to last more than a week at this job, you better learn to shut down your emotions. Find a little switch inside and just--” I flicked my finger in the air. “Turn it off. You have to want to kill me for the right reasons. And those reasons aren’t here.” I tapped his heart. Christian grimaced.
“I get it. Let’s just get this over with.”
“I hope you
do
get it. I need to get dinner in the oven before the Assignment Meeting, so I can’t be here past eleven. Move it or lose your other hand.”
“Whatever.” Christian glared at me and retreated to the corner of the clearing. “On your mark.”
I straightened my ponytail and dropped into a fighting stance. “Now!”
