Endre (Elsker Saga Book 2) (11 page)

“Where are we going?” Ull and I had left Cardiff two hours ago, right after we finished our classes for the week. The past month had been fairly uneventful, and I hadn’t felt so free in… ever. I was nearly done with school.

“I told you, we are taking an early honeymoon.” Ull kept his eyes on the road but his smirk taunted me.

“How much longer until we get there?” Traffic on the busy street was moving slower than a Sunday afternoon.

“We will get there when we get there.” He knew full well he was driving me nuts.

“Ull! Are you always going to be so cryptic?”

“Are you always going to try to ruin my surprises?”

“Point made.”

“And besides…” Ull broke from the trail of cars and turned down a street lined with Kensington row houses. Their red-brick facades were offset with shiny white pillars and big windows. “…we are here.”

He drove around the block, pulling into an alley where the garages were hidden. He parked in one and crossed to help me out of the Range Rover. I waited until he came around, forever cognizant of that first time I’d wacked him with my door. Oops.

“Are you going to tell me what this place is?”

Ull grabbed my hand and led me into the house, closing the garage door behind him.

“If I must,” he teased. We made our way up one flight of stairs then another, each floor housing sleek, modern furniture that looked like it belonged in a showroom. The space was open and airy.

One more flight and we reached the third story. It was completely different than the other two—it reminded me of Ýdalir. Modern country furnishings dominated the space, from the overstuffed couch covered in plush throws to the dark wood of the table and chairs in the dining area and the charming lamps in the kitchen. This was more like it. Despite my choice of man, the Scandinavian furnishings that dominated the first two floors would never be my style. The much homier top floor opened onto a generous stone deck overlooking a park, bordered by a wrought iron fence.

“Seriously Ull, where are we? Did you rent this place for the weekend?”

“This is our city home.”

“Our city home?” Ull had never mentioned this.

“Yes, sweetheart. I keep a residence in London—it is terribly convenient. And since we will be married soon it is yours now, too.”

“We have a city home?” This was wild. I walked to the French doors that led to the deck and touched the rich fabric of the curtains. “Is that Kensington Palace?” The structure was just a block away.

“It is. I love hearing the children in the park.”

I looked again. It was springtime, and the park was covered in pale yellow daffodils. It was beautiful.

“Geez, Ull.” My thoughts danced between awe and accusation. “Why didn’t you ever mention this before?”

“It never came up.”

He owned so many houses he could forget to mention them? The guy quite literally had it all. I walked over to the couch and curled up in its corner, picking at the wrists of my sweater.

“Sweetheart, what is wrong? Why are you sad?”

“Because it’s all too much.” I focused on pulling the little balls of lint at my wrists. “You have everything.”

“Everything I have is yours.”

“But what if I’m not any good at this?”

“At what?” Ull sat beside me.

“At any of this.” I gestured around the room feebly. “At being like you. Fitting into your life. What if I end up disappointing you?”

“You could never disappoint me.”

“Fine. Even if I’m okay at being a goddess, which is a huge
if
, what if I’m not any good at being a wife? I’m a decent cook, my grandmother made sure of that, but I can’t iron at all. Never learned how.”

“Darling.” Amusement upturned a corner of Ull’s mouth. He thought I was ridiculous.

“Don’t laugh at me!”

“I’m not laughing at you.”

I wrapped my arms around my knees, and stared at the houndstooth throw folded neatly in a basket. “Yes you are.”

“My love, do you really think I would leave you because you cannot iron? While it is a terrible travesty,” Ull eyed me gravely and I swatted at him, “you must realize I have been living on my own for a long time. I can iron.”

“Oh.”
I forgot about that
. “That’s right.”

Ull pulled at my arms until I released my grip on my legs. He drew them across his lap. “Kristia, you will make a fine wife. Just keep being yourself.”

Laughter rang through the open French doors, and I glanced at the green expanse of Kensington Park before responding. “Myself spent eighteen years in a one-light town. I’m not feeling so great about being able to keep up with the gods.”

“Are you anxious, sweetheart?” Ull rested an arm lightly on the back of the couch.

Anxious
. I could practically hear the sirens of the understatement police.

“Sweetheart?”

“A little,” I admitted.

“Talk to me.” It was an order, and I picked at my sweater again before I met Ull’s eyes.

“What about Skadi?” It was more morbid curiosity than insecurity that made me bring up the other woman. I was reasonably sure my nightmare had been more dream than vision, but it was hard to shake the image of the enraged goddess set on stealing my man.

“What about her?” Ull stroked my hair.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t be happier with someone like her—someone who’s more like you?”

“Kristia, please. Skadi could never make me happy. You make me happy. Period. I really do not wish to talk about Skadi again.”

“But what if she wanted to be with you?”

“What if she did?” For the first time, Ull betrayed a hint of impatience. “Do you really think it would change the way I feel about you?”

“I don’t know.” I stared at my lap. “Maybe.”

“Kristia Tostenson,” Ull raised my chin with a firm finger, “there is not now, has never been, and will never be anything between Skadi and I. Am I clear?”

I nodded. Relief flooded my insides.

“What about my friends?” I moved on quickly, knowing I’d exhausted his patience on the Skadi issue. “Once I’m changed, will I see them again? I mean I know I can’t tell them what I become, but will I get to visit Ardis? She’s been my best friend all my life. What happens to us?”

“Oh, darling. I thought Olaug had talked about this with you. I should have realized.” I shivered as he touched my cheek. “Of course you will see your friends. We will visit them whenever we can. I know how important they are to you. I could never keep you from them.”

“But aren’t we going to have to move to Asgard?”

“I hope not. Odin has been most generous in letting me telecommute, so to speak. So long as we have adequate security for you, and so long as the threat of Ragnarok is at least somewhat distant, I imagine he will continue to allow us to work from Ýdalir with Olaug. Unless you want to move to Asgard?”

I shook my head. “I like our life here.”

Ull smiled. “I do, too. Any more questions?”

“Only about a hundred. But I think that covers it for now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” I rested my palms on the cushions of the couch, and leaned in so our faces were nearly touching. “I’m sure.” I brought my lips to his.

He caught on immediately, pulling me to him with such force it left any sense of my propriety behind. I grabbed at the thick muscles of his arms. My mood was clear. Ull seemed only too happy to acquiesce, pulling me onto his lap so suddenly my breath caught in my throat. He wrapped his fingers around my waist, holding me firmly against him. My stomach felt warm, and my limbs started to tingle. I ran my hands up his biceps and across his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath. Ull moaned, the low sound vibrating beneath my hand. As I trailed my fingers toward his abs, Ull grabbed my wrist.

“Much as I want to do this sweetheart, we need to go.”

“Where?” I panted.

Holding me in one arm he pulled two tickets out of the air with his free hand. “I believe your favorite play is in town.”

“What did you just do?”

“
Much Ado About Nothing
. Your favorite,
ja
? I got us two tickets.”

“No, I mean… did you just pull them out of the air?”

“Oh, right. I never explained the whole conjuring deal, did I? It is nothing big, just… one of the unusual things about me is that I have… extra powers. I can elicit and eradicate objects, control elements, that sort of thing. Only a handful of the gods have the ability. It is rather convenient.” He shrugged like it was nothing. “I ordered these when we decided to come to London; they have been in the car. I was just too lazy to go downstairs to get them.”

“So you’re a magician?” Would the surprises never end?

“I have some additional abilities, yes. I do not use them often; I try not to get lazy. Though of course it is helpful in battle.” He was thoughtful. “Does this worry you?”

“Not nearly as much as it probably should.” My instincts told me even stranger experiences awaited me as Mrs. Ull Myhr.

Ull wrapped both arms around me and stood. He set me on my feet, then held out his hand. “Shall we go to the theatre?”

I’d never needed to take my mind off of the real world so much in my life. “Absolutely.”

ULL AND GUNNAR FINISHED
packing to leave on their bachelor trip when we got back to Cardiff. It would be short—just two days of fishing on a lake near the Cotswolds. When they returned, we’d have a week to cram for finals, then exams, graduation, and our wedding. It seemed like an eternity had passed since I’d first met Ull when I was visiting the British Museum. I could hardly believe how much had happened since then.

“You realize, Mr. Myhr,” I folded his favorite sweater and placed it next to his waders in the suitcase on his bed, “you weren’t exactly the easiest guy to get to know.”

“You had your work cut out for you winning me over,
ja
?”

“Please.” I glanced around the bedroom of his Cardiff flat. It was considerably smaller than the master in his London home—correction,
our
London home—but it was still distinctly Ull. Simple furnishings, a framed rugby poster… and a closet full of impeccably-tailored cashmere. “If I remember correctly, it was you who besieged my flat with flowers for a week before I’d even talk to you again. Good thing Emma was on her hayfever medication.”

“It worked out for me in the end.” Ull planted a chaste kiss on my forehead.

“This is strange.” I folded a pair of jeans and put them on top of the sweater.

“My pants?”

“No. Helping you pack for your bachelor party.”

“I would hardly call it a bachelor party. Bachelor parties are sordid and undignified. Gunnar and I are going fishing. A gentleman’s pastime.”

“Yes, heaven forbid you be undignified.”

Ull raised one eyebrow. “Are you calling me stodgy?”

“If the shoe fits…”

Ull set aside the tackle box he was organizing and took two steps toward me. “Take it back.”

“I cannot tell a lie.” I made the scout’s sign I’d perfected as a girl. “You’re kind of stodgy.”

“That is it.” He pounced so quickly I barely saw him move. Before I registered anything he was next to me, pinning me to his bed. My arms were over my head and I was nose to nose with a flushed Norse god. “Take it back. Sweetheart.” One corner of his mouth turned up.

“Never.” My breath came in shallow gasps, drawing in the smell of soap and pine. Nobody could be expected to focus like this.

“Take. It. Back.” He grazed his nose along my jaw.

“No,” I whimpered.

“Then I am going to have to do this.” He kissed me. Hard. He kept my hands in a firm grip with one hand and trailed two fingers down my arm and along my ribcage, before moving to caress my stomach.

I giggled. “Ull.”

“Kristia.” He gave me a lazy grin.

Just then his phone rang.

“Ignore it,” I pleaded.

“I wish,” Ull whispered before sitting up. “
Ja
?”

He kept one hand on my stomach, drawing small circles. My insides started to burn.

“Elsker.
Hvordan har du det
?” He held up one finger with an apologetic smile.

“Hi, Elsker.” I sat up grudgingly and leaned over Ull’s shoulder.

“
Ja
, Kristia says
hei hei
. What is going on?” His jaw tensed and he was quiet for a long time.

“What’s she saying?” I whispered, but Ull’s eyes were set.

“Uh-huh. Uh-huh.” He frowned. “I see.”

“What is it?”

“No, I understand.
Tusen takk
, Elsker.” Ull ended the call.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, darling.” He stroked my cheek with one finger.

“Bull-hooey. What’s wrong? Is it Ragnarok?”

“No. She just wanted to make sure I was taking extra good care of you.” He lifted my hair and kissed me behind my ear. He was obviously trying to distract me, and it worked.

“Mmm. A little to the left.” I craned my neck. If I wasn’t going to get any answers I might as well enjoy myself.

“Here?” He kissed me softly.

“A little lower.”