Son of Thunder (Heavenly War Series) (5 page)

Meghan had no problem with flying. She’d flown on a jet airplane and parasailed off the back of a fast moving boat. She’d even tried hang gliding off the Rocky Mountains one summer. Height didn’t bother her in the least, but she found flying in a chariot pulled by two magical goats completely unnerving. There were no aerodynamics, no reason they should do anything but plummet earthward. And yet they flew. The logical side of Meghan’s mind had been under assault all day. Was there anything not possible when dealing with the gods?

She gripped the handrail of the chariot tightly as it glided through the chilly air. Her mind was still reeling with the visions of her visit to Alfheim. The tall slender towers of the elfin city reached into the clouds, trees, and flowers filled the place, and the air was sweet and refreshing. Meghan found herself reveling in the absolute perfection.

Jord was a wonderful travel guide. “It’s always springtime in Alfheim. Never a chill wind or flake of snow. The bright elves live in the sun. They schedule rain for evenings so the sun can shine all day, every day.”

“But even here the shadow now falls. All this will be undone, if Ragnarok comes to pass. At least, that is what is believed.”

Alfheim was beauty incarnate. The bright elves, tall, thin and graceful, seemed so above the cares of the world. From the flawless design of their city as seen from the air, to the small nooks and crannies bursting with greenery and flowers, all was perfection.

At every turn Meghan found herself asking:
Could it be any more perfect? Is there anything that could be improved?
The answer always came back:
No.

The court of Rhunin, Queen of the bright elves, was stunning. The Queen herself was the most beautiful in a race that embodied beauty. Tall and elegant, her golden robes reflected the bright sunlight that filled the great chamber from hundreds of high windows.

The queen had a powerful presence and a flair for the dramatic. “We have been expecting you, son of Thor, and you too, Meghan Larson. A prophecy, whispered on the wind, reached my ears this morning.”

Jord knelt respectfully before the Queen. “Asgaard will fight. Vanaheim will send troops to her aid.”

Meghan followed suit, going to one knee before Queen Rhunin. The Queen smiled and nodded, motioning them to rise.

“As will Alfheim. The bright elves will not quietly slip into the darkness of Ragnarok.”

Meghan felt out of place in the grand throne room of Alfheim, but Jord seemed to fit right in. He was every bit as tall as the elves ringing the chamber, yet broader in the chest and shoulder.

“My brother tells me you are marching on Svartalheim. Can the elves fight on two fronts?”

Jord’s statement hit right to the heart of the matter, but the Queen didn’t falter.

“Forces have been held in reserve for the defense of Asgaard, our trusted ally. The attack on Nokkurra is but a feint, a distraction for our enemies to pull their eye, delay their army, nothing more. But I think, young prince, you can benefit from it.”

Jord nodded. “My father was seen there, not two days ago. A bound captive.”

There was a hush in the room. Thor’s captivity would have come as a surprise to many there.

“And you ride to free him.” It was a statement, not a question, as if the queen already knew why they were there.

“I wish we could have acted faster to support your brother.” The Queen’s eyes darkened. “The might of Thor will be needed in coming war. But now I can offer our complete support and pray it will be enough to return your father to us.”

The Elf Queen removed a ring from her finger and handed it to Jord.

“My troops are encamped, even now, on the cliffs above Nokkurra. Give this to Captain Linden.” She handed the ring to Jord. “It will give the son of Thor complete command of my troops. Use them as you see fit. The God of Thunder must be found in this, our hour of peril.”

Jord bowed before the Queen. “I am in your debt.”

“No, Jord. It is our debt to your father, and to you, that is just a bit eased by this act.” The Queen nodded her dismissal. “The blessing and support of the elves go with you, Jord Thorson.”

When they left the court of the bright elves, everything seemed darker. Meghan felt in her heart she could be eternally happy living in the constant springtime of Alfheim or the opulent majesty of Asgaard. Both places were so breathtaking. Returning to earth seemed mundane compared to what she’d experienced in these fantastic realms.

The unmistakable view of Long Meadow Lake below, told Meghan she was once again in the Twin Cities area. The imposing structure and vast parking lot to the west could only be the Mall of America. She used to think the Mall was a grand and breathtaking structure
—
never again.

The sky clouded over and snow was falling around them. The ground below was blanketed white. Meghan was surprised at how warm she was in her new jacket. Even the tips of her bare fingers seemed pleasantly warm in the chill air around her.

Jord landed the chariot on the roof of the mall. The landing was so smooth she barely felt the touchdown. At one point they were flying, the next they were not. Even so, as Meghan stepped off the chariot onto the solid roof, she realized her knees were shaking.

“It does take some getting used to.” Jord waved his hand in the direction of the two goats. The whole chariot, goats and all, started to shrink. One of the goats bleated.

“Oh, get over it, Snarler.” Jord admonished the goat. Suddenly the chariot and goats were gone. In its place on the ground was a small, glowing sphere. Jord picked it up and stored it away in the front pocket of his pack, where he’d put the apples. Probably yet another thing mere mortals should not touch.

Meghan shook her head. The wonders just kept on coming. “So how do we get down from here? You grow silver wings, create a magic portal, and summon a giant flying fish?”

Jord smiled. “I thought we’d just take the access stairs.”

He led her down the steps and into the Mall. Meghan had only been here a few times. The Mall of America was huge and sprawling. It was mid November and Christmas shopping was in full swing. The Mall was packed with people.

“Stay close.” Jord kept a firm grip on her arm as they made their way through the crowd of shoppers. “The only thing more vicious than a frost giant on the hunt, is a hockey mom doing her Christmas shopping.”

At the lowest shopping level of the mall, back in an out-of-the-way corner, sat a little shop called the Norski Cook. The display window showed lefse grills, krumkake irons and other specialized Scandinavian cooking implements. Meghan only recognized them because her Grandma Larson, bless her soul, let her help make every last scrumptious Norwegian concoction back when she’d been five years old. She still missed her grandmother, especially at Christmas time.

Meghan’s mouth watered at just the thought. “I haven’t had a sandbakkel in years.”

There were only a few customers in the store, all of them gray-haired women, except for the one old man who appeared to have been dragged in by his wife.

“You wanna eat it,” she heard the wife saying, “you can help me make it.”

“Hi Jord.” A bright voice came from their right. “Meghan.”

Meghan could almost feel the chill as the woman added her name. Behind the counter stood Valerie Halla, Jord’s friend from that morning. Had it only been that morning?

“Hi Valerie.” Meghan tried to sound friendly, but she only got a cold stare. She did note how Valerie’s eyes lit up when she looked back at Jord.

Oh yeah, there was a tinge of green in those eyes. The woman really liked Jord. Well, that wasn’t hard. If he hadn’t been so out of her reach, Meghan could have easily fallen for the hunky god herself. But did Valerie really believe Meghan was competition?

Jord frowned, waggling a finger at the woman. “Lighten up Val. There’s a shipment downstairs we need to examine.”

Val lifted one eyebrow and gave Meghan a hard stare. “Both of you?” She seemed a bit shocked.

Jord turned his head to the side. “Approved by Gramps himself. You want to call him and check?”

The woman sniffed. “I’ll just do that. Go on down, but don’t you dare touch anything until I get the okay from upstairs.”

Vallerie lifted the handset on the phone at the counter. Did they really have a phone line to Asgaard?

Jord was chuckling as he led Meghan through a door with a sign that read ‘Employees Only’. Behind the door was a set of concrete steps that Jord led Meghan down.

“So what is she,” Meghan asked, “the Goddess of Anger?”

Jord burst out laughing. “Val is kind of a present from my sister, Thrud. You see, Sis is in charge of the Valkyries. When I was a lot younger, I got into a bit of trouble and she assigned Val the job of looking after me. She takes the job very seriously. I haven’t been able to convince her I don’t need watching anymore.”

Meghan chuckled. “Valerie is a Valkyrie?”

It sounded so absurd when she said it.

“Yup.”

That brought up a whole new set of questions.

“So why does she see me as some kind of threat to you?”

Jord’s mood darkened. “Val sees all my mortal friends as potential threats and has driven quite a few of them away. She doesn’t like me cavorting with mortals
—
especially female mortals.”

Meghan chuckled. “You cavort with mortal females?”

Jord reddened a bit. “That was over a hundred years ago. You’d think she’d have forgotten about it by now. I mean, who does she think I am, Freyr?”

“Freyr?” Meghan ran her hand over her new jacket. It had been a gift from the god Freyr.

Jord sniffed. “Fertility god. Always on the make, trying to prove something I guess.”

Before they could get into the details, Val joined them. The woman was a bit red-faced.

“I still can’t believe you are taking a mortal to Svartalheim.” She did seem to be looking more kindly on Meghan. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? I could close the shop.”

Jord shook his head. “Thanks for offering, Val, but we’ll be fine. I’ve got a whole battalion of bright elves to back me up.”

Val‘s gaze swept to Meghan. Her eyes softened.

“Look, I had this all wrong, Meghan. I’m really sorry. But if you knew Jord like I do, well . . . In any case, I’m sorry.”

The woman shook her head, then continued, “A prophecy, wow. That’s big stuff. Please be careful. I’d really like to see you both back in one piece.”

Jord clapped the woman on her shoulder. “Party at my place when we get back. You’re bringing the pizza. And I mean real pizza, not that veggie thing you like.”

Val just shook her head and sighed at him, then turned and walked away.

Jord chuckled as Val retreated. “She’s not really a bad sort, once she gets to know you, and she has bailed my butt out of jail on a number of occasions.”

Cold winds whipped around them. Jord saw Meghan shiver, despite the jacket she’d gotten from Freyr. It was so tempting to put his arms around her. His mind came up with a number of ways to keep her warm. The woman continued to dominate his thoughts.

He still wondered about Freyr’s interest in Meghan. Freyr had vehemently argued with Odin to not let Meghan come on this journey. Why? What was Freyr’s stake in all this? He’d never been particularly political. Hell, he’d never been particularly responsible. Freyr was, after all, a fertility god, and Meghan was an extremely attractive woman.

Still, a god had no business thinking of any mortal in that way. The pairing of a god with a mortal was doomed from the beginning to be heartbreaking. ‘It is better to have loved and lost . . .’ did not apply when the one you loved grew old, withered, and died in such a short span of years, while you stayed young and vital.

On the other hand, looking at Meghan, Jord could understand the attraction. Her beauty, her spirit, should have been immortal. It would be easy to desire a woman like this, if he’d let himself. Easy to fall in love with her. He’d seen it happen, and the god or goddess was crushed for centuries after the mortal died. Jord wasn’t about to fall into that trap.

“So the entrance to another dimension is in the basement of the Mall of America?” Meghan’s question interrupted his thoughts. Meghan’s first jump through a dimensional portal had unsettled her and Jord could tell she was still a bit nauseated, but she’d never complained and had pushed herself to keep going.

“One of them, yes.” Jord loved answering Meghan’s questions. The way her eyes sparkled, the way she cocked her head as she considered what he was telling her. “Right next to the aquarium. We set it up when they built the mall. It’s only a one-way portal, though. We can’t have a bunch of dark elves invading a shopping center, so we’ll have to exit another way. But it’s convenient when we need to get here fast. Most of the other portals to Svartalheim are quite remote.”

They were making their way through a thick pine forest down the side of a mountain. Snow hung heavily on the branches of the trees and was piled high on the ground. The pathway down was treacherous, and the going slow.

“Is it always this cold here?” Meghan pulled her jacket in closer. Jord could see she was freezing. Even though he felt the urgency to rush before the dark elves had time to move his father, he knew they would have to stop soon to rest and warm up. There was just something about this area of Svartalheim that pulled the heat from one’s body.

“We’re high up in the mountains. It will get warmer as we descend. There’s a cave, just up ahead a bit, where we can rest and warm up.”

Jord tried using the goat-drawn chariot to move faster, flying above the trees, but the icy winds here were so fierce even his weather control proved useless, and Meghan would have frozen in minutes. So they continued on foot using the protection of the trees around them. Here he could keep them in a slightly warmer air pocket using his ability to control weather but, even with that, the chilling magic of the area seeped in over time.

Jord found the cave he’d been making for. It felt good to get out of the cold winds. Meghan had to be freezing by now, but she had not complained once. The spirit and acceptance of this mortal continued to amaze Jord.

As he’d hoped, there was a stack of dry firewood at the ready and he soon had a little blaze going.

“That should help warm you up a bit.”

Meghan sat before the fire and unzipped her jacket, soaking in the heat. Jord could see her starting to relax as the chill left her. She pulled out the necklace his mother had given her.

“Your mother said you’d teach me how to use this.”

The red stone glowed in the fire’s light. It was one of his mother’s most prized possessions.

“That necklace is known as Ansfrida, the Jewel of Nidavellir. It has some very powerful magic attached to it. Let me show you.”

Jord held out his hand. Meghan pulled the chain over her head and handed the necklace to Jord. He watched as the thick curls fell back over her shoulders and found himself wondering what it would be like to run his hands through those strands. His body hardened as he watched her. It was a reaction he hadn’t expected, yet had no power to resist. As her green eyes gazed up into his, all he could think about was grabbing her and crushing her to him.

His mouth salivated, as desire gripped him. He had to stop thinking like this. He took the necklace, and forced his eyes away from her. He regarded the faceted red jewel and touched its perfection. It was extremely beautiful. Yet in that moment, shining brilliantly in the firelight, its beauty was so much less than hers.

He knew he shouldn’t want her, couldn’t want her, but he did.

As the warmth of the fire seeped into her frozen hands, Meghan watched Jord. A god. He was immortal. Yet he seemed so unaffected—just a normal guy. Well, far from normal. He was handsome, confident, and far too sexy for his own good . . . or hers.

When he’d pulled those incredible gray eyes from her, just to glance down at the necklace, Meghan felt a loss, a gloom. Why did just having him look at her make her feel so good?

Jord pursed his lips as he examined the necklace. Meghan wondered what it would be like to kiss those lips. Deep down she knew she needed to stop thinking like this, but still . . .

“You hold it like this.” Jord had the gem in his right hand. Meghan forced herself to look at the necklace and not at him. His thumb was behind the setting and his fingers touched various facets of the jewel. “Then stroke downward, like this.”

Meghan saw Jord’s fingers stroke the gem. What would it be like to have those fingers stroking . . .

Suddenly he was gone.

“Oh, I’m still here.” His voice came from somewhere in front of her, but she couldn’t see him.

“Invisibility?” Was it any more incredible than a flying chariot, or a flashlight that turned into a club?

“To reverse the process, do the same, but stroke up instead of down.”

He was there again, in front of her, handing the necklace back. “Try it.”

Meghan placed the necklace around her neck once more and mimicked Jord’s action, but nothing seemed to happen. What had she done wrong?

Jord’s eyes widened. “Perfect.”

She looked down and could still see herself. Then she noticed the fire was not casting her shadow onto the cave wall.

“I’m really invisible?” She moved quietly to the side.

“Completely.” Jord continued to stare where she had been.

She moved around Jord, to stand at his back. He turned his head to the side. “You are still here, right?”

She giggled and tapped him on the shoulder. “Nope, I’m back here.”

She took a step back, trying to move as silently as she could, enjoying her little game.

“Just because I can’t see you, doesn’t mean I can’t find you.”

Jord turned so quickly Meghan didn’t have time to move away from him. He lunged and brought his arms around her, capturing her.

“And just because you’re invisible, doesn’t mean you’re invincible. Remember that.”

Meghan was trapped in his embrace, her arms held at her sides by his. His mouth was just inches away from hers. Later she would wonder where she found the courage to kiss him. She’d never been so brazen. Maybe it was because, deep down, she really wanted to kiss Jord—needed to know what his lips felt like on hers.

Then again, maybe it was just that she just couldn’t think of anything else to do. She brought her lips up to his. To her surprise she found him receptive. His lips met hers and her heart skipped a beat. For just a moment his mouth was inviting, demanding.

Then he released her, staggering a bit as he stepped back. His expression of surprise became a roguish smirk. “Having a surprise attack handy never hurts, but I doubt that would work on a dark elf.”

Meghan reddened a bit as she deactivated the necklace, making herself visible once again. Instantly her shadow blazed to life on the wall beside her. She felt a bit short of breath.

She needed to turn the conversation, and take her mind off of that kiss, that incredible kiss, and the feel of his arms around her.

“So . . .,” Meghan grasped for a topic. “What did your mom mean when she said you would tell me how not to use this?”

Jord sat down, his eyes glazing over a bit. He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s one of those stories from my youth my mom tends to bring up at the worst possible times.”

Meghan sat herself across the fire from Jord. “Go on.”

“I was quite young.” Jord’s voice was quiet, wistful as he began his story. “One day I decided I wanted to get a good look at Mjolnir, my dad’s hammer. He always told me I would know I was a man when I could lift it by myself. He was messing with me, of course. Even he needs the help of Megingjörð to properly wield it. The hammer is really quite heavy.”

“But, feeling very much a man, I snuck into their bedroom when I thought they were busy elsewhere, just to try and lift Mjolnir. He usually left it in his closet when he was home.”

“I tugged and pulled, but the thing would not move. I tried putting on Megingjörð, but the darn belt refused to buckle and just fell off.”

He was a pompous young snot. There was no way I was letting him use me.

Meghan had to hold back a giggle.

“I was so focused on the hammer I didn’t hear my mother and father coming into the room. By the time I heard them, it was too late to make my escape, so I hid in the closet.”

“Well, it became, shall we say, and intimate moment for my parents. Not something any child should, or wants to be aware of, let alone witness, even hidden in a closet. That’s when I saw mom’s necklace. I slipped it on and used it, then attempted to make my escape.”

Meghan did laugh then. She could almost imagine young Jord creeping toward the doorway.

“I almost made it. I was in the doorway when father decided to kick the door shut, for privacy. Even when he’s not wearing the belt, Dad’s got a lot of strength. It was all timing of the worst sort. I flew right through the wall of the room across the hall. The crash, of course, caught the attention of my parents.”

Meghan laughed and shook her head. “Were you hurt?”

Jord shrugged. “Not really. My brothers used to throw me through walls all the time when we rough-housed. My father raised us to be warriors.”

“However, my pride and dignity did take a trouncing that day. I love my dad, but you do not want to get him angry. It wasn’t so much that I’d tried to lift his hammer, but the fact that I snuck into their room without permission. He was very disappointed in my lack of propriety, and he let me know it.”

Meghan tried to picture what it must have been like to be in a normal family unit, with both parents and siblings, something Meghan had never known. Her family had just been her, her mother, and Grandma Larson. “Are you close to your father and brothers?”

Jord shrugged again. “Quite close, I think. Dad takes us with him on hunting trips. We usually have a great time.”

Meghan had a hard time envisioning Jord in the bright, hunter-orange clothing of the Minnesota hunting gangs, with a rifle tucked under his arm and a dead deer at his feet. Well, she supposed guys were guys, even if they were gods.

“What do you hunt?”

She hoped she wouldn’t have to sit through a hunting story, though she supposed Jord could make even that interesting. She knew some guys that hunted deer and small game, even a few women that did. She didn’t have a problem with hunting; she just preferred to buy her meat from a grocery store.

“We hunt giants, usually.”

That drew her full attention.

“Jotunheim connects to Midgaard at a number of places and the giants occasionally try to cross into your world. One of my father’s main tasks nowadays is to keep them where they belong.”

Okay, score one for the first interesting hunting story Meghan had heard in a long time. “If I hadn’t seen those giants at the museum, I wouldn’t believe you.”

The fire was so nice and warm, compared to the deathly cold outside. Meghan was in no hurry to leave the cave, though she knew they would eventually have to.

“Those we fought at the museum were just the smaller, stone giants. Frost giants can get up to twenty-five feet tall. They are strong as oxen . . . and about as smart. If they would just stay in Jotunheim everything would be fine and we would leave them alone.”

“You do it to protect us mortals?”

Jord stirred the fire with his sword’s tip. It had burned down to mostly coals. “We try. Most of the time they’re after mortals to use as slaves in their mines and work farms. Occasionally one of the smaller ones just wants to sneak past us to live in the mortal world. I can’t blame them too much for that. Their world is not the most pleasant place to live. They usually end up as football players or professional wrestlers. If they integrate okay, we let them stay, but we keep a pretty close watch on them.”

Meghan stared into the fire, trying to picture Jord with his father, Thor, hunting giants. It wasn’t an easy picture to paint.

Jord sighed. “Well, we’d best get going.” He extinguished the fire and they bundled back up to head out into the cold. Jord took her on a path that continued down the side of the mountain. The snow lessened after a bit and it began to warm. Meghan continued to ask Jord questions. He talked about his sister, Thrud, and his two brothers Magni and Modi.

Then Jord stopped and turned to her. “Enough about me. Tell me about your family. Are you close to your mother and father? Any siblings?”

It was Meghan’s turn to shrug. “No family at all now. Mom was kind of a free spirit. She passed away a few years ago. I never knew my father. No brothers or sisters, at least that I know of.”