Son of Thunder (Heavenly War Series) (8 page)

Jord could have stayed in bed with Meghan for days. He savored the soft touch of her skin, the smell of her hair. The way she moved beneath him. Why did the world have to be in such chaos? They had to get up and get going, but ‘just five more minutes’ lengthened into forty-five minutes of talking, touching, and so much more.

The hard knocking at the front door startled them both. Jord bounded from the bed, taking only enough time to slip into a pair of jeans before going to see who was at the door.

Meghan was also scampering to put some clothes on, so he pulled shut the bedroom door to give her some privacy. Who could be at the door? No one even knew they were here.

Before he could even reach the front door it opened.

“There is a war going on, you know.” Val strode confidently into the cabin. He should have known.

She had a bag of groceries in one hand, and a small pack in the other. She handed the pack to Jord. “Go finish getting dressed, and give this to Meghan. I imagine she’d prefer a change of clothing that fits, over what she’ll find in the closet in there.”

Jord turned a bit red. He’d lost himself in the moment, forgotten how closely Val watched him, even when she wasn’t around.

Val shooed him away. “Go. I’ll get some breakfast started. A good breakfast. You’re going to need it. There have been some new developments.”

Jord went to Meghan’s room and softly knocked on the door. “It’s me,” he said, before opening it. She was still naked, wonderfully naked, rummaging through the dresser.

“Val brought you this.” He handed her the pack. “Probably just what you’re looking for, if I know her.”

“Val?”

He just smiled and shrugged. “Yeah.”

Jord stepped back, closing the door, then went into his own room to finish getting dressed. He could hear Val in the kitchen cracking and scrambling eggs. Knowing Val she was probably planning to load them up with vegetables. He smelled bread beginning to toast. It was probably whole grain, nuts and twigs, high fiber stuff. Another sniff brought a smile to his face though. At least she was making coffee.

He finished dressing just as the door to Meghan’s room opened. Meghan was wearing comfortable looking cargo pants, a sensible pair of boots, and a stylish sweater that hugged her curves in all the right places. Places he had just finished hugging and would like to hug again. What was it about this woman that took his breath away?

“I need to go shopping with Val sometime.” Meghan spun to show off her ensamble. “She has great taste.”

“Yeah, she’s irritating like that.” Jord had to admit, Meghan looked incredible, not that he was really admiring the clothes.

Val clapped her hands to get their attention. “Okay, you two, sit down and eat. You’re going to need your strength.”

As Jord suspected, the eggs were loaded with onions and green peppers.

Val raised an eyebrow at him when he turned up his nose. “You’re welcome.”

Meghan dug in to the food. “This looks great, Val.

Jord just grunted. “Could use some ham, and a bit of cheese.”

“And you could use some common sense.” There was a hint of anger in Vals’s voice.

“What?” Jord feigned innocence, but he knew. He’d been expecting this outburst since Val burst through the cabin door.

“Taking a mere hundred bright elves into the heart of Nokkurra? You were almost killed.” Her voice was rising, she was really upset. “I offered to come along, as you may recall.”

“Look, Val—”

Val brought the spatula down on the counter hard. “Don’t you
Look, Val
me. I was on my way, I’ll have you know, but I would have been much too late to do anything more than haul your sorry ass spirit off to Valhalla.”

Jord shook his head. At times Val was worse than his mother.

“Thank goodness Meghan was there.” Val’s voice softened as her eyes moved to the mortal woman. “You did well, sister. The bright elves are already making songs about your heroics.”

“My heroics?” Meghan blushed.

“Jord was lucky to have such a resourceful mortal by his side,” Val then leveled her piercing gaze back on Jord as her voice raised, “though he should have had his Val . . . kyr . . . ie!”

Val punctuated each syllable of the last word with a stab toward Jord with her spatula. Silence filled the room, and Jord hastily started eating. This was not a battle he could win.

“Now.” Val sighed. “Magni has returned from Jotunheim. The army of Fenrir is starting to come together and is making ready to move out toward Asgaard.”

Meghan looked confused. “Magni?”

Jord nodded. “My other brother.”

Val continued. “He saw no sign of your father, and the advanced scouts are already at the Well of Mimir, so Odin has ordered a bolstering of the northern defenses, expecting the attack to come from Urd.”

“Sorry?” Meghan shook her head. “I didn’t understand any of that.”

Jord chuckled. “I’m not surprised.

Val pressed on. “Mimir and Urd are springs that feed Yggdrasill, the world tree. Using the tree will allow the army access to Asgaard without having to battle up Bifrost.”

Meghan still didn’t look as if she understood, but she nodded anyway. It made sense to Jord, though. Even a small force could hold the rainbow bridge against an invading army, but attacking from the north would allow Fenrir’s army to spread out and siege the walls of Asgaard easily.

“So Grandfather knows where the assault will be coming from.” Jord hoped to clarify things, at least a little, for Meghan.

Val nodded, but raised her eyebrows in her
here’s the kicker
look. “But, there is a small force of giants heading this way. They carry a crate marked with strange runes, and are making their way toward the portal here, at Eagle Mountain.”

Jord stood. “Here? Why here?” He began to pace, not liking this turn of events. Why would the giants send a force to Midgaard?

Val folded her arms and tapped her foot. “Perhaps they are trying to hide something away from the fighting in Asgaard . . . something or someone.”

Jord’s head spun with the possibilities. “Father.”

Val nodded. “That is what your brother conjectured. He would have tried to take on the force himself, but needed to return to Asgaard first with his news of the invasion. He was going to come back here, but I told him you were already here and we could handle it, so he stayed to help with the defenses.”

Jord was still pacing. “We’ve got to find out what is in that crate.”

Val pointed at Jord’s plate of unfinished food. “Magni also said there was dark magic associated with that force of giants. You know how your brother sees things. He said their auras were all wrong, filled with fear. There may be more about this group than it first appears. We will need to be careful.”

Jord sat down and reluctantly took another bite of the eggs. Just then thunder rumbled outside. Jord could see dark clouds approaching from the west. The clouds rolled in quickly, blocking out the sky within minutes.

Val picked up Jord’s plate and dumped the unfinished food in the trash. She also retrieved Meghan’s completely cleaned plate. “My guess is they just passed through the portal.”

Jord agreed. “Good guess.”

He rose and went to get his father’s belt and gloves. The tremor caused by the giants entering Midgaard, caused his stomach to do a flip. It was a sensitivity his father had worked hard to instill in his sons. Jord came to instinctively know when giants threatened the mortal realm.

When he came back into the room Meghan was just rising from the table. “You should stay here, Meghan. It will be safer.”

Val sighed. “Have you learned nothing of fate, Jord Thorson?” She turned to Meghan. “Get your gear, sister. We ride to war, and someone has to look after this big lout.”

Jord protested. “I think Meghan can make that decision on her own.” He turned to face Meghan. “This could get dangerous.”

“I’ll get my stuff.” Meghan smiled brightly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Now it was Jord’s turn to sigh.

There was no fear at all in Meghan’s eyes as she went to get her jacket. Jord worried he wouldn’t be able to protect her adequately in a large battle with giants. He only hoped fate would.

Snow fell and winds gusted fiercely as they exited the cabin, but the chill Meghan felt was more than just the cold of the storm. What had she gotten herself caught up in? Elves, giants, gods? It still felt like a dream, but deep down she’d accepted it was all real, and that terrified her.

Jord offered her a way out. She could stay behind in the cabin, safe and sound. But then she would worry, pace. It was certainly be better for her to be with Jord, even if he was in the thick of things. Maybe she’d even be of some help.

Jord. Those smoldering gray eyes, his quick humor. Every inch a god—larger than life. A guy like this just couldn’t be real, but he was, and continued to prove it to her. She felt fortunate she’d had this morning with him. She’d remember it as long as she lived, which really might not be all that long considering the situation she’d landed herself in.

Sudden movement caught Meghan’s attention. In an instant the Val changed from a tall, athletic looking woman, into her true form. Glittering gold armor covered her. A great sword hung from her belt, and a large shield was strapped to her arm. Huge golden-brown feathered wings sprouted from her back.

Val was watching Jord when Meghan came out of the cabin. There was something in her eyes—hurt, pain. When Meghan closed the cabin door, Val looked at her and smiled, the pain vanishing instantly, but Meghan had seen it, she was sure. What could it mean?

Then it hit her. It had been clear all along, if she’d been looking for it. Val was in love with Jord, had been in love with him for quite some time. That had to be it. Val knew about this morning, them together, and it hurt her.

Meghan didn’t know what to think. If she’d known before, she would never have let this morning happen. Or would she?

No. Val was becoming her friend. She would never have done that, if she’d known. Jord obviously didn’t have a clue the Valkyrie was in love with him.

Meghan couldn’t even feel jealous of the woman, Val was so awesome. This was really the kind of woman Jord needed, the kind he deserved—a strong warrior, a goddess in her own right. He’d see that, in time, Meghan was sure.

Jord once again summoned the chariot. The goat’s hooves pounded the ground and they bleated in anticipation of the coming battle. Jord wore his father’s belt and gloves. He held his sword in one hand and the reigns of the chariot in the other. He looked every bit the hero.

As Meghan stepped up into the chariot, he put a hand on her shoulder. His eyes smoldered, staring deeply into hers. “Hang on tight. Stay close and stay invisible. Oh, and stay right here.” He positioned her at the side rail on his left. “I’ll be swinging my sword to the right. I don’t want to accidentally hit you. If we land, just stay behind me.”

Meghan activated the necklace then pulled the hood up on her protective jacket. She was fingering the magic flashlight in her pocket as Jord launched the chariot into the sky.

“Still with me?” Jord scanned the ground below, as they leveled off hundreds of yards in the air. Meghan could see the anticipation of battle in his eyes. The tenseness showed on his face.

“I’m still here.” She clung to the guardrail. The chariot flew effortlessly through the snowstorm. Winds gusted about them, but Meghan scarcely felt them. Whether it was the protection of her jacket, some property of the magic chariot, or just Jord’s protective aura, she couldn’t tell.

Below her, in the whiteness of the storm, she could just make out a darker shadow. As they approached, figures appeared out of the whiteness. Giants, some of them must have been over twenty-five feet tall, about a dozen in all. Four of the largest were in the center and used long rods to carry a large wooden crate between them. The other giants ringed the center four, acting as guards.

Meghan checked on Val. Her wings were spread wide, looking glorious and dangerous at the same time. The Valkyrie was fighting the buffeting winds of the storm, but kept pace. She plunged down to attack the hindmost giant with one tremendous swing of her great sword. The giant staggered back, trying to staunch the flow of blood from the wound. The other giants stopped and turned to confront the Valkyrie. Val stood her ground.

Jord used the distraction to steer the chariot in an arcing path toward the ground and the center four giants. He slashed at the legs of two of them as the chariot swung by and up, and they dropped the crate. One of the wounded giants fell to its knees, but the other pulled a great club off its back, and stood ready to fight.

A boulder flew toward the chariot as it glided back up toward the sky and Jord banked right. The massive rock missed hitting the chariot by only a few inches. Meghan could see other giants stooping to pick up rocks to fling. Jord swung the chariot back down, into the midst of them. Jumping out, he swung his great sword, scattering the giants. The goats started to attack one of the giants as soon as they landed and Meghan jumped off the back of the chariot to move behind Jord, as he’d instructed her. He was swinging both right and left now so she stayed back a bit, away from his powerful arcing swings.

Meghan remembered having the strength the belt gave, and saw how well Jord used that power. The huge creatures were thrown back through the air with each swing of Jord’s powerful arms.

Well, she wasn’t about to let Jord have all the fun. She pulled Prudr from her pocket and clicked it. The club appeared in her hand instantly. Any giant foolish enough to think he could take Jord from behind, had another think coming. She didn’t have the power she had when she was wearing the belt, but the blows she struck tended to at least surprise and distract any would be attackers. Invisibility had its perks and she continued to strike and move, staying just behind Jord.

As they made their way through the giants, Meghan saw the goats, now separated from their chariot, attacking the giants around them. The goats were fearless and tenacious, but the giants mostly ignored them as they strove to take down Jord and Val. Val was standing by the crate, ringed by five of the smaller giants, keeping them a bay with swings of her sword and bashes from her golden shield.

Slowly the giants went down, one by one, and the allies pulled together. Jord fought his way to Val and the crate, taking up a position beside her. The goats joined them also and they ringed the crate, protecting it and keeping the giants away. Meghan found herself in the center of it all, standing on top of the crate. There was a chill, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, emanating from the heavy wooden box. The dark runes etched into the wood seemed to pulse with power.

There were only five of the giants left when Val went down. A lucky swing of the giants club landed against the Valkyrie’s jaw and threw her to the ground.

Jord cried over the howling wind. “Val!”

The Valkyrie was stunned, and the giant moved in to finish the job, but Meghan stepped forward. She didn’t know where she found the strength, possibly adrenaline or some inner strength she never knew she had, but she swung her club with all her might, straight down on the giant’s head. The surprised giant’s eyes crossed, then it went down hard. It didn’t get back up.

The goats each managed to take down one of the remaining giants, and Jord finished off the final two. Meghan knelt beside Val. She was relieved to see the Valkyrie was still breathing. This was one tough woman.

Meghan made herself visible and smoothed Val’s thick, blond hair away from her eyes. Jord knelt by their side. “Is she okay?”

Val’s eyes fluttered open. “Sorry. Zigged when I should have zagged.”

Jord laughed, and offered her a hand up. His eyes moved to the giant Meghan had downed. Its skull was crushed. There was approval in Jord’s eyes. “That was a mighty blow you struck.”

Meghan thumped Purdr on the ground, returning it to pocket-sized. “I’ve got to pull my own weight. Do you have any idea how hard that is in this group? The damn goats can outfight me.”

Jord laughed, a crooked smile lighting his face. “They’ve been doing that for thousands of years. Give yourself some time.”

Jord shot Meghan a wink, then his eyes came to rest on the wooden crate. “Let’s see if this was all worth it.”

The crate was covered in symbols, most of them Meghan recognized as Nordic Runes. She felt uneasy around the crate. That cold . . . something . . . still radiated from it.

Val approached the crate and put a hand on it. “There’s magic here. A trap or alarm, if I’m not mistaken.”

Jord nodded. “I agree. We’d best not open it out here. Let’s take it back to the university.”

Jord re-hooked the goats to the chariot and hoisted the box into the back.

“What about them?” Meghan indicated the dead giants now little more than mounds of snow in the storm.

Jord took his place in the chariot, maneuvering around the large crate. “The wild animals should take care of most of it. We are pretty far away from civilization. If some poor guy does stumble across the remains he’ll just think he’s found proof of Bigfoot. We’ve got our people in place to clean up those messes. It only happens every once in a while.”

The crate took up most of the space in the chariot and Meghan found she had to stand really close to Jord on the flight back to Minneapolis, not that she minded. He had one arm around her for most of the trip, while the other steered the goats. Val followed, flying behind them. The storm was still in full swing, so there was no one to see them as they landed atop Jord’s office building. The goat chariot was again compacted and stored in the backpack, and Jord led them to an access door and down through the attic of the old building. Val’s armor, weapons, and wings were now gone. The three appeared completely normal as they passed students, faculty and staff in the old college building. Jord explained away the heavy looking crate he carried as a lightweight museum replica he was going to use in an upcoming class.

They made it without incident to his office. The floor of the old building creaked as Jord put the heavy crate down in the center of the room.

“We’re as safe as we can be here in Midgaard. I’ve put protective wards all over campus. This office is heavily runed.”

He pulled a large screwdriver from his desk drawer and used it to pry open the top of the crate. Meghan felt a curious fascination as she peered inside. The crate was mostly empty, but lying on the bottom was one of the greatest artifacts of the Ancient world. Even Meghan, though she’d never seen it before, was pretty sure she knew what she was looking at. “That’s Mjolnir, isn’t it?”

Jord reached in and pulled out his father’s hammer. Meghan could almost feel the power within the ancient weapon. Then she remembered the prophecy.

The power of the three artifacts will be reunited.

Jord now had all three artifacts, the belt, the gloves, and the hammer of Thor.

As Jord lifted the hammer out of the crate, a high-pitched, piercing cry filled the room. It reverberated throughout the building. Like the wail of a banshee, the sound filled the room then echoed away to nothing. A cold chill began to creep up Meghan’s spine.

Val moved to the window and drew back the curtains. “Something is trying to enter our realm. Your wards have blocked it.”

Jord shook his head, his visage grim. “That didn’t come from Jotunheim. It came from Muspellheim. Something powerful is being drawn here from there.”

Meghan searched her brain for a reference. “Muspellheim?”

Val’s visage darkened. “The land of fire. You’ve seen frost giants. Well, they’re nothing compared to the fire giants.”

Jord’s gray eyes smoldered. “Val, where’s the nearest portal to Muspellheim?”

Val bit her bottom lip, lost in thought for a moment, then responded. “Under one of the highway 35W exit ramps, by Currie Park. About a block away from the Metrodome.”

Jord shook his head. “Minneapolis is about to have a visitor—a big one.”