Struck: (Phoebe Meadows Book 1) (24 page)

“Once we get to your building, I will investigate. If there are beings of Asgard nearby, I will know it.”

“Um, okay.” I stared at him. “That would’ve been helpful to know beforehand.”

“I cannot teach you everything about our world in only days, Valkyrie,” he mused. “It will take years.”

“Our world?” I commented as we started walking again.

“Of course,” he said, giving me a rare upturned smile. “You are a Valkyrie. You are made of Asgard. You may not fully realize it yet, but you are not of this plane, even though it’s the only home you’ve ever known. Your birthright is the land of gods.”

I pondered that. “It’s strange to think of myself in that way.” I wasn’t sure it would ever seem normal. “Like it’s not real, or somehow a mistake, and someone is going to jump out and tell me it was all an elaborate hoax.”

“This is no hoax. You must get over your skepticism and accept your destiny. It will make you stronger.”

“How will it make me stronger?”

He quirked a brow. “For one, you will learn to harness the power within you and wield it to much greater strength.”

“The power within?” That sounded both ominous and hilarious at the same time.

“Valkyrie, you glow brighter than a star. Where do you think that resides?”

“Inside…me?” I had no earthly idea. “Listen, I’m not even going to pretend to understand how this all works. My brain can’t even fathom such things. My life has become a complicated sci-fi movie with a plot twist you have to pay attention to, and even when you’re following it, the end doesn’t make any sense.”

“Every fiber of your being holds energy. It’s who you are now. It’s what you’re made of. When we were leaving Muspelheim, you glowed as brightly as the first time I saw you.”

“I did?” We were within fifty feet of my building, and I put a hand out to stop him.

“Yes, you did.”

“That’s my building. Second from the corner across the street.” I gestured, then glanced up to my two tiny windows, one of which Huggie had come through. My apartment was dark. That should be a good sign.

“I will go first,” Fen said. “So far, I feel nothing. Stay here and be alert.”

I grasped his forearm. “I don’t think that’s the right thing to do.”

“Why not?”

“Because last time the ettins got me. I’d feel much better if we worked as a team. Then, if things hit the fan, we can escape or fight
together
.”

Fen inclined his head. “I don’t dislike that idea. Your reasoning is sound. Let’s go.” He took off across the street.

I followed closely as I continued to glance up at the buildings. I had met some of my neighbors over the last few months and prayed none were looking out the window right this exact moment to witness me trailing a huge shirtless man in dirty cutoffs running toward my building barefoot in the middle of winter.

That required more explanation than I had in me.

I arrived at the front door a moment after Fen. His hands were on the glass, ear pressed against it. “I am picking up nothing. What floor do you live on?”

“The fifth, which is at the top. It’s a tiny studio.”

Fen turned the door handle. It moved freely. “It’s not locked?” he asked.

“Not always,” I answered. “Tenants get lazy.”

“It’s of little consequence. A lock would not keep out what is hunting us.”

I shivered. “When you phrase it like that, it sounds awful.”

“Make no mistake, Valkyrie. They will come.”

“Just the Norns?” I asked.

“All of them. There will be a bounty on my head, set by Odin. They will clamor like flies, each of them wanting the honor of being the one who turns you over and brings me back.”

“That sounds…great,” I replied in a listless tone. Would we ever be free?

Fen’s face was set. “You and I will need to have a long discussion very soon. There is much you haven’t told me. If we are to be a team, as you described, there must be transparency. And you can start by explaining why Hugin, the eyes of Odin, is your agent.”

“I told you, he’s not my agent.” Was he my agent? I really had no clue what an agent did. “What I told you in the cave was the truth. I was born and raised on Midgard. Ingrid came to find me, I got taken, and that’s all I know.”

“Ah, shieldmaiden, it’s the information you haven’t divulged that I crave.” He edged inside, and I went after.

The man was smart. Relaying what Ingrid had told me about my life was going to be rough. He might choose to leave me, and I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to cope in this strange new world without him. If Verdandi arrived with backup, I wouldn’t know the first thing to do. There was so much I had to learn.

Fen crept up the stairs on full alert. He didn’t make a sound. I came after, trying to be quiet, but managed to sound like a herd of elephants tramping up the steps.

“You might want to tone down the noise.” Fen smirked. “I’m having a hard time picking up on the real danger.”

“Very funny. I’m trying to be stealthy, but this is all I’ve got. These stairs are beyond old. How come you’re not making them creak?” I took another step, and a board made a loud groan.

“Because I know how to move with grace.” He chuckled.

“Grace, my ass,” I whispered as we turned down a short hallway and went up another flight. “You’re a demigod. You have tricks up your sleeve I wouldn’t begin to understand.”

“Indeed, I do. But that’s for another day, Valkyrie.”

We reached the fifth floor, and Fen stopped a few treads from the top. “All seems clear, though I wouldn’t advise we linger here too long.”

“My studio is down on the right. Ingrid’s is on the left. Let’s go to Ingrid’s and see if she left us any clues to where she went. Then, if the coast is still clear, we can go to mine.” I was curious to see if my apartment looked the same or if it had been trashed in my absence.

Fen veered around the banister and went left toward Ingrid’s door. He paused in front of it, bringing his hands up to the wood. He waited a few seconds. “No one is here.” He tried the knob. It turned.

We both slipped inside.

I knew Ingrid’s apartment like my own. Other than Sam, she was my closest friend in New York. We’d alternated movie and popcorn nights in our apartments every Friday. Her studio was set up much the same as mine, but reversed. Her kitchen was on the left, and her sleeping area and small bathroom were on the right. She had a single bed, which gave her more space. Her studio was sparsely decorated, even more so than mine. There was no furniture other than the single bed. Not even a lamp. Her TV sat perched on the windowsill, propped up by a cardboard box.

“The shieldmaiden wasn’t intending to stay long,” Fen concluded as he opened her closet. There were a few shirts hanging and not much else.

I checked the tabletops and went into the kitchen. No note on the counter tops. I opened the cupboards. They were fairly empty. A few dishes and cups, enough to serve popcorn and soda and no more. I opened the fridge. It was bare, save for a few cans of Coke.

I’d had no idea she had so few things. I’d never opened her closets or cupboards before. She always handled the food and drink when I’d been there.

I walked back into her living area and found Fen tugging on one of her flannel shirts. It barely stretched over his arms, and there was no way he would be able to button it, but it would cover him enough until we could find something better.

“I need clothes, too, and a shower,” I told him. “If you think it’s safe, let’s go over to my place. Then we can figure out what to do next.”

Fen nodded. “The Valkyrie has left no weapons here. After we gather suitable clothing, we must find a means to defend ourselves.”

“Gram!” I breathed. “Please tell me you have it.” I hadn’t thought about the trusty dagger since we’d arrived. I’d been too relieved to be home.

He grinned as he pulled it from beneath his waistband. “It was lying right beside us when we landed, even though none of my other weapons came through, which is not unusual. The tree decides what it likes and what it does not.” He held Gram in front of me. “After your shower, you’re going to tell me how you acquired a possession of this magnitude.”

I headed toward the door. “I can tell you right now,” I shot over my shoulder. “Ingrid gave it to me, and before you ask, I have no idea where she got it.” Out in the hallway, I waited for Fen, and we both made our way across the hallway, him stealthy and me hitting every creaky floorboard.

“There is no one here,” he said, his ear to my door. “But I must break the lock.”

“That’s fine,” I said. I didn’t lock it, so that meant someone had been here. He popped the lock easily, and cautiously we went in. I flipped on a light. My apartment seemed just as I’d left it, the closet door open from when Ingrid had packed my duffel, the bed rumpled where the bag had lain. I walked into the kitchen. The only thing different was that the window was now shut, but maybe Huggie had shut it on his way out? He was magical after all.

I came back to the sleeping area to find Fen gazing out into the street from my only other window. “I sense danger,” he said, glancing at me. “It’s coming, but I don’t know when.” He turned around and gestured toward my tiny bathroom. “Take your shower and get dressed. We have much to talk about.”

Hastily, I hurried over to my small bureau and grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater.

I had to admit I was looking forward to this shower like nothing I’d had in a very,
very
long time.

23

__________________________

____________

T
he hot spray felt like the heavens had opened up and were raining down on me. I was finally completely clean and stink-free. I’d stayed in until the hot water ran out, feeling a little guilty I hadn’t saved any for Fen. But if he really wanted a hot shower, he could go over to Ingrid’s.

I’d used a gallon of shampoo and conditioner, and as I toweled off, I inspected my leg wound. It looked a little grisly, but it was healing. I examined the rest of my skin and could see no remnants of Surtr’s torture. Thank goodness. Wearing those scars for an eternity would’ve been beyond difficult. It was truly miraculous they had all vanished. Even my chest, where I’d taken Surtr’s blade right before we left that realm, was totally healed, my skin pristine and smooth, like nothing had ever happened.

I hung the towel up and glanced around the small space. My bathroom wasn’t much bigger than a broom closet. I picked up my clean clothes and shook them out. Dang, I’d forgotten to grab a bra and underwear! Since they were vital to the process of re-clothing myself, I grabbed the towel back off the rack and wrapped it around myself, poking my head out the door. “I forgot a few things,” I said.

“Don’t be shy, shieldmaiden.” Fen smiled. “I won’t bite.”

“I just need some underwear.”

Fen lounged on my bed, his hands clasped behind his head, pillows propped. He grinned at me like he didn’t have a care in the world.

I stopped at the foot of the bed, my freshly combed hair slicked back and dripping down around my shoulders.

He sat up.

Our gazes locked, and I exhaled a shallow breath.

“Come,” he whispered.

Without hesitation, I paced around the side as Fen moved to the edge. He opened his legs, and I stepped between them, my eyes fastened on his. I wanted this.

More than anything.

His fingers undid the towel above my breasts, and it dropped to the ground. I stood before him, naked. But this time I didn’t feel vulnerable or uneasy.

I felt
alive
.

His hands slid down my arms. He cleared his throat, his eyes never leaving mine. “You are beautiful, Valkyrie.”

I reached up to caress his face. “Thank you for helping me escape. You gave me Gram, even though you didn’t know if I could bring you back.”

He leaned forward, his full lips brushing mine. Sparks flew as his energy transferred to me. He drew back, his eyes hooded. “I helped you because there was no other option left to me. I could not stand to see you destroyed, even though the selfish part of me wanted to keep you by my side. Giving to another freely is a new experience for me. It is something I’m not familiar with.”

I met him halfway, our mouths melding, the kiss deep and tender. My hands fisted in his hair as he urged me closer, enfolding me in his strong embrace.

I broke the kiss, half panting, half accusing. “You took my heart without asking.” Without giving him time to respond, I leaned in, this time running my tongue along his wonderful lips. I could be with him for several lifetimes and would never get tired of those lips.

He moaned as his energy leaped into my mouth at incredible speeds. “The very first time I set eyes on you, I knew you were mine.” His voice wasn’t above a whisper. He leaned back on the bed and took me with him, our lips fastened together. I crawled on top, enjoying his warmth and giving him my own. “I need you, Phoebe,” he murmured into my lips, his arms locked around me. “You have my heart.”

“I need you, too,” I replied. I’d never meant anything more in my life. I had wanted him before, but I was ready for him now. “Do you think, maybe, I was sent to your cave on purpose? I wouldn’t have survived in that realm without you.” I needed to feel his lips again and took his mouth softly at first, then more insistently.