ELSKER: THE ELSKER SAGA *complete*

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Chapter Nineteen 

“HEI LADIES.” GUNNAR’S VOICE was both a greeting and a warning. “We’re back, early!”

“Wait here,” I whispered to Elsker. No need to freak Ull out with the excommunicated Norn the second he walked in the door.

“Hei hei,” Ull’s hearty voice bellowed. As far as he was concerned, Gunnar and Inga had joined us for a weekend at Ýdalir to get away from school. He had no idea Olaug helped us plan a secret meeting with Thor, or that Gunnar had taken him fishing to keep Ull out of the house all day. He certainly had no idea Inga and I had been plotting for weeks to get me into Asgard. Just how angry was he going to be?

“In here,” Inga called as we rushed up the stairs and into the living room. “We were just, uh…”

“In the garden! We were in the garden!” I finished hurriedly. “Boy, it’s a nice day.” Time had not improved my acting skills. Inga elbowed me as she rolled her eyes.

“Sure is. Gunnar and I had a great afternoon fishing.” I could hear Ull hang his coat on the hook under the mirror, before he carried a cooler into the living room. “Supper is here!” He swaggered with bravado, making me smile despite my nerves.

“I caught the biggest one,” Gunnar boasted.

“No, I caught the biggest one,” Ull countered.

“Yes, but yours got away, didn’t it?” Gunnar patted his shoulder in mock sympathy. “Sorry mate, doesn’t count.”

“It counts,” Ull muttered.

I kissed his cheek. “It counts to me.”

Ull looked grateful. “Way bigger than Gunnar’s fish.”

“Aw, that’s why it got away, mate.” Gunnar smiled.

“Stop bickering boys, tea is in the garden,” Olaug called from outside. She had busied herself bringing tea and cakes to the backyard sitting area and we gratefully followed the sound of her voice. As we gathered around the table Olaug nodded. She wanted me to tell him. Right now. Was she crazy? Inga caught my terrified look but she nodded too.

“What did you girls get up to this afternoon?” Ull asked through a mouth full of scone. Olaug raised an eyebrow. There wouldn’t be a better opening. Why did Ull have to choose this moment to be perceptive?

“Funny you should ask that. Um, well, we sort of had a visitor.” Do it, Tostenson. Tell him.

“How nice – who was it?” Ull picked up his teacup. It was so fragile in his enormous hand. I hoped it survived my news. It would be a shame to break Olaug’s set.

“Uh, well, it was, uh… your dad.”

Very deliberately, Ull set his cup down. The china was saved. “Thor was here?”

“Yes. Here. At Ýdalir,” I continued unnecessarily.

“Why?”

“Well, see, Inga and I sort of thought that maybe there would be a way to convince him that I should get to be one of you, so we asked him to come and–”

“Inga,” Ull thundered. “How could you? Kristia has been through enough!” Ull stood so forcefully that his chair fell to the ground. He started pacing in the small space, crossing from the table to the yew dale and back again in clipped strides. His body started to shake, and the veins in his forearms throbbed as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

“Ull.” I wanted to defend my friend, but he held up a hand to silence me.

“Of all the deceitful, underhanded things you could have done.” His voice grew louder with each word. “Inga Jensson Andersson, how could you do this to her?”