Perfekt Balance (The Ære Saga Book 3) (29 page)

“
Probably,” Lornara agreed. “But they
will
get better. Our seers don’t
believe the Ragnarok prophesy is set in stone. They think there’s
someone out there—someone who hasn’t revealed herself to us yet—who
may be able to stop it. And they believe there’s a second female
who will be the force behind maintaining peace through the realms
for centuries afterwards—maybe longer.”

“Herself? Female? So two girls could save all
the realms from the age-old foretelling of darkness, and keep the
peace indefinitely?” I paused. “I’m going to run with that.”

“Me, too.” Lornara nodded. “Now, let’s eat.
No need to worry about the end of the world at the moment.”

“
Deal.” I
followed my friend across the grass. She was right—I didn’t want to
think about the end of the world today. Because
my
world would officially begin
tomorrow afternoon—the minute Forse came home from
Asgard.

Oh, gods, I hope I don’t screw this up.

THE NEXT AFTERNOON, A
rainbow-colored beam shot down in the woods. I raced around
my cabin, gathering food, drinks, and my favorite picnic blanket,
and set everything up in the redwood-guarded meadow behind my
house. The imminent snowfall had held off, and though a light
dusting covered the grove, the sky looked like it would give us at
least an hour outside. I pulled my thick sweater tighter around me
while I waited in the woods. It felt like an eternity between the
time the Bifrost retracted and I heard Forse’s voice, but at long
last a familiar figure emerged from the redwoods.

“
There
you are,
hjärtat
.” Forse walked through the trees that separated my home
from my brother’s. He looked so different from the last time I saw
him—he no longer wore the blood-caked, black T-shirt and cargo
pants. Now he wore a crisp button-down and jeans that hugged his
thighs just enough to showcase the impressive muscles beneath. The
fierce Asgardian warrior had been usurped by the intellectual God
of Justice. I wasn’t sure which Forse was hotter.

“
Hei hei
.” I rose from my picnic, smoothing out the front of my
ankle-length dress as I stood. I gestured to the sandwiches,
bottled Cokes, and array of desserts on the blanket. “I saw the
Bifrost, and I thought you might be hungry. But if I forgot
anything, I can go back inside and—”

Forse swept to my side and tucked an arm
around my waist, hiking me against his chest with a strength that
stole my breath. My pulse spiked as he brought his lips to mine,
claiming me in one singular, indisputable moment. I wrapped my arms
around his neck and pushed my fingers through his hair, relishing
the feel of his waves caressing my skin. I pulled him even closer,
not wanting an inch of space to separate us. Forse shifted his
weight, bringing his foot forward so his leg rested between mine.
The sensation of being pressed against him in such an intimate way
left me lightheaded, and as my knees buckled, Forse tightened his
grip around me.

“
You all
right,
hjärtat
?”
He didn’t remove his lips from mine.

“Better than all right,” I whispered.

“Good.” Forse resumed his heated kiss. As I
struggled to regain my balance, he moved his hips lightly against
mine.

Oh. My. Gods.
This was
so
worth waiting
an eternity for.

“Elsa,” Forse murmured as my knees buckled
again.

“Mmm?”

“I missed you.” Forse ran his tongue along my
bottom lip. He tasted like fresh air. And mint. And home.

“I missed you, too.” I gazed up at him
adoringly. “My heart feels like it’s missing a piece when you’re
away.”

“That could be because I still have our
soulmate stone around my neck.” Forse fingered the larimar necklace
resting beneath his collar, and winked.

“You know what it is?” My eyes widened.
“How?”

Forse kept one hand around my waist, holding
me close, while he removed the necklace with the other. I tugged my
hair to the side, taking the larimar from him and fastening the
clasp behind my neck.

“It turns out”—Forse fingered the crystal as
he spoke—“that Freya happens to have a stash of these back in
Asgard. I bumped into her when I was home, and we got to
talking.”

“How is she feeling?” I asked.

“Okay.” Forse looked thoughtful. “She still
hasn’t fully recovered from her stay in Helheim, and she’s
concerned because she feels like her love reserves are low. She’s
afraid it’s going to start impacting her work.”

“That’s not good,” I tutted. “What does she
think is happening?”

“She’s not sure. We spent some time
discussing it, and to be honest, I’m concerned, too. She’s not
fully herself. Maybe she needs to take a break from Asgard and
work, and come spend the summer or fall with us.”

“That would be really nice.” I smiled. I
always enjoyed my time with Freya. “Maybe I can help heal
whatever’s happening with her.”

“I’m sure you could.” Forse winked at me.
“But Freya and I talked about more than her health.”

“Oh, did you now?”

“Mmm. When I mentioned your necklace to her,
she became quite chatty. She explained what the stone was, and told
me she was the one who put it in that jewelry store window, hoping
I’d get it for you. That explains the clerk’s confusion when I went
in to buy it. He hadn’t known he had one in stock.”

“Figures.” I smiled.

“
Ja
. Well, Freya and I had a very interesting talk. It turns
out, what I was looking for was right in front of me all
along.”

“Is that so?” My lashes fluttered against my
cheeks.

“I’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to get
here. I was afraid, Elsa. Afraid that after what I’d allowed to
happen to you, you wouldn’t be able to trust me. I’ve worked since
the day Runa disappeared to bring her in, thinking that if I could
capture her, I could make at least partial amends for my role in
what she did. Some of my culpability has been alleviated now that
Odin’s sentenced her—he gave her a life term, with the possibility
of parole in a few centuries, on account of what she did to save
Tyr all those years ago. I doubt she’ll qualify though; there’s no
way she’ll be open to the healing stipulations Odin placed on the
sentence.”

I reached up to stroke Forse’s jaw. It was
clean-shaven now, the picture of respectability, just like the rest
of him. “I’m glad she at least has a chance to redeem herself. I
hope she sees the value in turning her path around. But Forse,” I
whispered, “you didn’t have to make anything right. What Runa did
wasn’t your fault. I’ve never blamed you for her choices, and I’ve
never needed you to do anything to earn my trust.”

“Freya helped me see that,” Forse admitted.
“And she helped me see something else, too.” He set me on my feet,
so my shearling-lined boots rested on the blanket. Forse stepped
back and reached in his back pocket. He pulled something out, and
held it in a fist in front of his chest.

I tilted my head to the side, my blond waves
falling over my shoulder. “What is that?”

“
It’s
my
version of a soulmate
stone.”

Time
slowed to a standstill as Forse dropped to one knee on the edge of
the blanket, kneeling lightly amidst a sea of snow-covered ground.
A cathedral of redwoods circled the spot where Forse Styrke
appeared to be preparing to do something I thought it would take
him centuries to be ready for.
Oh my gods. Is this really
happening?

“
I should
preface this by saying that my brain knows it’s too soon to ask
this of you. You’re probably way too young to want to get married,
especially to someone you’ve only just ‘officially’ started
seeing.”
No, I’m not!
My spirit sang with joy. “But my heart’s telling me to
throw reason out the window for once in my life and just go for it.
Elsa Fredriksen, I’m in love with you. I’ve loved you all my
existence, even when I was too stupid to do anything about it.”
Forse’s gaze was steady as he spoke. “I’m far from
perfekt
—Odin knows I’ve
been an idiot more times than not. But you are my
perfekt
balance. Where I
act from my head, you act from your heart. And when we work
together, we’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Forse’s hand shook as he opened his palm to
reveal a beautifully familiar piece of jewelry.

Moisture
dampened my cheeks as I took in the sight of the god I loved, on
bended knee, holding my mother’s wedding ring. “I haven’t seen that
since…”

“
I know.
My mom removed it when she and my dad
…well, she kept it safe. I think on some level,
she knew I’d be the one to return it to you. But if you aren’t
ready to take this step, you can just hold on to it for a few
years, or centuries, or however long it takes you to catch up to
where I am. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve waited too long to let
myself love you, and I intend to be at your side the minute you
decide that you want—”

“I want you.” I wiped a tear from my eye. “I
love you.”

“
I love
you, too.” Forse held the ring between his fingers and stared at me
with an intensity that left me breathless. “Elsa, I promise to
spend the rest of our existence filling your heart with all of the
love you deserve. I’ll cherish you with every fiber of my being,
from now until forever. You are my
hjärtat
—my heart’s unique match. If you’ll have
me, I promise to give you every conceivable happiness.”

The tears coursed down my cheeks, and my
necklace warmed, absorbing the energy flowing between our hearts.
Gods, I loved this god.

“Elsa Fredriksen”—Forse held up the
ring—“will you marry me?”

I nodded, wiping my eyes so I could commit
every detail of Forse’s proposal to memory. “Yes,” I declared,
memorizing the way his lips pressed together nervously while he
awaited my answer; the way a lock of hair fell adorably against his
forehead; the way his eyes crinkled in a smile as I gave my
consent; and, most importantly, the way his heart settled into a
steady rhythm that pulsed in time with mine as he slid the ring
over my fourth finger. In that moment, the crystal at my neck
emitted a glow so bright, it rivaled the Midgardian sun. “Yes,” I
repeated with a laugh, as Forse jumped to his feet. He wrapped his
arms around me and dipped me low, his kiss sealing the choice we’d
waited lifetimes to make. When he righted me, his eyes twinkled
with a palpable joy.

“
Jeg elsker deg, hjärtat
.” He pressed his forehead to
mine.

“I love you, too.” I closed my eyes and
breathed in his nearness, relishing the sensation of Forse’s heart
beating against mine. After an endless moment, I pulled my head
back and rested my palm against his chest. My mother’s diamond
sparkled brightly against the crisp white of his shirt, reflecting
the rays of the late afternoon sun. As I admired it, a thought
flitted across my brain. “You know Tyr’s going to be angry you gave
this to me.”

Forse
looked surprised. “Why do you think that? I asked his permission
for your hand—that’s why it took me so long to get to you after the
Bifrost dropped. He wanted to make sure I
really
understood that if I ever hurt
you, he’d kill me. He had to take me on a long walk to impart that
wisdom, thought, since I showed up while he was playing charades
with Mia’s family. He’s trying to downplay his intimidation factor
for her father.”

“That sounds like him.” I laughed. “But if
I’m wearing Mom’s ring, what is he going to give to Mia?”

Forse’s eyebrows shot up. “He didn’t say
anything about proposing.”

“
He
wouldn’t have. He knows she’s not ready yet.” I tapped my temple.
“But I spent a
lot
of time in his head while we were in Svartalfheim, and I
saw things.”

“Oh, did you?” Forse tilted his head back.
“That should be interesting. Has he talked to Odin?”

I shook
my head. “Odin’s not receptive to lifting the ban on mortal
admission to Asgard…or the one prohibiting inter-realm unions. But
he’s going to have to be open, on both counts. Henrik, Brynn, and I
talked it over this week. And I visited Lornara in Alfheim. We all
agree the recent attacks aren’t coincidence. They’re markers—signs
leading to Ragnarok.”

A low sound rumbled in Forse’s chest.
“Gods.”

“I know.” I nodded. “Tyr’s heading to Asgard
when the Ahlströms go home, to talk to Odin about increasing
protection on your dad. He knows the prophesy surrounding Balder,
and he’s going to do everything he can to stop it.”

Forse sucked in a breath. “What about you?
Have there been any new prophesies about your safety?”

I reached up to cup his cheek, his skin
smooth against my thumb. “I’m meant to train Asgard’s true Unifier.
And help Tyr find a way around the Odin situation so he can
propose. But he’s got time—the Norns haven’t seen an imminent
threat. They only know it’s coming. And Lornara and I are going to
do everything we can to hold it off until Mia becomes a Key.”

Forse pressed his lips against my forehead.
“Well, when it comes, we’ll be ready. Between you and Mia, I have
every confidence you’ll convince prospective perps to turn away
from the darkness. And once they defect to Asgard, we’ll instill in
them a sense of honor and decency that will prevent them from ever
striking against us.”

“Spoken like the true justice god. But for
now, I’ve got an awful lot of food that needs attention.” I tilted
my head at the picnic blanket.