I scrubbed my sleeve cuff across my mouth, turned to face Thorin, and lost my breath again. The overhead light crowned him in gold, and his dark-chocolate sweater matched his eyes. He wore his hair in a braid, something I had only seen him do when he anticipated a fight. Does he know something I don’t?
He grinned at me, and despite my being seated, my knees quivered. Quit being such a sop, I told myself.
“The coffee’s good.” I motioned to the fresh pot as I stood to search the cabinets for another mug. “Want some?”
He nodded and stepped further into the kitchen, closer to me. He smelled like soap and shaving cream. I poured and passed him the mug. He covered my hands with his own and gave me a deep, dark stare before accepting the cup. “Sleep well?”
“Like a log.”
“Then why are you up so early?”
“My subconscious came online at some point and insisted today was important, and I needed to get up and get ready.”
“I woke up when all the boats and planes started up.” Skyla motioned toward the river. “They’ve been quiet the last few mornings.”
“The storm’s cleared.” Thorin sipped his coffee and peered out the cabin’s front window. “It’s time to make our next move.”
I crossed the room and stood at his side, evaluating the early-morning sky. Remnants of last night’s stars sparkled on a flawless field of deep violet. “Not a trace of clouds. You have something to do with that?”
“Why waste any more time?” He settled a severe stare on me. “How’s your fire?”
I turned away under the pretense of going to pour another cup of coffee, but in truth, I was hiding the furious blush burning in my cheeks. His question sent my thoughts back to last night, when I had nearly consumed him in flames. “Um. Fine, I guess. I haven’t really tested myself. I’ve been trying to, uh, conserve energy.”
Skyla snorted, coughed, and cleared her throat. “Is that right?”
I shot her a dirty look, but it only made her laugh.
“Show me,” Thorin said. “I know I can’t stop you or lock you up or any of those things I’d love to do that might keep you safe, but do me a favor. Please. Before we go to that island and confront the wolf, Helen, and her army, show me you can defend yourself.”
I set my coffee on the counter and glanced around the kitchen. Yeah, way too flammable and cramped. “Outside?” I met Thorin’s gaze.
He jerked his chin, a quick nod motioning me to lead the way. I left off my parka and shrugged out of my long sweater. In T-shirt and jeans, I stepped out into a cold, dry, and clear Alaska morning.
“How long until sunrise?” I asked.
Thorin stopped behind me, close enough to share his body heat. “Two hours, at least.”
“How do the locals stand it? All this darkness?”
“Tanning beds.”
I spun around and gaped at him. “Seriously?”
“For the UV rays. A little bit every now and then to keep away the winter blues.”
I cracked a sardonic grin. “Do you ever use a tanning bed?”
“Why would I?” He stroked my arm. “I have my own personal sunshine.”
I rolled my eyes, although his comment warmed me as much as his proximity. After flexing my neck a few times and swinging my arms to encourage blood circulation, I stretched my fingers and held my palms open at my sides, elbows bent. Fire pooled into my palms. “How much is enough to convince you? I can’t afford to sacrifice my wardrobe to satisfy your concerns.”
“Just make it as big as you can.”
I concentrated until the fire in my palms rose into flaming pillars. A blaze wreathed my head and neck. The rune inside me, the source of my power, glowed hot and sure. “Are you satisfied?”
Thorin had backed several paces away, and the look on his face was... awe? My fire reflected in his dark eyes and lit the high spots on his face, the regal nose, the broad forehead, the prominent cheekbones. “Is it enough?”
“To kill a wolf? I think so.”
He arched an eyebrow. “You think?”
“You don’t trust my judgment? Think I’m so eager to get the wolf, I might be willing to take risks?”
He exhaled, and his shoulders slumped. “Gods, I hope not.”
“I don’t want to die, Thorin. Isn’t that reassurance enough?”
He jammed his hands in his pockets and kicked a loose pebble at his feet. A muscle worked in his jaw. “Hardly.”
I laid a hand on his forearm, and he stilled. “We’ll get through it. Together. The Valkyries have the golems. You and I can take the wolf.”
His dark eyes flickered up to meet mine. His jaw clenched, but he nodded. “Let’s get going.”
Aboard a Cessna with floats instead of wheels, Thorin, Skyla, Embla, four other Valkyries, and I soared over the glaucous waters of Kvichak Bay and then the deeper Prussian blue of Bristol Bay. The rest of the Valkyries followed behind in a seaplane similar to ours. The horizon shone clear and unobstructed from this vantage point, and while the sky remained locked in darkness, a thin band of yellow burned along the line separating sky from sea.
Above hung the moon, and below it, the sun, both entities sharing the same sky. I took it as a fortuitous symbol of a brother and sister briefly united. I had a feeling I would be leaning heavily on my brother. I needed his courage, bravery, and impetuousness in order to survive whatever happened next. Timidity and fear never defeated a mythological wolf or saved the world.
