Perfekt Control (The Ære Saga Book 2) by S.T. Bende Read Free Book Online Page B

know.” He shrugged.
    “She packing for you too, these days?” I
teased.
    “Uh…” Forse’s blush stretched from the crew
neck of his T-shirt all the way to the roots of his hair.
    “Where are the girls?” Tyr growled. “Elsa,
Mia. Get down here. It’s time to go.”
    “We’re coming. I had to make sure I had all
my school books. And enough clothes to get me through the season
change—you didn’t say how long we’d be gone.” Mia appeared at the
top of the stairs, struggling to pull an enormous suitcase.
    Elsa stood behind her, two of Mia’s
monogrammed bags in each arm. “Why do you torture me, Tyr? I had to
repack the healing box because you couldn’t wait a few extra
minutes and let me do my job. You know I’m giving you an exam when
we get to the safe house.”
    “Whatever. Fine.” Tyr tapped his foot.
    “Are you relocating permanently?” Henrik
stared at the sheer volume of items Mia carried with her. His eyes
shifted to my single backpack.
    You’re welcome , I mouthed.
    Tyr blurred up the stairs and back down,
bringing Mia in one arm and the bulk of the luggage in the other.
Elsa followed at a more dignified pace, carrying the rest of the
bags.
    “Everybody outside,” Tyr ordered. “The
Bifrost drops in one minute.”
    We hurried through the front door, along the
porch and into the wooded grove that shielded the cabin from
curious eyes. When we stood a safe distance from the main
structure, I hugged my friends.
    “Be safe,” I whispered to Mia as I pulled her
close. “Don’t let him boss you around more than usual.”
    “You’re not coming?” she asked.
    I shook my head. “I’m going with Henrik to
get the dust we need to finish the time freezer. Tyr’s bringing it
to the safe house, so play with it while we’re gone and do whatever
adjustments you think are necessary to have it functional when we
bring the dust.”
    Mia squeezed me back. “I will. You two take
care of each other.” She stepped back and Elsa swooped in, wrapping
her arms around me.
    “I’m so sorry, Brynn. I know this brings up
bad memories. Your aura’s off. I’ll do an emotional cleansing if
you want one when you get back.” Elsa kept her voice low.
    “Thanks. I’m okay.” I spoke through an
oversized smile. Fake it ‘til you make it . History never
repeated itself… did it?
    “Heimdall.” Tyr’s voice boomed in the
clearing. “Open the Bifrost. Two destinations. Northwest compound
first. We’re going to the safe house.”
    A brilliant light filled the clearing, so
bright my hand flew to my face. I squinted as the colors
illuminated the dirt, running the spectrum from red to indigo.
Forse and Elsa stepped into the Bifrost, hands clasped and eyes
closed. Like me, Elsa thought the transports sucked. She was toying
with a remedy to quell the nausea. If I was better at the natural
sciences, I’d have volunteered to help. But my strengths, like
Henrik’s, were more technologically oriented.
    That didn’t stop me from volunteering to test
her Anti-Nausea Bifrost Blend when it was ready.
    With a flash, Elsa and Forse disappeared, and
Tyr pushed Mia’s luggage into the circle. He held out a hand and
she cautiously took it, shooting me a look that made it clear she
was none too thrilled to be traveling by rainbow. Tyr wrapped her
tightly in his arms and whispered something in her ear that seemed
to calm her. She rested her head against his chest and closed her
eyes. Tyr settled his chin on her forehead and looked at Henrik and
me in turn. Before he flashed out of the clearing, he mouthed two
words— for ære.
    For honor. It was why we fought—what we
strove to protect. It was the very purpose of our immortal
existence, and it was the reason Henrik and I stepped willingly
into the blinding light once our friends vacated it, knowing full
well we might never return to the sleepy little hamlet of Arcata.
Because even though we’d built a life there, that life would mean
nothing if the very source of