FROST- Jotun Chronicles #1

Introductions

Charlotte came with me to meet Erik the next day. We were a couple minutes late, since we had both taken very long, very hot showers that morning. It seemed like no matter what I did, I couldn’t scrub myself clean. I just stood there in the shower, guilt throbbing through me like an accusing heartbeat. Even the patter and rush of the hot water falling all around me couldn’t drown out the noise of the voice in my head, telling me over and over,

            “You killed him. You killed him. You killed him.”

            I climbed out of the stream of water and rubbed myself down with the towel until my skin was red. But murder doesn’t come off, no matter how much you scrub.

            Charlotte’s voice snapped me out of my grim thoughts. “Cute place.”

            My gaze wandered around the sandwich shop, and I nodded absently. We’d taken the same back booth I had the last time. We were late, Erik was even later.

            The bell jangled, and we both looked up to see him standing in the doorway. His blonde hair was tousled and his sharp features – usually as chiseled and composed as a marble statue – looked distressed. His cheeks were flushed.

            “Amora, thank God!” He walked over quickly  and slid into the booth beside me. “I just got a report that…” he stopped, apparently noticing Charlotte for the first time.

            “Hi,” she said cheerfully. “You must be Erik. Megan filled me in on the way over.”

            Erik rubbed his sharp jaw, working his fingers over the fine bristles of blonde beard that grew there. “Hi.” He didn’t look happy.

            I crossed my arms over my chest. “I called her in to help me. No one else was there to do it. I take it you just heard about last night somehow?”

            “We keep tabs on all the local bounty hunters.” Erik leaned forward, his blue eyes studying me intensely. “One of my men just reported that he checked into the same hotel. I assume…”

            “You assume right,” I said angrily. “He attacked me and I did what I had to. Charlotte helped me with the…aftermath.” I blinked rapidly, determined I wouldn’t cry in front of the viking-like frost giant.

            “Are you alright?” His brow creased, concern clear on his face. “I’m so sorry I didn’t learn about this sooner. If I had known…”

            “I’m fine,” I interrupted him. I didn’t need sympathy right now. “Is anyone else after me that I should know about?”

            He shrugged, his face unhappy. “Your foster mother put out a large reward for your return.”

            I glared at the table top. “I don’t know why…”

            Charlotte piped up, “So, are we going to this ice castle, or what?”

            Erik looked like he was grinding his teeth. “I don’t…I don’t know if I can bring you back,” he said, and Charlotte glared at him. “I’m sorry, but the queen was very specific in who she wants.”

            “Are you kidding me?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You can tell the queen that I’m not going without Charlotte. She just saved my ass, which is more than I can say for your…your popsicle queen.”

            I knew the jab was immature and lame, but when Erik raised one blonde brow at me I just stuck my lower lip out like a stubborn child. Might as well go with it.

            He sighed. “Very well, Amora. If you’ll come, Charlotte can come to.”

            I pointed a stern finger at him. “And she stays with me. Charlotte goes where I go. Including wherever I stay in the castle of ice cubes.”

            “Fine,” Erik grumbled, and Charlotte’s impish features lit up like she was experiencing Christmas for the first time. “I’m so excited!” she gushed, “an ice castle! How cool!”

            I shot a sideways look at her. It was hard to believe the whole ditzy thing was an act, but I’d seen her in action last night. I still remembered how cool she’d been under pressure. There was a drastic difference between this Charlotte and the real one.

            Now that it was established Erik seemed to relax. He reached out and touched my arm. “Hey, Amora, you can relax now. You don’t have to run anymore. You’re under my protection.”

            His blue eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, and I felt a rush of relief.  Whatever else might come after me, somehow I knew that Erik could handle it.

            “Can I get you girls a sandwhich or something?” He asked, and Charlotte shot up right away and ran to the counter to look at the chalk board menus hanging on the wall, hopping from foot to foot as she mused over the choices.

            Erik looked amused. “She’s a lively one.”

            “You have no idea.” I stood up, stretching, feeling my body protest. Obviously I was still sore from heaving the fake detective around. The thought made me pause, and Erik must have noticed something was wrong, because he stopped me, one hand on my arm. “Megan? Are you alright?”

            I looked up at him, and his face was so openly concerned that my resolve not to talk about it melted. I said in a low voice, “I…killed him, Erik. I killed a man.”

            Erik nodded. His eyes searched my face, and his hand was still on my arm, the pressure somehow reassuring. “Did you have to do it?”

            “Yes…I think so. “ I looked up at him anxiously, searching for some kind of forgiveness, wishing desperately that he’d tell me I wasn’t a murder. “I think he was going to kill me.”

            “You did what you had to,” Erik said firmly.

            Tears were collecting faster than I could blink them away. “But I…I don’t feel like I had to. I feel like I’m a horrible person. Like I’m some kind of monster.” The tears slipped free. I flushed, feeling them running down my cheeks and trailing moisture onto my neck. To my surprise Erik reached out and pulled me towards him, gathering me into his arms and holding me to his chest. It felt strange. He was taller than me, something I’d so rarely experienced, and his chin rested on the top of my head. I stayed stiff for a moment, shocked. He smelled good, like leather and spices,  and there was something comforting about standing there with his arms wrapped around me.

Eventually I relaxed and allowed my cheek to rest against his chest.

            I felt his fingers in my hair. “You’re okay, Megan.” His deep voice vibrated in his chest, and I imagined I could feel his heart beating with my ear pressed up against it. When he finally released me I stood back and looked at him, surprised to see his cheeks were just a little bit flushed. He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. “Let’s go get you something to eat.”