He drew the T-shirt over his head, and I forgot what I’d been about to say. From his hands to his throat and down his chest, his upper body was covered in tattoos, disappearing into the waistband of his pants. Blue-green ink swirled over his golden skin in circles and runes I couldn’t read. I traced a circular one over his heart with eight pointy spikes radiating from its center.
“Aegishjalmur,” he whispered. “The Helm of Awe and Terror.”
I traced the Y-shaped end of one spike. “Algiz. Protection, right?”
A flash of snow lightened his eyes. “Correct, my queen. Traditionally, it was worn on the forehead to protect the warrior from harm during battle.”
I drew my finger down the speared part of the rune. “Isa. Ice. Frozen in place.”
“It’s also often associated with Skadi for Her perseverance.”
Flattening my palm over the symbol, I closed my eyes, soaking in the heat radiating from his skin. His heart thumped strong beneath my hand. So hard and steady. It made me think of galloping hooves. A white stallion racing across a glacier without hesitation.
I leaned forward and pressed my mouth over the symbol.
Ice shot through my veins, making me gasp and lose my breath. Raging blizzards swept through me in an instant, the sting of ice on my face, blue-cold frost freezing my blood into slushy, sluggish rivers.
Stunned, I tried to look up at him, but my body was heavy and clumsy in the blistering cold. His fingers threaded through my hair to grip my nape, his palm cupping the back of my skull. He leaned down, ever so slowly, his eyes blazing blue fire. His lips sealed over mine, blasting through my icy mouth like a giant furnace.
:Aegishjalmur protected my heart all this time. Now its protection transfers to you, my queen. The awe is mine. All terror in the world goes to any who would harm you.:
Shivering, I pressed closer to him, sagging in his embrace. I couldn’t feel my toes to tell if I was still standing or not.
Darkness swelled inside me, pushing against the icy flows. Dörr.:Are you well, my queen?:
My head spun, the room turning upside down and around. Falling. I braced for impact. With so much ice inside me, I feared I’d shatter into a million pieces.
Softness billowed around me. I didn’t break against the floor or hit my head. Of course Dörr wouldn’t allow me to fall. I finally managed to open my eyes again, not surprised to see him hovering at my head, bent down over me with a fierce glower on his dark alfar face. He’d shifted at the first threat of anything harming me.
Heavy brow, shining darkness oozing from his skin, razor teeth bared. “What did you do to her?”
“Nothing.” Lokken crouched nearby, his shoulders and arms corded with strain. I lifted my head a little. He clutched my left arm, as if he thought he could pull me free of Dörr’s fierce grip. “She kissed Aegishjalmur. The ice it carries swept through our bond, but it shouldn’t harm her. It’s my ice, and I’m her Blood. My power as a frost giant is hers to command.”
My teeth chattered. “I’m okay. I think. So cold.”
Dörr’s fierce demeanor relaxed infinitesimally. “Then we should warm you, my queen.”
Lokken leaned closer with a wary eye on my alpha. “I’m sorry, my queen. I would have warned you if I thought the stave would harm you.”
“Stave?”
“They’re not just tattoos with interesting Nordic designs. They’re magical sigils with specific purposes. When you activated Aegishjalmur, the magic transferred to you, whether you carry the stave on your body or not.”
I rolled my head sideways to see him better. He knelt beside the bed, gripping my forearm to make sure my alpha didn’t drag me away, though his tension had eased. His eyes darkened to a stormy gray with worry.
I smiled, trying to lighten that guilt. “Do you have any other staves I should avoid kissing?”
His mouth quirked and he kissed my knuckles. “Honestly, I had no idea a kiss from my queen would activate it. I hope you won’t hesitate to kiss another one.”
I tugged lightly on my arm, bringing him closer to me. Holding his gaze, I slowly lowered my mouth toward a group of symbols on the meaty part of his biceps. Four squiggly lines looked like a piece of string looped around itself, with knots or balls on the ends. “What’s this one?”
“Draumstafir,” he whispered, draping his upper body on the mattress so I had easy access to him. “May your dreams reveal your deepest desires.”
Closing my eyes, I pressed my lips to his skin. I held my breath for a few moments, but nothing happened. I huffed out a laugh. “See, Dörr? Everything’s fine.”
He made a noncommittal rumble. “If you say so, my queen, though you’re not currently dreaming.”
“Oh, but I am.” I looked up at him, leaning over me so protectively. Then met Lokken’s gaze. “My deepest desires have already come true.”
