She pointed to another door. “Your bedroom is through here. Before I go back upstairs, I’ll show your Blood how to work the doors, lights, and blinds. There’s another heavy door here at the foot of the stairs, so you have a second layer of protection, though I can’t see anything getting through that first door once it’s secured.”
As we stepped into the next room, Lokken let out a soft whistle of appreciation, though it was Svar who said, “Now that’s a bed even we can’t break.”
Clara laughed delightedly. “I knew better than to put a regular human-quality bed in any queen’s suite.”
The bed was huge—plenty big enough for all of us to lay comfortably. The base looked like a shelf carved out of the cliff, with the intricately carved stone headboard rising all the way up to the ceiling. The thick mattress also had many pillows to cushion against the stone wall.
“This wall is glass as well, so you can lift the blinds if you’d like to see the sky or ocean any time.” Clara stepped acrossthe room and through a large doorway. “Here’s the bathroom. Most of the house’s hot water is provided directly by the springs flowing closely to the volcano’s veins beneath the surface, so you may notice a mineral smell.”
“Volcano?” I asked. “Is that safe to be so close?”
“Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice,” Lokken replied. “There are roughly one-hundred-and-thirty volcanoes on your island, my queen, though most of them are deemed to be safe for nearby residents. I believe you’ll sense the intense build-up of energy if an eruption is imminent.”
Clara nodded. “Katla is active but hasn’t had a violent eruption in over one-hundred years. However, to be safe, we’ll always have boats ready to whisk your entire household away at a moment’s notice. We have a private beach and dock, but it’s not large enough for the boat we used to leave the United States. Now that you’re home, we’ll expand the dock to accommodate a larger House and all its staff.”
“I appreciate the security, but I don’t want us to end up trapped down here,” Lokken said, earning a nod of agreement from Dörr. “What’s her quickest exit if we can’t go back up the stairs?”
“The windows will slide aside with a flick of a switch,” Clara said. “There’s also some rough steps down the cliff, but it’ll be better if one of you can carry her down.”
“Or fly her out,” Myrk said. “As long as it’s nighttime.”
My eyes lit up. “Oooh, I’d love to fly. If it’s safe, can you give me a ride one night? I’d love to fly out over the ocean.”
“Absolutely, my queen,” Dörr replied.
Flying. Goddess, I couldn’t wait. Smiling, I turned my attention to the bathroom, and my mouth sagged open with awe. The entire room was carved from a natural bowl shape in the rocky formation. Steaming water trickled down the walls into a surprisingly deep pool. Small plants, moss, and flowers weretucked into the rocks, making it look like we were outdoors. The opposite side of the room also held modern amenities, though I’d never seen such a large shower with half a dozen shower heads.
“Wow,” I breathed out. “This is incredible. I’d hoped for a tub big enough for my Blood to be able to bathe too.”
Myrk grumbled beneath his breath. “What use does a dark alfar have for sitting in hot water?”
Lokken raised his hand. “I’ll take his place, my queen.”
Grinning, I reached down to test the temperature of the flowing pool. “Can a frost giant sit in a hot spring and not melt?”
“Absolutely.”
Clara’s phone buzzed and she stepped away to take the call. Though she suddenly raced for the thick metal door and started to push it shut. “Quickly, help me. There’s an intruder!”
2
DÖRR
Iswept my queen against me, folding my wings around her as the other Blood leaped ahead to help protect access to our queen’s rooms. Lokken planted his palms on the door and effortlessly shoved it shut, giving it a quick coat of ice to increase its hold.
“I thought this fucking place was safe,” Myrk growled, gnashing his obsidian teeth.
“It is,” Clara insisted, though her eyes were tight. “Though it’s only as secure as humans can make it until our queen has the chance to make the blood circle around the nest.” To the person on the phone, she asked, “Can you tell if he’s human or not?” She paused, listening, and then looked at me. “Not human. Could he perhaps be Blood, Your Majesty?”
“Oh. I didn’t even think to check with everything that’s going on,” Helayna replied. “Another one? Surely not.”
“It was a very strong Call, my queen,” Lokken said. “I would have heard it in Svalbard.”
Clara punched a button on the phone. “Say again, Pàtair?”
“He’s very adamant that he must enter,” a man said. “Shoved the front door aside like it was nothing, so he did. Though he took care not to actually hurt anyone.”
Despite the thick door, distant thumps echoed into the chamber, announcing the intruder’s approach. The door quivered faintly as if he pounded on it with all his strength, but it did hold.
