“Elle!”
Her gaze snapped to Val, who pointed at the tray before turning to the shelf behind the bar and grabbing a bottle of rum.
Ever since meeting Thor the night before, she'd been able to think of nothing else. Elle lifted the tray and headed to one of the humans' tables. She set the mugs down and returned to the bar without realizing it.
None of the stories she'd heard her father tell about the horrible monster of a man who brought nothing but death and destruction to all who opposed him in the nine realms seemed to fit the gentle giant who had thought of nothing but her peace of mind. And when he'd touched her hand, something had sparked inside her. Something she'd never felt before. A part of her she couldn't reach on her own, nor define. Not her magic. Something different. Something…
She rubbed her fingertips together, trying to recreate the warmth he had produced within her.
"Elle!" Val grabbed her shoulder.
Val pushed a stein toward her and jerked her chin toward the corner. “Get it together.”
Elle’s cheeks heated as she picked up the beer and headed toward the table. She didn't need anyone to tell her where it went or who it was for. The golden-eyed immortal who worked as a bouncer in Frigg's Raven Weaver topside pub was known to everyone in the nine realms.
She put on a smile and headed straight for the solemn, hulking figure.
"Hello, Heimdall." She slid the beer to him.
"Lady Elle. How are you today?"
No one had called her ‘Lady’ back when she'd been princess of the fire giants, so to hear someone on Midgard call her that seemed especially strange.
"It's Elle."
Heimdall took a long swig of his drink. "You and I both know that is not true."
Elle chuckled and rolled her eyes. Heimdall, as well as Lady Frigg, had treated her with nothing but the utmost respect since she'd arrived. In the past month, they'd made her more welcome than she ever had been back at her father's court. Even so, the idea that someone would recognize her still made her nervous- and calling her Lady was one small step closer to being possibly recognized.
Heimdall squeezed her hand and winked at her. "Don't worry, your secret is safe."
"What secret?" a deep voice rumbled behind her.
Elle turned at the sound, and her skin warmed as she pulled her hand from Heimdall's grip. Her gaze traveled from Thor's handsome, chiseled face to his fathomless eyes. Unlike the night before, he was clean-shaven, and the faint scent of soap and cologne wafted off him instead of ozone and electricity.
She shivered at the delicious mixture.
"Thor," said Heimdall, "I can't remember the last time you set foot in Midgard. Should I be afraid for my job?"
Thor moved around Elle, his body brushing up against hers and making a pulse of heat rush through her. He sat in the booth opposite Heimdall and stole a swig of beer.
"Buy your own." Heimdall pulled the stein back across the table.
A table down the row broke out into cheers and banging on the table for several minutes as they high-fived and gulped down all their drinks. She looked at the table, calculating how many more pints she would need to bring them, and then looked back at Thor.
"Would you like a beer?"
"Please, Elle."
She looked up at his use of her name. Her heartbeat quickened at his smile. She retreated to the bar, trying to slow her racing heart. He’d found her. She’d hoped he would, but the fact that he was really there brought up mixed emotions.
Val had given her almost an hour-long lecture when they’d gotten back from Frigg’s the night before. All about what would happen if Thor found out her identity.
Elle chewed the skin around her nails as she waited for Val to finish filling other orders. Confusion swirled inside her. She'd never felt so... strange before. In Thor’s presence, the tumultuous fusion of scorching heat and bone-chilling cold burned her. Despite being raised to conceal herself, to exist in the shadows without a voice, an indescribable force robbed her of speech whenever she crossed paths with Thor. Was it the dread of his discovering her as the offspring of his eternal adversary, or something far deeper? If he’d shown up a minute earlier, he would have heard Heimdall call her ‘Lady’, and then what would have happened? She wouldn’t be able to hide from him forever, but the idea of him looking at her with rage and hatred made her gut twist. When that happened, would she even still be able to keep working for Frigg, or would he insist she be sent away? Or worse, would he tell her father where she was?
"What's wrong?" Val startled her, making her jump.
"Uh... nothing." Elle bit her thumb.
