like me?”
“Of course I do. You’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever met, but I don’t like you in that way.”
Her eyes welled again. “That doesn’t make any sense. Either you like me or you don’t.” She glanced Svala. “Do you like her that way?”
Viggo remained silent and Svala didn’t know what to say either. Freja stepped back, distancing herself from them both. “How long has this been going on between you? Have the two of you been making fun of me? Did you lead me on so you could laugh about how stupid I was for thinking you liked me?”
“God, no!” Viggo reached for her but she continued to back away.
“Freja, you got it all wrong,” Svala said. “Please stay. Let’s have some breakfast and talk about it. We never meant to hurt you.”
Freja stared at Svala, her face red, eyes flinty. She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No. I don’t want to talk to either of you, ever again.”
Chapter 8
1945
The humid air in Viggo’s cell hung heavy in the summer afternoon. He sat on his bunk in a lotus position and flinched as the door to the bunker yanked open, slamming hard against the stone wall. Loke sauntered down the stairs, followed by a soldier and the Döckálfar girl. Viggo got up, but kept his distance. The girl searched his gaze.
Loke walked up to the bars, and fished a red handkerchief out of his front suit pocket to wipe his face. “I’ll make you a deal.” He pushed the piece of fabric into his pocket and smiled.
“What makes you think I’m interested in making a deal with you?” Viggo asked.
Loke held Viggo’s gaze for a full five seconds, still smiling. “It’s not a matter of interest. It’s a matter of choice.”
Viggo frowned. He was sure he didn’t want to know what that meant.
“I’m offering you the opportunity to join us,” Loke said.
Viggo chortled but as Loke’s smile didn’t waver, his faded. “What? You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.”
Viggo glanced at the girl, her eyes filled with expectation. Her anticipation and Loke’s calm worried him. “It doesn’t matter. I would never join you.”
Loke studied Viggo. “I must say, Storm, I admire your stubbornness. I really do hope it’s worth it.”
“What do you...”
Viggo stopped talking as Loke raised his gun toward the girl and pulled the trigger. The bullet went through her head, right between her eyes, and the shocked expression stuck to her face as she fell to the dirty floor. A cloud of dust rose and settled around her bruised body. Her eyes remained open, and her hand fell over the soldier’s feet. He stepped aside and kicked it away with a bothered grimace. Loke turned to Viggo, waiting for his reaction, and Viggo fought against revealing his surprise.
“See, that was your choice,” Loke nodded toward the dead body.
“ My choice?”
“Yes, you had the chance to save her, and you didn’t. You’re the one who let an innocent girl die because you chose to do nothing.”
Loke’s comment proved he had no idea the girl revealed to Viggo she was a Döckálfar. She would start her life over somewhere else, hopefully somewhere better. Viggo’s gaze darted from the girl to Loke, not sure how to play this, or what the game was really all about. It still didn’t make sense that would Loke kill one of his own.
Loke approached the cell. “You see, Storm, you can’t win. Sooner or later, I will break you down, and your choice will be inevitable.”
Viggo remained calm, strengthened by his knowledge. “I don’t see how. You’ve tried everything you can think of and I’m still not the least bit tempted to join you.”
“Tempted?” Loke laughed and shook his head. “Your lot... You really have no idea do you? Don’t worry, though. In time, you’ll see. Because let’s face it, time is what we have.”
***
Present time
Washington
The studio spotlight blinded Viggo as the technician adjusted it towards the lavender love seat.
“Of course I do. You’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever met, but I don’t like you in that way.”
Her eyes welled again. “That doesn’t make any sense. Either you like me or you don’t.” She glanced Svala. “Do you like her that way?”
Viggo remained silent and Svala didn’t know what to say either. Freja stepped back, distancing herself from them both. “How long has this been going on between you? Have the two of you been making fun of me? Did you lead me on so you could laugh about how stupid I was for thinking you liked me?”
“God, no!” Viggo reached for her but she continued to back away.
“Freja, you got it all wrong,” Svala said. “Please stay. Let’s have some breakfast and talk about it. We never meant to hurt you.”
Freja stared at Svala, her face red, eyes flinty. She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No. I don’t want to talk to either of you, ever again.”
Chapter 8
1945
The humid air in Viggo’s cell hung heavy in the summer afternoon. He sat on his bunk in a lotus position and flinched as the door to the bunker yanked open, slamming hard against the stone wall. Loke sauntered down the stairs, followed by a soldier and the Döckálfar girl. Viggo got up, but kept his distance. The girl searched his gaze.
Loke walked up to the bars, and fished a red handkerchief out of his front suit pocket to wipe his face. “I’ll make you a deal.” He pushed the piece of fabric into his pocket and smiled.
“What makes you think I’m interested in making a deal with you?” Viggo asked.
Loke held Viggo’s gaze for a full five seconds, still smiling. “It’s not a matter of interest. It’s a matter of choice.”
Viggo frowned. He was sure he didn’t want to know what that meant.
“I’m offering you the opportunity to join us,” Loke said.
Viggo chortled but as Loke’s smile didn’t waver, his faded. “What? You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.”
Viggo glanced at the girl, her eyes filled with expectation. Her anticipation and Loke’s calm worried him. “It doesn’t matter. I would never join you.”
Loke studied Viggo. “I must say, Storm, I admire your stubbornness. I really do hope it’s worth it.”
“What do you...”
Viggo stopped talking as Loke raised his gun toward the girl and pulled the trigger. The bullet went through her head, right between her eyes, and the shocked expression stuck to her face as she fell to the dirty floor. A cloud of dust rose and settled around her bruised body. Her eyes remained open, and her hand fell over the soldier’s feet. He stepped aside and kicked it away with a bothered grimace. Loke turned to Viggo, waiting for his reaction, and Viggo fought against revealing his surprise.
“See, that was your choice,” Loke nodded toward the dead body.
“ My choice?”
“Yes, you had the chance to save her, and you didn’t. You’re the one who let an innocent girl die because you chose to do nothing.”
Loke’s comment proved he had no idea the girl revealed to Viggo she was a Döckálfar. She would start her life over somewhere else, hopefully somewhere better. Viggo’s gaze darted from the girl to Loke, not sure how to play this, or what the game was really all about. It still didn’t make sense that would Loke kill one of his own.
Loke approached the cell. “You see, Storm, you can’t win. Sooner or later, I will break you down, and your choice will be inevitable.”
Viggo remained calm, strengthened by his knowledge. “I don’t see how. You’ve tried everything you can think of and I’m still not the least bit tempted to join you.”
“Tempted?” Loke laughed and shook his head. “Your lot... You really have no idea do you? Don’t worry, though. In time, you’ll see. Because let’s face it, time is what we have.”
***
Present time
Washington
The studio spotlight blinded Viggo as the technician adjusted it towards the lavender love seat.
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