"Where are we going, honey?" Aidan's mom asked as she hurried to the door. She paused in the doorway, waiting for an answer.
And got none. Aidan was stumped. "I . . . I guess I hadn't thought about where we could go. I was concentrating too much on the research." Aidan looked at me, and a blush of embarrassment stained his cheeks as he scrubbed his fingers through his hair. "Maybe we could take them to Craven. Father would never think to look for them there."
"No. Not Craven. We need to take them to Asgard," I said firmly.
"What? Why?" Aidan asked, his voice strained and almost confrontational. Of course, he wouldn’t like the idea. It would mean revealing a whole lot more to his mother and sister than he had ever been prepared to.
"Can you think of any other way that wouldn't endanger whomever they stayed with?" I asked. I stared straight at his face, refusing to give him the chance to look away.
And he caved. "Fine. Then we'd better be quick about it." Aidan looked at his mom, who still stood in the doorway, confusion and a little fear darkening her eyes. She hesitated then hurried off.
Meanwhile, Aidan began opening the built-in cupboards that lined one wall of the room. At last, he found a large gym bag, which he threw on the bed. "Ens, is there anything you want to take with you in particular?"
"My violin," she answered, pointing at the case that sat on another chair near the door. I moved to fetch it when Enya let out a soft rush of laughter. "Aidan, are you packing my underwear? Oh dear. This is too funny."
Aidan and I both laughed with her. "Well, Ens, they won't pack themselves will they?" She stuck her tongue out at him and sat back as he stuffed clothes and toiletries into the bag.
It only took his mother a few minutes to return, and by that time, Enya's bag and violin were ready for the trip.
"Right, I'm all set too," his mom announced as she strode into the room. "Let's go then." With that, she strode to the open door, peeked behind it, and withdrew a wheelchair, which she rolled over to Enya. I watched, surprised, as mother and son helped Enya into the chair. I hadn’t realized she was that frail. It didn’t make any sense, either. Why would a Jotunn be so weak? What was wrong with her that her physical body seemed ready to fall apart?
Aidan's mom pushed his sister out the door and I was thankful I had a moment to talk to him in private. "We have a problem."
"What's that?"
"Getting them out of here isn't going to be as easy as you think."
"Why?" Aidan frowned and came to a stop.
I turned to him. "The guard outside? You know, the big muscled dude?"
"Yeah, that's Gus."
"Well, Gus the guard dog is also Gus the frost giant." I let that revelation settle on him, watching his features go from disbelief to shock to confusion then shock again.
"What? How do you know that?"
"I can see through his glamor."
"How come I can't see him then? I thought einherjar could see through glamor too?"
"I don't know. How long has he been with your father? Maybe there is some type of spell or something that prevents you from seeing it. I’m assuming humans can't see through glamor at all, but surely you should’ve been able to see it now that you’re a Warrior?" I couldn’t figure it out and regretted the words as soon as they were out.
"He's been here for a while. The last time I saw him was when I left Craven. And yes, you’re right. How come I can't see through the glamor? Maybe Loki fiddled with his glamor so I can’t see the real Gus? Loki is known for his magic, right?"
I nodded, not wanting to get into any deeper discussions. "So any suggestions on getting the guard away from the entrance?" I asked. "Unless you want me to fight him?" I offered but I didn't really want to fight him right now. I was still recovering and I still felt vulnerable without my wings. I had my weapons, but I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
"I have an idea," he said as we entered the main room and made for the doors. The two women waited at the top of the stairs beside an elevator I hadn’t noticed on my way upstairs earlier. "Let's get downstairs. Mom, you, Enya and Bryn wait in the study. I'll tell Gus he has a call from Father and to take it in the kitchen. As soon as he gets to the kitchen, you get out the door. I’ll bring the car around"
A car? Good plan. I’d forgotten for a moment this was his house.
We were about to enter the elevator when a high-pitched voice drifted to us from behind. Aidan and his mother both flinched. I was still carrying the bags and threw a quick glamor over them as I turned to face the oncoming woman.
A housekeeper. A Jotunn too. More of them? I flicked a glance at Aidan and raised an eyebrow, hoping he’d get my meaning. His eyebrows almost met his hairline in shock, his eyes asking "her too?" I nodded, then turned back to the woman and smiled. The woman’s face was red, almost angry. Guard dog almost failing to guard.
"Hello, Gretchen, I was about to ring you," said Aidan’s mom.
The housekeeper looked slightly startled having had her scolding halted. She took a breath and smoothed her hands down her apron. "How can I be of assistance, Mrs. Lee?"
"We need tea in the front room please, Gretchen. My son has come to visit and brought his delightful girlfriend with him." With both my hands occupied by glamored bags, Aidan had to settle for sliding an arm around me and kissing my temple most lovingly.
"Hello, Gretchen."
"Aidan." She sniffed. "You look far too thin. You have not been taking care of yourself." Beneath the glamor, the Jotunn’s eyes flitted from Aidan’s face to mine but seemed satisfied enough by our story. If they knew he’d died, then they would also know he was einherjar. And they’d also know about us. So as Aidan’s girlfriend went, I fit the bill. Perhaps she was looking for wings. But my gut told me it was safe. She wasn’t about to turn into a towering giant just yet.
"Okay. You go to the front room and I will make you something exquisitely delicious." She smiled although I wasn’t so sure it reached her eyes.
"Can I have some of your lovely butter biscuits?" Aidan asked.
"Then you can’t be rushing off anywhere. You know how long it takes to prepare."
"Not going anywhere in a hurry. I just got home to visit Mom and Enya." She seemed satisfied and waddled off down the stairs as Aidan led his mother and sister into the elevator.
When the doors closed we walked down to wait for them, then gathered just inside the entrance doors. So close but yet so far.
"Gretchen will be about forty-five minutes preparing that food," said Aidan.
"Good. Will she be in the kitchen at the same time as Gus takes your call?" I asked. Aidan nodded. "Maybe you should call, pretending to be your dad, to make it sound more real," I suggested.
"Yes, good idea. That should stall him a little longer and buy us some time." Aidan fished his cell phone from his pocket and pointed at the door nearest the entrance. "You guys had better get inside there."
Weighed down with the bags, I followed his mom as she shoved the front room door open and pushed the wheelchair inside. I closed the door behind me and placed an ear to the wood. Outside, the house-phone began to ring. He rushed off, his footsteps disappearing in the distance. Soon the phone ceased its ringing and Aidan returned to the door, opened it. "Hey, Gus. My father’s on the phone for you."
A pregnant pause. My heart jumped into my throat. What if he questioned Aidan? How did Dr. Lee usually communicate with Gus? I clenched my fists to calm myself down. Beside me, Aidan's mom and sister waited in equally strained silence.
"Thank you, Mr. Lee," Gus said as he stepped inside the house.
"You can take it in the kitchen," Aidan said.
"Thank you, sir." Gus's heavy footsteps thumped away from us and disappeared. As soon as the footsteps stopped, I flung open the study door. I rushed to open the front door and we all trooped outside. Aidan’s mom pushed the wheelchair straight out onto the ramp that ran beside the stairs. She pushed the chair across the gravel a few feet; not an easy ride for either the chair or its passenger. Enya endure the jostling in silence. Aidan drove up slowly, the black Jaguar humming a little too loudly for my own comfort. He jumped out and swung Enya from the chair into the back seat. I threw the bags in the trunk while he helped his mother with the wheelchair. I jumped in the passenger seat and shut my door just as Aidan and his mother closed theirs. It felt like an eternity as we drove off down the driveway. Within seconds, we came to a halt in front of the gates, which were slowly opening. I glanced at Aidan who pointed at the remote on his sun visor. We sped out the gates and down the road. I sighed, relieved they were all safe and we didn't have to fight off the Frost Giant duo.
We made it to the Bifrost without incident and dumped the car a block away from the park. My fears of whether the bridge could handle a wheelchair were unfounded as the chair and its very flushed occupant arrived safely in Asgard.
"Oh, my goodness," said Aidan's mother, taking in the fire blazing in the large pit in the middle of the Transport Room.
I smiled as I walked out of the room and headed for Odin's hall. Aidan had some explaining to do.