Page 11 of Drengr
Steff stoppedin front of a door and turned around to me. "He's already inside. His name is Errik and he's a friend of Njal's, so I've talked to him a few times. He's a good guy. A bit sad but I'm sure that will change now that he's got you. Remember, if you feel uncomfortable, just leave. No pressure at all. Do you want me to check on you in an hour or so?"
Her fussing was making me nervous. This had been a bad idea. Why did I have to be the first? Why couldn't I have been patient like everybody else?
I touched the spot behind my ear where the implant had been inserted. Steff had been right. I’d not felt a thing. My hearing hadn’t changed either, but according to her, I’d now be able to understand not just the Vikingar, but thousands of other alien species.
"I'll be fine," I said, putting on a brave face.
"Good, but I might knock in two hours anyway, just to satisfy my own curiosity." She shot me a cheerful grin. "This is so exciting. I hope your date goes well. And... don't mention the grass."
"What?"
She just smiled and opened the door for me, giving me a gentle nudge. I blinked, surprised by how dark the room was. When the door slid shut behind me, it was even darker, only illuminated by a few flickering candles on a table in the centre of the room. They likely weren't real candles - open fire on a spaceship seemed like a very bad idea - but I appreciated the sentiment. Steff had created a candle-lit dinner date for us.
The two chairs around a set table were unoccupied. At the back of the room, on a huge bed, sat a dark figure. I could only really see his silhouette in the darkness, but it was enough to discern that he was just as huge as Njal.
He drew in an audible breath. "Mate."
His voice was low, deep and growly. A shudder ran down my back and right into my core. If his voice, one word, could do that to me...
"I'm Holly," I said for want of anything more profound.
"I know." He slowly got up from the bed and, goodness me, he was enormous. He stepped into the light of the flickering candles, finally revealing what he looked like. His skin was the deep blue of the ocean, his hair as black as the night. He'd tied it in a bun on top of his head like a samurai warrior. His beard was much shorter than that of Njal, more stubble than hairy wildness. His eyes reflected the candlelight, a lighter blue that reminded me of a cloudless sky. On his bulging biceps, he had beautiful tattoos that looked like runes. I resisted asking him what they meant. I'd have time for that later. He only wore a pair of black shorts, held up by a wide belt to which two dagger sheaths were attached. He came armed to a date. That was so very Viking.
He held out a hand, and I only realised now that he was holding a bunch of grass. It looked like he'd walked past a meadow and ripped out a handful or two.
When I didn't react, he shook the bundle, causing a rain of grass to fall onto the floor. "I was told to bring plants. It's a ritual, right?"
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. "Yes. That's...uh...very thoughtful of you."
Errik grinned, presenting strangely pink teeth with incisors that were sharper than they should be. Were Vikingar like vampires? Did they drink blood? Would he want to bite me?
He shook the grass bouquet once more, and I finally pulled myself from my surprised stupor and stepped towards him. Up close, he was even more intimidating. He wasn't just taller; he was also a lot broader than me. His chest rippled with hard muscle. I took the grass with a smile, still trying very hard not to laugh hysterically. Our cultural differences already showed, and the date hadn't even begun properly.
Steff had thought of everything and provided a third glass of water as a makeshift vase. I arranged the grass as nicely as I could, while Errik watched with a burning intensity. I could feel his gaze on me, roaming up and down my body. I supposed it was only fair after I'd checked him out.
I wore an emerald-green blouse paired with a pair of loose linen trousers. Around my neck was the silver heart necklace I never took off. Brian had given it to me on our first anniversary, and it was the one reminder of him that I hadn't been able to let go of. Not even now that I was dating again.
Errik still stood behind one chair, still staring at me with a guarded expression. To break the silence, I asked, "How did you get here? By shuttle?"
"No, I ported right into this room. I'm not supposed to walk around the Valkyr, so this was easier. Even though I hate porting."
"Porting, is that short for teleporting? Like beaming? What does it feel like? How does it work?"
His lips curved into a smile, lighting up his entire face, all the way to his sky-blue eyes. He was gorgeous when he smiled.
"So many questions. You are very curious. I noticed that when I watched you yesterday. The other women were scared, yet you seemed curious."
I returned his smile. "I'm nosey to a fault. I always need to know how everything works. It's the teacher in me."
"Nosey? I think the translator isn't working properly. What's wrong with your nose?"
"It means being too curious. Prying. Does that make sense?"
He nodded with satisfaction. "I understand. And to answer your question, yes, it's teleporting. To me, it feels like my body melts, turning into a puddle, before it is remade back into its original shape. It's a horrible feeling. Like my organs are pushed inside out. I've been told that it feels a little different to everyone, and some of my fellow Vikingar like the sensation." Errik shuddered visibly. "Not me."
"Well, thanks for porting here. I know I should have waited until at least tomorrow, but I was curious." I laughed, aware of how often I'd used that word now. "As always. I have so many questions about you, the Vikingar, life in space, what you do for a living, if there's a connection between you and the human Vikings from our history, if you bite, if-"
"Bite?" he interrupted sharply. "Why? Do you want me to bite you? Is that a Peritan thing?"
