Page 18 of Her World In His Hands

Confused by the bitterness in her tone, Njord fell silent, his mind puzzled over the woman’s identity. The car suddenly swerved dangerously into the opposite lane.

“You do look like a Goddess,” he mused.

She barked out a laugh. “That is one corny pick-up line,MisterGodden!”

“Why do you keep doing that?”

“What?”

“Putting an emphasis on Mister… and I assure you, I’m not the least bit interested in any women other than Sassa!” he exclaimed indignantly.

“Areyoua God?”

“What kind of question is that?” he spluttered.

“Oh, come on, daddy dearest, don’t pretend you haven’t guessed my secret by now?”

Her words shocked him into silence. Staring at her profile he realised she held a strong resemblance to Sassa. “You can’t be my daughter.”

“Why not?”

“I put a hold on my fertility when I was with her,” he blurted out his secret.

“So youare, Njord?” She turned and met his eye.

“I am,” he confirmed.

“Then you are my father.”

“Not possible. If I were, you’d be dead by now,” he theorised, more to himself than to her.

“Rubbish!” she cried.

“Watch the damned road!” he yelled as she took the bend dangerously fast.

“I’m immortal like you and my mother,” she replied and yanked the wheel hard right.

“What the fuck!” Njord roared as the car careened across the asphalt heading fast for the opposite edge and the drop on the other side.

“Brake!” he yelled, but it was too late. They overshot the road. A sickening freefall lasted what felt like hours but was in reality perhaps a few seconds before the expensive car bounced and spun before finally crashing onto the rocks below, landing upside down on the shore of Loch Ness.

Njord clambered out from under the wreckage of the car and made his way unsteadily over to where Thor stood now fully visible. He watched as his friend knelt and felt for a pulse in the girl’s neck.

Njord stood staring down at Iona’s broken body. She’d been thrown from the car and landed heavily. Her legs stuck out at odd angles and her neck appeared to be broken. “Poor girl must have been either seriously deranged, or deluded,” he said, pity in his voice.

“She was our best lead so far. What the hell is going on?” Thor ran a hand through his hair. “We don’t even know who the woman was,” he added.

They both stared down at her in bemused silence.

“Did she just move?” Njord asked.

They watched as a leg slowly shifted then straightened. Then each of her limbs began to follow suit.

“She’s alive, but how is that possible? Unless…”

“Unless she is your daughter and immortal,” Thor finished for him.

Njord dropped to his knees beside her head. The clicking and popping sounds of the woman’s bones resetting and fitting back into their sockets were clearly audible. Placing a hand on her forehead, Njord swept back the woman’s hair and placed his palm on her forehead; she was warm. He gently caressed her unblemished skin, although the nasty flesh wounds and grazes were already healing. Blood which moments before had matted her hair dissolved as he watched. Her head slowly swivelled aligning her neck with her back. Ligaments in her spine snapped back into place.

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