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Oh, they meant Orm, not Odin. "Well, he's definitely dead. It's still early days yet. Forensics isn't as fast as it looks on the TV programs. Sometimes it takes weeks to get the test results back, and my team here is quite small. When the summer dig season is over, some of the archaeologists will join me, and we'll find out more then, plus write up some papers to put out to all the right journals. So far, all we know for sure is that he was from the Viking era." With Ingrid's help, they'd managed to keep the runestone out of the news coverage, as that's the first thing Freyja and Sibyl intended to write a paper about, linking this discovery with the runestone from Erik's grave that had sent Sibyl to this site in the first place.

"We're so proud of you, darling. I knew you weren't entirely happy in medicine, but I always thought you'd find your feet while you were travelling. I never thought you'd be making historic discoveries over there!" Mum said.

Freyja's heart blossomed in her chest. After so many years feeling she was a failure, it was nice to be praised for once.

Wait...Mum had known she wasn't happy?

"Ugh, enough about dead guys. I want to hear about the hot, live ones. You never did send me any pictures," Kendall complained, dropping to her knees beside Mum's chair.

Mum shot Kendall an annoyed look. "We are all very proud of your sister. She's out there, making a name for herself, instead of chasing men every moment."

"Patients, Mum. Most of those men are my patients," Kendall said, rolling her eyes.

Even from the other side of the world, Freyja knew that was a lie. Fraternising with patients, much like necrophilia, was definitely not considered appropriate conduct for a doctor.

"You speak to your sister. I need to get dinner started," Mum declared, getting up.

Kendall slid into Mum's seat. "Right. I want to hear everything. Please don't tell me you've been so busy with the dead guy, you haven't had time for any live ones. There's no point you going all the way to Norway unless you claim some mighty Viking cock."

Odin wandered into the cafeteria, carrying a plate with a muffin topped with lingonberry jam. "Who are you speaking to?"

"Who is that?" Kendall squealed.

Freyja closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Odin, this is my sister, Kendall, video calling from Australia, on the other side of the world. She has an unhealthy obsession with men's genitals, as if she doesn't already see enough of them at work. Kendall, this is..."

"I am Odin. My mighty Viking cock belongs to Doctor Freyja Valdis, and no one else."

Freyja wanted to slide under the table in embarrassment.

Kendall let out another squeal. "You have a boyfriend? Does he always talk dirty like that? God, he's hot. Why didn't you send me pictures?"

Freyja began to tell her sister about getting snowed in, but Odin began to kiss her neck, and suddenly, Freyja realised she couldn't continue, without telling her sister everything. Gargoyles and witches and werewolves...much like Odin's private parts, they weren't something she wanted to share with her sister.

"You know what? I gotta go. You have a great week, and give everyone a hug for me. Maybe when the pandemic's over and the borders open, I'll come home again, and Odin can come with me. Meanwhile, we have work to do," Freyja said, letting the cursor hover over the END CALL button.

"But I want to see his..."

The screen went dark.

"So now it's just you and me here," Odin began.

"Is it? I know Sybil and Jorunn and their boys left with Jakop and the supplies, but I thought Astrid and Fenrir were coming back. They had to go free some more gargoyles, they said."

"She wanted to free all of them. All the men she'd cursed. But she cut out hundreds of hearts, and she said it would take more than a few days to track them down. Especially as they would be walking, instead of using magic to travel, which is apparently what they used last time. Erik wanted to conquer the whole world, and he wanted armies everywhere, ready to help him." Odin shook his head. "We should be grateful to Orm for ending his ambitions when he did. And to Astrid for freeing all the warriors he enslaved. She said she would return to winter with us, before the first snows fell, whether she had finished freeing them all or not. I promised she and Fenrir could celebrate Yule with us. And the others, if they wish it."

Freyja rose. "So it's just us here, and I've finished work for the day. Whatever shall we do?"

Odin grinned. "Well, I have a mighty Viking cock that is eager to do as you command."

"Mm, let's start with your dirty Viking mouth and those calloused Viking hands first, hmm? Then if you are lucky, I'll ride that mighty cock of yours." She'd thought his amazing stamina was part of the enchantment, but he'd since proved that he could happily go all night, even as a man. And what a man.

"I am yours to command, as always, Doctor Freyja."

She held out her hand. "How about we go to bed, then, iceman? I might have spent most of the week working on a different Viking body, but it's yours I want to get my hands on now."

Odin laughed, ignoring her outstretched hand as he scooped her up in his arms. "Then the faster I get you to bed, the sooner I will be able to grant your wish, beloved. All your wishes."

As their clothes drifted to the floor like snowflakes, Freyja took a moment to wonder if all her wishes had already come true. Then she was naked in bed with Odin, and she only had one wish – for more.

So he granted that one, too.