Page 3 of Thorulf

Chapter One

WinterHarbor,Maine

2021

JADE JOLTED AWAKE,caught somewhere between debilitating fear and pure rage. Not at the bitch who drove her off the cliff but athim. The little black boy dragon from her nightmare. The one who did nothing to save her. Who didn’t even care.

She flung aside the blankets, swung her feet over the edge of the bed, and white-knuckled the sheets, willing away a sense of betrayal that made no sense. Or did it? Since Maya had traveled back in time and hooked up with Dagr, Jade had become more and more certain shehadbeen betrayed. And she was starting to suspect who was at the heart of it.

Thorulf.

“Bastard,” she ground out, willing away her anger. Anger that made little sense yet grew stronger by the hour. By the very minute. She padded to the bathroom and took an icy cold shower, determined to cool down her flaming hot skin. To soothe away the deep-rooted hurt she didn’t understand. Couldn't wrap her head around.

Not yet, anyway.

She’d been in Thorulf’s mind on his adventure with Maya and Dagr, so she had some sense of who the swine was. He played tricks. Games. And he played them at her expense. She was sure of it.

“It all started with my nightmare,” she whispered, certain. Convinced that somehow, some way, what had happened in that cave had to do with the here and now. With the plight she and her sisters were facing. Namely medieval Viking dragons who needed their assistance in saving humanity. Who, or so it seemed thus far, were determined to mate with them for all eternity to gain the power required to achieve that goal.

“Yet you’ve fooled them all, Thorulf,” she muttered, relishing the frigid water. “Somehow, you fooled everyone starting with me.” She shook her head. “How, though, when I don’t even know you?”

Yet her inner dragon told her she did. That his little black dragon had been part of her life for a very long time, and she was only just remembering it now. Bits and pieces, more and more. Fragments of dreams. Flashes of nightmares.

Some might argue it was only happening because Maya’s vibrational level had been so off, and she tended to keep her sisters level, but Jade knew it was more. More than just restless energy she couldn’t burn off because she wasn't filtering negativity properly. This was something else. Something beyond frustrating, swelling like a storm in her mind. Showing her glimpses of a reality she had no idea existed up until a few days ago.

She smiled in relief when thunder rumbled and shook the house. A reminder that while she was most certainly cracking up, there was still good to be found. A little something, or should she saysomeone, who made it all worth it. The god who was responsible for that thunder.

“There’s my guy.” She got out of the shower, threw on her token skimpy black shorts, fitted black t-shirt, and fuzzy bright green slippers, then headed downstairs. Usually, she opted for pink as an extra pop of color, but she was feeling one hundred percent green right now.

“There you are.” Aunt Elsie dished out the warm smile she usually reserved for Jade’s better-behaved sisters and clicked on the television. “I thought you might nap the day away.”

“Doubtful when there’s a quality storm on the horizon.” She winked at her aunt, grinned at the darkening sky, and grabbed a beer. “What are you watching?”

“I thought we might try a comedy.” Hope lit Aunt Elsie’s eyes before she must have seen the flicker of distress on Jade's face. “Or perhaps another one of those Norse comic movies you seem to like so much lately?”

“Sounds perfect.” She plunked down on the couch next to her aunt so she could watch the storm and movie at the same time.