Winter Lost

“It would have been loud,” I said. Then clarified: “When the goblins were killed, it would have been loud. I’m surprised no one heard it.”

“We decided they were probably shot between the time Garmr attacked you and when we got you back to the room,” Adam said. “When no one else was in the lodge.”

“Hugo said he was sleeping when they stole the artifact from him,” I said. “I think that was when the frost giant called Garmr to attack me. He couldn’t be both Hugo and Garmr at the same time. Hugo woke up after Zane exorcised Garmr—I don’t know if that’s the right word for it. I imagine that he tracked the thieves down like you and I would.” I tapped my nose with my hand. “It wouldn’t have taken long. I wonder where he got the gun.” I paused. “Oh dear, I wonder if my brother gave it to him.”

“So Hugo was Garmr?” Adam grimaced at my nod but didn’t otherwise react. “I’ll secure the gun and we can ask Gary about it later.” He unloaded the revolver and put the bullets in his pocket and the gun in his duffel.

“I killed Hugo,” I told him. “It wasn’t murder.” It felt like it had been. I’d planned to kill him—hadn’t been able to see a way out of it. But if I’d murdered him, the spirit of the lake would have stopped me—or so Liam thought. “Self-defense.”

Adam said, “Hugo had the artifact—”

I waved my hands at him to stop his questions, gave another jaw-cracking yawn, and said, “Let me tell my part. I think if you start asking questions, I’ll start answering, and you’ll get the whole story sideways.” I yawned again.

Adam frowned at me, and I felt the tug of our mating bond and realized I still had it locked down tight so he couldn’t tell that I was just tired. I opened it—and Adam froze.

He inhaled sharply, once. Then he took two quick steps until he was standing in front of me. He put both of his hands on the sides of my face and looked into my eyes.

“Lord have mercy,” he said. His mouth opened as if he were going to say something further, but nothing came out. He closed his eyes, rested his forehead on mine—and dropped to his knees until his face was resting on my belly and his arms were tight around my hips. He was shaking.

“Adam?” I asked, more than somewhat alarmed. “Adam?”

“Zee said he’d done what he could,” Adam told me, “but he didn’t think it could be healed. He thought one day it would—all of the repairs he’d managed would just rip away.” He paused and his arms tightened. “That’s what happened, when Garmr attacked you, isn’t it? You were hurting so badly I could feel it even though you’d ratcheted down our bonds like tourniquets.”

“Sort of,” I allowed.

“And now?”

“My father is a sneaky rat bastard,” I told him. “He risked the end of the world to get my head fixed.”

Adam laughed without lifting his head. It was a soggy sort of laugh.

There was a knock at the door, and I looked up to see Elyna, her eyes soft. When she saw she had my attention, she said, “You’re having a moment. I’ll let everyone else know it will be another…” She lifted an eyebrow.

I thought of all that I had to tell Adam and said, “Ten minutes more. Maybe Liam could serve wine on our tab?”

She nodded. “I’ll tell him.” And then she strolled away.

When she was gone, Adam rose to his feet, kissed me like he meant it, and took a deep breath.

“You are fixed?”

I nodded. “Let’s sit on the bed and I’ll tell you all about my interesting day. I think I have to start with my visit with the frost giant.”

I fell asleep before I was finished with everything. Adam woke me up briefly.

“You’re fine because the spider and the spirit of the lake fixed you,” he said. “Hugo was Garmr wrapped in a human suit who thought he was real and knew he would die when the marriage took place because the Great Spell requires Garmr in a physical form. Just checking to make sure I have the whole story.”

I yawned and nodded. His version was shorter and better worded than mine was. “Been ten minutes,” I mumbled. “I’d better get up—”

He kissed me and tucked the covers around me. “Nope. Sleep. I’ll be your proxy.”

—

We gathered for the wedding just before dawn. There were still clouds in the sky, but they were softer clouds, lit by the glow of the moon. The wind was light and the snow had stopped entirely.

The bride’s dress was white trimmed in silvery lace. Rather than play down her firm muscles, the gown’s bare-shoulder-tight-to-the-waist silhouette showed off her strength. I could tell it was expensive because it also made her look delicate. And Tammy was tough because, although the storm was over, it was December in Montana and we were all outside standing beside the hot tubs. She had gooseflesh on her gooseflesh.

I’d assumed that we’d hold the wedding in front of the fireplace, where backless gowns would have been more comfortable. But the divine spirit of the lake was an important part of the magic, and no one could converse with her to make sure she could come inside the building. Liam assured us that it would be enough to hold the ceremony by the side of her lake, because that was holy ground.