12
Honolulu, Hawaii
September 1941
Alva slunk along the side street as she made her way toward the military compound. Thankfully, Hawaii wasn’t all fences and privacy. Instead, the landscaping was vibrant. Sloping, grass-covered hills dotted with palm trees spread out in front of her. Bright-red ginger plants, yellow clusters of small flowers, and beautiful, pale blue violets with pink stars gracing their centers added a variety of colors among the deep-green bushes and large tree ferns growing in manicured beds.
With haste, she sped across the military grounds of Fort Shafter toward the temporary information center where Bernard was supposed to be, her long skirt swishing around her legs. Making her way down a long row of palm trees, she glanced into every window on this side of the building, trying to see if he was inside. Hiding near a thick palm trunk, she caught sight of him looking through the top drawer of a filing cabinet. He pulled out a single piece of paper, folded it, and tucked it into the pocket inside his jacket.
He disappeared, transporting a few mere seconds before two men entered the room and sat at the table. She made her way back to the beginning of the palm trees and continued to stare at the large concrete-block building from across the street. History-changing Bernard should be here any moment, and all she could do was wait for him to make his move. Her plan was simple. Watch where he came from, then, once he was inside the building, make sure he couldn’t complete his self-assigned mission.
Fifteen minutes turned to thirty, and then an hour passed. Her legs were aching from not moving, and her lower back cramped. She laid her hands against the waistband of her skirt, kneaded the small of her back, then stretched. Several vertebrae popped, sending instant relief flooding through her body. Pressing her fingertips against her closed lids, she found little relief from her dry, gritty eyes. Staring at the same place for so long had taken its toll. A cold chill traveled down the bark covering her back, and her eyelids snapped open, the discomfort forgotten.
A rushing of air overhead drew her attention, the familiar sensation from an incoming transport, and she knew history-changing Bernard was arriving. Knowing she had only a few minutes before he appeared, she raced across the street and into the building. With each step, an idea took hold. About halfway down the long corridor, she ducked into one of the offices. The room was empty.
Closing her eyes, she reached out to Freyja on their mental path. My lady, I need a disguise. Nothing elaborate, just enough that Bernard doesn’t recognize me. Peeking around the door frame, she watched through one of the office windows across from her as this Bernard emerged from the small grove of trees next to the building. His gaze moved along the perimeter before he turned and disappeared around the corner. A few seconds later, the front door opened and then closed.
She held her breath, hoping the distance for the goddess’s magic wasn’t too great. A tingling began on top of her head, then shivered down her body. It wasn’t an uncomfortable or painful feeling, more like a feather brushing over her skin, leaving a tickling sensation.
She looked down, her arms raising outward, and stared in amazement. Her clothing had changed from her favorite, green-cotton skirt and white blouse to the tan uniform of an American female pilot. Patting her lower back where the outline of her tail should be, the flat expanse underneath forced a loud sigh through her lips. Her tail was gone. How was that even possible? Only true love and marriage could remove her tail and back bark.
Freyja, how did you take away my tail?
It’s an illusion only, little one—and very temporary, so you cannot waste any time.
The sound of boots filled her ears, and she wanted to crawl through the window as anxiety made her insides quiver. Only a couple more steps and she would see him. Her breathing hitched. Forcing out a long breath, she hunched her shoulders and lowered her head enough that her only view was the hall floor and about a foot up the wall. One, two... A boot appeared just past the door frame, followed by a leg. With a final prayer this was Bernard, she lunged through the doorway. Hoping she had timed it right, her head and left shoulder hit whoever it was with a solid thunk.
She felt herself falling forward, then jerked to a stop when the man fell into the far wall and slid to the floor. Too late, she realized she couldn’t slow her own momentum, and she barreled into him, her face slamming into his very muscular chest. A sharp burst of pain exploded inside her head and her nose felt like it had been smashed into her face.
Strong hands held on to her waist and pulled her down on top of him. She laid still, catching her breath and willing the pain in her head to lessen. Huldra, like Elves, healed fast, and the throbbing along the bony arch of her nose and behind her eyes lessened in only a few seconds.
Unfortunately, his hands still wrapped around her rib cage and his thumbs teased the underside of her breasts. Her breath caught in her throat, and she closed her eyes, a low groan slipping from her lips as she fought the urge to raise her gaze and look at the man she had fallen so in love with.
Give me strength...she prayed. No sooner had she thought the last word than a subtle boost filled her body. Her inner trembling calmed, and she was able to breathe easier as the tumultuous emotions rioting inside her eased. As she was about to thank Freyja, a sensation of heat warmed the skin over her hip, and she realized it hadn’t been Freyja who’d helped her, but the topaz gem.
Thank you, my friend, although I really need to know your name.Alva felt the stone grow colder, giving her a feeling of sadness, loneliness. You don’t have a name, do you? She thought a moment, remembering the brilliant blue light that had given her back hope while in the dungeon cell. I will call you ljómi. She over-pronounced the ancient Norse name, yoh mee, emphasizing the second syllable as she’d overheard one of the Valkyrie do after learning the name had belonged to a beloved Valkyrie, whose death was still sung about in the halls of Valhalla.
The name means radiance. You gave me hope when I so desperately needed it. Giving you a beautiful name is such a small gift, but it’s all I have to give you.The stone burst into a soothing warmth against her skin, filling her with such contentment, she almost forgot her goal.
She forced herself to remember the job at hand. “I am so sorry,” she muttered and began disentangling herself from Bernard.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She kept her head facing the floor, her curly black hair falling over her face. She hoped it was enough that he wouldn’t recognize her. Just in case, though, she scooted backward, thankful he still lay in the middle of the hall.
Suddenly, he sat up and held out his hand. “Here, let me help you up,” he offered.
Keeping her head down, she reached out and laid her hand on his. Her palm tingled from the contact. Callouses covered the inner knuckles at the base of his fingers, and his warmth seeped through her chilled skin. With a forceful grip, she commanded her legs to hold her as she stood.
“Thank you,” she said in a low voice before darting around him and all but running through the front door. With a quick jog to the left, she rushed through the circle of trees and made her way to the last office where the two men were. Bernard arrived, and she listened to their conversation. When she heard the sliding of the metal drawer and a man’s exclamation that the original missive was not there, she smiled. Bernard had done it. He had fixed this part of history.
Holding out her hands in front of her, she was amazed at the way they trembled. She shook them, willing her nerves to disappear, but she knew better. Being around Bernard and knowing how much he still loved and missed his wife and children was torture for her.
She pulled out the topaz from her pocket and cradled it in her palms, rubbing the pad of her thumb over the smooth, blue surface. “I’m in so much trouble, ljómi. I love him so much, but my heart is breaking.” A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and trickled down her cheek. “I know he will never see me, much less love me, but I can’t help wondering about the ‘what ifs,’ you know?”
The inner stone lit up like a beacon, the brightness increasing until she had to squint. Only a second passed before the light dimmed, returning to its normal soft glow. Through Alva’s palms, a soothing warmth spread, moving up her arms and surrounding her shoulders and core like a hug before settling around her heart.
Her eyes widened, and she smiled. “You are truly amazing, you know that? Thank you for making me feel better. Now, if you could only transport me to where Bernard is—the man fixing history, not rewriting history.” The stone blinked twice more. “I wish you spoke in real words because it’s difficult to figure out what you’re talking about by blinking your light. Now, if your answer is yes, blink once. If it’s no, blink twice. Is that possible?” The stone blinked once.