Chapter 3
Eyvor was sleeping when her phone rang. She was only half-awake, but she answered it because only two people called her: her landlady and Jake. “Hallo?”
“Wake up, gota de sangre.”
“I answered the phone, didn’t I? What is it? Your old bird bothering you?”
“I need you to watch Steven.” Eyvor sat up, rubbing her eyes and turning on the lamp next to her bed.
“Why? What happened?”
“Some guy threatened him yesterday. And there was a jackal at the museum.”
“A what?”
“Some big dog, gota de sangre. We had to handle it. It’ll blow back on ‘im.”
“I can cover for him? Keep an eye on him? Where are you?”
“Goin’ back to his apartment.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“How?”
“I’ll find a way, okay? He’s important to you, so he’s important to me. Let me do this.”
“He takes the bus t’ the museum.”
“I’ll be there.” Eyvor was already getting dressed, only stumbling a little as she yawned and got dressed. “You protect him, Jake. I’ll protect you.”
“Gracias, pequeña gota.”
“Yeah, yeah, try to sleep, Lockley. You mortals need to sleep sometime , you know.”
“También te amo, rosa de sangre,” he rumbled back at her. Eyvor rolled her eyes as she hurried down the stairs, putting her own hat on her head.
“Translation?”
“No.” She snorted.
“Call me when you get the body back. I’ll handle everything.”
“Gracias.” She knew that one.
“Du er en idiot, men du er velkommen. See? I can do it too.” With that, she hung up, smiling and shaking her head as she hurried through the streets of London. She had a plan, but it was reckless, and honestly? She might have to go on the run afterwards, but Jake never asked for help, especially when it came to the others in his system. She would’ve helped anyway, but now, she was determined.
Jake had walked her past the important places for Steven and Marc, in case she had to get to them quickly and had no idea where they might be. She’d seen the fountain where Steven often talked to the street performer, the storage container/safehouse that Marc had rented out, the pet shop where Steven bought food for his fish, Gus, Steven’s apartment and work, and she already knew where Jake kept his cab. If he couldn’t protect them, he trusted her enough to do it herself, which made her feel very important and flattered. After all, she’d come to Midgard to find her purpose of protecting people; he was asking her to do just that when she knew he was capable of taking care of himself.
The museum was dark and empty, and yet, Eyvor had to get inside. So, she did exactly what she would’ve done any other time: she snuck in and raised Helheim. The back door had an old lock, and that was no problem for her to break. Once she was in, she took a deep breath in and tapped into the little bit of things that she’d gotten from her parents. It wasn’t much, but it was there. Flowers began to bloom out of seemingly nowhere, and a breeze appeared, carrying on it a haunting melody as she hummed, weaving through the halls in the opposite direction. It was weak, and it wouldn’t give her anything more than a few moments’ distraction, but that was what she was counting on. To her relief, she watched a security guard shuffle off cautiously in the direction of the humming, and she tiptoed through the museum. She hadn’t even been in here, but she came in the back, so she supposed that she was heading towards the front.
Evyor found the wall of monitors and the computers running them.
Well, she didn’t know anything about computers, but she knew they were powered by electricity, and that meant they had to be plugged in, and she knew that they stored things on them, so that meant things could be taken out of them. Was it reckless? Incredibly. But she told Jake she would cover for Steven, and this was the only way she could do it. So, before the guard started coming back, she unplugged all the computers, watching as the screens went black, and then, one in each arm, she picked up the two still-cooling black towers, and ran. Well, not actually running. She slipped back outside, the computers in each arm, and threw them into the Thames. After smashing them with her ax. And burning them in Jake’s burn barrel.
“I hope it’s enough, Jake,” she said to the empty air. She knew better than to text him. Unfortunately, Jake had to share a phone with Steven, so she didn’t dare do anything that would jeopardize the carefully-constructed veil he held between himself and the others.
She just hoped it was enough to protect Steven.
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Eyvor was sitting on the front steps of the museum when she spotted Steven Grant for the first time. It was interesting; now that she knew to look for differences, she could easily tell that this wasn’t Jake. Steven hunched his shoulders, walked with his head tipped forward, spoke in an entirely different accent (the most obvious difference, but Jake did a great impression of Steven), and his curls were all askew. Jake walked with an easy confidence but a tension in his shoulders. His voice was lower and gruffer while Steven’s was pitched higher and softer. And he smiled. Steven caught her gaze and gave her a little smile and a wave, along with a “Hello.” He was nervous, she could tell, but he was still making an effort. She wanted to pinch his cheeks like her mother used to do to her.
She got up, following him into the museum where she could eavesdrop. Yes, the toilets were destroyed; no, they didn’t know who did it yet; they were about to check the footage. Eyvor hovered just out of view, her heart slamming against her ribcage. Did it work? Did she protect Steven? She wouldn’t be able to look at Jake if she didn’t.
“What?” Steven asked.
“Someone stole the towers.”
“The what?”
“The computer towers. They hold all the security footage. I upload them first thing. They’re gone.”
“Gone?”
“Look, Scotty, I gotta go report this. You said you knew somethin’ about all this?”
“It’s–it’s Steven. And, yeah, mate, I do.”
No, no, no, Steven. What are you doing?
“Come with me then, because I gotta report this.”
“Right. Lead on, then.”
No, no, no, he was going to get himself in trouble. What did she do? What–
“Mr. Grant?” she called, and she winced immediately.
Jake was going to kill her. He didn’t want her involved in Marc and Steven’s lives.
“Yes?”
“Hi, I’m so sorry. You’re obviously busy. There’s a bit of a situation, and you weren’t at your apartment.”
“I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“No.” She could picture Jake rolling his eyes at her right now, but she had to protect Steven. He’d asked her to do it. She had to. “My name–” She panicked. “Is Evin Lockley.”
Faen . Jake was going to kill her and laugh while doing it.
“Pleasure.”
“Can I just speak to you privately for a moment? Outside, perhaps?”
“Right, yeah, I guess so. Be right back, J.B.”
“Yeah.” Steven followed her back outside, and she shuffled him over away from the front door, away from the people coming in and out.
“Sorry, what’s this about?”
Faen , she hadn’t thought this through. She was panicking. She didn’t have to lie this often! Come on, Eyvor. Think!
“Jake, if you don’t take the body right now,” she muttered.
“Sorry, what?”
“Nothing, I’m so sorry. It has been such a morning for me.” Den jævelen wasn’t going to help her, and she deserved it, but also, she was floundering here. The one time she needed him, and he was probably in there somewhere laughing at her. Or scowling. Probably scowling. “There was an issue with your flat. At least, we were told there was an issue?”
“With my flat? No, no problems. What were you–who said there was an issue?”
“We got a call about it–” Jake you jævelen, now is not the time to hide in the headspace!
“Saying what, exactly?”
“That there was a break-in.” She hissed under her breath. She was going to punch Jake later. Right in the mouth. Or she would hide his hat.
“What? Have you phoned the police?”
“Yes, and they couldn’t find anything, but they need you back there to make sure that everything is secure and nothing is missing.”
“Right, yeah, I can do that. Um, right now?”
“Please? They’re waiting for you.”
“Right. I guess so, yeah. Lead the way then.” They started walking, and Eyvor’s heart was pounding. “Haven’t seen you round the building before.”
“Yeah, I’m new.”
“Not from ‘round here, then?”
“No. I’ve been in town for a while, but I’m not from here.”
“Well, wish we could’ve met under better circumstances, Miss Lockley.”
“Evin. Please.” Jake was going to absolutely hang this over her head forever unless he killed her.
“Well, I’m Steven. With a V. But you knew that already.”
“I did,” she answered with a smile. He was so sweet. She hated having to lie to him. They were two blocks away when his eyes rolled back in his head, and Jake’s scowl showed up on his face. “Oh, so now you show up?”
“What was that back there, gotita? Where’d the name come from?”
“I don’t have a last name! We don’t use those in Asgard! I panicked, okay? You can kill me for it later, but I did what you asked. We can’t keep Steven from talking to them, though.”
“He found Marc’s key and phone.” Eyvor snapped her head over to look at him.
“He what?”
“He noticed Gus, and he found the phone and turned it on.”
“Uh oh. Jake, I’m not fighting a semi-ex-wife for you.”
“What about for Steven?” Eyvor sighed.
“That’s a low blow. He’s sweet. I like him. But Jake, if he found it, he’s as stubborn as you are, from what you’ve told me. He’s going to keep looking. Maybe you should let him find it. It might help.”
“Help what, gotita?”
“You said Marc and Steven have been swapping more, right? That it’s causing problems? Marc’s stressed and Steven’s confused, but you’re left to juggle the mess. Maybe–I don’t know anything about this entire thing, but maybe it’ll help all three of you settle a bit?”
“‘Settle?’” he echoed, sounding a bit upset.
“I’m worried about you, Jake,” Eyvor admitted with a shrug. “You’re always tense, and with Marc gallivanting while Steven’s asleep and Steven working while Marc’s asleep and you waiting for something to happen when you need to step in, has your body gotten any actual rest? Have any of you?”
“I’m fine.”
“I know,” Eyvor replied, sighing a bit and lowering her voice as they walked to Steven’s apartment together. “I know you don’t like moments of perceived weakness. You know I don’t think that, right? We’re friends. You’re the only one I’ve got. I just don’t want anything happening to you.” Jake stuffed his hands deep into his pockets, staring ahead of them.
“Yo también me preocupo por ti, rosa de sangre.” Eyvor sighed.
“Just–think about it? We can make a cover story to Steven, that we searched the place and everything was fine, but I gave him my number to call me if something happened or if he just wanted to talk? I’ll even–I’ll leave a sticky note at his place. It may not be a bad thing, Jake. Think about it, okay? I won’t push you.”
“Lo sé.”
They didn’t say another word until they got back to Steven’s place, which was, of course, empty. Eyvor wrote her phone number on a sticky note and stuck it on Gus’s fish tank, and Jake put her number into Steven’s phone under “Evin.” With their story straight, Jake nearly pushed her out the door and gave Steven back the body. She was already running down the stairs and out in the street by the time Steven had oriented himself again.
Well, she’d done all she could. Jake obviously wasn’t mad at her, more stressed than anything. And if Steven wanted her help, all he had to do was ask.