Chapter Seventeen

Natasha

Natasha loved the warm days on Jaegar. The Jaegarian sun burned bright and hot, unlike Andromeda’s dying sun. Birgitta liked to sit outside and bask in sunshine and Natasha was only too happy to join her. They sat in the morning sunshine, talking about their childhoods and lives. Spending time with Birgitta made Natasha forget about missing her home and her colleagues.

Just as they were about to head in to have lunch, one of Birgitta’s attendants brought her a transmitter. The device was a small screen that crackled with static until Birgitta adjusted the controls.

“It looks like it’s Thorsen,” she said. “My eldest son.”

Natasha expected an image to fill the screen but Thorsen didn’t appear. Only his voice came through the transmission. His speech was terse and clipped, and he spoke as if he were eager to keep the conversation with his mother short.

“You’re doing well, darling?” Birgitta asked.

“No different than last week when we spoke three times.”

“I wanted to know if you’d given any thought to coming home for Ragnar and Natasha’s nuptials.”

“I’m too busy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Thorsen. You have dozens of underlings who you can have stand in for you. This is your brother’s Tidings.”

Natasha didn’t want to say a word. She felt awkward listening in on a private conversation. Thorsen might not be able to see that she was sitting right there. Making a move to get up, she stopped when Birgitta made a motion for her to remain.

“I’m sure Ragnar and his mate will be too focused on each other to notice that I’m not there.”

Natasha thought she detected a bitterness in his tone. Ragnar seemed close with Gunnar and spoke highly of all his family. Was there a rift between him and Thorsen?

“Everyone will notice you’re not there, Thorsen,” said Birgitta. “Especially your ailing mother.”

Birgitta punctuated her words with a well-timed bout of coughing. She looked over at Natasha and winked. Natasha covered her mouth to hold back her small murmur of surprise.

“I’ll do what I can,” Thorsen said, this time more gently. “But I make no promises.”

“That’s music to my ears,” Birgitta said. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“I never said-”

“What? Are you there? I think I’m losing you.” Birgitta pressed a button on the side of the transmitter and shrugged, giving Natasha a look of exaggerated innocence. “We must have had a bad connection.”

Natasha laughed softly and poured herself a cup of the herbal tisane Birgitta drank every morning with her breakfast. “Why doesn’t he want to come? Is there a quarrel between him and his brothers?”

“Thorsen was in a mining accident and has some scarring. He doesn’t like to come back to Jaegar if he can help it. The fact that his younger brother has found his mate doesn’t help matters.”

“I see,” Natasha said. She couldn’t ignore the twinge of sadness she felt.

“Don’t let him bother you, darling,” Birgitta said. “He’s a prickly and impossible man. It’s because he doesn’t have a mate. Women civilize men.”

Natasha smiled. “You think so?”

“Of course, they do.” Birgitta poured herself a cup of the herbal infusion.

“I hope you’re right. I’ve seen Ragnar in his wolf form and it frightened me.”

Birgitta was about to respond when the transmitter chimed. She smiled at Natasha. “This is a call from one of your people. My friend, Paula.”

She answered the call and the screen was filled with an image of a lovely Nymph, smiling serenely. “Good morning, Your Highness.”

Natasha hadn’t heard anyone call Birgitta that before. It shocked her to see a Nymph on the transistor and to hear the woman speak to Birgitta in such a deferential tone. The Nymph bowed her head.

“Good morning, Paula. How are things on Cresenta?”

“Very well. We thank you for your generosity.”

Birgitta waved a dismissive hand. “It’s nothing.”

“We have so few needs. A little goes a long way and on behalf of the Maidens and Nymphs of Cresenta, we thank you for your kind donation.”

Natasha rose and moved to the seat beside Birgitta. She couldn’t help herself. It was as if she were drawn to a magnetic force.

The Nymph turned her lovely gaze to her and nodded. “Natasha Petrov.”

“Who are you? How do you know me?”

“I am Paula. Lead Nymph of Cresenta. We are a little-known outpost. A group of cast-off Andromedins.”

“I’ve never heard of you,” Natasha whispered. “How is that possible?”

“They are a secret sect,” Birgitta said. “They offer asylum to failed Nymphs and misfit Maidens.”

Natasha could hardly comprehend what she was hearing. Failed Nymphs were rejected by their husbands and sent off. Where they were sent to, Natasha had never asked. Misfit Maidens lived in obscurity, doing menial jobs and Natasha had to admit, she knew little about them either. Such things were rarely, if ever, spoken of on Andromeda.

Paula spoke. “Our group got their start by Nymphs who couldn’t provide their husbands offspring. After a few months, we took in Maidens who hadn’t conformed to expectations.”

Natasha listened in disbelief and recalled a childhood story, a fairy tale about a girl who refused to conform and was cast out and left to the wolves. She shivered with the memory.

“We exist because of Birgitta’s benevolence as well as the contributions of a few others,” Paula explained.

A distant memory swirled in Natasha’s mind. A proposal that surfaced now and again, for how to deal with certain Andromedins who didn’t fit in. The plan some had suggested offered ideas for how to quietly dispose of the misfits. The notion was too awful to imagine and she’d never given the talk any credence. Major Sebastian and her cohorts had formulated the most recent rendition of the plan but quickly abandoned the idea. Sebastian was far too shrewd a politician to put her name on an unpopular effort.

Birgitta brushed her hand over the device’s screen and sighed. “This is my pet project. I know you always wanted to start a mentorship program, Natasha. My hope is that you’ll help me with the Cresenta outpost.”

Paula turned her attention to gaze at Natasha, making her shift uncomfortably.

“You’re hardly a Maiden anymore,” she murmured. “I’ve never seen one of your kind blossom into a Nymph.”

“I’m not really certain what I am,” Natasha replied. “I wondered what would happen if I returned to Andromeda.”

Paula shook her head. “Our kind doesn’t tolerate oddities. They’d kill you instantly.”

“You don’t know that,” Natasha snapped. Despite her angry reply, a feeling of icy dread filled her chest. What if that was what had happened to Elise? Her heart thudded heavily.

“I advise you in the strongest possible terms not to return to your people,” Paula said quietly.

Her words struck Natasha as not only shocking but unseemly as well. Nymphs weren’t known for having strong opinions on anything outside childrearing and homemaking skills. This woman dared to speak to her as if they were equals. Such a thing would never happen on Andromeda. Never.

“You speak your mind freely,” Natasha said, her tone sharp.

“I do. I am a widow. I answer to no man or woman. Not even Maidens.”

Birgitta sighed again. “Paula’s a tough one. I’ve tried to get her to let Thorsen pay her a visit, but she wants nothing to do with my son, or any man.”

A flash of worry flitted across the woman’s eyes. “The fewer who know of our community, the better. The last person I would want to have visit Cresenta is a wolf-shifter. No offense, to your sons, Your Highness.”

“Too late,” Birgitta replied in a playful tone. “I’m already offended. May I remind you that I’m trying to convince Natasha to stay? I have plans that involve marrying her to one of my sons.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “So, try not to make her more afraid of men shifting into wolves.”

Paula’s lips curved into a smile and she nodded. “I wish you all the happiness, Natasha. Should you decide to stay, I hope you are blessed with a large and happy family.”

Was that a barb? It was hard to say. Nymphs prided themselves on their fertility. Paula’s pride had to have been dealt quite a blow when she couldn’t conceive. Was her hope for Natasha to have a large family a thinly veiled insult? It was hard to say.

“Thank you,” Natasha said. She wasn’t sure what she thought of the prospect of having or not having children. The idea was so foreign and odd to her, but she knew Ragnar wanted children. How would it feel to be unable to give him a child? What were the chances of being fertile? The short conversation with Paula left her feeling exhausted and defeated.

“Promise you’ll come visit if I manage to get this girl married?” Birgitta implored.

Paula smiled again, only this time it was a sad smile. “I’ll do my best.”

Birgitta bid her farewell and turned off the transmitter. “I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s one of my favorite people and I’m sure you’ll be as excited as I am to help that little, plucky group of misfits.”

Natasha nodded, but didn’t reply. Her heart felt suddenly heavy and filled with foreboding.