Kri grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
William pulled two laptops out of his drawer and put them on the desk. “The questionnaires are in there. Read the instructions, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Also, if you come up with items that are missing from the questionnaire, jot them down.” He pulled out two yellow pads and put one next to each laptop. “We’ve already adapted it for immortals, but user experience is important, and you might notice things that we’ve missed.”
“Who was originally the female character? The Russian or the American?” Kri asked.
“The Russian was the female. The American spy was her lover.”
An image of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff in the Avengers movies popped into Eleanor’s mind. It would be fun if her avatar was a short, curvy redhead with killer moves.
Kri looked at her. “Do you want to flip a coin for who gets to be the American?”
“If you don’t mind, I would like to be the Russian.” She turned to William. “Does her avatar look like Scarlett Johansson in the Avengers movies?”
William shook his head. “She is a tall blond. In the next phase of tests, you’ll be able to design your own avatar.”
“That’s okay. It was just a thought. I don’t really care what my avatar looks like. I like the idea of being the hero who rescues her friend.”
Kri grimaced. “You are right. The Russian has a better part in this story. But that’s fine. I’m willing to let you be the hero for once.”
“Ouch.” That wasn’t a very friendly remark, but it was accurate.
So far, Eleanor had mostly played the villain in the story of her life, which was much better than playing the victim, but not as good as playing the hero.
It was time for her to try that on for size. She might even enjoy it.
31
David
“I love you.” Sari’s whisper woke David up.
Smiling, he opened his eyes to a clear night sky that was dotted with countless stars, and a gentle breeze that carried the smell of water and pine trees. It was the same spot he and Sari had chosen for their picnic the other day, and they were lying on the same blanket next to the lakeshore. The only thing missing was the lunch basket that Ojidu had prepared for them.
He took her hand and kissed her palm. “I love you too.”
Sari turned her face skyward. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful here at night. I’m glad that we finally have some time alone together.”
She must have been referring to when they’d been interrupted by Edna and Rufsur. David remembered them going back to her suite and making love, but he couldn’t remember what had happened after that. Evidently, they had decided to go back to the lake.
It was nighttime, though, and it wasn’t safe for them to be so far from the castle with no other immortals around. Then again, there might be a whole platoon of them hiding in the shadows.
“Aren’t you worried about wild animals?” He glanced around. “Do you have Guardians patrolling the grounds?”
She chuckled. “I have no need for them. I’m the wildest animal out here, and the predators are smart enough to know that and stay away.”
Immortal females were strong, but they didn’t have elongating fangs and venom like the males had. David doubted Sari would be able to defend them against large predators, especially if they came in packs.
As if to prove him right, a wolf howled somewhere in the distance and was answered by many more.
“I wish I was immortal already, with the strength and natural weapons that come with that.”
“You mean fangs?” She turned to him and flashed him a smile with a hint of sharp canines.
“Yes.”
He didn’t remember them being so sharp.
“You don’t need them. If you reach deep inside your soul, you will discover the fierce warrior hiding under layers upon layers of the psychological mumbo jumbo you studied and teach.”
The offensive remark didn’t fit with the image he’d constructed of Sari, but it struck a chord. He’d often felt as if most of what he’d learned was useless. Hell, he’d often felt as if everything was meaningless. What was the point of living, of planning, of struggling, and all the social posturing that people dedicated so much energy to, when it could all end in the blink of an eye like it had for Jonah?
Like it could happen to him in the next minute, or the next hour, or the next day. The best mortals could hope for was to be remembered by their loved ones.
Unless reincarnation was real, it was all so damn pointless.
At the thought, a memory of a dream surfaced. In it, he’d been a fierce warrior, a berserker, and a selfish man with an overinflated ego. That guy would have had no problem defending Sari against whatever came at her, and David couldn't help but feel a little envious of him. Being a simple brute might not be so bad. No one would have questioned Gudbrand's usefulness.
As sweat beaded on his forehead, David noted that it was surprisingly warm given the northern elevation. He felt as if he was covered with a blanket and running a fever.
Was he dreaming again? Or was this a dream within a dream?
If it was, it was a welcome change from the disturbing ones featuring the arrogant Gudbrand and his sexual obsession with the priestess of Frella.
Who the hell was Frella? Was it a variant name of Freya?
Dreams had a way of distorting things in strange ways. Why would the goddess’s name be any different?
David took Sari’s hand and put it over his chest. “I’m so glad to be here with you.”
Turning toward him, Sari propped her head on her hand. “Where else would you be?”
“I had a bad dream. I was the son of a Nordic chieftain who was obsessed with impregnating a barren priestess. It was very disturbing.”
“Was she pretty?”
Recalling the dream, David frowned. “She looked like your mother.”
“Really?” Sari’s smile morphed from pleasant to seductive. “Was she a tiny redhead?” Her voice came out in a sexy purr. “Was she an amazing lover?”
Something wasn’t right.
David scooted away. “She was very beautiful.”
“I bet. But she wasn’t more beautiful than me.” Between one blink and the next, Sari was on top of him, straddling him between her thighs and smiling evilly. “Tell me that I’m more beautiful than the priestess.” She gripped his wrists and pinned them over his head.
Something was definitely not right. He was having another damn nightmare, and it was time to wake the hell up.
Except, as much as he struggled to force himself awake, nothing happened. He was stuck in the nightmare.
David had plenty of experience with those. The only thing to do was to let it play out.
“You are much more beautiful than she was. There is no comparison.”
“Liar.” As Sari smiled, her fangs became visible, but they were not the tiny ones he remembered. They were long, sharp, and dripping venom.
Damn. It was getting worse.
Frantic to end the nightmare, David willed himself to wake up, but it was just as ineffective as trying to get his hands free from Sari’s powerful grip. It was like her hands were iron shackles banded around his wrists and nailed to the ground.