Nordic Fairies (Novella Series, #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

held Amanda in his arms, gazing longingly into her eyes. Rather tacky and predictable, Svala thought, with self-noted jealousy.
    She couldn’t find her friends anywhere. They were probably closer to Viggo, which meant she had to stay away from them. She should move to stand behind him, the best way to avoid being seen. But to get there, she would have to go across the room, and pass him. Since Viggo was occupied with a journalist, that shouldn’t be a problem.
    Grabbing her bag with a firm grip, she walked out into the light. She kept her eyes on Viggo, and headed for the back of the room. A row of benches stretched along the wall. At the end of the row, the light had gone out, offering the perfect hiding place. She picked up her pace and walked until Viggo was dangerously close. With a turn of his head he would spot her. Determined to make it past him, she held her breath and took a long stride toward the benches. That was when she fell.
    Somewhere in mid-fall, she realized what was happening. Her foot caught on a cord carelessly tossed over the floor, and people yelped in surprise as she lost balance. The loud murmur in the theater ceased, and garments rustled when the crowd turned to see her fall. She let go of her purse and braced herself against the hard floor with both hands.
    A man in a tuxedo came to her aid. He knelt down and helped her up. “Are you okay, Miss?” he asked.
    “ Thanks. I’m fine.” She searched for her bag while the man still held her arm.
    “ Are you sure?”
    Her eyes flickered over the floor, then stopped when she sensed him. Looking up, she meet Viggo’s gaze. He stood only a few feet away, staring straight at her. She stopped breathing, and without noticing, her eyes welled up again. The moment felt like minutes but if she had counted the seconds, she would have stopped at three. Three seconds, then Viggo broke eye contact and continued his discussion with the journalist in front of him. Svala stared at him in shock. His gaze had been blank and uninterested, annoyed even. Like she was nothing but another screaming girl, desperate for his attention.
    The man at her side studied her with concern. “Miss, are you sure you’re okay? You look a bit pale.”
    “ I’m fine,” she managed through a strained breath.
    Viggo didn’t turn to look at her again. Instead, he put his arm around Amanda and pulled her closer.
     
     

Chapter 6
     
    Svala sat next to Trym on the edge of the bed, her eyes swollen, her gaze distant. “He didn’t recognize me. Why didn’t he recognize me?”
    Trym put one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I don’t know, sweetie.” He kissed her temple. “Maybe he did. Maybe he only pretended not to.”
    She left the theatre after her embarrassing fall and texted her friends she was feeling sick and had to leave.
    “ No, he looked straight at me, and he was...” She stared into the distance. “There was nothing there. Nothing.”
    Trym hugged her tight. His silence worried her as he usually knew the right thing to say.
    “ Do you think they got to him? Could they have erased me from his memory?”
    Trym stroked her hair. “It’ll do you no good, thinking like that.”
    She grew silent. He hadn’t answered her question.
    “ Was this how it was with the two of you?” she asked.
    Their eyes met. He offered her a meek smile, then continued stroking her hair. “No.” His voice was firm. “That was very different.”
    She studied him, hoping to understand what went through his mind. Trym was the only one she knew who lost someone he loved to the Döckálfar. He didn’t like to talk about it.
    “ You would tell me, wouldn’t you?” she asked.
    “ Of course.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Try not to worry. We’ll figure out what’s going on. I mean you haven’t done anything you are not supposed to do, right? There is no reason for them to punish you.”
    Svala nodded but avoided her nightstand where she’d placed the box