Perfekt Balance (The Ære Saga Book 3) by S.T. Bende

thrust out her arm, and thick fingers wrapped around my neck.
The pressure against my windpipe was immediate, and my hands fell
to my sides as I opened my mouth in a futile effort to suck in air.
Was Runa always this strong, or … oh gods. Exactly what powers did she get from
that crystal ? The
ability to port with at least one captive. Blue beams.
Super-strength…what else was she capable of? Oh gods, oh
gods. Forget gathering
intel. Forget outrunning her. I’d be lucky if I could hold off Runa
long enough to send my friends one final jeg elsker
deg .
    “What’s the matter, snowflake? Didn’t your
brother teach you how to protect yourself?” Runa taunted as she
squeezed.
    I threw my arms up and gripped Runa’s hands.
While I pulled, I wrenched from side to side in a futile effort to
relieve the pressure. The room grew hazy as my blood took a one-way
trip south. I pulled harder, fighting the grip that robbed my lungs
of air. A searing pain filled my chest as my body burned through
the last of its oxygen, and despite my pathetic struggle, it was
clear I was outmaneuvered. I let my torso go limp, dropping my
hands and using the last of my strength to push loving energy at
Runa. If I could disarm her, even for just a minute, it could give
me another chance to run.
    Or at least to breathe.
    When the
warm bubble of energy filled my heart, I pushed it forward. Runa
must have been too focused on hurting me to maintain her
defenses—the second my bubble hit her, she released her grip and
stumbled backward. Bullseye .
    I dropped to the ground, my chest heaving as
I sucked in air. When the burning began to ebb from my lungs, I
pushed myself up to run. The calculating gleam in Runa’s eyes
stopped me cold.
    “That’s what I’m talking about.” The corners
of her mouth lifted in a cold smile. “Use that little talent of
yours to find the dog. Now.”
    Regroup, Elsa. Use her. My intuition sparked, and I rubbed lightly at my neck as I
worked through my next steps. My first escape attempt had
failed—her new power meant I couldn’t outrun her.
    But there
was a chance my power could outmaneuver her.
    I took a step closer to Runa. “Fine. We’ll do
this your way. But remember, what I can do is based on energy and
feelings—it’s science, not magic. If whoever’s holding Fenrir
doesn’t want me to find him, I’m not going to be able to do
it.”
    “Stop right there.” Runa held up her hand as
I approached. “After that stunt, I don’t want you anywhere near
me.”
    I
shrugged. “Suit yourself. But this probably isn’t going to work if
you don’t let me tap into your energy. I need to use it as a cloak
to block mine, so Fenrir’s guards won’t think to keep me out. But
if finding him isn’t that important to you…”
    Runa narrowed her eyes. “I’m not welcome in
Asgard. If they don’t want you finding him, they’re not about to
let me do it.”
    “Who said they’re keeping him in Asgard? He
could be anywhere,” I pointed out.
    Runa exhaled forcibly. “Okay. But if this is
a trick, so help me, I’ll end you right here.”
    I pushed down my fear and forced an easy
smile. “If you end me, you’ve got no chance of finding him.”
    Runa stepped closer, and I braced myself for
the strike. But she didn’t hit me. Instead, she just growled.
“Hurry up.”
    I closed
my eyes, relief coursing through me. It
worked . “Give me a minute,”
I said. As I pictured the thick trunk of one of the redwoods behind
our Midgard house wrapping around me and rooting itself to the
earth, the unease I felt at Runa’s nearness ebbed. She wasn’t
attacking me in this moment, and by forcing myself into the
present, I released my fear at what she might do next.
    Besides,
it was what I was
going to do next that scared me most.
    “First, I’m going to push my energy into
yours so I can hide myself. Then, we’ll start our search. Is that
all right with you?” It was a lie. There was no way I was tricking
Fenrir’s guard