Loki's Game (15 page)

She had a point, damn her. As much as it pained him to do so, Rowan loosened his grip on the book and let her slide it out of his hand. He knew she had to take it back. He only hoped she was as good an actress as she needed to be to get the ruse past the ultimate joker. Letting the book fall away, he wrapped his arms around her body and laid his head against her chest, pressing his ear to her skin to listen to her heartbeat. Strong and healthy. He only hoped he could keep it that way.

Chapter Thirteen

The gallery was bustling. Interns skittered from one end of the cavernous room to the other, sorting, repositioning, and squabbling over the general placement of items. With three days to go, the final shipments of restored pieces had arrived, and the rush toward the details was on. The scarcely-contained chaos was a nice change from the relative isolation of Loki’s home. At least here she could feel the small swell of pride that came with a job well done. The show looked promising. She only hoped Loki would stay gone long enough to get setup finished.

No such luck.

As Lily settled herself into a corner and began to work on proper angling, Loki appeared on the opposite side of the room. His gaze immediately locked onto her. Lily’s blood iced over, and despite the smile on his face she could see cold cruelty dancing in his eyes. The stolen book weighed heavily in the bag still slung around her body. Could he sense its presence?

That was ridiculous, yet as he ended his conversation and started toward her, Lily wasn’t so sure. She tried to force a calm face as she reached into her bag and covertly snatched the book out. She dropped it onto the stack of books sitting on the table, and started flipping through the pages of the one open in front of her.

“What’s that one?” Loki asked loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Looks like you brought it in yourself.”

“A journal or…something,” she stumbled, wrinkling her nose at the volume. “I borrowed it to read. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, sugar,” he announced, then leaned forward. His nose almost touched hers. “Did you tell him everything you know?” he hissed. “Is the stupid dog ready to do this my way yet?”

She swallowed hard, hoping her surprise was genuine. “What? Who are you talking about?”

“Don’t play stupid with me.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you’d just tell me what you’re talking about.” She turned her back to him, squeezing her eyes closed and counting to ten to calm her jangled nerves. She continued to flip through pages of the book in her hands. The old paper crackled, the spine threatening to come apart in her fingers, but even the familiar comfort of work could not erase the feeling of his icy glare from her back. “I have work to do…so if you plan to fire me, do it now.”

Loki stilled behind her, then chuckled, a low, deep rumble in his chest that sounded entirely alien. “Oh, no. I’m not letting you get away that easily.”

“Because for some stupid reason you see me as a bargaining chip.” Lily scoffed. “You’ve build this ridiculous war around all of this stuff,” she gestured to the room, “but you have no idea that I’m not one of your damn relics!” She wheeled around, stepping up into his face. “I’m not an object, Loren! I’m a person!”

Loki glared at her for another long moment before the serene, carefree face reappeared. His lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. He knew she was playing dumb, and for now it appeared he would play along.

“Well,” he started, and laid his hand over hers. His fingers were ice cold. “I need to apologize to you. I was out of line.”

Bullshit. She wanted to call him on it, bad idea as it might be. “I can’t work for you full-time,” she said instead. “Once the show is over, you’ll have to find someone else.”

“Don’t leave me, Lily,” he said, genuinely stricken. He looked almost panicked. “I will never find someone as good as you again.” The transition in his demeanor was flawless. Well-rehearsed. But with just enough surprise that a small victory cry tried to rise from her throat. “At least let me take you to lunch and attempt to talk you into staying.”

Bad idea, Lily,
she told herself. Rowan wasn’t going to like this, but she really had no way out. If things were really serious enough to be classified as a war between them, she didn’t have much choice but to play peacekeeper until she was out of the way.

“All right,” she said, “but I have work to do first, so go away.”

* * * * *

An hour and a half later, she sat across the table from Loki in a small diner. The place was worn and dingy, layered with years of hamburger grease and dust, but the people were friendly and kept to themselves. Lily felt isolated when he steered her into the corner, and now she sat trapped beneath his ever-shifting gaze. His eyes seemed to rotate colors as bright fluorescent lights flickered overhead. The room took on a surreal, nightmarish glow under the gloomy snow-day, and Loki reminded her of the swift and silent predator from the horror movies. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. Every shred of consciousness screamed at her to run far and fast.

Lily knew she wouldn’t make it to the door if she did. Loki was too smart, too fast.

“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, surprised by the steadiness in her voice. “Why even pretend to still be friends?”

“You are a great asset,” he answered, and fixed her with his needling stare. “I may not approve of your choice of…friends,” his face tightened and contorted, as if he were having a hard time holding the façade in place, “but sadly those decisions are not mine to make.” The unspoken
yet
hung between them like dead weight. Something shifted across his cheekbones, and her stomach lurched in response. “I still want you…as more than just a curator.”

“I don’t understand why.”

“You are intelligent and efficient…beautiful. I have been bewitched.”

A bark of laughter erupted from her throat. She couldn’t help it. Never in her life had she been accused of witchcraft, romantically or otherwise. “I’m sorry,” she coughed as he narrowed his gaze in irritation, “I’ve never been told that before.”

“It is the truth.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls.”

A familiar, thin smile curled his lips at their corners. “Perhaps. But what works on others seems lost on you.”

“I’m not other women.”

“Certainly not. Other women couldn’t handle so much truth with such grace.”

“So much truth?” She took a sip from her water glass. “What does that mean?”

“Don’t insult your own intelligence.” The same flash of cruelty she’d seen earlier fluttered in his visage. “You and I both know you aren’t fooled by this show. You know it isn’t friendly rivalry.”

“Are you admitting that you want him dead?”

“Now why would I admit something like that?” His voice went light, airy. Loki leaned back and crossed his hands behind his head as he stared at the grimy ceiling. Lily followed his gaze up, her heart skipping a beat when she noticed the brown splotch on the sagging tile right above her. A leak—a bad one, by the look of it…and she was in the perfect position to be creamed by that tile, should it decide to say hello to the floor.

“Because it’s easier than playing games,” she said, watching the dubiously hanging tile. He chuckled. “But I forgot…playing games is what you do best.”

“What makes you say that?”

“That’s what a trickster does.”

Loki dropped his hands and glanced around the room. When he snapped his fingers, everything around them froze.

* * * * *

She was a cheeky one, this little mortal.

She happily offered up all the proof he needed, too. It would be much easier to be himself and not continue with the human charade, yet it still seemed a shame to kill her. She was an attractive little thing, and likely great fun to take a romp with, but she was in the way…and the most precious thing in that damned dog’s eyes.

Loki needed to wait. Taking her life would be the thing to distract Rowan, to give him the upper hand. He leaned forward, his body stretching and expanding as he rested his elbows on the table and looked down at her. Her shocked, horrified expression was absolutely priceless.

“Now listen closely.” She swallowed, her throat bobbing with the effort. “The last place you want to be is in my way. I will have what is mine, one way or another.”

“W-what does that have to do with me?” Ah, the poor, doe-eyed girl was afraid at last. Rightfully so…even if she wanted to put up that strong front.

“You may think you love your noble little wolf, but do not forget the guilt of his thieving ancestors.” He watched her pulse flutter in her neck, and briefly considered how that rabbit-like beat would feel against his tongue. “I will have my ring back, and if you try to stop me, the force of the Valkyrie will not be able to save you.”

The girl hesitated, only for a moment, but it was enough. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied. She could act, he’d give her that. But her little show would only get her deeper in trouble if she didn’t put an end to it.

“Of course you do, Lily. I don’t have to explain it all to you again.” He picked up his tea glass and took a long drink. One thing the deep south had over Asgard was this. Even Mimir’s Well of Wisdom paled in comparison. “You have a choice. You can stay away from the dog, and out of my way—join me, if you wish it so. Or, you can die alongside him.”

* * * * *

Lily’s mouth fell open in horror as she stared up at his enlarged form. She wondered briefly what he really looked like without facades. The thought was quickly squelched by the more pressing ultimatum.

Join him or die? Really?

She wasn’t ready to shuffle off her mortal coil just yet, but she knew she didn’t want to turn her back on Rowan. Loren—no, Loki—would no doubt protect her and devote himself to her, at least until he tired of her. Until she grew too old to keep his ageless attention. But Rowan…every time she looked at him she saw the future reflected in his eyes. Loki was right. She did love her noble wolf.

The ring, until that moment forgotten on the chain around her neck, weighed heavily against her chest. She hadn’t asked what the ring’s power was, and she didn’t want to know now. All she knew was that it being so close to this creature was a dangerous game to play, but a powerful chip. The last place he would think to look would be on her person. At least, she hoped that was his logic.

“How long do I have to decide?” she asked. Exasperation greeted her. Good to know she could keep him on his toes.

“Twenty-four hours,” he said on a sigh. “A simple yes or no will suffice.”

“Your way or no way, right?”

He grinned, his too-straight, too-white teeth glittering in the dull diner light. “Precisely.” He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The activity in the room resumed without so much as a misstep, but Loki was nowhere to be seen. Several bills lay on the table next to his untouched plate. She could almost feel the rotation of the earth beneath her, and for several moments she was certain she would vomit.

Things like this weren’t supposed to happen to people like her. Ancient gods didn’t just stop time to make threats and then vanish in her world. Of course, men didn’t turn into wolves at will either, but she chose to ignore that facet of reality for the time being. Speaking of shape-shifting men…

Lily snatched her phone out of her purse, dialed his number, and fell apart when he answered.

* * * * *

“Lily, where are you?” Rowan asked, but the heaving sobs coming through the earpiece drowned out his words. “Babe, you have to calm down and talk to me. What happened?”

The sounds grew stifled, and after a moment, slowed. She sniffled, then coughed. “H-he…he…”

“Did he hurt you?”

A pause. “No.”

“Tell me where you are.”

“The…the café on…on 60
th
and Habersham…”

Rowan swore under his breath. “I am on my way. Is he still there?”

“No.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“I…don’t know.” She sniffled, and the sound of ice rattling in a glass echoed through the phone. When she spoke again, her voice was steadier. “He just…vanished.”

Rowan ran a red light, narrowly avoiding a collision with a recycling truck, and bit back a snarl. She was alone, a bare minimum of ten minutes away from him. Loki could come back at any time, and as anyone. The thought raced through his mind and chilled him to the core. He dropped his foot on the gas pedal, taking the corner of Calhoun Square fast enough to threaten two wheels. The car skidded on the icy road, then the treads bit and righted. Rowan exhaled heavily.

“I will be there as soon as I can,” he said. “I want you to keep talking to me.”

“About what?”

“Tell me what happened after I dropped you off at the gallery.” A car stopped to turn left in front of him, blocking his passage. He punched the steering wheel in frustration.

“Rowan…” She sounded tired.

“Please, Lily. Just keep talking. Tell me everything.”

She did. The more she talked, the steadier her voice grew. She recounted every moment up to and including Loki’s vanishing act. Rowan rounded cars on the wrong side of the road, cut down two one-way streets going the wrong way, slipped and slid on un-scraped side streets, and shot down Habersham Street at breakneck speed. The tires squealed and crunched on ice and salt as he pulled into the loading area at the shop-front and threw on his flashers, but before he could turn to open his door, Lily was in the car with her arms around his neck.