Morgan's Fate (11 page)

Sif had never been the bitch Frigg was. She’d loved his father fiercely. It hadn’t been her desire to end their marriage, but Thor had loved Jeanne desperately and had left Sif when he realized Jeanne returned his feelings. The fact that she’d born a child of Frey’s, Jordan, hadn’t deterred Fred Grimm from loving the mortal with everything in him.

“Do not interfere, Sif. This is none of your affair.” Frigg’s cold snap was going to break something. Already he could feel the temperature dropping.

Sylvia winced, her pain obvious. “Frigg—”

“Enough.”

Huh. You
could
speak clearly through clenched teeth. Who knew?

Frigg had become a serious bitch now that she was no longer being fed her daily apple toddies. Frigg had, under the influence of Odin’s apples, welcomed Jeanne and Jordan with open arms, adoring the tiny Jordan as her grandchild. Now off the influence of the apples and no longer under the Old Man’s control, her true colors had come out. She despised the mortal woman Thor had married, and equally loathed their children.

It was just one more blow Jeff, Jamie and Jordan had to endure from the grandparents they’d loved so much. Morgan wanted them dead just for that alone.

“It’s okay, Sylvia. We’re just here to look for something.”

Shit. Magnus had to open his big mouth, but his brother had always had a soft spot for their father’s ex-wife. His tone was always gentle when he spoke to her. Morgan wondered if his brother would ever have the chance to claim the woman he’d wanted for centuries.

Sylvia gave him a shy, sad smile, but didn’t respond, her gaze darting once more to Frederica as she awaited her orders.

It didn’t really matter. No doubt Frigg would figure it out quickly. Her eyes were already narrowed in thought as she waved Sif back into the family room.

Morgan caught a glimpse of other people moving around inside the townhouse. Fred Grey, Jordan’s father, was there, as was his sister, Freida. That Frey and Freya were inside the Grimm house didn’t surprise him. They’d chosen to side with Frederica, no doubt due to their hatred of Logan. They should have followed Tyr when he’d thrown his allegiance to Baldur, but neither Vanir had followed their ex-leader.

He also saw Henry and Luther Grimm, the Old Man’s brothers, hefting boxes from room to room. Nadine and Sonia Grimm, Frederica’s handmaidens, were quietly talking to Sylvia. And Sydney Saeter, Logan’s ex-wife, was staring at them from the top of the steps, her perpetual look of sorrow replaced by one of surprise…and fear. Sigyn had never gotten over her love of Loki, going so far as to take his last name for her mortal name. Sif had done the same with her name, Sylvia Grimm.

If Idunn, Bragi, Njord and the others were in the house Morgan didn’t catch sight of them. He wouldn’t be surprised to find that Idunn was avoiding Frederica like the plague. As the guardian of the apples, and a Vanir, she’d be doing her best to make sure they were never again used against the Vanir. Her husband, Bragi, was more than likely by his wife’s side. The god of poetry was devoted to his spouse, despite the fact that he was Aesir and she, Vanir.

Njord had always been a bit of an outsider, but his attachment to Tyr would hopefully cause him to come down on the side of Kir.

“Sif doesn’t matter. None of them do. You and I both know what matters here, Modi.”

Yes, they did. Somewhere in this house was his father’s greatest legacy, and he had every intention of claiming it.

“It belongs to us, Frigg.” Fuck it. She insisted on calling them by their immortal names, so be it. Maybe the humans would think they were LARPing or something equally nerdy. Not that he knew any live-action role-players, but still. He’d be willing to bet the Wonder Twins did. The two tended to make friends in the oddest places.

Magnus growled, and Morgan could sense his twin’s temper rising to the surface. “Get out, Frigg.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “No.”

Magnus grinned, and it wasn’t pretty. Frigg paled at the sight of Magnus’s anger, as well she should. Magnus had been known to destroy buildings when pissed enough.

For once, Morgan wasn’t going to talk his twin down. Frigg had earned Magnus’s wrath. “We’re done here.”

Magnus grabbed hold of Frigg’s arm and tried to throw her out of the house, but the goddess resisted. She started screeching at the top of her lungs, demanding that Magnus release her.

When his twin merely pulled harder, she turned to Morgan. “Make this ignorant ass release me!”

Morgan looked at his twin and tried to hide his amusement. “Yeah, Magnus. Can’t you release her ass back into the wild?”

“I’m trying, but her wild ass won’t go!” Magnus grunted as he tugged again on Frigg’s arm.

Skye, silent up till now, giggled, earning a glare from Frigg.

Morgan turned back to Frigg and shrugged. “He’s right. You
are
wild. Getting it on with Henry and Luther all these years.” He tsk’d. “You dirty girl, you.” Behind Frigg, he saw both Luther and Henry Grimm freeze as Sif and Sigyn choked.

But the one he wanted to get to froze as well, and Magnus was able to push Frigg’s ass out of Jeanne Grimm’s home and onto the sidewalk, where she stumbled in her ridiculous high heels.

Who wore fuck-me pumps to pack up a house in the middle of the night?

“Hey! You can’t do that!” Luther was the first to come to the door, ready to defend his lover. He was followed swiftly by Henry, who looked just as pissed as his brother.

Morgan moved until he blocked the doorway, ready to defend Jeanne’s home. He didn’t want Frigg getting back into the house.

“Watch us.” Magnus’s hands were flexing, clenching and unclenching. If Henry and Luther weren’t careful, Magnus would be on them like the berserker he was. He’d fling them around like the Hulk did Loki in that superhero movie, the one Logan liked to watch so much even while he bitched about how he really wasn’t like that, and what was up with that stupid hat?

Morgan figured Logan had a thing for Captain America. The actor looked a hell of a lot like Kir, but with shorter hair and not nearly as pretty.

Morgan decided he didn’t really want to have to explain to Jeanne why they broke into her house. It would be better if the others left peacefully. He ignored the way Frigg was pounding on his back. If she thought she could hurt
him
she had a surprise coming. “I think you should all leave before Logan and Kir get here.” He had every intention of calling them and asking Logan to place wards around Jeanne’s home.

Never again would the Aesir take something of hers. Not if Morgan could stop it.

Henry and Luther both took deep breaths, exchanging worried looks. They might not fear Logan, but Kir was another matter altogether. As long as he held
Gungnir
, he held sway over all of them, whether they liked it or not. He could, and would, enforce his will upon them.

Gungnir
had changed Kir in certain ways. He was more confident in his actions, more certain of his power and his place in the world. More like the Baldur Morgan remembered, but…not. Love had softened Baldur’s edges, turned the fun-loving Kir into a leader Morgan was proud to follow.

Luther held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “We’re going.”

Henry nodded, following his brother’s lead by putting his own hands in the air. “We don’t want trouble with Baldur.”

Morgan moved just enough to allow Sif to silently move past him.

“Logan is coming?”

He looked at Sigyn, the hope in her expression lighting her up.

Damn. She still loved her ex-husband. “Yes.”

“Let me stay.”

“Sigyn—”

She took a step toward him, her hands folded together almost as if she was praying. “Please.”

Morgan felt for her, he really did, but Logan was married to his stepsister now…and Sigyn had chosen to side with Frigg. “I can’t.”

It was hard, watching her face fall, knowing she still hoped for something that would never be. “I understand.” She smiled sadly. “I just wanted to say hello.”

“Sigyn. Come here,
now
.”

Sigyn winced at the snap in Frigg’s voice. “Yes, Frigg.”

He let her by, knowing that her request was going to earn her quite the lecture from Frigg. He didn’t think the elder goddess would harm her or he would have tried to stop her.

No, Sigyn would only
wish
she were dead by the time Frigg was done with her.

“Gina. Sonia. Let’s go. These motherless sons of a Jotun whore have declared we aren’t welcome here.”

Gina and Sonia Grimm, aka Gna and Sjofn, were Frigg’s most dedicated handmaidens. They did anything Frigg asked of them without question. If Magnus went for Frigg, the two women would undoubtedly throw themselves in front of her to protect her, despite the fact that neither was a warrior. Magnus would easily destroy them if it came down to a fight.

Morgan held out his hand to stop Magnus from going for Frigg’s throat. “Enough, Frigg.”

She took a step back as Morgan tried to hide his shock. The rumble of thunder had been in his voice, officially declaring him the successor of his father. Magnus stepped up beside him, lightning crackling around him in a visible display that had him thankful it was the middle of the night.

Scratch that. Declaring both of us Dad’s successors
.

Sif closed her eyes and swayed, pale as milk. Even her hair seemed less lustrous as she shook with silent sobs. “Oh, Thor.”

Magnus winced at the sound of his father’s name on Sif’s lips. Morgan hurt for his brother, but there was nothing he could do.

Not even the Gods could force someone to love you.

Morgan allowed the feeling that had overtaken him, the anger and the determination to remove Frigg from his sight, to linger. The thunder remained in his voice, echoing oddly with his words. “You will leave, and you will not return.”

Magnus flicked his hand toward the Aesir gathered in front of Jeanne Grimm’s home, and lightning struck at their feet. Morgan could feel the thunder rumbling through him, sounding from him in a quiet fury.

Skye stepped around the gathered Aesir and Vanir and into the house for all the world like a princess entering her castle, calmly and demurely. She took her place at his side, her hands clasped in front of her as he’d seen her do countless times over the centuries.

She’d made her allegiance known, and he saw that knowledge settle over Frigg like a dark cloak. Morgan wrapped his arm around her waist, making his own point more than clear.

Skuld was under his protection, and anyone who fucked with her would have to deal with him.

Frigg lifted her chin. “Baldur will come home to me. He will see the mistake he’s made in standing by Loki’s side when Ragnarrok begins.” Frigg was vibrating with anger, but at least she was backing away.

“Idiot.” Magnus was shaking his head. “Ragnarrok has already begun.” He stepped backward into the house.

“You’re the idiot. When Ragnarrok comes and Loki dies, who do you think Baldur will turn to?”

Morgan also stepped back into the house and exchanged a glance with his brother. “If that happens, he’ll turn to his family.” He smiled at Frigg. “That would be us.” And he closed Jeanne’s door quietly, having more respect for Thor’s second wife than he would ever have for his grandmother. “Damn. I hate that bitch.”

Morgan took a look at the boxes piled around Jeanne’s home and nodded. “Let’s get started. Thanks to Frigg, this is going to take a lot longer than I thought.”

Magnus groaned, but he opened a box, just the first of many.

Chapter Seven

“It has to be here somewhere.” Skye stood, her hands on her hips, and glared down at the unopened box.

“For all we know, we accidentally buried him with it.”

“Well. That would suck monkey balls.” She sneezed at the dust that rose from the box she’d just opened.

Magnus choked. “Monkey balls?”

She shrugged and turned back to the box, but Morgan could see her cheeks turn red. The way she seemed to switch between Skylar Kincade, American photographer, and Skuld, all-powerful Fate, was endearing as hell.

“That’s what you think. Dad could have stashed it somewhere in Valhalla and we’ll never see it again.” Morgan grimaced as Magnus pulled out yet another box. They’d been at this for hours and still hadn’t found a hint that
Mjolnir
was anywhere in the house.

“You think Frigg found it?”

Morgan sighed, taking the dusty box from Skye as she started sneezing again. “That woman is seriously fucked in the head. If she’d found it, she wouldn’t have been able to stop herself from gloating.”

“She was like that from the beginning.” Skye wiped her eyes and sniffled. “She was a bitch from day one. Always thought that because she was fucking Odin we owed her something. Vicious twat.”

Magnus was staring at her like she’d grown a second head. He turned to Morgan and grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “I
like
her. Can we keep her?”

Morgan rolled his eyes even as Skye laughed at his idiot brother. “Frigg won’t be coming back. Can we work now?” They’d make sure of it. Jeanne’s home, her sanctuary, the place she’d raised their brother and sisters, would remain in Jeanne’s hands for as long as she wanted it. Logan and Kir had immediately agreed with Morgan when he contacted them. The two were on their way to set up the wards that would keep any but Jeanne and her brood out of this house until Jeanne said otherwise.

They weren’t sure if they would tell Jeanne what her mother-in-law had done. She’d be far too angry to think rationally, and no one was willing to risk what would happen if Jeanne went up against Frigg. Jeanne was mortal. Frigg would tear her apart to get what she wanted without a qualm.

On the other hand, Jeanne Grimm could be one scary-ass lady when pissed. Morgan might bring popcorn to
that
fight.

Morgan opened his senses, looking for that point of strength that was Kir, and found it barely two blocks away. Whatever had delayed the other gods, they were here now. Jeanne’s home would soon be safe.

“You’re always such a ray of sunshine, Morgan.”