Morgan's Fate (17 page)

“What would that be?” Morgan was strapping on his sword. How the brothers thought they’d get far in the outside world with big, bulky weapons on their backs was beyond her.

“Toni’s private phone number.”

The brothers shared an evil grin. “Oh, man. He’s so going to owe you one.”

“That’s the idea.” Morgan looked around, his hands on his hips. “I think that’s everything.” He suddenly reached out and pulled Skye close. He kissed her with a possessiveness Fenris would have approved of, as if he hadn’t marked her thoroughly the night before. “You let Magnus and I handle any fighting, got it?”

She nodded, too busy relishing his taste to argue. Besides, hello! So not a warrior. “Uh-huh.”

That smug satisfaction was back on his face. “Good girl.”

She frowned. “If you pat me on the head and ask if I’m housebroken—”

Magnus burst into laughter. “Can we get her a collar?”

She rolled her eyes and kicked Magnus in the shin. “I’ve got all my shots too. Asshole.”

Morgan just grinned and opened the door. “It’s time to… say hello to Logan and Kir.”

Skye whipped around so fast she hit Magnus in the thigh with her sword. “Hi, Logan and Kir.”

“And Tyr.” Travis grinned savagely at them. His eyes were glowing, hiding the bright blue they normally were, and his blond hair was mussed. He had a sword over his shoulder just as Morgan and Magnus did. Losing his sword hand had not apparently slowed the god of justice down one bit.

“And Val.” The Terminator
wasn’t
smiling.

Crud. Looked like they weren’t sneaking away after all.

Logan crossed his arms over his chest. “Going somewhere?”

Kir tsk’d. “And without us.”

Logan scowled at his lover. “If I had my way you’d be house-sitting Jordan.”

“She’s certainly getting as big as one,” Magnus muttered.

Kir scowled back. “Sit, Kir. Stay.”

“Woof.” The lovers turned to Val. “What?”

“Ugh.” Skye pushed her way past Morgan and Magnus, who’d taken a protective stance in front of her. “We’re going after Sleipnir.”

Val nodded. “We thought so. Let’s go.”

“Uh, don’t you have to stay here, Logan?” Morgan tugged her back behind him, ignoring her struggle. It was like a toy poodle struggling against The Rock. Unless she nipped his hand she wasn’t getting put down.

Flames licked up and down Logan’s body. “I’m going.”

Kir gave them that sweet, stubborn smile they’d all grown to know and fear. “Me too. If he gets to be stupid, I get to be stupid.”

Tyr shrugged. “I tried talking them out of it, but it’s like trying to persuade a yip-yip dog not to bark. It ain’t happening in this lifetime.”

“What about Jeanne?” Morgan kept Skye behind him. As if any of the men before them would hurt her. “Shouldn’t you guys stay here to protect them?”

“Jeff, Jamie and Fenris are staying behind to guard Jordan and Jeanne. They should be safe enough between the three of them, especially since they won’t be leaving the condo complex and we aren’t planning on traveling from here. The wards will hold for the length of time we’ll be gone.” Kir shrugged his shoulders and winced, the sword on his back shifting. “It’s been a while since I’ve had to carry one of these.”

“Can we go?” Logan’s voice was dangerously soft. “We need to get to my son.”

Kir stroked his arm, ignoring the flames that danced across his lover, scorching the tile beneath his feet. “Logan’s been having bad dreams for the past two weeks.”

Skye frowned. “My kind of dreams?”

Logan shook his head. “No, but…” He looked away and blew out a harsh sigh. “I can imagine what Grimm has been doing to Sleipnir all these years.”

And he was beating himself up with horrible visions. For so long he’d been unable to free any of his children, but the one he’d gone for first had been the one he’d thought hurt the worst. None of his children would blame him for that, or so she hoped.

So she decided to distract him, get him focused on the mission at hand. If things went right, his son would soon be home with them. “How are we going in?”

Kir sighed. “We thought maybe quick and dirty, but after what happened last time, I’m not willing to risk it. Not here, anyway.”

“Besides, if the Old Man is here and not there, he’d take advantage, and I’m not risking Fenris or Jordan.” The flames on Logan’s body died down, but remained in his eyes. “We’re going to Rittenhouse Square, and Kir will get us through using
Gungnir
.”

Morgan grunted. “So quick and dirty, but out in the open. What if some mortal sees us?”

“I’ll take care of that.” Surprisingly it was Travis who spoke up. “I should be able to put up a good illusion spell, but it will shatter pretty quickly once the portal is up.”

Val looked far too satisfied as he clapped Travis on the shoulder. “I keep forgetting you’re Vanir, not Aesir.”

Skye was confused. She pushed her way past Morgan, ignoring his grunt of annoyance. “Wait. What does that have to do with anything?”

Travis flared so brightly she could barely see, then dimmed it immediately. “It means I can bend light, making what we’re doing invisible to most people. The Vanir were the gods of the Lios Alfar and the Dökk Alfar. I was of the Lios Alfar, or light elves.”

“Do I want to know who was dark?”

Travis frowned. “No.”

The four men stood silently, staring at her. “All righty then.”

Morgan pushed her behind him again. “Even with those precautions Grimm will know we’re leaving. We’ll make far too much magical noise across the planes when we open the gate.”

Kir shrugged again. “Only if he’s on this plane. If he’s in Asgard, he won’t feel a thing.”

“And if he’s in one of the Heims?”

Kir and Logan exchanged a worried look, but even Skye could tell Logan wasn’t going to back down on this. Obviously so did Kir, because he turned back to them. “Then he
might
sense something.”

The flames hadn’t died down on Logan’s arms. “It’s worth the risk.”

Morgan put his arm around her. “Then let’s go.”

“About time.” Val grinned savagely. “I can’t wait to fight in Valhalla again.”

Skye shook her finger at the Terminator. “The plan is to
not
fight. Get in, get Sleipnir, get out as quickly and quietly as possible.”

“Plans change.”

“Val.” She grabbed hold of his arm, stopping him in his tracks. “You aren’t the one who’s supposed to kill him.”

“I’ve asked Fenris to change me.” Val’s jaw clenched. “Maybe that’s what you altered. Maybe I
can
be the one to bring Ragnarrok down on the Old Man’s ass.” He shivered, that savage grin returning. “I
really
want to be the one to kill him.”

Logan snorted, amused. “We couldn’t tell.”

“Even with the faux-gasm.” Kir chuckled as he hit the elevator button.

“Man, you have no idea.”

The ride down the elevator was silent, Morgan’s arm warm around her waist. Before too long they were striding out of the building, Logan first, demanding he be in front of Kir. He’d protected him for so long it was second nature to him, placing himself in danger before his lover. They’d seen it time and time again, to Kir’s utter frustration and Jordan’s amusement.

Val went next, stepping up beside Logan. Each scanned the street before them. Two fierce warriors, one harsh and strong as a broadsword, the other slender and deadly as a rapier, they looked like a matched set. Val nodded once to Logan and stepped to the side, allowing Kir to go through the door.

Magnus and Morgan flanked Skye, almost causing them to get stuck in the doorway, much to Kir’s amusement. Tyr brought up the rear. It was in this formation that they continued to Rittenhouse Square. They made their way quickly to a secluded part of the park, shivering in the cold night air, and ducked behind the statue
Lion Crushing a Serpent
by the French sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye. The area was small and surrounded by bushes on three sides, perfect for opening an unseen portal. There wouldn’t be much Travis would have to do to hide their presence, which was probably why it had been chosen.

Val smiled when he saw the lion. “I recognize this.”

Logan patted the lion fondly. “It’s where we made the YouTube video that freed the gods of Odin’s influence.”

“If we hadn’t seen that and realized what was going on, we’d all still be under Grimm’s thumb.” Tyr placed his hand on the lion beside Logan’s. “Idunn has managed to convince Heimdall to help her keep Grimm away from the apples.”

“That video also brought you Pita.”

Travis laughed as the air shimmered in front of them, blocking them from view. “Yes, it did.”

Skye frowned up at Morgan, who rolled his eyes. “Pita is Jamie. It stands for pain in the ass.”

“Oh.” She knew that. She just didn’t know who they were calling a pain.

Kir tugged on
Gungnir
and the spear came loose, growing until he held the weapon aloft. “Let’s go. Once we’re on the bridge we’ll have to get past Heimdall.”

Logan’s phone rang. “It’s Jordan. You guys get started, I won’t be long.”

Kir nodded. “I’ll hold it open as long as I can.”

“Good.” Logan answered the phone. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”

Kir pointed the end of the spear toward the lion and began to speak. His eyes clouded over, quick storms chasing one another through the blue. His voice resonated through Skye as he chanted in a tongue long lost to man and barely remembered by one little Norn. Before them something swirled, bright as a clear spring sky. The scent of rich earth and green, growing things filled the air, odd in such a cold winter setting. Baldur’s power flowed over her, humming inside her as the god opened a portal to the Bifrost Bridge.

Beyond the portal she could see the burning rainbow bridge that joined Asgard, the realm of the gods, to Midgard, the realm of mortals.

“Logan, let’s go!” Val waved Morgan and Magnus through first.

Morgan took hold of her hand and pulled her through the portal. She felt the wind between the worlds battering at her, attempting to pull her away from Morgan and the bridge before she could get her footing. With Morgan’s help she stepped onto the Bifrost Bridge for the first time in…

Gods. It had been centuries.

Centuries
.

How many mortal lives had she lived? She must have made some sort of sound, because Morgan held her tightly as she trembled with the knowledge that she’d been gone for so long. None of the gods had looked for her. Her own sisters had abandoned her. She’d been alone, lost, thought insane by those who didn’t, or wouldn’t, understand her nature.

“Shh. I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here.”

Morgan’s warmth seeped into her, warming her cold bones. No matter what else happened, Morgan wouldn’t abandon her or forget her.

She wasn’t alone anymore and she basked in that knowledge, let it fill her from the inside out. “I know.”

Chapter Twelve

Morgan held tight to Skye’s hand as they walked along the Bifrost Bridge toward Asgard. Ahead of them, smaller paths led away from the bridge, both before and behind them. One was lined with frost, mist obscuring the road to Nifleheim, the land of the frost giants.

Another was lined with rock, stalagmites making the road to Jotunheim a treacherous one to walk. That the three Norns had come down that road and made their way alone to Yggdrasil spoke not only of their bravery but of their power. It was not a road anyone treaded lightly.

Behind them, the road to Svartalfaheim, the land of the dark elves, led to the road to Helheim. While the road to Svartalfaheim was filled with shadows, it wasn’t nearly as dark as the road to Helheim. That road was filled with a sorrowful wailing wind, the songs of the dead crying out as they descended into darkness and judgment, one he prayed he never had to travel. He shivered. As much as he enjoyed Logan’s company now that they’d overcome their apple-induced differences, Logan’s daughter’s realm could remain a nice, dark mystery, thank you very much.

On one side of Svartalfaheim was Vanaheim, the former home of the Vanir. That land was an interesting study in contrasts. Both light and dark, it embodied the attributes of both of the elven races. Muspelheim, the fiery land that Loki hailed from, sat opposite Vanaheim, across the bridge.

And in the center of all of it was the entrance to Midgard and the land of mortals, with the World Tree over them all. It was so huge that no matter where you were on the bridge, you always stood under its branches.

“We’ll have to pass through Alfheim to reach Heimdall and Asgard.” At the top of the bridge, past the land of the light elves, was the home of Heimdall. The Guardian would be waiting for them there. It was up to him whether or not they’d be allowed into Asgard. If they made it, they’d have to cross Asgard to Valhalla.

For Skye’s sake, Morgan hoped they wouldn’t have to fight their way there.

Travis kept looking behind them and frowning. “Where the hell is Hothead? He should be here by now.”

Kir shook his head. “The portal is closed. If he doesn’t catch up soon we’ll have to assume he didn’t make it.”

“Shit.” Travis shook his head. “He’s gonna be pissed.”

“Logan’s strong. He’ll be all right.”

Kir didn’t look nearly as convincing as he probably hoped he did.

Skye let go of Morgan’s hand to touch Kir’s back. “He’s probably running after us and cursing up a storm.”

Travis nodded. “Yup. For once, Blondie didn’t sit and stay.”

Kir shook his head, but some of the tension left his shoulders. “You’re probably right.” He blew out a breath and picked up his pace. “Let’s get through Alfheim. If he’s behind us, great. If he’s not, we’ll tell him how it went when we get back.”

Magnus was toying with
Mjolnir
, fingering the pendant over and over again. His brother wasn’t as calm as his expression said he was. “Look on the bright side. If he got left behind he’s not going to run into Heimdall.”

That did it. Kir grinned so wide Morgan thought his face would split. “Very true.”

The trip through Alfheim was uneventful. Skye watched everything with sad, wondering eyes. Part of her was seeing the beautiful blue-green fields for the first time.