Sun's Tear (The Valkyrie's Passion Book 2): A Valkyrie/Shifter Romance (5 page)

Magnus

“Okay, if we come down here,” I said, tapping the map we had spread across the table, “hauling ass, we can make it to the brothel in six minutes. I'll take the boys for the ambush down this spur here, stash our bikes, and get set up.”

“We should leave someone down here to act as a scout,” Thomas said, tapping the base of the road that led up to the brothel. “In a civilian car. Park 'em on the side of the road. He can radio up when the Blood Eagles come.”

“I like it,” Big Hoss nodded.

I glanced around the table. “Vince, that's you.”

Vince's face fell.

“Big Hoss, you pick two and handle torching the brothel,” I continued. “Make sure you get everyone out. We'll really have a lot of heat burning our asses if we kill some local politician who was getting his dick wet.”

“I'll treat them like they were fine china,” Big Hoss nodded.

“Okay, that leaves—”

The clubhouse door opened and Raven stepped into the room. I blinked in surprise. Why was she here? The club fell silent for a moment as Raven's eyes swept around the table to find me at the head. “Magnus, I...”

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” snarled Thomas. He rose. “This is a private meeting.”

“I just need to talk to Magnus,” Raven said without flinching. She folded her arms beneath her breasts and gave Thomas a defiant stare. “So sit your butt back down and don't glower at me.”

I groaned.

“Raven,” I said, moving to her. “We'll talk later.”

“No, this is important.” Her face was hard and beautiful. “Real important, okay.”

“Get your ol' lady packing,” Thomas said.

“You have to leave, Raven,” I told her, my voice firm.

“No. This is
important.
I spoke to...Owen.”

Odin. “That doesn't matter right now. I have club business to deal with. I'll talk to you when we're through.”

“You'll talk to me right now,” she snapped. “This is more important than your silly club.”

The room went silent. Chairs scraped as the entire club stood.

“Silly?” I demanded as I seized her arm. How could she think that? Didn't she understand who I was? What the club meant to me? They were my brothers? We were attacked today. How could she not understand that? My hand tightened on her arm. “You were there. You could have been killed. This is anything but silly, Raven.”

“Let go of me, Magnus,” she hissed.

I pushed her out the open door. “We will talk later,” I snarled before slamming the door shut.

Raven kicked the door.

Anger seethed in me. All my brothers fixed hard eyes on me. “You better have words with your bitch—”

I cut the rest of Vince's words off when my fist smashed into his face. He crashed back into Thomas. “I will have words with Raven later, but if any of you want to insult my woman, then I will make you bleed.”

“Sorry, Magnus,” groaned Vince as he rubbed at his cheek.

“She's not part of the lifestyle. She doesn't understand.” I sat back down at the head of the table. “Let's finish planning this.”

I glanced at the door. What did Odin say to Raven? Did it involve whatever happened to the sun this afternoon? My fists were clenched.

Silly club.

Those words echoed in my head. I had fought and bled for her. I died for her, and she called this silly? What was wrong with her? I ground my teeth as Thomas assigned spots on the ambush with input from Jim. The pair were both vets. They had fought and bled.

Damn Raven. I couldn't focus on the plan. My thoughts were all twisted up with her. Her silly club comment was wrapped around the question of what Odin told her. Why did that god have to show up today of all days?

Our plan was too important for me to be distracted by Odin and the strange eclipse. My club had been attacked. Odin's mission could wait. We were hitting the Blood Eagles back hard tonight. It was time to wipe out their damn club. Then I could worry about Odin and the sun.

“You okay,” Big Hoss whispered as the rest of the club listened to Jim and Thomas.

“Fine,” I growled.

A smile crossed his lips. “She's got fire.”

“Yes, she does,” I agreed.

“She's going to burn you.”

“She already has.” I smiled, the anger vanished for a moment. My Valkyrie. She would have taken on the whole club if I hadn't shoved her out the door. What a woman.

Just, why did she have to be so strong right now? I couldn't be weak in front of the club. Not in a crisis. If they lost their confidence in me, Thomas could end up President. I wasn't about to lose all I had worked for for the last few years.

~   ~   ~

Raven

The door slammed in front of me.

I kicked the damned door. What was wrong with Magnus? Didn't he understand how important this was? Odin showed up. We were his slaves. I hated that word, but it was the truth. He had given us a mission, and we needed to do it.

Or there would be consequences.

And he was too busy with his silly war. The Blood Eagles didn't matter. His club didn't matter.

I let out a frustrated screech and whirled around. All the barflies and ol' ladies fixed smirks on me, nodding their heads in gleeful delight at my humiliation. I wanted to claw out all their staring eyes. Especially Madge's. She was already walking up to me, fake, motherly concern in her smile.

“See, Raven, I told you,” Madge smiled.

I ground my teeth. “Yes, you did.”

I stalked past her, heading for the doors. I had no idea what I should do. Should I go after the Sun's Tear on my own or wait on Magnus? I wanted to wait on Magnus. I wanted him to go with me. I wanted him to show me I was more important than his club.

But the sun also needed to be healed. I shivered as I crashed through the bar's door and stepped outside onto the gravel covering the parking lot. The sun sank towards the horizon. It would be twilight in a few hours.

The soft warmth of Sun's Tear shone on my skin from off beyond Maple Valley. I could find it on my own. How difficult could it be?

I marched to the truck.

“Hello, Raven,” a suave voice greeted.

I froze and turned. Loki strolled up to me. He cut an impressive figure in his hand-tailored, Italian suit. The gray silk was cut to show off his strong physique. And the smile crossing his handsome face was full of confidence.

I hated the way my body reacted. He was a gorgeous man, as strong and powerful as Magnus, but cultured and refined, not the rough diamond that was my biker Einherjer. Loki's green eyes seemed to strip me naked as he stopped before me.

My nipples hardened. Why didn't I wear a bra? I wanted to cover myself, but I didn't want to show Loki he affected me.

His smile grew broader as his eyes lingered on my breasts. He knew how he affected me.

“Why are you here?” I demanded. I needed to remember that his smile was a lie. By his own admission, he was an honest liar. A hero and a villain. He was not a man to be trusted. That was the real difference between Loki and Magnus.

They may both be gorgeous men that made my body burn with excitement, but there was only one of them I could trust with my heart.

It was a shame he was too busy with his silly club to help me. I ground my teeth.

“Has your wolf angered you?” Loki asked.

“That is none of your business,” I snapped.

His smile was so confident and cocky. I wanted to slap it off of him.

Or kiss it away.

“So, he angered you.” Loki shook his head. “Is his club more important than you? What a fool.”

The words stung. I should be more important to Magnus than his club. He was more important to me than Odin, Baldur's killer, the Thief, and the Sun's Tear. I clenched my fist and kept my eyes steely on Loki.

“Why are you here, Loki?” I repeated. “Are you here to help me?”

“Didn't my help aide you last time?” Loki asked. “I even returned your little wolf's bike. It must have worked because here you stand, safe and sound in Midgard.”

“Fine, you helped me,” I said. “This time. But, as you admitted, you're a liar, a trickster.”

“A hero and a villain. I have been so many things. Lover, husband, cheater, comforter, killer, thief, liar, seer. I have told truths that made men weep and said lies that made men laugh. I flatter with truth's deception.”

“See,” I said. “I do not understand you. Why do you keep saying those things? It won't make me trust you.”

“I told you why.”

Loki's teeth were so white. My face flushed as he took another step closer. “You think I want to solve you.”

“Don't you?” He leaned even closer. His eyes were a deep emerald. I could just drown in them. “Why else is your heart thudding so hard. You want to trust me. You want to understand me. You want to know why I fluster you.”

I did. What power did this man have over me? Could I trust him? Was he my enemy or my friend? He was right about Odin. Once again, Odin didn't tell me about the prophecy. The one-eyed god even admitted he had other servants, and yet it was me, his newest Valkyrie, he turned to for this task.

“You look cold,” Loki said. “Odin's stolen some of your fire.”

“What?” I frowned.

“The spark that burns inside of you. He's stolen a piece of it. The world seems cold to you.”

“No, I felt the cold not long after Sol was swallowed by Skoll,” I answered, rubbing at my goosebump-covered arms. “That's why I have to find her Tear and restore it.”

“Is that what he told you?” Loki asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because Odin is as honest as I am, right?”

My cheeks flushed. “I guess...he's not.”

“Your fire comes from Odin. That was the pact your ancestor made. Servitude in exchange for the fire, for the power to restore the man she loved back to life. She's been his slave ever since. Her and all her descendants.

“But Odin can take back his gift. That's how he keeps his Valkyrie in line.” Loki paused. “Has he threatened you?”

My blood grew chillier. “Yes. After the Fenrir attack. He told me...he would discard me if he had to.”

“He would steal your fire. And what does your fire sustain?”

“Magnus?” My voice was hoarse.

“You are a bright girl, Raven.” Loki's hand caressed my cheek. His touch was so warm. My skin drank it in. Heat rushed through me. The goosebumps vanished from my arms. The chill that had seeped into my bones was driven back. “Odin has underestimated your intelligence. You have seen past his lies and understood who he really is.”

“A petty tyrant,” I whispered. “A slave master.”

“Exactly.”

“But it doesn't matter. Not if he can take my fire and let Magnus die. I have to get the Sun's Tear back and restore Sol's life.”

“He hasn't told you the prophecy either, has he?”

“No. He just mentioned I was special.”

Loki shook his head. “Odin always hoarded knowledge like a miser with his coins, too scared to let even a single coin escape his greedy grasp. That was why he has his little pets watching and observing.”

“Is Muninn and Huninn watching us?”

“Yes,” Loki answered, his eyes flicking up at the perching ravens, “but they only see you stewing, leaning against the truck.”

“How?” I asked.

“I'm a liar,” Loki laughed. “Who do you think covered up Odin's mess in Seattle? I thought the tornadoes worked perfectly.”

“You work with Odin?”

“Of course. I am one of the Aesir. But I am tired of his petty tyranny. You have him pegged.”

A pleased flush ran through me.

“What is the prophecy?” I asked.

“It was made a long time ago by the Volva. The prophecy was originally in Old Norse, so excuse the poor translation. It loses some of its...poetry:

“Wolf-orphaned daughter

Hair black as night

Odin's sword of fire

Sol shall cry

A tear of purity

A weapon of power

The hope of the Gods

Or cause of their Doom

What shall she choose?

“Wolf-orphaned daughter

Hair black as night

Sacrifices her fire

To restore Odin's might

Or shall selfish love

take hold in her heart

and thrust the tear

and blind Odin's eye.

“Wolf-orphaned daughter

Hair black as night

To restore Sol's life

Death must be paid

The Valkyrie's heart

Slain once again

Or will she choose

to save her love

and slay her Master?”

I blinked when he finished reciting that. “It sounds like...only I can grab the Sun's Tear?”