Yuletide Mischief (8 page)
Authors: Dahlia Rose
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The feasting was just as Loki told her, but this time it was not just a feast of Christmas but a wedding celebration as well. Tables stretched along the entire length of the great hall, while a long table at the front of the room was for the family and children of Odin, which now included her, because Odin had given his blessing for their marriage and performed the ceremony right there.
She looked out into the crowded room and saw fairies, elves, kelpies, and every creature humans thought to be nothing but folklore and childish tales. She had finally met Thor, who lifted her as though she weighed nothing, all the while clapping Loki on the back. The rest of the feast he sat at the end of the table charming a beautiful elf until the tips of her ears turned pink. He looked over and winked when he caught Vivi looking and she laughed.
“Did I mention you look ravishing?” Loki leaned over and kissed her.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she purred.
“Will you be making us more grandchildren right after the reception?” Joko teased.
Loki smiled and brought Vivi’s hand to his lips. “You never know, Mother. You never know.”
“Good. I’ve got a big lap. The more children the better.” Odin’s voice boomed and they laughed.
Vivi looked down at the white dress she wore. It was made from gossamer chiffon and was so light and airy she felt as if she were floating on a cloud. Loki wore a hunter-green shirt with a black sweater-vest over it and his slacks matched the vest. She smiled brightly as they threaded their fingers together on the table. The thin silver wedding bands they wore caught the light of the fire in the hearths. Each time she looked down at their linked hands, Vivi wanted to laugh with joy and the sheer elation inside her. Her prince came with a tarnished armor, but that didn’t mean one thing to her. Loki had her heart and he in turn gave his love to her.
Everyone was in a joyous mood, even Jack had given up his sarcasm and now was leaning over talking to Loki. Nick bounced a child on his lap while Lucy was feeding a toddler that sat on her lap. Vivi pressed her hand to her stomach knowing one day that would be her and Loki when they started a family. She couldn’t wait. The air around them was filled with revelry, so much so that Vivi could practically taste it.
Without warning, the doors of the great hall blew open and snow flew in with it. It blew out the great hearth and everyone stopped to look. Vivi’s heart dropped when the snow queen, Madge, stepped inside, along with others behind her. It could only be her, as her face was almost porcelain in its beauty, but the eyes were cold as ice and somehow seemed empty. Her dress was such a light blue color that it could almost be called white. The sparkling diamonds that hung from her neck and ears reminded Vivi of ice sculptures.
Odin stood and the silent room looked on. Everyone seemed to be holding one collective breath. Loki squeezed her hand reassuringly, but never took his eyes off Madge. When she looked at him, Vivi didn’t see lust or longing in his eyes, only rage. Madge walked in with her head held high. You could see she loved the fact that all eyes were on her. Her eyes traveled from Loki’s face to their joined hands. Madge curled her hands that were hanging at her sides. They were clenched so tightly her sharp nails drew blood and drops dripped from her hands.
“The prodigal son gets a seat at the table while I, a queen, must sit with the lowlies?” she said haughtily.
“You are no family of ours, Madge. You were invited as a guest to this realm,” Joko stood and extended her hand. “This was to broker peace. Take your seat or leave.”
“I will do neither. I’m here to throw Odin’s invitation back in his face,” Madge snarled. “After thousands of years do you think one messenger would change anything between us?” She turned to Loki. “I can smell the mortality on her. You’ve sunk very low.”
“As a matter-of-fact, I’ve actually crawled up from where I was with you since you were and are the lowest of the low,” Loki said mildly. “This is my wife.”
Madge laughed. “You married a mortal? She is a fragile sack of meat. One flick of my hand and I can dispose—”
“Are you threatening my wife?” Loki’s voice was like a roar as he stood. Vivi watched as little elves scurried to hide as the air crackled with energy. She seemed to have underestimated Loki’s power because the air crackled and gusts of wind were whipping at the faces of everyone in the room. The power was so immense it made the hair on her arms stand on end. “You may have a treaty with Odin, but not with me. I would have no problem killing you if you even think of looking in her direction once more.”
“Calm yourself, Loki,” Odin said sternly before standing and facing Madge. “You were called here to broker peace. Is it or is it not your intention of doing so?”
Madge lifted her head. “No, that is not my intention, not after the way my people and I were treated.”
“Leave this realm then and never return,” Odin said loudly. “Those of the Frost Queen’s court who are tired of being cast away and treated poorly, you may seek asylum with us and if you swear your loyalty, then Asgard can be your home.”
“None will join you,” Madge snapped. But even as the words left her mouth, some of her people came forward and knelt in front of the great table.
“It seems you are wrong, Madge. Your people can’t stand you either,” Thor said, chuckling.
“She does tend to stick in the craw,” Loki said.
“This is an act of war!” she said loudly.
“Mind what you ask for, Frost Queen.” Odin’s voice was deadly. “I almost did away with your people before. Complete annihilation is something I distaste, but if I must, I will do so.”
Vivi had no doubt that Odin could wipe them out of existence if he wanted to. Desperation showed in Madge’s otherwise empty eyes, and she tried one more tactic. She rushed to the where Loki sat and reached across the table to take his hand. He pulled away and a menacing sound came from the back of his throat.
“You loved me once. It can be that way again. Leave this mortal, this life of servitude to Odin and be with me,” she practically purred.
“Oh, woman, have a little respect for yourself,” Vivi muttered.
“Don’t dare speak to me, human,” she snapped. “This is between me and him.”
“No, she actually speaks for me right now. Have some decency to know that you’re not wanted by me, by your people, by anyone,” Loki said. “I was a child then, but no more. I was not in love, but in lust. I know the true meaning of the word now. I was offered a gift and accepted. It took a long time for me to figure that out. But here you are, thousands of years later, still cold, still cruel, and full of hate. Go back to your desolation, and leave me out of it.”
“You will all pay,” she screeched. “Especially you, Loki. You will suffer like no other.”
“And I will be waiting to snap your neck when you try,” he replied.
This time she didn’t use the door. With a flip of her long, glistening cape she disappeared in a flurry of snow and ice. The group of her people that stayed bowed before Odin. They were no longer trapped by her magic.
“Let the festivities continue. This is a celebration!” Odin said loudly.
The music started up again, and the guests got back into the flow. Before long, there was dancing and gifts being handed out. Madge’s little show was all but forgotten, but Vivi couldn’t help but wonder what the Snow Queen would do to get her revenge.
Later that night, when the halls were silent and the fire was burning down in the hearth, Vivi lay in the arms of her new husband and voiced her concerns. They were lying on their side spooned together, fitting as perfectly as puzzle pieces and his body warmed hers beneath the thick blankets.
He kissed her shoulder. “Madge always had a more blustery wind than actual power, even at the end of the war she chose to sacrifice her handmaidens while she escaped. I take no threat from her seriously. She is more bark than bite.”
Vivi sighed and turned in his arms. “I couldn’t lose you to her evil, Loki. It would rip my heart to shreds.”
“Nothing can take me away from you, Vivienne. Even if the stars came tumbling down from the heavens, I’d find a way back to you,” Loki said fiercely. “I love you, and even Madge didn’t get those words from my lips.”
Vivi fingered the necklace he’d given her hours earlier. “I have a gift for you.”
“What is it?” Loki said. “What we did a few moments ago is more than enough of a gift for me.”
Vivi chuckled. “You are so bad, but it’s something Joko taught me. Call it my first act as a semi-immortal being and one full of love.”
She whispered words still foreign to her tongue, but said them just as Joko had told her. It didn’t matter how they were said as long as she felt every word. She placed a kiss on his bare chest over his heart, and Loki gasped and arched. She saw a gold outline of her lips on his skin before it sunk into his chest, leaving not a trace, but she knew the magic had taken hold.
“Take my love with you everywhere, even if I can’t be with you,” Vivi said. “Merry Christmas, my love.”
“My darling, Vivienne, Merry Christmas. For the first time in a long time I actually love those words,” Loki said.
“You’ll learn to love lots more before I’m through, Master of Mischief,” Vivi teased, pulling his head down to hers again.
“Promises, promises,” he murmured fondly.
Vivi giggled before his lips touched hers, and they gave themselves over to the magic of their love. They were opposites in so many ways, yet they fit together perfectly. Like magnets, where you found Loki, Vivi wouldn’t be too far behind. The Yule had brought her the man of her dreams, and she would follow him to the ends of the Earth…and beyond.
The End
About the Author
Dahlia Rose is the best-selling author of contemporary and paranormal romance with a hint of Caribbean spice. She was born and raised on a Caribbean island and now currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her five kids, who she affectionately nicknamed “The Children of the Corn,” and her biggest supporter and longtime love. She has a love of erotica, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and the things that go bump in the night. Books and writing are her biggest passions, and she hopes to open your imagination to the unknown between the pages of her books.
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