Lightning flashed, followed swiftly by thunder as Kir’s voice rang out, echoing through Skye. She had the strongest urge to bow her head to Kir, the power in his voice almost too great to withstand. She’d been drawn to him from the start, but not like this.
Skye knew if Kir asked her to join that fictional army, she’d sign up in a heartbeat. And that frightened her more than anything else that had happened during this insane week.
Chapter Three
Morgan sat at his stepsister’s dining table and stared at Skye. He burned every time he was near her. He hadn’t been able to leave her side, even at his own father’s funeral.
How fucked up was that? He bet Frederica would be cackling over her cauldron right now if she knew.
“Thinking about bedding your Fate?”
Morgan resisted the urge to punch his twin. “Shut up.” He managed to drag his eyes away from Skye long enough to shoot Magnus a dirty look. “I’m just fascinated by her face.”
“And her cleavage.”
“Ye—what were you doing looking?”
Magnus chuckled. “Why not stamp mine across her forehead?”
“Or her cleavage?” Morgan’s frown turned into a scowl as his brother laughed harder. “You are such an asshole.”
“Yeah, but I’m an asshole staring at a pair of truly magnificent—ow.” Magnus rubbed his shin and glared at Jamie, who was seated across from him. “What?”
She glared at him for a second before Travis got her attention by nodding toward Skye. “Sweetheart, I think she’s ready.”
Whatever reply Jamie gave her fiancé was lost as Morgan’s attention was once more captured by Skye. The Norn cleared her throat as she rapped against her glass with her fork. “I’m sorry, but I can’t stand it anymore. Could someone please explain to me what’s going on?” She stared at each of them in turn. “Fred Grimm couldn’t be your dad. He’s too damn young! And the crazy lady is a grandmother? And why can’t I go home?”
Silence greeted her shouted question, but then Kir sighed and also stood. “What do you know about Norse mythology?”
“Oh, here we go,” Jordan muttered.
“It worked on you, didn’t it?” Logan kissed her cheek as she grumbled into her Sprite.
“What bit of Norse mythology?” Skye was watching them all like she’d stepped into a loony bin and all the loonies were loose and having a tea party with the white rabbit.
“I’d start with the bit where Loki was directly responsible for the death of Baldur.” Logan winked at Kir, who smiled back.
“Plan A-1, here we go.” Jordan chugged the Sprite and ended up choking on the bubbles.
Skye inched toward Morgan, making him insanely happy. It was as if she expected he’d protect her from the insanity going on around her.
If only she knew the truth. He was just as crazy as the rest of them.
“I’ve heard of Baldur and Loki. I think I remember the myth. Hodr was tricked into killing Baldur with an arrow made of mistletoe, right? The one thing that could kill Baldur, like he had a massive allergy or something. Then Odin got it on with his mistress and created a child that killed Hodr in retaliation.” She frowned and rubbed her temples. “I don’t remember the rest.”
“The myth is a giant lie.” Kir grinned at Logan, but there was pain in his expression too. Now that Morgan knew the sacrifice Logan had made for Kir, he understood that pain all too well. “Most of it anyway.”
“Uh. Okay.” Skye scooted closer to Morgan. When she was within reach, he tugged her down beside him.
“Think about this. Baldur was invulnerable to all substances, save mistletoe, which was, at the time, too young a plant to give its word not to harm him. Loki supposedly discovered this, handed the blind god Hodr a dart or arrow tipped in mistletoe, and guided his hand. Baldur died as the mistletoe pierced his heart. Loki fled as the gods killed Hodr for Baldur’s death. Hel claimed she was willing to release Baldur back into the world if every living being cried, mourning him. But the gods found one holdout, a witch named Pokk, who was supposedly Loki in disguise. Pokk refused to weep. Hel held Baldur in her grasp and refused to let him go. When the gods realized they’d been tricked, they returned to the cave, determined to exact revenge. Pokk fled into the back of the cave, turned into a raven, and flew off into the night. Eventually the gods tracked Loki down, tied him to a mountain with the entrails of his own son, there to writhe in torment until Ragnarrok.” Kir grimaced. “The goddess Nanna, on hearing of Baldur’s death and the failure of the gods to bring him back to life, committed suicide.”
The familiar lie, spoken by the same man who was supposed to have died that day, had everyone’s attention. Even Jeff was sitting still, watching raptly as Kir spoke.
Kir fingered his necklace. Gungnir, the Godspear, was shrunk down to the pendant Kir never went without. It glowed at his touch, once more acknowledging that he, not Grimm, was now the leader of the gods. “If you’re familiar with Loki then you’re familiar with his ability to shift shape.”
“I know Loki gave birth as a horse, so yeah.” Poor Skye looked so confused.
They all ignored Logan’s pained grimace. All except Jordan, who rubbed his arm. Logan was devoted to his children. All of them, even the ones Grimm had destroyed in his effort to get to Loki. The fact that he’d been separated from them for so long pained him deeply. It was one of the reasons he was so overprotective where it came to Jordan and her pregnancy. Logan would allow no harm to come to the woman he and Kir had claimed as their own.
Morgan couldn’t be happier about it despite their rocky start. “Did you know that the only form Loki can’t shift into is a bird?”
Skye looked thoughtful. “No, I didn’t know—can’t?”
“Caught that, did you?” Jordan held out her glass for more soda, and Logan obliged. “He had to borrow Freya’s cloak to do it. So if Loki couldn’t turn into a bird without Freya’s cloak, how did he, as Pokk, turn into a raven in the back of the cavern and fly away from the gods?”
“I have no idea, but I’m certain you’re going to tell me.” Skye was looking more and more confused.
Morgan couldn’t help it. He stroked Skye’s arm, gaining her attention. “It will all make sense soon, I promise. Just…listen, and keep your mind open. All right?”
She sighed. “All right, but you understand this all sounds nuts.”
“We know, and I’m sorry about that.” He’d dearly love to find out why she didn’t seem to know any of this. Hell, she’d lived through most, if not all, of it. The myths should have started bringing back her memories, but her confusion told him otherwise.
“Skye?” Kir had taken hold of Jordan’s outstretched hand. “Whose bird is the raven?”
“The All-Father.” Skye blinked, a frown crossing her face. “You’re saying Odin framed Loki.”
“Yes. Odin is a shape shifter too, and he’s called the Father of Lies.”
Skye tilted her head, her gaze narrowing on him. “Is?”
“Is.” Kir tugged, and Gungnir came loose in his hand. “I am Baldur.” The spear grew, the tip burning brightly. Instead of the intense blue it had burned for Odin, Kir’s love for Logan and Jordan caused it to burn bright red, like flame.
“And I’m Loki.” Logan grinned cheekily at Skye and waved his hand. “Hi.”
“And I’m the Tooth Fairy.” Skye stood. “Also, I’m outie.” She started to head for the door. “Y’all are nuts.”