You lied to us, Grimm. You lied to us all. You used Idun's apples to keep us all under your spell."
Logan saw a familiar figure slip into the room. He wondered why no one else could see him, and tensed, getting ready to throw himself in front of Jordan and Kir, but with his injuries he might not make it in time.
His arm and ribs were mending, but they throbbed, nearly blinding him with the pain.
"Once the spell of the apples wore off I saw your lies for what they were.” Tyr's glow intensified. “And now you will pay."
The figure moved, and Logan leapt.
But the shadow didn't move to Kir or Jordan. It went straight for Grimm.
Grimm gurgled as Vali slit his throat. “For Jamie.” He moaned as Vali pierced his heart. “For Hodr.”
The younger god looked straight at Kir, and pierced Grimm's femoral artery. “For Baldur."
Grimm dropped to his knees, and Vali drove the dagger into his back, severing his spinal cord. “For Loki.” He watched with dispassionate eyes as Grimm collapsed, blood pooling beneath his body. He stepped back to watch his father die, his eyes cold and hard.
Then he took his dagger and attempted to pierce his own heart, only to find his wrist grasped firmly in Tyr's. “You have to let this end now, Tyr. My purpose is done."
"What purpose? To torture us?” Logan was all for the other man's commitment to suicide. Hell, he was ready to look for some popcorn. He wondered if Val would wait long enough for him to go get some from the employee break room.
"You're why Kir and Logan are still alive, aren't you?” Jordan was staring thoughtfully at Val, who refused to meet her gaze, or anyone else's. His arm strained against Tyr's hold, muscles bulging. “You kept Grimm from succeeding, but you had to make it look good.” She smiled, that sweet, sweet smile Logan loved so much. “You were playing double agent, weren't you?"
Val's eyes closed, his shoulders slumping. He quit pulling against Tyr's hold. “My purpose is done, my brothers avenged. The betrayer is dead."
Everyone looked down at Grimm's body...
"Fuck. Son of a bitch. Mother fucker.” Logan turned and saw the small window was open. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Why the hell didn't I see that one coming?"
"How did he get away?” Kir was glaring at the spot Grimm had been. His eyes followed the trail of blood across the floor, up the wall and out the window. “He could be anywhere by now!"
"He shouldn't have survived that.” Logan limped over to the window, pushing Adam Grey out of his way to do so. The other man was so stunned he didn't protest. “Unless..."
"He blood-bonded with my mother, I know that. It's possible he bonded with some other Jotun until he received the power to heal.” Logan and Val exchanged a look. Logan still wanted to see Val writhing on the end of a pointed stick, but he wanted to see Grimm there more.
"You pierced his heart. Unless Hel gave him a free pass, he should be dead.” Jordan frowned, confused.
“Shouldn't he?"
Logan frowned, thoughts racing through his mind. If Grimm had survived his wounds, wounds that would kill even a god, how had he gotten away? “Good question."
Jordan watched as all of her relatives gathered in Grimm and Son's main conference room. Logan had been cleaned up as much as possible, but she still saw red every time she looked at her fathers. For their part they couldn't quite meet her eyes, the effects of Grimm's potion still strong in their systems. Kir was keeping a close eye on them, making sure they didn't get any closer to the three of them.
Frigg was seated in Grimm's old chair, her face cold and hard as she stared at Logan. Logan ignored her, whispering to Kir as the others filed in and took their seats. Frieda Grey took a seat by her brother, her eyes wide as they went back and forth between Kir, Logan and Jordan. Morgan and Magnus sat somewhere in the middle, somehow managing to look both protective and shamefaced at the same time.
It was an interesting look for her older stepbrothers. The fact that both men had come to the three of them and offered their apologies, along with a death threat should either of the two men ever make her unhappy, hadn't hurt.
"Y'know, the name thing is still kinda confusing. Frigg is Frederica, Freida is Freya, et cetera,” Jordan
whispered to Logan as she patted his chest. She hadn't moved from his side since they'd left the basement, worry clearly written on her face despite the fact that almost all of his wounds had healed.
He snorted. “Get used to it, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head absently and turned back to Kir.
She rolled her eyes as a blonde woman swept into the room. Jordan didn't know who she was until she smiled sadly at Logan, ignoring Kir.
Logan nodded briskly, wrapping his arms around Jordan and pulling her tight to his chest. “Sigyn."
Her eyes widened as they flew to Jordan. “Sydney. Sydney Saeter.” She held out a hand for Jordan to shake.
Jordan turned to Logan. “Saeter?"
He grimaced. “We're divorced."
"Oh.” She shook Sydney's hand, not surprised when the woman's gaze traveled between the three of them, ripe with speculation. Sydney sat near Magnus and Morgan, completely ignoring Frederica.
A few other people Jordan didn't recognize wandered in. She expected they were the rest of the gods.
Frederica stood. “We are gathered here to welcome back one of our own, long thought lost to us.” She gestured with a smile to Kir, her voice warm and loving. “Baldur. Welcome home."
The room erupted into polite applause. Logan rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out, and crossed his arms over his chest. From the look on his face he was expecting a good show.
Kir stood. “My name is Kiran now. Baldur died the day his father pierced Loki's heart with an arrowhead of mistletoe.” He stared around the room, his expression devoid of warmth. “Anyone who calls me Baldur will be ignored.” He sat back down and stared at his mother.
Jordan whistled silently at the cold rage in Frederica's eyes. “And, of course, we must elect a new head of the firm.” She ignored Logan's chuckle. “I nominate Bal ... Kiran, who was born to lead us, on one condition, of course."
Jordan saw Logan's fists clench. Kir's jaw tightened. “I refuse to give up my relationships with Logan or Jordan, Frigg. Get over it."
She glared at Logan. “He is the sole reason you were taken from us, kept from us, for so long."
"No. That would have been Daddy Dearest, remember?"
Val entered the room, followed by Tyr. “And I'm going to hunt him down. Hodr still needs to be avenged. But I could use some help.” He stared around at the stunned faces of the other gods. Jordan was the only one who smiled at him.
No matter what else he'd done, he'd kept her men alive. She owed him.
Tyr nodded. “You have it.” He ignored Val's startled expression and turned to Kir. He held out the Godspear with a grin. “This belongs to you."
Logan watched as Kir's lip curled. His long, strong fingers took the spear from Travis's hand.
Frigg's gloating expression turned Jordan's stomach. The sweet-natured Grammy she knew had turned into a self-centered shrew. She was almost tempted to ask Logan to make her some applesauce just to get her Grammy back. “Congratulations, my son. You are now in your rightful place as king of the gods."
"No."
Tyr's brows rose. “You were always meant to lead the gods. You know that."
Kir laughed. “Yes, but, you see, they never said which gods.” He waved a hand at the men and women seated around the conference table. “As far as I'm concerned, the majority of them can rot in hell.” He turned to Val, ignoring the outraged gasps of the others. “You ... you I'm putting on probation, along with Magnus and Morgan."