Morgan's Fate

by Dana Marie Bell

  But the one he wanted to get to froze as well, and Magnus was able to push Frigg’s ass out of Jeanne Grimm’s home and onto the sidewalk, where she stumbled in her ridiculous high heels.

  Who wore fuck-me pumps to pack up a house in the middle of the night?

  “Hey! You can’t do that!” Luther was the first to come to the door, ready to defend his lover. He was followed swiftly by Henry, who looked just as pissed as his brother.

  Morgan moved until he blocked the doorway, ready to defend Jeanne’s home. He didn’t want Frigg getting back into the house.

  “Watch us.” Magnus’s hands were flexing, clenching and unclenching. If Henry and Luther weren’t careful, Magnus would be on them like the berserker he was. He’d fling them around like the Hulk did Loki in that superhero movie, the one Logan liked to watch so much even while he bitched about how he really wasn’t like that, and what was up with that stupid hat?

  Morgan figured Logan had a thing for Captain America. The actor looked a hell of a lot like Kir, but with shorter hair and not nearly as pretty.

  Morgan decided he didn’t really want to have to explain to Jeanne why they broke into her house. It would be better if the others left peacefully. He ignored the way Frigg was pounding on his back. If she thought she could hurt him she had a surprise coming. “I think you should all leave before Logan and Kir get here.” He had every intention of calling them and asking Logan to place wards around Jeanne’s home.

  Never again would the Aesir take something of hers. Not if Morgan could stop it.

  Henry and Luther both took deep breaths, exchanging worried looks. They might not fear Logan, but Kir was another matter altogether. As long as he held Gungnir, he held sway over all of them, whether they liked it or not. He could, and would, enforce his will upon them.

  Gungnir had changed Kir in certain ways. He was more confident in his actions, more certain of his power and his place in the world. More like the Baldur Morgan remembered, but…not. Love had softened Baldur’s edges, turned the fun-loving Kir into a leader Morgan was proud to follow.

  Luther held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “We’re going.”

  Henry nodded, following his brother’s lead by putting his own hands in the air. “We don’t want trouble with Baldur.”

  Morgan moved just enough to allow Sif to silently move past him.

  “Logan is coming?”

  He looked at Sigyn, the hope in her expression lighting her up.

  Damn. She still loved her ex-husband. “Yes.”

  “Let me stay.”

  “Sigyn—”

  She took a step toward him, her hands folded together almost as if she was praying. “Please.”

  Morgan felt for her, he really did, but Logan was married to his stepsister now…and Sigyn had chosen to side with Frigg. “I can’t.”

  It was hard, watching her face fall, knowing she still hoped for something that would never be. “I understand.” She smiled sadly. “I just wanted to say hello.”

  “Sigyn. Come here, now.”

  Sigyn winced at the snap in Frigg’s voice. “Yes, Frigg.”

  He let her by, knowing that her request was going to earn her quite the lecture from Frigg. He didn’t think the elder goddess would harm her or he would have tried to stop her.

  No, Sigyn would only wish she were dead by the time Frigg was done with her.

  “Gina. Sonia. Let’s go. These motherless sons of a Jotun whore have declared we aren’t welcome here.”

  Gina and Sonia Grimm, aka Gna and Sjofn, were Frigg’s most dedicated handmaidens. They did anything Frigg asked of them without question. If Magnus went for Frigg, the two women would undoubtedly throw themselves in front of her to protect her, despite the fact that neither was a warrior. Magnus would easily destroy them if it came down to a fight.

  Morgan held out his hand to stop Magnus from going for Frigg’s throat. “Enough, Frigg.”

  She took a step back as Morgan tried to hide his shock. The rumble of thunder had been in his voice, officially declaring him the successor of his father. Magnus stepped up beside him, lightning crackling around him in a visible display that had him thankful it was the middle of the night.

  Scratch that. Declaring both of us Dad’s successors.

  Sif closed her eyes and swayed, pale as milk. Even her hair seemed less lustrous as she shook with silent sobs. “Oh, Thor.”

  Magnus winced at the sound of his father’s name on Sif’s lips. Morgan hurt for his brother, but there was nothing he could do.

  Not even the Gods could force someone to love you.

  Morgan allowed the feeling that had overtaken him, the anger and the determination to remove Frigg from his sight, to linger. The thunder remained in his voice, echoing oddly with his words. “You will leave, and you will not return.”

  Magnus flicked his hand toward the Aesir gathered in front of Jeanne Grimm’s home, and lightning struck at their feet. Morgan could feel the thunder rumbling through him, sounding from him in a quiet fury.

  Skye stepped around the gathered Aesir and Vanir and into the house for all the world like a princess entering her castle, calmly and demurely. She took her place at his side, her hands clasped in front of her as he’d seen her do countless times over the centuries.

  She’d made her allegiance known, and he saw that knowledge settle over Frigg like a dark cloak. Morgan wrapped his arm around her waist, making his own point more than clear.

  Skuld was under his protection, and anyone who fucked with her would have to deal with him.

  Frigg lifted her chin. “Baldur will come home to me. He will see the mistake he’s made in standing by Loki’s side when Ragnarrok begins.” Frigg was vibrating with anger, but at least she was backing away.

  “Idiot.” Magnus was shaking his head. “Ragnarrok has already begun.” He stepped backward into the house.

  “You’re the idiot. When Ragnarrok comes and Loki dies, who do you think Baldur will turn to?”

  Morgan also stepped back into the house and exchanged a glance with his brother. “If that happens, he’ll turn to his family.” He smiled at Frigg. “That would be us.” And he closed Jeanne’s door quietly, having more respect for Thor’s second wife than he would ever have for his grandmother. “Damn. I hate that bitch.”

  Morgan took a look at the boxes piled around Jeanne’s home and nodded. “Let’s get started. Thanks to Frigg, this is going to take a lot longer than I thought.”

  Magnus groaned, but he opened a box, just the first of many.

  Chapter Seven

  “It has to be here somewhere.” Skye stood, her hands on her hips, and glared down at the unopened box.

  “For all we know, we accidentally buried him with it.”

  “Well. That would suck monkey balls.” She sneezed at the dust that rose from the box she’d just opened.

  Magnus choked. “Monkey balls?”

  She shrugged and turned back to the box, but Morgan could see her cheeks turn red. The way she seemed to switch between Skylar Kincade, American photographer, and Skuld, all-powerful Fate, was endearing as hell.

  “That’s what you think. Dad could have stashed it somewhere in Valhalla and we’ll never see it again.” Morgan grimaced as Magnus pulled out yet another box. They’d been at this for hours and still hadn’t found a hint that Mjolnir was anywhere in the house.

  “You think Frigg found it?”

  Morgan sighed, taking the dusty box from Skye as she started sneezing again. “That woman is seriously fucked in the head. If she’d found it, she wouldn’t have been able to stop herself from gloating.”

  “She was like that from the beginning.” Skye wiped her eyes and sniffled. “She was a bitch from day one. Always thought that because she was fucking Odin we owed her something. Vicious twat.”

  Magnus was staring at her like she’d grown a second head. He turned to Morgan and grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “I like her. Can we keep her?”

  Morgan r
olled his eyes even as Skye laughed at his idiot brother. “Frigg won’t be coming back. Can we work now?” They’d make sure of it. Jeanne’s home, her sanctuary, the place she’d raised their brother and sisters, would remain in Jeanne’s hands for as long as she wanted it. Logan and Kir had immediately agreed with Morgan when he contacted them. The two were on their way to set up the wards that would keep any but Jeanne and her brood out of this house until Jeanne said otherwise.

  They weren’t sure if they would tell Jeanne what her mother-in-law had done. She’d be far too angry to think rationally, and no one was willing to risk what would happen if Jeanne went up against Frigg. Jeanne was mortal. Frigg would tear her apart to get what she wanted without a qualm.

  On the other hand, Jeanne Grimm could be one scary-ass lady when pissed. Morgan might bring popcorn to that fight.

  Morgan opened his senses, looking for that point of strength that was Kir, and found it barely two blocks away. Whatever had delayed the other gods, they were here now. Jeanne’s home would soon be safe.

  “You’re always such a ray of sunshine, Morgan.”

  “It comes out of my ass on cloudy days.”

  That set his twin off again. Morgan shook his head and got back to the task of looking for the Hammer of Thor. If Mjolnir were in the house, the two of them should be able to find it.

  Unless Thor put it under some sort of ward, one that wouldn’t allow anyone to detect it. His father never had the magic of the Jotuns, but he’d had allies who would be willing to hide the hammer for him. Allies that might not want either side to have Thor’s mightiest weapon.

  “Damn it. What did that bitch do with it?” Magnus tossed aside a box that held some of Thor’s clothes. It broke open, scattering jeans all over the place.

  “Then he gave the hammer to Thor, and said that Thor might smite as hard as he desired, whatsoever might be before him, and the hammer would not fail; and if he threw it at anything, it would never miss, and never fly so far as not to return to his hand; and if be desired, he might keep it in his sark, it was so small; but indeed it was a flaw in the hammer that the fore-haft was somewhat short.” Skye hummed. “It’s possible it’s been shrunk down and that’s why we can’t find it.”

  “Magnus.” He reached for his brother, wincing when Magnus danced out of reach. “I really don’t think she found it. Frigg would have gloated if she had, but instead she was just as frustrated as you are.”

  Magnus sighed and ran his fingers through his bright red hair. “I know, I know. But…”

  Morgan grabbed Magnus and wrapped his arms around his twin. “I miss him too.”

  “We didn’t have him for years. Not really.”

  “And he didn’t have us.”

  The tension left his brother’s shoulders. “Yeah. I know. One more thing Grimm needs to pay for.” Magnus sighed deeply and pulled free of Morgan. “I’m thinking of changing my name again.”

  “What’s wrong with Magnus?” He was rather fond of his brother’s name. They always picked their mortal names together, and he’d been pushing for Magnus for his twin for two centuries. Magnus had finally given in twenty-five years ago. The name just seemed right for him.

  “No, not Magnus. Magnus was never the problem. I want to get rid of Grimm.”

  “Oh.” Yeah, he could see why Magnus would want to change their other name. “But Dad’s name was Grimm.”

  Magnus’s head snapped up, the beginnings of a scowl darkening his expression. “So is his.”

  Morgan wasn’t averse to the idea of changing their names, but he wanted to make sure his twin had thought it through. “A lot of the relatives we love have Grimm as well. Jeff, for instance.”

  Magnus snorted, amused, a habit he’d picked up from Logan. “Like he’s not already Jeffrey Saeter.”

  “Jamie.”

  “Jamie Yardley-Rudiger.”

  There was only one other person they needed to talk about, but he wasn’t sure if Val would influence this decision or not. Besides, he had an idea of what last name they’d take if they could. “Then if we’re going to pick a new name, I think we should take Tate.”

  He heard Skye suck in a breath, but she stayed silent.

  Magnus stilled, his expression instantly lightening once more. “You’re all right with that?”

  Morgan grinned at his twin. He should have known Magnus had a plan. “You’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you?”

  “Yeah. I think it’s the right thing to do, to honor Kir and Logan’s sacrifice and ditch the Old Man’s taint.”

  “What about Uncle Val? He’d still be a Grimm.”

  “We can talk to him, see what he wants to do. I’m not certain he’ll want to hold on to the Grimm name any more than we do, but I’m not sure he’ll want Tate either.”

  “They are brothers. He might be willing.”

  “He might.”

  Magnus was grinning so wide Morgan was surprised his lips didn’t hit his earlobes. If this helped ease his brother’s pain, Morgan would gladly become a Tate. “Then we talk to Kir and make sure it’s all right with him.”

  “It’s more than all right.” Morgan jumped at the sound of Kir’s voice. He turned to find Kir in the doorway of Fred and Jeanne’s bedroom, tears in his eyes. “Having my family again…” Kir looked away and swallowed hard. “You have no idea what that means to me.”

  “Hey, Blondie, what’s—” Logan stopped, took one look at Kir’s teary expression and shot a black look at Morgan and Magnus. “What happened?”

  Morgan and Magnus exchanged a glance. Morgan shrugged. “We want to change our last name to Tate.”

  Logan’s expression went completely blank. “Ah. Yeah, that would do it.” He wrapped Kir in his arms, his gaze tender. “Jordan’s gonna love this.”

  Kir chuckled. “Yeah, she is.”

  “You’re all right with this?”

  Logan winked, and Morgan felt the flex of the Trickster’s magic surge through the room. “Morgan and Magnus Tate sounds fine to me.”

  Morgan pulled out his wallet and stared at his driver’s license. There, in black and white, was the name Morgan Tate. “Cool.”

  “Thank you.” Kir kissed Logan’s cheek and stepped out of his hold.

  “You’re welcome.” Logan grimaced. “Now all we have to do is get Jörmungandr and Sleipnir, and our family will be complete.”

  Kir smiled at his lover. None of them were fooled by the forced cheer in Logan’s voice. They’d gotten to know him well in the close quarters they now lived in. That false bravado hid a bleeding heart. “We’ll find him and save him.”

  “I know, Blondie. But right now we’ve got bigger fish to fry.” Logan nodded toward the twins. “You find the hammer yet?” He blinked, looking around the room as if seeing the boxes for the first time. “Why did you pack?”

  “Frigg did it.”

  Logan cursed viciously under his breath. “I’ll get started on the wards. Jeanne doesn’t need this shit.”

  “Logan.” Morgan waited until he had Logan’s undivided attention. “I think Frigg might turn out to be as big a threat as Grimm. She’s gone beyond pissed and into psychotic. She thinks once you’re dead, Baldur will return to her.”

  Thunder rumbled outside, and it didn’t come from him.

  Oh, someone didn’t like that. One of the few things that could rouse Kir and unleash Baldur, leader of the gods, was a threat to either Logan or Jordan.

  Logan nodded once, sharply, before turning and heading back down the narrow stairs of Jeanne’s row house. He’d use his magic to make sure the wards were strong enough to keep Jeanne’s home safe.

  Kir glanced around the room with a slightly confused expression. “Frigg should have been able to find it easily. Are you certain she didn’t walk out with it? I mean, it’s not like the comic books, where Thor was the only one who could lift it.”

  Logan snorted in disgust. “Please. With all the stuff they got wrong, like that stupid horned hat, you expecte
d them to get that one right?”

  “Get over the hat, Logan.” Kir’s tone was amused.

  “We didn’t frisk her, so it’s possible she managed to sneak it out.” Morgan shuddered at the thought.

  “Or not.” Kir shrugged. “It might still be here. Try calling it. Now that your father is gone, it should respond to either you or Magnus.”

  “This I’ve got to see,” Skye muttered. She backed up until she was standing next to Kir. “I wish you could summon popcorn.”

  Kir grinned. “So do I.”

  He cocked an eyebrow at Magnus, who nodded. Magnus would call first, trying to pull Mjolnir to himself.

  Morgan watched as his brother took a deep breath. Magnus held out his hand, his brows drawn together in concentration. “Come.”

  Nothing happened.

  “Try Norwegian.”

  Magnus shrugged. “Komme til mig.”

  Again, nothing happened. “Try saying its name.”

  Magnus rolled his eyes. “Komme til mig, Mjolnir.”

  Morgan crossed his arms. “Maybe I should try?”

  “Damn it, it’s supposed to belong to both of us.” Magnus threw his hands in the air, that temper of his flaring up. “Mjolnir! Get your ass here now!”

  Magnus flew across the room as a tiny flash of silver slammed into him. He hit the wall so hard he cracked the drywall.

  “Holy shit.” Morgan fought his own laughter as Kir collapsed against the doorframe, giggling like a child. Skye laughed so hard she fell on her ass. “Hey, Magnus? I think you found Mjolnir.”

  “Ow.”

  Morgan fought his own laughter. “Good thing your head is so hard.”

  “You suck so bad.” Magnus was slumped against the wall, a small silver pendant resting on his forehead. Already, a hammer-shaped bruise was forming where Mjolnir had struck him. He glared at Morgan. “Dickhead. You call it next time.” Morgan lost it as Magnus picked the small silver hammer off his forehead and flicked the tiny piece of silver at him. “Asshole.”

  Logan leaned in and stared at them all, grinning widely. “Oh, hey. You found Mjolnir!”