by JD Nelson
“No, we don’t. Hang on, Chase. I’m coming.” I grabbed the door handle, melted it, and then kicked in the metal door.
“Nice,” Emelie said, impressed. “Chase? Are you okay?”
Battered and bruised, Chase made her way over to us. “I am now.”
“Emelie, take her to the farmhouse, and for the love of the Norse, stay there. I can’t believe you came here in your condition.”
“I’m pregnant, not disabled, you twit,” she said crossly. “Besides there’s no reason for you to stay.”
I glared at her. “I’m going to blame hormones for that twit remark. I’ll meet you there in five, okay? Nils needs attention.” I chuckled. “Nothing new there.”
Emelie laid a hand on my arm, stopping me. “Please, Erin. Don’t go.”
Panic’s sudden attack struck, making my heart pound. “Is it Jakob?” I asked, not waiting for an answer before running back to the anteroom and past Nils’ still sleeping form.
In the crowd at the top of the steps, Jakob’s deep voice was music to my ears, although what he was saying didn’t inspire much confidence. Pushing my way forward, I saw my mother, cornered, holding the jewel-hilted dagger from Surtr’s belt to her stomach. Jakob stood in front of her with his hands up in the upright and ‘I won’t hurt you’ position.
“Viveka, will you not listen? You do not need to do this. Do you believe that Kristian’s prison will be so terrible for you? He is not an unkind male to any female. Please, give me the blade.”
“You could help me,” she countered. “Take your rightful place as king. Free me, Jakob.”
“So that you could do this again and again with Odin?” He shook his head. “No, Viveka. I cannot.”
“Then you give me no choice.” With those words said, she plunged the dagger into her belly twisting it to inflict greater damage, then fell to her knees, before collapsing against the stone wall.
“Noooo!” I screamed, rushing forward to pull the knife out before she could do more harm to herself. “Soren, hurry! Heal her!”
Soren didn’t move. He only said, “My magic will do nothing if she will not accept it, Erin.”
“Please, mother,” I sobbed. “Please, don’t do this.”
Jakob crouched beside us, his face hiding the seething rage that lay open to me in his mind. He was angered by her selfishness and the blatant disregard for the child she had given birth to. “Viveka, for the sake of your daughter, allow Soren to heal you.”
Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth as she spoke. “My king, she has been my curse. The ruin to all of my plans and our mating. I owe her nothing.”
Seconds after her cruel statement, the spark faded from my mother’s eyes. Stunned, I carefully moved my mother’s lifeless torso from my lap and stood, shaking with rage. I could feel my eyes burning with heat, my flame begging to be set free, to set things to right. “Get Nils, and get out,” I said to the group, my voice was calm and without emotion.
“What of Thor and Odin?” Jakob asked, reluctant to leave me.
“Now!” I screamed, causing dust and debris to fall from the cracks in the ceiling. I didn’t want them to get hurt by my barely controlled magic. They had to go now.
Axel hurried down the steps to fetch his unconscious brother. “Jakob, father drove them away. I saw them after we arrived in the feasting hall. All three shifted at the same time.” He eyed the impatient flames covering my body. “I suggest we follow their lead.”
With one long last look at me, Jakob left me alone.
Making my way to the now deserted main hall, I stepped up onto the dais that held the three ‘god’s’ thrones. Glancing around in revulsion at the view, I could see why Nils had urged us to go downstairs. He was trying to protect us from seeing the massacre the temple’s belly held. It was an awful place. Dozens of creatures hung with their throats slit around the perimeter. Below them, a trough stood overflowing with their blood. Bile rose in my throat. How could anyone do this to a creature?
From the darkness of the void that surrounded me, a male’s lyrical voice asked, “Do you think that you are above this honor?”
I backed up to the wall. I couldn’t tell where the voice originated. “Who’s there?”
“I would hate to think you a greater fool than your brother,” the voice continued.
“Show yourself!” I demanded, ready to give whoever this was a taste of what my flame could do.
Out of the blackness, a grey-haired male stepped into the sliver of moonlight that lit the room. My fire reacted, covering my body with an audible whoosh. It was Odin. I had no doubt. I could feel the same pulsating energy I’d become accustomed to feeling when I was around Soren. “Hello, father.”
He inclined his head. “Daughter.”
“I thought you were gone.”
He disappeared and reappeared in front of me in a split second. “I did not have what I came for.”
“You’re going to be disappointed if you mean me,” I warned him, amping up my fire’s intensity to volcano hot.
Smiling, he wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead and continued, “Erin, my own blood, have a care. I am not the evil dictator the Norse-lands will have you believe I am. How can you ally yourself with Soren without first hearing my side of the story? He may be my oldest child, but he is not an infallible creature. He has made unforgivable mistakes of judgment, just as I have. You are an intellectual sort of female, do you not desire to know why these sacrifices have to be made?”
“Intellectual sort of female, huh?” I huffed. “You’re right. I’m not a fool, so don’t treat me as such.” I took a step closer to him. “There can be no just reason that you could ever give me that would sway me to your side. Who are you to kill any living creature? You’re not a god, nowhere near it. All you are is a megalomaniac and an asshole.”
“You will submit to me, daughter! I command it!” His voice was like thunder, the rumble making the stone foundation sway beneath our feet.
“Make me!” I growled back, pleased when stones started toppling from the ceiling. I would bring this whole place down on top of him if I had to.
Odin laughed. “You are but a child. Your powers cannot compare with mine.”
I smiled at his arrogance. “Yeah, you’re right. Our magic would be impossible to compare … because I’m stronger.”
“Erin, you will obey me!” Odin screamed, all traces of humor now gone.
Not bloody likely. With a warrior's cry, I leapt toward my father, my anger bringing my fire into a tight column of magma hot heat in my hands. There was no disguising the satisfaction I felt as I watched it shoot like a laser into the face of the only father I’d ever known. Fear made his face young for a fleeting moment, then he appeared resolved. It was sick, even depraved of me, but I wanted to see the life leave his eyes. I wanted revenge. The taste of it was thick on my tongue.
My revenge, however, was not to be. When my magic hit its mark, the room imploded. Screaming, I covered my head, too shocked to think to shift away from the danger that never came. Laughing a hysterical little giggle, I looked up to my unexpected savior, the faery queen, and pushed myself up to my knees.
She stood fierce in front of me, looking over the debris for any movement. “Rise, child. We must take our leave.”
With a wobble, I got to my feet and threw my tired arms around her. “Layla, I can never thank you enough.”
“There’s no need,” she assured me, brushing the plaster from my cheek and helping me to my feet. “You brought my daughter home. I was in your debt, not the other way around.”
“Is she okay?”
“Perfectly. If not a little peeved at missing the action.”
She could have it. I would give every magic I had in the worlds to know that I would never have to use it again in violence. “I’m more of a lover, I think.”
Smirking, she shook her head. “With a mate like yours, who could blame you?”
I gave her a weary smile and glanced at th
e rubble. “Is he dead?”
“Gone, but injured, I would say. It will take some time for him to recover from that kind of damage, and my dear, he will not thank you for it.”
“Then, it’s over … for now, at least.”
“For now. However, something must be done about this temple. We can’t let Thor come back here. It must be destroyed.”
“Leave it to me.”
“I was going to, child.” She disappeared in her customary burst of sparkles, her laugh still lingering in the air for several seconds after she was gone.
After several minutes of deep contemplation, I decided that the best way to destroy the temple was from the sky. Almost being pummeled once was enough for one night. Taking a running leap into the air, I felt my arms lengthen to the strong, rigid wings that would carry me to a height low enough to blast this atrocity to kingdom come, but high enough to keep myself safe from the debris. Shooting through the opening created to allow sunlight, I flew straight up until I was above the tree line and hovered, taking stock of the situation. I could see fires smoldering on most of the grounds, and the vine-covered stairs we’d seen at the entrance now stood in a jagged pile at the base of the temple. Good. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the staccato beat of my wings, imagining my fire pulsing stronger and hotter with every beat. It didn’t take long for me to hear the roar of my flame surrounding me, as if I was standing in the eye of a hurricane. I felt calm, ready to end this nightmare, and when the fire’s growl became too loud for my bird’s sensitive hearing, I let everything I had go.
I came to with a gasp. Frozen in fear, I looked around me without moving. I seemed to be laying on hard concrete, in what looked like a deserted loading dock. Where was everyone? Wasn’t I supposed to be at the tree? Oh, that’s right. I didn’t make it. Anyone could have brought me here.
Jakob appeared at my side. “Calm yourself, Erin.”
“What happened?” I whispered, but a low squawk came out. I was still in bird form. I hadn’t even realized that I wasn’t me. Well, the normal me.
Stumbling up onto the long stalks of my legs, I tried to relax. Two seconds later, I was pressed into the chest of my mate. “What was I thinking, letting you go into battle alone? Do not ever ask it of me again, Erin. I will not obey.”
“Don’t worry, Jakob. I was a fool. If Layla hadn’t shown up, I would have been trapped under a thousand pounds of stone right now.”
“We owe her a debt, my love.”
I shook my head to get rid of the dizziness. “No. She says it’s paid.”
“Indeed, all of the rebellion’s debt has been paid.”
We turned to Layla’s voice and found her and Soren smiling at us. “Good news,” my brother said. “The faeries have joined our rebellion."
"Great,” I replied with a note of hope tinging my voice. “Does that mean we can all go home now?"
"Home?" Soren asked, his expression masking his true feelings, per usual.
"To the castle. You and Emelie will stay with us, won't you, Soren?"
He dipped into the bow I'd become so accustomed to. "My Queen, it would be an honor to serve you."
"I don't need your service, silly. I need a brother." I grinned and stepped into his outstretched arms. "You'll have to do until I find a better one."
"I think that's my cue to leave," Queen Layla said.
I untangled myself from Soren's iron grip. "Layla, wait. I want to thank you ... for everything. We couldn't have done this without your help."
Her smile was serene. "Fear not, soon there will come a time when you shall return the favor."
I furrowed my brow. "Myrgjöl?"
Winking, she said, "Who else, my dear?" and disappeared.
I stood silent for a moment, staring into the space where she’d just stood. It was all over. Could it have really taken less than an hour to undo more than six thousand years of my father's tyranny?
"There was nothing easy about what you just did," Jakob told me, lacing his fingers with my left hand.
Soren offered me his arm on my other side. "He's right, sister. I'm proud of you."
"I'm proud of you guys, too. Most of all, you, Soren. I’m so excited to be an aunt. I can't wait to see if the baby has your hair and eyes."
Realization dawned on him. "Emelie is ... with child?"
I slapped my hand to my forehead. "Just go." He was gone before I finished speaking. "Oh God, Jakob. What have I done?"
"Made him a happy male," he supplied.
"You're hilarious."
He smoothed back my tangled hair, cupped my face, and pressed his soft lips to mine. "And you, my Erin, are perfect."
EPILOGUE
A couple weeks after what we’d been calling the ‘temple incident’, Kristian sent word that he wasn’t coming back to rule. We all figured as much. With his mate now found, the allure of his solitary throne might as well be a punishment, though it was nice to have his blessing. There was an overabundance of other problems we couldn’t escape so easily, and that was just one less thing we’d have to worry about.
Once the news of Odin’s defeat traveled across the Norse-lands, it was amazing how many creatures flocked to Svartálfaheim for our protection, which we happily provided, of course. It was as predicted—Jakob and I were their king and queen. They no longer looked to Odin as their ruler, and this caused the balance of power (and magic) to shift to our side.
Our first appointment as the unofficial monarchy was to make sure that Chase stayed on as my right hand. I doubt Queen Layla would have stood for anything else. She had been more than helpful, but I knew she had her own agenda for the faeries of Midgard. She’d be keeping an eye on us, allies or not.
Much to Chase’s dismay, Nils was selected as the worthiest to guard the king. I’m sure Soren would have been Jakob’s first pick, but with Emelie’s impending birth, he had become erratic. He was obsessed with the safety of their child. I knew that he had nothing to worry about. My nephew would live to marry Kristian’s daughter with his human and see grandchildren of his own. My borrowed Norn powers assured me of that. All would be well … eventually.
After the Great War, Ragnarök, there would be peace. Until that day, we would go about with our planning and scheming, while keeping a watchful eye for anything astray. We didn’t know when my father would strike, but we knew that he would. He had ruled for thousands of years. He wasn’t about to hand over all of that glory to a daughter that had been here ten minutes. No way. He would come. And when he did, the rebellion would be ready.
THE END
BOOKS BY JD NELSON
NIGHT ABERRATIONS
NIGHT ABERRATIONS - BOOK 1
A NIGHT OF WICKEDNESS
WICKED WAYS - BOOK 1
THE FIRE WITHIN THE NIGHT
NIGHT ABERRATIONS - BOOK 2
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS ARE MY TWO
FRONT FANGS
A WICKED WAYS COMPANION NOVEL
WICKED WAYS #1.5
WOLVES WILL BE WOLVES
WICKED WAYS - BOOK 2
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JD Nelson is an Amazon Bestselling Author of Fantasy Romance and Erotic Paranormal Romance. She is also the owner of Chaste Moon Publishing, an independent publishing house. A transplant from Mobile, Alabama, she gave up Mardi Gras and frequent hurricanes to move to the earthquake capital of the United States, the San Francisco Bay Area. She now lives in Central Valley, California with her amazingly supportive husband and three cats who think they're dogs.
Always short on time, JD has long ago mastered the art of procrastination and was recently crowned Procrastinator of the Year by her editor, which is only slightly better than her being voted Most Likely to Waste Time by Watching Vampire Movies by her readers last year. All jokes aside, JD is a boringly normal person who thinks that coffee pretty much fixes everything, as long as it's before 6:30AM and the planet Mars is in retrograde. When she's not spending time with her sexy Swedish husband, you can find her writing, reading, or o
n her commute to her day job where she wrangles paint onto canvas for the entertainment industry.
JD loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her through her website, AuthorJDNelson.com, or on Facebook, where she spends an alarming amount of time chatting to her many author and reader friends, much to the dismay of her continually neglected manuscripts.
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