Defender (Night War Saga Book 2)

by S. T. Bende

  One corner of Tore’s mouth quirked up in a half-smile. “What’d you have in mind?”

  “Well.” I glanced at my dragon. If her sister had to answer to Drakira, Red seemed almost cruelly plain. But I wasn’t about to make my dragon respond to Redirka or whatever the crimson-hued equivalent of a regal dragon name would be. She needed something pronounceable, yet special at the same time. Something that suited her. Something like . . . Scarlet?

  The thought had barely passed my mind when my dragon’s head bobbed up and down. What the . . . ? Could she read my mind? No . . . surely not. She was just excited about being named. All right, Scarlet it is. With a grin, I turned to face our group. “Guys, I have decided her name is Scarlet.”

  Milkir’s jaw dropped open. “Scarlet?”

  I shrugged. “She likes it.”

  Scarlet flapped her wings, moving closer to nuzzle her head against me. She pulled back and batted her eyes at Tore, fluttering her long black lashes so they brushed against his arm. Was she flirting with him? I laughed out loud. I couldn’t exactly blame her—the girl had good taste.

  “Scarlet?” Milkir asked again. “Is human name.”

  Mack reached over the shell-shocked dwarf to touch Scarlet’s neck. “Welcome, sister.” He folded his hands and bowed. Our dragon closed her eyes in a seeming display of reverence.

  “Scarlet,” Johann said curtly. Angry red lines shot through his energy as he spoke her name.

  Instinctively, I reached out to touch Johann’s arm. “It’s not her fault she pushed Bodie into the portal,” I explained. “The darkness that was inside her controlled her consciousness. If it was anything like what I had inside me in Jotunheim, she had very little control over her actions. Or even her thoughts.”

  Johann gave a tight nod. His energy was heavy with loss—everyone’s was. But the addition of a dragon to our midst certainly wouldn’t hurt our chances of getting Bodie safely home.

  And who knew, maybe our new pet—er, dragon warrior life partner—would end up holding us together until this whole Nott nightmare was behind us, once and for all.

  * * * *

  After we picked poor Milkir’s jaw up off the ground, we ushered him back down the mountain and said our goodbyes. I lingered longer than necessary, watching the Liv pulse in my fingertips as I patted Scarlet. I’d never have admitted it, but I was reluctant to leave my dragon. She was my very first pet and the first warrior life partner I’d ever had. Plus, we had this cool glowy, blue bond between us. Leaving all that behind to continue on what seemed like an impossible quest was a tough pill to swallow.

  “Pepper?” Tore called out. “You coming?”

  “You can call the Bifrost,” I confirmed. “Bodie needs us.”

  “Heimdall!” Tore shouted into the sky.

  While my boyfriend summoned our ride, I turned back to my dragon. “I’ll be back soon,” I promised, tapping the golden horn at my waist. “And I’ll call you if I need you before then.”

  With one final nuzzle, Scarlet spread her wings and took to the sky, her crimson form momentarily blocking the heat of the sun before disappearing from view. We’d unwittingly shared an experience—the darkness had nearly taken me on Jotunheim, and it had tried to take Scarlet today. We were both survivors. And that bonded us every bit as much as the Liv.

  After a beat, a kaleidoscope of colors shot down from the sky, illuminating the little clearing with the shades of the Bifrost. My protectors hurried to step inside its light, leaving Milkir outside the circle.

  “Allie. Let’s get a move on.” Johann waved me forward.

  I crossed the grassy space and took Milkir’s hands in mine. It pained me to know that we were leaving him behind to bury his brother, but I knew I’d done everything I could to expedite his healing. “Thank you for looking after Scarlet,” I told the dwarf. “I’m sorry we couldn’t save your brother, too.”

  Milkir squeezed my hands. “Thank you honoring dragon bond,” he said. “I take care of her. Now you save friend.”

  “I will,” I vowed. I meant it. I wouldn’t give up until Bodie was returned safely to us.

  “We need to go,” Tore warned.

  “On it.” I gave Milkir one final nod and darted into the rainbow to tuck myself against Tore’s side. With a sigh, I looked up at the faces of my three protectors. Three. My throat pinched with barely-contained grief. The boys were holding it together, and so would I.

  “Let’s bring Bodie home,” Tore growled. “Heimdall, take us to Asgard.”

  “Asgard?” I asked. “I thought we needed to strategize?”

  “We do.” Tore stared straight ahead. “Now, Heimdall,” he commanded.

  The rainbow vibrated, and with a jolt we were sucked in the air, shot through the sky, and deposited in front of the last place I’d ever thought I’d be.

  * * * *

  The Bifrost ejected us onto a large, glass walkway. It was easily twenty feet wide, ten times as many feet long, and it led to a structure that was altogether unfamiliar. Once I got my bearings, and was fairly confident that I wasn’t going to throw up, I turned to Tore.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  He threaded his fingers through mine. “I need to do what’s best for Bodie.”

  My favorite protector didn’t say any more, just stared straight ahead, pressing his lips together into a thin line. He was obviously wrestling with something he didn’t feel like talking about. Fine. Instead of pushing the issue, I gave his hand a squeeze. Got your back, boyfriend. With whatever this is.

  Mack placed a supportive hand on Tore’s back. “Are you sure? You haven’t seen him in years.”

  Tore clenched his jaw. “Bodie’s worth it. And nobody does revenge better than my father.”

  A garbled squeak escaped my throat as I realized where we were and what we were about to do.

  “I’m meeting your dad.” I gave myself a mental facepalm. My clothes were covered in dirt and dragon blood; my hair was a rat’s nest, and I was exhausted beyond belief. Please, Universe, let a coffee-wielding fairy godmother magically appear. Right now. Okay . . . now?

  Sadly, no fairy godmothers were forthcoming. So, I sucked it up like the big girl that I was and changed my tone. “I’m meeting your dad,” I repeated, this time with slightly less dread. Then, because I couldn’t help myself, I muttered, “Looking like this.”

  Tore whipped his head around in my direction. “My father’s opinion doesn’t matter to me. Besides, you look like a warrior. I could do no better.”

  Aw. My heart melted just a little bit as I hurriedly wove my hair into a knotted braid.

  Without another word, Tore marched forward. Mack, Johann, and I followed him across the walkway toward a magnificent home made almost entirely of glass. It stood three stories tall, with multiple chimneys protruding from its arched roof. The structure was surrounded by enough foliage to sustain a municipal garden and framed by a series of silver-leafed oak trees. It would have been the kind of place I dreamed of vacationing to, if it didn’t belong to the man who’d stolen the light from my boyfriend’s life—Tore’s words, not mine.

  When we reached the end of the walkway, Johann turned to Tore. “Do you want us to go in or give you privacy?”

  “I’d like you guys in there,” Tore mumbled. My heart went out to him. Either his ego had finally shrunk to a healthy size, or he was really uncomfortable about seeing his father.

  Mack and Johann stepped forward. Their unwavering loyalty brought a lump to my throat. As crazy as my life had become, I counted myself majorly lucky to know these guys. They were a family in the very best sense of the word. And I was blessed to get to be a part of it.

  Even if it did mean I was about to be face-to-face with the God of Revenge.

  “Let’s get this over with.” Tore raised his fist and banged on the oversized glass door. I stepped closer to his side, burying my anxiety to lend what support I could.

  “Skit. It’s her,” Johann grumbled. I shot him a curious
stare, and he jutted his chin at the front door. Through the glass, I made out the silhouette of a model-thin woman. The lights of the hallway hit her body as she came closer, and my eyebrows shot up as I took in her six-foot frame. The woman was gorgeous, with raven black hair, big, green doe-eyes, and boobs not at all proportionate to her underfed waist. She wore a sheer dress over her red bikini, and her three-inch heels perfectly matched her bathing suit. And though she looked like she was in her mid-thirties, her abs were way more chiseled than mine would ever be.

  She must have been on Mack’s über-chicken diet, too.

  “Who is that?” I whispered.

  “Tiri. Just one of my father’s mistresses.” Tore didn’t bother to whisper.

  “How many does he have?” And do they all look like that?

  “Too many.” Tore shrugged.

  By then, Tiri had reached the door. She peered through the glass, her crimson lips forming a pert circle as she registered the four of us standing on the other side. She fumbled with the handle before yanking the door open.

  “Well, well, well. Look who’s gracing us with his presence. You must need something from your father.” Tiri placed one hand on her waist and jutted out her hip.

  “Where’s Revenge?” Tore growled.

  “Vidar is in the swimming pool. Follow me.” Tiri sidestepped the open door, turning on one high-heeled foot to sashay across the white marble floor. Her raven waves swung back and forth with each fluid step, and her hips moved with practiced precision. If the Norse pantheon boasted a Goddess of Seduction, odds were high this girl had the gig. And she had a thing with Tore’s dad?

  We made our way through the all-white entry, past what must have been hundreds of thousands of dollars of ornate, ivory-hued decor. The entire house was sterile and modern; beautiful, but far from comfortable. We rounded the corner to another sterile room. It must have been a living space, because in addition to the white-on-white decorating scheme, it boasted a cream-colored couch, an oversized ottoman, and an enormous, black dog snoring belly up in his white, fleecy dog bed.

  Revenge had a pet?

  “Killer!” Tore shouted. The dog’s eyes snapped open, and he spun onto his stomach so quickly, he flopped right out of his dog bed.

  Killer?

  The dog pushed himself onto all fours and whipped his head around to look at Tore. He craned his neck back to give a long howl before scraping his claws on the marble floor. Once he had enough traction, he took off at a run, charging straight at us.

  Fear clenched my heart like a vise, and in an act of straight-up self-preservation, I dropped Tore’s hand and scurried behind Mack. Tore threw out his arms just before Killer leapt into the air. The demigod nearly fell over beneath two hundred plus pounds of dog, but instead of groaning, Tore laughed heartily. Killer howled again before burying his face in Tore’s neck and sniffling hard.

  “Aw,” Mack sighed. I cautiously poked my head around his arm and looked up to see tears in the lumberjack’s eyes.

  “He missed you,” Tiri surmised.

  Tore glared at her. “Of course, he did. He’s my dog.”

  Tiri rolled her eyes, then turned and sauntered toward the back of the house. “I’ll go get your father.”

  “You do that,” Tore muttered. He set Killer down, and the dog scampered in a circle, yipping and howling. He seemed friendly enough . . . but he also seemed enthusiastic enough to take me down in one well-intentioned leap.

  “Mack, prop me up,” I instructed. My friend chuckled as I stepped in front of him and held out my hand. “Hey there, uh, Killer.”

  The dog approached tentatively, his shoulder level with my hip as he sniffed my hand. No doubt he caught a hefty whiff of dragon along with a solid dose of Tore. The familiar smell must have won him over, because he plopped on the ground, nearly crushing my feet as he rolled over to expose his belly. I was no dog expert, but I was pretty sure this meant, “Welcome to the family.”

  One Vidarsson down, one to go.

  I bent down to oblige Killer with a friendly pat. Mack and Johann knelt beside me, so the three of us were rubbing Killer’s enormous belly when heavy footsteps stormed into the room. Either Tiri had put on some major pounds, or I was about to meet the God of Revenge. Oh, Lord. Here goes nothing.

  I tilted my head up, then up some more. Tore’s dad was huge. He must have been close to seven feet tall, and his biceps were easily as big as Killer’s head. He’d clearly just come from the pool—the towel draped over his broad shoulders caught the droplets of water that fell from his shaggy, black hair. More drops streamed down his bare torso, trailing the line of tribal-looking chest tattoos. The ink extended down Vidar’s chest, disappearing beneath the waist of his white swim trunks. Clearly the guy had a color-theme going.

  “Son.” Vidar’s ice-blue eyes cut right into Tore. The entire room descended into awkward silence.

  “I’m not your son. You denounced me, remember?” Tore’s cold glare was the mirror image of his father’s. They glowered at each other while Tiri sauntered over to offer Vidar another towel. Mack, Johann, and I stood up, ready to fight or flee, depending on Tore’s next move.

  “You’re still upset about that? Get over it, boy.” Vidar snatched the towel from Tiri and ran it over his dripping hair. “Who’s the girl?”

  I swallowed hard and had to lean on Mack as I tried not to choke to death on my own saliva. Awesome first impression, Allie. Nailed it.

  “Uh, hi.” I coughed. “I’m Allie. Eir’s daughter.”

  My awkward hacking didn’t exactly scream demigod.

  “Allie is my girlfriend.” Tore stepped back to take my hand. My stomach did a tiny leap at the way he introduced me, but Vidar’s expression was cold. No smile; no nothing. Huh. It wasn’t looking like I’d have a spot on the family Christmas card come December.

  “You know Revenge and a healer didn’t work before,” Vidar said drily.

  Beside me, Mack gave a soft growl. Killer bared his teeth at the sound. Crap.

  Tore dropped my hand and stormed toward his father. “Don’t. Ever. Speak. Of. My. Mother. Again.” His hands were clenched, and his body shook with rage. My breath caught as his shield dropped, exposing his energy signature. Red and black threads of anger and pain wove around his heart. The density of loss and trauma were imprinted in his gut. But the rest of Tore’s energy was blue—nearly the same shade as the Liv. Was he like me on the inside, too?

  Before I could delve deeper, Tore’s shield snapped back into place. He and his father were locked in the mother of all staredowns, and if the clenched jaws and bulging biceps were any indication, this was going to end in a bigtime fight. Somebody needed to intervene.

  And I doubted Tiri was up to the job.

  I pulled my shoulders back and projected a confidence I so did not feel. “Our friend Bodie was pushed into a dark portal on Nidavellir. We think Nott has him, and we need your help getting him back.”

  Revenge didn’t take his gaze off Tore. “Is that right, son? You need my help?”

  I sent all the positive energy I could to Tore, because I knew it would take a hell of a lot of pride-swallowing for him to answer that question.

  The vein over Tore’s jaw pulsed, and I could practically hear his teeth grinding together. “Yes,” he gritted out. “I need your help.”

  Vidar placed a hand on Tore’s shoulder with a grin. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  Tore spun around. My eyes widened at the murderous look on his face.

  Vidar opened his arms. “I’m currently engaged in an operation for the Alfödr. You may have heard rumors of a potential spy in Asgard. At the moment, my plate is full spearheading that investigation.”

  My stomach dropped.

  “So, you won’t help,” Tore said in a flat voice.

  Vidar shook his head. “I didn’t say that. I can’t personally see to the mission but I can spare a few of my warriors to look into your situation. I’ll have them report to you in . . .” he glanced
at the clock over the fireplace. “Four hours should do it.”

  Tore nodded. “Thank you.” His tone was more like, ‘screw you,’ but he was trying. Since nobody had thrown any punches and Vidar had agreed to help us find Bodie, I was calling this visit a win.

  Vidar stepped forward and clapped Tore on the back. “I knew you would come around. It’s about time you learned the family business.”

  Tore shrugged him off. “I’m not . . . never mind. I’m taking my dog.”

  “Fine.” Vidar shrugged.

  “Fine,” Tore retorted.

  Silence again descended on the living room. Mack broke it with a deep, Namaste bow. “Takk, Sir. We should get back and prepare things on our end.”

  Vidar shot an icy glare at Tore’s back. But his expression softened when he said, “You are welcome to return, anytime.”

  Tore snorted. He took Killer by the collar and guided him out of Vidar’s house. Johann followed, with Mack and me bringing up the rear.

  “Nice to meet you both,” I said awkwardly. Tiri ignored me, but Vidar gave a tight nod. We closed the door behind us, and I shuddered. Now I knew why my favorite protector was so complicated. Yikes. Talk about daddy issues.

  Once we reached the end of the glass walkway, I looked down at Killer. “Can dogs travel on the Bifrost?”

  “The force could harm a Midgardian canine,” Tore said. “But Asgardian ones are a lot stronger.”

  “I gathered.” I’d seen Killer nearly take Tore down with a friendly jump.

  Tore grinned. “I think you’re going to find that Killer’s a different breed than the kinds of dogs you’re used to.”

  “Yeah, a larger, stronger, more drool-prone breed.” Mack frowned. “Are you really planning on keeping him at the safe house?”

  “You got a problem with that?” Tore raised an eyebrow at our neat-freak friend.

  “We can figure out the pet arrangements later,” Johann chimed in. “Between Allie’s dragon and Tore’s dog, we’re going to have a lot of adjustments to make. But right now, Bodie is our priority. That’s why we came here. Now move.”