by Lisa Olsen
“What do you want me to do? I can’t force Jakob to leave the house and I’m not burning it down.”
“Invite me in.”
“I can’t. You were there, you saw what happened when I tried to invite you in before, the house won’t let me.”
“Handy spell, that. Well then, I guess we find ourselves at an impasse. What do you suggest we do next?”
Not that I thought he’d go for it for an instant, but I had to try. “How about you let my sister go – completely go, and you can go wait for Jakob to get desperate enough to make a blood run?”
“Hm, doesn’t sound like much fun. How about you drop the spell from the house and let me in?”
“I… have no idea how to even do that.” I assumed it could be done, but I didn’t know if Leila would have to do it or what. And I sure as heck wasn’t going to invite her to step into my mess. “What if I trade places with Hanna? Unscramble her mind and let her go and I give you my word I’ll stay here with you, no compulsion needed.”
“And here I thought you had a thing for your bodyguard. Or is it all bodyguards?” He looked to Lee, who remained unruffled and held his tongue. “No deal. Compulsion or not, I’d rather not spend my time waiting for your people to keep trying to spring you. Besides, I’ve grown fond of my current bargaining chip.” Lodinn kissed Hanna on top of her head again and she turned her face up to receive a proper kiss. Did he sincerely like her, or was he trying to be the most obnoxious guy on the planet since Vinnie Van Lowe?
“He’s right,” Lee chimed in beside me. “Rob wouldn’t stand for it and neither would a lot of other folks. It’d just end up in more bloodshed. You might want to think on it a spell before you go makin’ rash offers like that.”
“What else am I supposed to do?” I hissed. “I can’t leave my sister here with that… that…”
“Careful now, I don’t think you’d like to see me in a bad mood,” Lodinn warned, and I scowled at him.
“I’m sure you’d make the Hulk quake in his purple pants.” With great effort, I forced a calming breath. “It’s obvious you have something else in mind here. Tell me how you want me to fix it.”
“You could always kill Jakob for me.”
He had to be joking. “I could never do that.”
“If there’s anyone in this world who can pull it off, I’m pretty sure it’s you. You could get close to him and he’d never suspect it was coming.”
He wasn’t getting it. “No, you don’t understand. I mean I could never do that. Not just that I can’t physically best him, but I couldn’t carry out a murder in cold blood like that. I just couldn’t.”
“Not even to save your sister? Who is doing a fabulous job at the let’s be quiet game this time,” he smiled indulgently at her, giving her a brief kiss which she soaked up like sunshine.
“What do you want me to say? I’d slit my own wrists to save her if you asked me to, but I couldn’t trade one life for another like that.” Sure, I talked a big game about letting them duke it out and God knew Jakob had been getting on my last nerve lately, but I couldn’t turn into a coldhearted killer like that, not even to save my sister.
“Fine then, I’ll exchange Hanna for Gungnir.” He looked at me like I was supposed to know what he was talking about, but I stared at him blankly.
“I don’t even know who that is.”
“Don’t you know anything at all? I weep for the future.” He shook his head sadly. “It’s not a who, it’s a what. You’ve never heard of Gungnir, the spear of Odin?”
“I knew he had a spear, I didn’t realize it had a name.” Or that it was in any way real. I wracked my brains for anything pertaining to said spear in my mythology class back in high school, but I came up empty. “How am I supposed to find this spear?” It seemed like a Herculean task and I was short a demi-god to carry it out.
“I’ll tell you exactly where it is, on the count of what a nice guy I am,” Lodinn beamed, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the catch was.
“If you know exactly where it is, why don’t you get it yourself?”
“Because only one with a pure heart can retrieve the spear,” he replied in a ringing voice. “From what I hear, that sounds like you. Or did you want me to compel a nun to go after it?”
Was he for real? “No, but I’m not as pure as you might think.” I was pretty sure someone who’d committed murder, even unintentional, didn’t merit a mention on the purity scale.
“Sounds like my kind of lady,” he winked. “Actually, I’m kidding with all that pure heart jazz. But it is in a place where I can’t go, so I need you to nip over there and get it for me.”
“What kind of place is that?” My imagination immediately spun a scenario of alternate worlds or even – was there a way to get to Asgard? Holy schnikes, was I about to try and thieve the spear from Odin himself?
“It lies in a hidden valley in the Sogn district in Norway near Vadheim.”
Not quite as magical as I’d hoped, but infinitely easier to get to. The name tugged at my memory until I made the connection. “That’s where Jakob is from, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that was our village, we grew up together.”
And I was going to get to see it! Maybe Jakob would take me there himself and I’d get to see first hand where mythology blended with history. I’d always wanted to visit the Scandinavian countries and see the lands of my forefathers, but I figured that was more of a someday kind of dream. Heck, I would’ve taken up this challenge even if it didn’t mean saving my sister.
But then reality set in – this wasn’t about to be a rose petal strewn path. There had to be a catch, otherwise he’d have retrieved the spear long ago. “Why can’t you go there?”
“Why is the sky blue? What makes a rainbow? What difference does it fucking make!” he thundered, and I tried not to jump back at the sudden shift in his temperament. Hanna remained silent by his side, but her eyes did pop wider.
“I’m sorry, I was just wondering is all,” leaked out immediately. “I’m trying to make sure I understand this right. If I go there, is it mine for the taking? Do I have to go hiking through hidden caves and carve it out of an ancient glacier or something? Are there people guarding it or do I have to navigate my way through a maze of posts with a glass of water in my hand?”
“What kind of movies have you been watching?” Lodinn’s anger slipped away as fast as it had appeared, his face twisting in an effort to puzzle through my references. “There are no secret mazes or tombs to raid, so you can leave your spelunking equipment at home. It’s in the main hall of the village, you can’t miss it.”
“A relic like that’s got to be under heavy guard though. How am I supposed to get it?”
“That’s where you have to use that pretty head of yours and charm it away from her.”
“Her who?”
“Maeja, she’s the keeper of the spear. Did I forget to mention her? That’s part of why I can’t go there. She and I don’t get along.”
I can’t imagine why… I barely managed to keep from saying that in my head instead of out loud. “Because of this spear?”
“Let’s just say I’ve quibbled with her over its ownership in the past.”
Keeper of the spear… why did the sound of that make my insides turn to Jello? “Please tell me I don’t have to fight her to the death over it or something like that.” I could only imagine how tough this Maeja must be to guard a precious artifact like that.
“I seriously doubt she’s ever picked the thing up apart from when Daddy gave it to her, unless it’s to give herself a manicure with it. She’s not exactly the valkyrie type.”
His sarcasm did nothing to assuage the panic at the casually given revelation. “She’s the daughter of Odin?” Boy howdy, was I out of my league! I’d been picturing a long line of guardians keeping the spear safe as a sort of holy relic. Badass, sure, but maybe I could take them with Rob and Lee by my side. But another Ellri? Especially one of such distinguished lineage? I di
dn’t stand a chance.
“Don’t bust a vein over it, it’s not like she grew up at his right hand or anything. All she got was a neat parting gift and some jumbo sized Daddy issues out of it. Odin’s not known for his touchy feely parenting skills. Still, you are outclassed if it came down to a fight, you’re right about that. I suggest you try and make a good case for why you need it. Hell, maybe tell her you want to kill me with it, she might hand it over like that.” Lodinn snapped his fingers.
“Why do you need this spear anyway? To hear Jakob tell it, you’re pretty fearsome without it. At least I assume that’s why he’s hiding out in my house like a scared little girl.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, princess,” he grinned. “It’s very simple, actually. I don’t want to be the one that kills him.”
“I don’t understand.” Wasn’t that the entire point of his revenge?
“I want it to be your hand that does him in.” Lodinn’s dark eyes flashed with a malevolence that made me recoil a foot or two. “I want to watch as you carve his heart out. I want to see him bleed knowing it was his own beloved progeny who ended it all.”
“I can’t do that. I told you before, I can’t deliberately take a life. Besides, it’s against the law to strike against an Ellri.”
“That’s not my problem. To save your sister, you’re going to get it for me and then you’re going to betray your maker.”
“I’ll get the spear for you, but I can’t lift a hand against Jakob. Law or no law, I can’t do it.”
“You bring the spear to me, I’ll take care of your motivation problems.” He grinned with enough confidence to make me doubt myself. I didn’t want to even begin to speculate what he could mean by that. Would he compel me to attack Jakob, or just threaten Hanna again until I caved?
“Fine, we have a deal. I’ll get you the spear, but you have to let my sister go, and I mean completely get out of her head this time.”
Lodinn didn’t look at me, instead he brushed the hair back over her ear. “Hanna will stay here with me.”
“Why? You have all the power here, you can move against her or me at any time. I said I’d go get your spear, there’s no reason to hold onto her.”
“I like the way she brightens up the room,” he smiled, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. I began to envision a world in which Lodinn got everything he wanted. Jakob dead by my hand, Hanna on his knee, the spear of Odin within his grasp while the rest of us danced to his tune. If I’d found Jakob’s rule restrictive, how would I feel about serving an Ellri who felt no compunction about compelling us to be his puppets at all? But what choice did I have?
“Fine,” I agreed, my shoulders sagging in defeat. “One more thing though. Where’s Gunnar?” I braced myself for the worst. It couldn’t be good that I didn’t sense him anywhere in the tiny beach house.
“Oh, I sent him out for ice cream. If you want, you can stick around and have some. Blueberry cheesecake, yum.” He rubbed his tummy.
“No thanks, I’ll pass. Just, please tell him I asked after him.”
“I certainly will. Now off you go. Fly, tiny blonde one, be free.” His fingers waggled at me, shooing me away. Lee and I got halfway down the flagstone path before the rest of his words reached my ears. “While you can.”
Chapter Twenty
“Where have you been?” Rob demanded the instant we walked through the door. So apparently he’d noticed I’d gone out for a while. I wasn’t trying to avoid the question entirely, but I couldn’t help trying to sidestep some of his anger.
“Hey, have you been up long?” I smiled, but he wasn’t having any of it.
“Answer the question, where have you been!” In one smooth movement, he picked up a vase and hurled it into the wall hard enough to pulverize it, denting the drywall in the process. I guess I chose the wrong way to diffuse that anger, huh?
Lee stepped up between us, his hands coming up in a supplicating gesture. “Calm down, amigo,” he said in a soothing drawl, but Rob wouldn’t be calmed.
“This is between me and her,” he said, trying to step around him, and Lee stepped with him, blocking his way.
“Not when you’re all worked up like this it ain’t.”
Rob’s hands balled into fists, and I swear I could hear his knuckles creak from the stress of clenching them. Maggie had gone pale as a ghost, her eyes wide with fright. Things were about to get out of control big time if they both didn’t take a step back.
“It’s okay, Lee,” I said softly. “He won’t hurt me.”
“Course I won’t hurt you,” Rob spat out in disgust. “But I got a right to know. You went to see him again, didn’t you?” My tongue darted out to moisten my lips, and I nodded slowly. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Lee laid a hand on Rob’s shoulder. “You better cool down or we’re gonna have to take a walk outside.”
Rob pushed against him, instantly belligerent. “You think you can cool me, yeah?”
“I think I can,” Lee said with the weary knowledge of someone who had nothing to prove. Was he actually that good? I knew shifters were strong, but Rob wasn’t without skills of his own. Still, it wasn’t something I wanted to find out with a demonstration.
“Guys, I’d like to have a word in private with Rob. It’ll be fine, Lee, I promise,” I added when he looked like he might argue.
“That ain’t our arrangement, darlin’. You hired me to protect ya, and that’s what I aim to do, no matter what.”
“Still, you take Maggie out for that walk now.” I sent a burst of compulsion along with it, knowing Rob wouldn’t be able to back down from another challenge and I didn’t want to be the cause of problems between them. They went, Maggie darting me a last worried look over her shoulder and I did my best to give her a reassuring smile.
“I wouldn’t never hurt you,” Rob said, pleading with me to understand that.
“I know, that’s why I’m not afraid to be here with you now.”
“Don’t mean I ain’t agro enough to spit tacks. How could you do it? How could you put me through worry like that?”
“Better you live to worry than don’t live to see another sunset.”
“That should be my choice!” he yelled, his fist slamming onto the table behind the door, sending a small artificial flower arrangement crashing to the floor.
“Calm down!” I ordered, and to my utter surprise, he did. The tension went out of his shoulders and the upset still registered in his eyes, but the anger was gone. Instead of relief, all I felt was a flare of panic. Oh no… had Rob’s transition killed his immunity to compulsion? “How do you feel right now?” I asked, studying him warily.
“Bloody useless, that’s how I feel,” he replied, but there was no edge to his voice.
This time I tried to grab hold of his will on purpose, shocked at how easily it was done. “Rob, I want you to go into the bathroom and sit there. Don’t argue with me, just do it.” To my sinking horror he did it, disappearing from the room without a word.
I went to the bar and poured myself a glass of aquavit, downing it in a single gulp, relishing the burn. How could this have happened? I’d been so happy not to have to deal with any of that compulsion worry and guilt like I’d had to with Bishop. It’d utterly destroyed the trust between us. Was my relationship with Rob doomed to repeat the same mistakes?
Part of me wanted to talk to him about it, but in the end I completely chickened out. Instead I found him in the bathroom, leaning patiently against the counter. Catching hold of his will again, I did my best to erase the entire incident from his mind. “Forget I asked you to go into the bathroom. Forget I asked you to calm down. I want you to walk back into the living room with me and feel whatever you were feeling before I ordered you to do anything.”
Rob left the bathroom, that same blank look in his eye until we reached the living room and his brows bunched together in anger. “There ain’t going to be much trust between us, you keep leaving me behind like that,” he scowle
d.
There we were, back in the middle of the argument, but I couldn’t muster the same indignation I’d been running on before. It was all I could do not to reach for his mind and smooth things over if it meant never having to see that betrayal in his eyes again. But I couldn’t take that anger from him, he had a right to feel it, just like I had a right to try and explain my motivation for what I’d done.
“Look, I’m sorry you’re upset, but I’m not sorry I left you behind. I won’t put you in danger like that again.”
“Do you think I could live if something happened to you and I wasn’t there to stop it?”
“Do you think I could live if I brought you to see him and he killed you in front of me to make a point? I already had to watch him do that once, I can’t do it again.” My voice broke as the memories of watching him bleed out onto the pavement slipped in. The blank stare, the slowing of his heartbeat, the desperate race to give him my blood. I couldn’t do it again, I just couldn’t. The tears spilled freely down my cheeks and this time Rob’s anger dissolved all on its own.
“There now, don’t take on so. I’m here, ain’t I?” He gathered me into his arms, hands moving in slow, comforting circles over my back.
“Do you know how close I came to losing you forever? I refuse to put you in the same danger again while Lodinn’s here all up in our business. You can be mad at me all you want, but I’d rather have you hate me and be alive than watch you die.”
“I’d never hate you, Anja,” he soothed into my hair, his arms wrapping tighter around me. “I understand you gotta do what you gotta do, just don’t expect me to be happy about it.”
“I know,” I sniffed. “Please don’t be mad at Lee though, he was only following orders.”
Rob shook his head. “That’s as may be, but if he tries getting in my way again, him and me is gonna have words.” The glower quickly dissipated, replaced by one of his usual half smiles. “Though I might have to end up protecting you from him if he ever finds out you compelled him like you just done.”
