Dark Devotion: Dark Series 3

by Lauren Dawes

  *

  Aubrey didn’t want to leave the storeroom. Taer had finally let him have a taste of her, and he was ravenous for more. She looked at him now with that same hunger.

  “I have to go,” he said, skimming the backs of his fingers across her cheek.

  She leaned into his touch. “Then go.”

  “I can’t,” he admitted softly. He felt glued to the spot.

  Taer smiled shyly. “So stay.”

  He laughed gently, his thumb playing with her tempting bottom lip. “I can’t.”

  She stepped into the line of his body, pressing against him. With a groan, he kissed her again. She was a drug and he was well on his way to becoming an addict. Fighting his instincts to take her again, he pulled away and opened up the door.

  He took her hand, stepping out into the busy club. “I can’t wait to see you again,” he murmured into her ear, making her blush.

  “What the fuck are you doing with Taer?” someone snarled.

  Aubrey turned his head, finding the same huge fucking male that had interrupted them last night when he came to see Taer. Only this time, it looked like he wanted to gut Aubrey. From the corner of his eye, he could see the shadows shiver. He supposed he should have been intimidated, and in a way he was, but he’d dealt with the scum of the human drug and skin trades and he knew what real insanity looked like. “What’s it to you?” he asked.

  One minute he was staring at the guy, the next he was getting a real intimate introduction to the wall. The guy’s forearm pressed into the back of Aubrey’s neck as he said, “I asked you what you were doing with Taer. Tell me what I need to know, or I’ll make sure I take my time removing your spine through your mouth.”

  Aubrey grunted in discomfort. “I’m not sure that’s anatomically possible. I’ve tried before.” The pressure increased, cutting off his air supply. “Nothing she didn’t want to happen,” he said. He was usually on the other end of this situation. It was almost humbling … almost.

  “Korvain, stop,” Taer said, stepping into Aubrey’s line of sight.

  But Korvain clearly wasn’t listening. “You know what? I don’t give a fuck about what you have to say. You are not to touch her again.”

  “I don’t see how this is any of your business,” Aubrey said through a choked breath.

  Korvain jerked Aubrey back then slammed him against the wall again. “Never. Again. Do you hear me?”

  “Korvain!” Taer yelled. “Let him go.”

  A few beats of silence passed. The pressure on Aubrey’s neck disappeared and he stood up, straightening his suit jacket and fixing his tie. His eyes went to Taer.

  “I think it’s best if you went, Aubrey,” she said. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “No,” Korvain spat. “Go back to work. I’ll take care of this.”

  “There’s nothing to take care of, Korvain.” Taer’s hands curled into fists. “He’s just a friend.”

  There was a snarl and Aubrey’s attention went to Korvain. His dark eyes were on Taer. “We’ll discuss this later. You need to go back to work. Dex needs help.”

  Korvain shoved Aubrey backwards, sending him sprawling.

  “Korvain!” Taer pleaded. “Please.”

  “I’ll speak to you later, Taer,” Korvain replied through gritted teeth, shoving Aubrey again even as he was clambering to his feet.

  “Don’t touch me,” Aubrey hissed at him, pulling on the ends of his suit jacket. Taer mouthed the words I’m sorry to him before heading back to the bar.

  Aubrey turned and made his way toward the black velvet curtains hanging over the doorway. All the way down the stairs and into the lower level of the club, Korvain stalked behind him, causing his shoulders to tense. He’d dealt with a lot of powerful beings in his line of work, but nobody who felt like Korvain did. All the gods, demi-gods and humans stopped with their bump-and-grind routine to watch the show when he and Korvain emerged from the stairwell.

  “Stay away from Taer from now on,” Korvain said in a quiet drawl. “We clear?”

  Aubrey looked over his shoulder at him, wondering once again what his relationship was to Taer. Whatever their association, Aubrey didn’t take too kindly to being told what he could and could not do. Without acknowledging the threat, he stepped past the bouncer at the door, palmed the keys in his pocket, opened up his car door and got in.

  Through the glass, he looked at the club. Korvain was now standing in the doorway, glaring at him. Aubrey flipped him off and started the car. As he sped away, he decided that he had to make sure he concluded his business as soon as he could so he could get back to Taer. Fuck Korvain. And fuck the warning.

  Chapter 10

  Boston

  It was early evening and Loki breathed in deeply, the scents of Boston filling his nose. Taking another sip of coffee, he let his gaze settle on Odin’s apartment. He was sitting on a park bench directly opposite the building. He knew Odin would have returned to Boston immediately; he wouldn’t have wanted to be away from his Valkyries once he’d found out about Thor’s death. The message written in his son’s blood would have also been a very persuasive reason to return.

  Thor’s death couldn’t have gone any better. Loki’s mouth curved into a smile as he remembered every detail. The god of thunder had been so sure he could beat Loki, just like he’d done all those years ago. But he had made sure Thor was incapacitated before he’d shown his face to him. Some would have called it cowardice to kick a man who was already down …

  But Loki had to respectfully disagree. There was something so satisfying about gaining the upper hand through dishonorable methods. He took another sip of coffee, feeling the caffeine finally take effect on his body. The breeze had gone from freezing to arctic, and as it shifted, Loki’s back stiffened.

  “We thought it was you,” someone said in the old language behind him. Loki stilled, caught off guard both by the words and the fact that he had not sensed the Aesirean approach.

  He turned to look at the god, studying the sharp, almost lupine angles of his face.

  “Do I know you?” Loki asked in the same language.

  “We don’t look the same as when you last saw us, Trickster,” another voice said. Loki’s gaze skated back toward the apartment building. He blinked at the other god who shared the same face as the first.

  Standing up, he made sure he kept them in his line of sight. “Who are you?” he demanded.

  “It is us, Geri and Freki,” the first god said.

  Loki reached a hand inside his jacket, his fingertips brushing against the gun he kept there.

  “Fear not, Loki. We no longer take Odin’s orders. We saw the message you left for the All-Father, and we were hoping” – Geri’s eyes darted to his brother – “to join you. There is talk among the Aesir that you know how to kill Odin. Is there any truth in the rumors?”

  Loki narrowed his eyes at the twins. “Why do you both have the form of a man now? The last time I saw you, you were wolves.”

  “The All-Father changed us after the Fall,” Freki replied. “Do you know how to kill the All-Father?” he asked, impatient for an answer.

  “Yes,” Loki replied.

  “Then we want to serve you in any way we can,” Geri said.

  Loki turned to him. “Why? You are Odin’s creatures. You have always been that way.”

  From beside him, Freki growled. The sound cut off abruptly with a look from his brother. Geri said, “Odin discarded us like we meant nothing it all. We were nothing but loyal and loving servants to the All-Father, and how did he repay that devotion? He abandoned us, leaving us unable to change into our true forms. He crippled us. For decades we shied away from civilization. We had to learn how to talk, how to act like men, how to survive in the human world.”

  Loki didn’t say it, but he knew the real reason the brothers had sought him out; they were wolves – pack animals. Without an alpha, they were flailing, aimlessly existing until somebody took charge. With that knowledge, Loki knew he had the per
fect soldiers at his disposal. “If you wish to join me, you must first prove your worth.”

  *

  Loki faded to the Eye, the twins appearing beside him a moment later. They stepped from the alleyway and looked at the line of humans waiting to get inside. Loki noticed that the Valkyrie who was usually guarding the door was absent, and the opportunity felt too great to pass up. With a thought, he started to subtly change his features, making himself look more human.

  “What are we doing here?” Freki asked, looking up at the building. “Why didn’t we fade inside?”

  “We can’t,” Loki replied. “It’s too heavily warded.”

  “What is this place?” This question was from Geri.

  He ignored it. “I need to secure a particular item that is somewhere in this building.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  “A feather cloak. Help me locate it.”

  “And if we do, you’ll allow us to bring down Odin with you?”

  Loki conceded with a sharp nod. “When we get inside, split up and try to get into the private quarters upstairs.”

  “And what are you going to do?” Freki asked.

  He gave the god a hard look. “I ask the questions here, not you.” Loki ignored the line of people and stepped up to the bouncer.

  “Back of the line,” he told them.

  “I have a meeting with the owner – with Bryn,” Loki said smoothly.

  The bouncer narrowed his eyes and touched a small device on his shirt collar. Loki realized he was radioing the info in.

  “Okay, I don’t actually have a meeting with her,” he said, back peddling.

  The bouncer gave him a smug smile. “Back of the line, then.”

  With a snarl kept under his breath, Loki retreated with the twins. He joined the line, hating every second of it. He had been reduced to waiting, to standing in line with humans. He felt disgusted just breathing the same air as them. He was the god of trickery, yet he had learned patience during his imprisonment. He would bide his time.

  Three quarters of an hour later, they had reached the front. The bouncer smiled at him as he let him in, a gesture which Loki returned.

  I must remember to kill this one … slowly.

  Inside, it took Loki a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the lighting. He could barely breathe. There were people everywhere, their hot, sweaty bodies pressing against him as he pushed through the crowd. Geri, or it could have been Freki, growled in irritation behind him.

  “Spread out and try to find the cloak,” Loki commanded, slipping away from the twins and heading toward the stairs. Another bouncer stopped him.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Upstairs,” Loki replied, brushing past the clipboard-wielding human. He wasn’t about to be held up again.

  “Wait—”

  Loki ducked his head and took the stairs two at a time until he reached the first landing. Ahead of him was a doorway flanked by black velvet curtains, and yet another security guard. Loki approached him slowly, eyeing him dubiously even as he was allowed to pass un-harassed. House music blared from the speakers in the large, monochromatic room. There was a bar running along one wall and the rest of the space was filled with a DJ booth and more gyrating bodies.

  He looked around quickly before retreating, heading farther up the stairs. The style of music changed with every step he took, and when he reached the top, he found out why. The top level, Level Three, was a club where scantily clad women paraded around in nothing more than their underthings and a fake smile. There were many men and some women seated at tables facing a stage. Loki let his eyes settle on the dancer pretending to enjoy herself on the raised platform, but he could see the dead look in her eyes.

  “Can I get you something, sir?” someone asked beside him.

  He turned to find a pretty young woman standing there. She was wearing black lace lingerie that revealed her pert breasts and pink nipples. He cocked his head to the side. She wasn’t human, but she wasn’t a goddess either. The concept of demi-gods was a new one to him, but he believed that this was what she was.

  “No,” he replied. “I’m just, ah …”

  She touched him gently on the arm. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, sir. I’ve met a lot of married men who come here without their wives knowing. What happens on Level Three, stays on Level Three,” she said with a wink. “If you’re looking for a dance, let me know and I’d be pleased to please you.”

  He watched the woman slink away to a nearby group of men. Forcing his legs to move, Loki took a seat at one of the empty tables and settled back. He needed information, and he’d learned a long time ago that sometimes just watching and listening reaped rewards. A man at one of the other tables yelled out to the woman on stage, shaking a fistful of money in her direction. The dancer sauntered over to him, lowering her body slowly and seductively beside the man. His fat fingers secured the money in her thong, his hand slithering down her thigh as she stood up. She gave the man a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and retreated to the safety of her pole.

  Sliding her back down the length of steel, Loki noticed the thick scar on one side of her neck. He sat forward, studying her features: blonde hair and bi-colored blue eyes. She was a …

  “Valkyrie,” he whispered. He frowned. All the Valkyries had their sword tattooed on the side of their necks, but this goddess didn’t. When the song was over and the woman had collected all the money thrown at her feet, Loki waited for her to reappear from beside the stage. Now dressed in a leather corset and knee-high boots, the dancer walked through the crowd. She passed by Loki’s table and he stood up.

  “Hello,” he said.

  She turned to him, and that same vacant expression was in her eyes. “Hello,” she replied.

  “Ah …” – he turned and gestured to the other seat at his table – “won’t you join me?”

  She smiled and slid down into the seat. Loki took his place again.

  “You looking for a lap dance?” she asked, reaching out and touching his forearm.

  “No. I just need to talk to you.”

  She frowned. “Not many men come here to talk,” she replied, drawing back her hand. “What do you want to talk about?”

  He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “You’re a Valkyrie, aren’t you?” When she didn’t respond, he pressed on. “What’s your name?”

  “Kara,” she replied after a long beat of silence. She lowered her gaze to the table top where she idly rubbed at a spot in the wood.

  “Kara,” he repeated. “What happened to your tattoo?”

  She touched the scar on her neck. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Loki’s mind worked quickly, figuring out how to twist the situation around to his favor. “Did Odin do it to you?”

  Her blue eyes became stormy. “He had no right.”

  So, his blood-brother had mutilated the goddess. But why? Loki knew Odin had control issues. His entire existence hinged on him having all the power, but what could this Valkyrie have done to push him to remove her sword? It was like declawing a lion – cruel, but effective. Without her sword, Kara was powerless to protect herself. If it had been a month ago and Loki was still pursuing the same path as before, this woman would have been easy pickings for him.

  But he wasn’t on the same path.

  He was smarter now.

  “You hate him.”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  A smile stretched Loki’s mouth. “Wouldn’t you love to get revenge on him?”

  Kara fixed her eyes on him, scrutinizing him. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

  Mentally, he made sure his disguise had not slipped. “No. I’ve never been here before.” Reaching out, he clasped her by the hand, trying to distract her. “I just think what he did was terrible. I would want to see you get some recompense for his ill treatment of you.”

  Kara withdrew her hand with a frown. “You don’t even know me.”

&nbs
p; “I don’t have to. I, too, have felt the swift and brutal hand of the All-Father.”

  “Oh, yeah? What did he do to you?”

  Loki relived the whole scene.

  He smelled their blood.

  He heard their cries.

  “He slaughtered my entire family.”

  Kara abruptly stood up, shaking the table as she did. “You’re a dark elf.”

  Loki remained quiet, staring up at her. She began searching for someone across the other side of the room. She was right to fear him, but not for the reasons she believed.

  “Everything all right, Kara?” a man asked.

  Loki peered over his shoulder to see a large man standing there. He glared at Loki briefly before fixing his attention back onto the Valkyrie.

  “I’m fine, Arturo. Can you escort me backstage, please?”

  Arturo gave her a sharp nod and offered her his arm. Kara looked at Loki once more before the pair disappeared.

  Loki stood up and left through the curtain again. Moving down the stairs, he stepped into the nightclub on the level below, finding a spare piece of wall to stand against. For a long time, he had wondered how he was going to obtain Bryn’s cloak. His first attempt had almost been a success. His plan had been nearly perfect. He had blindsided them all – Odin included – but unfortunately the element of surprise could only be used once.

  The second time around, he’d had to think outside the box. That was where Galen had come into play. He’d planned to make the Mare a trusted figure, someone Bryn could feel comfortable with and welcome into the club no questions asked. Unfortunately, Galen had fucked up that plan too, and Loki had learned a very valuable lesson – if you wanted something done right, do it yourself. Suffice it to say, he was cautious about having Geri and Freki working for him now. But it was different this time. They were motivated to see Odin dead. They were also well aware of what Loki was trying to achieve, unlike Galen, and this time Loki was in complete control.

  This was his last chance. He had to get Bryn’s cloak this time around. He knew it was futile to try and attack her here in the club, so that meant he had to get her out of it. The only problem was that Korvain followed her everywhere. If there was a way to remove him, Loki would be free to take a run at Bryn.