Eye of the Beholder

by Dana Marie Bell

  Logan stared at her in exaggerated horror. “Are you kidding? This is where I keep all my stuff.”

  Kir smacked Logan on the knee. “There are limits to what even we can do. You’ve heard of the great flood, right? Every religion has an account of the world being covered in water.”

  “I may have heard a story or two, yes.” Was he about to tell her that really happened?

  “The god who actually started that flood?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering where he was going with this.

  “Gone. He lost his temper, let loose the waves and…poof. Disappeared. He poured too much of himself into it. We still don’t know if what he did was deliberate or if it simply got away from him and sucked him in after.”

  Jamie shuddered. “So if Logan were to attempt to cover the world in fire…”

  Kir nodded. “He could do it, but he’d become the fire. When it finally died out…” Kir shuddered, his hand burrowing into Logan’s hair.

  She winced. “Ouch.”

  Logan leaned back into his lover’s touch, but his expression was stern. “Quicky class: don’t try to cover the world in whatever your divine power turns out to be, do try and figure out what you can and can’t do, and do it behind wards.”

  “Why, and what, are wards?” Her head was beginning to spin.

  From the sympathetic look on Jordan’s face she figured her sister had already gotten a lecture similar to this. She proved it by answering Jamie’s question. “Runic magic that can be used to hide our signature, dampen our signal if you will. We sound like normal mages when we use our abilities behind wards.” Jordan frowned down at Logan. “Wait a moment. When you did the thing with Dick Head and changed my paperwork to Saeter, you weren’t behind wards.”

  “Wasn’t I?” He grinned.

  “Logan.”

  Kir laughed at Jordan’s scowl. “He wears a specially made piece of jewelry that acts as a portable ward. It’s good for short bursts of magic, but anything prolonged would fry it so he doesn’t use it very often.”

  “Oh.” Jordan stared at Logan intently. A small smile formed. “Clever.”

  Now that Jamie looked, she thought she could detect it too. There was a faint red haze around… “Your nose ring.”

  He grinned and clapped his hands. “And thus ends today’s lesson.” He stood. “Now if you’ll excuse me I have some things to take care of.” He tugged Kir to his feet. “C’mon, blondie, you can give me a hand.” He leaned down and kissed Jordan. “Keep an eye on Jamie while she practices, okay?”

  “Got it.”

  “Don’t step in the way of anything that flies out of her hands.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “Oh, and if beams shoot out of her eyes—”

  “Duck behind the couch. Got it already.”

  Jamie put her hands on her hips and glared at the two men walking toward the den. “Is she here to watch or be target practice?”

  Her only answer was Logan’s amused snort.

  Chapter Eight

  Travis stared at the devastation of his house. He shook his head as he squished over soaked carpet. The window panes had cracked, letting him know how Grimm had burst the pipes. He’d thrown so much frost into the room that the glass had broken under the pressure.

  Fucking Rina. All of Travis’s wards were down, unable to hold up to the combined magical might of the Jotun and the Aesir. He’d learned from Val that Grimm had shared blood with the frost giant female and gained her abilities over ice magic. Seeing the proof of it in his home was devastating. He’d loved this house, dreamed of some day bringing Jamie here to live in peace.

  It was just one more thing the Old Man would pay for.

  Morgan, wearing rain boots, followed behind him, his disgust plain to see. “Told you it was bad.” Jeff and Magnus could be heard sliding on the once pristine tile floor of his kitchen. The natural slate had cost him a bundle too.

  Travis nodded, wondering if there was anything left in the house worth salvaging.

  “Knock knock.”

  Travis turned to find a woman standing in the doorway. She had long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Bright hazel eyes watched them with thinly veiled suspicion.

  Travis held up his hand. “It’s my house.”

  She smiled, an expression full of cynical amusement. “Travis Yardley-Rudiger?”

  “Yes?”

  She held up a badge. “Detective Antonia Mancinelli, Homicide. I have a warrant to search these premises.”

  He frowned. “A warrant?”

  “Yes, sir.” She stepped gingerly into the house, making a face as her sensible shoes squished on the soaking carpet. “Yeah. You need to step outside, both of you, and let my people do their job.” She shook her head as the techs pushed their way into the house. “What the hell happened in here?”

  “Burst pipe.” He ignored her dubious look and focused on why she was there. “Can I ask what this is in relation to?” Although he had a pretty good idea.

  “The murder of Oliver Grimm.”

  Travis almost growled, but the detective was watching him closely. “Murder? I thought he simply left.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Magnus and Jeff walk cautiously into the room, their eyes glued to the detective in the doorway.

  She smiled, a gotcha expression if he ever saw one. “Step outside please, Mr. Rudiger.”

  Jeff stepped forward. “Let me see the warrant.”

  She raised her brows. “You are?”

  “Jeff Grimm.” He waved. “Those two bookends are Morgan and Magnus Grimm, my brothers.”

  When the detective held out the warrant all of them studied it. It was legit, which didn’t leave Travis much choice. Travis exited his house with a grimace as a team of techs rushed past him. He wasn’t certain what they hoped to find in the waterlogged mess, but he wasn’t too concerned considering there was nothing there. He avoided the brothers as they stood near the entrance of his house, watching the technicians and cops with suspicion and concern. Instead he waited near his car and answered questions put to him by a detective he’d had dealings with in the past. The man was all business, though, asking his questions with no sign that they’d helped each other on several occasions.

  He frowned when he saw Detective Mancinelli exiting the house with a smile. She was chatting with one of the other detectives who held several evidence bags in his gloved hands and looked like he’d found the lost city of gold. She sauntered over to where Travis was answering questions. “I need an address where I can reach you.”

  He rattled off, again, Logan, Jordan and Kir’s address and gave the cops his cell phone number.

  She closed her notebook with a snap and a smile. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Rudiger.” She turned to leave. “Oh, by the way? Don’t leave town.”

  “I hadn’t planned on leaving town for a few weeks.”

  “Oh, really?” She turned back. “Where were you thinking of going?”

  No way was he planning on telling her that he was going out of the country to set a werewolf free. “I’m planning on asking my girlfriend to marry me. I wanted to take her to Vegas, possibly elsewhere for a honeymoon.”

  “Who’s the girlfriend?”

  He wouldn’t bother trying to hide it. If she didn’t know already she’d soon find out. “Jamie Grimm.”

  She raised both her eyebrows. “Jamie Grimm?”

  He nodded grimly. If the detective tried to mess with his woman, she would be in for a world of hurt.

  Something of what he was thinking must have shown in his eyes, because hers narrowed. “I’d like to speak with her.” She checked her notebook. “She’s staying with her sister, Mrs. Saeter, right?” She looked up at him. “Same address as you?”

  Again he nodded. Shit. If the detective got one look at Jamie she’d know something weird was going on. How would they explain the healed wounds?

  She turned. “I’ll be in touch, Mr. Rudiger.”

  I’m sure you will, Detective.


  He watched as all of the cops pulled away, but not before putting crime scene tape over his front door.

  Great. Just great. Now his house got to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Thanks to that tape he couldn’t even call in a crew to clean the damage up. It would sit, moldering, until the cops were done their investigation. By the time they let him back in the house would probably be unsalvageable.

  “Well. That sucked big hairy moose balls.” Travis sighed as the brothers joined him, Jeff leading the way. “They wanted to know why Morgan and Magnus were working for you instead of Grammy. She practically accused them of helping you kill Grimm.” The men exchanged a look. “Now what, boss?”

  “We go home.” He got into his car and hoped Jeff wasn’t in a chatty mood. Jeff climbed in and, seeming to sense his mood, kept quiet all the way back to the condo.

  He hoped that Jamie was in a more receptive frame of mind when he got to her. He needed her after this shitty day, even if all she allowed him was a hug.

  Toni drove away from Travis Yardley-Rudiger’s house. What the hell happened to that man’s house? The water damage had been extensive. As near as she could tell, several pipes had burst, flooding the house with water and eliminating almost any forensic evidence. They’d gotten carpet fibers, hair from his hairbrush for DNA to cross-check against what they’d found at the murder site, but that was it.

  It was as if the man knew he was under investigation and had somehow rigged his pipes to blow. But how? They’d found no signs of explosion, and she’d brought in a bomb expert just to be sure. It looked like the pipes had frozen, then burst. Which was impossible, considering it was friggin’ June and a steamy eighty degrees.

  It was one hell of a puzzle, and one she had every intention of solving.

  She swung by Pete’s place, hoping he’d be able to give her some insights into what was going on. An hour later she was still confused. Pete hadn’t been able to tell her much of anything. She’d done something she swore she’d never do. She’d told Pete details of the Grimm murder that were supposed to remain confidential.

  If she couldn’t trust Pete, she didn’t know who she could trust.

  Still, Pete had read her the riot act before buckling down and going over the evidence with her. He’d promised that if he thought of anything he’d contact her, but she didn’t hold out any hope.

  She swung off by the market on her way back to her house. She’d finished off the Chunky Monkey the night before and she had the feeling that she’d need more.

  Besides, tonight was the Top Chef marathon.

  Jamie jumped as the front door of the condo slammed shut. Travis stomped in, ignoring everyone in the living room as he headed for the kitchen. She heard the fridge open and some glass bottles banging together. She bit her lip, looking around the room at her family, wondering what had driven Travis to head straight for the beer.

  He flopped down on the sofa next to her, beer in hand. His head dropped onto the back of the sofa, his arm going around her shoulders. “God, what a shitty day.”

  “What happened to your house?”

  “Grimm. He froze all of the water in the pipes until they burst. Water all over everything, ankle deep before Morgan opened the front door and let it all out. Morgan shut the main off, but the damage was already done.” He took a deep pull on the beer bottle, his throat working as he swallowed. Jamie cuddled up against him, stroking his chest, trying to soothe him. The stress in his voice was hard to bear. “That’s not all.” He sat up, pulling her even closer. “The cops came with a warrant to search my house.”

  “Why?”

  “They were looking for evidence in the murder of Oliver Grimm.”

  “What?” Jamie sat up, pushing against Travis’s hold. “What would make them think you murdered Grimm?”

  He shared a look with Logan that she didn’t like. “Grimm will make it look like we killed him.”

  Logan nodded. “Damage control?”

  “Not sure. We don’t have a clue where he is. If we did, things would be different.”

  “Hugin and Munin give him an edge we just don’t have.”

  The names sounded vaguely familiar. Where had she heard them before? “Who are Hugin and Munin?”

  Travis smiled down at her, but it was grim. “Thought and Memory.”

  Of course. Her father had told her tales of Odin’s constant companions. “The ravens?”

  “They’re actually an item created for Grimm by the Dökk Alfar before the war broke out.”

  “The statues on his desk?” Jamie remembered seeing Grimm stroking the paired raven statues that sat on his desk in his office. She also remembered playing dolls at his feet while he wheeled and dealed on the phone above her. She shook the memory off. “They’re his ravens?”

  “Yes. He has complete control over them. No one else can control them. They were created just for him.”

  “So going and taking them wouldn’t do us much good, would it?”

  “It’s not a bad idea. If he doesn’t have access to them, he’s weakened even further.”

  “I’m sure he’s managed to get the ravens by now. If he hasn’t he’s a lot stupider than I thought.”

  She sighed. “He’s got them.”

  A knock sounded on the door just as Travis nodded. Magnus went and let Uncle Val in.

  “Guess what?” He headed right into the kitchen, grabbing a beer.

  “The police had a warrant to search your house for evidence in the murder of Oliver Grimm?”

  Val stopped. “You too?”

  “Yup.”

  “Well. Isn’t that special.” He threw himself on the other side of Jamie. “Hey, pumpkin.” He kissed the top of her forehead before bringing the beer bottle to his lips. Halfway there, it paused. “Jamie?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Where’s your cast?”

  “Gone.” She held up her wrist, twisting it back and forth to show that she was perfectly healed. “Don’t need it.”

  He studied her face, visually tracing where all her bruises and scars had been. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t. He put the bottle carefully down, stood, walked over to Logan, and took the surprised man into his arms. “Thank you.”

  Logan looked stunned. He returned the embrace slowly. “Ah. You’re welcome.”

  Val pounded Logan on the back. He let go of Logan with a big, happy grin and sat back down next to Jamie. “You look beautiful, pumpkin.”

  She pouted at him. “Don’t I always?”

  “Seeing you without all those bruises makes you extra beautiful today.” His eyes narrowed as he studied her features, the grin dimming a bit. “Who else did you share blood with? Travis?”

  She nodded.

  Val looked at Travis. “Thank you.”

  Travis’s arm tightened around her shoulders, pulling her in even tighter to his chest. “Don’t thank me. We nearly lost her last night.”

  “What happened?” They filled Val in on what had occurred, ending with Baldur’s appearance. He scrubbed his face with his hands when they were done. “Well, hell. At least you’re all right.”

  They ate the pizza Jordan had ordered. “So, what’s next?”

  “Contact Nik?”

  “We haven’t seen Nik since…when was it, Logan?” Kir leaned over and handed Logan another beer, stealing a bite of the redhead’s pizza in the process.

  “Paris, eighteen fifty-seven, I think.” Logan in turn stole Kir’s entire slice of pizza, earning himself a glare. With a smirk he bit down, taking a huge chunk before handing it back. “And I never did understand why he didn’t turn us in.”

  “Speaking of which, anyone know which side he’s going to come down on?” Travis leaned forward, snagging the last piece out of the box before Morgan got hold of it. He held it to Jamie’s lips, his eyes lighting with satisfaction when she took a dainty bite.

  “Who knows? Nik is a secretive son of a bitch.”

  “Nik as in Niklas DeWitt?�
� Jeff rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, he’s one of you guys.”

  Jamie shivered. Niklas DeWitt was one of the few people in the world who gave her the heebie-jeebies. It was those strange silver eyes of his. He had the look of a man who’d seen it all, and his flat silver eyes reflected that. The one time she’d met him she’d practically peed her pants in fright. He’d stared hard at her long and hard before he’d smiled the coldest smile she’d ever seen and headed for Travis’s office. Luckily she’d been gone to lunch when he left and she hadn’t seen him since.

  Travis nodded. “He’s Heimdall, Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge that connects this plane of existence to Asgard.”

  Oh. Well, that explained that. She rubbed her forehead, a slight headache building behind her eyes. Heimdall was the god who never slept. It was said he saw everything that happened in all of the nine realms. Wonder what he saw when he looked at me. “So if he helps us, we’d have the same advantage Grimm has?”

  “Not quite. Nik can be blocked with magic. It’s harder to block the ravens.” Travis stroked her forehead. “Headache?”

  “A little.” She looked up at him to find the beginnings of a worried frown on his face. She didn’t want to tell him yet that the majority of the headache was from practicing magic, of all things, while he’d been dealing with the cops. Besides, she owed Jordan a new vase and she really didn’t feel like getting into it again with her sister. “I’ll be all right.” She let a small grin grace her lips. “That which does not kill me merely pisses me off.”

  The amused snort from Logan was ignored by Travis. “You sure?” She nodded, to his obvious relief. “Okay. But we’re heading to bed soon, understand?”

  She bit her lip, uncertain of what that was going to entail. If Travis made another move on her she knew now what her answer would be, but would he make that move after the way she’d acted earlier? She’d been a total spaz, and she wouldn’t blame him a bit if he pulled back a little. “Okay.”

  The heat that filled his expression was tamped back down when Jeff threw a wadded up napkin at them. Jamie glared at her brother. “Don’t you have a date, or a case to work on, or something?”