Sixteen.
Nik Wilkes Booth
“Wait here,” Jens ordered, stomping toward the door.
“Jens, calm down. We’re never going to get through me telling you what you missed if you fly off the handle every time you hear something upsetting.”
He turned, incredulous. “He molested you! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go collect that Olaf guy’s hands. Let him try that again.” His jaw was tense, along with every other muscle. He was wound up like a spring and ready for a fight. “And Foss kissing you? I understand the stuff you have to do for show, but I think I have a right to black his other eye for the stuff he did in private.”
I sighed, wondering if telling Jens the truth had been the best route. “Look, it was both of us. I was drunk on accident, and Foss was all mixed up because of the fiddle music. You can’t black his eye for that. Otherwise you’ll have to black mine, too, because I’m just as much responsible.”
He stood in the middle of the room, and I could feel his internal debate at wanting to go after Foss. Finally, he exhaled a portion of his anger. “Fine. Fiddles and Gar can make you crazy. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a ton of regrets from both those things. It didn’t go any farther?”
“Of course not. And I told you about it first thing. I’m not trying to hide anything. We weren’t ourselves.”
“Yeah, okay. I’m actually impressed all you did was kiss. This one time a while back, I was helping Foss out with a few thieves and accidentally…” He shook his head. “Never mind. You don’t need to hear that.” He postured again, the urge to fight returning. “But Olaf? He signed his death warrant assaulting you.”
I shook my head. “I appreciate the thought, but you’re supposed to be flying under the radar so you’re not suspect when yet another portal gets destroyed.”
His frustration turned on me, and despite his childishness, I grinned. It was just so great to fight with him again. His fists clenched at his sides as he fumed. “I can do it without being seen, you know. You can’t tell me things like that and expect me to do nothing. You know that’s not me.”
“I have to be able to talk to you without waking the beast. Newsflash, it’s been a downhill mudslide the entire time. Pace your murderous tendencies and pick your favorite bad guy when the story’s over.” I moved over to him and held his hand, leading him back to the bed. I sat down, but he stood in front of me.
“I hate seeing his ring on your neck. I know it’s fake, and I get why he did it, but I hate seeing you parade around as someone else’s wife. I wish I could give you something that was more than that. Something that meant more.”
“It’s not a competition. Foss and I hate each other. He kept me alive and safe. Be grateful. And for the record, he hates seeing his ring on my neck, too. I hate that it’s here. We’re all pretty miserable.”
“Well, that helps a little. And he hasn’t kept you safe. I saw what that girl did to you.” He looked away, as if the charcoal was still marking my face.
“You can thank Jamie for that, if you’re passing blame around. He got stone drunk. If I hadn’t passed out, it wouldn’t have happened. That wasn’t Foss. He can’t babysit me all the time. He was trying to figure out the portal thing, which is more important than my hair.”
Jens cracked a smile. “It is a sexy haircut, I’ll admit. Loved it long, but this? It’s grabbable hair. Very sexy.”
“Grabbable?”
“Yeah. You know, like this.” He kissed me, leaning me back on the bed so he could hover over my body. His fingers wound in the tresses, clenched into a fist and gently pulled. My back arched of its own volition, and his other arm slid to the small of my back. “Absolutely grabbable,” he confirmed against my lips. I could feel him trying to kiss the Foss out of me.
“Anything that gets you to kiss me like that,” I sighed dreamily.
He glanced down at my neck and frowned. “I still hate his ring on you.”
“How can you be thinking about that right now? I’m all aflutter, and you’re pissed about meaningless jewelry.”
“Aflutter, huh?” He rolled off me onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, his hand resting on his belly. “It’s not meaningless. It’s like he peed all over you. Do you even know what he went through to get that thing? It’s not like he gave you an engagement ring. It’s like he gave you a fourth of a country.” Then he mumbled under his breath, “And his dick.”
I picked up the ring on the string and frowned at it, wondering if I’d see something more than just dollar worth on a leash this time. “Well, I’ll give it back as soon as we leave Fossegrim. Honestly, Jens, it’s like one of the few nice things he did, and he really didn’t want to do it. He said he was doing it for you because he owed you for killing more of the trolls than he did or something.”
Jens rolled his eyes. “Oh, brother. And I hate that you’re sticking up for him. Makes me almost feel bad I blacked his eye.”
I gasped. “Jens! Officially, I’m indignant you struck him, but secretly, I’m fine with it. He needed to be taken down a peg. Macho jerk.” I fingered the ring. “But if he asks, tell him I gave you one of these.” I mimed throwing a fit with my fists in the air and plenty of head-shaking.
“Will do. Too bad Britta and I are going invisible here. The less people put together, the more chance we have at taking the other portals down.” He rolled onto his side and kissed my lips just once, as if to remind himself I was real. I needed the reminder, too. Beneath the bravado, I could tell he had been more worried than he let on. He sighed when he pulled back, twining my fingers through his and placing our hands on his stomach. “Jamie’s kind of a mess. I knew he loved Britt, obviously, but I didn’t know he’d go down like that.”
“We thought you were dead and the others were probably imprisoned. It’s been pretty bleak. Jamie was holed up in his room until last night. Kinda my fault. I didn’t eat, so no matter how much he ate, he kept getting weaker. Though, on the upside, him eating kept me alive. Bonus, I guess.”
“Jamie told me that Foss pushed you around. I notice you kept that out of your little half-story. Skirting around the facts in a dress. Nothing but scandal from you.”
“Jamie has a fat mouth. And Foss is who he is. You can’t really be that surprised. Maybe he’ll come around. Maybe not. After the mission, thankfully I won’t be around him to see how it all turns out.”
Jens stroked the slope of my cheek, sending tiny pinpricks of tenderness through me. “Foss told me about Olaf’s bedslave.”
I swallowed. “You know, I could go the rest of my life never again hearing that precious little term. It’s disgusting. The best word and the worst one mashed together.”
“I can’t believe she tried to poison him. You did a good thing.” He cleared his throat. “Saw her body posted on the property on my way in. You doing okay?”
“‘Okay’ is a generous assessment.”
“Kinda brilliant, you making her drink the poison. But I know you’re probably beating yourself up about that, so I won’t high-five you.”
“Probably best to hold off on that.” I sat up suddenly. “You have the rake, right? What happened down there?”
Jens touched the pouch tied around his neck and ran his hand over his face. “Nik had a plan he didn’t clue us in on. That’s what happened.” He sniffed and rolled onto his back to examine the ceiling again. “I mean, we got into the water without being seen. I took the weed so I could stay underwater longer. Everything’s going according to plan. A few guards swam closer when we got to the portal, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. Nik turns around, shakes his head and pushes me away. He took down the portal before they got to him. No one was right on the portal, but they were close enough to grab him after he destroyed it. He dropped the rake when they nabbed him, and I kifed it. Tried to take out a few Nøkken, but when it was clear Nik was dead and they were going to start searching for the rake, I got out of there. I was on the opposite side of the pond from you guys,
but I couldn’t get there without being heard. Pesta’s Mouthpiece is like a friggin’ bloodhound, so I didn’t want to risk it. By the time I met up with Britt, you guys were already gone. Took a while for them to open the docks again, but as soon as they did, we ganked the first boat over.”
“Everyone’s okay? Everyone’s here?”
“No, babe. Nik’s dead.”
I felt so stupid and insensitive. My favorite Nøkken would never again entertain me with his amazing tales of daring feats. “Yeah. I saw his body.”
“He knew what he was doing, too. Saved my life and got himself found out. Good news is they think they captured the guy who’s been tearing down the portals, so they won’t be expecting us at the next stop. I think that was his plan. Bad news is that he’s dead. I think he planned on not making it out alive. And now his name’s ruined. And all those stories he made up so people would believe he was amazing are wasted.” Jens rolled onto his side and stared at my messy curls, deep in thought. “He’s not Nik the Man of Valor. He’s John Wilkes Booth.”
Seventeen.
Beds and Boundaries
One day was all I got with Jens before he left again. This time I made my opinion known that we should not split up, but as I suspected, it made no difference.
The chief and Tomas of the Hills showed up with men a hundred strong each. They were all dressed in leather armor, wearing serious expressions like well-trained military men. The chief’s men lined the path on the left side from the house to the main road, and Tomas of the Hills had his men lining the right. It was a little terrifying. I could almost hear the patriotic horns blasting the men off for battle, which hopefully would only consist of Foss playing a game of tee-ball with the rake and then taking a jaunty trip back home. I couldn’t really picture Foss jaunty, but I wished that for him all the same.
As I walked through the line of men, I heard several involuntary gasps at my short hair. Whatever.
Jamie, Mace and Henry Mancini stayed with me on Foss’s property while the others were set to go off on their trek to end the portal. The journey to the next stop was back the way we came, so there wasn’t a whole lot of good in all of us going. Except that we’d all be together, which was nothing to sneeze at.
While Jens and I shared a passionate farewell in the privacy of Foss’s bedroom, my fake hubby and I bumped fists in lieu of a tearful goodbye. Charles had peeled off one more layer of the curse, and I was grateful for the gradient of change in my moody husband’s demeanor. Somewhere along the way we’d grown a fragile respect for each other. It was small and weak, but it was there. He stopped calling me rat, and I complied to his wishes around the house much easier when he stopped being such a jerk. He shared his massive bed with Jens and I, since the staff weren’t to know Jens was here. Jens spooned me while Foss snuggled his sheathed sword, occasionally studying my tired gaze after Jens fell asleep. A few minutes after I closed my eyes, I felt a thumb trace my cheekbone. I kept my eyes shut tight, feigning sleep so I wouldn’t have to admit that I didn’t mind Foss’s gentle touch.
Our fist bump had been a nice little ritual, but it did not suffice for the staff. They took my lack of public displays of affection as a young, recently deflowered girl in need of encouragement. The tradition of the entire staff seeing the master off took place at the edge of the property at the end of the long line of men in their fight gear. We all waved, which I thought was good enough, but Erika informed me quietly of my role in all this. “Your husband is leaving for two days to make Fossegrimen history! Give him a good kiss to remember you by. Men stray if you don’t give them something to come home to.”
She shoved me forward, and I could tell Foss also knew what was expected for the staff to respect me while he was gone. I could feel Jens fuming from wherever he was in his invisible state as I walked up to Foss with a “suck it up and get through this” face.
We stared at each other with dread mixed with resolve as I rolled up my sleeves. “Let’s do this,” I muttered, and Foss nodded with a hesitant gulp. Before I could talk myself out of it, I reached up and yanked the huge man down by his collar and laid one on him.
Of all the things I never wanted to know about Foss, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he was an amazing kisser. I blamed my stomach-flip on that. It was simple mechanics, not passion.
I had one hand bunched in his shirt and the other cupping his face. He kept his hands G-rated around my waist and in my hair, for which I was grateful. I could feel his resistance and anger toward me as our mouths fought, as they always did. We both felt the heat of a connection neither of us were willing to look at too closely. Beneath the show there was truth there, though I wished to plug my ears like an obstinate child to block out the things I couldn’t take back once said. Beneath our battling lips surfaced a glimmer of… not friendship… certainly not love… but something other than hatred.
When we pulled away after a surprisingly long time, our foreheads rested together as we took a moment to breathe. “I felt nothing,” he lied, kissing me once more.
“Absolutely nothing,” I confirmed, my voice breathy and filled with everything I couldn’t say aloud. “I’d rather kiss Henry Mancini.”
He barely got out a “me too” before his lips tasted mine again, letting out a soft moan of lusty desire. His hand cupped my chin, tilting my head just how he liked it. I hated that I knew how he liked to be kissed.
The kiss ended in pitters and patters of little kisses. They were closed-mouth mini gifts of affection, and a complete overindulgence. “Keep Jens safe, okay, darling husband?” I instructed, eyes closed.
Foss nodded. “Thanks for doing that, lovely wife.” His eyes were closed, and I could tell he was steadying himself. I took that as a compliment.
For everything he’d done to save my life and the sacrifices he made to assure my safety, I gave him one genuine kiss. Simple and closed-mouth, but sincere. It served as a harbinger of my gratitude, and he seemed to understand the meaning.
“Don’t kiss me like that. It makes me hate you less,” he ordered.
I chuckled at his scowl, bumping my fist to his to remind him that our fragile alliance had not changed. “Bring me back a souvenir. And tell our mutual friend, Jennifer, that one black eye is enough. This one was on me. I kissed you, not the other way around. All for show.”
Foss left me with explicit instructions on how to run the household and the various chores that would need watching over. Viggo was to report to me, which was so strange, I made him repeat it.
Foss mounted his horse and trotted next to the chief, who gave me a solemn bow of his head, which I returned. The men and Britta left, and I was glad the hammering in my heart was starting to calm down. Another portal would fall, and Foss would be fine.
It was a long, but fun day of seeing to the various tasks and adding a few of my own to the list. The staff gave Mace a wide berth, but no one said anything unseemly. They were all so grateful I started talking, I think that was what they chose to focus on.
I sat on the cleaned counter in the kitchen while Brenda finished up her shutdown routine. “Did I do it right?” I asked.
“Do what, Mistress?” She wiped her hands on her apron and ran the stained material over her face to mop up the sweat.
“Today. Is that how Foss would want me to handle business around the house? Did I forget anything?”
“Not a thing, dear. It’s good to hear your voice. We had a running bet that the master’d married a mute.”
I chuckled. “I think I’m going to turn in.”
Brenda kissed my cheeks and wished me a good night’s sleep. I was really starting to fit in, and for the first time on Foss’s property, I wasn’t shrouded in fear.
I walked into the bedroom and found Mace already in bed with Henry Mancini on his chest, enjoying a good ear-scratch. “You look like you had a good day,” he observed with a slight smile.
“I did. I’m exhausted, but it’s nice to know if the whole becoming a doctor thing doesn’t pa
n out, I can always moonlight as a dictator.” I stretched, indicating that it was time for me to take the bed, and him to scram to one of the other rooms designated for guests.
He did not take the hint, but instead patted the space next to him on the bed.
I could only imagine the Hugh Hefner jokes Jens would make right now. Paranoid boy. I shook my head at Mace. “Time for bed, boundaries boy. You get the room across the hall. I get the big bed all to myself.”
Mace frowned. “Are you sure that’s safe?”
I clicked my fingers at my puppy, who came running. “Henry Mancini can keep watch. I’m actually looking forward to sleeping in the big bed by myself without Foss or Jens taking up the whole thing. Haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a while.”
Mace swung his long legs over the side of the bed and walked toward me. “I can help with that.” He pursed his lips together and started his low, multi-toned whistle that drew me in like a hook around my belly.
I lunged at him and put my hand over his mouth before he got out more than a couple notes, shaking my head vehemently. “No, no. I’ll sleep like a normal person tonight. No hypnosis necessary.” His silver eyes were so weird. I couldn’t help but gawk at them as my hand rested over his mouth. “Bed, big brother. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Mace nodded, his black hair sweeping over his cheekbones. He kissed my nose, and by the way he hovered, I could tell how starved for affection he was. I couldn’t imagine a whole life of being ostracized all because of my parentage. I wrapped my arms around his middle and hugged him briefly so he didn’t feel too cast aside. But seriously, I hated sharing a bed with Linus, and didn’t want to start that trend with Mace, who I was just getting to know.
I shut the door behind him and flopped on the bed with Henry Mancini, making a nice divot in the covers for my puppy and I to build a nest in. The sheets smelled of Foss with a hint of Jens, but I didn’t care. I had my dog back, my boyfriend wasn’t dead, and the mission to take down the siren who destroyed my family was still on track.
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