by Amy Sumida
Both men looked embarrassed, and then promptly apologized.
“Thank you,” I huffed. “Now, let's get to Vegas.”
I took Cal's hand just to spite Declan's dick move, and Calex knew better than to use it as an opportunity to taunt my consort. Then the rest of them joined hands; Ilis taking half of our group in a chain, while Calex took the rest. We flashed out of Coven Cay—moving through sparkling light—and reformed in an apartment. The lights were off, and night had already fallen in Vegas, but there were enough neon signs flashing through the windows to allow us to navigate around the sheet-covered furniture. Calex went to the door and opened it to reveal a hallway. He waved us out.
“This is our Vegas apartment,” he said. “It was the safest place to land. Now, where are we going?”
“The Vanguard,” Cerberus pushed past Calex and hurried toward the elevator.
Piling into a metal box with two Drachen, two Shinning Ones, a Blooder, a Griffin, a Hellhound, and a Witch was not fun. Especially when four of them were my lovers and one was an ex. It was beyond uncomfortable, even with the luxurious size of the elevator, and Cal's apartment was on the eighteenth floor.
We exploded out of the elevator and into the lobby; taking gulps of fresh, testosterone-free air. Then we had to flag down two cabs; one wasn't large enough to cart all of us to the Vanguard Hotel. Odin waited for the second cab with Ilis, Calex, and Banning, while I went with Cerberus, Torin, Gage, and Declan. I had to sit on Torin's lap, but he didn't mind.
We weren't that far from the Vanguard, and we soon pulled up to the curb. Torin helped me out with a hand to my ass, and I looked back over my shoulder at him with a lifted brow. He smiled wickedly.
“You can't expect me to have you on my lap and not grope you,” Torin said reasonably.
I sighed and walked away; I couldn't argue with that. Nor did I want to.
The security recognized Cerberus immediately (he's kind of hard to not recognize once you've seen him) and let us up to Freya's penthouse without pause. It was a good thing too, because Cer was so worried that he probably would have barreled past anyone who tried to delay him. He tapped his foot and cracked both his neck and his knuckles as the elevator raced to the penthouse. The doors dinged and Cerberus shouldered his way through them before they were wide enough to let him pass. The elevator doors were still creaking as Cerberus ran down the hall to Freya's door—his key already in hand—and then rushed into her suite.
“Frey?” Cer called as he pounded about the room like an enraged bull. He dashed up the stairs; the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing off the vaulted ceiling. “Freya!” He kept calling for her, and then suddenly stopped, mid-call, “Fre—”
“Oh, fuck,” I growled and hurried upstairs.
I found Cerberus standing in the middle of Freya's dressing room; reading a sheet of paper. He looked up at me and narrowed his brown eyes; they had begun to glow amber. Slowly, he handed me the slip of paper.
I read it aloud as the other men joined us. “If you want Freya to live, you'll stop chasing me.”
“I call dibs on Mimir,” Cerberus said.
“Odin may have an issue with that,” Declan noted.
Cerberus shifted his glower to Declan.
“I'm just warning you.” Declan held up his hands in surrender.
“Where are they?” Cer growled. “I need that Drachen woman to track this giant bastard.”
“They're probably downstairs,” I said softly. “Security, remember?”
“Oh.” Cer frowned. “Yeah.”
Cerberus pushed past us and stomped down the stairs.
“We're coming too,” I called after him.
“Then hurry the fuck up, El,” Cer called back as he started to run.
I sighed and sped up; despite his size, Cerberus could move fast. We slid into the elevator with Cer just before the doors closed. Then we rode down in an even more awkward tension than our ride with Calex had been. Cerberus was growling, and I don't think he knew it. Sounds were just rumbling out of him on their own; furious huffs, snarls, and even an ominous clicking. That last sound had me looking over at him in confusion, and I saw that his claws were extended—his hands half-shifted—and they were clicking together anxiously. The doors swished opened just as I noticed his state. I grabbed Cer's bicep before he could leave, and he snarled at me.
“Hey!” I pointed at his face and then shook my finger chidingly. “Uh-uh. It's me. You don't snap at me!”
“Sorry,” he huffed. “I—”
“I know,” I interrupted him. “I just wanted to tell you to keep you stare lowered since it's glowing and to shift your hands back to normal.”
“Oh.” He blinked. “Okay. Thanks.”
Cerberus shifted back his hands before we left the elevator. Then he was off again; bystanders jumping out of his path as we rushed after him. We found Odin and the others arguing with security.
“We're here!” I called as we hurried up to them.
“They're with me,” Cerberus said to the guards. “Let us into the banquet hall.”
“It's just about to be used for a wedding, Sir,” the security guard stammered.
Cer lifted his face and set his glowing eyes on the poor man.
“Yes, Sir!” The man scurried out from behind his desk and then raced ahead of us, to lead us to a pair of double doors. He unlocked the doors and threw them open before shouting, “Please don't hurt the cake!”
Cerberus growled; a low rolling warning that few, living, mortal men had heard. The security guard pissed himself and passed out.
“Cer,” I whined, “that was mean.”
But Cer was already inside the banquet hall. As soon as we were all inside with him, Cerberus slammed the doors behind us and nodded to Ilis.
“Take us to the giant dead man,” Cerberus growled.
“Hold on,” Odin said.
Cerberus growled again.
“You do not intimidate me, doggy,” Odin snarled; power filling his voice. “Now, I care about Freya too, but we have to do this right. We can't just appear in front of Mimir. What if that's exactly what he wants? What if he's constructed a containment circle with the diamond as bait?”
Cerberus' shoulders sagged. He was no doubt remembering the cage the Trinity had put him in.
“Did Mimir take Freya?” Odin asked gently.
I passed Odin the note.
“That spineless shitheel,” Odin growled. He looked up at Cerberus. “We will get her back, Cerberus. Mimir won't want to hurt Freya—at least not until after he completes the spell and gets what he wants. She's safe for the moment.”
Cer nodded, but his body was twitching furiously.
“Ilis, can you take us somewhere close to the diamond?” Odin asked.
“Let me take another look,” she said before closing her eyes.
“She can actually see it?” I asked in shock.
“Not exactly,” Odin whispered. “She gets a signal from the diamond which helps her pinpoint its location. The 'seeing' comes from her knowledge of the area.”
That's still impressive,” I muttered.
“They're across the street from the Paris hotel,” Ilis said. “Shall I take us to the tower, and then we can peer through their windows and scout the location?”
“How the hell are we going to peer through windows hundreds of... feet... away,” Banning trailed off as he remembered the company he was in. “Right. I suppose Drachen and Griffins have good eyesight.”
“Very good.” Gage smacked Banning's shoulder. “It's okay; you'll get used to it.”
“Thank you, Ilis,” Odin said. “That would be perfect.”
The Drachen took us to the Eiffel Tower replica at the Paris hotel. We came out right on the viewing deck; jostling people in the process. But it was so busy that no one noticed how we appeared. No one except for one little girl who gaped at us as she pulled at her mother's pant leg anxiously.
“What is it, Samantha?” Her mother asked in irr
itation.
I winked at the girl and gave her a secret smile.
“Nothing,” she whispered.
“Come on; Daddy will put you on his shoulders so you can get a better view.”
The woman picked up her daughter and handed her to the girl's father. He dutifully put his daughter over his shoulders and gave her a better view of Vegas. It always surprises me how many people bring their children to Sin City, but I suppose there are quite a lot of family-friendly activities... and then there's the free food. Free food draws a lot of folks.
“I can feel the diamond,” Ilis declared. “This way.”
She led us around the observation deck until we faced another hotel. Ilis waved her hands like a diva—flicking them up and to her sides—and humans just got out of her way. If things hadn't been so tense, I would have had me a good chuckle. With Ilis' crowd-clearing ability, we went right to the railing, and she narrowed her gaze at the hotel across from us.
“From the top-right corner it's two windows down and five to the left,” she said. “I sense the diamond in that vicinity.”
“Lady, that's some awesome diamond radar you got,” Cerberus said with admiration.
Gage stepped up beside me, and I moved back for Calex to join him. Along with Ilis, the men focused on the window she'd indicated. They were silent for a long period of time while the rest of us waited anxiously. Well, most of us waited.
“What the fuck is going on in there?” Cer growled. “Do any of you see Freya?”
Evidently, Hellhound eyesight is not as good as a Griffin's or a dragon's.
“Not yet,” Gage murmured as he continued to stare. “Give us a chance, Cer. There hasn't been any movement. Mimir may not even—wait.”
“There he is,” Calex said. “I don't see anyone else, though.”
“The location appears to be a normal hotel room,” Ilis added. “I can't sense any wards or black magic. Although, Mimir is using some thick glamour to make himself appear human. Calex, do you sense anything?”
“I feel something dark, but it could just be Mimir's intent,” Calex said.
“There's Eileen!” Gage exclaimed.
We all pushed in around him and squinted at the window. I had good eyesight, but it wasn't good enough to see Eileen. I could just make out some shadows at the window, which I assumed were her and Mimir.
“Oh yeah; they're a couple,” Gage muttered.
“Eileen and Mimir?” Torin asked in surprise.
“You feeling a little inadequate?” Gage teased. “I'd imagine that everything is larger on him.”
“Why would Torin feel inadequate?” Calex asked.
“He once had an affair with Eileen,” I said it so that Torin wouldn't have to.”
“It was a long time ago.” Torin grimaced.
“Before she tried to kill him,” Banning added. “That doesn't speak so well to his prowess either.”
“He's not the only one with a murdering ex.” I gave Banning a pointed look.
“I'm a Blooder,” Banning huffed. “Dating vicious women is kind of our thing. Besides; she tried to kill you, not me.”
I raised my brows at him.
“But I've moved past my attraction for violent women,” he added.
“Wait; is he saying that Elaria is or isn't violent?” Cerberus asked. “I can't keep track.”
“Never mind,” I ended the conversation before it got ridiculous. “We need a plan.”
“We diamond ourselves into the room and kill everyone except Freya,” Cerberus said.
“Sometimes simplicity works best.” Calex grinned.
“Odin?” Ilis asked. “You know this man better than the rest of us. What do you think?”
“I think we should scope out an empty room from here for us to travel into and then go with Cerberus' plan,” Odin said.
“Good man!” Cerberus pounded Odin's back. “Who's taking me?”
“Hold on,” I said. “Give me a minute to prepare a couple of songs, just in case.”
“In case of what?” Odin asked. “We don't know what we'll be facing.”
“Then I'll think of some general songs,” I huffed. “I know you guys want to save Freya, but a few minutes may make the difference between victory and defeat.”
“She's right,” Odin conceded. “Let's move back against the wall, and give Elaria as much quiet as we can.”
Our group barricaded me from the crowd as I bowed my head and mentally went through my list of defensive songs I like to use on the fly. When I had a few in mind, I nodded to the others, and we split into groups again. Within seconds, we vanished from the tower and reappeared inside the room we'd decided upon. The door was ajar, and a flickering light came through the slit, arrowing across the plush carpet. The sounds of an argument came through with the light, and we all paused to listen.
“Just kill her and be done with it!” Eileen snapped.
Cerberus started forward, but I grabbed his hand and squeezed as I shook my head frantically at him. He took a deep breath and waited.
“We need her,” Mimir growled. “Odin and his minions will never leave us alone if we don't have any leverage over them. And Odin's not the only one who cares about Freya; so does the Spellsinger's dog, Cerberus.”
Cerberus bared his teeth, and I squeezed harder.
“Just wait,” I whispered. “Timing is everything.”
“I don't think that's why you want her here at all,” Eileen hissed. “No; don't touch me, Mimir! I saw that look you had when we tossed that bitch in the closet; you desire her.”
“She's the fucking Goddess of Love; everyone desires her,” Mimir huffed.
“That's it!” Eileen screamed.
“Eileen!” Mimir's heavy footsteps pounded out of the room. “Don't you dare touch her!”
“Let's go,” Odin waved us into the other room. “When they return, we'll have the element of surprise.”
We slipped into the living room of the suite as Mimir and Eileen continued to argue in another bedroom. Gage hurried over to their bedroom's doorway and went flat against the wall beside it. The rest of us spaced out around the room and waited. The argument continued; with Freya's muffled, angry growls peppering it. I prepared a song—a new one that had nothing to do with battle. Mimir and Eileen's conversation had sparked an idea, and I was eager to see if it would work.
“Let go of her, Eileen!” Mimir commanded.
“You're not in charge of me, Mimir; this is a partnership,” Eileen snapped.
“I started this,” Mimir argued. “I found you when you, drunk in a beneather bar, rattling on about how a Spellsinger killed your husband. You'd still be there if it weren't for me.”
“So?” Eileen huffed. “I was the one who came up with the idea to abduct monsters to kill everyone for us.”
“An act which you couldn't have done without me,” he shot back. “You didn't know enough about the creatures to be to catch them, much less transport them. And let's not forget that I was the one who talked those idiot fairies into killing their people and their precious forest. I found you sanctuary when you failed, and I gave you a new plan.”
“I think that my failure was a part of your original plan,” Eileen accused.
“I wanted Freya dead,” Mimir snarled. “I told you how she humiliated me.”
“By refusing to fuck you,” Eileen huffed. “And now you have her here, and you're changing your mind about killing her—because you still want to fuck her.”
“Women are insane!” Mimir roared. “I don't want to fuck Freya. After this is over, and we have claimed Tír na nÓg, I'm going to kill her. But you need to be patient, Eileen. I promise you; I did not want you to fail. Your success would have made my plan go even smoother; we would have had the Witches—including Odin, two Shining One kings, and the Spellsinger out of our way.”
Eileen went quiet.
“I love you,” Mimir whispered. “I want you to rule Tír na nÓg with me.”
Freya's snort was lou
d and clear, and so was the smack either Eileen or Mimir gave her.
“Thank you for that,” Eileen said; clearing up the question of who had hit Freya. “I love you too.”
It was the last straw for Cerberus. He roared and barreled into the bedroom; tossing our plan out the window. Eileen screamed, and Mimir shouted. A flash of light flared, and Cerberus came flying back into the living room. Eileen strode out after him, but then saw all of us standing there, waiting for her. She gaped in shock, but Mimir reacted with calm calculation. He grabbed Freya and dragged her bucking, bound body into the living room; bending to make it through the doorway. We were just about to jump him when Mimir lifted a gun to Freya's temple and cocked it. We all froze.
“A gun?” Odin asked. “Are you fucking serious?”
“A bullet works just fine on a goddess when fired at this range,” Mimir said smugly. “And I don't have to worry about you interfering with my magic. I know your tricks, Earthshaker.”
“Why?” Odin asked. “Why would you betray me like this, Mimir? I thought you were my friend?”
“You never belonged with us!” Mimir hissed. “You're a Witch, not a God; yet you ascended to the top of our pantheon. It wasn't right.”
“You really are jealous,” Odin said with disbelief. “I thought it was a possibility, but I couldn't bring myself to believe it; not entirely.”
“I'm not jealous,” Mimir narrowed his pale blue eyes at Odin. “I was defending my people. You would have stayed in our pantheon if not for me. And who knows what you would have convinced the Norse Gods to do.”
“So, you did manufacture that accident!” Odin hissed.
“I did.” Mimir smiled viciously. “But the eye patch looks good on you, Witch.”
“At least I know how to do spells properly,” Odin snapped. “I saw your workspace, Mim; it was pathetic—herbs crumbling out of the walls. And now your hall is filled with manticore corpses. You'll never get the taint of death out of your home.”
“No matter; I'll have a new home soon.” Mimir shrugged. “I have to admit, though; that's impressive. There were a lot of manticores.”
