Page 51

“No.” Valeen gave up and her boots lightly tapped as she hurried across the warm wooden floors to the glass case of precious items. She tugged open the doors and found a drawer at the bottom. Bottles of ink rolled around, feather quills sat on the left, and a black notebook was stuffed in the back. If she knew anything about little black notebooks, it was that they usually held important information.

She lifted it out of the drawer and pried at the cover, but it wouldn’t open. Magically sealed, damn. But she was even more certain she could find something useful for blackmail inside. If the All Mother was merciful, it would contain the location of her immortality as well. They wouldn’t even need to get him to talk.

“Hel, I need your help getting this open.”

He looked over his shoulder. “Are there runes on it?”

She turned it over in her hands to view the edges of the paper. There were three runes she didn’t recognize. “Yes.”

“These bastards love to hate me but still use my magic.”

She tossed it to him, and he caught it. The tip of his fingers brushed down the spine like he was petting a cat and then the book opened with the sound of a cork popping. “All you need to do is give it a little stroke, you know, like something else.”

She rolled her eyes and crossed the room, snatching it back. “Always inappropriate.”

“You act like you didn’t do that just last night.”

Valeen’s cheeks warmed, and he chuckled. “Can we focus?” she flicked through the pages. It looked to be full names and dates... encounters with females? Not at all what she needed. “And stop staring at me.”

“Now I can’t look at you?”

“I can’t read with you staring at me like that.”

He smirked. “Like what, love? Like you’re the most extraordinary being to ever exist? Like you’re my entire world?”

Thunder clapped outside and lightning streaked, brightening the gray atmosphere for a flash.

“When did you get so mushy?” Thane shoved the papers back on the desk and shut the drawer loudly. “We’re not going to find anything useful in here. It’s not like he’d have the location just sitting in his office for anyone to find.”

Footsteps outside the door made them all freeze. Hel maneuvered Valeen to the desk and pushed her into the seat.Let’s play with him a little first,he said in her mind.Thane and I will be hiding over there.

She smiled and propped her muddy boots up on his desk and took out her dagger. The door creaked open, and Rogue stepped inside, paused for a moment to inspect her with curiosity, then closed it behind him. Like many gods he was attractive with a sharp jaw and straight nose. His short cinnamon-brown hair was combed with a perfect curl on his forehead and a tailored coffee-colored suit.

“Who are you?” His lip curled with distaste at her boots dripping mud all over his paperwork. “Did Seffner send me an early beautiful but ruggish birthday present?”

With the tip of her dagger, she dug a piece of dirt out from underneath her nail, then lifted her chin. “You would like that I’m sure, but why don’t you look a little harder.”

He scrutinized her face and stepped to the front of his desk, opposite of her. “I know you.”

“You do.”

“Who are you?”

“It would ruin our little game if I just told you. I’ll give you a hint—we met once, the day I died a very, very long time ago.”

Recognition flashed and he moved back a step. “Valeen,” he said in surprise.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know the portal was back open again.”

His head snapped in both directions. “You came alone?”

She jammed her dagger into the wooden desk and stood but didn’t speak.

“I’m not going to hurt you as long as you’re not here to kill me,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “I don’t want to fight.”

“It’s funny you think you could hurt me. But I didn’t come to fight. I came for something else.”

A slow smile started at one side of his mouth. “You are as lovely as ever, Valeen. It’s surreal seeing you here after all this time and with the ways off Runevale being shut for so long. To behold you, someone powerful enough to do that...” He tsked his tongue. “There is something about primordials that just scratches an itch; rare and coveted. It’s one of the reasons I voted against your… punishment.” His eyes flicked over her once again. “I like the white in your hair. It fits you, moon goddess.”