Page 1 of Loki's Heart
Chapter One
Scandinavia
Mt. Galdhøpiggen
960. A.D.
“YOU CANNOT FACE THISalone, daughter.” Her mother, Vigdis, narrowed her eyes. “I refuse to let you, Revna.”
Grown woman or not, she and her parents looked out for each other.
“You’re not strong enough to stop me.” Revna shook her head at her father, Magnus, when he tried to deny her as well. “Neither of you are.”
“But we’re strong enough to come with you.” His eyes flared with fire. “And we will because your mother’s right. You cannot go to a world like Vanaheim on your own. It will destroy you, never mind what you’ll face when you get there.”
A particularly mystical world, Vanaheim was ruled by the Vanir, an old branch of gods who were masters of sorcery and magic. It possessed power that, despite her father thinking otherwise, shecould,in fact, withstand.Hadto.
“Neither of you can handle that world.” She gave them a thankful look for trying, though. “Mother, we both know your seer magic isn’t as strong as mine and Father,” she sighed,“you’re half fire-demon. Of a world Vanaheim abhors.” She shook her head again. “So you’ll never make it.”
“Yet they will accept the fire demon in you?” He scowled at the various potions she stuffed in her satchel. “Something you can’t hide from them no matter what spell you cast on yourself. If your emotions spike too high, there will be no stopping your inner demon, and you know it.”
“No, there won’t be,” came the last voice she expected.
“Cian.” Revna smiled then frowned when her handsome friend joined them in her cloud-steeped cave at the top of her mountain. “You shouldn’t be here.” She made a dismissive gesture, praying he listened. As it were, he was one of the few people who could withstand the power of Vanaheim alongside her, but it would be dangerous. “Did I not sense someone calling you from across time? Are you not needed elsewhere?”
Thanks to their friend Raven saving their lives pre-birth, she and Cian had been connected when still in their mother’s womb and had remained friends ever since, so they could read each other's minds easily enough. Therefore she knew someone had called to him. More so, that he would go to her aid.
Tall and broad-shouldered with simmering dark blue eyes and blue-black hair, Cian was about as black Irish as they came. Darker still because of his magic. Powers that could as easily be used for bad as they could for good. Good always prevailed when it came to helping a damsel in distress, though.
And what he said next only backed that up.
“Yes, I’ve been called to the future, but there’s still time to help you.” He eyed the herbs and potions in her satchel dubiously, clearly unconvinced they would do any good. “Help you'll need where we're going.”
While tempted to argue, she knew better. His determined look told her he would help her through this every bit as much asshe would have helped him had their roles been reversed. They were too connected to do otherwise.
“Raven doesn’t know you’re here, does she?” She already knew the answer but needed to ask anyway. “She’s—”
“Fine.” He stopped her before she could add anything else to her satchel. “You did well ensuring she couldn’t sense any of this, but your magic is weakening. Others have sensed it and are—”
“Coming?” came the last voice she wanted to hear before Loki swaggered into the cave, turning her overcast lair wonderfully stormy. His lustful gaze raked over her with anticipation. “Where else would I be when you have been so very naughty, seer? Tsk, tsk.” His dark magnetic eyes flashed with both amusement and irritation. “You’ve been up to all sorts of things behind my back, haven't you?”
If he only knew.
“Behind your back?” She kept tucking things in her satchel. “As if I answer to you.”
She answered to no one but herself, but it was pointless trying to convince a god like Loki of that. To his way of thinking, everyone answered to him. Especially mere mortals.
As always, he set her on edge in a way that frustrated her inner seer but excited her demon. Even taller than Cian, broad-shouldered and well-muscled, Loki was every woman’s deepest desire yet worst nightmare, whether they knew it or not. Clad in black leather with dark hair, he had a dangerous aura about him. His face was a work of art, chiseled to perfection, but everything behind it was deceptive and tricky. He notoriously said one thing but meant another. He got excited too easily and bored just as quickly.
The last thing she expected when she put her plan in action years ago was coming into such close contact with the God of Chaos, or the Trickster God as he was known in some circles. Worse yet, that the attraction between them would be so intense.Strong enough that he would become intricately woven into her plan in a way he had yet to understand. He would soon, though. Then he would realize he wasn’t into her nearly as much as he thought.
She was but a passing attraction who had managed something no woman before her ever had.
“You play a dangerous game, Revna,”Cian murmured into her mind.“You cannot let him follow us into Vanaheim.”
While Loki was considered a god of all Nine Worlds, Vanaheim preferred those on the outside to keep their distance. Especially a deity who could bring so much chaos with him. Who could throw their magic into a less manageable maelstrom.
“Yes, Revna should let Loki join you,” her mother said, catching her and Cian’s telepathic conversation just fine. But then, she used to be the most powerful seer on Midgard before Revna was born. Vigdis frowned between them. “If anyone can help, it’s Loki. I’m sure of it.”