Page 14 of Loki's Heart
“I believe that’s called fear,” Cian tossed over his shoulder, remaining close to her as well. “Or, in your case, terror.”
Fear? He mulled that over. Terror? Neither were emotions he felt. Why would he? There was nothing to be afraid of. He was a god.
“Not the brightest god either.” Svend chuckled and spoke loud enough for Revna to hear. He grinned at Loki over his shoulder and pointed with exaggeration at her. “If you haven’t figured out why you’re so terrified.”
Revna? He rubbed his chest, frowning. How, though, if she held the better half of his heart?
“I would say because it doesn’t matter which half she has,” Truthsayer enlightened in his Thor-wise voice. “Even your darker side loves her.” He paused for effect, just as Thor would have. “Which is alarming yetheartwarmingat the same time.” He chortled at his own spin on words. “And the gods know how much you like anything warm.”
While not overly pleased he suffered physical side-effects from how he felt about Revna, Loki could admit he cared a great deal for her. Was that the key to convincing her to share her heart then? For her to realize there might be more between them than their usual brief encounters?
“Would you believe me if I told you there was?”he asked her telepathically, certain she had caught those last thoughts.“Would you believe me if I told you...”What, exactly? How to phrase this? He supposed precisely what the ache in his chest insinuated.“Would you believe me if I told you that I wanted you for more than one night? For more than a few nights?”
“Sure,” Revna replied aloud, easing the ache in his chest but for a moment. “But don’t try to say it might be more thana week.” She rolled her eyes. “Because you’re incapable, and I wouldn’t believe you.” She winked at him over her shoulder, tightening his chest yet again. “Besides, I’d grow bored of you too.”
He was about to tell her the odds of that were slim when he caught a familiar smoky scent on the gusty wind. Heard a deep rumble that sounded especially daunting. Fortunately, they had just reached the top of the ridge, confirming his suspicions.
“Ah.” He beamed at the monstrous frothing mountain in the distance and put his hand to the small of her back. “Just what I’d hoped it was.”
“What good does a volcanic mountain do us?” Revna began but trailed off when she realized. “We can use it.”
“We can use it,” he echoed in her ear, coming behind her, keeping her close whether she liked it or not. “Wewilluse it. You and I.” He caught a telling wisp of her fire on his tongue and did his best not to groan in pleasure. “That mountain is bubbling with everything we need to make our final stance. The element at the heart of our magic. One that won't let us down in a world that tends to skew our magic.”
“No, it's best to sneak up on her,” she argued. “Utilize the element of surprise.”
“Which we can still have.” He inhaled the scent of her skin. It was as fiery hot and tempting as the lava simmering across the way. “Just onourterms. Inourchosen location.”
“We have trouble,” Truthsayer warned. He pointed along the ridge. “We need to move.”
Svend cursed under his breath, urged them to follow, and bolted down the other side of the ridge toward the valley, roaring telepathically,“They’re Yrsa’s scouts. Lure them down to the trees, then attack while you’re still in the sun. The enemy refuses to receive any telepathic messages as long as they stand in sunlight. Nor does she want them using magic in the sun lestit somehow taint her through them. So it's plain old-fashioned combat.”He whipped out his sword.“And for the love of the gods, don’t use your divine magic, Loki. Not here. It will be too obvious to many. A call to some to let her know.”
Sensing right away Revna was too weak for this, Loki roared that Cian have his back, scooped her up, and raced downward.
“You didn’t need to do this,” she grumbled. “I could’ve managed.”
He didn’t bother responding but flew down the mountain far faster than the others could, set her down just before the trees, then took up arms in front of her.
“Run if you have to.” Though impossible to imagine anything getting by him, he wasn’t willing to take any chances. “Run until you get to the volcano, then use it, Revna. Use it for all it’s worth, demon.”
Although unhappy her life was in danger, he was eager for the chance to get out his pent-up frustration. His confusion over his feelings toward Revna. Incredible need mixed with this tight feeling in his chest.
It was one thing to desire a mortal.
Another thing to feel this.
This thing that made him whip out his axe and fight with a whole new kind of fiery fury. One not made of magic but unfiltered rage as he decapitated an opponent, then ran his blade across the mid-section of two others. He couldn’t remember the last time he fought this way. It was vicious. Wonderful. Freeing.
When a dagger whipped over his shoulder and took down a seer who fell at his feet, he glanced back. Of course, Revna hadn’t listened but joined in the fight.
“Get back,” he growled, side-kicking an opponent that rushed him.
“No.” Revna whipped another dagger, catching an enemy in the thigh. “Not my style any more than it is yours.”
True. Still.
“You’re too weak.” He caught her around the waist when she staggered back after she drove her fist into another seer. She might not like it, but he threw her over his shoulder and kept fighting.
“Put me down,” she half growled, half gasped. “I can fight.”