Page 5 of Loki's Heart
“Even so.” Loki spread his arms as though inviting their wrath. “Let them try to bring me down.” He gestured at the key around Revna’s neck and grinned. “Is it not safe to say I’m more heartless now than ever?”
“You’re something,” Cian agreed under his breath, nodding at Revna that she had his backing whenever she was ready.
She knew he was frustrated with Loki, but there was no hope for it. She held the best part of the god’s heart, and she would do whatever it took to keep it safe until it was returned to him. Otherwise, there was no telling where Loki might end up as time went on. Down a much darker path, to be sure. He wasn’t quite getting that yet, though.
“And you don’t need to tell him, either, Cian,”she said into his mind, relatively certain Loki couldn’t follow their telepathic conversation in this cave. It possessed too much seer magic.“Mind over matter. Best he still think with some compassion, not the ruthlessness with which we both know he’s capable of.”
“That wasn’t what I was worried about.”Cian didn’t look her way, lest Loki realize they were talking.“My concern lies solely with you and how vulnerable your own heart has become holding his so close. Add that to your weakening powers, and I fear...there might be unintended consequences.”
“I’ll be fine.”Would she be, though?“We just need to stay on task and defeat Yrsa. Once we do that, everything will return to normal.”
Cian offered no response, but he didn’t need to. She felt his continued concern. Worry he had every right to feel because he knew how much her own blasted heart had come to care for the errant, frivolous god. Could she be blamed when shewas probably the only person in existence who saw the better side of Loki? Who knew firsthand all the good he had done creating the Forge hadn’t been for selfish reasons but because he loved mortals for more than the worship they offered? Who understood that he truly didn’t want to see them extinguished?
“Are you sure Svend will be waiting for us on the other side?” Cian asked when Revna summoned fire to her cupped fists and gazed up at one of the larger totems hanging above them.
Svend was her contact in Vanaheim. Someone who wanted Yrsa gone as much as she did.
“He’ll be waiting for us,” she said with more assurance than she felt. She glanced from the god to the wizard before looking up again. “Focus on my fire.” She began chanting. “Stay part of it.” More chanting. “Travel with it.”
While she would have preferred to stay here and talk things out more with Loki, they didn’t have that kind of time. It was better to face off with Yrsa in her world rather than let her gain access to this one via Revna’s growing weakness.
So she kept chanting, not surprised when Cian chanted as well, wrapping her in protective Celtic magic. Neither of them had been to Vanaheim, and he wasn’t taking any chances despite risking his own life.
Revna could only pray Svend was on the other side. She might have learned how to disguise herself from Yrsa on Vanaheim but had no idea if it would work with Cian and Loki. Svend should be able to, though. Or so she hoped. Whether he could or couldn't, she trusted him. It didn't matter that they had never met face to face. He’d been a welcome voice in the darkness when she realized Yrsa was no friend, but a traitor, only ever out for herself.
Having faith Loki and Cian would follow, Revna closed her eyes, raised her arms, and chanted louder. Welcomed the dark, mystical energy of Vanaheim that had skirted her for years.Allowed it to bring her into its fold because she was half of its world. Let it engulf her entirely only to show her something beyond her wildest imagination.
Chapter Four
Loki had never felt so unsettled than when he was thrust into a world he’d never liked, surrounded by seven little people peering out from behind their dark hoods with untrusting eyes. Though some might describe them as human mortals, he had always preferred to call Vanaheim seers slippery, ethereal beasts. Not beautifully beastly like dragons, but deceptive monsters because it was hard to focus on them. To truly see what one was dealing with.
They were shorter than he recalled. Far shorter. At least this bunch.
As was expected, rather than fall to their knees in worship, they circled him, so on guard and poised to attack that he was tempted to down them with a flick of his godly wrist. Who were they to try and intimidate him? To treat him as an outsider when he was an upper god? One mankind would still make movies about a thousand years from now, and they, nothing but lost to history?
“And it isthathaughtiness that will earn you a swift death here, dark one.” The shortest of the lot, barely reaching his waist, walked right up to him, looked down his hooked nose despite their height differences, and chuckled. “And if rumor holds true, the depictions of you in future movies, as you call them, aren’t all that flattering, are they?”
Before he could respond, the little seer more waddled than walked to Revna and grinned broadly. “Revna! At last, we finallymeet, lovely.” He clasped her hand, his eyes rather jolly for such a serious world. “I cannot tell you howhappywe are to have you.”
“Thank you, Svend.” Revna issued a rare smile that made Loki want to yank her into his arms and never let go. She nodded at the others. “Thank you all for coming to my aid.”
“But of course!” Svend beamed, his dark eyes glittering in a way that warped his barely-there face into something old yet oddly peppy. “Do we not have a common enemy?” He glanced ruefully from Loki to the key around her neck. “Despite you doing things, I would rather you did not.”
Before Loki could respond, Revna crouched in front of Svend, bringing them eye to eye, and smiledagain. “As I said before, thank you so much for coming to my rescue.” She turned her smile on the other six before looking at Svend again. “It means more than you will ever know. In fact, you’re my only hope.”
“I know, sweet dear.” Svend nodded once at her, his voice deep despite his stature. “As are you mine. All of ours.” He gestured that they follow him. “Come, let us get you to safety for the night, then we will go from there.”
Sweetdear?Revna? She was a blasteddemon. And, quite frankly, a cock-tease. At least she was to him, and it was brutal.
“Apologies up front,” Svend said over his shoulder. “Only one of my fellow seers speaks, and you might not like what he says.”
“That would be Truthsayer?” Revna asked, clearly familiar with the lot.
“Yes.” Svend gestured at the tallest of the bunch. His face was so thin, his eyes almost touched. “You can expect the blatant truth from him at all times, whether you like it or not.” He chortled. “And his voice can run rather...varied.”
Varied? What in all the Nine Worlds did that mean?
“It means I can be your worst enemy or your greatest love,” Truthsayer grunted moodily in a voice that sounded creepily like Revna’s. “I can be whatever you do not want shared.”