Page 6 of Thorulf
Chapter Two
THORULF KNEW THE momenthe traveled forward in time via Níðhöggr’s Ash and ended up at the ash tree behind the Maine chalet that he was in trouble. It was almost as if he had to step foot on twenty-first-century soil to realize it. To concede that yes, on some level he’d yet to understand, Jade had been right.
Hehadbeen playing games.
The only problem?Whohad he been playing games with?
He took a moment to come to grips with it. With the flashes of someone else. An alluring female that flickered in and out of his mind. A purple dragon. Then another woman. Someone who meant a great deal but ultimately hurt him. A green dragon with eyes like deep, clear emeralds sparkling in the sunlight.
“Jade,” he whispered. He tried to follow the thought, the sense of certainty but became distracted by another presence.
“Loki,” he ground out, not surprised the god had made it here before him. He strode for the deck, imagining what he would find when he got inside, considering the sort both Jade and the God of Chaos were.
What he found, not surprisingly, wasn’t that far off.
The two stood ridiculously close with Jade’s hand lingering on Loki’s chest. Had they even known each other a minute? In retrospect, a minute might have been too long. He clenched his jaw and kept his hands off his weapons when he arrived at the deck door. When he laid eyes on a woman he knew without question, he’d met before but had no idea where or how.
Jade wasn’t simply lovely but downright stunning with long, thick brown locks streaked by the sun and a tight, fit body with just the right amount of curves. Her features were delicate with a touch of exotic. Her skin tone was warm, and her lips sinfully full. It was her eyes he knew best, though. That made it impossible for a man to look away. Almond-shaped and thickly lashed, they were a sultry sparkling emerald. Daring and bold, yet alluring and mysterious.
“Why don’t you tell us why you did it, Thorulf,” Jade replied, clearly recognizing him. “Why you betrayed your own?”
Hard and curious, her eyes cut his way. She made no effort to shift away from Loki. If anything, she moved closer, undoubtedly toying with Thorulf.
“Because I was right, wasn’t I?” she went on. “As was Revna when she accused you of being allied with the enemy.” Her gaze narrowed. “You’re allied with Mórrígan, aren’t you? You...”
When she trailed off and narrowed her eyes further, he realized he wasn't alone. Things were coming back to her about the time he and Jade might have spent together. How there had been another woman. Another dragon. Was it truly Goddess Mórrígan, though? Because she wasn’t a dragon. Not as far as he knew.
“I sense there was another,” he conceded, uncomfortable saying it because he had so little to go on. “But I can’t remember who or how deeply I was involved with her.”
He figured he’d wait on sharing his memory of a purple dragon for now. Yet, it seemed there was no point based on Jade’s reaction.
“You weredeeplyinvolved,” she spat, scowling for a split second before she morphed back into a flirtatious woman with one thing on her mind. “With a purple dragon, to be specific.” She might have been speaking to Thorulf, but she focused on Loki, trailing her hand even lower. Being about as bold and indecent as she’d come across telepathically on Dagr and Maya’s adventure. “A dragon who not only has you wrapped around her little talon but one who thought nothing of killing me.”
That caught both Loki and Thorulf’s attention. Or half of Loki’s attention. The god’s other half was obviously taken with Jade’s wandering hand.
“When did the purple dragon try to kill you?” Thorulf managed, clenching his fists, doing his best to keep his voice level when he wanted to whip a blade into Loki’s throat. “Better still,where?”