by Maren Smith
“I am sorry that I can’t allow it. It puts you and them in grave danger,” Forseti said, apologetically.
I nodded, afraid if I spoke, my tone would betray my thoughts. Instead, I wiggled in his arms, pressing my breasts against his chest. I didn’t know if I would be successful in my plans tonight to find Loki and negotiate with him. I knew so very little. What I did know was that I wanted Forseti. I had been soaked with desire several times throughout the day, and now, I could finally do something about it.
I leaned even closer to him, our breath mingling. His hand on my back pressed me closer to him. “Please, Daddy. Please, won’t you make love to me?”
That is what I needed most at the moment. Sweet, tender love-making.
“Of course, my beautiful little goddess. I will make sweet love to you. Come now.”
We stood and he walked me to the bed. Standing in front of it, I started to undo my shirt.
“No, let me.” Slowly, teasingly, he undid each button and each snap. He unwove the leather from my body and dropped it to the floor. All too soon, I stood before him, naked. “By Odin, you are gorgeous!”
Stepping closer, he lowered his head, engulfing one of my nipples into his mouth. My hands went into his thick hair, my fingers pulling at the dark strands. He suckled, quickly and with a renewed urgency as my grip tightened. His skilled tongue flicked my nipple before he moved lower, trailing little kisses straight down my belly.
“Now, now. Don’t you know a straight line makes an easy target?” His words from this morning fell off my lips.
“Petulant.” He spun me around and swatted my butt, hard. I felt the moisture gather between my legs. “Get your beautiful butt up into that bed.”
I crawled onto the mattress on my hands and knees, all while looking over my shoulder at him. I slowly licked my lips, encouraging him. As I got into the desired position, he quickly removed his clothes. The bed shifted under his frame.
“Your back. Now.”
Wow. Where did this come from? It was sexy as hell, and I wasn’t about to argue with him. I rolled onto my back and let my head rest on the pillows. “I believe my goddess wanted me to make love to her, yes?” He lowered his head between my legs and blew gently on my clit.
“Yes!”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, please make love to me, Daddy. Please.”
“Your wish is my desire.” His mouth closed over my clit, his skilled tongue danced over my sensitive nub, back and forth, stroking and teasing. I moaned, my head tossing from side to side, the now familiar feeling of an orgasm building in my gut. He played my clit like a well-strung guitar, pulling forth cries of pleasure. Mews of an aroused song sprang from my lips as my body began to shake with need.
His finger inserted into my slick channel, followed closely by two more. He got me just to the brink before he covered my body with his and inserted his cock deep into my body. Even after last night, the girth of his shaft still stretched me. I was going mad with need, writhing under him, while flames of passion raged in his eyes. His slow thrusts were driving me insane, in and out, slow and steady, making love to me just as I had asked.
As he got closer to his release, the thrusts sped up, the urgency of our bodies slamming together pushed us up the cliff.
“Now, goddess.” Forseti lowered his head to my shoulder, biting hard enough to hurt but without drawing blood. The pain was the catalyst that sent me diving off the board into the deep end of an intense orgasm. I shuddered under him, shaking as my vaginal walls milked him to his completion. He groaned and collapsed on top of me, our bodies still riding the aftershocks of passion. After the final wave of pleasure crashed over us, he rolled off to the side, pulling me to his side.
I willed my heart to slow down, knowing he would be able to notice my anxiety if it didn’t. I needed to pretend to sleep. Once he was asleep, I could put my plan into place. I counted backwards from a thousand, a trick my mother had taught me when I was little to help calm me down during massive thunderstorms.
I thought of my mother. I thought of her perfume, the perfect mingling of floral and vanilla, her softness as she cuddled me in her arms. She had always been able to make everything all better. Thinking of her, while counting, calmed me. With my eyes closed and my chest rising and falling, Forseti assumed I was asleep. I waited for him to fall asleep too. Instead, he slowly moved, as if not to waken me, replacing his chest beneath me with a pillow. Then, just like that, he was gone. This would be easier than I thought it would be.
Chapter 14
Forseti
I left Morrigan sleeping soundly in bed and after dressing, went to seek out my grandfather. I needed to try and talk him out of erasing Morrigan from her family’s memories. I knew it was important to her and if it was important to her, it was important to me. If nothing else, I wanted her to know, when the time came, that I had tried. I had fought for her.
“You know I don’t like to leave traces of Asgard behind on Midgard, grandson.”
“I am aware, grandfather. But, Morrigan loves her family deeply, and I am afraid of the pain this would cause her.”
“I understand your concerns, but the decision is final. I have already wiped the others from history. It is as if they had never existed. Morrigan will be fine. She will be better than fine. She has you to nurse her broken heart and heal her. Once she is safe in Asgard, she will find that she is loved deeply by her parents, siblings and family here. She has already made a great impression upon Kara and Edda. They call her friend. Her life here will be vibrant. I have seen how well she fights; she will be a member of my guard soon enough. This decision is final.”
I knew when I had lost and when to take a step back. There would be no changing his mind.
“Yes, Lord Odin.” I used his formal title, showing my respect to the position and my deference to his decision. I didn’t like it. I didn’t agree with it. But there was nothing I could do to change it.
“She will make a fine member of the guard,” I confirmed.
“I am sure you will want your wife on your team.”
“My wife?” I tried to hide my shock from my tone at his statement. Apparently, it wasn’t just Frigg who saw the connection between us.
“Your wife.”
“It will be, then?” Part of me wanted the reassurance from my grandfather, part of me didn’t care. She would be mine.
“It is so decreed. As soon as you gain her consent, of course.”
“Of course, grandfather.”
“You can’t ascertain her consent from Asgard while she resides in Midgard, now can you?” Odin closed his eyes, when he opened them, there was an urgency in his tone. “Go, now. Morrigan is in danger.” The words hadn’t finished falling from his lips and my hand was on my sword.
“Take me to Morrigan.”
Morrigan
I was in the middle of a storm, the biggest I had ever felt in my life. The conflict raged inside of me. Did I stay with Forseti and risk losing my family forever? Did I leave and find them, possibly putting them at risk? Would Loki accept my surrender and terms for peace? What if the dark elves found me? Could I defend myself? The turbulence around me was frightening, I had to rein in my emotions and fight for my life. What had I done?
Sneaking out of the house hadn’t been difficult at all. I raced across the field to Winter and was astride his back and flying within minutes. Once in the air, I looked down and tried to place where we were. I recognized nothing. We would have to find a place to land where I could get directions home to Chicago.
I held on to Winter’s neck for dear life as we soared through the sky. “Please don’t drop me, boy!” I begged him for the fiftieth time since we had left the ground. Once I spotted lights below, I commanded him to land. I left him off to the side of a large cluster of trees, although Forseti said that humans couldn’t see him, I still worried. Going into the gas station, I looked around trying to get my bearings.
“Good evening. Can I help you find som
ething?” The clerk behind the counter seemed friendly enough.
“I am lost, I’m afraid. Silly me. I tend to do this a lot, get lost. Can you help me?”
“Sure! Where are you headed?”
“To the airport.” I thought quickly, the name of the nearest airport would tell me at least the state I was in. The clerk whistled.
“You really are lost. Denver International Airport is rather far away, hours even. Well, here is what you will want to do. You are going to take Route 70,” she continued her directions and I pretended to listen. Denver. Denver wasn’t too far from Chicago, not by air anyway.
“One more thing, is there a phone I could use? I broke mine.” She looked at me suspiciously, and I realized how I must look. I had found some clothes in the closet, but they were already wrinkled and dirty from my ride, and my hair had tangled from the wind. I had a mind to grab my sword and my spear, but left them on Winter, knowing they would be hard to explain. “I dropped it in the lake. I was fishing with my boyfriend and we got into a big fight and I had to leave suddenly. I’d like to call my mother and let her know that I am okay.”
She seemed relieved; the explanation made sense to her. I called my mother, begging her in my head to pick up. By the fourth ring, I knew I would be getting her voicemail.
“Mama, it’s me. I’ll explain everything when I get home. I’ve missed you, Mom. I love you, dearly. Let Dad know that I am okay, I’m making my way home now. See you soon.” My voice started to crack, and I knew I had to hang up before I burst into tears.
I thanked her, gave her cell phone back and headed back out to Winter. I had just mounted Winter when I felt it whoosh by my ear. An arrow. Kara or Edda must have found me.
“Don’t try and stop me. I need to go home. I need to tell my parents that I am safe.”
“Get off of the horse, Morrigan.” The deepness of the voice sent a chill down my spine. I looked over my shoulder and saw them. Six large creatures straight from my nightmares. They wore what appeared to be silver masks over their faces, their pointed ears sticking out from behind. They were tall, lean in appearance, dressed in all black. The tallest of them commanded me as the others surrounded us.
“Go, Winter. Go!” I urged him forward and he started to gallop.
The dark elf who had spoken raised his arms and a wall of smoke appeared out of nowhere, surrounding us, choking the oxygen from around me. I gasped as my lungs tightened. Dropping from Winter’s back, I flicked open the spear with my left hand, while drawing my sword with my right. I crouched, ready to defend myself, if necessary. I listened carefully to the sounds around me. Seeing through the thickness of the smoke was almost impossible.
“I would like to speak with Loki,” I called out into the dark night.
“That is impossible. You will be speaking to no one after tonight.” His bone-chilling laugh sent a shiver down my spine.
“There is no reason to kill me,” I said. “I am just one girl.”
“You are no girl. You are a valkyrie and a demigod in one. Your powers are well known.”
“I have no powers,” I lied.
“Do not think that I am a fool. I was sent to finish this mission and that I will do.” I heard rustling steps as they surrounded me.
My heart raced, but I stayed strong, making my demands known.
“I demand you allow me to speak to Loki. I have no desire to help the humans on Midgard. I wish to return to Asgard and to my family. I will cause Loki no harm nor get in his way.”
Please believe me. Please. I tried to remember the skills I had learned in Krav Maga. Negotiation and de-escalation. I had never tried them on beings not from our world before. I heard his high-pitched, evil laughter fill the air, and I knew then I would have to fight for my survival this night. I moved forward and all but tripped over the damned skirt. Reaching down I gathered it, tucking it into my waistband. I had no time to worry about being modest.
The first arrow came by me, and then the second. I heard Winter cry in pain as one hit his flank and I was enraged. It was one thing to shoot at me, another to hit my horse. I lunged toward the nearest sound, slicing his legs out from under him. The dark elf fell forward. I amazed even myself by somersaulting out of the way.
“Go, Winter. Go get help!” I shrieked, stabbing my spear into the dark, smoky night and the elf in front of me.
I was in over my head.
Chapter 15
Forseti
I was alerted by the urgency in her tone. Panic rising in my chest, I was upon her in seconds. Assuming it was panic. I had never felt this many overwhelming emotions at one time before and didn’t like it. I stopped in my tracks seeing her standing there, dark elves on either side, their weapons drawn. I heard the steps as they approached and knew that the women had located us. It was now four on six; they stood no chance. Hell, Morrigan had already felled two of them on her own.
I wasn’t worried about the dark forces I was seeing; they were merely child’s play. It was the unseen number that I was sure were nearby. Elves, especially dark, evil ones, travelled in larger packs.
“Put your weapons down.”
“Forseti, I should have known you would be here.” The larger one turned to me and I recognized him instantly. One of Loki’s closest friends, he had played a part in the trickery that had caused my father to die. My blood boiled. I had never received justice for that traitorous act.
“Sethec,” I growled, acknowledging him. “Get away from my wife.”
That command startled him, and it was all the advantage we needed. Without having to say a word, we all attacked.
I was right, there were more. As we moved, cutting down the elves around Morrigan, their numbers multiplied. Anger and fear led me, and I thrust my sword into one after another. Swinging high, removing a head. Swinging low, cutting their legs out from under them. I heard the grunts and screams as we fought off the dark forces sent to kill Morrigan. I heard her call for me then.
“Forseti!” I turned and my blood turned cold. Sethec had his blade against her throat. Kara had fallen next to her, a spear sticking from her neck.
Morrigan
The battle was raging, and my instincts guided me. I was able to call on my training from childhood and the new training Forseti had instructed me in, but it wasn’t enough. Dark elves were everywhere. It seemed like every time I struck down one, two more appeared.
“You know, for being one of the brightest minds we have, this was stupid as hell!” Kara growled at me as she dodged another axe coming straight at her head.
“Can we talk about this later?” I yelled above the chaos, yanking my spear out of the gut of yet another dark elf.
“You won’t be talking about anything else later.” I felt the cold blade at my throat. I called out for Forseti as I watched Kara crumple at my feet.
“Let her go.” Forseti had a cold calm about him. He moved forward, never taking his eyes off of my face. He swung his sword wide from side to side, clearing every dark elf that got in his way.
“No, Forseti. I cannot. It is my job to remove her, remove the threat.”
“I will kill you.”
“That you might, but I will have finished my mission honorably.”
I felt the blade press hard against my throat. It was uncomfortable, but I was not in pain. I felt a cool stickiness flow down my neck from near the point of blade, and I knew I was bleeding.
“No! I forbid it!” Forseti’s roar filled the woods and the ground beneath my feet shook. The battlefield went silent. Edda turned; her wide eyes told me all I needed to know. I was bleeding, he had slit my throat.
Why did I again feel no pain? Is this the feeling of peace before death overcomes me?
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” another voice added to the mix. I knew who it was before Forseti’s cry confirmed it.
“Loki!” Forseti shouted. “Tell him to let her go.”
“Hello, nephew,” Loki replied, coolly. “What is one less valkyr
ie to you? Don’t you have plenty to choose from on Asgard?”
“She is to be my wife!”
I heard the words, but they didn’t quite resonate with me. Everything around me was turning foggy. The warmth flowing from my throat was quickening.
“Damnit, Loki. If she dies, I will stop at nothing to have your head.”
“Calm down, Forseti.” Loki’s laugh was chilling. “Do you love her?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in his answer. I wanted to look at Loki, but his voice came from behind me. I couldn’t turn with the blade against me. No one said a word for a minute. Forseti stared at Loki; it was as if they were speaking with their eyes. Finally, Loki spoke again.
“There will be too much trouble,” he said, seemingly thinking out the situation. “Trouble that I do not need. Do you have Odin’s permission to marry her?”
“I do.”
“And mother? Do you have Frigg’s permission too?”
“Yes.”
“Damnit, Forseti, why did you have to fall in love with this one, of all the options you had? Now, if I kill her, it becomes so much more than…” He paused again, assessing his options.
My eyes were burning, they were getting heavy. I closed them, swaying. It was hard to stand.
“Fine. If I allow her to live, you will take her to Asgard and never allow her to come to Midgard again.”
“You have my word.”
What? No. I couldn’t go to Asgard. I couldn’t be forbidden from returning to my home. I couldn’t speak, I didn’t have the strength.
“Then, nephew, I will allow it. But, if she sets a foot back on Midgard, I will end her. Do you understand? One foot, one hair of hers crosses into Midgard and her life will belong to me. I will know, Forseti. I always know.”