by Janie Marie
Thor glanced at David and then at his father.
Odin seemed to find it amusing as he shrugged. “Make your choice wisely, my son. I do not believe she enjoys the sight of her mate under attack.”
Jane’s skin felt tight, and she breathed heavily as she tried to control the power surging through her body. She was mad. More than mad. She’d been willing to accept his apology, but she would not sit by and watch David get attacked.
The image of everyone in the room on the ground bleeding while she laughed made her flinch back into David.
He pulled her against his chest, caressing her shaking arms as she tried to hide her fear. She knew what she was seeing. She knew her power came from somewhere dark, and she was terrified to embrace it. It made her into something she had nightmares about. She didn’t think she was strong enough to unleash everything she was capable of without releasing her entity as well.
“David, Jane,” Arthur said, placing a hand on David’s shoulder. “Sit. Our tempers cannot get the best of us at a time like this.”
Jane glared at him, knowing he was reading her thoughts when he shook his head.
“That is not you,” he said. A sadness flitted over his features before it quickly vanished. “You are good, Jane. Do not fall before you have the chance to see how great you truly are.”
David lifted a hand, gesturing for Arthur to be silent as he pulled her back to their seat. He sat and lifted her onto his lap, hugging her as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. “Don’t release it, my love. Breathe.” He took one of her trembling hands and intertwined his fingers with hers as he kissed her neck. “Breathe.”
That’s when Jane realized she’d been holding her breath. She gasped and finally tore her murderous gaze from Thor’s.
David smiled against her skin. “My warrior.” He kissed right below her ear. “My girl fighting the Norse gods to protect me.”
Jane closed her eyes, feeling terrible for what a part of her was wishing to inflict on Thor but also purring at the praise she was receiving from David. She turned her face toward his, allowing her hair to hide them as she took a kiss to calm down. He always brought her back from stepping too far into the dark.
“She is all they said she would be,” said Odin, a smile in his voice as there was the sound of chairs being dragged back in place.
David held her cheek to give her a firmer kiss before turning to Odin. “She is more. Stop goading her to learn what she is capable of. She has nothing to prove to any of you. And I promise, I will not show restraint once she is well.”
Odin bowed his head. “I admit, I was curious about her power, but you know Sif is a tender memory.”
David huffed as she curled against him. She was tired, but now she was overwhelmed with the urge to be closer to David. Jane knew he could have dodged or deflected the hammer, but she also knew what it felt like to hold him as he lay dying.
Jane glared at Thor as he sat next to his father, and she bared her fangs at him when he made eye contact with her.
David quickly cupped her cheek and guided her face to his. He kissed her, nuzzling her after as he whispered, “Baby, it’s time to be calm.”
“I’m tired,” she said, pressing her lips to his. She just wanted to be alone with him again.
“I know. You should not have used your abilities while you are healing. Do you need to feed now?” He pushed her hair back, completely ignoring the conversations happening around them.
“I can wait.” She rubbed her fingers over his lips. “Are you okay?”
He grinned and kissed her fingertips. “I’m okay.”
The door opened, and Jane turned her head to see Artemis enter the room.
“Forgive my tardiness,” she said, her voice low and scratchy as she took a seat beside Hades.
Jane looked at David and noticed he was staring intently at Artemis. She squeezed her fist tight enough to make her wound reopen.
David sniffed and quickly unclenched her fist, glaring at her as he lifted her hand to his mouth. He sucked the blood. “Stop this.”
She pursed her lips and turned away, meeting Artemis’ teary eyes. Jane noticed she was also recovering from injuries, but it didn’t look like she had wounds from silver that would scar—only swelling and cuts.
It wasn’t that Artemis would recover without a single blemish that made Jane sad. A lump rose in her throat because she recognized the sorrow in the goddess’ eyes. It was loss, tremendous loss, that shaped you as a person for the rest of your life.
Jane looked down at the table, ignoring the small talk between Arthur and Odin.
David brought his mouth near her ear. “Baby, I didn’t mean to sound upset. I am saddened at the losses she has suffered. Those men were her only companions for hundreds of years.” He kissed her cheek. “Don’t be jealous.”
She quickly nodded. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just feeling so many emotions.”
“I think you need to feed,” he said and then bit his own tongue.
Before Jane could say anything, he kissed her, pushing her mouth open. She grinned against his lips before greedily kissing him back and swallowing his blood.
“David, there are more discreet ways to feed her,” said Arthur.
“The boy is fine, Arthur,” Odin bellowed. “Leave him be. He knows what she needs. I would like us to begin now that we are all here . . . Artemis, my dear girl, are you in need of a ration? You still look underfed.”
“I am fine,” Artemis said, no bite in her tone as Jane had grown to expect from the goddess.
Jane kissed David hard, sucking as much blood as she could get before leaning away and allowing David to reposition her on his lap.
Hades pushed a mug to Artemis. “There is no shame in grieving. It is foolish to grow weak, though.”
“I am fine, Uncle. I will feed when I am alone.”
David sighed as he checked Jane’s hand. It was healing, but she knew he was upset for Artemis. So was she. As much as she didn’t like the woman, Jane still understood the pain involved in losing loved ones.
She turned her head, watching Thor as he drank from his own mug. “Have you apologized to her?”
Everyone quieted at Jane’s question and looked between her and Thor.
Thor lowered his mug. “Do not sit at my father’s table and assume because you have power I do not that I will kneel to you.”
Jane gave him a sweet smile. “If I wanted you to kneel to me, I would force you on your knees.”
“No wonder Fenrir desired you,” said Thor. “You have a darkness in you I have not seen before.”
David hugged her tight. “Watch what you say to her.”
Thor waved him off. “Your female can fight her own battles. If she wants to challenge me, let her. I will not be treated like a coward or fool by some witch.”
All the knights snarled and shifted in their seats.
Jane remained calm, though. “There’s no need to challenge you. Both David and I can defeat you on our own. You are the one making a fool of yourself. I don’t know the details regarding your wife that has upset you so, and I extend my condolences for your loss. Still, the fact remains, you acted without concern for others. You either failed to listen when you were told of our arrival or you did not care about our safety when you came running home.”
Thor began to stand, but she held out her hand, glaring as she used her power to force him back in his seat. He tried to stand again, but she held him in place.
“You will listen to me,” she while her hand shook from the surge power she held back.
“I WILL NOT!” Thor roared. “Release me! I did not recall your arrival.”
“Fine, you forgot we were coming. You were sincere when you saved me. Well, you assumed I would die, and only when you realized I was David’s Other did you attempt to control my bleeding. Still, you saved me. I appreciate it, but you need to see how much devastation one act caused.”
Jane pointed to Artemis. “Her companions are gone.
I watched them fall, one by one, as they fought to protect her. They were no match because of the vast numbers singling both of us out . . . She will never see them again.
“Now, we don’t like each other, but even I am heartbroken for her. You have clearly experienced great loss, so I would expect you to redeem yourself and honor those who have fallen by protecting those weaker than you.” She grimaced as her arm began growing weak but kept talking. “And I do understand what it’s like to feel the need to prove yourself. I know what it’s like to fail, to be in the same room with someone who does not respect me—who hates me or thinks I’m weak and pathetic. But I do my damnedest to rise above the thoughts telling me to inflict equal pain on my enemies. It’s hard. It really is.
“I adored the myths I heard as a child, but we all know the rumors that David would choose her one day. It fucking hurt to know the goddess I idolized was after him. It hurt to listen to the whispers comparing me to her, and it destroyed me to know David actually considered her.”
“WHAT’S YOUR POINT?” Thor yelled, still fighting against her hold on him.
“My point is I still chose to do what was right when I could have left her to die. I could kill her myself if I wanted, but it would have been glorious to watch her ripped apart by the creatures who have hunted me.”
She smiled as she watched horror spread over his face. “You see? I am dark. I am evil with an innocent smile on its face. Don’t let yourself become what I already am inside. I promise you, defeating the darkness brewing inside you from all the pain and hatred you have accumulated over the years will be your greatest battle. So, if it is glory you seek, get over yourself and apologize to her when you truly mean it. Don’t do what that dark whisper is telling you to do. Fight that and then you will be worthy of the greatness I believed you to be.”
Jane lowered her hand, releasing her hold on Thor. David pressed his forehead against her head, and she nuzzled him before turning to Artemis. “Please drink. Think of your fallen comrades; they died so you would live. Honor their sacrifice.”
Tears slid down Artemis’ cheeks. Hades smiled at Jane when Artemis willingly drank the blood offered to her.
“Well said, Jane.” Odin raised his mug in her direction before looking down the table. “Artemis, dear girl, come see me after the feast.”
Artemis nodded and accepted a second mug of blood from Apollo, making Jane smile but her heart sad. The goddess may have lost men, but she had her family. She had her brother and an uncle who loved her dearly.
Jane looked away and curled up in David’s arms.
“Are you all right?” he asked, kissing her head.
“Yeah,” she said, thinking the opposite. She was faced with fighting her own inner battle, which she did not believe she would win, and she was reminded of the fact she had no family. Her children would likely never be hers. As long as she was dangerous, she would not be allowed near them like a real mom. Jason would find someone eventually, and they would have another woman who was better at being their mother than she ever was.
It wasn’t just her kids she’d lost. The pain never went away that she had no mother or father. She had no brother, or even her aunt, uncle, and cousins. They were her family, and the one who did care had been locked away at the very moment she found out he loved her like a sister. Now, Adam was likely dead, along with the others. She was alone. The knights were there, but they weren’t family. David was there, but there was always the chance things might not work between them. There was the chance one or all of them would die, because she accepted now Death had given up on her.
“You don’t know that, Jane,” Arthur said, sighing before glancing at the table. “Let’s continue so we can enjoy the evening before we depart tomorrow.”
Jane wiped a tear that had fallen and buried her face in David’s neck. Her mind wasn’t going to let her have any peace.
David covered her face with his hand and lowered his voice. “Baby, you’re shaking and crying. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just thinking.” She gave him her best fake smile. “I’m fine.”
He watched her for a moment before giving her a kiss. “We’ll be done soon, okay?”
“Okay.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and listened to the conversation already taking place.
“. . . Fenrir,” Odin said.
Apollo snorted and laughed. “He isn’t Fenrir, old man.”
“Who are they talking about?” Jane quietly asked David as she tried to force her thoughts away from the terrible things that were always waiting in the back of her mind.
Apollo seemed to have heard her and answered her question. “We are discussing Lycaon, the werewolf leader who sent his pack after you.” He waved his hand toward Odin. “The Norse believe in myths that existed before them. They believe Lycaon is Fenrir from their legends.”
“They are the same man, Apollo,” Hades said.
“How are they the same?” she asked.
“They are not the same,” Odin snapped.
David sighed into her hair. “They always argue over this. They had their myths and legends before they became immortal themselves. There is no way to know for sure who is right. Few survive battles with the one named Lycaon or Fenrir.”
“I call him the Wolf King,” Gawain said, reaching over to pat her leg.
“It would make sense if they are the same,” she said quietly.
Odin obviously heard her and glared right at her. “They are not the same, girl.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Arthur said but looked at her and continued, “Jane, you’ll find that many legendary figures are the same individuals, they just go by different names. There’s really no way to know for sure who they really are. They are older than many of us.”
“We will know during Ragnarök,” said Odin.
“What is that?” she asked him.
“The Last Battle.” Odin smiled at his son. “It will be a glorious death.”
David shook his head. “Ragnarök is what you might think of as Revelations, Jane. As you have learned, many myths stem from truth. Odin bargained with Mímir, a Fallen who claimed to know the future. In the events foretold to Odin, a great battle would be the end for them. Odin is to be slain by Fenrir and Thor will defeat Jörmungandr, the great serpent. Although it is said Thor will triumph, he will not survive. That’s what they believe. We have put our faith in God, not angels, especially a Fallen who carved out one’s eye with silver.”
Odin scoffed. “Wait and see, lad.”
“Why are you eager to embrace something like that?” Jane asked, looking at the Norse people.
“When you have lived as long as we have, my girl, you look forward to death,” said Odin.
Jane grimaced at the irony; she too looked forward to seeing her Death.
Odin continued, “To die in such a great battle will be a glorious death.”
“And the serpent? Is it a real snake like Fenrir is a werewolf?”
Thor was the one to answer. “Jörmungandr will only be revealed in the great battle.”
“Oh,” she said, feeling silly for her questions. She seemed to be holding up the meeting. “I’m sorry. I’ll stay quiet now. Thank you for the explanations.”
David whispered in her ear, “I will educate you after dinner.” He nipped her earlobe. “You enjoy my lessons, don’t you, baby?”
She blushed and elbowed him. He was so good at distracting her from her sadness. “Maybe I don’t care about the myths now. You weren’t in the myths I knew, and so far, my favorites tried to start a fight with us.”
He chuckled and kissed right below her ear. “So, you do not wish to hear about fairies and elves?”
Jane gasped but quickly covered her mouth. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.” He kissed her forehead. “Pay attention, and I promise I will tell you more later.”
Arthur cleared his throat. “David, we were discussing the alliances between the wolves and vampires we’ve been se
eing. Hades already explained some were working with the Fallen. We believe that is how they are traveling, as well as hiding their scents—the Fallen and Hell are helping them. What we saw when we left Texas has been hard to explain. Lancelot was not present at the battle, but he clearly sent his wolves to aid the vampires who attacked.
“So, the issue we are facing is not only have the Norse been battling wolves and vampires who have joined forces, they have found signs that indicate Lancelot and the Wolf King are both here. We have no idea how many armies have combined, but they seem to be gathering here.”
“We came here for the hounds,” David said, glancing at Artemis. “Do we still believe Lycaon has them?”
Arthur nodded and pointed to a map in front of him and Odin. “This was the last place they were seen, which was a camp Lycaon was confirmed to be at. He has found a way to restrain them, and they think he is simply breaking their spirits until they submit to follow his orders.”
“That’s terrible,” Jane blurted out, covering her mouth. “I’m sorry.”
Arthur smiled at her. “Don’t apologize; it is terrible. The hounds do not deserve this fate; that is something we all agree on. They would be valuable in the battles to come as well. With the news of the alliances forming under one ruler, I’m assuming, we are outnumbered. If they have no quarrel with one another, they will crush us together. Odin has already sent messengers to spread news to more of our allies, informing them this will likely be where we make our stand.”
David rubbed a hand up and down her thigh as he studied the map. “Have Lance and Lycaon been spotted together?”
“No,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “They are close, but keeping their distances. More than likely, the power struggle is too great for them to be one pack, but there is a good chance a single individual is calling them all together. I would imagine if they are following one leader, they will eventually have no choice but to unite.”
Jane swallowed as she thought over her last run-in with Lancelot. She looked at David and worried about what Lancelot had told her: once David saw how evil she truly was, he would leave. David also didn’t know Death had bargained her to Lucifer, and she wasn’t sure what their absence meant. Death had said they would talk about it, but he was gone.