by Eleri Stone
Lois started down the hall after her and—because she had to—Raquel brought up the rear. She could already feel a headache looming. Kathy put the box down on the island and smiled at Raquel.
“I want to see what she can do and, really—” she waved her hand at the box, “—these are just crutches for us. Someone with Raquel’s kind of power should be able to cast the whole spell at once without anchoring it piece by piece.”
Lois’s lips thinned. “I think we all saw exactly what she’s capable of. Most of those are supplies to build a strong enough circle to provide a safety net this time.”
Kathy gave her an enigmatic smile. “You won’t be able to hold her back for long.”
Raquel gave Kathy a warning look that went ignored. She knew her mentor well enough to recognize the glint in her eye. Bad blood there. Raquel didn’t know the history of it, but she didn’t want it coating her walls.
She stepped next to Lois. “Thank you, Lois. I appreciate it.”
Lois glared at her suspiciously. Raquel wanted to say more, tell her that she wasn’t mocking her, that she wasn’t after her job, but she could feel the weight of Kathy’s attention. Before she could think of anything to smooth over the moment, Lois was slamming the front door on her way back out to her car.
Raquel swung on Kathy. “What the hell was that about?”
“I knew her daughter, Jamie. A good kid. Lois pushed and pushed at her until she ran. She’s a bully, Raquel, plain and simple. And there’s only one way to deal with someone like that.”
“Be a total ass?”
Kathy had the good grace to blush. “You can’t let her steamroll you.”
“Have I done that? But I need to work with these people too. You saw what happened when I tried going out on my own.”
“You broke your block.”
“I almost broke the town.” Raquel held up a hand to stop Kathy from arguing. “I should have had another witch there. You know it, and I know it. Whether I like it or not, I have to work with Lois and I have to learn to trust her.”
“Trust her? She’s not like me, Raquel.”
“I know that.”
“And you need to watch your back.”
Raquel grabbed a cup from the dishwasher and set it on the counter. “I’m not giving her my back. I’m keeping her right beside me.”
Kathy’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and Raquel poured some coffee. If she could mainline caffeine right now she would do it. Sitting on a stool across from Kathy, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about Jamie? What happened to her daughter?”
“Lois was infertile, which is why they drew up the contract with your parents in the first place. Jamie was born to a runner smart enough to recognize the power in the baby but not selfless enough to rejoin a clan if she didn’t have to. She gave the witchling up for adoption and Lois took her in. Jamie ran five years ago when she was seventeen, and I haven’t heard from her since.” Kathy gave a slight shrug. “I didn’t know her very well, only met her at a few workshops. The one thing that struck me was how different she was from her mother. I always hoped she’d meet someone from one of the other clans so she could escape.”
“But it didn’t happen.”
“Oh, it happened.” Kathy scowled. “She bonded a hound from the Pennsylvania clan and when Lois wouldn’t release her, Jamie left.”
Raquel stared, horrified. “Left? You mean she left Ragnarok.”
Kathy shook her head sadly. “She left the clans. Her clan. Her mate. Everything. She’s a runner. No one knows where she went.”
“Why would she do that?” It was as good as a death sentence. Runners tended to have short life expectancies. True-blooded Æsir couldn’t live very far away from the faults. They needed the magic that seeped over from Asgard to survive. The more diluted with human blood your ancestry was, the farther from the fault you could get. Grace was the child of runners and she’d survived for years. But it was impossible to predict how much the distance would affect you. For a powerful witch to become a runner was unheard of.
“You know as well as I do that it happens. Neither Odin could convince Lois to relinquish her claim. Hounds can’t leave the pack they’re born to, and Jamie wouldn’t have been able to live there without her mother’s approval. Their Odin couldn’t have allowed her to stay without Lois’s permission. And...she ran.”
Raquel stared at her cup, thinking of Fen. She’d heard that about hounds, that they couldn’t leave their pack. She’d always wondered if that was a hard-and-fast rule or just another tradition that had never been challenged. Before she could work up the nerve to question it, the front door opened again as Lois returned.
Grimly, Kathy set down her cup. “Time to get to work.”
* * *
Christian felt a sense of foreboding when he heard the car pull up the driveway. Whether some part of him recognized the motor, or if he’d been waiting for this moment for the last two days, he didn’t know.
He should have gone to her sooner. She was to be his wife. Instead, he’d let himself get caught up in the demands of preparing his riders for another crossing into Asgard. He’d been working with Aiden to make sure the horses and all of the equipment were ready. He’d just returned to Aiden’s house after driving into Decorah to pick up another Skimstrok blade and Sarah’s repaired armor.
He could have found the time to see Raquel. He should have found the time.
He liked her. He’d thought what she’d done the other night, breaking through her block, ripping her talent from fate’s hands, had taken guts. She had a shy sort of innocence that he generally avoided but found incredibly appealing. He liked Raquel a lot.
Fen loved her.
Sheathing his sword, Christian left the old barn the clan used as a training building and crossed the yard to greet her. She turned around, surprised, when he called her name.
“I didn’t see you there.”
“I was going to give Carston his weekly lesson, but he’s running late. Again.”
Her nod ended with her staring at the dirt. The light fringe of bangs she usually pushed to the side of her face fell to shield her eyes. “I’ve been working with Lois and Kathy. We think we have the wards stable. I’m going to wait to replace them until after you cross through. I want to tighten the portal if Aiden’s okay with that.”
“People won’t be able to access their magic as readily or go very far from town.”
“You don’t think he’ll go for it then?”
Christian shrugged. “He might. Especially if it’s temporary. You’d probably get hit up a lot more often for people wanting to hop around to visit the other clans. It gets claustrophobic otherwise.”
“I’d be fine with that.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and then, as if it took an enormous act of will, finally met his gaze. “I want to go with you when you cross.”
“To Asgard?”
She nodded.
“No,” he said far too sharply and gentled his voice. “It’s too dangerous and there’s no reason for you to be there. Rane can—”
“I know Rane can show you where he’s being held. You don’t need a Norn, but you do need a witch. I can break his bonds and get him across if he decides to come with us. You don’t know how the portal will react to that.”
“Aiden won’t allow it. He won’t allow anyone who hasn’t been properly trained to ride with the hunt, even on this side.”
“What about—”
“Grace was the exception he made when his daughter’s life was at stake. It was the hardest decision I’ve seen him make. I don’t want you taking that risk.”
“It’s my decision.”
That statement had land mine written all over it, so he sidestepped. “It’s Aiden’s decision.”
And he’d do everything in his power to make sure Aiden said no. If it came down to a choice, he’d rather slit the Vanir witch’s throat than let Raquel take that kind of risk. This Kamis wasn’t worth it.
; “Fine,” she said, gaze cool. “I’ll talk to Aiden then.”
“He won’t be back until later tonight. If you want, I’ll call Carston and cancel his lesson. We can grab something to eat and come back here in a few hours.”
She looked torn. He realized with a rising sense of panic that it was the date with him that made her hesitate. The silence sat between them, and then stretched. She was going to ask why he hadn’t checked on her after her injuries, about the wedding and the contract...his feelings. And he didn’t know what to tell her. He wanted to keep her. He thought, with time, that he could win her affection and possibly her love. She was his, and he didn’t want to give her up. He knew he was screwing this all up and didn’t want to fail.
He adjusted his body so he blocked some of the wind from her face. As much as he liked the wild way her hair danced in the breeze and the flush it brought to her face, he wanted to protect her too. A hound would be totally wrong for her, even Fen. “Is your leg okay? Your...chest?”
He let his gaze linger there as if he could determine that for himself through the layers of clothing she wore.
“I’ll have scars, on both. My leg is still sore. Alan couldn’t heal that one.”
“Can I see them?”
Her eyes dilated. “Christian...”
“Some other time? Maybe somewhere not quite so cold.”
“We need to talk.” His heart sunk. “Not at a restaurant though. Is there someplace else we could go?”
“You could come to my house. Our house. Gods, the timing couldn’t be worse. Raquel?” She shifted uneasily. Christian took a step closer and she looked up, smiling nervously. He cradled her jaw. “I promise, when this is all through, we’ll take the time we need to get to know each other before the ceremony.”
She nodded and bit her lip.
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “This will all be over soon.”
Another tight nod. Bending his head, he kissed her, fast enough that she couldn’t easily pull away, gently enough that if she wanted to say no she could. She stiffened but accepted the kiss. She wouldn’t do that if there wasn’t a chance, right? And if this was just cold feet, only a decision to be made, why shouldn’t it be him?
The prophecy, the contract, both of their clans depending on its fulfillment. She was his even as he was hers. Always had been. It was possible that he was a bastard, but he fought for what he wanted to possess. If Fen really wanted her, he would fight too. He wouldn’t skulk around in the shadows avoiding them both. Fen wasn’t taking a mate—he’d never wanted one. In a strange way, Christian was helping. Saving Fen from himself and protecting Raquel at the same time. He’d take good care of her, make it work.
She made a small sound of distress and his heart clenched. Cupping the back of her head, he deepened the kiss, using every ounce of skill he possessed to tease out the desire he knew was there. She turned her head. His fingers flexed in her hair, wanting to pull her back. Her breath was shallow, her parted lips flushed, and the look in her eyes was miserable.
Damn. A cold weight settled in his stomach and he released her hair, let his hand slide over her shoulders to rest on her back. Her jacket was far too light for the weather today. He could feel her trembling.
Reluctantly, he straightened. “Let’s go get some food and then we’ll talk.”
The longer he could keep her from the talk she was so determined to have with him, the better his chances.
* * *
Fen stopped at the edge of the woods and watched as Christian swung an arm around Raquel’s shoulders and pulled her in tight. She didn’t look like she was breaking off their betrothal. Raquel smiled and tipped up her face. Christian lowered his head—how could he resist?—and took those lips, that smile, her. For a moment, Fen thought she might pull away. But what the hell would it matter if she did? She could reject Christian. Fen thought that she should reject Christian. But even if that happened, Fen couldn’t claim her. Raquel deserved better than a man who couldn’t put her first, who didn’t want children, had trouble with crowds and had never even kissed a woman.
Fen swallowed a growl and told himself he should turn away.
But he didn’t. He watched Christian lead her away, back toward her car, watched the taillights until they turned onto the gravel road. He shifted and retrieved the clothes he’d stashed on the back porch. Grace hated that he dressed in the cold. She’d wanted to put in some kind of dog door, but he told her he wouldn’t use it if she did. So she’d screened off part of their back porch where he and the crows could change in privacy. There was a little space heater in there, and she must have seen him come in because it was running now. He unplugged it and headed for his bike.
He wasn’t going to rip his clan apart over a woman. He wouldn’t betray a friend.
He knew what he had to do.
Chapter Sixteen
Raquel sat on Christian’s couch trying to figure out how to work the remote while he got changed. Eventually, she gave up and tossed it on the coffee table. Walking into the kitchen for a glass of water, she shook her head at the beautiful room. Christian hadn’t been lying when he said he’d built new to have every modern convenience. High-end cabinetry. A stove that needed the love of a gourmet, not a woman who didn’t start breathing again until she saw the microwave. The granite island was bigger than her bed.
Beyond the kitchen was a mudroom with pale yellow walls and white cabinetry, a bar with empty coat hangers and a line of brass hooks. Their kids would have used those one day—little hunters and witches—for their backpacks and jackets...maybe the occasional practice sword.
Christian had built this home for a family. He’d made it for her.
Why did she have to go and fall in love with Fen? He didn’t want her. Christian did. Christian wanted to give her his hand and home. He wanted children, she knew. It was everything she’d ever dreamed of and no matter how she turned it around in her head, it still felt wrong.
The doorbell rang and although she hesitated for only a second, she heard the door open before she set her glass aside.
“Hello?”
“Back here,” she called out, peeking down the hallway. Aiden. If she could get to him before Christian did, maybe she could talk him into letting her ride with the hunt into Asgard. He looked momentarily startled when he saw her, but then smiled and started down the hallway.
She didn’t know Aiden well and was unsure how best to handle him. As clan Odin he was responsible for all of the people of Ragnarok, people she’d placed in great danger with her reckless actions. He had every reason to dislike her, which she regretted. Christian and Fen not only respected Aiden, they both considered him a friend. And Grace...quiet, fierce, smart Grace loved him. If she couldn’t trust a Norn’s opinion about a person, who could she trust?
“Raquel. It’s a pleasure to see you here and looking well.”
“Christian’s getting changed,” she said. “But there’s something I’d like to talk to you about if you have a minute. Do you want anything to drink?”
He glanced at the stairs as if he’d rather chase down Christian. Instead, he declined the drink, followed her into the family room and moved toward the sofa. Taking the seat across from him, she rushed headlong into her request, not knowing how long she had until Christian would be down. “I want to cross with you.”
Aiden’s gray eyes narrowed, and she repressed the urge to shiver. Odins were always powerful, direct. Her own father had pinned her with just that kind of look whenever she was in trouble.
“If the Vanir’s locked in ice,” she said, working to keep her voice steady, “it will be quicker to have someone who can melt it than to take the time to cut through it.”
“Lois has fire-spelled several stones for us.”
Lois hadn’t mentioned that. If Raquel had spent more time considering the problem at hand rather than her personal issues, she might have thought of it too. But that wasn’t the real reason she wanted to go.
“What if
I can bring Kamis back with us?”
Aiden, to give him credit, didn’t reject that outright. He regarded her thoughtfully for a long moment. “It’s never been done. He’ll die without the connection to Vanheimr.”
“Maybe, but he’s been in Asgard for a very long time. We don’t know what that’s done to him. Have you read Yoder’s report?”
For the last twenty years, the healer of a clan in Norway and his witch had been experimenting with how tightly they could constrict their portal without negative effect. His clan had adjusted surprisingly well to a gradual reduction in the magic flowing from Asgard. The early results seemed to indicate that if done in a controlled manner, people could adapt fully and naturally to Midgard, like divers acclimating to decompression.
“Stavern is an old clan. There’s as much human blood there as Æsir.”
True. “Don’t you think it should be Kamis’s choice? I understand that he can’t go home, but he might not be able to remain in Asgard now that Surtr knows he can use him.”
“That’s why we should do whatever is necessary to prevent Surtr from using him,” Christian said from the doorway, hair damp, expression grim.
“You can’t just execute him. If there’s a chance, however small, then we should take it.”
Christian didn’t answer as he crossed the room to sit beside her. He took one look at Aiden’s scowl and then said to Raquel, “You beat me to him.”
Aiden’s brows raised. “You know what she’s asked of me?”
“I told her I didn’t want her to go.”
Some silent communication passed between the men, and Raquel wanted to jump up and cry foul.
“I don’t particularly want her to go either.” Aiden scratched at his jaw. “But it might be good to have a witch. We still have the saddle we used with Grace. She wouldn’t have to ride alone. Less chance of her getting separated.”
Christian shook his head. “You can’t be serious.”
Raquel didn’t know if Aiden knew how to be anything but serious.