“Natalia! Why did you do that? You still had me!”
Jack sat on the other side of Chloe, staring down at the helpless body of the human. He put a hand on Chloe’s shoulder when a sob escaped her mouth. I was frozen, waiting for the light to fade from the woman’s eyes.
“Achieve your mission, Chloe,” Natalia croaked. “Whatever that may be.”
A soft wind enveloped me, followed by the scent of a meadow. The smell instantly put me in mind of…
“Trygger.”
The whisper of my name sent a chill down my spine. Turning, I left my friends to join Freya on the pathway back to the factory. I didn’t bother to turn when Chloe let out a cry of grief. Natalia had obviously gone.
Freya stood tall and regal in her golden dress. The soft tresses of her hair floated around her, like always. She was risking an awful lot being here when there were others present.
“Loki will be furious,” she said, a smile dancing on her face.
“As if you care.” I tried to pull back the contagious movement of my lips, but my own smile formed.
Freya waved a hand in the air, dismissing our banter. “Things are getting a little out of hand, aren’t they?”
Shrugging, I glanced at the others. Jack had both arms around Chloe as she cried over the body of my enemy’s bloodline. One that may have been wiped out.
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Thunder Hunter,” Freya interrupted my thoughts. “Loki was a bit of a whore back in the day. And, it seems he encourages his kin to procreate as much as possible too. There will be more where that came from.” Indicating Natalia, she frowned, the smooth crease of her forehead marring her beauty.
Putting a finger on my stubbled chin, she drew my attention back to her. “You know something about the Fallen One. I can feel it, but can’t quite reach the thought. Tell me, what’s keeping you from moving on to the next one?”
My visits from Freya had become more frequent since Chloe had come into my life. Was she getting desperate? Was there something going on in the heavens that I didn’t know about?
For so long, I had coveted peace, believing that I would only get it when I died and returned Thor’s thunder. My grandsire had been dead for a thousand years. Would he want to come back to a world where no one believed that he existed anymore? Even my own countrymen had drawn away from the world of Norse gods.
“Odin. Do you know anything about his descendants?” If this was my only opportunity to get info about the god, I would take it.
Freya licked her lips. The movement of her tongue sent a bolt of desire shooting through every part of my body. No wonder she had so much power in Fólkvangr. She probably used her sexuality to control the spirits of men.
“He’s the ruler of Asgard, as you know. I’ve heard whispers that he’s communicating with his last surviving descendants. I don’t know the details exactly as I can’t get close enough to him. However, I’ve been told that he’s determined to stop the war between Thor and Loki. So…it would make sense considering Martin’s killed…” Freya waved her hand towards the dead body of another of Loki’s offspring.
“So, you see everything that’s happening down here? Why not stop all this madness if you want me to concentrate on the Fallen One? It’s just a hindrance to us.”
“Us?” The quirk of her lip made me roll my eyes. “Have you got used to your new…friend?”
Snorting, I faced the others, straightening my face when Jack glanced at me. Could he see Freya? Or, did it look like I was talking to myself? Trust Freya to turn up whenever she felt like it. It certainly wasn’t the right time now.
“Trust me, we’re not friends.”
Freya’s sigh was weak as she turned away from the others, gesturing for me to follow. Chloe still sobbed behind me, her grief apparent in the tears she shed.
“Well, you’d do well to make the effort with her in that department. Listen.” She spun to me, waving away the words of protest that were about to come out of my mouth. “Odin is powerful. Extremely powerful. Yet, I have an inkling that he will keep you alive until your mission is complete. After all, you’re ridding the world of some of the most evil spirits there ever was.”
I nodded, walking towards the factory when she moved again. Her hand came out, brushing against my forearm. The cool touch sent Thor’s thunder into a frenzy, fizzing in my chest. My breath deepened as she glanced away, not even aware of the effect she had on my human body.
“It’s funny seeing you dressed like that after so many years. The old times…when humans used to believe in us…I do miss those days. I watched you with your family after I gave you Thor’s thunder. Saw the sorrow in your eyes when they...you know.”
Her words sunk into my skin, making me shudder. How dare she try to evoke those emotions in me? She was the cause of that grief, she had no right to try and mellow me. Biting down on my jaw, I hardened my heart again. It had been getting too emotional lately.
“Freya, why are you here?”
Her far off gaze snapped to me, clearing instantly. A smile played around her lips. She wasn’t ashamed of getting caught in her attempt at making me mould to her whims.
Well, not anymore. I had done enough for the goddess…and we weren’t even related.
“I’ve done all this for you,” she said, gesturing to Chloe. “And, I really just want to make this work for everyone. I don’t want you and Chloe to die.”
Stepping forward, I brought my body close to hers. She stood completely still, not even flinching with my threat. “I will die, you promised me that.”
Putting a soft hand on my chest, she looked up at me from under her blonde eyelashes. The blue of her iris pierced me, but my heart…it no longer beat for any woman. “Of course you’ll die. I meant…I don’t want you to die before you finish with the Fallen Ones. Plus…I’m a little sad that when you both die, Thor and…me…will no longer have any descendants on earth.”
She stuck her bottom lip out in mock sadness. The goddess was a fine manipulator and any other spirit or man would fall for it. Not me, I didn’t care about any of that.
“Freya, why are you here?” I asked again, not playing her game.
Shaking herself, the goddess turned to watch the others. Jack was tugging on Chloe, trying to get her to release Natalia. The problem with the stupid woman killing herself on my doorstep was having to deal with the body.
“Trygger, grandson of Thor, don’t forget who I am.”
Her tone made me turn to look at her. She was pissed? Seriously? The goddess had no right to be angry with me when she had dictated my destiny.
Straightening my shoulders, I faced her, head on. She moved so that we were gaze to gaze, her height being as tall as me.
“You need me, don’t you? There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Her grimace was…shocking. I had never seen Freya react in a way other than nonchalance. The fact that she was troubled by something made me anxious to find out what was going on with her. I tried not to smile as a surge of power washed over me. The goddess needed me for something.
“Okay, big boy, stop thinking, will you? I can hear every bloody word.”
The laugh that left my lips didn’t go unnoticed by the others. They had clocked that something was going on. Chloe let go of Natalia, finally looking up.
“Why are you here?” she cried, pointing at Freya.
Jack’s eyes widened, his gaze searching the area she indicated. It would look empty to him, as if I was literally standing, talking to myself.
“Oh, the drama,” Freya said.
I bit the inside of my mouth, too ready to agree. Chloe wasn’t even related to Natalia, so why the waterworks?
“Chloe, darling, come here.”
The goddess’s descendant got to her feet. “Fuck off.”
The laugh that escaped me wasn’t pulled back, even when Freya glared at me. Her throat emitted a small growl when Chloe ran past us, her messy dark blonde hair flying everywhere. Jack grabbed hol
d of Natalia and started to haul her towards the jetty.
“What are you doing?” I called.
Grunting, he looked at me. “A little help would be nice, mate, or are you too busy chatting yourself up? Don’t worry, I guarantee you’ll fuck yourself tonight, so no need to put so much effort in.”
Freya’s giggle made me grit my teeth. Every time I tried to get an answer out of the goddess she deflected, or we were distracted.
“Where are you fucking taking her?” I asked, puzzled when he grabbed the body into his arms and started down the wooden planks.
“Your boat.”
I choked, about to sprint forward to stop him. Freya grabbed my arm, sending a zip of pure desire through me. Bitch.
“Don’t panic, I’ll drive her away from here and get a friend of mine to pick her up. I have connections, my friend!” Jack shouted as he climbed into my boat.
Growling low in my throat, I dug the key out of my hose, raising my eyebrows at Freya. She nodded, allowing me to go to my friend.
“I’m talking to Freya. Make sure no one sees you on my boat. I’ll be extremely fucking angry if I have to get rid of it.”
Shaking his head, Jack stared over to where Freya stood. He couldn’t see her, I could tell by the way his gaze didn’t stop moving. If he saw her, he wouldn’t be able to see her beauty anyway. Her glow was still present. And, although I was used to it, it still stung my eyes to look at her.
“Dude, I’m more of an expert at this than you, so shut the fuck up, and go…speak to the goddess of love. I’ll meet you at the party.” He waved me away as he started the engine. “See ya later, Freya,” he shouted.
I let him go, trusting him with my baby. My boat was my escape plan. The one thing that not many people would be able to steal or navigate easily.
“Trygger, let me make this clear. I don’t have it in for you. Yes, I need you. I have to have the Fallen Ones back here. I trust you, after all these years, to finish the job. But…I do have some other gods on my case about how long it’s taken so far. That’s why I finally sent Chloe to you. Thor is ready for his power…and Loki…” She sighed, the small puff of breath sending a strand of hair into the air.
“Loki?”
Tapping her nose, she smiled at me. “That’s a conversation for another day. Right now, you need to sort this pathetic attempt of Odin’s to undermine your grandfather. He’s had enough of the fighting and believes that if there are no humans with a god’s blood in their veins, the war will end. I’m not so sure.”
“Come on then, goddess of love, tell me the best way to stop this so I can get on with my mission.”
Her fingers buried into my ponytail, tugging the band out. I swallowed hard when her delicate hands spread the long dark strands over my shoulders. “There, that’s more suitable for the party. Go to them, Trygger. Tell them that Freya cannot accept Odin’s attempt at deciding the fate of her descendant. And then…end them.”
Fuck. Not only was there a war between my grandsire, Thor, and his foster brother, Loki, it seemed that Freya was about to start something with Odin. The one and only ruler of Asgard. And, I was a pawn, yet again, right in the fucking middle.
10
Taken Hostage
“SO, MATT’S WIFE…I think her name is Kitty. She’s got a serious problem with Chloe because she killed Frankie.”
I shook my head, trying to get everything clear in my mind. “Remind me who Kitty is.”
When someone wasn’t important to my mission, I discarded the memory of them.
Watching the Norse gods and Viking warriors who milled around, I nodded when a pretty little lady smiled at me. Our arrival had been noted by Martin, who stood entertaining a crowd with tales of his god ancestor.
The room was in a mansion just outside the city. Apparently, the Hagalaz cult had bought it as a gift for Odin’s descendant so he would have a decent place to conduct their affairs. That’s what Jack had whispered to me when I entered anyway.
Grand sculptures and Norse paintings lined the walls. I frowned, unimpressed by the quality considering he was meant to be an art dealer. My own paintings were better than most in the too big house.
“Kitty Harris was married to Matt. He was my friend who hated the crowd she got involved with… Namely Frankie, the fucking Dark Crawler. Anyway, he couldn’t leave his wife because he loved her…which is sweet, ain’t it? Until it got him killed, of course. So, he would feed me information about what Frankie and his Dark Crawler cronies got up to. I think he did it to atone for her darkness.” Jack had replaced his cape.
Luckily, Chloe had shoved it to the floor when she went back to the house. I had found her shivering outside the door, unable to get in. Making her promise to stay at home, I had left her to her grieving.
“So…Kitty got involved with the underworld. Matt, her husband, helped you with information. Kitty killed Matt. Chloe killed Frankie. Kitty hates Chloe and wants to…?” Glancing at Jack, I raised my eyebrows.
“I’m assuming she wants to kill her, too. Lots of killing going on, ain’t there?”
Martin excused himself from his group just as Hannah came into the room. Her long fine body was draped in a gold, almost see-through, dress. Ah, the little bitch had come as Freya. Her pretentiousness actually put me off her. No human could ever emulate the sexual being that was Freya. And to try, made Hannah look…drab.
“Now, that’s a nice dress,” Jack whispered to me as both Hannah and Martin made their way over.
“Not nearly as stunning as the goddess herself. She looks like…” I stopped my sentence before I went on.
“Like…?” Jack was intrigued, his eyebrow cocked.
“Nothing, just…nothing compared.” Chloe’s barb about the way I disrespected woman had somehow made a dent in my conscience. I had never worried about insulting someone behind their back before, man or woman.
Martin smiled at a Viking as he passed him, praising his outfit. The energy in the room was a little too…clean. I moved from foot to foot as I surveyed the humans. Not one of them was dark, not in the way we were used to. Even Jack stood taller, his eyes watching the way they talked to each other with upmost respect.
“Hello, friend,” Martin greeted when he finally reached us.
Hannah grinned at Jack, her eyes flaring when they reached me. I had kept my hair loose, flowing around my shoulders. It was a hindrance, but I did used to wear it down when I wasn’t fighting. Hannah blurred into a different woman as Martin started small talk with Jack. My memory conjured a beautiful lady who had lived in a city not far from my original family home in Scandinavia. The woman was the first I had bedded after I returned from the heavens. Her stare had pierced me, her smell intoxicating. Thor’s power had increased my senses, to the point of torture.
I had taken her, roughly, slowly, anyway I could. We had spent days in bed as I allowed the power to pour through me, intensifying orgasm for both of us. Oh, how the feeling of newness had faded so very long ago.
“Trygger?”
Hannah’s stroking fingers bought me back to the present. She flicked the end of my hair before raising her eyebrows at me. “Where did you just go?”
“To a place you’ll never know.”
Martin glanced at us as he pushed his glasses back on his nose. His regal stance was enhanced by the long red cloak that flowed down his back. It was ironic, yet, a little tasteless for him to come as his own ancestor. I could have come as Thor, but I wasn’t that tacky.
“Trygger, you look every bit the Viking warrior.”
“That’s because I am,” I said, shoving a handful of dark hair behind my shoulder when Jack went to touch it.
Growling at him, I quickly turned it to a smile when Martin regarded me. He patted his metal chest plate before leaning closer. “Hannah told me about your conversation. I just wanted to assure you that we’re not the ones behind the kidnappings.”
I paused, my mouth slightly open. They weren’t? “Hannah implied…”
The beauty ducked her head when I glanced at her. Martin put a hand on her shoulder, his fingers gripping her skin.
“She wasn’t aware of what she was saying at the time. When she told me what she had said to you, I made sure she knew why words are so crucial in life. You know, Trygger, don’t you? Words should never be thrown around, ever. And, there she was, showing off. Firstly, telling you our plans.” Martin’s hand tightened on his daughter even harder. “And, then claiming that we plan to take out the underworld.”
His laugh was forced as he let her go. Hannah winced when his nail scraped her on its retreat. Was Martin a controlling man? Was that the real reason Hannah had disappeared into the darkness? I kept my gaze on Martin, noticing the way Hannah shrunk in on herself. The woman was reliant on her father regarding her self-esteem.
“Are you saying that you ain’t responsible for kidnapping the leaders of the underworld?” Jack asked, scratching his head.
Martin shook his head, a small smile quirking his lips. “No. Firstly, why would I need to try and get Trygger? I have him here.” He gestured at me. “Secondly, I wouldn’t waste time kidnapping them.”
Jack glanced at me, his blue eyes twinkling. What did he know? Had my informant kept me less than informed?
“That makes a bit more sense,” Jack said, facing Martin. “Although, I’m a little…anxious…to know how you found out what the kidnappers wanted.”
Martin folded his arms over his chest. Pretend Odin facing pretend Odin. Oh, how the real Odin must be feeling so proud of his spawn.
“The journal,” Martin said, snapping his gaze away from Jack and back to me. “Have you brought it?”
Hannah stepped forward, laying a hand on her father’s arm. “Let’s get a drink before we get too stressed.”
Was she picking up on Martin’s erratic behaviour? Did she know the signs of his anger? He seemed okay, just slightly agitated.
“I completely forgot the journal in my rush to sort out the underground leaders…and the problems you’ve caused me because of it.”
Lightning Seeker: Viking Soul Book 2 (Viking Soul Series) Page 10