“Answer the question and I’ll eat.”
He smiled faintly. “You want to know if I plan to ‘snuff you all out’? Is that it? You are concerned with your sad little planet filled with violent mortals?”
“Yes,” she said, folding her arms. “For starters. That would be nice.”
“Eat,” he prompted, motioning towards her plate. “Eat, and I will talk.”
Silvia gave him a skeptical look, but decided not to argue.
Picking up her fork, she dug into the meat on her plate. She broke off a piece of the white, flakey substance, bringing it warily to her lips, then putting it cautiously in her mouth. Once she was chewing slowly, her eyes opened a little wider in surprise.
“Wow.” She stared down at her plate. “That is really good. What is it?”
Jörmungandr smiled, as if pleased by her compliment.
“It is a creature native to this world,” he said. “You would not know it.”
“And what world is that?” she said, using the spear-like fork to stab at more of the flakey white meat. “Are we in Asgard?”
“No.” Jörmungandr shook his head “We are not. This is Alfheim, beneath the greatest of their oceans. It is a realm of elves primarily. But many other creatures live here, as well, as you’ve no doubt noticed. The elves and I get along well enough… they are kind enough to let me stay here, when I wish.”
He put on the ring as he spoke, fitting it around the index finger of his right hand.
Silvia could have sworn it changed sizes as he put it on.
“So will you really keep it?” she repeated. “The ring?”
Jörmungandr’s smile grew genuinely amused. “You really are most stubborn. And difficult to distract.” Pausing for a few seconds while he stared into her eyes, he seemed to make up his mind. “Fine. No. I do not plan to keep it. I have made a bargain with another.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“And for the record, I have no wish to ‘squish’ your world… or whatever it is that you fear. Truthfully, I hope to live there one day. Not as a leader, but as a resident. I do not plan to make the necessary changes myself, however.”
“Who does?” she said, frowning.
The god smiled at her, his green eyes flat. “I am not at liberty to say.”
“But it’s not you?”
“No. It is not. I made a different arrangement for myself, as I said.”
Silvia frowned. Something about this was setting off louder alarm bells than the idea of Jörmungandr conquering Earth on his own.
“Why don’t you just live on Asgard?” she said, taking another bite of the incredible food. Chewing and swallowing, she added, “That’s a world of gods, isn’t it? A superior world? Why would you want to live around a bunch of mortals, if you aren’t their glorious leader or whatever?”
“Because that ‘superior world’ is a prison for me,” Jörmungandr said, his voice a touch harder. “Because I wish to make my own way in the world, and not play slave to the elder gods… all because of the sin of my birth. I will not go back. I will not live under Odin’s heel, simply because he views my very existence problematic.”
Silvia frowned.
“You really see yourself as a prisoner there?” she said.
“It is the most apt description, yes.”
“You’re either a prisoner or you’re not,” she pointed out, aiming her fork at him. “And clearly you’re not, since you’re here. Unless you made a jailbreak of some kind––”
Jörmungandr slammed a fist down on the table, making their plates, glasses and silverware dance.
“Yes!” the god hissed. “Yes, clearly, I did make a jailbreak. Why do you think my grandfather sent his loyal idiot, your precious Thor, to come collect me? What is he but an overly-muscled errand boy for a tyrant?”
Jörmungandr leaned closer, his green eyes glowing.
“You are human. You are not a god. We gods are chained before our birth. We are chained to our very nature . We do not ‘choose’ a purpose in the world… our birthright chooses us. What we are determines everything that comes after, placing insurmountable limits on anything we might have chosen for ourselves.”
Silvia continued to stare at him, her mouth pursed.
Still gauging his eyes, she re-folded her arms.
“That happens to everyone,” she informed him.
“It is not the same!”
“Okay,” she said, shrugging. “If you say so. I mean, I get the not wanting to have your job chosen for you, but it seems like, with this shape-shifting, projection thing you have going, you could do your job and still have a lot of freedom. More than most humans.”
Jörmungandr glared at her, obviously annoyed.
She might have found it funny, in other circumstances, that a god would be acting like a pouty third-grader because she didn’t understand the depth of his god-angst that a few limitations came with all of his immortality and magic powers and dimension-jumping.
She opened her mouth, contemplating mocking him for real, when a soft voice rose right in her ear.
Don’t, the voice murmured. He is talkative with you. If you mock him, he could grow violent. Ask him more about his plans. See if you can find out who he plans to give the ring to, and why he is in Alfheim if he plans to live on Earth.
Jumping a little, feeling her cheeks warm, she cleared her throat, focusing back on Jörmungandr with an effort.
“So if you plan to live on Earth, why are you here?” she said. “Just trying to avoid the messy takeover war? Don’t want to get your hands dirty? I’m assuming that end will be covered by whoever gets the immortality ring?”
Glancing around, she remembered Thor telling her that the Dragon God was most at home in the depths of the ocean.
“Is this your new home? While you wait out the war?”
“Most likely,” he said, exhaling. “Yes.”
“So who’s going to be the supreme leader of Earth, if not you?” She paused. “Is it Loki? Your dad? Is he going to be king?”
Jörmungandr sniffed, once more leaning back in his seat.
“Temporarily, perhaps,” he said, his green eyes glowing as they locked on her face. He folded his arms. “My father isn’t really cut out for long-term rulership. He has a tendency to get bored. So he’ll likely start things going in a more amenable direction… then hand things off to one with a more appropriate temperament. And more appropriate training.”
“But not you,” she clarified.
“Not me.”
“So why did you go to Earth at all?” Silvia said, puzzled. “Was that to meet your father? To give him the ring?”
“Possibly.”
“Possibly?” Staring at the Dragon God, she grunted. “So? Didn’t he show?”
“He was unfortunately detained.” Jörmungandr’s eyes grew hard. “My grandfather, Odin, managed to stop him before he could leave Asgard. I had thought he was already safely away before I took the ring, but as it turns out, I was a bit premature.”
“I bet Daddy was mad,” Silvia said, smirking a little.
Jörmungandr gave her one of his cold smiles.
His green eyes didn’t move.
“You ask a lot of questions,” he said. “It’s almost as if you’re under the delusion you will be leaving here with valuable intel. Or leaving here at all, for that matter.”
Pausing, the god added,
“Do you imagine yourself playing spy for my Uncle Thor? For my grandfather, perhaps? That is naïve. Borderline delusional, really.”
“So you don’t plan to let me go?”
“I will… once I have what I need from you. You are part of this now, Silvia Hope. My uncle saw to that. My father and I have a use for you, and until that time is complete, you will be my guest here, in Alfheim. You will help us to end this sad little experiment of my grandfather’s… giving mortals free will.”
“The same free will you want now?” she said, quirking an eyebrow.
Jörmung
andr stared at her.
For a bare instant, Silvia wondered if she’d gone too far.
Then the god looked away, that harder smile touching his lips.
“It is good that I need you,” he said. “I might begin to find your finger-wagging tiresome, if not for that. As it is, I am looking forward to teaching you more about the differences between gods and mortals. Particularly in my bedchamber.”
He gave her a flat look.
“…or should I say, our bedchamber?”
Silvia’s jaw hardened.
She decided not to give him the satisfaction of her outrage.
“Whatever,” she said, shrugging as she let her eyes focus on the domed glass overhead. “I wouldn’t have thought gods would need to rape humans to get their rocks off, but I’m beginning to think the gods have their share of lame, pathetic males with little-dick issues.”
She paused, not bothering to check how Jörmungandr reacted to that.
She considered going on. She considered pointing out to the Dragon-God how everything he was saying more or less contradicted everything he’d been saying before, about gods not being able to choose their fate or whatever, about gods being better than humans…
Then she decided there was no point.
Jörmungandr didn’t seem like the kind of guy worth arguing with.
He clearly didn’t have a lot of self-awareness.
“So your dad and you decided to take over Earth,” she said. “Using me as, what? Collateral? To control Thor?”
She paused, waiting to see if Jörmungandr would respond.
When he didn’t, she added,
“Then what? Loki takes off? You install some puppet leader after Loki does the messy war and killing side of things?”
Silvia paused a second time.
“What makes you think Odin would let you get away with any of that?” she said. “Even if Thor backs off because of me, why would your grandfather?”
When she glanced at Jörmungandr that time, he was watching her with his reptilian eyes, his expression utterly flat. Seeing her looking at him, he averted his gaze.
His voice came out almost bored when he spoke.
“You are missing your role here still, mortal,” he said flatly. “I am not keeping you here merely to annoy my uncle. You will assist me in creating a human-god hybrid. One who will rule Earth once my father and I have paved the way.”
Jörmungandr glanced at her, his lips quirking faintly.
“Odin will not harm one of his own. I will create them solely for the purpose of ruling Earth. As is a god’s sadly predictable wont, Odin will not prevent a role that a half-god was born to inhabit. Odin will be forced to accept the world we create, and the half-god ruler we have created to rule over it.”
He gave her another flat look, that cold smile lurking at his lips.
“And before you ask, since I can see inside that puny mortal brain of yours that you will ask it… yes. We gods can use intent in our breeding to create beings with a specific purpose. It is how I was made. It is how Thor was made. It is how my father, Loki, was made. Odin will not go against the order of Asgard. The ruling Council would not permit it.”
There was a silence.
In it, Silvia stared at him.
Chuckling a little at her expression, Jörmungandr smiled, holding up his hands.
“You asked why I brought you here. You asked what deal I made, in exchange for the ring? You were the deal, my pretty mortal. You are what was traded.”
“But why?” she said, paling. “Why me?”
“Why not you?” Jörmungandr smirked. “You serve my purposes in multiple ways, dearest. Your loss will distract my uncle endlessly, for one. Even my uncle, the mighty Thor, is bound by the mortal rules of your world. To search every inch of your world’s oceans for you would take him quite some time. Moreover, even if they find me, he will not attack if you are impregnated with my seed. Nor will my grandfather. They would not risk it.”
There was a silence.
Silvia just sat there, arms folded, a frown etched in her face.
“Ah,” she said.
She was still turning everything over in her head, when the other voice rose in her ear.
Can you get him to say more about where he has brought you? The voice held a dense anger now, but it still warmed her to her core, briefly closing her eyes. Where has he taken you on Alfheim? The world is large. See if you can find out more precisely where you are.
Can’t he hear you right now? Silvia thought back at him. He can read minds––
No. Not my mind. And not yours when I am protecting you.
A shiver of relief mixed with raw panic went through her.
Please don’t let him do this, she thought at him urgently. Please. I can’t––
It won’t happen, the voice cut in. It sounded deeper that time, a rumble of pure fury. Do not give it another thought, my love. Do not. Trust me.
“I’m trying,” she murmured under her breath.
“What?” Jörmungandr’s eyes flashing harder as she blinked, looking across the table to find him staring at her. “What did you say, human? Just now.”
“Nothing.” She made an annoyed sound, waving him off. “I’m praying not to have to give birth to your monster baby. Do you mind?”
“You are… praying. To the gods.” A smile widened his lips. “You see no irony in this?”
“I wasn’t praying to you,” she retorted.
The smile never faded from his face, but he nodded towards her plate.
“Eat, child,” he said. “I cannot have you being unhealthy. I wish to begin the work of impregnating you soon. Likely tonight. After I give the ring to my father.”
“He’s coming here?” she said, frowning.
“He is,” Jörmungandr said, nodding. “You will not see him, though.” Smirking at her faintly, he added, “You will have to meet your father-in-law later, my lovely.”
She didn’t bother to roll her eyes at that, either.
“Go on,” he urged. “Eat. I mean it. I will have you healthy. You are too thin now. And I can feel your body needs the food.”
Sighing, not wanting to argue with him, she picked up the spear-like fork. She found herself noticing it felt more like stone in her fingers than metal.
Digging into the white meat on her plate, she took another bite, and found herself sighing in contentment, in spite of herself.
“Okay,” she admitted. “It’s good.”
“Just good?”
“It’s excellent,” she said.
She fought to think, remembering what Thor wanted of her.
“I still don’t get how it’s safe for you to keep me here,” she said, swallowing another bite of the fish-like meat. “Won’t they find us? I would think your own grandfather would have some way to trace you. Especially since he’s the king of all the gods.”
“They cannot find us,” Jörmungandr said, dismissive. “Not unless they find my essence on Asgard, what I was forced to leave behind to keep that world from destabilizing.” He gave her a flat look. “And before you get too excited… they won’t find that.”
She looked up from where she’d been pretending to focus on her plate. “What makes you so sure?”
Jörmungandr smirked. “Because they won’t.”
She watched his face, taking another bite of the rich, buttery-tasting meat, and chewing it slowly. Swallowing, she let a puzzled frown touch her lips.
“Are the oceans really that big on your world?” she said.
“They are quite big, yes,” he said, smiling faintly. “But it is not only that. I found a creature who agreed to hide my essence for me. He can take it on land. He can move it wherever he needs to. He can avoid their searches. So they will not find it. Not without my help.”
“A… creature?” She frowned, using the utensil to spear another piece of fish. “You gave your godly essence to a creature? What kind of creature?”
“It is one I found not long af
ter it left the egg, entering my oceans on Asgard. I saved its life. I raised it by hand, cherished it. It is loyal only to me.” Jörmungandr smiled at her, his green eyes flashing. “It is a turtle. You have them on your world, yes? He is quite beautiful. He has my essence with him, stored quite safely… under his shell.”
Smirking at her a little, Jörmungandr added,
“It is how I know what a good father I can be, Earthling. I am quite devoted to those who are devoted to me. The sooner you learn that, the better your life will be.”
Silvia barely heard him, though.
When he mentioned the turtle, she felt a ripple of triumph run through her––not her own. That feeling of triumph came with a blast of warmth, the sensation filling her chest and belly with intense, liquid heat. It came with so much emotion, so much affection and gratitude and aching desire, Silvia felt her cheeks grow hot.
The feeling seemed come to her from afar, yet vibrated every cell in her body.
Thank you, Silvia Hope, the familiar voice murmured. Do not worry, my sweet, dearest, bravest, cleverest of friends. Nothing bad will happen to you now. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again… I vow it.
There was a sharp, sudden flash of light.
Then everything changed.
15
Battle Of The Gods
T he light was so bright, it blinded her briefly.
She threw up a hand and arm, right as a form appeared in front of her.
It was Thor, but Thor as she’d never seen him.
She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he looked… bigger.
His reddish-blond hair flowed down over his shoulders, holding more curl and looking thicker than she remembered. His beard even looked longer, and seemed to gleam differently in the light of the glass ball under the ocean.
But even apart from those details, he looked different to her.
She didn’t know if it was a result of his being here, in the land of the elves, or the fact of his magic and his eyes glowing blue-white… or if it was simply a byproduct of the magnificence of his anger as he stared down at Jörmungandr.
It could even have been something as simple as his clothes: the silvery-blue armor, a dark red cape that rippled down his back, the thick belt he wore around the furs that covered one shoulder down to his waist, the heavy boots covered in plated armor.
Gods on Earth: Complete Series (Books 1-3): Paranormal Romances with Norse Gods, Tricksters, and Fated Mates Page 13