Shoots and Tatters Read online

  “Trust the God of Lies?” Mikael asked skeptically.

  I tensed. Loki might seem friendly enough, but it probably wasn’t a good idea to insult him.

  He raised an eyebrow at Mikael. “Whatever you say, child of Dolos. You expect the girl to trust you, do you not? Why am I any different?”

  “Because I have proven myself,” Mikael said boldly.

  I didn’t correct him. The fact of the matter was that Mikael had expected me to trust him right from the start, because I’d had no other choice. I didn’t see much difference in the current situation.

  Boots hissing across the low-pile carpeting preceded Sophie’s arrival. Dressed in a sleek black dress with her long hair pulled back in a braid, she stood before us.

  I watched as she assessed Loki’s appearance, then said, “You don’t look much like a god.”

  I sputtered on my coffee. I swear, being technically immortal can make people stupidly bold.

  “I do other things like a god,” Loki said lasciviously, waggling his eyebrows at her.

  Sophie sighed, then gestured for Alaric to scoot over, which meant smushing me against the wall. We both acquiesced, and I was left barely able to move my elbows.

  Before we could catch Sophie up on everything, the waitress returned with our food, placing my ravioli and garlic bread in front of me, and five other plates in front of Loki, including two desserts. He refilled his half-empty wine glass and peered down at his food with gluttonous eyes.

  “Yeah,” Sophie muttered, “definitely not a god.”

  Loki didn’t seem to notice her comment as he began digging into his food.

  “To catch you up,” Alaric said to Sophie, “Loki is attempting to convince Madeline that she must venture into another realm to find Hecate in order to learn the purpose of her creation.”

  Sophie rolled her eyes, then swiped Loki’s bottle of wine, filling the nearest clean glass for herself. She took a slow sip, then placed the glass on the table. “Well, I suppose it’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard. It’s not as if we haven’t traveled between realms before.”

  “You’re a terrible influence,” Mikael balked at her.

  I watched as a smug smirk crossed her face. “Takes one to know one.”

  “I like her,” Loki commented, his mouth half-full as he pushed away one empty plate to replace it with the next full one.

  “Well I don’t like you,” Sophie sniped.

  “Oh you will,” Loki assured her, glancing up from his food. “Give me time.”

  I took a sip of my coffee and stared down at my meal, though my appetite had abruptly departed. I rubbed my free hand along my belly, thinking.

  Could I trust Loki to take us to another realm? It was risky, but so was waiting around for the gods who might want to destroy me. I’d never met Hecate, but through Marcos, she had helped me once. She might just help me again.

  I was starting to think it was a risk I might be willing to take, even if the thought of not only traveling to a different time, but to an entirely different realm, made me want to hide in bed and cry.

  3

  I stared up at the dark ceiling, too hot under the thick covers with Alaric’s arm wrapped around my waist. We’d brought Loki home with us, passing him off as one of the Vaettir who’d flown in to join the clan. He’d willingly gone along with the ruse, and was now asleep in one of the guest rooms . . . or maybe he wasn’t asleep, but I wasn’t about to check on him.

  I smoothed my hand along Alaric’s bare arm, debating if I should wake him. He was an annoyingly heavy sleeper though, and probably wouldn’t wake up regardless. I was on my own.

  I gently pushed Alaric’s arm off me, then crawled out of the covers and stood, thinking I’d move into the den to watch TV. I was a bit chilled in my black tank top and leggings as I tip-toed toward the door, then became distracted as something caught my eye out the open window, just a flash of white, but it seemed strange to me.

  I approached the window, pushing the sheer white curtains aside to take a deep breath of rain-scented night air. I leaned forward and narrowed my eyes, peering out into the near darkness of the new moon.

  There was definitely someone out there, standing still, peering back at me. I reached out with my senses, hoping to identify the form by its energy.

  I gasped. Here we were just talking about Marcos, and he finally appears as if summoned.

  I glanced over my shoulder at Alaric, still asleep on the bed, then crept out of the room. If Marcos was coming to us in the dead of night, I knew he’d want to speak to me alone.

  Shutting the bedroom door gently behind me, I hurried down the dark hall toward one of the side doors leading out to the massive, forested yard. I let myself outside, enjoying the cool air on my too hot body. Soon enough my bare arms and leggings-clad legs had goosebumps, and my bare feet were wet with the dew clinging to the grass.

  Peering around in the darkness, I reached the place where I’d seen Marcos, though he was no longer there.

  I stopped and looked around, narrowing my eyes to peer about the decorative shrubs, then the fir trees beyond.

  “You have summoned a god,” a male voice said directly behind me.

  I jumped, then spun on him, taking in his long, pure white hair, and almost matching skin. He wore black, shapeless clothing. If I didn’t know him, I would have thought him a ghost or some other creepy crawly, returned to the world along with other magics.

  “Well, Mikael and Silver summoned him,” I replied, “but yes. What are you doing here, Marcos?”

  He tilted his head to the side, and I knew Hecate was whispering in his ear. After a moment, he explained, “My goddess bids you come and find her.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Have you been spying on us?”

  He pursed his thin lips. “Does it matter? My goddess has the answers you seek.”

  A shiver went up my spine. I might have had a hard time fully trusting Loki, but it was downright impossible to fully trust Marcos, though I’d been forced to do it in the past.

  “Why can’t you just give me the answers?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “She requires you to come in person. She will not release her secrets easily, not even to me.”

  He seemed a little bitter about the last part, though I couldn’t tell for sure. I rarely sensed any emotions from Marcos.

  “So let me get this straight,” I sighed. “Hecate wants me to drop everything and travel to her realm for answers, with no assurances that she even has what I need?”

  He tilted his head again, listening, then explained, “She believes you are running out of time. Not only will the gods return, but other malevolent energies. They will be drawn to your light, and will be compelled to snuff it out.”

  I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold. “What kind of malevolent energies? Many would have considered the banshees malevolent, but they weren’t, not really.”

  Marcos glanced over his shoulder, then back to me. “I must leave you now, and you must make your choice. The god who has chosen you can show you the way there, though I advise he not enter Hecate’s inner sanctum. She has a certain . . . distaste for the old gods.”

  I opened my mouth to say more, then someone hissed, “Madeline!”

  I turned in the direction of the voice. It was Mikael. I glanced back at Marcos and cursed. He’d disappeared again, and finding him was unlikely.

  I turned back to Mikael as he hurried toward me, dressed in an old fashioned burgundy night coat and pants, his feet bare like mine.

  “What the hell are you doing out here with him?” he chastised, gesturing to where Marcos had stood.

  “He wasn’t going to hurt me,” I sighed, rolling my eyes at his worried expression, “and we’ve been trying to find him for months. I wasn’t going to just let him slip away before I could ask him about Hecate.”

  Mikael crossed his arms, trapping a lock of his russet hair, then sighed. “What did you find out?”

  I shrugg
ed. “Not much. Hecate wants me to come to her realm and find her, but Marcos warned me about Loki entering her inner sanctum. She has . . . issues with the old gods.”

  Mikael put an arm around my shoulders and guided me back toward the house. “We can discuss it further in the morning, if Loki is even still willing to take us.”

  I stopped, forcing him to stop beside me. “That reminds me, why were you so cranky about Loki coming instead of Dolos?”

  He blinked down at me. “Seriously? We weren’t trying to summon Dolos, we were trying to reach Silver’s patron goddess, Veritas, the Goddess of Truth. We were trying to reach a peaceful goddess who would tell us only truths, and instead we received the god of mischief and chaos. We can’t trust him as far as we can throw him.”

  I smirked, finally understanding his earlier attitude. “Speaking of trust, has Silver shown back up yet?”

  Mikael chuckled. “No, and he likely won’t as long as Loki is here. He was willing to face Veritas, but self-preservation has always been Silver’s primary objective. He will not risk himself needlessly.”

  We started walking again, Mikael’s arm still around my shoulders. “And you think working with Loki is a needless risk?” I questioned.

  “For Silver perhaps,” he replied, “but not for you. You are already at great risk. I can grudgingly admit that gaining a god as an ally is a wise plan, even if it is Loki.”

  “And Hecate?” I questioned as we reached the door.

  “That, we will discuss in the morning,” he replied, opening it.

  “But I can’t sleep,” I protested as we walked inside.

  “Fine,” he sighed. “One game of chess, then you’re going to bed.”

  “Only if I lose,” I argued. “If I win you have to play me again.”

  “You’re impossible,” he chuckled, shutting the door behind us.

  He walked past me and led the way down the hall. I was about to play the best game of chess in my life, because there was no way I was going to be able to sleep that night.

  I finally managed to go to sleep around three in the morning, so I was definitely not rested when Alaric awoke at six.

  He gently stroked the side of my face, attempting to rouse me. “I really don’t want Loki running around without supervision,” he whispered.

  “So go supervise,” I groaned, clenching my eyes shut. “I’ve barely gotten any sleep.”

  He sighed, then stood. “Try not to sleep too long. We have much to consider today.”

  He quietly padded out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

  I sat up with a huff, squinting at the sun coming in through the sheer curtains. I’d completely forgotten to tell Alaric about Marcos before he walked out. I wanted him to have all of the information before we discussed anything with Loki.

  With a groan, I slipped out of bed then hurried into the bathroom.

  I needed to find Alaric, but pregnancy bladder needed me more.

  A few minutes later, I’d donned a robe over my tank top and black leggings, then left the room in search of Alaric. Knowing he’d want coffee, I headed toward the kitchen first.

  On the way there, I passed through the den, where Alejandro sat on the sofa with Tallie, one of my favorites of our clan. Tallie’s gray leggings and blue chunky sweater made her look even more petite than usual. Her sleek black hair was pulled up into a messy bun, accentuating her sharp cheekbones and delicate features.

  She looked at me warily.

  “Who’s the new guy?” Alejandro asked from his seat beside her.

  I cringed. They had to mean Loki. Tallie and Alejandro weren’t from Mikael’s original clan, so they wouldn’t know about any characters from his past. “He helped Mikael a few years back,” I lied, “and has come to join our clan. Be nice to him.”

  Alejandro nodded, readily accepting my answer, but Tallie still seemed wary. She was wary of everything though, and still seemed to be waiting for me to throw her out on the streets.

  Unable to muster comforting words for someone else when I was in dire need of them myself, I walked past them to the adjoining hall near the front door and into the kitchen.

  The blinds on the far wall were all open, showcasing an uncharacteristically sunny day. Behind the kitchen counter sat Loki and Sophie, but no Alaric.

  Dressed in a fuzzy gray robe, Sophie sipped her coffee as she lifted her gaze toward me. “It’s about time you woke up. I’m tired of babysitting duty.”

  “No one told you to babysit,” I muttered, glancing past her toward the window, wondering where Alaric had gone.

  I returned my gaze to her as she darted a glare toward Loki. “You told me you were supposed to be watched at all times.”

  He shrugged. “It was the only excuse I could think of to compel you to spend time with me.”

  I sighed heavily, then walked to the coffee pot and poured myself a cup. “Have either of you seen Alaric?”

  “I think he’s outside,” Sophie muttered, her glare still on Loki.

  With my steamy cup filled and creamer added, I walked around the counter and past them toward the French double doors leading from the kitchen to the yard. I opened one clear window-paneled door and stepped outside, knowing Sophie would continue to watch Loki even after his trick. The Vaettir did not trust easily, especially when it came to the old gods.

  Soothed by the crisp morning air, I padded barefoot across the wood porch that dominated this side of the house toward where I’d spotted Alaric, already dressed in his usual black jeans and tee-shirt, gazing out at the fir trees as he sipped his coffee.

  I reached his side. “Sorry, I was half asleep when you left. There’s a lot I want to catch you up on before we make a decision.”

  “Mikael already told me,” he explained, gesturing as the statuesque Viking came into view from around the back side of the house. They’d clearly been having a morning conversation without me.

  “My apologies,” Mikael said as he reached us. “Nature called.”

  Ugh, why were men always peeing outside, even at home? He wore an outfit similar to Loki’s, a lightweight tunic over suede pants. He dressed more modern when we went to town, but at home, he liked his comforts.

  Alaric seemed annoyed, but didn’t say anything. I took his free hand in mine, wondering if he was annoyed with me, and got a limp squeeze in return. Yep, definitely annoyed with me.

  “Don’t give me a hard time,” I grumbled. “It’s not like I invited Marcos here. He came to see me.”

  He sighed. “Please don’t empath me, Madeline.”

  Irritated, I pulled my hand away from his, sipped my coffee, then replied, “I don’t need to be an empath to know you’re annoyed.”

  He sighed. “You should have woken me. Marcos could have been here to kidnap you, or worse.”

  “I can handle Marcos,” I muttered.

  Mikael watched us cautiously, clearly not wanting to get in the middle of our bickering.

  The French doors opened behind us, and Loki and Sophie emerged.

  “Have we reached a decision?” Loki inquired. “Shall we venture into Hecate’s realm?”

  “No,” Alaric answered, while I said, “Yes.”

  He turned his hurt gaze to me.

  “We don’t have a choice,” I argued with that silent, accusing gaze. Part of me wished we could have just stayed in bed this morning with him in a good mood, no arguments necessary, but we did need to move forward.

  “Madeline,” he began patiently. “I’ve been trapped in other realms twice since I met you. I’d really not like to be trapped a third.”

  I crossed my arms, suddenly angry, though I knew at the root of my ire was fear. I didn’t want to get trapped in another realm either, especially with my daughter on the way.

  I shifted my gaze past Alaric to Mikael, standing a few paces back. “Isn’t there some sort of oath we can make him take?” I nodded toward Loki. “Something that ensures he has to bring us back in one piece?”

  Loki lifted
his hand in the air, palm facing outward. “I hereby solemnly swear that I will try my absolute best to return you to this realm in one piece.”

  Sophie scowled. “That’s somehow not reassuring.”

  He turned his head toward her, trailing a lock of vibrant red hair over his shoulder. “Would you like me to sign a contract in blood?”

  “That’s actually not a bad idea,” I mused. I turned toward Mikael. “Can blood oaths be made between the Vaettir and gods?”

  I’d used a blood oath to ensure Mikael wouldn’t betray us when we’d first formed a partnership. The ritual had made me a bit uneasy, but in the end, I’d felt a lot better knowing that if he broke his oath, the earth would claim him.

  “Ye-ah,” Loki said, drawing out the word. “I’m not really into creating blood oaths with big angry death balls.”

  “What if I say it’s the only way we’re going?” I pressed, taking a step toward him. Alaric had crossed his arms to peer out at the trees, ignoring us.

  Loki scowled. “Then I’d say we’re not going. I have no intention of betraying you, but I like to keep my options open.”

  I crossed my arms, keeping one hand slightly extended with my coffee cup. “Well you’re going to have to offer us some sort of assurance.”

  Everyone, including Alaric, turned to watch him as he thought things over. He snapped his fingers as an idea came to him.

  He lifted one finger into the air. “I can offer you the best assurance of all. Since you’re pure energy in a mortal shell, more akin to gods than humans, I believe I can teach you how to travel the branches of Yggdrasil yourself. I will not be able to trap you in another realm, because you will be able to return on your own.”

  I looked to Alaric and Mikael, wondering if what Loki claimed could be true.

  Mikael stroked his chin in thought. “It’s sound in theory, as long as Madeline feels sure she’ll be able to manage the World Tree herself before we go anywhere.”

  Loki held out his hand to me. “I believe we have a deal.”

  I glanced at Alaric, who was clearly still upset, but wasn’t stopping me, then stepped toward Loki and took his hand.