When Loki's consort and soulmate marries his rival to save their son from a curse, a prophecy leads to consequences even the God of Chaos couldn't predict.
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The Unseelie Goddess of War's revenge against Asgard's Dark Prince puts him in a no-win s...
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Math led us down several flights of stairs, then turned from the main staircase to head out through the trees. After weaving along suspended walkways around platforms and rooms build between the spaces, he took another smaller staircase down to an open garden. It was a riot of blooms, with roses of every colour spilling, climbing, and creeping on stone statuary. A fountain burbled somewhere, but I couldn't see it until we rounded a large wooden gazebo, covered in red and white climbing roses.
Sitting on the stone edge of the fountain was a lanky elf with long reddish-blond hair. His brown eyes shot up to meet mine. He stood quickly, brushing non-existent dirt from his tan-coloured tunic and pants. Fidgeting in place, he seemed nervous, and it reassured me, lessening my own anxiety.
I continued to walk towards him and noticed another figure out of the corner of my eye. A tall female in green and black armour, bare midriff with large crossed swords on her back, turned in my direction from where she'd been standing on the other side of the gazebo. White blond hair cut shorter in front but cascading down her back offset the dark armour and black scroll-work tattoos on her bare sides. Throwing knives adorned her thighs. She looked both sensuous and fierce, a look I frequently associated with our Valkyrie.
Wow. This was my mother? Holy shit!
Mist gave a chuckle and murmured, "Well, we know where you got your badass side from, Shannon."
I snorted a laugh, tearing my gaze from the green eyes of the female to meet Mist's amused expression. Even as I smiled, I punched her in the shoulder. In my own green and black leather corset and combat leggings, with silver, gold, and black Asgardian scale armour chestplate, I couldn't deny the familial relation. Equally armed, I had sai on each hip, short crossed swords on my back and throwing daggers strapped to my arms above the vambraces.
A smile stretched the female's lips, and she walked towards me. "With a Valkyrie at your side, I'm going to assume your weapons are not for show and you know how to use them."
"Oh, our princess is a badass warrior goddess. She holds her own, especially considering how newly immortal she is," Mist replied when I didn't respond right away, still devouring every detail through the pounding of my heart.
"I'm Maeve, Goddess of War and Lust, and your mother," the female said, holding her arm out like the Valkyrie did to clasp forearms.
"Maeve!" Mist burst out, then started snickering.
I punched Mist's shoulder again, not understanding her humour, before I took the few steps that would allow me to greet my mother.
Despite the flipping and churning of butterflies madly beating at my insides, I clasped her forearm and was startled when she tugged me in for a brief hug.
"You'll have to excuse Mist. I've probably hit her too many times in the head in training," I said, when Mist continued to laugh.
Maeve grinned, eyes lighting up. "No, she just knows my reputation. Did you inherit my appetite for sex, perhaps? Is this why your friend is so amused?"
