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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By the time I'd recovered my composure, the razor-edged metallic symphony between Badb and Maeve had ended. Both Badb and Llew sheathed their weapons when surrounded by the summer court guards. Gwydion and Arianrhod had not joined in, and I assumed they were attempting to continue to play both courts.
Yeah, right. They'd made their damn choice clear.
Instead of prolonging the so-called festivities, Queen Aine and King Nuada had the Unseelie delegation escorted back to the treaty plains, and we retired to a smaller audience chamber, away from the chaos that was the court. The elves continued their celebrations, despite our absence, as the noise carried over the tree-tops.
King Nuada gestured to the numerous couches and chairs as he and Aine seated themselves on a pair of high-backed, well-cushioned chairs made of mosses, bright green leaves and branches. "Please, make yourself comfortable."
Still wrapped in our red robes, Elatha's supporting arm tight around me, we sat together on a couch. His brother, Elada, joined us, sitting on my other side, just beyond Mist. I'd managed to still my tears, at least externally. Jitters plagued my muscles as waves of hot and cold shivered over my flesh. Lava flowed through my veins, my rage searing, even as a cold, dark, empty pit yawned in my center. In my soul. Like I'd never be warm again.
But Elatha's strength and warmth beside me was a reminder that I wasn't dealing with this alone. With effort, I locked down the screams that wanted to erupt and clenched my hands instead of tearing at my hair and skin.
Queen Aine sat forward in her seat, leaning to catch my hand in a gentle, but firm grip. "I am so sorry that we didn't anticipate Badb's treachery in this matter. Perhaps we should have, considering her sons were killed in the last war with Asgard. Still, to curse her own nephew." Aine shook her head slowly. Squeezing my hand, she let go and sat back again.
I wanted to answer, to do the polite thing, but I was barely managing to hold in my screams. Instead, I simply inclined my head in acknowledgment. I didn't trust my voice. Mist's arm joined Elatha's in rubbing my back. Two points of comfort in a swirling maelstrom. I appreciated their attempts to soothe, and it definitely helped anchor me in the here and now. Yet, part of me still wanted to give in to the call of destruction, that voice inside me that would set fire to the world to save my son.
"Unfortunately, it seems we continue to underestimate the depths of depravity the Unseelie will stoop to," said Math from his position on one of the couches across from us, with Taliesin and Maeve beside him.
"Is there something you can do, Math?" asked Maeve. "Could you break the curse?"
His brown eyes looked from Maeve, then caught my gaze. Mouth turned down, his shoulders slumped, he slowly shook his head. "I'm so sorry. Even were Prince Loki and I to combine our powers as we have explored in the past, a life must be exchanged."
Something in Math's voice had sounded... off? It pulled me from the churning inner turmoil of scattered thought inside me. Was he lying? I ran the words and his tone through my mind again. No, not about the life being exchanged. It was when he was talking about Loki. There was something—
