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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With Maeve leading the way and an escort of six light elves, we wove our way along walkways high in the trees before descending numerous staircases. The last set of stairs brought us to the forest floor, then out into a brightly lit meadow. Flowers of yellow, white, pink, and purple waved in a light breeze, their faces turned to the sun in a cheerful display. A stone path curved its way through the wildflowers, and as we followed it, pixies flitted from plant to plant.
Fomorians rarely travelled within the Summer Realm. Distrust of the Sidhe ran too deep, but I'd been here at least once every hundred years or so, at my mother's request, to maintain diplomatic relations. Was that why she'd chosen me to be Shannon's consort instead of my brother? Because I had more experience with the light elves?
Like a magnet, my gaze was drawn to Shannon, walking beside me, with Loki on her other side. Heat stirred as I let my eyes linger on the two of them, remembering the intensity of our bedplay last night and this morning.
Shells, I was a lucky bastard.
The stone portal leading to the treaty plains came into sight. Walking towards it, I couldn't stop my lips from curving while recalling how they had both surprised me this morning. If it was anything to judge by, I suspected boredom would never be an issue between my incredible consorts and I. Cloaking fog clung to us as we passed through the portal and out onto the wind-swept plain. Almost like it had a mind of its own, the fog continued to swirl around us and resisted any effort to push it away.
"Keep going, Kara. Heimdall can't make a connection with the mist interfering. We need a clear patch," Loki called out ahead to where Mist and Kara walked with Maeve, still shrouded by the fog and barely visible in front of us.
"It wasn't this thick when we came through earlier," Shannon murmured.
"No, not for me, either," Loki replied, then his voice rose. "Is it normal for the mist to be this thick, Maeve? It seems unusual, but perhaps I'm remembering incorrectly."
"No. This is not normal," she called back.
Movement in the sky caught my eye.
Shannon gasped and drew her sais at the same time that eerie howls echoed all around us. "Hellhounds!"
"Banshee, too," I added, drawing my sword as I finally identified what I was seeing.
Up ahead, Kara swore.
"Danu's tits! Manannan and I can't help you fight your way clear of the mists to access your bifrost. It would ignite a war between Seelie and Unseelie, and Queen Aine and King Nuada have forbidden it unless the Wild Hunt crosses into the Summer Realm," Maeve called back to us. "They shouldn't even be on the plains."
Mist said something I couldn't hear before drawing her swords with a swish of leather, and facing outward.
Manannan cursed behind us. "Barnacle-crusted jelly-brained sea urchin suckers. Crom Crauch must be here manipulating the mists. I've been trying, but I can't get it to thin out. Come back with us to the Summer Realm," he urged, as the sound of the hellhounds grew louder.
