To save the Valkyrie who broke his heart, the Fae Sea God makes a deal with the Demon Prince of the Aerial Kingdoms, but Pazuzu has a history of stealing the women Manannan loves.
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When Mist visits her parents' home in California, she assumes th...
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Although only ten days by the Asgardian calendar, it took fifty on Litaui to finally arrange a meeting with Nabu. We'd been told to meet him this evening at the Four Winds Towers in Istanbul, the head office location of Dark Drake Endowments.
Yet, as the bifrost deposited Thor, Kara, and me in an empty patch of grass in Freedom Park, across the road from our destination, I couldn't help but wonder at the towers' name. It was too much of a coincidence. I'd wager that fucker, that barnacle-crusted Prince Pazuzu, owned these damned buildings.
"I investigated our location. These towers are owned by some billionaire and Dark Drake leases most, if not all, of the south tower," Kara said, stepping out to cross the road.
"Let me guess—the billionare is Paz Deabru?" I asked, curling my lip. Too much to hope I'd been wrong.
Kara frowned. "Yes, how did you know?"
I wiped my hand over my face and sighed. "It's an alias for one of the demon princes of Muspelheim, the Dark Angel of the Four Winds, Prince of the Aerial Kingdoms. I won't say his actual name since his powers are tied to air and wind. Like Heimdall, this prince hears if you say his name. Call it three times out loud and it grants him the ability to read your mind." And like a fool, I'd shouted it, cursing his name when Inanna had left me for him. That I'd given him such a power over me... a chill crept up my back.
Thor scowled as he led us down the path between the towers, aiming for the farthest one. "I remember. I brushed up on the information we have in the archives and I recall that one. It's fine to use his alias, though?"
"Yes, as far as I'm aware. And it isn't a power that Nabu shares, so his name is safe," I answered.
Ordinarily, I'd have enjoyed the walk through the well-manicured green space, listening to the fountains burble, but not this evening. Not with Mist missing for six weeks. And definitely not with the upcoming meeting
"Wow, they really aren't hiding, are they?" Kara said.
A little smile chased away Thor's frown and he shrugged as he pulled open the massive glass door to the south tower. "Well, it's not like Loki or I haven't been playing amusing fictional versions of ourselves in movies over the last fifteen years. We can't exactly point any fingers."
Kara laughed and punched him in the shoulder. "Very true." She entered, striding across silver and white tile of the expansive lobby with its multi-tonal grey walls and silver accents. A large three-dimensional emblem, two serpentine dragons crawling down to meet with a globe in the centre, the representation of Dark Drake Endowments, took up the large wall in front of a reception desk.
My jaw clenched. How could they laugh and joke right now? It was almost like they didn't realize we were about to meet with one of the more dangerous predators not just on the planet, but across the nine realms. They were too used to being the strongest realm around. Even with Odin's warnings... with mine. Was I making a mistake by bringing them with me?
