only gotten worse over the centuries. He’s not human any longer, not in any sense of the word.” In fact, Slade was almost positive that Nari had been Jack the Ripper, tearing into his victims with a cold viciousness that fascinated the world to this day. “He’s become the monster everyone believed you were.”
Fenris swore softly in multiple languages. Slade was impressed. He only understood half of what his brother said, but it was inventive. “Have you seen him?”
Slade nodded. “From afar, yes. I didn’t dare get closer.” And what he’d seen had sent cold chills down his spine. When Loki had been bound to the mountain, his sons Nari and Narfi had been taken there as well. To punish Loki, he’d transformed Nari into a wolf. Maddened by it, Nari had shredded Narfi and disappeared. Narfi’s entrails had been turned into Loki’s bindings. “I wish I could tell you he’ll be able to join us when this is all over, but he’s a psycho. I wouldn’t want him anywhere near Magnus and Sylvia.”
“I can understand that.” Fenris glanced at Jeff before turning his attention once more to Slade. “Did Skye do this?”
Slade tilted his head, confused. “By changing the prophecy?” When Fenris nodded glumly, Slade smiled. “No. That happened after Nari was changed. I think she just saw a way to save you and took it.”
“Are you sure?” Fen glanced at Morgan. “It will hurt him a great deal, and her as well, if they discover Skuld drove Logan’s son insane.”
“I’m positive.” The prophecy of Ragnarrok had already been written, but the meaning of it had not been fully revealed. It would not be until things came to pass. Only the Norns of Fate knew the how, the why and the where.
“The thing is I don’t know where he is right now. Odin seems to have forgotten about him completely because he’s convinced you’re the one who will kill him. The others barely remember him.” Except for Sydney, who watched the very pregnant Jordan with a wistful, pained expression she was quick to hide whenever anyone glanced her way. She, like Logan, knew the pain of losing her children.
“Except you.” Slade leaned into Fenris’s embrace. “My smart brother.”
Slade chuckled. “Yeah. So smart I stayed under the thumb of a madman for centuries.”
“You avoided my fate.”
“He tortured us both, Fen.”
“And he’ll pay for that, I swear it.” Logan’s voice interrupted their bonding time, but Slade didn’t mind. His father’s arms came around them both. “I heard what you said,” he whispered. “So did Kir. We’ll look into it.”
Slade looked into his father’s eyes and saw the grief that never quite went away. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” Logan ruffled his hair. “You have no idea how proud I am of you, but you’ll learn.” He winked. “In the meantime, there’s someone else who’d like to see you.”
Slade tilted his head. Everyone was already here. “Who?”
Logan waved his hand and, to Slade’s surprise, a portal opened. “How?”
“Death can go wherever she chooses, through any barrier.” Logan’s pride shown through as Hel and Hodr stepped through.
“Holy shit.” Hel. Hel was here. Slade hadn’t hoped to meet his sister for quite some time, not until closer to Odin’s demise. “Hel.”
The beautiful woman with the black hair and ice-blue eyes smiled. “Sleipnir, Fenris. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to see you two. Hodr told me I should just make the time, so when Pappa called and invited us to breakfast we jumped at the chance.” She glided forward, leaving Hodr at the closing portal. “Give your big sister a kiss!”
While Fenris, Logan and Slade greeted Hel, Kir and Jordan were busy hugging Hodr. “That condo I saved for you is still available, sweetheart,” Kir called over to Hel. “Any time you want it, you and Hodr can stay. It’s under the name Holden and Helen Tate.”
Hodr smiled and tilted his head. “That’s very nice of
Fenris swore softly in multiple languages. Slade was impressed. He only understood half of what his brother said, but it was inventive. “Have you seen him?”
Slade nodded. “From afar, yes. I didn’t dare get closer.” And what he’d seen had sent cold chills down his spine. When Loki had been bound to the mountain, his sons Nari and Narfi had been taken there as well. To punish Loki, he’d transformed Nari into a wolf. Maddened by it, Nari had shredded Narfi and disappeared. Narfi’s entrails had been turned into Loki’s bindings. “I wish I could tell you he’ll be able to join us when this is all over, but he’s a psycho. I wouldn’t want him anywhere near Magnus and Sylvia.”
“I can understand that.” Fenris glanced at Jeff before turning his attention once more to Slade. “Did Skye do this?”
Slade tilted his head, confused. “By changing the prophecy?” When Fenris nodded glumly, Slade smiled. “No. That happened after Nari was changed. I think she just saw a way to save you and took it.”
“Are you sure?” Fen glanced at Morgan. “It will hurt him a great deal, and her as well, if they discover Skuld drove Logan’s son insane.”
“I’m positive.” The prophecy of Ragnarrok had already been written, but the meaning of it had not been fully revealed. It would not be until things came to pass. Only the Norns of Fate knew the how, the why and the where.
“The thing is I don’t know where he is right now. Odin seems to have forgotten about him completely because he’s convinced you’re the one who will kill him. The others barely remember him.” Except for Sydney, who watched the very pregnant Jordan with a wistful, pained expression she was quick to hide whenever anyone glanced her way. She, like Logan, knew the pain of losing her children.
“Except you.” Slade leaned into Fenris’s embrace. “My smart brother.”
Slade chuckled. “Yeah. So smart I stayed under the thumb of a madman for centuries.”
“You avoided my fate.”
“He tortured us both, Fen.”
“And he’ll pay for that, I swear it.” Logan’s voice interrupted their bonding time, but Slade didn’t mind. His father’s arms came around them both. “I heard what you said,” he whispered. “So did Kir. We’ll look into it.”
Slade looked into his father’s eyes and saw the grief that never quite went away. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” Logan ruffled his hair. “You have no idea how proud I am of you, but you’ll learn.” He winked. “In the meantime, there’s someone else who’d like to see you.”
Slade tilted his head. Everyone was already here. “Who?”
Logan waved his hand and, to Slade’s surprise, a portal opened. “How?”
“Death can go wherever she chooses, through any barrier.” Logan’s pride shown through as Hel and Hodr stepped through.
“Holy shit.” Hel. Hel was here. Slade hadn’t hoped to meet his sister for quite some time, not until closer to Odin’s demise. “Hel.”
The beautiful woman with the black hair and ice-blue eyes smiled. “Sleipnir, Fenris. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to see you two. Hodr told me I should just make the time, so when Pappa called and invited us to breakfast we jumped at the chance.” She glided forward, leaving Hodr at the closing portal. “Give your big sister a kiss!”
While Fenris, Logan and Slade greeted Hel, Kir and Jordan were busy hugging Hodr. “That condo I saved for you is still available, sweetheart,” Kir called over to Hel. “Any time you want it, you and Hodr can stay. It’s under the name Holden and Helen Tate.”
Hodr smiled and tilted his head. “That’s very nice of
Similar Books
