Chapter 4
CHAPTER
FOUR
Hecate cleared her throat. “When, not if, we find that last Bloode Stone, Varu will use it, along with the others, to command an army to fight the Darkness that Comes.”
Sylvara had been hearing about that Darkness for a while.
Apparently, Hecate believed a great evil entity of chaos planned on destroying the world.
That would in turn destroy the other worlds connected to this one.
In addition to the human world, the realms of the celestial, death, hell, and fae all worked together, though they all liked to pretend they didn’t.
But Sylvara knew better. Her aunts—not true relations but she loved them all the same—were tied to fate. Hell, they were fate. And they didn’t discriminate when it came to planes of existence. Everyone had a past, present, and future.
Even gods.
She noticed Rolf staring at her and raised her brows in question.
He made a heart in the air with his fingers then pointed to her.
She turned away from him. “Can we get going? I have things to do.” And draugrs to avoid. Once Loki and Hecate turned her and Rolf loose, she’d convince the vampire to go his way and she’d go hers. Better to split up and cover more ground.
Hecate narrowed her gaze on Sylvara, then Rolf. “Yes, let’s get you two going.” She turned to Loki. “Is your witch coming?”
Witch?
“Of course.” He snapped his fingers, and a volva appeared.
The Norse witch carried a staff made of ash wood and iron.
She had no discernible age, her form that of a young woman, but her eyes were old.
She wore a dark blue hooded robe stitched with runes in silver thread, her hair white-blond, her skin just a shade darker than Loki’s.
“Why is a staff-carrier here?” Sylvara asked, suspicious.
If Loki had a Norse witch with prophetic power at his disposal, why not just have her locate his miscreant of a son? Jormungandr, one of Loki’s monstrous children, had issues. The least of which was having Loki as a father.
“To make sure I adhere to the terms,” Hecate answered for him.
Rolf suddenly perked up and glanced back and forth between the gods. “Terms?”
Varu nodded, apparently in the know, and crossed to stand before Rolf. He took the blond vampire’s hand and placed it over Sylvara’s.
The feel of Rolf’s cool hand, so much larger than hers, felt odd. She tried to move away but couldn’t since Varu kept their hands joined. Not that Rolf tried to leave her side.
He nudged her with his shoulder. “Makes it tough to stand so close, eh?”
“Tough?”
“To want me but know you can’t have me unless I consent. Because Sylvara, vampires can say no, you know.” He nodded with a fake righteousness that grated.
“You’re an ass, you know that?”
“Oh, we all know that,” Varu said.
“So hurtful.” Rolf grinned before a low chant, from both the volva and Hecate, grew louder. Energy surged inside Sylvara. To her discomfort, she felt a masculine surge from Rolf, pushing into her hand.
Power crackled through her, a swell of lightning growing.
“Oh, kinky,” Rolf said, though she heard the tension he couldn’t hide. “What the hell, Varu?”
“Just deal, Rolf. It’ll be over soon.”
“It had better be.”
She turned to say something and froze, staring at a much different Rolf than the one he normally showed the world.
Runes painted the air around him. His face grew thinner, more regal, incredibly handsome, which was saying something since he normally looked like some immortal Adonis. Taller and broader of form, and he seemed to glow, as if lit from within.
His hair shifted from blond to black, and his eyes narrowed on her. She wondered if she too looked different. She didn’t feel like anything but herself, though. After a moment, he appeared as he always did. No one around them seemed to sense anything different about him either.
Then Varu let them go, and she saw a symbol on the back of her hand. The same one on the back of Rolf’s.
“What is this?” She glared at Loki and his witch.
The volva bowed to Loki and Hecate, shot Sylvara a sly wink, then vanished.
Hecate looked pleased.
“Hecate.” Rolf groaned. “What did you do?”
Varu answered for her, “She bound you and the valkyrie. You will find our last Bloode Stone together.”
Loki chuckled and rubbed his hands together like a cartoon villain. “You can’t be apart from each other for long before you’re drawn back together. I’m told there might be some painful consequences should you disobey.”
“What?”
“Loki…” Rolf flashed his fangs.
Power welled from Varu, and Rolf stepped back, to Sylvara’s surprise.
“You will do this. We need that Bloode Stone, Rolf.” Varu sighed. “The other stones, they talk. Time grows short. Our battle comes. One we cannot win without the last piece.”
Sylvara had no idea what he was saying. The stones talked to him?
From what she knew of the Bloode Stones, they’d appeared just after the creation of the very first vampire and were nothing more than priceless gems the vampires held sacred—and the only things that could get them to ever work together.
“Fuck me.” Rolf ran a hand through his hair. “Fine. But I’m in charge.”
Sylvara couldn’t help laughing. “In what universe, blood sucker? I know where we need to go. Not you.”
“You want to be on top first? Fine.” He smiled.
She felt herself flushing and detested the fact. “I hate you.”
“Seriously. Marry me. I’m not even kidding.”
She glared at him, at Loki, even at Hecate and the strigoi.
Everyone seemed so fucking pleased.
“Fine, dickhead. Let’s go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get back to real battle.”
“Outstanding. After you, oh great leader.” He pointed to the portal Hecate manifested for them.
The goddess ordered, “Rolf, keep us informed.”
Loki shot Sylvara a look. “Do I even need to say it?”
“Yeah, yeah.” She didn’t care about acting subservient anymore. Having to work with the vampire would be hell. Not being able to be apart from him? What did that even mean?
“Wish us luck, Varu.” Rolf smiled and reached out to pat her on the shoulder.
“Touch me and die.”
“Seriously. So in love.”
She stepped through the portal, ignoring the laughter behind her, half-hoping she’d die on entry.
Disappointed when she didn’t.