Chapter 20
CHAPTER
TWENTY
Rolf glared at Apollo and Loki. It had taken entirely too long to get free from the clingy sun god. Ech. Every time. The same thing. As if being responsible for the vampires’ eternal enmity with each other would go away with a hug and smiles.
“What are you doing here?” Rolf asked.
“Can’t I just come watch The Games with my bro, Hades?” Apollo beamed, and Rolf wanted to punch him in his perfect jaw. It didn’t help that Rolf looked exactly like the bastard, because of which he’d been wearing a glamour that now felt like his real face and form, he’d been wearing it for so long.
Plus, he liked the blond hair. Made his eyes pop.
He huffed and glanced over his shoulder at Sylvara, who was breathing deeply, resting and recuperating. Just seeing her healthy and safe settled him in a way that should have concerned him. He knew that. But he didn’t care right now.
Rolf focused on Loki. “And you. If you knew Jormy was here, why drag us around?”
“I knew he wasn’t here. I did want to see the games though.”
“Quit screwing around. Hecate wasn’t kidding. I can feel the chaos.” He put a hand over his heart and concentrated his magic. “The Darkness that Comes. It’s here already. And we can’t give it time to grow.”
Loki frowned. “I don’t feel anything.”
“You wouldn’t.” Apollo sighed. “Rolf, like me, feels the heartbeat of the world. The magic there pulses with the life our sun gives to those in the mundane plane. Unfortunately, he’s right. Something Dark that doesn’t belong is here. I feel it as well.”
“Then why not help Hecate?” Rolf asked. “What’s your damage, old man?”
“Yeah.” Loki crossed his arms over his chest. “You and yours haven’t done much to help her.”
Apollo snorted. “Oh, and like you have? You’re after the Bloode Stones for your own purpose. You won’t hand them over when you find them.”
“Them?” Rolf frowned. “We’re down to one more stone. Varu has the other five, and there are only six.”
“Well, actually, there might be a slight miscommunication on that.” Loki shot him a disarming smile…and missed the mark.
“What did you do?” Rolf appreciated trickery as well as the next draugr, but right now wasn’t exactly the time.
“We’re on a time crunch here. As much as I find Hecate annoying, I can’t fault her desperation.
I’m as happy to fight the cosmic asshole coming as much as the next vampire, but without control of those Bloode Stones, we’ll have nothing but chaos that will crush us.
We’ll be so busy fighting each other and the rest of the world that the Darkness that Comes will conquer us all too easily. ”
Loki scowled. “That’s no fun.”
Rolf nodded. “I love anarchy just like you, but I want to be on top of it, not smothered by the eventual mess.”
“I agree. But the moment Varu gets those stones, the world is toast. We all know it.”
“Maybe.” But maybe not. Varu wasn’t anything like his father.
He loved, and if Rolf wasn’t mistaken, he cared for the rest of the Night Bloode.
Even Onvyr, his mate’s brother, had received Varu’s approval.
Any normal vampire would have killed that annoying dusk elf by now. But Onvyr continued to exist.
Although, Varu was also a dickhead. Perhaps he allowed Onvyr to live only to make the rest of their lives difficult. That was something Rolf would do.
His estimation of his patriarch went up a few notches.
“So, the Bloode Stone.” He stared at the gods. “Or is it stones?”
Apollo stared at Loki, who shrugged and said, “Look, I know Jormy had it. I want to know where my son is. We need to talk.”
“And you tell me I’m a bad father,” Apollo muttered. “At least I know where my progeny are, and they’re talented, gifting the world with many good things.” He paused to look Rolf over. “Even punishment when necessary.”
Good to know the old man considered him a penalty upon the human race. Actually, that was kind of nice. He smiled at Apollo, who smiled back.
“Yes, yes. I’m a terrible father too. Not a newsflash,” Loki muttered. “I heard a rumor my kids had a fight, and maybe one of them broke the stone in two pieces. Find Jormungandr and you’ll be able to figure out the rest. I hope.”
“Why not ask Fenrir?” Rolf had just seen the guy not too long ago.
“Well, he’s kind of not talking to me right now either. It’s not my fault his sister recently stole one of the puppies. They’re adorable. You’ve seen them.”
A soft whine prodded him from his pocket dimension. Seen them? He’d bonded to Fenrir’s shadow a long time ago, an act still considered verboten. “Oh. Well, that’s true.” Soon, buddy. Soon.
He glanced back at Sylvara and felt a strange lethargy hit him. “Hell. Is it daylight already?” Though immune to sunlight, he still felt the effects of the vampires’ greatest weakness.
“It is.” Loki looked him over then studied Syl.
“Apollo, why don’t you find them a place to rest?
I’ll see if I can’t pin down at least one of my errant children.
” He didn’t look nearly as worried as he should have been at news the chaos had arrived on the planet.
Why was that? What had Loki not shared with the rest of them?
Rolf watched him leave.
“Don’t trust that one.”
Rolf nodded. “I never trust gods.”
“I’m hurt.” Apollo grinned. “Come on, boy. Let me see you.”
Rolf sighed but released his glamour, now looking like Apollo’s twin, only slightly taller.
“I make good looking children, don’t I?” Apollo nodded to himself.
“Yes, because it’s all about you.”
“I know.”
Right over the guy’s head.
Apollo glanced at Sylvara and flicked his wrist. The spell projecting the sound barrier faded. “She trusts too well.” He frowned. “Not smart.”
“No, she’s healing and knows I’ll protect her.” Rolf stood over her, not sure why he felt so drawn to the female. But there was no denying she belonged to him. He just wished he understood what that really meant. Keeping? Possessing? Mating?
And if it was a real mating, would Syl be more than his lover? Never his toy, but possibly his eventual downfall. So why did that make him want her even more?
She blinked up at him, her eyes like diamonds.
“At least you chose an exceptionally talented female. Beautiful and deadly. A good choice, son.” Apollo clapped him on the back.
Syl stared at them, wide-eyed, and sat up straight. “You… You’re… What the fuck?”
“But maybe not so smart, eh? Oh well. You can’t have everything, can you?” Apollo vanished in the blink of an eye.
Rolf drew his glamour back on without thinking, more comfortable in his assumed skin. Before he could say anything, a yawn took him by surprise.
Magic winked, and he found himself in a darkened room with Syl, standing over a big bed with plump pillows and a thick comforter.
“But…you…he…”
Rolf held up a hand. “My lovely valkyrie, I need rest. We’ll talk after, okay?
Clothing optional.” He automatically set a spell around the bed to protect them, dropped his clothes, then slid under the sheets.
“Try not to kill me before I wake,” he murmured and closed his eyes, warm because Syl was there.
His heart slowed. He felt hers respond, matching his heartbeat.
He smiled.
And slept.