Chapter 32
CHAPTER
THIRTY-TWO
Sylvara awoke to hungry hands stroking her breasts and belly. Both soothing and arousing, the touch turned her on. She blinked at Rolf, who watched her with a predatory gaze, that gorgeous red reappearing in his eyes, overtaking the dark color.
She smiled at him, and the effect was instantaneous.
He kissed her, passionate and intense. His hands and mouth were everywhere, his attention focused on everything that stole her breath and raised her heartrate.
She was coming before she could think, the explosion of desire almost as good as the feel of him sliding into her, filling all the empty spaces.
The orgasm washed over her, cleansing her of all the turmoil and doubts that had been building with dreams she could no longer remember. When he sighed her name and stilled, releasing inside her, she felt like a part of him, no longer alone.
When the rush of pleasure ebbed into a satisfying hum, she stroked his hair, the side of his face, and felt a surge of warmth when he turned his head to kiss her palm. Such a sweet gesture from the vampire who could kill with little effort.
She tightened all over again.
He groaned. “What are you doing to me, you insatiable minx?”
She chuckled. “You could totally kill me anytime you want, couldn’t you?”
He gave an evil grin, his fangs sharp. “Yes.”
“That’s so hot.”
Rolf stared at her as if mesmerized. “But you could kill me too. Just beam that lightning into my brain or my heart.”
“Yeah, I totally could.”
“So, so hot.” He started moving inside her again, staring into her eyes while they rode the pleasure together.
It was some time before they left the bed to get clean.
When finally dressed and ready to meet the evening, and hopefully find Jormungandr, Rolf stopped her before she left the room.
She turned to him with a question.
“After we get Jormy and find the last stone, will you fight me for it?”
She paused. “Well, I don’t know. Loki hasn’t yet said what he wants me to do. What will you do with it? Vampire world domination?”
“As fun as that sounds, I don’t think so. Varu isn’t one for dominating the world. And neither are the rest of us. We like killing on a smaller scale. Too many vampires in one place are just annoying.”
“Tell me about it. I can barely handle one.” She smirked at him.
He didn’t smile back.
“What?”
“Loki has a plan for the stone. But we need to use it to fight the Darkness that Comes. After that, if you want, we can fight to the death. But not until then.”
She thought about it. “I guess. To the death, hmm?”
“Well, you’ll try, of course. When I win, I won’t kill you. But I will chain you to my side for an eternity.” He smiled happily.
“You’ll try, you mean.” She snorted. “I don’t respond well to chains, Rolf.”
“That’s because you haven’t tried them with the right person.” He wiggled his brows.
She hated that she blushed, and that he laughed. “What’s with the warning? You sound worried about the Darkness.”
“Worried? No. Vampires don’t worry. We don’t fear.” He frowned at her.
“What?”
“We also don’t love.”
Her heart dropped, but she strove to remain impassive. Not like she loved the guy herself. She barely knew him. Even if he did feel like a kind of monstrous soulmate she kind of, secretly, loved. Well, fuck.
“Except all my kin love their mates. And they’re keeping them.” He kept staring at her. “I like you. A lot.”
“Of course you do.” She ignored the butterflies in her stomach that had no place flitting about. She was a valkyrie, not some love-sick drama queen in Greeks Will Be Greeks. “I’m amazing.”
He nodded. “You are. Ah, well. It’s decided. I’m keeping you.” So saying, he left the room.
She stared at the open door. Keeping me? “Hold on, draugr.” She hurried after him and ran into Mormo, who had just tripped over Razer. “Apologies, Mormo. Oh, hey, little guy.” Not so little. Razer kept changing size and now resembled a miniature pony. “Where have you been?”
“Yes, where have you been, you monstrous creature?” Mormo asked, sounding snippy.
The wolf laughed at the white-haired magician, and Sylvara readied to intervene before Razer took a bite out of the magical powerhouse. Gods forbid Rolf’s bestie hurt Hecate’s right-hand man.
She subtly placed herself between the wolf and Mormo, who noticed, if his frown was anything to go by.
“Where’s Rolf?”
She glanced around. “He was just here. Why?”
“You two have a Bloode Stone to gather. Varu’s out with Hecate, meeting with the other vampire masters. The rest of the Night Bloode are gathering to patrol since the city is losing its collective mind.”
“Oh?” Rolf returned, drinking from a bottle.
“Blood?” she asked.
“Fae. I worked up an appetite.” He leered at her.
Mormo sighed.
She tried not to laugh. “You’re so obnoxious.”
“Right?” Mormo said.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be downstairs,” he growled at the wolf. Silence, then Rolf shrugged. “Fine. I trust you.”
“I don’t,” Mormo muttered. “Anyway, listen up, you two. As I said, Hecate’s accompanying Varu around the world to meet with various masters.
Macy’s already coordinated with MEC about the challenges we’re facing.
We’re prepping our forces. Though there are only five, the stones within Varu should be enough to control those around him.
But we need the last one to control the entire Bloode Empire. ”
Rolf made a “keep it rolling” motion with his hand. “Yeah, I get that. What’s with the city losing its mind?”
“You haven’t heard? I suppose not.” Mormo sighed. “MEC is short-staffed. Demons and possessed humans are turning on each other left and right. The magir community has been exposed, and news is spreading across the country that all the things we’ve tried to keep from people are real.
“Social media is in a frenzy, and some of the chaos has spread to Europe and Asia. We can’t contain any of it because, like I said, MEC is spread thin worldwide.
And the gods that could help us won’t. They’ve sequestered themselves in the celestial plane.
Same with the fae. They want nothing to do with the mundane world imploding. ”
Sylvara frowned. “That’s stupid. If anything, now is an ideal time for the gods to gain new worshippers. Fear is a wonderful motivator when seeking idolatry and worship.”
Rolf nodded. “What she said.”
“I’d agree.” Mormo sighed. “Except the gods are busy preparing to fight the jotuns and titans, who’ve apparently thrown their lot in with the Darkness that Comes.
That chaos has convinced the big players that by allying with it, they’ll soon take over the world.
How can they not realize it will decimate everything? Their foolishness knows no bounds.”
“Wow. Sounds like a mess.” She gazed at Razer, who nodded.
Mormo glared at the wolf. “I’m not even going to get started on why you are not supposed to exist.” He took a moment to compose himself. “Now, please, go get that Bloode Stone. We’ll give it to Varu—not Loki,” he said firmly, staring at her.
She shrugged. “Not really my call.”
“We’ll get it,” Rolf said before Mormo could go off again. “Where do you suppose the big fight will take place? Worldwide?”
“Yes and no. This city is in for an awakening.” Mormo scowled. “Hecate got a call earlier. It’s been foreseen that there’s more at play than chaos and ends and beginnings.”
“How can there be more than that?” Sylvara asked. “Isn’t that pretty much existence?”
“You would think so.” He shot her an odd look. Then he glanced at Rolf. “I’ve said my piece. Now where are you going?”
Rolf finished his drink. “Got a call back from my informant. Syl and I are hitting a sex club downtown.”
“I’m sorry. What?” She frowned. “I thought we were looking for Jormy. This isn’t the time to play around, Rolf.”
“Well put.” Mormo crossed his arms over his chest.
“No, see, that’s where Jormy is. Getting his freak on with a bunch of nymphs at a magir establishment in Montlake.”
“Seriously?”
“What can I say? Jormungandr might be an ass, but he knows how to have a good time. Getting freaky in the rich part of town. Not a bad plan if the world’s gotta end.”
“You might admire it. I don’t.” Sylvara reached behind her to touch the hilt of her ax, needing the reassurance.
She felt the pull of magic there. “If we’re going out in the city, I’ll need a glamour.
I know you said things are going to hell out there, but I’d prefer to blend in as best as possible. ”
Mormo waved a hand over her, and she felt a tingle of magic coat her from head to toe. “It will last a day or so, no longer.”
Rolf frowned. “You made her blond. And short. Too skinny and small. Gross.”
“Really? She seems attractive enough to me.”
Rolf grumbled and nodded for Sylvara to follow him.
“Good luck. And hurry.”
Sylvara nodded. “Thanks. Come on, Razer. Time to hunt.”
Once on the road, she studied Rolf’s discontent. “What’s your problem?”
“I like the real you. This image displeases me.”
“Sorry, your highness. I’ll do my best to get out of the glamour once we’re done collecting the Bloode Stone. But just a warning, Jormy and I aren’t on the best terms.”
“Oh?” He glanced at her, frowned again, and glanced away.
She liked the fact he preferred her real features but tried not to give his feelings too much weight. She’d fallen for the vampire despite all her attempts not to. How had he done it? Made her like him so much? Made her love him?
A soft meow surprised her.
She glanced behind her to see Razer studying a small gray kitten curled up on a seat next to him. The kitten didn’t seem to care that a wolf stared at him like dinner.
Not a normal animal, then. Why was she surprised?
“What’s up with the cat?”
Rolf sighed. “That’s my contact.”
“Um, what?”
“Just shift back. No sense hiding it now,” Rolf said.
The creature shimmered into the form of a large human with long brown hair, handsome features, and a smirk that clearly said he belonged with the idiots of the Night Bloode.
“Meet Pazuzu, Babylonian demon god and King of the Western Wind.”
“Technically, it’s southwesterly winds.” Pazuzu sniffed. “But allow me to correct you. Pazuzu is dead. This body is that of Sebastian Castle.” He eyeballed Sylvara and smiled widely. “Well, aren’t you a treasure. Hel-lo beautiful.”
Razer huffed a laugh and lay down, placing his head on Pazuzu’s—Sebastian’s—lap.
Rolf snarled, “She’s not beautiful. She’s mine.”
Sylvara sighed. “This again? And why can’t I be beautiful and yours? Do I need to be ugly for you to possess me?”
Sebastian snickered. “She’s got you there, draugr.”
“I hate you.”
“Oh, them’s fighting words.” Sebastian stroked Razer’s head. “I like this one. He could devour the world and come back for seconds. Aren’t you adorable?” Then he said to Sylvara, “Tell you what, female—”
“Sylvara.”
“—when we’re done with the world-saving, how about we go out for a drink?”
Rolf snorted. “Really? You’re going to help save the world? Don’t you mean destroy it?”
“That’s all in the past. Besides, a little mess never hurt anyone. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs, as they say.”
“Except this mess is going to break a lot of people with all that destruction,” she had to point out.
“Well, that’s true. But mortals are born to die, are they not? And they’re not nearly as much fun to play with as valkyries.” Sebastian blew her a kiss.
“I will tear your arms off and beat you with them,” Rolf warned, his voice low.
Yet Razer didn’t seem alarmed. He licked Sebastian’s fingers.
“Gosh, Rolf. This is going to be so much fun! All of us together at the end to fight vampires and demons and chaos. Hurray!”
Sylvara caught Razer’s amusement and spotted the grin Rolf tried to hide.
He saw her staring and murmured, “He’s fun when he’s trying to kill things. But if he keeps flirting with you, I will kill him.”
“Aw, that’s adorable.” She smiled at him.
His frown deepened. “Ech. So ugly. Where are your glorious muscles? Such a hag.”
Sylvara laughed and placed her hand on Rolf’s knee.
He laced his fingers through hers and held on.
She didn’t pull away as they drove closer toward the battle to come.