Chapter Three
“Little frami, where are you running off to?” Fenrir's deep voice rumbled through me as he steadied me by my upper arms.
“Dad?” I looked up. “Oh, uh, did you find Ty?”
“No, I can't feel him.” His expression became worried. “He's alive. I can sense that much. But it's like his cord disappears into fog.”
“Son of a biscuit,” I muttered. “Okay, stay with Trevor. I'll be right back.” I tried to move around him, but if you compared my father-in-law to Dwayne Johnson, he'd dwarf him—the Rock next to a mountain. He took up the entire doorway.
Fenrir stepped out of my way. “Where are you going?”
“I need to see Odin!” I ran down the stairs, the metal echoing.
“What about Ty?” Fenrir shouted after me.
“He's fine, Dad. They won't hurt him!” I slapped my hand on the tracing wall.
In seconds, the Aether pulled me in and threw me into another realm. I reformed in the tracing room of Pride Palace. After fumbling with the lock, I shoved the door open.
“Odin!” I ran for the front door. “Odin!”
Odin came in just as I reached the open doors. “What's happened?”
“Where's the magic condenser?”
Odin frowned. “Upstairs. Why?”
“I think the trickster's back.”
“What?”
“What about Ty?” Viper, standing in the doorway with my other husbands, asked.
“I think he left with the trickster.”
The men cursed.
All but Viper, who sighed. “Love will make you do crazy things.”
I couldn't argue with that. Viper waited years for me in the Void, certain we were meant to be together.
When I summoned the Star Gods from the place where souls were truly born, he latched onto my magic, knowing it was his best chance to get to me.
He didn't care that I had gone dark or that I pulled him into that darkness with me.
All that mattered to Viper was that we were together.
Yes, love will make you do crazy things. It will compromise your morality and maybe even turn you against your family.
So, instead of replying, I ran for the elevator, Odin hot on my heels.
We left the others downstairs, the two of us tapping our feet as we waited for the golden cage to rise.
As soon as it settled at the top floor, Odin shoved the folding door open and lurched out.
He raced through our suite and up the tower steps to his bedroom.
“You hid it under your bed?” I panted as I leaned against the doorframe.
“What better place? Anyone after it would have to go through me.” Odin swept his arm between the mattress and the box spring. Then he stood up, flipping the mattress over as he did.
“Only when you're sleeping.” I stared at the box spring.
There was no magic condenser. There was, however, a note.
I snatched it up and read aloud, “Thank you for your contribution.” Lifting the paper, I sniffed it, just in case. There was no scent. “Damn, that's cryptic. Where's the clue? The trickster always leaves a clue.”
Odin didn't yell. He didn't curse. He just stood there, arms down at his sides, and stared at the bare box spring.
“That sneaky little poopy pants!” I crumpled the paper. “They came into our home.”
Odin replaced the mattress and smoothed out the bedding.
“Odin?”
He straightened and turned to face me. I flinched. His expression showed all the rage his actions had withheld.
“Oh, damn,” I whispered. “Daddy's angry.”
Odin lifted a hand and clenched it into a fist. “How do we protect ourselves against someone who can walk through wards and a crowded home without being seen? Even worse, they leave no trace of their passing.”
“I don't know, baby.” I plopped onto his bed. “Even Fenrir can't find Ty. He says the cord that connects them vanishes into fog.”
“What?” Odin sat down beside me.
“Is it gone?” Kirill rushed into the room, followed by Viper and Azrael.
“Yup.” I held up the crumpled note. “They thanked us for our contribution.”
“Contribution,” Azrael repeated. “Sounds as if they're keeping it this time.”
Odin grabbed my hand. “Fenrir said it just vanishes?”
“Yeah, he says he can sense that Ty is alive, but the cord is gone.”
“Gone or invisible?”
“Isn't it the same thing? If Fenrir can't see it, it's gone.”
“No, gone means it's not there. Invisible means it's there, but he can't see it. If Fenrir can still sense Ty, the cord must still be there.”
“As I said, the cord is there, but vanishes into fog.”
“So Ty didn't leave a trail?” Azrael asked.
“No.” I shoved the note into my pocket. “Fenrir is waiting for me at Moonshine with Trevor and three other gods, two of whom the trickster has stolen from.”
“He stole from two more gods?” Azrael stood over. “Which ones?”
“Ereshkigal of the Sumerians and Hephaestus.”
“Hephaestus?” Azrael's wide, pale blue eyes shifted to stare at Odin.
“What did they take?” Viper asked.
“A power core from Hephaestus, and Ereshkigal's keys to the Underworld.”
“Underworld keys, a power source, and the magic condenser,” Viper mused. “What are they building?”
“That's the question.” I glanced at Azrael.
The last thing the trickster built with god items was a tool that brought Azrael back from stasis. What would this one do?
“He hasn't left us a clue,” Odin said. “This isn't a game anymore.”
“Da, game's over.” Kirill spun on his heels and left the room.