33. Erik

Before Magnar and I could develop any semblance of a plan, Valentina stepped into the carriage flanked by two Elite. She waved them back and they turned to stand guard outside as the train doors closed behind them.

She’d changed her clothes into a low-cut white dress that fell to her knees. I wondered where exactly she was keeping all of these fine things in a place like this. Even though she was driven into hiding in my city, she was still walking around like she owned the place.

A bitter taste filled my mouth as she approached us, smiling through the bars. “I had no idea you would show up today too,” she said to Magnar. “That trap was for Erik, but I caught you both in the same net.” She glanced between us and I stared evenly back at her, hoping she might be tempted to join me in my cage so I could tear her throat out.

“What do you want?” Magnar growled.

Valentina’s gaze flicked to him. “I want what I’ve always wanted. Power. You both had the chance to hand it to me. I would have been an adoring wife. I would have made you both happy beyond your wildest dreams. If either of you had married me like you’d promised then I would have been a queen. But now that chance is gone...and I have taken the power you both denied me. I seized my own crown without either of your help.”

I shared a look with Magnar as hatred bubbled in my veins.

“So now, I’m going to do what you both did to me for years. When you toyed with me, dangled my heart’s desire before my eyes. I’m going to make you wish you’d married me when you had the opportunity.”

“My biggest regret in life is not plunging a sword into your chest,” Magnar said dryly. “It will never be not marrying you.”

“Agreed,” I muttered and Valentina’s eyes blazed with lightning.

“You’ll change your minds on that,” she said after a beat of silence, reining in her temper. “The sooner you come around to the idea, the sooner you can get out of these cages.” She smiled cruelly, inching closer to the bars and I wondered if I could reach her through them. “The gods are my allies now.” Her smile widened and an energy pulsed through the air which concerned me.

Idun’s powers descended on me again and Magnar rolled his shoulders, evidently sensing it too.

“How easy it is for the glorious Idun to control your hearts,” Valentina purred. “It’s so obvious to me now that the gods were the ones driving your actions when you chose other women. It is why I was denied, but I have prayed to them and they have finally answered.”

A shudder ran through me and the feel of warm fingers tightened around my heart. My head swum and I blinked heavily as I succumbed to Idun’s power.

My love for Montana was moulded and reshaped inside me, forcing it onto Valentina instead. I growled, trying to fight it but the will of Idun pushed into me and I became a slave to it.

I saw Valentina in a new light, one that intoxicated me body and soul. I wanted her. Needed her.

I moved toward the bars, reaching out for her and I spied Magnar doing the same on my right.

Valentina grinned hungrily at us. “Patience boys...you’ll have to fight for a night with me.”

“Yes, anything,” I croaked, my heart clenching. I had to get nearer. I’d do anything to touch her.

“I’ll fight,” Magnar promised. “Just come closer.”

Valentina shifted toward him, reaching out to caress his cheek through the bars. He shivered at her touch, brushing his fingers along her arm.

“I’ve wronged you,” he sighed. “Let me make it right, my love.”

“You can,” she whispered. “Soon, but not yet. Let’s have some fun first.”

Her eyes glimmered with darkness and the power of Idun circled around me. The bars parting me from Magnar bent apart, creating a large gap between them.

“Fight for me,” Valentina commanded and a growl ripped from my throat as I lunged toward the opening without hesitation. If she wanted him wounded, I was more than happy to comply. I longed for nothing more than to please her.

Magnar caught me by the neck as I entered his cage, slamming me to the floor and pinning me in place. I clawed at his arms, aiming a rough kick into his stomach. This slayer was standing between me and the woman I hungered for. He would die and then she would be mine.

Jealousy rose inside me like a tide as Valentina gazed at Magnar appreciatively. I forced him off of me, smashing my fist into his jaw and her appraising gaze moved to me instead, filling me with satisfaction.

Magnar came at me with a bellow, driving his knuckles into my gut. I caught his wrist, clamping my fangs down on his arm and drinking deeply.

He cried out as I held on. The slayer jammed his elbow into my back and my fangs came free as he yanked his arm away from me. He caught me in a choke hold, dragging me back against him and I slammed my foot down on his. Bones crunched and he cursed, throwing me forward so I collided with the bars.

Valentina clapped, laughing as she watched.

Magnar caught me by the throat, yanking me upright and trying to tear my head off. I threw my weight back and we toppled to the ground as I crushed him beneath me. Rolling, I snarled down at him and his eyes locked with mine. A memory seeped into my mind of this exact thing, me and him fighting under the dark shadow of a statue. But I’d stopped. Why had I stopped?

The gods.

Montana!

I lurched off of him, shaking my head as I reclaimed my own heart.

Magnar stared at me in confusion as if he was struggling to do the same thing. He panted on the floor, pushing himself upright and backing away from me.

“Alright,” Valentina sighed. “Play nice for a while.”

Idun’s power forced itself into me again and I blinked hard as my love shifted onto Magnar instead of her. A lump lodged in my throat as he gazed back at me and my eyes trailed eagerly down his muscular torso.

Wait...no.

I tried to capture the image of the dark-haired girl who held my heart, but it evaded me. Maybe it was him I loved...

“Why is he looking at me like that?” Magnar growled, turning his attention to Valentina.

He was so fierce...his muscles tensed and firm beneath his shirt. A shirt I had every intention of tearing off as I stepped forward.

“Woah, woah, woah-” Magnar held up a hand, pressing it to my chest and lust impacted with the place he touched.

I smiled, reaching out to skate my fingers over his jaw. Desire coursed through my blood, begging me to kiss him.

“Stop it.” He smacked my arm away and a bitter rejection filled me.

“Oh Magnar, don’t be shy,” Valentina encouraged and Magnar stilled, wincing as Idun’s power grew stronger around us.

“No- wait!” he begged then his tensed jaw fell slack and his mouth tilted into a sideways smile.

His golden eyes locked with mine, starting a tremor in my chest.

“Hi,” he breathed and a ripple of love fell through me, drawing me to him even more powerfully.

I stepped forward to close the gap between us and Valentina’s taunting laughter rang in my ears.

A small scrap of my own self fought its way into my head and I lurched backwards as Magnar tried to plant a kiss on me.

I rubbed a hand over my eyes, trying to rid myself of this strange need growing inside me.

Is Idun fucking insane? Why is she playing Valentina’s games?

Magnar caught my arm, dragging my hand from my eyes and moving toward me until my back hit the bars. Idun’s claws dug into my heart and I was her slave once more as I reached out to run a thumb across Magnar’s cheek.

He smiled dreamily and I smiled right back. Why had we ever been enemies? He was so...alluring.

He fisted his hand in my hair, leaning closer, his breath floating over my face. I caught him by the back of his neck, desire overwhelming me as I dragged him forward. His mouth slammed against mine and my heart sung with joy. I needed to get closer. I needed to get that damn shirt off of him.

I clawed at his shoulders and he shoved me harder against the bars, responding with equal passion as he scraped his nails down my spine.

“Ma’am, we have Familiars in the area.” The redhead girl strode into the carriage, looking between us in surprise.

Idun’s power evaporated in a heartbeat and my thoughts slammed back into alignment.

“Argh!” I shoved Magnar away and he stumbled, his face contorting as his own heart realigned with the truth.

What. The. Actual. Fuck. Idun?

The goddess’s laughter swept over me and I clenched my jaw, practically grinding my teeth to dust. Magnar turned away from me, his eyes clamped shut. If I was tormented by this, I imagined he was feeling ten times worse considering he blamed me for his father’s death.

Valentina whipped her hand through the air and a sharp wind forced me back into my cage. The bars bent back into place between me and Magnar and she promptly strode from the carriage with the redhead, muttering, “I was just getting to the best bit.”

“Sorry, your highness. We need you up top,” the redhead replied just before the doors closed and I felt Idun’s presence leaving with them.

I looked away from Magnar, dropping down onto the floor, horrified by what the goddess was capable of.

“Don’t say a word,” Magnar growled.

“Trust me, I wasn’t going to,” I replied, tucking my knees up to my chest. “That twisted bitch.”

“If you ever look at me like that again, I’ll rip your eyes out,” Magnar snarled.

“I thought we weren’t talking about it?” I snapped.

“We’re not. I’m just saying.”

“Yeah? Well you seemed pretty keen yourself a second ago, Magnar. So if Idun wants my eyes intact, you’re fucked.”

Magnar pressed his lips together. “We have to beat them somehow,” he said eventually.

“The goddess is using us as puppets, what are we supposed to do?”

Magnar shook his head then he turned to me with an idea lighting his eyes. “Idun’s only doing this because she’s angry with us.”

“What’s your point?” I asked.

“Maybe we can get her on our side again.”

“Well what is it she wants?” I asked.

Magnar fell quiet, brushing some invisible lint from his knees as he avoided my gaze. “I don’t know. Maybe she wants me to honour my betrothal to Valentina.”

“Great idea, you go through with the wedding while I escape,” I taunted.

He glowered at me. “Not happening.”

“Then we’re back to square one,” I muttered.

“Not quite.” Magnar rose to his feet, approaching the bars separating us. “The next time she tries that bullshit on us, we’ll be ready. You almost fought it off, didn’t you? If I focused on Callie, I could nearly manage it too.”

I nodded, glancing over at him. “Even if we do fight it off, we’re still stuck in these cages.”

“Not if she lets us out,” Magnar said thoughtfully. “Maybe we can pretend long enough for her to think we’re still under Idun’s spell.”

“There’s a lot of ifs involved in that plan,” I commented.

“We don’t have another option,” Magnar bit at me. “It’s our only chance.”

“Fine,” I sighed, falling back onto the floor and cupping my head with my hands. What Idun had done to us replayed in my mind and I grimaced. It was going to take a goddamn century to rid myself of the memory of Magnar’s tongue in my mouth.

Valentina was one fucked up woman. But I knew I’d had a hand in causing her anger. I’d fucked her on and off for years, vaguely promising things which I’d never had any intention of fulfilling. I wished I’d never met her. And I wished even more that I’d never laid a hand on her. She’d been trying to earn a place at my side since we’d met and I’d refused it for a thousand years. I had to admit, she had some serious patience. But why she hadn’t figured out that I was never going to give her what she wanted was a mystery to me.

Maybe I’d been too convincing in my lies.

Sure we’ll marry one day...when the time is right.

I’d told her that once. What had I been thinking? Since I’d met Montana a lot of my former bullshit had ebbed away. I’d changed for the better. No woman had ever sparked that in me. Which was why I knew with all my heart that she was the one. And no scorned biter with a thousand years of pent-up vengeance in her heart was going to change that.