Prologue
Celeste Dubois stared into her looking glass.
Today, she wasn’t answering the calls of her sister witches in the bayou. Neither was she watching over her charges in the mortal realm. Today, she was shaking her head as she stared out over all the realms. There was a group of individuals who’d captured her attention.
Villains.
Celeste rolled her eyes. The villains were up to their usual shenanigans. Even though they were wicked, villains had always held a special place in her heart. There was once a time when she was considered a villain.
There was also a time when her mate was considered a villain. She knew what it was like to be hated by those who didn’t understand you. Her and her mate had gone through many trials and tribulations.
Some people said she was evil. Some said her mate was evil. Some said her use of dark magic was immoral. Some said the fact that her mate used to be a witch hunter was a reason she shouldn’t be with him.
People loved voicing their opinions, but they never stopped to help. Nor did they try to find out what happened in your life to make you the way you were. Yes, her and her mate had done some wicked things in the past.
That didn’t mean they couldn’t do better, be better. Luckily for her and her mate, they’d been given a second chance. An opportunity to change their wicked ways. And this time, they were doing things differently.
This time, they were both following a positive path. Maybe that was what these villains needed. A second chance. A do-over. She could grant them that. With a simple spell, she could erase their past transgressions.
Only they would remember the crimes they’d committed. It would be up to them to do better this time around. It would be up to them to make better choices. Celeste smiled. Yes, that was exactly what she was going to do.
Standing up, she left the room and went in search of her mate. It was time for them to take a trip. It was time for them to visit a few villains. This should be interesting.
∞∞∞
Ragnarök
Loki
I fall to the ground, mortally wounded by Heimdallr. I cough in pain as I feel my life source drain from my body.Is this how it feels to die?The world as we know it burns and crumbles beneath us good. I’m fine with the destruction of them resulting in my death.Heimdallr curses me as he gasps for air. He fought a good fight, but we’ll die with the rest. They don’t deserve glory, to live as if they’re less flawed than the humans occupying Midgard. They are worse, all of them are much more damaged except for Sigyn. My wife is worthy of much more love than I’d given her, but my dislike of my peers colored my treatment of her. I’d sent her away before this. She’ll survive if she listened to me.
I grimace in pain, but the faintest smile graces my lips when Asgard falls, but I’m no longer alone. I feel her presence before I see her. A young beautiful woman, a witch. She navigates the destruction with bare feet as if it’s a Sunday stroll in a serene garden. Her green headwrap and dress flow with her, unbothered by the fire.
“Loki,” she greets me “You’ve been bad. But I’m not here to lecture you; I like it.”
“Good. I’m too busy dying. I feel fantastic by the way.” The joke barely leaves my lips when her unfriendly companion’s scowl deepens.
I’m the one dying. What’s his problem?
“Let’s make this quick. I’m here to offer you a second chance. A do-over. I can erase everyone’s memories of your crimes…”
“Fuck them. I’m fine with being an infamous myth. I only care about Sigyn’s memory. If I get a redo, I want one with her.”
The witch scrunches her beautiful face. “Umm...you were a terrible husband. I’ll grant your amendment on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“To prove you’ll be different for her, you’ll have to find her. She could be any woman on any stretch of earth…”
“Where?”
“You call it Midgard. She’ll be mortal, you must save her from her mortality. Only the bond of real love will restore her goddess status.”
“Wait, what if she dies before I find her.”
“She’ll be reborn,” she sing-songs. “Try, try, again.”
“You really are a witch.” Even with dying, I appreciate the tainted fulfillment of my wish. We would have gotten along fine.
“It’s Eternal Witch, Celeste Dubois to you. Do we have a deal?”
“As long as I keep my divinity.”
“Deal.”
Celeste begins to mumble a spell in a foreign tongue. She continues despite the quaking ground beginning to fall beneath us. My eyes begin to shut just as the rest of Asgard collapses.
