‘You look good in anything,’ he replied smoothly, ‘and nothing.’ Then his voice grew brusque. ‘Now that you’re here, it’s time to get the show on the road.’ He gave me a pointed look. ‘Listen to Loki, okay?’
Loki’s mind brushed against mine.Krieg will tell you anything you need to know through me,the bird explained. The full sentences of his mind speech still took me aback. Robbie was a piper and could probably speak directly into my mind if I lowered my mental shields, but now didn’t feel like the time to experiment with that, and I had my mind locked down tight. Loki was able to talk to me because our bond superseded my mental defences.
Okay,I responded.Thank you bud.
‘Kærasta,’ Robbie said loudly to me, and the whole place fell shockingly silent.
He says to call him Kærasti,Loki instructed.
‘Kærasti,’ I replied, and Robbie’s eyes twinkled as gasps rippled from the other scantily clad attendees.
‘The den welcomes you. Take in its warmth and respite.’ He gestured to the fire.
I parroted the words Loki fed to me. ‘I am grateful for the warmth and respite. I will protect it for all to enjoy.’
Robbie drew his sword from his side and held it out to me. As instructed, I pricked my finger on the blade, which was sosharp that blood instantly welled at the tiniest pressure. Then I squeezed a drop of blood directly into the flames.
Be ready,Loki murmured, which seemed like a very unhelpful direction indeed.
Because it felt right, I moved to stand next to Robbie – not in front of him as a supplicant, but next to him as a partner. Then I placed both hands on the mace’s shaft, legs akimbo, stance ready to fight.
‘That’s my mace!’ Fuck You said as she stormed over.
‘Oh hey, Fuck You. How are you doing?’ I gave her a wide smile.
She let out an inarticulate scream, drew a sword, and swung at me. Robbie’s own sword moved before I even started to lower the mace. Icouldhave used my magic, but that felt like cheating.
Robbie’s sword clashed with hers in a shriek of steel and sparks as he stepped forward to avenge my honour. It was kind of nice having someone fight for me like that, and heat ran through my veins as I watched his muscles bunch and roll as he fought for me. Now was not the time to get horny, yet here I was.
‘Enough Edda!’ Robbie barked, voice cracking through the gathering like a whip.
The much more boringly named Edda was past reason. Her blue eyes were fixed on me and brimming with malice as she ducked under his blade and lunged for me. The mace – her mace – thrummed in my hands and I swung at her in a perfect arc meant to disarm, not kill.
It was her turn to block, and she did so while snarling, spittle flying, ‘You don’t belong here, bitch!’
‘You’re not the first to throw that particular epithet at me today,’ I muttered.
She kicked, catching me hard in the ribs. Pain blossomed across my side, but before I could recover, Robbie was there,moving like liquid shadow. He grabbed her wrist mid-swing and twisted until her sword clattered to the flagstones.
‘One more move …’ he warned.
She spat in his face. ‘You’ve gone soft. Letting humans into our den—’
Robbie’s jaw flexed, eyes flashing molten mercury. The fire behind him roared, reflecting in the taut lines of his muscles.
‘You dare insult my mate before the den?’ he growled.
‘Mate?’ she hissed, laughter bubbling up sharp and ugly. She looked at me with utter disdain, her mouth turned down in a sneer. ‘She’s your plaything. You’ll toss her away when you’re done, and then I’ll—’
Robbie moved. His face was a blank mask as his sword arced towards her. She started to raise her sword but it was too late. Fixated on me, she had missed the beginning of his swing.
His sword bit into her throat, slicing through the skin like it was paper. Red-hot blood welled, yet he had sliced her with an insane amount of skill and care, and it became clear that the wound was shallow, not fatal.
Edda’s sword clanged to the ground as her hands flew in shock to scrabble at her neck, her eyes bulging.
‘The mark across your throat will heal and scar. And if you raise a hand to my mate again, I will make the slice across your throat permanent. I only show such mercy,’ Robbie said mildly, ‘because I entertained the idea of mating with you once, and I know this transition has been painful for you.’
Robbie picked up Edda’s fallen sword and passed it to me. ‘Recompense for the insult given. You are within your rights to kill her if you see fit.’
