My wings burst out behind me as I abandoned my mask. My aura, my presence, ran freely, encouraging anyone who was looking for a fight to find me. I pushed it as far as it would go, making myself a beacon, hoping to attract Abaddon’s attention. If he wanted me badly enough, he would send someone tolerant to daylight. I wanted them to come for me.
Then I would have them escort me back so I could wipe them all out.
“Rein it in, Lu.”
I spun around to see Loki lounging nearby on a beach chair, a huge umbrella over his head. He peered at me over dark aviator sunglasses and cocked an eyebrow.
“You’re being dramatic,” he said. He stretched and stood, his beach accessories vanishing. “I should know. I’ve been called a drama queen a time or three.”
“What are you doing here?”
Loki stopped beside me, looking out over the neighborhood and the ocean just beyond it. “I’ve got the entire house shielded. No one felt your aura and no one is coming.”
I blinked at him. “How? With as much power as I’m putting out now, even I couldn’t mask the entire house.”
He grinned and took a bow. “One of the many tricks and talents of yours truly. Besides, as I said before, a god trumps an angel. Especially one who just turned into a heartbroken diva.”
“I’m not heartbroken,” I growled, turning away. I ignored the tell-tale static of my own lie on my skin, folding my arms defensively. “You have to care to let that happen.”
“Oh?” Loki appeared in front of me and pinched my cheeks. “Has my daughter made a liar of you, too?”
I smacked his hands away. “Fuck you, trickster. This doesn’t concern you anymore. You’ve done your damage, now let me do mine in peace.”
Loki’s sparkling green gaze hardened and I held my tongue. I had a healthy respect for him, but I also knew his temper could equal mine. If we pulled out all the stops and fought, I couldn’t be certain who’d win. Then if I did come out on top, I’d be too weak to resist when Abaddon followed the power trail we would leave behind, chains in hand.
“Turn off the road flare and pull up your big boy panties so we can talk like civilized adults.”
Rather than pointing out we were not, in fact, civilized adults, I drew everything back in and sat down. Loki nodded pointedly, then crouched in front of me. Like a parent scolding a pouting child. I gritted my teeth and met his eyes.
“I don’t actually care about the prophecy,” he said quietly, any hint of his brief anger gone. “All I ever wanted was happiness for my daughter, and freedom from the wrath of the Æsir and the Vanir—at least until she came into her power and could hold her own.”
“What else is she?” The question left my mouth before I could stop it, but Loki only smiled.
“Not telling.” He winked. Yeah, should’ve figured that one.
“I’ve never felt so much power in a demigod before,” I admitted. “Even Heracles paled in comparison, and he was the strongest of all of them.”
Loki’s smile faltered. “I gave her what she needed to survive what the Fates held in store for her, and so did her mother.”
Her mother, the witch.“I was with her just a few minutes ago and said something that made her angry.” I tilted my head, picturing the shift in her aura. “Her magic changed. I’m used to the chaotic buzz by now, but this was just around her head. Dark purple flares in her aura.”
He narrowed his eyes and looked away. “We only gave her power. We don’t decide how it manifests.”
Was he saying even he didn’t know what she was capable of? “So, if you didn’t care about the prophecy, why did you—”
“I only brought it up because of the timing. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that you landed in the city my darling daughter was going to school in,” he said. “And the fact you set up shop in her neighborhood threw up flags. Maybe Ihavebeen waiting for this for a long time, but watching her grow up... I knew it was coming, whether I wanted it or not, so I decided to pitch in and help things along.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “And then I fucked your plans up. She hates me now. Probably for the best.”
“No, it’s not.” Loki finally sat down, crossing his legs and looking, for all intents and purposes, relaxed. “You made her happier than I’ve ever seen her before. She loves you, and you love her.”
I bared my teeth, bracing against another wave of static. “Love is a human emotion.”
“I beg to differ.” He tilted his chin up. “I have loved more greatly than you can imagine. I would destroy the worlds for the safety of my children. Uproot Yggdrasil itself. I will yet have my day with Odin for his role in the death of my sons and wife. You cannot deny such a feeling for Lexi.”
Loki’s hand smacked down over my mouth as soon as I opened it to argue.
“Lie to yourself all you want, devil, but don’t lie to me.” His tone was harsh, his eyes glowing with licks of green flames. “It’s a very human thing to do, lying to oneself. Especially since you have the ability to detect lies but are apparently unaware of your own. You have to remind yourself”—his lips tilted up—“what it is youtrulydesire.”
