At that, she smiled. “No, I just prefer not to be questioned about it.”
“Would you like another?” I asked, tilting her head to the other side. “You know, so you can match on both sides.”
“I do like matching sets,” she laughed.
I lifted her up and laid her over the coffee table, her fiery hair fanning out around her face. Her moans filled the living room once again, and for a while, it kept my mind off of that odd feeling, that moment we shared and whatever the hell it meant. All the knowledge I’d collected until now, what I’d prided myself on, was useless when it came to her.
That, more than anything, was terrifying.
Chapter 6
Lexi
After the crazy turn my life had taken recently, Thanksgiving dinner brought back a sense of normalcy that I almost missed. Only, rather than turkey, a huge wild boar was the centerpiece to our meal, complete with a shiny red apple in its mouth. My dad sat at one end of the table, looking proud of himself for the haul, and my mother sat at the other, shaking her head but smiling. Heidi sat in the empty seat across from me, the giant calico Maine Coon waiting patiently for someone to add meat to the small plate my mom had placed in front of her.
Beside me, Lucifer snorted. “Committed to studying humans, huh? Everyone knows turkey is the traditional main for Thanksgiving.”
“Turkey is boring and overdone,” Loki replied, carving into the huge animal’s flank. “This is prized stock from Odin’s private wood.” He laid a slice on Heidi’s plate and it instantly cubed into small, bite-sized pieces for her.
I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t contain my amusement. “I thought you were trying to gain allies, not make enemies.”
“Oh, that one’s already been made, I assure you. But he’s unaware of the theft, which really takes the fun out of it. He hasn’t set foot amongst those trees in ages.” Loki curled his lip, but continued cutting and serving the meat. “Regardless, he may still serve as an ally, should you be desperate enough, so long as he sees neither me nor Lexi.”
“For Lexi’s sake, I hope we won’t need him,” Lucifer said. “Tiptoeing around each other isn’t conducive for wartime.”
Much as I wanted Lucifer to have all the help we could conjure up, I had to agree. All the Asgardians would be out for my blood if they knew I existed, just as they came for my siblings. Odin was powerful, and could arguably turn the tide in the war effort, but things would go to shit real quick if he saw me at Lucifer’s side. And I had no doubt he was powerful enough to know who and what I was on sight.
“I’ll hand it to them, though,” Loki continued. “They do know how to throw a party.”
Suddenly, my childhood home became a huge dining hall. There was a roaring fire at both ends of the room, a wreath hanging on the walls above them, and towering trees in each corner decorated with pinecones and animal figures carved from what looked like bone. Unfamiliar faces milled around, laughing, cheering, drinking, and a goat bleated from somewhere in the crowd. It was a Yule celebration, I realized.
Everyone wore old-fashioned clothes—lots of leather and fur, fine robes, bits of ceremonial armor, a few of the women wearing nice gowns—and I glanced around to find us wearing the same stuff. Loki, naturally, bore his trademark green and gold, the style slightly more rustic than his movie likeness. Lucifer looked every bit the warrior I’d always imagined, even before I met him, in gleaming red and gold and black. My mom wore a beautiful emerald green dress with a knotted leather belt around her hips and fur around her cuffs, and I wore a similar one in red but with a dark leather corset thing wrapped around my torso.
I almost scolded him for playing his dress-up games again, but the unmasked longing in his eyes held my tongue. My dad smiled fondly as a muscley red-haired man walked past, raising his drink toward a small group of people near the front of the hall. Despite all the crap he went through at their hands, I could see how much he missed this. They were his family, if only by a sacred bond. I couldn’t imagine having all this and then losing it. He kept the full story close to his chest, but I knew enough history to know how things ended up the way they had.
Mom reached over and plucked the tiny horned helmet off of Heidi’s head. “This does seem like fun. Perhaps we can recreate something similar with our allies for the upcoming solstice. Would you like to help?”
Loki’s attention returned to my mom and, after a long moment, he nodded and forced a smile. “I’d like that.”
“I don’t actually have to wear this, though, right?” I asked, tugging at one of the long sleeves. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but I had to be in a certain mood to wear a dress and today was not that day. “The corset’s kinda cool, but the rest is…”
“Perfect,” Lucifer said with a wink. “It suits you, makes you look fierce. With a sword hanging at your hip, you could be one of the Valkyries.”
I snorted and shook my head. “I’d stab myself with a sword. Magic is enough.”
The illusion disappeared and I was left in my cozy grey sweater and dark wash jeans. Both of my parents were watching me with amused expressions, and I wondered if I missed something or said something weird. I scooped some potatoes onto my plate and tried to ignore their stares.
“Magic is handy, but a good weapon can act as a focus for it.” Loki waved his hand and a dagger appeared. “That's why I use these. They’re… sort of like Harry’s wand, but for a warrior. They can channel and direct your magic, help you focus it.”
Mom nodded at his explanation. “Unlike those books, though, foci are not the first thing you get as a witch, or anyone who wields magic. We haven’t gotten there yet, but perhaps we should reconsider in this case.”
Lucifer cleared his throat and set his fork down. “About that.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” I muttered.
“I’ve contacted Hephaestus about moving up our timeline,” he continued. “Michael brought word last night that angels are dying from what looks like an archangel blade. I’ve sent him to check on Uriel, but in the meantime, we need to proceed as if Abaddon has succeeded in creating his weapon. How are the preparations going for Boston’s wards?”
“Camilla Greene called me early this morning.” Mom gave me a knowing look, and I fought not to shrink down into my seat. “She’s organizing her coven to make sure we have the assistance we need when the markers are ready next week. Chloe is meeting with the other coven leader, Ms. Everett, tomorrow morning at Camilla’s insistence. As for my own people, we have everything ready to go.”
