What if he failed?
The answer was easy. If he failed and Loki took Solveig, he’d amass a fucking army and drown the world to find her.
Solveig’s voice cut through his racing thoughts.
“How?” she breathed, her eyes still wide with shock. She’d stopped struggling when Loki revealed his true nature.
Fight, Solveig, fight back,he urged, though she couldn’t hear him.
“Again, simple. It is truly boring sometimes, outsmarting everyone,” Loki said with a sigh. “After Ragnarök, most of the Aesir had perished, like the prophecies foretold. But Thor, bless his little heart, Thor saved the universe at the last second, even as my beloved wolf attacked, throwing his little hammer and tying the essence of the universe to it.”
Westley absorbed the information. Was it true, or more falsehoods?
Loki continued. “He didn’t realize that his spell would steal the power from each god and goddess who remained alive at the end. Without our magic, we were not susceptible to the end of gods—we’d fallen from grace, tied to this new world. It is our magic that fuels your lands, our magic that was taken from us.”
Solveig’s eyes widened at the revelation. Westley desperately wanted her to drop the shield, to let him help her. He pleaded with his eyes.
“Only blessed Thor retained his power,” Loki spat, clearly still bitter. “Once the dust settled and we realized what had happened, he rallied the other living gods and goddesses to follow him. As the sole Aesir left with magic, he ruled the world, everyone bowing to him. I simply could not have that. I bided my time, learning that I could steal my own power back from the land itself.” Loki smirked, pride emanating from his sullen face.
“Ever wonder why Midgard doesn’t have any magic? Because of the weakness of that pathetic race, the realm succumbed to me. Not even Thor could save his precious mortals, not when he had no idea what I was up to. He never had before.
“The other realms were more difficult, better protected. With Idavoll’s newest religion, the gods and goddesses were being powered again, and I realized why. Prayers were gifting the magic back. That’s when the idea struck me, and I whispered in Ragnvald’s ear.”
Westley swallowed hard. This war wasn’t about the realms at all—it was a fucking consequence of Ragnarök. A game of the damned gods that had begun the moment this new Yggdrasil had formed.
Loki continued his monologue like he had all the time in the world. Westley’s gaze was locked on Solveig’s as they listened to her father.
“Thor always had a soft spot for me, so it was easy to convince him that I had remained powerless. He believed that no one would pray to me and took pity on me. Fool. I wasn’t sure it would work, but I gave it a try. What would happen if one god prayed to another?”
“You made him pray to you?” Solveig asked.
Loki’s grin was wicked. “Yes. But I couldn’t hold it.”
“It was too powerful for you?”
“No!” Loki boomed. “Thor’s magic is my opposite, and this weakened body couldn’t hold both powers at once. I had to place it into someone in hopes that they would gift it back when I found a way to wield it.
“It took a while—even the other Aesir, and I realized why. His magic was too powerful because it was pure. He’d never lost it like the rest of us had. The person who held it had to be extraordinary, untouched by Ragnarök.
“The Aesir had vowed not to make any offspring as we were unsure what the repercussions would be. Most of us are greedy, and we didn’t know if we would lose power to our spawn. Little did they know, I had already tested the theory when I tried to find someone to give Thor’s magic to.
“The offspring I created with each race did nothing to quell my power. But the little mutts couldn’t hold Thor’s power, so they were of little use to me.
“Knowing none of the Aesir would let me impregnate them, I had to muster enough of my magic to transform into Thor and make a goddess sleep with me. It took a few tries, but eventually I was successful.”
Loki paused dramatically to let that sink in. Westley’s hands dropped to his side, barely able to stand as his knees buckled.
Not a demigod.
Holy fucking shit.
“No,” Solveig breathed. “My mother was Vanir.”
“In a way, yes,” Loki said, his eyes twinkling.
It was obvious he’d held this in for centuries—millennia, even—and it was all pouring out. He had a captive audience and wasmilking it for every second of attention, like he needed someone to finally witness his brilliance.
“She didn’t have much magic at the time, only Sight, so she’d been able to live a normal life. Well, as normal as it could be as the strongest Seer to ever live. But Frigg was happy in the life she’d made for herself.”
