Dead Wrath (A Valkyrie Novel - Book 4)(14)

"Has he been giving you a hard time?" I asked softly.

"No more than he usually does," she answered with a grin.

"You two do know I'm right here and I can hear you?" he asked, but neither of us paid him any attention.

"How is he?" I asked.

"I've removed the arrows and managed to close the broken arteries, so I think he should be fine. Ulfr heal much faster than most species. His wounds are already beginning to knit."

Fen grunted. "I am still here, you know."

We both laughed softly and Eir waved me off. I went to Fen's side and took a seat on a small stool that sat beside his bed. "Why so grumpy?"

He huffed and glared at me. "You try being confined to bed with three holes in your chest."

"Stop being such a baby. Eir said the wounds are already closing. You're as bad as human men when they get sick. You'd think you were about to keel over and die from those three pinpricks," I said, raising an eyebrow and finding it incredibly hard not to laugh.

"You sound just like Sigrun," said Fen, shaking his head. A grin tugged at his lips.

"Well, somebody has to make sure you don't make a mountain out of a molehill," I said, hiding my amusement. "So how soon can you get out of here? I need a team leader for the Melbourne mission."

Fen turned his head and finally met my gaze, giving me a glare that would have frozen most men in their boots. But I was not most men. I stared back stubbornly and waited, figuring that although he wanted sympathy, he probably wanted to get back on his feet more. "What's in Melbourne?" was all he asked.

"A presidential campaign. We suspect the new Labor party leader is a frost giant plant. And we need eyes on him and his team. If possible, we'd like to locate the real James Lister and remove the plant before the election happens."

Fen gave me a short nod, which looked strange considering he was lying flat on his pillow. "When do you need me to go?"

"As soon as Eir gives you the all-clear," I said, glancing at the goddess quickly.

"I'd give him a day or so," she said as she washed her hands in a bowl of water. "Then he should be fine. As long as the wounds are healed, he can go. His metabolism can handle it."

Fen grunted in response.

I glanced back at him. "Good, then you can lead that team out late tomorrow."

"When did you become this bossy?" he asked, staring at me, amusement flickering in his eyes. The injury seemed to have taxed him even though he was pretending it hadn't. The lines at the corners of his eyes had deepened and dark smudges underlined his lashes. Even his cheeks had sunken and now had an almost emaciated look to them, but I assumed it mean his body was just busy working extra hard to heal his wounds.

I laughed at his grumpy comment. "When I decided I've had enough of Loki. He needs to be taken down. I'd like to kill him myself, but at this point, I don't care who gets him as long as he gets dead. And fast." Fen simply moved his head in assent. I took a breath and asked, "So can you tell me what happened?"

He sighed, then winced hard as he shifted his body as if the action made the pain recede. "Thor came to speak to me about ways we could take Loki down when the time came. He was of the opinion that we should not kill his brother. I believe Thor still retains some brotherly love for the Trickster."

"That's not surprising. They say you can pick your friends, but not your family."

Fen gave me an odd look, then continued. "We were talking when three men entered the hall and came straight to us. We both knew immediately they were Jotunn, even through their powerful glamor. They moved so fast, especially since neither Thor nor I expected them to attack. We didn't react fast enough. They shot me and threw something at Thor. I cannot be sure, but it looked like some sort of spell. His entire body shimmered like lightning sparking off his skin. Then he went still. They had to carry him out. But as slow as they were, there was nothing I could have done."

He fell silent and I could just tell by the look on his face that he blamed himself. "It's not your fault, you know."

He shook his head. "I should have been aware. We should all be on our guard. I should not have let that happen."

I snorted, glaring at Fen, but he wasn't looking at me anymore. His eyes were fixed on the wooden beams of the high ceiling again. "So what? Do you think Thor, wherever he is, is saying Fen should have saved me? If anything, he's as pissed as I am that these Jotunn managed to get into Asgard without us knowing. It's proof enough that Loki has a way in that we are unaware of. It explains how Brody was taken so quickly and efficiently."

Fen adjusted his position until he was looking at me again. "We need to do something to find this entrance of Loki's. The longer it remains an access point for him, the more vulnerable we will be. Who knows who else he will abduct? The gods are not safe from Loki's machinations."

I rubbed my forehead, then sucked in a breath. "What's the best way? Can we use magic to find it?" I asked, eager to have something practical to do rather than sit around moping.

"Odin was usually responsible for creating and destroying magic within Asgard, but there is one person who would be able and will most likely be willing to help us."

"Who is that?" I asked, very curious now.

"Her name is Vanya. She's an Elf Ancient." Eir's voice drifted to me over my shoulder, and I glanced back at her.

"Where can we find her? I'll send someone immediately."

"She lives in Alfheim, the realm of the Light Elves," said Fen with a sigh. "Frigga or Freya can get her to come. You concentrate on the issues in Midgard."

I nodded. I'd hoped the task of calling her would not be left to me so I could get going with this mission. "Good. I'll be sending teams out as soon as I get back to the war room. They're all hanging around waiting for me. But at least now I can give them some good news when I get back."

"Good news?" asked Fen, his brow bunching up into a twist of lines.

"That you will be fine. The last thing we all need is for you to die on us," I said, getting to my feet. Fen snorted, but I didn't miss the slight tilt to his lips. "I'd better go. You behave and don't give Eir a hard time."

His eyes narrowed, but I didn't give him a chance to reply. I gave the goddess a wave as I headed outside, my thoughts already on the missions at hand.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN



When I entered the war room, dozens of heads lifted, all eyes curious and concerned. The room was unusually warm, what with all the bodies crammed into it. I walked to my desk, sat on the edge, and faced the teams.

"Okay, the good news is Fenrir is on the mend. He'll be back on his feet by late tomorrow. I've given him the Melbourne team," I said, turning to see the members of that particular group nodding happily. I was still to find a team in who didn't want the Ulfr general on their side.

I myself wished I could have him on our team, but common sense dictated he'd be put to better use with his own team. "You lot can get in some sparring and practicing until you leave. Fen will send for you as soon as he's ready to leave." They were all eager, an air of expectation emanating from them, but none made a move to leave yet, which I thought was good of them. They remained to hear everyone else's missions out of respect to the rest of the einherjar, Valkyries, and Ulfr in the room.

I read out the missions and locations of the rest of the teams, and in a rustle of leather and the chinking of armor, I farewelled each one as they left the room. Everyone seemed to want to head out as soon as possible, and I guessed they were all as impatient as I was to get something done. They all drifted out, taking the temporary warmth with them.

That left my team: Joshua, Aidan, Enya, Aimee, and Siri. As well as an Ulfr and the Valkyrie Myst that Freya had left behind to help me. I hadn't gotten a chance to get to know her much, and I hoped she would turn out to be efficient. Considering she was Freya's right hand, I suspected she was more than capable. I'd already decided to leave her behind to take charge while I was gone.

Now I looked up and met Aimee's angry gaze.

She came toward me, taking hold of my arm. "Can I have a word with you in private?" Her eyes flashed as she stared at me. I knew already what she was angry about, and I had to hide my amusement.

We moved toward the hearth where the fire cast burnished glows onto the grey stone. As soon as we were out of hearing, she said, "Are you out of your mind?" Her voice was filled with anger as her eyes flicked over her shoulder at the rest of the group. Nobody paid us any attention.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"You know what I mean," she snapped. "What the hell is Aidan doing on the team?"

"Because he asked to come back to field work," I said simply, keeping my voice neutral.

"Just like that?" Her eyes narrowed, arms folding tightly.

I nodded, then couldn't be bothered to play games anymore. I sighed softly and looked at the flames for a moment. "We talked. He apologized for being an ass and said he wants to get back to active duty."

"Wasn't it his choice in the first place to stick with the geek stuff?" she snapped, but her fury seemed to have tempered itself.

I agreed. "It was, and he admitted as much. Look, he has issues. We all know that. Let's just give him a chance to prove himself."