Page 104 of Valkyrie Unknown

“We have eternity, Handsome.” I’d make sure of it.

Zeke furrowed his brow, and shook his head. “Be safe.” He walked into the room again without waiting for me to reply.

It wasn’t my safety that was in question. I vanished from the hallway and appeared in a bar in Chicago. I didn’t like being in this city, but neither did most immortals unless they were here under the protection of Freyr and Fenrir. The pair owned a burlesque club in Chicago Underground, and had a standing declaration ofdon’t fuck with our city and we won’t fuck with you.

Lugh and I weren’t going to do anything to anyone here, and that made this the perfect place to talk without wondering who might find or pursue us here.

Still, the tingle of unwelcoming magic crawled over my skin as I landed in front of the door. I shrugged off the feeling and walked inside to find Lugh already waiting in a booth, one pint in front of him and another across from him on the table.

Instead of taking my seat, I slid into his, digging my knee into his thigh and pressing him against the far wall. “What the fuck was that, earlier today?” I let the threat roll through my growl of a question.

“I wanted to meet the woman.” Lugh gave me an easy smile that pissed me off even more. “I wish she wasn’t a redhead.”

A lot of them were. Malsumis had a type, and most of her children were a lot like their mothers, down to the red hair and stubborn attitudes. “She’s also paranoid to the point of it being detrimental, and now she’s paranoid about you.”

“Are you done?” Lugh didn’t show any concern about my being pissed off.

I could punch him. I could blink him out of here and drop him into the Pacific Ocean from forty thousand feet.

He’d recover from either in an instant, and we’d make up and go for drinks. The actions might make me feel better for all of two or three minutes, but they would waste time. I’d been spinning my wheels too much lately as it was.

I slid out of his seat and into my own, and knocked back half my drink before letting the mug slam into the wood table again. “Don’t fuck this up.”

“She was going to be paranoid about me regardless.” Lugh’s casual demeanor was mildly infuriating, but not unexpected. His goals were different enough from most that his behavior tended to be predictably unpredictable.

Instead of answering, I took another drink.Let him fill in the silence.

He studied me for a moment before saying, “besides, I was planting the next seed with Enid.”

I should’ve known he was the one feeding Enid information to pass along to Azzie. Seven months ago when he said he was sending Azzie to meet Zeke, I assumed he’d gone through a network of rumors to plant the idea in her head. It should’ve clicked with me before now that he’d simply gone directly to the woman who sent Azzie most everywhere.

“What seed is that?” One of the only issues I took with Azzie’s drive to uncover the prophecies was that these days her searches frequently involved Zeke.

A waitress stopped at the table and set a bowl of chips, with a cup of salsa, between us. “Get you boys anything else?”

“Not now, thanks.” Lugh barely glanced at her.

Because for all his flaws, he was eternally and hopelessly devoted to Malsumis.

“This is only for Azzie,” Lugh said when she was gone. “Enid has the details.”

“You’re an idiot.” I let my irritation spill out. “After today, Azzie isn’t going to touch anything Enid gives her if there’s even the slightest chance you’re associated with the information.”

Lugh smirked. “Enid has no idea I’m the one who fed her the siren idea. It came from sources that can’t be traced back to me. The only thing I did today was answer a handful of questions Enid initiated about the nature of illusion magic. She was quite generic in her approach to get information from me.”

These days a lot of sirens ran pubs and diners, frequently in quiet spots between major towns, and along freeways. The kind of place that welcomed weary travelers without question, and soothed tired souls.

Some sirens were as direct as the myths said, luring in unsuspecting victims with a beautiful song promising everything they desired. Others had taken up a more vengeful mantle. They helped those who were running from someone. Abused and tormented souls. The sirens hunted the hunters.

Regardless, their victims tended to end up in a nightmare filled prison of their own psyches making. Details were sparse about what that meant, since very few ever climbed out of a siren’s spell.

I was still surprised Lugh wanted to go this route, given the goal was to keep Azzie alive long enough for Malsumis to use her as a vessel. “A siren’s test sounds permanent.”

He shook his head. “This isn’t the same as if Azzie were a victim the siren hunted down. The test is made to be passable, though not without a great deal of effort. If she survives, she’ll move on to the next obstacle, and if she doesn’t…” For the first time since I’d arrived, a hint of concern passed over his face. “If she doesn’t, then she wouldn’t make a good vessel, and I’ll move on to the next one. Regardless, you and your Potential get what you want.”

Not what Zeke wanted. Not yet. He’d learn. “Fantastic.” My tone was flat. None of this was why I was here, but it was good to know it was coming. “Did you get what we were looking for?”

I actually was here to pick up Azzie’s gift. I’d asked Lugh to find me a protection charm that worked similarly to the blood oath Azzie and Zeke made, but with power outside of them. It would keep her or anyone else from hurting Zeke in her name.

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