Underworld Bride Trials 1 Playboy King - Meg Xuemei X. Page 0,71

take me captive again.

His sensual and cruel lips curled into a mocking smile. “Hello, Princess Morrigan, my mate, my love, and my future queen. I’ve missed you terribly.”

A flash of memory slammed into me.

I was running in a torn wedding gown. My loyal guards and companions charged through a portal at my urging, but when it was my turn to dive in, Ragnarö found me. He grabbed the end of my silver braid to drag me back.

My guards shouted, wanting to come back for me, but I forbade them. They’d suffer a fate worse than death if they returned to my Ice Kingdom. My nursemaid, however, disobeyed me and lunged from the portal, slashing her blade across the middle of my braid to free me. Before I could haul her with me into the portal, she tossed me through instead, then flung herself at the Ice God. His sword ran though her, and that gave us just enough time to escape. The portal shut in Ragnarö’s face and broke his ice blade when he tried to jam it through.

As I wailed for my nursemaid, my team dragged me away from the sealed portal.

And now, my past had caught up with me after years of running from it.

Ragnarö’s large, powerful hand grabbed my throat, faster than lightning, before I could flee, before I could cover myself with my clothes, and before I could find a weapon.

Icy dread sank into me as it dawned on me that this wasn’t just my avatar in this fantasy realm. This had been a setup, though I didn’t know how the Ice God had done it, tricking both Loki and me.

The enemy’s hand, in stark contrast to Loki’s warm one, closed around my neck, tightening until I could no longer breathe. Ice colder than mine froze the marrow of my bones. I was ice too, but his could chill me to the edge of my soul.

While my eyes bulged and burned with utter hatred, I kicked and tried to claw at his face, but I failed to reach him with his ice shield in place. This superior, cruel being had always been more powerful than me, even though I was of the bloodline of the Titan King, the Goddess of War and Death, and the ancient royal Sidhe Ice Fae.

After years of being a lethal assassin, I still wasn’t his match. Not even close. I struggled like a pinned butterfly in his iron grip.

Ragnarö laughed coldly. “Little mate, you’ve been a naughty girl. You will be punished for your defiance and unfaithfulness.”

I needed to shut him up. I roared and somehow made my avatar summon a blade. I rammed it forward to stab his eye, but his other hand grabbed the middle of my blade and yanked it from my grasp. Before I could summon another one, an improved one hopefully, his hand caught my wrist and twisted it until I heard the crack of bones. My eyes widened in agony, but I didn’t scream. I’d never scream for him even if he cut me to pieces.

Without the fire the Weaver told me to obtain, I’d never defeat this bastard Ice God. I’d never have my revenge. And I’d never free my people.

The storm took on an eerie red glow as if it were being consumed by flames. Ragnarö paused and frowned, his hand still tight around my throat.

Loki exploded from the inferno, roaring in wrath amid the howling hail, but his appearance had changed. He’d shifted to the same height as Ragnarö. His fangs protruded, his horns shook in rage, and his eyes glowed red with burning hellfire.

Raising his fist, Loki struck the god’s temple with a force that could crack the skull of any other immortal. Ragnarö’s head whipped to the side, but he snapped his attention back to Loki, his eyes blazing with jealous rage and icy hatred.

“Demon King,” he seethed. “I’ve learned about you. You’ll die a horrendous death for taking my mate.”

“I am Death, fucker,” Loki bellowed, savagery warping his monstrous face. “And you’re going to burn in my ninth Hell!”

A torrent of hellfire burst from the King of the Underworld, blasting the god away and freeing me. Loki caught me in his arms before I dropped and rolled onto the sand.

“Never. Ever. Touch. What’s mine,” Loki snarled and whipped up a new wave of hellfire and unleashed it.

A torrent of icy hail met his fire, and the two opposite forces crashed in the middle. I broke free from Loki and