He’d even visited us semi-regularly and gifted us Arni and Magga.
I glanced down at Annabel and breathed in deeply as my gaze dropped to her still-flat belly. One day she’d bear us children, and even now, I knew I’d lay down my own life for them without a moment’s hesitation.
“You know very little about my father’s motivations, Thorsson, but know this: He is not behind Ragnarök, whatever you’ve been told. He has gone out of his way to attempt to secure our survival, ensuring the omega fated to stop this madness was brought to us.
“What has your father done to see you through the end of the world? Nothing. His plans for you are to feed you to Sutr’s army and watch you die. Don’t worry about what my father will risk for his sons—worry about what will happen to your own family if we fail to stop Ragnarök.”
Modi’s stare turned hard, but he didn’t argue. After a little while, he twisted in his seat and turned his shoulder to me, his eyelids closing.
It took nearly an hour, but eventually, his breathing slowed as he allowed himself to drift asleep, his sworn enemy watching over him as he did.
The sky was dark when we arrived in Seattle, yet the local time was just after noon.
I glanced up as we stepped out of the station, shielding Annabel from the howling wind flinging more icy snow at the already blanketed city. Above us the clouds were thick and gray, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. Miserable as the blizzard was, at least the sun had yet to be swallowed, plunging Midgard into darkness.
Which meant we still had some time.
“I’ve never seen the city this quiet,” Annabel said as she stared at the abandoned streets thick with ever-amassing snow. “Looks like even the cafes and bars have closed down.”
“You know this place?” Modi asked. He was taking it in with both eyebrows locked in a frown, mouth set in a grim line.
“My parents live a couple of hours west. They took me here often when I was growing up,” she said, her voice quieting. One look at her face and I knew what she was thinking.
“We don’t have time to visit them, Annabel. Our task is too important for detours,” I warned, pulling her in closer at the sadness in her brown eyes. “Maybe once this is all over.”
Her obvious heartache made me want to promise her the stars. Unlike my brothers, I got why she still had love for the family who’d deceived her into coming to us.
But this was Ragnarök. Even if we did manage to find a way to stop it, the odds weren’t in favor of her parents making it through.
“Maybe,” she agreed, looking away from me. She knew too.
“Do you know the way to Loki’s location?” Modi asked. Whether he was oblivious to Annabel’s pain or trying to distract her from it, I didn’t know.
“No,” she said, frowning. “It was a green door next to a butcher’s, but I didn’t recognize the street.”
“Then you’ll need to search for it,” he said, pulling off his right glove so he could reach for her nape.
She cringed as if she feared his touch, but didn’t move away. When his fingers closed around her slim neck, she dug her fingers into my arm for support.
“I thought you said her power was too low to do more magic yet,” I growled. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind you what happens if you hurt her.”
Modi leveled me with a stare. “You want to screw her in the street and get her juiced back up again? It might be hard for her to concentrate with hypothermia. Or maybe the piss-covered privy back inside is more to your taste? She is rested—she will have enough for a minor location search.”
I bared my teeth at him, half in anger that he’d suggest I’d do anything to harm her, half in annoyance that he had a point.
“It’s all right,” Annabel said softly, squeezing my arm to get my hackles down again. “I’ve got enough. I can do this, especially with Modi’s help.”
Especially with Modi’s help.
I let those bothersome words rumble around in my head while they did whatever it was they did together.
I’d never been bothered by my lack of magical inclination, even growing up with two brothers who were particularly skilled at it. I was strong, and an excellent fighter, and whenever I'd encountered a problem that required something other than brawn, Grim had