Morgan's Fate

“Like you came for Fenris? Or Hel? Like you noticed me all those years, left me with Odin like I was nothing?”

“He did come for me.” Skye glanced over at Fenris, who was staring at the phone as if he could reach through it and pull his brother to safety, his expression as equally horrified as his father’s. “Pappa did come for me, and cried over me, just as he has for Hel and Jormungandr.”

“But he never cried for me.”

The sorrow in that young, raspy voice nearly had her crying.

“I did cry for you, more than you’ll ever know. I didn’t…Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you shift for me? If I had known you were…” Logan took a deep breath. “If I’d been aware that you knew what was going on around you, that you were just like Fenris and Jormungandr, I would have never left you there. Never.” The agony Logan was exhibiting was tempered by his very obvious guilt. The fire Jotun was practically dripping with both.

“If you’d known I was just the same as them then Grimm would have known. I would have been banished along with the others. That’s why I didn’t tell you. If I had shifted, there would have been no hiding from him, ever. I…” Sleipnir’s voice was shaking so hard Skye had to strain to understand him. “I’m not strong enough to be alone.”

Logan whimpered, reaching for the phone as if he could touch his son through it. “Please, Sleipnir. I couldn’t save you before. Let me save you now.”

The other side of the line was so quiet that for a moment she feared Sleipnir had hung up, before that raspy, hesitant voice returned. “You can’t save me, but I can save you. The wolf, the one meant to kill Odin? It’s closer to you than you think.”

“The hell with the wolf. Tell me where you are.” The command in Logan’s voice was strong, overwhelming.

“Tell Fenris I’m glad he’s free. One of us should be.” The bitterness in Sleipnir’s voice died away. “You have to stop him, Pappa.” Logan whimpered in pain as his son called him Father for the first time. “Odin will kill all of you to get what he wants.”

“We know.” Skye leaned forward, trusting Morgan to keep her from falling. She had to get through to Sleipnir, had to get him to come to them before it was too late. “You need to come home.”

Was that a sob? She wasn’t certain. “I…” The hesitant way he answered made it clear he was torn.

“Come home, Sleipnir.” Kir spoke up this time, placing his hand on Logan’s shoulder as the Trickster God buried his face in Jordan’s shoulder and sobbed. “We want you here, I swear.”

“Come home, Sleipnir.” Jamie held Fenris’s hand tightly. “Fen needs his brother.”

“Kommer hjem, min bror.” Fenris’s low growl reverberated through the room. “Come home where you belong.”

“I…I’ll think about it.” There was a rustling sound. “I have to go. If he catches me like this he’ll kill me.”

“I love you. I always have.” Logan sounded heartbroken as he stroked the phone, his only connection to his son.

“I’m not sure I believe that.” Sleipnir laughed softly even as Logan hid his face again. “But I’ll try to. Now, I have to go. Keep Skuld safe, okay?”

“Stay safe yourself, and know you’ll always be welcome here.” Kir stroked Logan’s hair.

“I’ll remember.” A soft click, and the unexpected caller was gone, leaving behind more questions than answers.

Fenris sighed. “I didn’t know Sleipnir could become human.”

“I should have. How could I not have known?” Logan was devastated, leaning into his lovers hard as he broke down.

“We’re going to save Sleipnir, Logan.” Kir stroked the tears from Logan’s face. “We will. I swear it.”

Kir was clutching Gungnir as he said it, the oath now binding the king of the gods.

Logan shuddered, but he nodded and relaxed against Jordan as Kir settled down behind him.

“Okay, hothead.” Logan didn’t even twitch at the nickname Travis called him. It must be a common thing between them, something Logan was used to hearing. “Think. Where does Odin stable Sleipnir?”

“Valhalla, lefty. Where else?”

Travis grunted. “That might be a little difficult to get to.”

“Just a little bit.” Logan rolled his eyes at Travis. “Jamie’s the smart one in your relationship, isn’t she?”

Travis flipped him the bird. “Yeah, sure. I’m the pretty one.”

Jamie nodded wisely. “You are.”

Travis shook his head at his fiancee, but Skye could see the heat in his cheeks. He was far more pleased with the compliment than he was willing to admit.

Skye had been right all along. These people were nuts, but not in a bad way at all. “The prophecy says nothing about Sleipnir one way or the other.” She yawned. God, it had been a long fucking day.

Morgan forced her head back down on his shoulder. “Go to sleep, Skye. We’ve got this.”

“Bossy.” He was. And he smelled incredible. He hadn’t splashed himself with cologne like some of the men she’d dated had. All she could smell was warm man, and whatever deodorant he used. Good scents.

Right ones.

“Yup. You’ve had a long day, sweetheart. Rest.” She could have sworn she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. “You deserve it, and you’re safe here.”

Safe. She glanced at Val, saw him wink at her, and knew Morgan told the truth. Whatever else was going on in her life, while she was here, with these people, she was as safe as she could possibly be.

She yawned again. You’d think she’d be raring to go after all of the revelations, but she was exhausted, physically and mentally. “I should leave, go back to my place.”

“No!”

Skye jumped. Wow. When they all yelled at once, the condo’s windows shook. “Okay. Sit, Skye. Stay.”

Kir chuckled. “Woof.”

Even Logan, heartbroken though he seemed, laughed at that.

Chapter Six

“Stable him.” Grimm handed the reins to his groom, studying his loyal steed with suspicion. The horse had been acting strange ever since they left the Bifrost Bridge. No, before then. When he’d returned from his meeting with the Norns, Sleipnir had been shying away from him, only standing still when Grimm barked out his name. Rina had noticed as well, and stood off to the side, glaring at the white horse. She’d been whispering in Grimm’s ear the entire ride home about the warning of the Norns.

Something had spooked the horse, something that frightened him almost as much as Grimm did.

Either that, or the Norns had told him the truth. Somehow, Sleipnir would betray him, and that was something Grimm would not tolerate.

Still, Sleipnir had been useful in the past. He was still faster than almost anything the mortals had come up with, and he could bridge the gap between the worlds without the flash-bang tactics that had taken down Logan’s wards around the condominium complex he currently lived in. Even better, none could sense Sleipnir’s passage except for Heimdall, but that was the man’s job. If Grimm could get his hands back on Idunn’s apples, Sleipnir would once again be his. He’d use the magic apples to influence the beast, making him pliant to Grimm’s commands.

To kill, or to wait? That was, indeed, the question. He eyed Sleipnir and noted how the horse’s trembling had increased.

Would he need the horse any time soon?

“Wait.” He took the reins back and took a step closer to the pale horse, watching Sleipnir’s every move for