Eye of the Beholder

face in his hand he leaned down, kissing her with all of the pent-up passion she’d left him with in the bathroom. By the time he was done they were both breathing hard and her eyes were once more glazed over. “Be good.” He kissed the tip of her nose before walking away. It took every ounce of his self-

discipline not to limp from the hard-on he was sporting.

A man had his pride, after all.

Logan stared thoughtfully at the closed door to the condo. “Y’know, I have something I need to take care of. Why don’t you guys order in enough pizza for the whole gang? I’ll call the M and M’s and Vlad the Impaler. Make sure you get extra hemoglobin, ok?” Logan sauntered off into the den, shutting the door behind him.

“Vlad the Impaler?” Jamie snickered, wide eyed, as Kir frowned after Logan.

“He never asks to order in pizza.” Kir got up and followed Logan from the room, leaving the girls alone on the chaise.

Jordan quickly dialed the pizza place, ordering enough to feed an army. Jordan and Kir shared the same unhealthy pizza obsession, so Jamie wasn’t too surprised.

Jordan turned the television on, but kept the volume low. She switched it to Lifetime. She raised her voice slightly, glancing at the door to the den. “How about a good victim of the week movie while we wait?”

Two male groans of disgust sounded from the den.

“Good. That should keep them out for a bit.” Jordan scooted closer to Jamie, a big grin on her face.

“So. Travis. Is he as good with his tongue as I think he is?” She waggled her eyebrows, giggling when Jamie smacked her on the arm. “C’mon, sister to sister. Is he, y’know, enough to keep you satisfied?”

From the way Jordan held her hands apart Jamie had no problem figuring out what she meant.

“Jordan!”

“What?”

“Logan is a bad influence on you.”

“Is Travis a bad influence on you?”

“I turned him down.”

Jordan stared at her blankly.

“Seriously. I totally panicked. I said no.”

“Did the word no leave your lips at any time?”

She thought back. “Um, no, not actually.”

“Good. Because I’d have to smack you silly if it had.”

“But I didn’t say yes, either.” Jamie groaned and put her head on her big sister’s shoulder. “What am I doing?”

Jordan didn’t even hesitate, her arms wrapping around Jamie’s shoulders in a big hug. “You’re claiming the man you’ve been in love with since you were sixteen, that’s what you’re doing.”

“But does he really want to be claimed?”

Jordan smacked her on top of her head.

“Ow.”

“That’s what you get for being stupid.”

“He never seemed interested before.”

“Well, he sure as hell is interested now.”

“And in the future?” Jamie cuddled in closer to her sister’s warmth and wished, not for the first time, that she could contact their mom. She didn’t even know if their mother knew who their father was, or anything that had happened to them. She hadn’t shown up at the hospital, nor had she tried to contact any of them since before Grimm attacked her. It was odd, because their family was usually pretty close. Maybe whatever power Grimm had used to sway the Aesir had been used on their mother? “How do I know he doesn’t just feel sorry for me?”

Jordan smacked her on top of her head again.

“Ow.”

“I tell people my momma didn’t raise any stupid children. Stop trying to make a liar outta me.”

Jamie bit her lip, barely holding back her grin. “So you think he’s really into me?” She grabbed Jordan’s hand before she could smack her again. “A simple yes would do.”

“Yes. Duh.” Jordan sighed. “The last time I saw a man look at a woman the way Travis looks at you, I found myself secretly married.”

Jamie gulped. “How do you deal with…you know.”

“What, loving two men?”

“No. Two gods.”

Jordan sat her up. “Is that what’s holding you back?”

Jamie nodded. “He’s a god, Jordan. He’s been alive for, what, thousands of years? How many women has he loved? How long will he live? Will he even remember me when I’m gone?” She frowned. “Why hasn’t he dated a redhead before now?”

Jordan held up Jamie’s hand. There wasn’t even a scar visible from where Logan had cut her the night before. “First off, how do you know he hasn’t dated any redheads? He’s, what, umpty-bazillion years old?

I’d think by now he’d have hit on all the hair colors. Second, you’ve shared blood with two gods, not just one. I can tell already that you’ve got Logan’s ability to heal, you lucky bitch. You’ve probably gotten immortality from Travis.”

“I have?”

Jordan shrugged. “That’s what I got from bonding with Kir.”

“Yeah, but Kir is Aesir. Travis is Vanir. What if it doesn’t work the same way?”

Jordan opened her mouth, then closed it, her expression thoughtful. “You know, I don’t know how that would work.” She took Jamie’s hand and smiled. “But if it came down to it, I’m positive Kir would figure out a way to share blood with you, or Morgan, Magnus or Uncle Val, for that matter.”

“Yup, I would.” Jamie turned just as Kir pecked the top of her head. “Just as Logan and I plan on sharing with Jeff.” He plopped down at Jordan’s feet, his blond head resting against Jordan’s knee. “No way is Jordan going to go without her family. Not if we can help it.” He smiled up at Jordan as she caressed his hair. “Did you order any sodas with the pizza?”

Jordan just shook her head as the ruler of the gods pouted over the fact that she’d forgotten his cherry Pepsi.

“Wait. Why would I have to share blood with so many people? Isn’t it, like, unhygienic?”

Kir grinned. “Logan’s not really a god.”

Jamie blinked. “That cleared things right up.”

Jordan bopped her on the head again. “What he means is, Logan, as a Jotun, can give you the ability to use fire magic, or his expanded healing, but he can’t give you immortality. Kir can, because he’s Aesir.”

“So what did Travis give me?”

Kir’s lips opened, but a confused look crossed his face. “Huh. I have no idea. I don’t think he’s shared blood with anyone else before.”

Jamie couldn’t help the satisfied smirk that crossed her face. Take that, blonde bimbos of the world!

They sat quietly for a few moments, watching some woman on the screen try to explain to her friend why she thought her husband was up to no good. When the lights turned out at the end of the scene, Jamie was reminded of what she’d done the day before. “Something else has been bothering me too.”

“What would that be?” Jordan was playing with strands of Kir’s hair, her expression thoughtful. She didn’t even protest when Kir changed the channel.

“Dimming Travis’s light.”

Jordan’s fingers paused. Jamie looked down at Kir to find him studying her with an intensity that made her squirm.

“Look, several of you guys appeared a little freaked by that.” Jamie stared down at her hands. “What did I do and how did I do it?”

“You’re a mage.” She turned as Logan settled on the ottoman in front of her, his hands clasped between his knees. He too was studying her intently.

“Mage. Harry Potter woo-woo mage?” She wiggled her fingers at Logan.