Into the Fire (The Unseelie Court Book 4) by Gwen Rivers (latest ebook reader .TXT) 📕

listening, Váli? You are the key to unbinding the trickster. Underhill will stop at nothing to possess you.” Harmony holds his gaze, demonstrating no remorse for her actions. “I have seen it come to pass, the destruction, the chaos. You must stay here.”

“The hell I will.” Aiden leaps across one of the pillow strewn chaises and bolts for the door.

He doesn’t make it. Freya sighs and uses her magic to toss him to the floor. He slides into a wall face first. There’s a crunch in the region of his nose and blood streaks the pristine marble.

“What a mess,” The goddess puts her hands on her hips. “See what you made me do? Obstinate fool.”

Another flick and he sails into the other wall. Another crunch, this time in his shoulder. Dislocated for sure.

“Stop,” Harmony falls to her knees beside him. “You said you wouldn’t hurt him.”

Freya moves forward, blue eyes narrowed. “I’m not hurting him. He’s hurting himself.”

Aiden lunges up and snags Harmony into his grip, wrapping his useless arm under her chin and preparing his good arm to twist. “Release me or I’ll snap her neck.”

Freya actually smirks. “Go ahead. She’s served her purpose.”

Aiden doesn’t relent. She might be bluffing.

Another wave of her perfect hand and then the breeze is suddenly cut off as the doors shut with a bang. “The temple is warded, no one can come or go unless I say so. And if your wolf wakes cranky and thinks to kill me, let him know he will be trapped in here until the end of time.”

With that, she vanishes.

“Damn you, you heartless bitch.” The goddess was more selfish than he recalled.

Harmony makes a soft noise. “Go ahead, Váli. Kill me.”

“I should,” he snarls. “If not for you, I’d be in Midgard right now with my mate.”

She doesn’t plead or beg or offer any explanation. She waits for his decision in total silence.

He huffs out a breath and releases her. Stumbling to the nearest arch, he slams his shoulder back into the socket. A wave of dizziness washes through him and he sinks to the floor.

A tearing sound causes him to look up. The seer rips another strip off her dress and then offers it to him.

“Are you all right?”

“I’ll live.” He holds the fabric to his broken nose. “Why are you helping her?”

“I told you—”

He cuts her off. “Freya is only interested in the welfare of one person—Freya. You’re too intelligent to have missed that fact when she told me to kill you just now.”

Her jaw clenches.

“Help me escape here. Help me reach Nic.”

She swallows, looks away. “I can’t.”

Can’t, not won’t. Centuries of dealing with the fey have made Aiden aware of the importance of word choice. “Did you have a vision? Something specific about me? You know as well as I do that visions of the future can change.”

She holds his gaze and her tone is sincere as she murmurs. “They can. But in all of mine, you die.”

What’s Love Got to Do with It

Someone is singing. A sweet, light voice. It pulls me out of the darkness.

Long ago and far away

In a field kissed with golden sun

A sprite flitted from branch to flower

and there she met the one

Her love as fresh as a summer breeze,

her heart as big and warm

His eyes guileless and serene

gave no hint to the coming storm

Together they danced and laughed and played

until the light faded from view

For then he turned into a monster there

and she, his victim anew.

A hand is on my shoulder, shaking me awake. “Nic? Are you all right?”

Sensing a presence, I surge up from my hidden place inside, ready to kill whoever is near. So much loss, so much pain. Do intentions really matter when you spread misery around like pollen?

It’s unforgivable.

I attack. It’s all I know how to do.

“Nic.” A feminine voice. Not Agent Hanson.

Astrid. The Norn girl. I’m choking the life out of her.

“Sorry,” I gasp and roll away from her. Those bastards. They fucked with my head and then dumped me back in with her. Are they hoping I will kill her?

Can I even kill her? Norns are not of this world.

Her eyes are huge. “What did they do to you?”

“Nothing I didn’t deserve.” I close my eyes and imagine my mother’s face. Not Underhill. Sophie Ann Nesbit. Killed because she gave me life.

Astrid is quiet, sitting in a corner, arms wrapped around her legs.

“Are you okay?”

She nods but doesn’t speak.

Normal. I have to bring the tension down for both our sakes. I cast around for an idle topic of conversation. The girl has no family, and doesn’t want to talk about her gifts. Understandable, even if I am still suspicious. “Tell me… what’s your favorite food?”

“Chocolate,” she whispers.

A smile creeps out. “I have an aunt who is a total chocoholic. She once ate five pounds in one sitting. Special dark, with almonds. I thought she was going to be sick.” I vividly remember Chloe had bitched about an excruciating stomachache for days after. “Just kiss me, Nic and put me out of my misery.”

“Why did she eat so much?” Astrid sounds intrigued.

“She’d made a bet with my other aunt, Addy, that she couldn’t go without eating chocolate for a solid month. Well, she made it and then gorged when the month was up.”

“Your aunts sound so awesome.” Her sigh is wistful.

“They are.” My throat closes up as I think about Addy. Is she still alive?

I know it is possible to kill a Norn. Addy and Chloe had annihilated the third sister, Lachesis. They’d done it because she’d broken the cardinal rule of the Fates and tampered with mortal destiny.

Just as Addy had done for me.

“What’s wrong?” Astrid asks.

I shake my head. “It’s nothing.”

She frowns. “Nic, you don’t need to protect me.”

Except I do. But she’s right, I shouldn’t handle her with kid gloves. “Okay, well, I’m trying to figure out how to spring us from this place. Got any ideas?”

She shakes her head.

“Yeah, me either.” Some freaking magic would