When Loki's consort and soulmate marries his rival to save their son from a curse, a prophecy leads to consequences even the God of Chaos couldn't predict.
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The Unseelie Goddess of War's revenge against Asgard's Dark Prince puts him in a no-win s...
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The hair on the back of my neck stood up as we followed the Ambassador through the creeping mists, Math and Taliesin on either side of us. A stone archway appeared, and walking through, an electric tingle shivered over my skin. We'd been transported to a stone path in a brightly lit meadow filled with wildflowers. Butterflies flitted between the brilliantly coloured flowers.
No, wait.
Already uneasy and with my senses on alert from being back on Alfheim, something nudged at my subconscious, telling me to look again. I paused to wrap a bubble of air around one of the butterflies and brought it closer.
"Let me go, you great hulking bully!" The voice was high and squeaky, and coming from the butterfly.
I blinked, so surprised to see the pointy-eared tiny person with jewel-coloured wings and body to match, instead of the insect I was expecting, that it took me a minute to respond.
"Sorry!" I managed, releasing the 'butterfly'.
"Pixies," Math supplied with a small smile.
"I... wow. Sorry, I meant no offense to them. I thought it was an odd-shaped butterfly." Huh! So some of the Sidhe are actually pointy-eared. I'd been wondering where that human idea had come from since none of the elves I'd met thus far had pointy-ears. I sure didn't, as I would have questioned my heritage years ago if I'd had some trait so obviously non-human.
"For the most part, they are harmless. They feed on pollen and nectar." His brown eyes rounded, holding my gaze. "But during swarming, just prior to breeding season when they switch to a predatory diet, they can be deadly to those who can't defend themselves. They attack in great numbers and can take down a full-grown elf. Like many things in the Summer Realm, they are pretty to look at, but beauty can hide a deadly side as well," Math warned.
Given the Unseelie Wild Hunt didn't raid victims from the Summer Realm, it didn't surprise me that there were deadly creatures here. Something had to keep those foul beasts at bay and after my firsthand experiences fighting the Wild Hunt last year, I knew they were formidable.
"When is the next breeding season?" Mist asked.
"Not for another four or five months," answered Taliesin. "You've nothing to worry about from them now."
Even with his reassurance, I kept an eye on the colourful swarm flitting from flower to flower.
We continued through the meadow towards trees that rivalled the massive redwoods on Asgard. Winding in and amongst them, the sense of age sank into my bones with a comforting warmth. It dissipated the gooseflesh that had persisted since we'd entered the creepy mists still swirling around us and our surroundings.
A set of wooden steps appeared in front of us and climbed through the trunk of the largest tree I'd ever seen. It had to be at least fifty metres wide at the base.
