The Fire Within The Night (Night Aberrations - Book Two) Read online

  He ignored the smattering of laughter around the room. “Viggo, can you stay with Emelie and Erin?”

  “Stay with two beautiful females instead of fighting the bad guys,” he said. “I thought you would never ask.”

  In under a minute everyone was gone. Viggo clapped his hands together. “Let us go shopping. Those heels have to be killing your feet, Erin.”

  I was so happy that I hugged him tight. “You’re a mind reader.”

  “True,” he bragged. “Which means that I cannot help but notice that you learned how to block. Come on, female—spill. What’s going on between you and Captain Serious? He’s smoking today. That means something big must have happened last night.”

  “What?” Emelie screeched. “You and Jakob? Oh. Holy. Shit!”

  I smacked Viggo on the shoulder. “It’s supposed to be a secret! What’s the point of even teaching me how to block, if you’re just going to blurt things out?”

  He winked. “We are all girlfriends here. No one is going to out you to Soren. Give us the scoop.”

  Sending a questioning look Emelie’s way, I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face when she gave me the ‘hurry up and spill’ motion with her hands. “He thinks that we’re true-mates.”

  They both froze.

  “He said that?” Viggo asked, in a voice that was way too calm to be normal.

  The atmosphere in the room had turned serious. I didn’t understand what I’d said to cause it.

  “Uh, Em lay your hands on Erin and see what you can see.”

  She held her hands out, and I didn’t hesitate to put mine in hers.

  “Come on Em, tell us something.”

  Her silver eyes shimmered in the firelight. “Damn it! It’s a Väsen. That much I know. I keep seeing the castle, but that puts you with Kristian.”

  My heart full of hope deflated.

  “Don’t get discouraged. My visions aren’t perfected just yet. Maybe, Jakob will be king one day.”

  “Maybe,” I agreed, but I didn’t believe it. I remembered what Jakob said about not wanting to get stabbed in the back by his brother.

  “Yeah, Erin. I could see you as the queen in the future.

  “Sure, the dark elves would just love to have a daughter of Odin as their monarch.” I rolled my eyes.

  Viggo thought it over for a second. “It may not be a complete disaster.”

  I threw my hands up. “Let’s go get me a pair of sneakers, or sandals, or whatever elves wear on their feet before my blisters have blisters.”

  Viggo smiled. “I’m a one problem at a time type of guy anyway.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Displaying oddly shaped fruits and vegetables, strange animals, and many tables of magical potions and contraptions, the marketplace was exactly what I’d hoped it would be. Viggo obviously felt the same. He was a kid in a candy store, flitting from one stall to the next, though the villagers stared at him as if he had a second head.

  “Erin, they have ambrosia! You have to taste it before you go! So delicious!”

  He ran off before I could say anything. “Does he act like this all the time?” I whispered.

  Emelie watched him with a loving smile on her lips as he bartered for an amulet in a good-natured, animated way. “Yes. He’s adorable, isn’t he?”

  Bemused, I watched him leap with victory after he out-haggled the male. “How is he still single? He’d be snapped up in a minute on Earth.”

  “That’s not the way it works here. You’re expected to wait on your mate, no matter how long it takes. My grandmother, Myrgjöl, said that his mate is to come soon. He’s pretty lucky. Soren waited six thousand years for me. Can you imagine how horrible that must have been?”

  “No, I can’t. I’m twenty-five, and I already consider myself a spinster,” I said, laughing at Viggo’s high-pitched reaction when he saw a baby dragon for sale. “Viggo’s mate has her work cut out for her. He has more zest for life than I’ve ever seen.”

  “That he does.” She shook her head in exasperation as she saw him bow in dramatic fashion to yet another group of dark elf females, causing them to giggle and fawn over his purchases. “He makes me tired just watching him.”

  After a few minutes, Viggo looked over at us in apology and convinced the females to go about their shopping so that he could return to us.

  “Nice of you to join us,” I griped.

  “Finally!” Emelie added.

  “Is my allure to the opposite sex making you jealous, or is it that you want to be the object of my affection, poppet?”

  “I just want shoes.” I’d long since given up wearing the heels and was now walking barefoot through the grass behind the stalls.

  He put an arm around both of us. “Fear not, my surly friends. I found the perfect elven slippers for her majesty. You do not think I stopped those females for any other reason, do you? Who else would know better where we could get the most comfortable shoes for your dainty little feet?”

  I was ashamed of my short temper. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get testy.”

  Emelie threw Viggo’s arm off of her shoulders and glared in my direction. “Are you freaking kidding me? Don’t you dare believe that bull!”

  I narrowed my eyes at Viggo and stepped out of his reach. “You jerk!”

  He feigned innocence, walking ahead of us in the pretense of pointing out the correct booth, the sedate smile never leaving his lips as he held up a pair of dark blue flats. “Look at these, Erin. They are so you.”

  “I think we can take him,” I whispered to Emelie. “You and me, together; we can kick his ass.”

  She linked her arm with mine. “We’ll hash out a plan tonight. Count on it. He’s had this coming for a while.”

  Two goblets of ambrosia, four new outfits, and three pairs of fashionable elven flats later, we collapsed onto the sofa at Emelie’s. “I’m not sure if I want to thank you for taking me to the market or not.”

  Viggo was affronted. “How can you say that? Look how beautiful you are in your new clothes. Midnight blue suits your new eye color.”

  “New eye color?”

  Smiling, he led me to a mirror in the hallway. “I cannot believe you are a fire-walker. Your eyes have been alight with flame all evening, poppet. You didn’t notice the villagers staring?”

  “No.” I’d thought that they were all staring at Viggo’s comical personality. “Should I hang out in the bathroom, just in case I catch fire?”

  Emelie giggled at my ignorance. “This is hilarious. I wish I had a camera to capture the look on your face right now.”

  “You’re super helpful, Em. You know that?”

  “If you do not project it outward, we should all be fine,” Viggo assured me, smirking.

  I examined the wavering glow of my eyes. “Have you known many of us?”

  He shook his head. “Not at all. It is a rare gift, and it is even rarer to keep the gift throughout one’s lifetime.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He leaned against the wall and watched me watching myself with interest. “Magic is a privilege, Erin. If you abuse it or use it for evil, you will lose it. Maybe not right away, but it will leave and never return.”

  I pursed my lips. “If that’s true, why haven’t Viveka and the Freyr lost theirs yet?”

  “We have no idea what Viveka might or might not have lost. The one magic that we know for sure that she has is her ability to shape shift. As for Freyr, he has an endless amount of artificial magic. I am afraid that capturing him will not be good enough this time. Even the council agrees that his death will be a blessing to all of the Norse-lands.”

  The thought of Viggo fighting against that kind of power scared me. “Is it you, Nils, Soren, and Jakob alone?”

  “No, there is also Kristian and his right hand man, Axel. Emelie and Myrgjöl help out on occasion, as well.”

  “Why isn’t the council looking for them too?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “You s
till do not understand the way it works here. Your father owns the council. He rules everything here—every single thing. That is why there is a rebellion. The others of the Norse-lands do not have the strength or resources to take down Odin. We do. Soren chose his warriors well. We all bring something to the table that will defeat Odin.”

  I raised my eyebrows in interest. “What do you bring? I’m pretty sure charisma isn’t a superpower.”

  He smirked. “I deserve that, but I am going to be offended anyway.”

  Unconcerned, I walked back to the sofa and slipped off my shoes. “You started it, lover-boy.”

  Emelie came out of the kitchen with a pitcher of water and a bag of chips. “We don’t have time for this bickering. We have all night for that. Right now, we’re going to behave and watch the episode of The Vampire Diaries that I DVR’d while we were gone.

  Viggo grabbed the remote. “Move over fire-girl.”

  I flipped him off with a smile.

  Emelie laughed at our exchange. “You and Soren could be twins, Erin. You are so much alike.”

  I wondered how true that was. Would Soren sleep with my best friend and keep it a secret? I glanced over at Emelie and knew that if my best friend were her, the answer would be a resounding yes.

  After the episode was over, Viggo excused himself to read. With our similar taste in fiction, I wanted to know what book he was reading and would have followed him out if Emelie hadn’t caught my attention.

  Yawning, she stood up and stretched. “I don’t know why I’m so tired today.”

  “I’m right there with you,” I concurred, rubbing my aching feet. “I didn’t get any sleep last night.”

  She slapped her forehead. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot that Soren told me that you were asleep when he arrived on Álfheim. It must be because we grew up on Midgard. I just don’t feel right if I don’t get at least a couple hours a night.”

  Oh, please don’t let her be saying what I think she’s saying. “No one else sleeps here?”

  “On a rare occasion. We’re the weird ones.”

  I covered my face with my hands and buried my head in my lap. “Noooooo!”

  “What is it, Erin?”

  I’m sure my face showed every ounce of chagrin that I felt. “That means that Jakob listened to about four hours’ worth of me obsessing over him yesterday morning when I thought he was asleep.”

  She whistled low. “That … is … embarrassing. But, if he’s into you as much as he says he is, he enjoyed it. Soren heard my every thought for days when we first met. He must have thought that I was so sad. I was already in love, though all I had of him were old photographs from decades ago.” She looked off as if remembering a fond memory. “I think I knew before I met him that he would be the one. Does it feel that way for you, with Jakob?”

  I thought about it for a second. “At first, I was just attracted to him, but after about ten minutes, I struggled not to touch him and had complete confidence that I would be content to spend the rest of my life with him.”

  She groaned. “You know I can’t interfere, right.”

  “Riiight, but ...” Was she going to help me?

  “But, I’m going to tell you something that you should know.”

  I braced myself for the worst. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

  “I don’t think this is going to be a deal-breaker for you. You can relax. I was going to say that if you decide to pursue your relationship with Jakob, there will be an obstacle.”

  An obstacle? That could be just about anything. “What sort of obstacle.”

  Her eyes glazed over. She was seeing another vision. “All I can say is that you need to decide whether or not Jakob is worth the work that it will take to be his mate.”

  I didn’t need time to answer that question. He was worth it, no matter the obstacles. “He is. I can feel it.”

  She grinned and laced her fingers with mine. “Somehow, I knew you’d say that. I saw the way he looked at you this evening. I do not doubt that Soren did, too. I’m warning you. Soren will not be keen on you dating anyone so soon after your arrival, but I will try to remind him that our love was quick to blossom, though I cannot promise he will listen. He is so stubborn, and even more so since ...” She broke off, looking worried.

  “Spill, Emelie.”

  She sighed. “Odin’s death has been prophesied.”

  “No,” I said, in disbelief.

  “It’s not going to be immediate, but you may well be the last of his sisters. He wants to make sure you’re taken care of.”

  “That’s sweet of him.” It was sweet. No one had ever loved me enough to care about that before.

  “Soren is a good male underneath it all, and I’m glad to see him take an interest in you, however problematic that may be to your predicament.”

  I gave her an impulsive hug. “Thank you for doing this.”

  She patted my shoulder. “It’s no big deal. We’re sisters now.”

  I was sure that my smile was soggy. A sister—how much I’d wanted one. “Shit, I’m going to mess up this makeup.”

  “No! You can’t mess it up. Jakob is going to go crazy when he sees you.”

  “I don’t know. It could be an improvement.” I’d never felt so made up in my life. Viggo had gone overboard with the elven makeover tonight.

  “You look stunning. Did you see the males staring at you as we left? Their tongues were hanging out!”

  I waved her away. “Now you’re just being silly.”

  “I am sure that there was one male with his tongue out.”

  “He was getting it pierced! You are so weird!”

  She shook her head. “You, too? Why does everyone say that? I don’t see it!”

  “So, you’re a seer who can’t see?”

  “Shut up.”

  Jakob returned to Soren’s in the wee hours of the morning. I wouldn’t have been any wiser if Viggo’s shrill voice hadn’t woke me.

  “What the fuck are you thinking, Jakob?” he asked.

  Creeping over to the kitchen door, I listened for Jakob’s response.

  “I do not have to tell you what I am thinking, brother. You can see with your own eyes that I have found a stunningly beautiful elf that happens to be my true-mate. It is a blessing. I will not look at it as anything else.”

  I grinned at the stunningly beautiful part. Jakob was a keeper.

  “Yeah, well, that ‘beautiful’ female in there has feelings,” Viggo hissed. “If you so much as make her cry, you are going to need a body cast.”

  “What the hell, Viggo? What has gotten into you?”

  “I could ask you the same. You are a stranger to me. The Jakob I know would not take advantage of an innocent.”

  “I am doing nothing to her innocence, Viggo. She has already been unchaste with a mortal.”

  All right, that was enough of that. I peeked inside to see Viggo and Jakob mere inches apart, their faces contorted with rage. “Uh, can we keep the unchaste thing between us, Jakob? It’s not the kind of thing I want circulating back to Soren.”

  He spun in my direction with a mortified expression that morphed into lustful awe the second he saw me in the doorway. “Forgive me.”

  I acknowledged his apology with a shrug of indifference, but sighed inwardly with acute relief. He approved of my makeover. “It’s okay. I know you were just proving a point.”

  Disagreeing, he shook his head. “It is no excuse. I should not have shared something so private without your permission. My temper got the best of me. I apologize.”

  “In that case, as penance for the heinous crimes you have committed against my honor and reputation, you have to kiss your unchaste, could-be mate.”

  “It would be my pleasure, älskling. Permit me to say that you are ravishing tonight.” He stepped closer, smiling down at me as he cupped the back of my head to pull me into his embrace.

  I would have come to him without restraint. I’d craved the sight of him since he’d left. “I missed you,
” I said, standing on the tips of my toes and pressing my lips to his.

  Viggo groaned. “Mark my words, you two. This will not end well.”

  The next afternoon, I woke feeling great and ready to take on anything—except for Soren. He hadn’t come back from his meeting with Thor before daylight, and though Jakob had tried his best to convince me to spend the day with him in Álfheim, I didn’t want to risk leaving without checking with him first. He’d almost caught us both half naked in bed yesterday. That was way too close of a call for me, so instead of cuddling up with a sexy male, I decided to start my day with magic.

  After taking a quick shower, I dressed in another of my new outfits with a spring in my step (which is considerably easier in elven shoes) and took myself to the sunroom to practice. Last night, Viggo immersed me in the elven culture, and I loved it, even the makeup. I wanted to explore that side. It was the single, solitary magic that had made an appearance thus far, so I might as well try to use what I know I have.

  Viggo was already in the sun room when I arrived, his bare chest and feet evidence that he had just rolled out of his bed. “Why aren’t you burnt to a crisp?”

  He answered without looking up from his book. “UV protectant windows, but I’ve had Em’s blood, too. It allows me to see the sun at any time. It is a light elf thing.”

  “That’s cool, I guess.”

  “It is not as cool as it sounds. Biting Emelie is…” He shuddered. “It is just not pleasant.”

  I sighed and sat next to him. “I can see how it would be awkward.”

  “What?”

  “I can see how—”

  “The sigh,” he interrupted. “What is going on with you?”

  “I’m just being ridiculous.”

  “Nothing new there,” he remarked, still not looking at me. “So, what is it?”

  “It doesn’t seem fair that her blood lets you see the sun, and all mine does is get you doped up. I feel like I have nothing to offer Jakob.”

  He glanced over at me. “How do you … never mind? Do not tell me. That way, when Soren finds out about this and goes into his homicidal rage, I will not be involved.”