Gift (Enchanted Ardor #2)

Chapter Eleven

Sleipnir was the biggest frikking war horse Olivia had ever seen. Ever.

And she’d seen many in her time.

She should have been more shocked by the swirling portal framing him.

Her breath clung inside her chest as she stared into his glowing eyes.

All shades of smoke, soot, and charcoal variated through his coat, down to his hocks. Sigils were carved into the wicked hooves. His thick mane and tail were arranged into elaborately secured braids. He wore saddle, harness and bridle.

She swallowed as she tore her eyes from his, flicking to the muzzle hiding his ferocious teeth, down to the powerful, solid hooves that would not just crush her feet, but leave her in a crumpled mess if he didn’t like her.

Nick smiled at the beast, stroking his neck with fondness.

“Uhm, Nick? He’s really big. You didn’t say he was big, Nick.”

“He’s magnificent, isn’t he? King of all warhorses.” Nick’s smile slid to concern as he noticed Olivia’s trepidation, her gaze remained locked on Sleipnir.

“He’s as gentle as a puppy.” Nick ran his hand between Sleipnir’s eyes to his nose then reached for Olivia’s hand.

Liv let out an awkward laugh.

Sleipnir’s glowing eyes narrowed on her and he stomped a foot with a huff.

She backed a step.

Nick grasped her hand and pulled her forward. “Liv, this is the only way to get home. You’re not staying here with that thing out there targeting you.”

“I’m not convinced it’s after me. Besides, it’s less scary than your horse,” she muttered.

Sleipnir grunted.

Turning her attention to Nick’s determined face, she blew out a breath. “Okay, sorry, I’m not making a great first impression on your friend.” She gave him an awkward pat between the eyes. “Nice to meet you, I’m Olivia.”

Sleipnir huffed, turning his big glowing eye to Nick.

“She’s nervous.” Nick offered. At the jerk of Sleipnir’s great head, Nick gathered the reins in one hand, Olivia’s hand in the other. “He wants to go.”

Not knowing where to start, she stared at the stirrup for several seconds before she was suddenly hoisted by Nick’s powerful hands up into the saddle. He settled in behind her, adjusting his satchel as he secured his feet in the stirrups and reins in his hands to either side of Olivia.

Her heart pattered as she looked out over the city skyline from atop Sleipnir, the portal crackling around them, dimly wondering if—when—she’d be back.

Of course I will, and soon. It’s just a quick visit…

She yelped as Sleipnir jerked into motion. Colour and air crackled and swirled, building into a rushing storm around them as Sleipnir ran toward the edge of the hotel roof.

Olivia drew breath to scream as she slammed herself backward into Nick’s solid chest, preparing for the inevitable drop.

The scream hovered in her throat as Nick’s left hand dropped the leather strap, his strong arm locking her against him.

The instant sense of comfort and safety stayed the panic as Sleipnir’s powerful body launched them into the air. The expected drop didn’t follow.

Her chest rose and fell, trying to pump oxygen to her brain to process what was happening, more terrifying than any of the rollercoasters she’d stupidly convinced herself to try.

The faster that Sleipnir’s hooves worked, the more of the city skyline disappeared into the crackling storm of colour enveloping them.

Seconds later, the bunching of his muscles slowed, and the colours and rush of air around them did likewise, dissipating to a very different scene.

Now on solid, snow covered ground, they cantered toward an ice-layered mountain with the Aurora Borealis dancing in the star strewn sky above.

Sleipnir’s portal continued to fizz around them as he carried them toward the pristine snow-covered peaks.

Olivia’s breath eased out in a great puff, crystallising in the frigid air causing the end of her nose to prickle. “It’s so beautiful.”

Distracted by the sight overhead, Olivia was late to notice the unveiling of massive double doors ahead.

She blinked, adjusting to the appearance of an entrance embedded in the mountainside that hadn’t been there seconds before.

As they approached, heavily rune carved stone pillars formed to either side of the doors, which slowly swung open. More pillars lined the path within, supporting the mountain’s maw and gullet from collapsing.

The sound of Sleipnir’s hooves transitioning from crunching snow-covered ground to stone path was jarring as the cavern echoed everything around them.

Firmly inside the cave, the doors swung closed behind them. The charged air of Sleipnir’s portal fell away and torches affixed to the pillars flickered to life with an unearthly glow, similar to the Aurora Borealis outside.

Olivia maintained her silence as she adjusted to Sleipnir’s movement. Nick’s arm no longer crushed her to him, but still held her firmly in place atop his steed.

“Is this the north pole?” Olivia’s voice ricocheted back to her over the sharp clack of Sleipnir’s hooves.

“In a sense, it is.”

“Cryptic.”

Nick grunted.

The Associate’s gaze fixed on the hotel roof line where the sky above it crackled to life.

Fuck.

She instantly began a spell to augment her reach.

Enraged by the pawn’s failure to remove the influence of this human woman reported to be of keen interest to her target, she’d had to take matters into her own hands and risk exposure.

What she hadn’t counted on was recognizing the woman’s face through the taint’s vision as it bore down on her. Nor the target’s ability to hold the magical creature at bay.

She’d tracked them through the streets, nearly losing them in the downtown sector when she was forced to hang further and further back to avoid detection, forced to alter her plan.

They won’t be happy.

Focusing on her spell before the portal closed, she whispered the incantation faster.

She needed to figure out how to tip the target in their favour.

She couldn’t risk the hotel security cameras identifying her, so she’d stayed to the shadows, watching the main lobby door from across the road, waiting, watching, for some opportunity.

She’d sent a Taint up the side of the building, seeking, unable to find something to latch onto.

Now, monitoring the progress of the crackling portal, she pushed her magic into the spell, gauging her timing.

It would have been so much easier, if she’d been able to hook onto one of them in the darkened street when they’d left the old church, infecting them with a few spores. Then she’d be able to track them anywhere.

Except when they left this realm. Then it was harder—though not impossible.

Especially now, with the alignment accelerating the Ascension, the veils thinned, enabling access throughout the many realms connected to this world.

Still, this new complication would have to be dealt with. The plan couldn’t change.

The spell she launched skyward, a roiling black froth, hovered at the brink of the portal’s edge.

She caught sight of the giant horse leaping off the side of the hotel roof, the inky spell caught in its wake as the portal slammed closed.

The magic dragged at the Associate as it travelled off world, toward her primary pawn. The one that she’d been tasked to handle for these last few decades.

Like a grappling hook cast through the portal, this spell should enhance the thread beyond, strengthening the link through the deep meditation or dream states.

Her employers wanted access now, and she wanted to take her place, rising up through the ranks.

Now. This solstice period. They refused to wait another year. Their plans were multi-pronged and designed to keep the wardens busy on all fronts.

Waiting another year, or decade, could lose them the element of surprise.

The council had received a warning, but they couldn’t know when or how or who would strike them down.

The enemy couldn’t be in all places at once.

And this was a precious target.

This woman could tip the target on the wrong side of the Ascension for us, causing us to lose the advantage until the next cycle.

The Associate was confident she could handle it. She had her means.

Not in all this time—all these centuries—had they been discovered.

Her pawn in the other world was a powerful player. She just needed to guide him through her employers’ delicate steps to assure the timing and execution was perfect.

Now was her time to shimmer. To prove herself worthy.