Gift (Enchanted Ardor #2)

Chapter Seventeen

Blixem took it upon himself to introduce Olivia to everyone else. It was a challenge to memorize which Valkyrie’s names—Praunci, Comyt and Dansa—were attached to the correct faces as everyone filed past; washing up, handing out dishes and passing around food platters.

They were an assortment of beings that Olivia had only heard of in heroic myths, or read about in books.

They seemed to crowd around her, though they’d all settled into their seats, asking her questions about life in Ottawa, craving information about the world outside of their own.

“Let her eat. You keep her talking so much she can’t taste her food.” Dash growled at his companions, most of whom rolled their eyes or chuckled, but turned to their own dishes.

The chicken on Olivia’s plate was so tender and juicy she nearly groaned when the perfect blend of herbs and spices hit her tongue. She chewed, allowing the flavours to linger before swallowing. “My goodness, this is the best chicken I’ve ever tried.”

Dash beamed. “Of course it is.”

“You’ll have ruined all other chicken for me.”

He waved his fork in the air. “Inconsequential, since you’re living here now.”

“Oh, I’ll be going home in a few days. As soon as Sleipnir is able to take me back.”

“Nicholas?” Dash’s head whipped in Nick’s direction with a shocked gasp. “You can’t return a gift such as this one.”

Everyone’s gaze swiveled to Nick.

“I—,” Olivia started

“You said there was news.” Nick’s tone cut the discussion short before it turned into rounds of argument where everyone at the table no doubt would weigh in.

“There’s a new anomaly forming.” Praunci drank from her cup. “We’re not sure how long its been there, but it isn’t quite static like the one in the tower. It’s in the cave with the underground spring.”

“Sometimes it’s there, sometimes not.” Dansa added.

“Is it passable?”

Praunci shrugged. “We haven’t seen evidence of anything coming or going through it. But we haven’t been there consistently since one of the Nisse directed us to it. We had to focus on the harvest.”

Nick nodded. “You put runes in place?”

“Of course. Though without knowing exactly what it is, it’s difficult to ascertain which are best to use.”

“This may have to do with the Ascension.” Comyt added, setting her plate on the table before taking a seat, now that everyone else had their food.

“What is this Ascension that you’ve mentioned before?” Olivia set her fork aside, ignoring Dash’s disappointed glance at the uneaten portions on her plate.

“O’Clery said it was a change in the balance between positive and negative forces.” He drained his cup. “I don’t know much more, though Ayo mentioned something about it when he cast us here. That we would be needed.”

One Valkyrie cleared her throat. “From our lore, the Ascension is a time when our sun is moving toward her sister, bringing the cosmos closer together. As they draw near, the heavens will open, giving access to the other world.”

“What happens then?” Olivia shivered.

The Valkyrie shrugged. “The stories aren’t clear, as they blend together from different cycles. But magic and power is amplified.”

“Sounds like Ragnar?k.” Donder grunted.

“Or Nirvana,” Dansa countered.

“Neither of which are a balance. O’Clery’s message from her sister was to stay the course. To keep the balance as long as possible?” Nick mused as his gaze met Olivia’s. “Keep doing our job to maintain the balance. And protect the grove. Stay the course.”

“The shadows?” her voice was soft, her heart growing heavy.

The shadows were someone’s attempt to disrupt that balance somehow?

He nodded.

She swallowed trying to understand with this new perspective. “But if what you say about Mr. Anderson is right, he cornered me before you arrived to stop him. I don’t understand how this fits in.”

“O’Clery sent me in your direction—in her vague way.”

“Her prediction had said I was in danger.”

Love and danger.

Olivia dropped her gaze from Nick’s, her to her fingers twisting on her lap.

Love.

“Could someone have seen you together?” Comyt asked.

“Before the attack in the alley, the only time we were together was at the party and the drive to Olivia’s apartment the next morning.”

“Sounds to me like O’Clery’s got a leak.” Dolph drained his cup, then refilled it.

Olivia started, not having noticed his presence at the far end of the room, apart from everyone else.

“I can’t see how. Her place is heavily warded.” Nick said.

“A tail then.” Praunci dug into her food.

“That makes sense.”

“Mr. Anderson served in the military.” Olivia met Nick’s gaze again, her stomach churning.

“Reconnaissance?”

“I believe so. Whatever happened during his service impacted his mental health. It’s why he’s having such difficulty since his return home. He hasn’t been able to reintegrate with society.”

Nick’s eyes flicked to Dolph before dropping to his plate. After a moment he drew a deep breath. “Cupid, I need to get in contact with O’Clery’s sister. We need more information.”

Cupid nodded. “I’ve already requested a meeting. She’s still in the field with her team, on a case.” Cupid pulled back his sleeve to reveal a leather bracer with a metal device attached to it. “Vixen finished the modification this morning. I’ll know as soon as someone reaches out to us.”

Dash leaned across the table toward Olivia, whispering loud enough for all to hear. “There is pie.”

Olivia smiled as the tension released from her stomach. “I love pie.”

Dash grinned back. “Of course you do.”

Nick jerked awake. Incessant pounding on the front door drew him from the chair he’d been sleeping on.

“Nick?”

Olivia appeared at his bedroom door, rubbing at her sleepy face, dressed only in one of his borrowed shirts, looking for all the world like she’d been made love to all night.

He dry-swallowed, tamping down the rush of desire already taking up residence between his thighs due to the vivid dreams he’d been enjoying before the abrupt disruption.

Dreams wherein Olivia had drifted, exactly as she was now, out to join him on the living room chair and—

“I’m coming!” Nick snarled at the door, wrenching it open to find a breathless Cupid scowling up at him.

“Took ye long enough.” He held up his forearm to show him the surging rune on the bracer. “Ye got a call.”

Nick spun away from the door, reaching for his boots.

“I’m coming with you,” Olivia said hopping into her jeans at the threshold of the bedroom, socks gripped in her fist. Bluish discolouration lingered under her tired eyes. She didn’t look any more rested than she had the previous day.

“Go,” Nick said to Cupid. “We’re coming.” He tossed Olivia her coat as she slipped her feet into her boots.

After dessert the previous night, she’d made it very clear that if she was to stay, she was going to be a full member of the community until she could go home. And this business with the shadows was also her business, since it involved her community back home. Mr. Anderson. She was determined to figure out how to help him, if she could.

Nick had argued that maybe he couldn’t be helped and she’d balked at that, scolding him for his lack of interest in even trying.

As far as Nick was concerned, he had more important things to worry about. Like the Grove’s safety, and distributing the seeds.

And Olivia’s well-being.

He didn’t concern himself with helping men who attacked vulnerable women, even if one was potentially under the influence of a negative entity. In his experience, negative entities usually attached themselves to people who had something within them that allowed it.

Nick halted his thoughts from trailing on to his brother.

Centuries ago. Focus on the here and now.

Besides, Olivia’s police Constable Greer took Anderson away. Problem solved.

They followed Cupid up the tower stairs to his communications room.

“You’ve certainly been busy in here,” Nick commented, on seeing the array of equipment set up since the last time he’d been in the tower. The station resembled a security feed that he’d seen in the hotel, with multiple monitors, though created without a scrap of anything electronic. It was all made of raw minerals.

“I told ye Vixen and I have been working on some projects.” Cupid grumbled, as he touched several panels of glowing crystals with runes etched into them, set below highly polished metal mirrors overlaid with sheets of the same cut crystal.

“Wow,” Olivia breathed, taking in Cupid’s workspace from her position by the door. “This is incredible.”

“Aye. Glad you think so.” Cupid grinned as his hands moved over the rune stones. “Ah, here we are.”

Individual faces sharpened into view on three separate polished mirrors. “Quinn. Martin. While always nice to see you, its unfortunate to need to do so again so soon.” Nick turned to the third panel. “I’ve not had the pleasure.”

“Jolena Kane.” The dark-haired woman offered.

“Joey is my sister, Nick.” Quinn said.

“The one with the message for the Council.” Martin supplied.

Nick nodded. “Of course.”

“Cupid said you had a couple of incidents after I saw you.” Quinn’s voice was heavy with concern. “You were able to find Olivia?”

“He did.” Olivia stepped to Nick’s side, making herself visible to the callers. “And just in time too. He stopped Mr. Anderson from—well—his stopped him from doing anything foolish.”

Quinn’s brows rose. “Thank the Creator for that.”

“And you think this is connected to our concerns?” Joey Kane looked thoughtful.

Nick recounted the details of both unusual events.

“And you’re certain this entity was a threat?”

Olivia bristled at Ms. Kane’s caution. “It certainly felt threatening, and I’m not one to jump at shadows, in general.”

“The timing does seem questionable, but we can’t automatically assume this threat is anything to do with us. It may just be something pursuing Ms. Boncoeur.” Martin looked from Nick to Olivia.

“I did consider that, but given her lifestyle, it’s highly doubtful—especially considering the timing. No, my instincts tell me this is directly connected. My people found another fissure that didn’t exist before—at least one that wasn’t detectable to us.”

“Another fissure?” Joey pressed.

“We’re communicating through one. This tower is built around it and it has been contained and controlled for centuries.”

“You need to secure the new one immediately. Before it’s discovered and infiltrated.”

“We’re already working on it, Ms. Kane.” Cupid assured her. “My Vixen is already designing a portal containment, similar to the like of this one, based on the dimensions our folks provided, but with some added improvements. She should be done in a day or two.”

“And we all need to hope a day or two from now isn’t too late.” Her gaze flicked to Nick.

“They’re doing what they can, Joey.” Quinn tried to ease her sister’s alarm.

Joey frowned. “The Consortium is not to be treated lightly. They’ve already discovered the locations of a few portals. They’ll be looking to control every one they can. We don’t know how they’re finding them yet, but we’ve been busy stopping them from gaining access.”

“I understand,” Nick assured her. “Your recent mission?”

Joey’s lips compressed but she nodded.

“And everything is connected to this Ascension that Quinn told us about at the council meeting?” Martin cleared his throat.

“It is, at least on the subject of the inter-realm portals. I don’t know about these shadows you’ve mentioned,” Joey confirmed. “I’ll pass along the details of your recent events and have one of my agents follow up with your Constable Greer and Mr. Anderson in Ottawa. It’s imperative that you focus on distributing the harvest. I will be accessible at all times.” Joey held up a crystal glowing on her palm.

“I’ll—,” Martin’s words were cut short as the panels darkened.

A black film floated across their reflections in the polished sheets.

“What in the hells is that?” Cupid swore, pulling more runes up onto the ledge, whispering activation commands to push out the interference.

“Shut the frequency down.”

“It won’t do,” Cupid growled.

“Olivia,” a low, distorted, angry voice groaned through the room.

Nick grabbed more runes to combat the infiltration, adding tracking magic, in an effort to ascertain the source while they worked to push it out.

“Olivia!” The voice boomed, as the black film hijacked the frequency.

“What’s happening?” Olivia gasped.

“I can’t deactivate my rune,” Quinn struggled to clear the magic to cut the connection.

“Nor can I,” Martin backed away from his device.

Joey also backed away, speaking into her cell as she moved to troubleshoot her side. “Try to track where it’s coming from.”

Cupid and Nick moved as quickly as they could to rout whatever was happening.

A face began to form in the black mist, extending from the panels toward Olivia.

The second the being lifted several inches from the panel, Nick’s hand shot out to freeze it before it could reach Olivia. With a fluid motion, he shoved her behind him, then pushed Cupid away from it.

Panting, Olivia peered from behind Nick’s arm. “Jésus!”