Gift (Enchanted Ardor #2)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Apprehension rippled along Vixen’s shoulders and down her spine.

The change in Nick’s mate had been unsettling, but it was clear she’d somehow gained a connection to the grove’s soul.

She understood now that this was why Cupid had been having the dreams that drove him to seek out the Fate who made soul connections.

It was time.

She wasn’t just Nick’s destiny, she was theirs too, though in what way, Vixen could not guess.

But knowing her Cupid had the biggest heart, it made sense that the grove would impose this necessary mission on him.

She didn’t know how it would be possible for Olivia to stay among them, especially when she’d already started showing signs that her body wasn’t compatible with this realm.

Vixen shivered, as possible scenarios flickered through her mind.

Shaking them off, she redirected her thoughts to the task at hand.

It was Vixen’s job to ensure the warriors’ weapons were ready to defend the realm, should the time of need be now.

They still could not know for sure, though Olivia’s changes imparted a sense of urgency.

As soon as she’d secured the new portal fissure, Vixen had assigned a group of Valkyries to guard it.

She hoped they were enough to secure it against whatever Dolph was doing.

And she’d never had any doubt that Dolph would one day prove to be a blackguard and could not understand why Ayo had sent him here with the rest of them.

Vixen just prayed that what happened a thousand years ago would not be repeated.

It was unfair to Nick.

Her heart had broken for him, being put in a position of having to end his brother with his own sword.

It had been the only way to save the temple full of vulnerable children, hiding, with their solitary protector—an old, one-eyed man with nothing but a gnarled staff.

Nick had tried to reason with Dolph, that killing the innocent children would not honour their dead kin.

A contingent of their raiding crew had broken off, following Dolph’s lead, laying waste to the village while Nick had focused on fighting the warriors defending it.

Raiding was their way.

And it hadn’t ended well—for anyone.

Now, with a thousand years of existence in a place such as this grove, Vixen, and all the others, saw the folly of such a way of life.

Olivia watched as Nick tightened Sleipnir’s riding gear, murmuring to the great beast, who kept his eyes trained on her.

She shivered as her eyes swept his massive runed hooves, sooty coat and neatly braided mane and tail.

Did Nick know? Did everyone here know? Is that why the thrones in the hall remained in place?

Perhaps there would be time to ask later. Perhaps not.

Nick was determined to help her solve the shadow creature problem as soon as they completed the seed delivery.

And how long would that take?

Maybe not so long, now that they’d had contact with Joey Kane who said she would have her agents look into the matter.

And then?

Nick would come back here to carry on the work, and I would do the same in my world.

She swallowed the lump of emotion rising from her throbbing heart.

Olivia lifted her trembling fingers. After the third day, she’d begun to weaken.

There’d been a brief boost of energy when the grove had fused its magic to her body, but it had dissipated after a few hours, leaving the emotional connection reduced to a steady hum.

She teared up. In these few days living and working alongside them, enveloped by their warm company, she’d begun to feel accepted. The same way she did with Gena.

Mixed emotions continued to swirl around her. Focus on the job, worry about the threat, curiosity over the outcome.

Several Nisse ran past her, toward the gathering, anticipating the arrival of their imported goods.

She glanced around the small clearing with a bittersweet smile as she adjusted her jacket and checked her pockets for her gloves.

Dolph was still no where to be seen as everyone else lingered, while Nick prepared for the journey.

I’ll never see any of them again.

She rolled her shoulders. Like every other time she’d allowed herself to be immersed in a community—allowed herself to feel like she had family—something always jerked her right out of it.

This was no different.

She’d known from the start this was temporary, no matter Cupid’s insistence that it was otherwise.

Nick mounted Sleipnir’s back, settling into the saddle, slipping his feet into the stirrups.

Blix and Don held up the two satchels, carrying millions of colourful seeds in their depths. Nick slung a strap over each shoulder, settling the bulk against the opposing hip.

Vixen passed him his ax, which found its place across his back.

Pulling his leather gloves on, Nick’s gaze found Olivia’s, he held out a hand for her to join him.

She drew a deep breath, glancing at Sleipnir again. He emanated nothing but… resolution? And some impatience to be away and started on this crucial annual mission.

And she was somehow part of it. This one night. A gift.

With a breath, she stepped forward. Cupid appeared, blocking her path, eyes shining in the depths of his thick eyebrows and bearded face. “Ye’ll be back, I know it.” He gave her a curt nod and stepped away again.

There wouldn’t be time for good-byes later, once the portal opened, the others would have to act fast to move the barrels into the carts. Nick and Olivia needed to be ready atop Sleipnir as soon as the task was done.

She smiled glancing at the others who wore grim or guarded expressions. “I hope so.”

Olivia approached Nick, reaching for his hand to climb up into the saddle in front of him. She squealed when two massive paws gripped her hips, lifting her effortlessly to Nick’s height. Glancing backward, Dash’s eyes twinkled up at her. “Remember my chicken.”

“I will. And pie.” She grinned back at him as he stepped away.

Sleipnir wasted no more time, moving toward the mountain ridge, with its underground corridor leading out into the barren snowscape beyond.

The rest of the crew followed, pulling the carts previously used to harvest seeds and collect dead fall. Now, they would bear the Nisse’s beloved barrels of ale and much anticipated maple syrup. It was a fair exchange for their devotion to the groves.

Tension locked Nick’s muscles as he trained his eyes and ears on their surroundings as they approached the entrance to the grove side of the mountain ridge. The weight of his ax heavy on his back, though familiar, even after all this time.

His arms tightened around Olivia without meaning to. Even though she leaned back into his chest, she was as tense as Nick was.

Seated as she was, her scent drifted up to Nick, drawing his gaze to her profile, committing both to memory. His chest ached as he resisted the need to tighten his grasp on her, to pull her closer and claim her lips. To keep her with him.

He would let her go. He had to.

She didn’t talk or ask questions as she had on their arrival.

Within the mountain ridge, the multicolored torch light flickered to life, lighting their way.

The only sounds once they moved inside were the echoes of Sleipnir’s hooves reverberating off the stone, followed by the distant rattle of carts, making it nearly impossible for his crew to talk without shouting over the racket.

That and the somber shroud of anticipation of what lay ahead.

Would they be betrayed? Again?

Sleipnir’s ears were alert, his sides expanding as he scented the air while he carried them forward.

Where is Dolph?

He wasn’t always part of the send off, but more often than not he was present if for nothing more than to alleviate his boredom.

Nick’s heart clung to his brother’s innocence.

Surely, he’d be here to help oversee the restocking of the ale barrels, especially since they’d run out already.

But this time, in light of the concern following Olivia and their suspicions, Nick remained uneasy.

Nick, you can’t ignore what happened in the communications tower.

Though the information had come from Olivia and her djinn friend, Cupid had been able to confirm traces of the other energy signature.

The great doors to the outside winter wonderland loomed into view, sweeping open with great gusts of frigid air at their arrival.

Sleipnir carried them to the threshold.

“He’s here.” Olivia gasped as Sleipnir tensed. “All I can sense is his anger, Nick. His darkness is stronger than before.”

Nick’s gaze darted around the corridor, landing on the shadows to the side of the great doors where Olivia’s attention lay.

His nape prickled, unable to see his brother in the loamy darkness.

Behind them, the line of carts trundled to a stop.

Sleipnir stopped with a huff as Dolph stepped out.

They had to go, there was no choice.

Nick’s fingers tightened on the leather reins. “Dolph.”

“I just came to ensure you took that human back where it belongs.” Dolph’s tight voice hissed along the stone, his lips curled, creating deep, dark ridges and valleys in his bluish face, giving him the appearance of the Krampus, the Scourge from the ancient stories.

“That’s the intention.”

“And you’re still set to collect the ale?”

Nick nodded, watching his brother.

“Good, those little bastards hid the last barrel from me. I haven’t had a drink in days.”

Nick frowned. “They’re entitled to it for all the work they do. It’s fair payment.”

Dolph’s eyes narrowed on Nick, flicking to Olivia as he moved closer. “I don’t ask for much. Never have.”

Sleipnir grumbled, sidestepping away from the Alfar. Dolph persisted, reaching for the great horse’s reins with one hand, running the other along his neck to the edge of the saddle where his hand slipped to Olivia’s knee.

She shuddered at the touch, jerking her leg away from him as Sleipnir side-stepped again, pulling them away from Dolph’s reaching hand.

Dolph held his hands up, backing away with a mirthless smirk as a fresh eddy of cold air swirled snow across the threshold, dragging the stink of unwashed male and sulfur across their faces.

“Back away from her!” Nick planted his foot on Dolph’s chest, shoving him away from Olivia.

Sleipnir stomped a hoof.

They had to go.

He turned in the saddle, locking eyes with Vixen, and with the hand shielded from Dolph’s view gave her the warning signal.

Lips compressed, she nodded, reaching into the cart.

Nick nudged Sleipnir’s side with his knee.

Right there, at the threshold between the grove realm hidden in the mountain ridge and the winterscape of the north pole, the portal ignited with a pop as energy crackled around them, brightening the interior of the stone corridor.

Their last location on the hotel rooftop in Ottawa became visible through the ring of electricity, a blizzard raging there.

The crew slid around Sleipnir, eyes flicking warily toward Dolph. They’d pulled their weapons from the carts and fastened them to their bodies.

Nick nodded through the portal to the familiar face of their ale supplier, already rolling the barrels toward Sleipnir’s position through the rigid, swirling snow to where Nick’s family would receive and load them into the carts. He studied the faces of the others, not recognizing any of them.

Although Nick and his crew always came armed, this was the first time in centuries that they anticipated trouble.

Barrels through, Sleipnir drew breath, muscles bunched, to begin the run.

From the shadowy corner where Dolph waited, his lips stretched into a wide grin.

Nick lifted his hand, prepared to freeze anyone that might come near them.

As Sleipnir crossed the threshold between mountain stone and city rooftop, a shout sounded.

In an instant, black smoky chains whipped out from under the front edge of the saddle, encircled Sleipnir’s body, and drove themselves into the ground, halting him mid stride. The portal’s electricity snapped and writhed.

The force set Nick off balance, allowing Dolph to lunge forward, grasp his outstretched arm, and pull him to the ground.

Olivia screamed his name from atop Sleipnir, but part of the black chain trapped her leg, holding her in place.

A wave of black slithering shadows loomed up over the rooftop, flowing over snow drifts, rushing toward the open portal.

Nick continued to grapple with Dolph as his crew dispersed toward the torches lining the cavern walls, seeking to combat the shades.

“Should have held the status quo, and not tipped the balance, Nick.” Dolph growled into Nick’s face, adjusting his grip on Nick’s shoulder, his forearm pressed to his throat, a knee crushed Nick’s arms into the stone below them. “As long as you remained apathetic, they were content to leave this place alone — at least for now.”

“Ayo warned me you wouldn’t be content to tend the grove. He said you wanted too much.” He panted through his compressed windpipe, struggling to see Olivia.

“I wanted vengeance Nick. Total. You always knew that. I was crystal clear. I never hid who I was.”

“They were children, Dolph. Not our enemies. Their parents—and their elders—were more than enough to end things.” With a twist of his body, he managed to shove Dolph off of him and turned to freeze the writhing shadows surrounding Olivia.

Dolph rolled to the side, pulling a wicked mace from the shadows where he’d been hiding.

Nick grabbed his ax, instead, as the stench of sulfur filled the cavern, riding the storm’s bluster.

He spared Olivia a glance, struggling against one of the barrel men, who was trying to pull her from Sleipnir’s back. Sleipnir bucked against the black magical chains, trying to free himself.

“It’s never enough!” Dolph ran toward Nick, swinging. Several of the iron spikes grazed Nick’s cheek as he turned away from the attack. “Humans are the ones who want too much.” He swung again, but Nick was ready for it, swiping the mace head away with the head of his ax.

Nick parried another swing. “Stop this. What’s wrong with you? We’ve tended these groves together for a millennium. Someone has spellbound your mind.”

“No one has done anything to me. I’ve been holding my position. Quiet, patient. Vigilant for the day I would leave this fucking place.”

Nick stepped back, absorbing this.

“You may have gaps in your memory, Nick. But I don’t. I remember what happened. Clear as yesterday.”

His gaze flicked to the man holding the wicked knife point to Olivia’s delicate throat. Her eyes were wide over the hand covering her mouth.

Nick had accused her of trying to see the best in everyone.

For over a thousand years, he’d blinded himself with the exact same sentiment.

Nick had always known what Dolph was. He’d always seen it.

He’d known.

He just couldn’t face it.

His brother.

And he’d sentenced his whole crew along with him. For his failings.

For Dolph.

He’d never deserved it. He wasn’t worthy of their sacrifice.

Nick wasn’t worthy.

A fissure in Nick’s mind slid open with a soft whisper.

A memory buried with a few of Ayo’s words. It rose to the surface now, clearing the debris of so many other memories. The good, the bad, mostly the mundane.

An elusive pappus, always floating just beyond his grasp, drifted back to him.

If Nick hadn’t agreed to the contract, they’d have all gone into netherworld together. Not this Other world, let alone Valhalla.

What he’d done.

Left so many dead in the wake of their tsunami of vengeance.

An endless cycle of retaliations.

Turned a blind eye to Dolph’s true nature.

He glanced at Olivia again, past Dolph’s prowling form.

No, he didn’t deserve her.

She was the essence of what this place was supposed to be.

Light. Hope. Potential.

A gift to the world.

Not his to keep.

She would gladly do this work. She wanted to do it.

Nick couldn’t give it to her. It was his mantle to bear.

But he now understood that he couldn’t do it without her. Not the way it needed to be done.

Her human soul belonged in the mortal world. An immortal among mortals, quietly doling out mercy and grace wherever she went.

He craved that.

Nick craved Olivia’s sweetness. She was never blind. She saw the evil as well as the good, and chose to act on the good.

He craved her grace, the glow of her soul.

And as much as he wanted to embrace her for himself, he was desperate to set her aside and cast her out to preserve that purity of heart.

For the world that needed it more than he did.

He needed her love to carry on, until the powers that be decided it was enough. Not him.

She needed to go. She couldn’t survive in his world anyway, not without the final step and there was no way Nick was going to let that happen.

Nick pressed the edge of his ax to Dolph’s neck.

Black mist swirled through the whites of Dolph’s eyes.

A woman’s chanting became audible from the rooftop as sleet blew in through Sleipnir’s crackling portal.

With a glance at the approaching woman, whose hands were outstretched to control the writhing shadows, Dolph snarled through gritted teeth, straining against Nick’s fury. “A thousand years of giving these children hope, Nick. Nearly destroyed me, and would have, were it not for the knowledge that it had purpose. To feed into the Ascension. Something to trade when the gates opened between the worlds.” He gave a short laugh. “And we’re nearly there. I will be able to walk in the world again.”

“Our time there is long gone, Dolph.”

“Yours hasn’t been. Back and forth you go, every gods damned year while the rest of us are trapped among the trees. Because of you.” Dolph growled when Nick blocked another swing. With the next, the brothers battled until Nick looped his ax around the mace head, ripping it from Dolph’s grasp as he struck out with his other fist. Both weapons sailed through the air, skittering with a crash into the stone wall. Dolph recovered, drawing his dagger from its sheath as he advanced on Nick.

“Nick!” Olivia ran toward him. He glanced back to see Dash swinging at her captor as Sleipnir continued to buck against the restraints. The Nisse had appeared, struggling to free the warhorse from the bonds.

“I will go, Nick. I will no longer exist in this place!” Dolph lunged, seeking to sink the blade into Nick’s shoulder.

“No!” Olivia screamed as the blade’s tip punctured the flesh, and deflected off the collarbone. Nick’s free hand jerked up, freezing everything as Olivia slid between the brothers, her palms on their chests to shove them away from each other.

Nick gasped a ragged breath as light filled the cavern, blinding him.