Not Broken: True Destiny, Book 5 (6 page)

“I did!”

Sylvia, Sydney and Morgan all laughed at Magnus’s frustrated yell, but Slade wasn’t amused. “Dodge harder.”

Magnus rolled his eyes. “Anyway, the lights in the building went out, so Morgan and I knew something was wrong.”

“We don’t know how, but Skadi managed to get into our apartment without our sensing it.” Sylvia picked up where Magnus left off. “The front door and windows didn’t open, and it was almost immediately after the lights went out.”

“She couldn’t have been working alone either. Someone had to cut the power while she made her way into Sylvia’s apartment.”

“Not necessarily. She might have
Dökk Alfar
blood in her.” Slade put away the tape and zipped up the bag. “She could have moved through the shadows to get so quickly from one place to the other. It’s the only way.”

Dead silence.

“What?” He looked around at the startled faces of every Aesir in the room. “You didn’t know that was one of their powers? Odin picked it up centuries ago.”

“That explains how he keeps getting away from us.” Magnus sounded disgusted. “We—”

The front door slammed open, with Kir, Logan and Jordan storming through. Jordan was the one who spoke, pushing her glasses up her nose as she glared at her brother. “What happened?”

Logan stared at Slade, his relief obvious as he saw that Slade was unharmed. “Fenris smelled blood coming from your apartment and called me.”

Magnus grimaced. “We got ambushed by Skadi.”

Jordan blinked. “Who?”

Logan cursed, and Kir’s eyes began to mist over.

Jordan looked at her husbands and sighed. “I’m going to guess that this is bad.”

“Very.” Sylvia attempted to stand, but Slade got to her before anyone else. He gently pushed her back into her seat, but her gaze remained on Logan and Kir. “She was sent by Grimm to use Sylvia and I to get to you. She overheard that we were working for you and has declared us traitors, along with anyone following you.”

Kir and Logan exchanged a glace as Jordan ran her hand up and down Kir’s spine, attempting to soothe him. Jordan was again the one who spoke as the silent communication between Logan and Kir continued. “Who is Skadi?”

“She’s an ice jotun whose father was Thjazi, the jotun who kidnapped Idunn. Her father was killed in retaliation, and in compensation she was married off to Kye, but the two couldn’t stand each other and wound up divorced.” Kir stared at Logan. “Rumor has it Logan was the one who lured Idunn away from the apple grove.”

“I didn’t do it!” Logan threw up his hands in frustration. “Every stupid thing that happened back then was blamed on me. The idiot went walking and got kidnapped by a guy who could turn into a giant eagle. Who’s to blame? Loki, that’s who!” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Jordan wrapped her arm around his waist and Kir kissed the side of his neck. “I did some stupid shit back then, but I never deliberately hurt someone. Idunn adores her husband, and he worships her. I never would have endangered either of them.”

Sylvia’s brows rose as she ran her fingers through her golden hair. “Oh?”

Logan smirked at her. “That was different. Whatever you felt for Thor, it wasn’t returned, and you know it.” He shrugged. “Besides, you’d pissed me off, remember?”

She blushed. “Oh. That.”

“Yeah, that.”

“What are you talking about?” Sydney looked between the two, her voice soft and uncertain.

“Nothing.” But Sylvia glared at Logan, and Logan’s smirk intensified. “It was childish and stupid and cost us both.”

The smirk dimmed. “Yeah, it did, didn’t it?” Logan sighed. “Truce?”

Sylvia’s glared died. “Truce.”

“So I rescued Idunn and Thjazi died trying to get her back. But Skadi didn’t see it that way and convinced the others that I was the one who’d lured Idunn out of Asgard and allowed Thjazi to make off with her. Since it suited the Old Man to have everyone hating me, he ran with it.” Loki took a seat next to Magnus, automatically running his hand over Slade’s hair. Slade leaned into the touch, smiling when his father relaxed. “She’s been pissed at me ever since. Hell, she’s the one who tied me down and put the serpent over me to drip burning poison on me.”

“So she’s probably thrilled with the idea of killing you.” Slade jumped as thunder sounded outside the condo and rain suddenly began to pour from the sky.

“Hey, Blondie. It’s all right. We’ll get her.” Logan held out his hand for Kir, who took it between his own. “Together, right?”

Kir nodded. “All three of us.”

“Five, once I spawn.” Jordan sighed wearily. “Please, let me spawn soon.”

The laughter was a welcome relief.

Chapter Six

“So you two are moving in, all right?”

Sylvia watched as Kir devoured a truly impressive amount of pizza. “We are?”

They’d filled Logan, Kir and Jordan in over a quick dinner of takeout and cola. The only one who even came close to matching him was Slade, who apparently did have the constitution of a horse. From the way Magnus looked at the man, and the way Slade returned those heated glances, it was obvious that not only was that normal but the two of them were together the way Logan and Kir were.

Both Magnus and Slade were delicious, but apparently they were off the menu. Damn it. “Sydney and I will get our own place, right?”

Magnus and Slade both scowled. “You’ll move in with us. Sydney will have her own place.”

What? “Why would I move in with you two?”

Slade blushed. “I…” He coughed, his voice rough. “I mean, we…” His voice cracked. Slade stared at Magnus. “Mag?”

Magnus’s scowl deepened, but there was something there, in his gaze, that made her wonder if just maybe she had a shot at both of them. “Because we said so.”

“Here.” Kir handed her a key, one with a peanut M&M on it. He handed a completely different one to Sydney. “These are yours.”

Sydney was trembling so hard Sylvia was surprised she was still on her feet. “But, we’ve roomed together for a long time.” Syd shot her a terrified look. “Who will remind me to eat?”

Sylvia looked at Slade, then Magnus. “Can she have a key?”

It was Logan who answered. “I don’t see why not, until she’s got her new roommate anyway.” He snickered as Sydney paled. “You’ll like her. Trust me.”

“Ah. Okay?” Syd practically ran from the room, taking her empty plate and half-eaten slice of pizza into the kitchen.

“She really does forget things like eating and sleeping.” Sylvia was worried about her friend. “She won’t starve to death, but she’ll be miserable and stinky.”

Logan seemed shocked. “She wasn’t like that when…”

“When you were married?” Sylvia shrugged. “The Internet hadn’t been invented back then.”

“Is she addicted to online gambling or something?” Kir actually seemed concerned.

“Nope. She found what she’s really good at, and she loves it to pieces. Only thing is, she gets caught up in her work and forgets the basics.”

“Like combing my hair.” Sydney rejoined them, smiling at Sylvia.

“Or peeing.”

Sydney giggled. “I hate gravity.”

The men looked confused, and Sylvia didn’t plan on explaining. She too had gotten caught up in something, realized she was thirsty, and stood, only then to feel the intense need for what Sylvia called a “bio break”. Sydney loved her online games, and often used phrases that confused the hell out of Sylvia.

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Logan waved everyone back to their seat. “I’ll get it.”

He led in Travis and a woman Sylvia didn’t know. “Sylvia, Sydney, meet Toni. Toni, this—” he pointed to Sylvia, “—is Sif, aka Sylvia, and this—” he pointed to Sydney, “—is my ex-wife Sigyn, aka Sydney.”

“Hi.” Toni waved hello, her dark eyes missing nothing. The woman carried herself like a warrior, like Magnus and Morgan did. She stood with her hands on her hips, surveying the people in the room with the air of someone who was always suspicious, always curious about what people were up to. “Which one of you is Slade?”

Slade held up his hand. “I am.”

Toni nodded. “Okay. Let me just—”

“We lied to you.” Travis stood with his back to the front door, blocking any possibility of an exit.

Toni did a slow pan toward Travis. Sylvia would have been shaking in her boots, but Travis stood firm in the face of the woman’s lowered brow. “Excuse me?”

Logan attempted to placate her. “We have it on good authority that you’re in danger.”

“Whose authority?” For just a second, Sylvia saw fear flash across Toni’s face.

“Nik’s.”

“That son of a bitch.” Toni put out a growl worthy of Fenris. “He’s been watching me.”

She didn’t seem surprised by that. “Why would the Guardian be watching you?” Sylvia didn’t understand why Nik would be watching one mortal woman to the point of warning Logan that she was in danger.

Magnus leaned over and whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her. “Toni has Valkyrie blood. She healed Fenris, and Fenris and Logan declared her family. She also helped save Jamie, Jeff’s sister, from the Old Man.”

“Oh.” Yes, that would make her of interest to the Guardian.

“She also doesn’t take shit from anyone, not even Kir.” Slade seemed in awe of her. “I heard her on the phone with him when he tried to convince her to move in. She’s fierce.”

“She’s also right here.” Sylvia glanced over to find Toni glaring at them. “She also has an important job.”

“I got you assigned here by your chief.” Travis crossed his arms, his missing hand less evident as he did so. “He owed me some favors and I called them in.”

Toni’s jaw dropped. “Are you fucking
kidding
me? I’m working a homicide right now, I don’t have time to babysit your lame ass.”

Sylvia laughed. “I think it’s more he’s babysitting you.” When Toni glared, Sylvia laughed harder. “Travis was once lord of the Vanir. He’s the strongest warrior we have. If anyone is doing the protecting, it’s him.”

Travis nodded slowly when Toni stared at him. “I don’t know if the danger Nik saw comes from your case or something else, but until he tells me you’re safe you’ll be living with us.”

Kir piped up, holding a key. “With Sydney, to be exact.”

Sydney groaned. “Oh, please no. She’s going to hate me.”

“She won’t hate you.” Magnus surprised Sylvia by pulling Sydney close and glaring at Toni. “Will she?”

“I might, depending on some things.” Toni crossed her arms, not at all intimidated by Magnus’s scowl. “For one, was she in on this?”

“No, but I was.” Magnus put Sydney behind him and took a step, placing himself before both Slade and Sylvia as well. “And I agree with Nik. There’s no way you can defend yourself from the Old Man. Not yet, anyway. He’ll tear you apart without a thought. He’s killed humans before just to lure us out of hiding, tortured his own grandkids, skinned Sleipnir alive. You think he’ll stop at making you uncomfortable?”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Against a god?” Magnus’s fingertips sparked. “Against someone who can crawl through the shadows to get to you?”

Toni stared at his hands and sighed. “Fine. How long am I in jail for?”

The lightning died from Magnus’s fingertips. “It’s not jail. It’s…family.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m Italian, I know family.” She sighed, defeat in her stance and the way the fight went out of her expression. “All right. I get it. And in an odd way, I even appreciate it. I just wish it wasn’t necessary. I was this close to capturing a serial killer and now I have to hand the case to someone else.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Travis exchanged a glance with Magnus and Morgan. “Perhaps we can help to make up for it.”

“I’d appreciate that.” Toni walked over to Sydney and held out her hand. “I swear to God I’m not a psychopath.”

Sydney took Toni’s outstretched hand. “I swear I’m not either.” She tilted her head. “Unless you count my vampiric assassin dohvakin. She’s a freaking nut.”

Toni blinked, then her eyes narrowed and an evil smirk crossed her face. “I used to be an adventurer like you.”

Syd beamed at Toni. “But then I took—”

“—an arrow to the knee!” The women echoed each other, laughing when they were done.

Sylvia watched as the two women linked arms and began discussing things like armor types, loot, tanking, and melee and ranged fighting styles versus magic. It was as if the rest of them no longer existed. “They’re both gonna starve to death.”

Magnus shook his head, amused. “Sisters by another mister, huh?”

She huffed out a laugh. “I guess so.”

Slade slid between Sylvia and Magnus and put his arms around each of their waists. “I like it.”

The wistfulness in his tone had her looking at him sharply. “Slade?”

He surprised her by leaning his forehead against her own. “It’s just nice to see family, that’s all.”

She gazed into his eyes, his pensive expression becoming something more, something warmer. The desire in his gaze caused her pulse to race. His warmth as he stood close seeped into her, his scent filling her senses. Sleek, powerful and beautiful, she could see why Magnus was smitten with him.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stepped back, turning to Magnus. “I need to rest.” His voice was scratchy, like someone had run a grater over his vocal cords.

“Go. I’ll take care of things out here. We’ll be in soon.”

We?

“Don’t do anything that will open up your side.” Slade kissed Magnus’s cheek. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

Slade turned toward her. “Don’t worry so much. Everything will work out.” He pressed another kiss to her forehead. “And get off that foot.”

“Yes, Slade.”

He smiled sweetly and headed toward what she assumed was the bedroom.

Kir, Logan and Jordan corralled Sydney and Toni toward the front door, Travis not far behind them. “Let’s leave these guys alone. We’ll show you to your new condo.” Travis opened the door. “After you, hothead.”

“Thanks, lefty.” Logan sauntered out, waving his hand. “Later.”

Once they were gone, Sylvia turned to Magnus. “We?”

He frowned for a second before his expression cleared. “Oh. Yes, we.” He cupped the back of her head, those strong fingers sliding through her hair. It had been so long since she’d felt a touch like that, a man who wanted her so badly he was trembling with it.

“I thought you and Slade were together.”

He slowly smiled. “We are.”

But… “Then why are you touching me?”

“Because we want you.”

Again with the
we
. She shivered, wondering if it was possible, if what he was saying could possibly be what she was hearing. “Like Logan, Kir and Jordan?”

“Exactly.” His fingers tightened, his grip becoming almost painful. “I’ve wanted you for so long, but I couldn’t touch you, not while you still held my father in your heart.”

“I don’t anymore.” Her voice had been reduced to a whisper as she gazed into his moss-green eyes.

“I hoped.” His tone was equally quiet. His expression was full of a yearning that hadn’t been directed toward her in decades. “Please be ours, Sylvia.”

She closed her eyes, her heart at odds with her head. She’d been burnt so badly by his father. Could she offer her heart to another Grimm? Could she take that risk, especially when another fragile heart was involved?

Before she could reply he kissed her, silently begging her to open her mouth and her heart, asking rather than demanding that she submit. It was at total odds with the grip he still had on her head, holding her in place while he slowly, methodically tasted her.

She opened her mouth, getting her first taste of a Grimm man since Thor left her all those years ago. She was shocked at what she discovered.

He tasted right, better than Thor ever had.

The kiss was filled with a longing so intense she trembled, unsure if that yearning need was his or hers.

When he finally lifted his head she had a hard time opening her eyes. She was too busy savoring the things she’d learned from a not-so-simple kiss.

“So. Here’s how it’s going to be.”

That got her to open her eyes. He hadn’t let go of her, and the demand was spoken in such a quiet, firm tone she wasn’t sure at first if it was an order or not.

“You’re going to sleep in the same bed as Slade and I. Nothing, and I mean
nothing
, will happen without your approval. For now, all we’ll do is sleep or talk, whatever you prefer.” His grip on her head eased. “Slade and I both want you in our lives, but the choice has to be yours.”

Sylvia wasn’t certain she understood. “Slade barely knows me. Why would he want me?” She’d never been cruel to him when he’d been in his horse form, but she hadn’t been all that affectionate either. No one had. They’d been afraid to touch Odin’s horse.

“There’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s been watching all of us for centuries, Sylvia. He probably knows more about how we work than we do. And we’re the ones he’s chosen, the ones he wants to protect him and love him, whom he wants to protect right back.” Magnus smiled. “All either of us wants is a chance.” The smile dropped away, and that desperate need was back. “Please.”

How could she say no? She had the chance to discover if maybe, just maybe, she’d finally find the one thing she’d been longing for all these years. Slade and Magnus were willing to take a chance on her.

She was more than willing to do the same for them. “Yes.”

The relief on his face, the sheer joy, told her this meant more to him that she’d realized. She would do her best not to fuck things up. She wasn’t certain how she’d handle two strong-willed men. Could she deal with the fact that the both of them seemed fond of telling her what to do?

Even as Magnus took her to the bedroom she wondered if getting everything she’d wanted would be worth the price.

Sylvia woke the next morning knowing two things.

The first thing was, she wasn’t alone. Someone was snoring so loudly she was surprised that she’d managed to sleep through it at all.

The second was that she was being watched.

Barely breathing, she opened her eyes, terrified of what she’d find.

A dark gaze held hers. Slade’s full lips lifted in a soft smile. “Good morning.” His voice was soft, no doubt in consideration of the buzz saw going off behind her.

“Morning.” She was still debating the whole
good
thing.

“Sleep well?” He brushed back a strand of her hair, his hand surprisingly calloused. It was one of the many contradictions she’d noticed about Slade Saeter. Soft and hard, sweet yet determined, Slade was a mass of confusing signals.

“Surprisingly, yes, despite Buzz.” She hitched her thumb over her shoulder, stifling a laugh as Magnus gave one obnoxiously loud snore.

“We’ll get used to it.”

“
We
will?” Sylvia was still having a hard time with the change of direction her life had taken.