Broken Dove (Fantasyland 4)

Landing on his feet in a crouch at the foot of the dais was Tor, strangely wearing jeans, a chambray shirt, and brown boots.

He straightened out of the crouch pulling a gun (yes! A gun!) out of the back of his belt. He aimed it at Edith, who was coming out of her throne, and fired.

She fell back and down, hitting her throne which threw her forward. She rolled down the steps, trailing blood the entire way.

She barely came to a rest at the bottom before Tor turned his gun toward Helda.

But Derrik was on the move and he was moving swiftly. I sucked in a shocked breath when he took Helda’s head in both hands, slammed it into the arm of her throne and let her go.

She slumped in the seat.

That was when Lavinia rose up in a shower of icy sparks that, when they dropped to the ground, up sprang miniature creatures which immediately grew into not-miniature creatures with pointy Spock-like ears. They were also wearing little hats with feathers poking out.

And last, their bodies glowed ice blue.

Instantly, massive troll like creatures and the bird head men popped up by the dozens everywhere.

Fuck!

The creatures with hats didn’t spare them even a glance. In unison, they threw up their hands and a wall of ice encased Minerva.

Just as they sprang up, the trolls and bird men all made popping sounds and disappeared.

Whoa.

Minerva had not risen from her chair but seconds after the wall of ice surrounded her, she came out of it, floating high, her body arched back, and a blood-chilling shriek filled the air, making our group huddle closer when a bleed of liquid blue poured from her hovering body into the stone.

“On your knees!” Tor ordered, stalking our way, gun up and my eyes flew to the side to see Pol up.

“I’m thinking that’s not Tor,” I mumbled.

“It isn’t,” Cora whispered. “It’s Noc. Tor’s twin from our world.”

Apparently Cora’s guy’s twin was a good guy.

Lucky her.

“Knees!” Noc shouted.

I looked back at Pol who was grinning.

Uh-oh.

“Knees!” Noc bellowed.

Pol dashed to the side.

Because he was an ass**le, he did this toward me.

He didn’t make it.

This was because a wall of man formed in front of me.

I had his back so I saw he was a man wearing a cloak.

A man carrying a sword.

A man who didn’t hesitate using that sword.

He swung it out in a mighty arc and I heard a body hit the ground. A nanosecond later, I heard another, quieter thump that included a sickening roll.

“Okay,” Cora murmured. “Gross.”

Apollo turned to me.

I stared up into his furious jade eyes.

Jade eyes that were beautiful—furious, murderous, whatever, I did not care. I just loved those eyes. I would love those eyes forever as I would love the man who had them.

Not to mention, I was freaking beside myself I was looking into them right then.

So I ignored the bloodied sword (not to mention the drops of blood on his face and clothes) and ran into his arms.

Those arms closed around me.

I felt his lips at my ear and heard his deep voice say to me. “You are safe now, my dove.”

I just knew he’d find a way.

I took in a long breath and held on tight as I let it go.

“I’m guessing you didn’t take his other hand,” I said quietly.

“You are correct. I did not.”

Bye-bye Pol.

I closed my eyes.

“It is done, Frey Drakkar.”

I opened my eyes and looked to the side to see a pointy-eared man had his gaze aimed our way.

Apollo loosened his grip but didn’t let me go. But I could look further around.

Frey was there. As was Lahn. As was Tor (the real one, or the other real one).

All was well.

I looked to the vaulted stone ceiling. Thank you, God.

“He is mine,” Lahn grunted and stalked forward.

I should have known with the way he was stalking but I didn’t think. So I didn’t look away and saw Lahn bend over a scuttling Baldur and raise him from the floor by his hair.

Luckily, his back was to us but I still heard the unmistakable crack when Lahn’s arms moved swiftly.

Then, with no ado whatsoever, Lahn dropped Baldur’s lifeless body to the ground and turned, stalking back to his woman.

He’d broken Baldur’s neck.

Bloodless, at least, but still.

Guh.

“I believe she is yours,” Frey said and my eyes went back to him.

He was looking at Tor.

So I looked to Tor to see him nod, bend and kiss Cora on her forehead and then he moved to the thrones.

Lahn disengaged from Circe and fell in behind him. Frey disengaged from Finnie. And Apollo let me go.

They all moved toward the cage of ice.

The be-capped creatures that I figured were elves shifted back as they did.

Apollo was the first one to whip his sword around.

He went for a second pass and Frey pulled his sword out of the scabbard at his back.

Around they both went and Lahn unsheathed his.

Then they all rounded their swords as Tor walked up the steps.

They let fly.

I gasped as the swords struck the wall of ice and it shattered, blowing out. But suddenly, the shards arrested in the air in unison before they tinkled to the ground like harmless bits of crushed ice.

When they did, Minerva’s body fell to her throne.

And when it did, Tor moved up the rest of the steps.

I watched her focus on him.

“This can’t happen,” she said, her voice no longer sounding all around but coming direct from her mouth, her face was stricken. “I’m a god.”

“Gods have faith. Gods have loyalty. Gods have love,” Tor replied. “You were never a god.”

“But—”

That was her last word.

Tor swung his sword and Minerva’s head flew to the side.

Okay, I could put up with some gruesome, I’d proved it.

But enough was enough.

I looked away.

I looked back when I heard, “I believe this one is for you.”

When I looked back, I saw Valentine lounging casually against the black throne. Helda was still unconscious, slumped in it.

Derrik was not far from Valentine’s side.

Apollo moved up the steps that way. I saw him look to Derrik before he looked back to Valentine.

“We all go,” he declared.

“Of course, chéri,” she replied and lifted up her hands.

No sooner did she do that then the vast room filled with green mist.

She was a strange one, but it couldn’t be said that Valentine wasn’t something.