Mischief's Mate (The Immortal Mates Book 1) (4 page)

The clash of swords filled the air as Loki sat beneath a gnarled oak tree; a book propped open against his knees. His jade eyes scanned the page not absorbing one word before him. His normally studious mind was too caught up in the dream he had this morning.

No matter how hard he tried to decipher the code before him, he couldn’t. Although he wanted to blame it on the ruckus around him he couldn’t do that either. His lack of interest in anything other than the woman in his dreams was beginning to show.

If the others knew of his obsession they were sure to laugh at him. Loki knew that his last attempt at wooing a woman had ended in disaster. Signe had run out on him a week before the wedding, when she had found out he wasn’t a true prince. Thor hadn’t let him live it down and that was well over a millennium ago.

Not to mention that his new love seemed to be a Halfling; the dreaded Halfling that was meant to be his mate. That meant that she was half mortal, the race he despised above all others. Though that wasn’t what bothered him most; from the look of her she would be undergoing the Emergence soon. Then she would be fully immortal, not an ounce of mortality left in her being. Loki wouldn’t have to hang his head in shame. He would make sure she denounced the horrid race she belonged to.

None of that was really the problem. They were annoyances but not a problem. It was her refusal that was the true problem. Once more a woman he wanted refused him at every turn. The brown haired beauty told him she couldn’t stay. That she had a responsibility to Emma.

Loki knew from all the years spent sharing her dreams that Emma was her sister. What he wished she knew was that if her sister meant that much to her he would see to her happiness as well. He had no other choice in the matter. His mate’s happiness was to be placed above his own.

Annoyed with his new train of thought he turned his attention to the immortal’s training session, a routine that began their mornings since the dawn of time. Like clockwork young prince Loki was always there watching, as he studied some arcane text or another. The sound of the warriors was almost like background music to him, something to make his research less boring.

Today his mischievous green eyes left his book to follow the warriors as they stretched. Slowly they readied themselves in the pre-dawn light. By midafternoon Loki’s book had long been forgotten and Thor had put most of the warriors through their paces.

Loki watched as his older brother took on all comers; tall, short, husky or skinny, it didn’t matter. He knew his brother was strong and skilled in battle, but the blond immortal was also braggadocios and he waited for the day Thor met his match. Loki came here every morning hoping someone would best him at his own game.

A booming laugh rang out, drawing Loki out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Thor standing above Bragi, sword point aimed at his throat. The killing blow waiting to be unleashed. The fallen warrior bowed his head and Thor held his hand out, helping Bragi to his feet. As he dusted himself off, Thor taunted him; making a “come on” gesture with his hand, a wide smile spreading across his lips. Bragi obliged him by raising his gilded sword and advancing on him; the battle had begun again.

Loki’s eyes narrowed as they began their war dance, making slow circles around each other. It was as if he was memorizing each of their moves. Picking apart each of their war stances and finding every weak spot they had. He would file away the information for later use; when you were not the strongest you had to be the smartest. Something that sparring with Thor had taught him long ago.

The battle went back and forth with each getting the upper hand every once in a while. “Hoder, come join us.”

The blind immortal stood and readied his sword, he moved in the direction of Thor’s voice. No matter how often Loki watched Hoder battle, how he did it still eluded him. But he was willing to bet that he used the thoughts of his adversaries to move about the battlefield. A great feat indeed, as it took serious concentration to read another’s thoughts.

Loki watched as his older brother took a flagrant cheap shot on Hoder. Sweeping his feet out from under him, kicking his sword from his grip he pinned him to the ground his boot at his throat. A flick of Loki’s wrist had Thor’s feet sliding out from under him, on a solid sheet of ice.

Satisfied with his handy work, Loki rolled his eyes and went back to his book, “Cheater.”

If you asked the dark haired man why it annoyed him to see Thor cheat, he would have blamed it on loss of sleep. But the truth of it was; Loki couldn’t stand a bully. Someone, who used their God given strength to pick on those weaker than him, instead of trying to help them. It just set his teeth on edge. The nagging voice that mortal’s called a conscience, told him he was no better than Thor.

Did he not abuse the mortal race? Did he not relish in it? Loki shook his head. That was different. They deserved what they got, because they had stolen his hope. And no mortal stole from the immortal race they mistook as gods and went unpunished. Had they forgotten Pandora and her box?

The fighting ceased and a hush fell over the group of warriors. Two dirt covered boots came into view above the top edge of his book.

“Did you have something to say, little brother?” Thor pulled the book from his hands and tossed it aside.

Normally he would have ignored his brother and his band of merry fools, but not this time. Not when the snickers from the crowd watching stoked his anger like a banked coal. Someone needed to put Thor in his place and even though Loki knew it wouldn’t be easy, he knew it had to be him. The taunting had to end and what better day, than today?

He stood to his full height and although Thor was broad like a bull, Loki was still a full head taller than him. They stood toe to toe; dark and light, Yin and Yang. There weren’t two brothers who looked more different than Loki and Thor. Perhaps it was because the blood that flowed through their veins was not the same. Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that although Loki was mischievous, he was balanced on a razor’s edge of fairness. Whereas Thor was hotheaded; he would often charge into battle and ask questions later.

“I am not in the mood for your stupidity.”

Thor pushed him onto the ground, “Then sit there and keep quiet.” He picked up his brother’s book and tossed it to him. “Go back to your books and leave the fighting to the men.”

Loki’s eyes flashed a bright hell-fire green as the laughter around him grew louder at Thor’s comment. He stood from the ground and pulled his sword from its silver scabbard; the hand and a half Claymore shown in the sunlight. It’s blade glinting; just as Loki’s eyes did when mischief was afoot.

“Pick up your sword, brother and fight me.”

Thor turned to see his younger brother’s sword erect; ready to defend himself if need be. He smiled that cocky smile of his that always got under Loki’s skin. It was the type of smile he gave his adversaries on the battlefield, it said let’s get this done for I have better things to do.

As they advanced on each other they drew an even bigger crowd. Thor lunged forward as Loki fell back staying just out of reach. It took Thor a moment to realize he had missed his target and that was all it took for Loki to lunge forward and nick his armor. Laughing as if the hit he just took was nothing more than a bee sting; Thor swung and disarmed Loki.

“Enough!” Odin’s voiced boomed out over the garden.

In one fluid movement Loki stood from the ground, gracefully as a cat and brushed himself off. He bowed his head as Odin swept forward. “Father.”

Thor tapped his breast plate, “Father.”

Their father looked between them, knowing full well who started the trouble. Yet, Loki knew he wouldn’t reproach Thor. He was the golden one in the eyes of their father. He could do no wrong whereas everything Loki did never measured up.

“I do not care what your excuses are, this will cease. Loki follow me.”

Odin turned and left the onlookers behind. Loki threw a glance over his shoulder at Thor. The ice in his eyes told him they weren’t finished, not by a long shot. He didn’t care whether or not their father wanted peace between them. He would serve his brother his comeuppance, one way or another.

Emma’s feet swung back and forth as she watched Chantelle from her perch on the counter. Her big sister had come home from the dream session so upset that she thought Chantelle might never go back to work. As a matter of fact, Frigga had given Chantelle a few days off. It was just today that she was herself again.

Her hazel eyes scrutinized her sister, wishing she could make her feel better. She knew that Chantelle took on more than she could handle, but that’s how she had always been. Emma’s eyes watered as she remembered that it was her older sister that used to ease her fears after a nightmare. When she took her first steps it was into Chantelle’s arms she went. Their parents were always too busy for her, so Chantelle was all she ever knew.

“So what if Dr. Stevens was a quack. I’m sure you can figure this out on your own.” Emma tried to smile and make her words sound light and nonjudgmental.

Chantelle looked up from the cucumber she was cutting, noticing the laughter evident in her sister’s eyes. Her heart sank; even she thought this was a joke. She quickly averted her eyes back to the task before her.

Chantelle was still reeling from her session with Dr. Stevens over a week ago. When the doctor told her to fight her dream lover her heart felt torn. Chantelle knew the doctor was right, that she should do everything in her power to push him aside. But there was another part of her, the primal part of her soul that called out to him. How could she find the strength to push him away? How, when his eyes held so much sorrow and she was the only one who could ease his pain? Chantelle desperately wanted to go to him and right whatever wrongs he had suffered.

There was something else she didn’t want to tell anyone. When she had studied at Raven’s Heart Academy, they had taught her all about Fatum Anima, one’s destined mate. If she was honest with herself that was the feeling she got from this dream lover.

So no, she could never push him away and Dr. Stevens must be out of her mind to suggest it. How do you push away someone who has been a part of your life for so long? She mused that it would be something akin to a painter losing the use of his hands. One would adjust, but not without difficulty.

Frigga had looked pretty pissed off when Chantelle told her the doctor’s diagnosis and she grew even angrier when she told her what she was to do. Her boss didn’t like the idea of her fighting off these dreams. Telling Chantelle that perhaps she was having them for a reason; fighting them would only stop them before she figured out their message.

Thinking back on that day, Frigga was beyond angry. She had gone as far as leaving a very icy message on Dr. Stevens’ voice mail. Chantelle recalled it was something along the lines of not needing her services any longer. She had gotten the woman fired and Chantelle felt bad.

Emma touched her shoulder. “’Telle, it really isn’t that big a deal.”

Chantelle shook her head, her dark waves bouncing like the sea before a storm. “I get one little piece of advice I don’t like and I go running to Frigga. I acted like a spoiled child that was just told they can’t have candy before supper. She must be so disappointed in me.”

She felt her heart sink as she thought of how she had let Frigga down. The older woman put a lot of stock in Chantelle; giving her a chance when others would have seen her as nothing more than a problem.

A little less than four years ago Frigga had wandered into the diner where Chantelle worked. It was a cold, wet night and she had been wondering how she was going to make ends meet on what she was making. Those were the days when Chantelle worried about living pay check to paycheck a lot.

Then Frigga came in, like the answer to a prayer she hadn’t ever known she uttered. The older woman had taken an instant liking to her and after their first meeting Frigga had dogged her for six months. Always asking her if she wanted to come and work for her. Chantelle had made every excuse she could think of. It wasn’t that she couldn’t use the extra money, because Lord knows there were plenty of bills that needed paying back then. But what worried her was Emma. She needed to make sure she was there when her sister came home from school. She had promised to take care of her and that’s exactly what she would do.

Then one day after Frigga had grown tired of her excuses, she told her to just stop by. No pressure, just to take a look around her shop, The Nine Realms, to Chantelle’s surprise it turned out it was a bookstore for Raven’s Heart Academy. Three days later that’s exactly what she did and that’s where she’s been ever since.