But the yard was another matter. Regin cast a murderous look at the crowd gathered along Val Hal 's drive. They were like vultures, waiting there either to celebrate Chase's death-or to kil him.
The only thing that kept them from advancing? The recently repaired driveway gate, imbued with Carrow's protection spell.
Regin flipped the crowd off with both hands, bobbling her birds up and down for good measure while mouthing, Suck it. Then she headed to the swamp on Val Hal 's property.
Near the water's edge she stopped beside a monument, one that looked total y out of place in the bayou: a Norse rune stone, draped with swamp moss, on "indefinite loan" from a Scandinavian museum of natural history.
Taking a deep breath, she knelt in front of it. Clearing her throat, she muttered, "Are you there, Woden, it's me Regin." She gave a nervous laugh.
"I know you and Freya sleep, and that praying to you is probably just a big fat waste of time. But I have to try. Seems I'll try anything." Another steadying breath. "So, Woden, I need you to do me a solid and save the life of Declan Chase, a.k.a. Aidan the Fierce. ..."
She trailed off. This is stupid. She needed to be by Chase's side, not talking to inanimate objects.
What if he ... dies while I'm gone? She swal owed. Then he'd still be gone. Attention back on the rock, she said, "Look, I know I'm not your favorite daughter, never have been. But I'm still your daughter! If you're punishing Aidan for his hubris, then know that you're punishing me too. No, you're destroying me."
Though she tried to bite back the words, out they came: "I've hated you for this! How can you do this to me? For a thousand years, I've lived with this curse, when I should have been living with him."
Her voice broke, and embarrassing tears streamed down her face. "P-please ... please just let me have him this time."
Nothing. Only the sounds of the swamp waking from the night. She hadn't expected lightning to hurl down or anything, but she'd hoped for a glimmer of a sign, anything to give her hope.
Instead, she'd just become deeply aware of how insignificant she was, of how her prayers meant nothing.
Which pissed her off.
She shot to her feet and kicked the stone. That felt good. So she shoved her braids out of her tear-streaked face and kicked it again. "I've never asked you for anything!" She drew her borrowed sword, slamming it against the rock so hard her blade and arm vibrated. "Wake-the-hel -up!" Another swing.
"I can't lose him again!" She dropped the sword, launching her fist against the rock. Just as Aidan had in ages past.
As sobs racked her body, she pummeled her forearms against the stone. "L-let me have him."
A hand rested on her shoulder, and she still ed. Lucia, as silent as ever. "Sister, calm yourself."
Regin turned, unsteady, sucking in a lungful of air.
Lucia's eyes widened at her appearance. "My gods, Regin. You real y want him this much? I still don't understand. Carrow said he'd tortured you."
She squared her shoulders. "So our courtship was rocky. When have I ever done anything normally?"
Lucia inclined her head, conceding the point.
"Besides, you're with a werewolf, Luce. I don't want to hear it."
"Engaged to him, actual y. We were just waiting to find you before we have a grand-scale royal ceremony." For secretive Lucia to be the center of attention that big ...? She must truly want MacRieve.
"The wolf was okay with you waiting for me?"
"I explained that I could never do something that important without my wingman."
Regin tried for a smile and failed. "Yeah, well , that's the least you can do since you two ganked Cruach without me." After all these centuries, Lucia was finally freed of her worst nightmare.
"I didn't have a choice, Regin. Since you were tied up with your ... courtship."
"Did Lothaire real y break your neck?"
"Oh, yeah." Lucia unconsciously rubbed her nape. "Garreth went bal istic."
"I can't believe you're going to sacrifice your archery mojo for MacRieve." Lucia would forfeit her fantastical skil with a bow if she was unchaste. "Who am I gonna hang out with when you're a talentless nobody?"
Lucia quirked a brow at that. "I don't have to sacrifice it. Turns out, it's been my own skil for some time."
"Wow. That's great, Luce." Everything was working out for her. "You deserve this happiness after you've waited so long." But so do I!
"Now, come on." Lucia reached forward to sweep her thumbs under Regin's eyes. "Things are getting tense around the manor. Even more beings are lining up to take out your man."
"I'll kil them all ."
"Though Garreth's cousin Uil eam isn't among that mob, he will seek revenge in the future. Apparently, Chase had him ... vivisected. What would you do to my fiance's cousin then?"
Regin tapped her ear. "Hel ooo, you got something in your ears? I said, I'll -kil -them-al . Including anyone in your wolf pack, if you don't make with the royal decree and declare my man off-limits."
"Huh." Lucia tilted her head. "I could do that, couldn't I?"
"Yep." As Regin picked up her sword, she gazed at the stone one more time, laying her palm against it. She silently cried, Please!
Lucia put her arm around her shoulders. "You know Woden can't hear you."
"Didn't figure it could hurt."
"Lothaire's blood is strong," Lucia said. "It might still work. But don't depend on our father for this."
Yet as they walked back to Val Hal , a warm breeze blew against Regin's face, almost like a caress.
Declan's eyes flashed open, and he sucked in a deep breath. Where am I? Where's Regin? Gaze darting, he shot upright in bed.
Brandr was there. "Easy, friend. You're safe-your woman's safe. She'l return directly." As thunder rumbled the wal s, he said, "We're inside Val Hal ."
Only then did Declan relax a measure, surveying his surroundings. If he hadn't known he was in Regin's bedroom by her scent, he would have by the decorations.
Concert posters covered the wal s, bands from ABBA to Phish. Workout gear and video games abounded. Strands of Christmas lights dangled from the ceiling, only these had strings of vampire fangs wrapped around the cords. Tightly closed tie-dyed drapes blocked out all but a few needle holes of sunlight.
The bedding? Star Wars sheets.
"You're healed now," Brandr said. "Your wound's completely mended."
Declan glanced down. There was no new scar to join his others.