Exploitation, page 12
How many more times did I have to do this?
Something surged in my head. A feeling that amplified the world. Everything rushed in at once. The sounds. The ambient magic in the air. The—
“What the fuck are you doing?” The door slammed open and Maeve stalked in. She crossed the room in a blink, grabbed the necklace from where it lay on the ground, and handed it to me.
As she pressed the crystal tightly into my palm, the onslaught subsided, and I was me again. I slipped the cord around my neck without hesitation. Sweet, sweet silence blanketed my mind.
Maeve fixed an angry glare on Bragi, who climbed to his feet as he pulled his shirt on.
“I can’t believe you asked this of her.” Maeve spoke through clenched teeth. “And you.” She whirled on me, beautiful and terrifying. “I don’t know if you have a death wish, but I assume you want to see your children survive.”
Well, fuck.
Bragi’s eyes grew wide.
“You cannot do this. You risk not only your life, but your children’s,” she said.
“Children?” Bragi repeated.
SIXTEEN
BRAGI
Magnus’s children.
Plural.
“You’re pregnant.” I stared at her in disbelief as my mind caught up to what Maeve had just said. “Twins.” Both mine? At least one because as a conduit, that was how she was able to channel power like mine.
Magnus was carrying my children.
Holy shit.
She refused to look at me.
Maeve stepped between Magnus and me, rage splashed across her face. I forced myself to give her my attention.
“It’s true that most of what I do is about the ritual.” Maeve looked like the edge of a furious storm. Looming and ready to erupt at any moment. “I ask for tiny things. Insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe. I only ask for one or two small courtesies in return. For instance, not using magic in my realm. Especially not this abomination of a technique that you swore to me would only be used on you by you.”
Maeve clenched her fists. “And now I come in here to find that you’ve not only coerced someone else into using it, you’ve used it on her in the past.”
“I did what I had to. I only apologize for doing it here.” The only thing I’d do differently, if faced with the decision again, would be to wait until Magnus and I had left.
Though I may not. Having her here, for Maeve to attend to when it went wrong, had been the right decision.
“Not good enough.” Maeve bit off the words. “In response to your request, your reason for being here, the answer is no. I will not make the salve. Not for you and not for your friend.”
Fuck. I deserved punishment, but Nico didn’t. “You—”
“But—”
Maeve held up her index finger, silencing both Magnus and me, and fixed me with a glare. “Don’t move.”
Maeve turned to Magnus.
I struggled against the invisible bonds Maeve used to lock me in place. I fought the restraints for all I was worth. She couldn’t hurt Magnus. I wouldn’t let her. The last few hours, while Magnus slept, Maeve said fewer than five words to me. I had no idea what the two of the had talked about while I was recovering, but if I’d just undone it, if I’d just cost Magnus anything—
“I’ll make the unguent for you,” Maeve said to Magnus. “For your friend. And you will owe me.”
“I will. Please and thank you.” Magnus’s voice was submissive. “Whatever you want.”
“I’d say it’s a simple request, but you two have proven we don’t define that the same way. Keep the children safe. That includes coming back to me for care, or someone else you trust implicitly.”
Joke was on her. Magnus didn’t trust anyone who had that kind of knowledge.
“All right.” Magnus’s answer was immediate.
“Swear to me. Give me your word that I will never see him again.” Maeve jerked her head in my direction.
Magnus hesitated. It was only for a single breath, but it was enough. “I give you my word,” she conceded.
There were worse punishments.
“Good.” Maeve wiggled her fingers, and I could move again. “Magnus, when you have the remaining ingredients, you may return here. Alone. Until then, both of you go home.”
We were no longer in Maeve’s cabin. Instead we stood at the edge of Dahlia’s wards. The instant our feet hit the ground, Magnus stepped toward the cabin, and I followed, putting us inside the safe zone.
“I had to promise her,” Magnus said as she walked.
“I don’t blame you.” I kept pace, and kept an eye on our surroundings. Knowing we were inside a protective bubble didn’t erase this feeling of being out in the open, exposed. Especially because we were being hunted by a man who had trained snipers and witches and demigods at his beck and call. “I apologize that my actions directed any of her wrath at you.”
Magnus strode with purpose, attention flitting like mine, and path straight. “She knew my mothers. Did you know that?”
What? “No. I swear to you, I would’ve told you.”
“Uh-huh. She delivered me. She was there when I was born.”
That explained the bond between them. I wanted to focus on this news that Maeve had information about where Magnus came from, but for me, something else was far more important. “Speaking of… You’re pregnant.”
Her footsteps faltered, but only for an instant. “I won’t talk to you about this.”
“How long have you known?”
“Not talking about it.”
“Are they both mine?”
“Neither one is yours.”
That wasn’t going to cut it with me. “Bullshit. Your empathy and ability to see certain kinds of magic didn’t come from nowhere overnight. At least one of them is mine. I know someone who excels at prenatal care for gods. He can—”
“No.” Magnus clipped the word. “You don’t have a say in this pregnancy. You won’t be involved with it. You won’t be a part of their lives when they’re born.”
Like Hel I wouldn’t. “At least one of them is mine.” I was becoming a broken record, but I would push until she admitted it. I knew exactly what a conduit was, because Vidar had been searching for one for nearly a century. Apparently he’d found one, in Magnus.
Magnus stared me down with a gaze that might burn a hole in my soul if I looked long enough. “Both of them are mine. One might carry your power, and the other Nico’s, but fate gave them to me, not you.”
I could argue that I couldn’t be the one who was pregnant, but gods and childbirth were chaotic. I very well could be. Conceding her point meant surrendering.
Pushing her meant she’d shut me out even more.
I’d drop the discussion for now, but it wasn’t over.
She waited, as if expecting me to say something, and when I didn’t, she started walking again.
A short while later, we reached the cabin. When we entered, Nico was asleep on the futon.
I hoped he didn’t stay up all night waiting for us, though I knew him well enough to recognize he probably had done exactly that.
“I need food,” Magnus muttered, and cut a wide path around me to get into the kitchen. She set the coffee to brew, and poured herself a massive bowl of chocolate something.
“You should have something more substantial than Cocoa Puffs and a mocha, given your condition.” I knew the instant I said the words that they were a mistake, even without her glare.
“And what would be appropriate given your condition? Monster energy drink? Give you a little extra pep to make up for what you’re missing?”
I hated that she thought I was a monster. I had been, for decades, but I wanted her to see—
“What condition?” Nico’s voice came from behind me.
A low rumble, like a cat growling to warn off unwanted advances, rolled from Magnus’s chest, and she faced both of us. “Let’s get this over with. I’m pregnant,” she said. “Twins. Bragi is the father of one, and Nico, you’re the father of the other. I haven’t known for long. I didn’t tell either of you because I didn’t want Bragi to know, and I didn’t want Nico to feel obligated to a woman and children he didn’t know. Questions?”
So very many. All of them would wait, because Magnus’s safety was a priority now more than ever. “Magnus, you’re going back to NEON,” I said. “Take Nico if you want, if he wants, but you’re going to plant yourself behind the thickest, heaviest, safest magical walls you can find.” If I couldn’t keep her safe, she needed to be somewhere that they could.
Magnus stared me down as she shoved a giant spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
I assumed that was her way of saying no. “You and Dahlia are always strongest together.”
Magnus shook her head.
“Why not?” Nico asked.
Because she was stubborn and strong-willed and that was what made her incredible. In moments like this, I also hated it. “Because Vidar threatened her.”
“You don’t… No.” Magnus mumbled through her food.
“It’s what he does.” And it was time to stop pretending I didn’t recognize it. “He gives you a choice. He makes you pick. He told Magnus she could pick between Dahlia and her children, and Magnus thinks she can pick both.”
“I can.” She pushed her food aside with a scowl.
If anyone could, it was her. Except that she was making a massive mistake.
“Not as long as you’re being an idiot about it.” I didn’t like the language, but they got my point across. “If you keep doing what he wants you to—avoiding Dahlia—he gets his way.” I reached across the counter and grabbed Magnus’s purse before she could stop me. I plucked out her phone and handed it to her. “Call Dahlia. Go someplace safe.”
“Go. Fuck. Yourself.” Magnus took the device and jammed it into her pocket.
She was making decisions because I didn’t want her to. Fuck. “Don’t do this to spite me. There’s no point in that.”
“I don’t do anything because you said to do so or not to do so,” Magnus said. “I’m not a child throwing a tantrum. But every time you push, I have to ask myself why. Every time you insist something is best for me, I have to step back and wonder what’s in it for you. Even something as simple as going where I should be safe. What do you get out of it?”
“I get you being safe.” I couldn’t make it any clearer.
I also understood why she didn’t trust me, and I didn’t know how to fix that.
SEVENTEEN
NICODEMUS
I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I had so much I wanted to tell Magnus and Bragi about. The attack. The flying. That I could use my powers.
Somehow, they managed to come back with news at least as important as that.
Magnus was pregnant.
One of the babies was mine.
Vidar knew it and had threatened her.
Because somehow that would make her super powerful when she was with Dahlia.
The glow around Magnus—which I understood now was an aura—was distorted and fuzzy, compared to when she left.
And perhaps there was a trick in Bragi wanting to keep Magnus safe? I didn’t understand what it would be, but I also didn’t blame Magnus for being cautious.
This was moving too fast. We had too much information and not enough answers. “We need to slow down and put some pieces together.”
“We need to stop talking and act,” Magnus countered. “We’ve already wasted so much time. Nico’s memories… Vidar… We don’t know what to do about any of it.”
“You need to be somewhere safe.” Bragi was holding firm, too. “I’ve already lost you both once. And it was my fault. I’m not making that mistake again.”
“Instead you’ll make whole new ones,” Magnus said.
Bragi scowled. “You’re the one pursuing an avenue that won’t work.”
I wasn’t going to watch them argue in circles again. “Stop.”
They both gave me their attention at the sharp bark, but neither looked happy about it.
“Magnus, are we currently safe, at least for an hour or two?” I asked.
She worked her jaw. “There are no guarantees, but otherwise, yes.”
“Then we have at least a little time to think.” It felt like a reasonable request to me.
“And then overthink, and overcomplicate, and then Vidar’s there again, waiting and ready for our next fuck-up, and you won’t be safe, Nico, and Dahlia will be in danger, and—” Magnus furrowed her brow and snapped her jaw shut. “I’m so tired of this.” She leaned against the counter behind her, and her body sagged.
“Nico’s right.” The way Bragi relaxed looked mechanical and unnatural. “We need to slow down, and stop reacting.”
“And let Vidar continue to be one step ahead. Or more,” Magnus said.
Bragi shook his head. “No. And stop doing exactly what he wants us to. He knows we care. He knows each of us has something we’ll react emotionally to. It’s how he got me to—”
“Hold me hostage?” Magnus finished his sentence.
“Keep you safe,” Bragi corrected her.
I swallowed a comment about the difference in language. “What’s one thing he doesn’t want? Do we know that?”
“To be powerless.” Magnus had an instant answer.
“To lose track of Magnus,” Bragi said. “He doesn’t want that.”
I didn’t blame him, but I suspected his reasons were different than mine. “Why not?”
Magnus scrubbed her face and pushed away from the counter. “I’m a conduit. I didn’t know until a few hours ago, but it makes sense, doesn’t it? If power flows through me, it could come from Dahlia, or it could go into him, or both.”
She was a threat when she was working against him or his biggest asset if he could claim her. “And that’s why he won’t kill you, but why he’s also working so hard to isolate you.”
“Or make sure she’s stuck with people who don’t have any power.” Bragi’s retort was dry.
“I do.” I held out my hand and a flame appeared in my palm.
Magnus gasped and approached me. “Do you remember?”
“No. Not technically. The muscle memory is there, though.” I flicked my wrist and the fire vanished. “When I just let myself react, I can do things.”
Magnus took one step away, and then another, moving closer to the door. “If he hasn’t killed me yet, it means he thinks he can still use me. It means the possibility of me working with Dahlia is worth the risk of keeping me alive.”
“We’ll figure it out.” I approached her.
She put more distance between us. “I need to think.”
“Stop,” Bragi warned.
“I’m not running away. We already agreed we were safe here for at least a little while.” She reached the door and rested her hand on the knob. “I need some air.”
Bragi started after her and I grabbed him. “The last thing she needs is your voice in her head.”
“I know. She was right about one thing, though.” He sighed and faced me.
She was right about all of it as far as I could tell. “What’s that?”
“This approach of doing nothing is maddening.” Bragi moved into the living room, but didn’t sit. “I’m glad you’re rediscovering your power. You always loved flying.”
“Turns out I still do.”
There were other things to talk about, but an awkward silence settled between us instead. My mind kept going back to Magnus is pregnant. One of them is mine.
Did I have any children anywhere else? I assumed they were more than adults. Ancient by now. What about other family?
There were so many unanswered questions.
I wanted to give Magnus all the time in the world to process, and I still believed that taking our time to think through this was the right decision, but there was a balance to be struck. After nearly an hour, I couldn’t sit around anymore. “I’m going after her.”
“Thank Creation.” Bragi’s reply was a muttered huff. “Better you than me.” He spoke more clearly this time, and the hint of bitterness was distinct in his voice.
I wouldn’t drag her back here if she wasn’t ready, but I could be a sounding board if she needed to talk things through.
I headed outside and paused. Which direction should I go? It was tempting to fly, but I didn’t want to wander beyond the wards by mistake again.
“I’m over here.” Magnus’s call from the small grove of trees drew my attention, and I followed her voice. “I’m surprised it took one of you so long to come after me,” she said when I got closer.
I looked up to see her sitting on the lower branches of one of the trees.
Though, tree was a generous description. They were knotted objects with sparse amounts of green, lurching from the ground amid dry patches of grass. She’d found the single tree with a perfect branch to keep her about three meters off the ground.
I leaned against the trunk and looked up at her. “Waiting seemed reasonable.”
“Thank you.” Magnus kicked her feet in a lazy path. “I’m sorry I dragged you into all of this.”
From what I understood, she hadn’t—Bragi did. “I agreed to come with you, and I suspect it was the same before, when you needed my help. That I’ve always been a willing participant. Besides. This is what friends do for each other, and you and we and Dahlia are stronger with each other than apart.”
Magnus gave a sharp, stuttered laugh. “That sounds so cliche. So after school special.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“That’s okay.” She hopped to the ground and landed next to me on her feet. “I get your meaning and I appreciate it.” She adopted a similar position to me, her shoulder resting against mine. “I can’t lose Dahlia again. Or you. Or anyone who matters. And I don’t know what to do, to keep that from happening.”
“Every one of us is capable of deciding for ourselves if we want to be involved in this war or not, and I chose to be here. Dahlia chooses the same.” I supposed it could be argued that we didn’t technically choose it, but there were always points to walk away, to hide, or to just roll over and give up. “If Vidar is working this hard to keep you away from Dahlia, regardless of his reasons for letting you live, then it makes sense that being around her is a better idea than not.”
