Page 67 of The Seducer
“I wish we could call Magni up. I want to see what he looks like,” Tristan said and gave Finn a hopeful smile.
“He’s probably fighting some rebels on the East Coast, but I’m happy to try calling him,” Finn replied.
“Really?” Tristan exclaimed with excitement.
Finn angled his head and looked at me. “It’s up to Athena, it’s her house and her rules.”
With the children looking at me, I drew on my ambition to be forgiving to my adversary, and said, “It’s fine with me.”
Finn lifted his wrist. “All right, let’s see if Magni can spare a minute to chat with us.”
It only took two rings for Magni to answer. “Finn, my friend, did you get out of the claws of the witch?”
“Nah, not yet, I’m still in her kitchen and guess what she’s up to now?”
“What?”
“She lured the local children to her house, and she’s fattening them up with hot chocolate and cake. The poor schmucks have no idea that they’re in danger of ending up in one of her delicious pot pies.”
Charlotte’s head swung to me.
Shaking my head with resignation, I muttered to her, “You’re not in danger.”
“Hang on, Magni, I’m just going to pull you up on a hologram, and connect the group chat so you can see everyone,” Finn instructed.
The large man appeared in the air and turned his head to look around.
“Oh, hey, Athena,” he said and raised a hand to wave at me. It hit me how different he looked. He was still intimidating, and it didn’t help that he was wearing a tank top of sorts that did nothing to hide his bulging muscles or the tattoo on his neck. He didn’t frown, and that made his face look very different from the angry time bomb of a man whom I remembered.
“Magni, I want you to meet Hans and the children from one of the local family units.”
“Hey there,” Magni said and raised his hand again.
Reva, Samuel, and Tristan greeted him politely, but Charlotte was hiding her head behind Tristan’s shoulder.
“Remember, I told you about a boy who looked just like me as a teen?” Finn said and continued. “Tristan, stand up and let Magni see you, will you?”
Tristan signaled for me to take Charlotte and I picked her up in my arms, whispering that she was safe.
“Shit, the boy really does look like you, Finn. He even has your ugly ears,” Magni exclaimed.
Raised to be polite, Tristan let the insult slide and spoke up. “Hi, Magni. Finn has told me a lot of amazing things about you.” Tristan’s teenage voice broke a little.
“Oh yeah?” Magni lifted his chin. “You shouldn’t believe a word he says, unless he told you that I’m the biggest badass, because that part is true.”
Finn laughed. “I told him that you have sticks for arms, and that I taught you everything you know about fighting.”
“Sticks for arms, huh?” Magni flexed his large biceps and the children gaped. “Damn, you do look like Finn. Don’t tell me that your jaw does that creepy cracking sound when you yawn too?” Magni said to Tristan.
“It does,” Reva piped up and it made Tristan and Finn look at each other with renewed curiosity.
“Is it true that you are the best fighter in the world?” Samuel was brave enough to ask Magni from his chair.
“Could be.” Magni shrugged. “But with all you Momsies being damn pacifists there’s not a lot of competition, is there?”
“I’ve been training in martial arts since I was seven,” Tristan said, his eyes shining with excitement. “I wish I could learn from someone like you.”
“You’ve got Finn,” Magni said. “Didn’t you believe him when he said that he taught me everything I know?”
