Page 12 of Vicar
Chapter Six
WHERE VICAR USUALLYenjoyed Torc’s company, and most certainly the women his friend had brought along, his timing wasn’t good at the moment. Not when he sensed rather than saw Trinity’s reaction to them.
“Sis, this is Leviathan’s brother, Torc,” Jade said in introduction before Vicar had a chance. “Torc, my sister, Trinity.” She purposely narrowed her eyes at the women. “Vicar’s likely mate.”
“Not mate,” Trinity clarified, her cheeks rosy with embarrassment. She smiled kindly at Torc and the women. “Nice to meet you.”
Not surprisingly, Torc seemed smug, and the women amused if not disdainful of Trinity’s sweetness. His friend didn’t want him Forged, in case it changed him. The two of them were brothers-in-arms when it came to rallying dragons to fight sooner rather than later. Fight now instead of waiting for the gods to help them. Where Trinity had struck Torc as a threat to that goal, now, seeing how friendly and even timid she was, he no longer appeared concerned. She wouldn’t be swaying Vicar to do anything he didn’t want to do and surely wasn’t a suitable mate.
Naturally, the women Torc had brought were all Múspellsheimr dragons. The best sort to keep Vicar’s attention and any possible threat, like Trinity, at bay. What he couldn’t have foreseen was just how different this place made Vicar.
“You can’t intend to spend the night here.” Torc welcomed two of the women on his lap when Vicar, much to their chagrin, shook his head no to them. His friend’s expression soured. “This place is foul.”
He knew by the way Trinity sat as far away from Torc as possible that she wasn’t a fan. She probably sensed his varying motivations for being here. Not just to stop any connection between Vicar and Trinity but to make Liv jealous with the flock of women trailing after him. Something he would have no luck with, and Vicar had told him as much. His cousin wouldn’t care. She didn’t, as a rule, run jealous and had already made it clear everything would be on her terms if she took Torc as a mate.
“I’ll stay here as long as Trinity remains here,” he informed Torc, taking a measured sip from his horn of ale.
“Which will be no longer than tomorrow morning,” Loki clarified, welcoming the remaining women on his lap. “Then she must make her way to the Keep.”
“Why the Keep?” Jade asked.
“Because it’s Vicar’s primary home.” Loki, as bold as Vicar usually was, allowed a woman to trail her fingers along his arousal while his lustful gaze remained on Trinity. “And it is best Vicar’s mate be subjected to his surroundings.” A cunning grin curled his mouth. “That she soak it up if you will.”
The women on his lap chuckled and rolled their eyes dubiously at Trinity.
“You make that sound dangerous,” Thorulf grunted, no longer hesitant to take issue with Loki now that he’d harnessed his Celtic godliness. “As though you look forward to Trinity being put in harm’s way.”
“To a degree,ja.” Loki caressed one woman’s breast while flicking his tongue along the other’s neck, sampling her. “More specifically, I look forward to seeing what she does when faced with so much,” he smirked at Vicar, “diversity.”
For the first time in his life, Vicar actually regretted all the diversity he’d enjoyed over the years and knew it was the cave’s influence. Or, more to the point, Trinity’s when they were in this place. Because normally, even his Sigdir side had no regrets. Why should he? He’d never been devoted to women, and with good reason. They didn’t deserve what his Múspellsheimr side was capable of. How heartless it could be. Besides, as a general rule, when his Múspellsheimr half surfaced, the thought of being with just one woman seemed ridiculous and wasteful.
“I’d say my sister’s doing okay so far being subjected to Vicar’s diversity.” Clearly not liking Loki’s methods any more than Thorulf, Jade scowled at the god. “So maybe staying here a tad longer than a night wouldn’t hurt?”
“No, it’s fine,” Trinity assured, seemingly at peace with Loki's directive. But then, this place clearly had a calming effect on her. Not just that, but she thought it would keep Vicar away indefinitely to see her in his environment. To witness first-hand just how ill-suited they really were.
“Loki created the Forge, so he knows what should come next,” Trinity added.
