Page 22 of Vicar
If Vicar knew nothing else at this point, it was that, pact or not, Trinity would be remaining by his side until he’d had his fill of her. Once she’d felt everything he had to offer, it wouldn’t matter what persona she embraced. She would know better than to vie for his position. Because if she did, she wouldn't enjoy the pleasure of having him twice. Not just that, but he needed Loki’s Dagger. A blade she had masterfully kept from him thus far, even when battling in dragon form.
“She remains by my side,” he reminded Jade. Falling in beside Trinity, he downed half his horn of ale before reaching the massive wooden doors flanked by equally large torches. “We have an agreement.”
“You mean you and whatever possessed me had an agreement.” Trinity shook her head and preceded him into the great hall. “Not you and I.”
“One and the same.” He finished off his ale and waved over another. “You might suffer various personalities, but you are a single dragon. A beast who made a pact for all to witness.” He shook his head as well. “If you break that pact, the consequences will be considerable.”
“Truly?” Trinity frowned at Jade and Thorulf. “Surely not?”
“It would be risky,” Thorulf confirmed, clearly not happy to be the bearer of bad news. “Múspellsheimr dragons take pacts like yours seriously. Break the pact, and you’ll be shunned, never accepted by them, and very likely killed as punishment.” He frowned at Vicar. “Keep the pact and leave Vicar’s side and suffer the same consequences because there’s always a Múspellsheimr dragon vying for my brother’s position.”
“Super,” Trinity muttered. “Me and my alternate self’s big mouth.”
She took several gulps of ale and eyed the cavernous great hall with its three massive fireplaces and endless glass spire overhead.
“Careful with that,” Jade warned, gesturing at Trinity’s ale. “You don’t drink much, and that’s strong.”
“But no doubt it’s what she needs.” Vicar urged her to drink more, curious how much it would affect her. How compliant it might make her.
“Why?” she said under her breath, following his thoughts a little too effortlessly now. “You can’t possibly think I’ll sleep with you.”
“Ja, I can.” He steered her toward one of the larger side chambers that housed the majority of Múspellsheimr dragons. Best his followers see her personality, so they realized who would always be their alpha. “And I will.” He raked his gaze over her boldly, just imagining the positions he would force her into. “Until I’ve had my fill.”
“Not the way to woo this Trinity,” Jade echoed as they made their way to Vicar’s throne-like chair.
Perhaps, perhaps not. Despite being wary of her surroundings, he sensed Trinity’s awareness of him. Not obvious arousal. Not quite yet. A grazing touch or two away at best.
“I don’t want to be wooed,” Trinity snapped, sipping more ale. She looked around as she sat beside him. “Where’s Tor, anyway? Is he here?”
“Yes, but he’s none of your concern.” Vicar received another ale and eyed Trinity with amusement rather than show her the unexpected jolt he felt at having her in the chair beside him. One meant solely for his future mate if he ever got around to taking one. “Tor would never satisfy you, woman. He doesn’t possess the ability to please your particular sort of dragon.”
“Particular sort?” she mouthed before taking another sip. “You mean the sort like you that won’t be surfacing again,” she tapped her pocket, “because I’ll never let this go.”
She might not think so, but he fully intended to see it gone eventually. Once he’d broken down this side of her enough. Because what fun would there be in only tasting the sweet when the sinful was likely just as delicious?
“So what are we to make of Alfheim leveling you out again, sis?” Jade said, obviously changing the subject for her sister’s benefit. “Or I guess the bigger question is why did you go all Múspellsheimr dragon on us minutes after stepping out of the Alfheim cave?”
“One of many questions I'd like answered,” Loki mused, joining them. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked skyward when thunder crashed. “I would’ve thought it would have happened when Trinity reached the Keep and was around so many Múspellsheimr dragons, but it happened far sooner. Happened when nothing was going on but this incoming godly storm in the distance.” He looked at Trinity quizzically. “A storm that piqued your attention earlier, yes? That called to you when you were your other self?”
“Yes,” she admitted, sipping again. “There was a certain...draw.”
“Interesting,” Loki murmured. When the ground shook with the power of the next thunderclap, his eyes lit with anticipation. “I must go. Thor shouldn't battle alone in this storm.” His gaze swept over the lot of them. “You should go to Vicar’s chamber. Get as close to this thing as possible without risking your safety.” He gave Thorulf and Jade a pointed look. “Keep your Celtic magic at the forefront and sniff out what might be at the heart of this beast.”
They had no chance to respond before Loki vanished in a sizzling pop of flames.
“Let him and Thor figure it out.” Wanting time for his fellow Múspellsheimr dragons to see Trinity’s meeker personality, Vicar waved off the deity's order. “Are they not gods? Do they not know who they fight on the battlefield?”
“A battlefield you don’t seem eager to seek out, brother,” Thorulf noted with surprise. “I find that curious.”
Vicar did too, but he wasn’t about to admit it. He couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t wanted to join one of these godly battles. The idea of slaying Celtic gods gave him great pleasure. Yet the sensation wasn’t there like it should be. Rather, his inner beast preferred to remain here and battle with Trinity, no matter her personality. Her timid side was starting to bite back, and he liked it. Liked the fire he felt churning in her soul when he spoke. A slow burn that he suspected would explode into a raging inferno with the right motivation.
“We should listen to Loki,” Trinity said softly. Her gaze drifted upward when wind started howling. It whipped through the castle and blew back her hair, almost as if it were seeking her out.
He tensed at the sensation. At a masculine energy far more powerful and ruthless than his own. A dark soul with vicious teeth and a long memory.
“What memory, though?” he murmured, sensing his dragon knew.
“A memory we’ll find up there.” Trinity kept gazing skyward. “An answer we’ll get if we listen to Loki.”
