Page 49 of Vicar
“Would have what, Vicar?” Trinity asked when he didn't go on.
“Torc and my Múspellsheimr side,” he murmured, feeling out his other half’s intentions. “They’re planning something.” He frowned at Loki’s Dagger. “They intend to rally dragons to fight sooner than we’re able to harness the power of the Forge.”
Trinity’s hand went protectively to the dagger sheathed at her waist. Her eyes grew wary. “Are you sure?”
“Ja.” He nodded, unsettled. “That’s the sole reason I...he, went to the twenty-first century. Yes, to confront the woman who thought to control him but to get that too.”
“To serve what purpose?”
“None really,” he realized. “Other than that it might offer them more power in battle. Perhaps not as much as the Forge but enough.” He shook his head again. “You were of little consequence. A mild curiosity...at least at first.”
“Right,” she said. “Until he realized I could be used to his advantage.”
He nodded, unsure what to say. His other half’s actions were so different than how his Sigdir side would act.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I don’t feel how he feels.”
“Any more than I feel how my other half feels.” Trinity looked at him with understanding. “I’m just glad we’re starting to see your other side’s intentions more clearly. Now we just need to understand mine. Sure, we know she wants to be in charge, but why did she start surfacing to begin with? Was there motive in it?” She fiddled with her food rather than eat it. “Because I get the distinct impression she was more familiar with the enemy than I’d like.”
A surge of anger and jealousy blew through him when he realized she might be right. “My other half knew it too.” He narrowed his eyes. “He didn’t just see Violence as mere competition but more.” His dragon eyes flared. “He wants vengeance.”
Her brows shot up. “For what?”
“I don’t know.” Frustrated, he downed more ale. “But it clearly has to do with you.” His vision turned red as more came through. As he was able to look deeper into his other half. Begin to see beyond the mental blocks he had put in place. “I think it might be at the root of his eagerness to fight the Celtic gods.”
“That would make sense.” She visibly shivered, tying everything together that they had learned thus far. “So before I made it here, there’s a good possibility I passed through both Alfheim and Múspellsheimr where I feared being enslaved in angry fire. Then, not long after being born, my Múspellsheimr personality started to kick in. Now Violence wants me, my other half wants him, and your other half is out for revenge.” Her brows pulled together. “While I get Violence being drawn to my Múspellsheimr side and vice versa, when and where did we first connect?” She shook her head. “And how can my other half be so drawn to a god that seems to be made more of violent energy than of flesh and blood?”
“At least what we’ve seen of him so far.” He scowled, sure there was more to Violence than met the eye. “Remember his brother, Evil, in particular, presented himself as a dragon to Thorulf and Jade when he’s no such thing in reality.”
“True.” Trinity took several sips of wine, clearly trying to come to grips with things. “So, Violence could have approached me as a dragon.”
“Or a human.” He shrugged. “Whatever would have appealed to your other half at the time.”
“So essentially,” she said softly, upset, “where Thorulf and Jade speculated that they had cheated on each other with Evil, I actually did with Violence. Or so says all the evidence.”
“Whether you did or didn’t,” he tried to rein in his anger at Violence, “it was your Múspellsheimr side at fault.” He shook his head. “Not the real you.Thisyou.”
“But she’s part of the real me,” she reminded. “So I’m not entirely blameless.”
“Any more than I.” He hated to point it out, but how upset could he be with her considering his own actions? “As you well know, my Múspellsheimr side hasn’t been faithful to you, either, Trinity. He’s been anything but.” He sighed. “I’ve been anything but.”
“Because you didn’t remember me.” She sighed as well. “At the end of the day, our situations aren’t all that different from Jade and Thorulf’s. We were just easier targets because of our Múspellsheimr personalities.”
He knew she was right, but that didn’t make it any easier. The truth was, he wanted revenge on Violence as much as his other half did.
“How to do that, though?” Trinity wondered, following his thoughts. “Because I want revenge too. Revenge on something I’m sure came between us.” Finding an appetite with her need for payback, she took a bite of meat. “How do we take out a god like Violence?”
“I don’t know.” In no mood for food, he took another sip. “But chances are we’ll know soon enough just like those before us.”
“Right.” She took another bite. “Which means waiting for our memories to reveal themselves.” Her gaze swept over the lair. “We won’t see everything we need to here, though. I’m certain of it.”
He followed her meaning. “You’re still determined to travel to Mt. Galdhøpiggen’s underbelly. To seek out residual Múspellsheimr magic.”
“If that’s the only place here influenced by Múspellsheimr, then yes.” Seemingly sensing something, she paused with another bite halfway to her mouth. “Is there another Alfheim cave between here and there? Or is the one I arrived at the only one?”
“There is, but it’s considerably smaller.” He hesitated, wondering just how much he should share, only to realize she would know soon enough if not already by following his thoughts. “And while not influenced by Múspellsheimr magic, there is a Múspellsheimr chamber here at the Keep.”
“Seriously?” Her eyes widened. “Isn’t that a little risky?”
