Page 39 of Disabling Relics for Dummies
“How in actual fuck—”
“Just watch. Do you trust me?”
“Well, yeah. You wouldn’t be sleeping in my bed if I didn’t.”
“Remember that after all this. That was all the real me.”
Key looked horribly sorry for something, like I would be furious at him when he opened that box. I was expecting a big show of magic. There was basically none of that. He pressed his thumb on the box, and there was this explosion of light that knocked me on my ass.
What in actual fuck was happening right now, and how did his thumbprint unlock that box? I tried to shake the black spots from my vision as Killian helped me to my feet.
There were two men in my museum dressed and painted like Vikings that weren’t here before. One of them was tall and fierce with blond hair and ice blue eyes. He was definitely supernatural, but I couldn’t tell what he was. He fell to his feet and startedgrovelingbefore Key.
I couldn’t tell what the other man was either. He had long brown hair with patches of white in it. It was unusual, and I knew they didn’t have a good developer bleach back then, so it was natural. This dude flung himself at Key, and the two embraced like they were old friends.
“Key? I think it’s time to tell us your first name,” I said.
He was still hugging the man who popped out of the puzzle box and just looked so excited he was out.
“Lo.”
“Lo? Your nameis notLo Key. Stop fucking with us.”
Key slightly bowed his head. When his gaze met mine again, his eyes were silver like Lilith and Reyson’s, and his aura was just as golden as the two gods I’d met so far. Lo Key?
“Oh, shit. You’re Loki,” I whispered.
Chapter31
Loki
Ihad been dreading this moment, but it needed to happen this way. I needed Valentine and all his people to think I was a warlock because if the Cult of the Aether Sisters knew Loki had contacted him, the only way I would get on that dig to get rid of their spirits and fetch my box would be through violence.
Iwas nota violent god. I found it senseless and pointless. Especially when a little trickery and some lies could easily get you what you wanted. The spirits of the Cult of the Aether sister didn’t go quietly. They would have recognized my face, but my aura and eyes confused them since I shape shifted into a warlock. They fought, but in the end, I won. This prophecy was another story.
I didn’twantto deceive Ravyn or Killian. I wasn’t expecting to like them so much. I’d been alive a long time and honestly didn’t like most people. But those two? They were keepers.
I definitely should have told them before I revealed my secret weapons. I just didn’t know how after a time. I guess I thought it was kind of like ripping duct tape off someone’s mouth. Best to just do it and hope they don’t start screaming.
“Why did you lie?” Ravyn said. “Are you here to make sure the cult comes back? Who are these people?”
“The only thing I ever fibbed about was my name and being a warlock. Everything else was really me. I’m here to make damned sure that prophesy never comes true. I made this box when I heard about the prophecy. The Cult of the Aether Sisters stole it and had been trying to figure out how to open it, but I made it impossible. This is Bjorn and Sleipnir.”
“Wasn’t Sleipnir—”
“My son,” I said. “He can shift into an eight-legged horse, but he prefers spending his time as a man. Stupid Odin stole him from me and forced him to stay as a horse because he’s powerful. I stole him back as soon as I could and placed him in this box with Bjorn so Odin would leave him alone. Odin and I have made our peace, and he’s not looking for my son anymore.”
“When you said you once went to great lengths to stop an arranged marriage, you meant when you shape shifted into a mare in heat and distracted the stallion doing the work on the fortification of Asgard, so Freya didn’t have to marry that giant. And then you ended up giving birth to an eight legged horse.”
“When they teach that story, do they also tell you that they blamed me for the collective decision to sell Freya, the sun, and the moon, which they didn’t own, by the way, to the giant if he could complete the job in the agreed upon time?”
“But why did you lie to us, and how does this all tie into the cult?”
I needed to take care of Bjorn and Sleipnir. They both agreed to go in the box for different reasons. I sent them to a pocket realm with all kinds of comforts and food. Unfortunately, they weren’t exactly dressed for this century, and they didn’t understand a word of that conversation.
I waved my hand and dressed them both in modern clothes. I gave them the ability to understand all languages.
“This is the witch with the black lips I saw in my vision,” Bjorn said.
