Page 10 of The Goddess is Fierce
“Then, yes. I’d love to.”
azren
. . .
Gabriel showed Baldur and Odin to their new home. He just needed to tell Freya which one it was as she’d been on this campus a good bit as a mortal. Freya wanted to be close to Baldur, but she stayed behind with me since she knew Odin needed to be with him more.
“I feel terrible. Do you think he was here while I was? He wouldn’t have remembered me, especially in a mortal body, but Iwouldhave recognized him. It’s been thousands of years since I’ve seen Baldur, but I watched that boy grow into a man. He’s also a big boy, even for a god.”
That he was. He was also a God of Light. Even without his magic and being beaten down by mortals for so long, he was still radiant, even if he didn’t have his signature glow.
“Every time he was here before, people died. If they were targeting special witches, they would have gone after you. I don’t think he was here when you were. Hewashere when I was. I’m not a snob. I wouldn’t overlook a janitor. I don’t know all the gods, but I knew Baldur because I was friends with Loki. I should have found him before George brought him to me.”
“I think he was looking for a god to help him, but he didn’t remember you, so he just saw the scary God of Death. He found George instead. I think the big guy has a crush.”
And I could tell George was interested but conflicted because he could be a murderer. George had alotmore in common with Baldur than she did with me. They were both born gods who were beloved by their families. If he didn’t come back a killer, I could see the two of them together. There was just one tiny problem.
“When Baldur gets his memories back, he’s going to remember his wife,” I pointed out.
“If they are both into each other, he’s going to need her when he gets his memories back. Nanna moved on pretty hard when he didn’t come back right away. I haven’t been back to Asgard in a long time, but she’s been gone even longer. She wanted to lose herself in another god, but no one in Asgard would do that to Baldur because we knew he’d eventually come back. Last I heard, she found another God of Light from a different god family and replaced him. Odin and Frigg still talk every day. They’d know if she ever came home, but they were pretty mad she left, and Baldur was their favorite. I don’t think either of them would be itching for a reunion.”
I sighed. Poor Baldur. I wasn’t as close with him as I was with Loki and Freya, but he’d been about peace and light duringa time when nearly everyone was solving their problems with violence. He was ahead of his time and for all the preaching he tried to give his family, they didn’t really start considering his words until they really sat down with Loki and found outwhyhe killed Baldur.
“I hate that for him,” I said. “Baldur has been through a lot. If either of us knew what Loki was planning, we would have talked him out of it or at least redirected him towards someone who was actually guilty. I can’t imagine what he went through for that long in the Aether just stewing about it and then to come back with no memories and get treated the way he probably did by supernaturals? When he gets his memories back, he going to remember Nanna and have to hear she replaced him like that.”
“I don’t think the murders were Baldur. His light is gone, but it also isn’t.”
I actually understood that. Gods all had golden auras, but light gods always glowed brighter. Baldur didn’t have either right now and was grappling with the fact that he could be a serial killer. He still had the same look in his eyes and came to me for help, even if he didn’t remember me and thought I might kill him. Anyone else in that situation would have left, but Baldur did the right thing.
“How long does it usually take for Huginn and Muninn to come when they are on a walkabout? I’d always visit Odin to tell him where I was putting you so Muninn could visit when you turned eighteen. I knew she always made it to you because you never died, but I had no idea they were so hard to get in contact with.”
“I haven’t been home in a while, but it was only ever a few days, depending on how far away they are. And you’d better spill, mister. You forget I was created with multiple powers and domains. And one of those was that even though you were trying to hide it, I picked up vibes between you and George.”
I started laughing. After everything that just went down in my cabin, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t hide my scent on her from certain supernaturals, but it could be explained away by my private lessons with her for the most part. The people close to her figured it out because they knew her the best.
We hadn’t told Reyson yet. He wouldn’t figure it out until we did. We weren’t brothers, but we were created at the same time and pooled our magic with the others to make the universe. We all bonded on our new playground figuring out our powers. Her dad was one of my oldest friends.
He was also the God of Chaos. He was rarely rational, and it was impossible to figure out how he was going to react in any situation. And I said that as someone who had known him our entire lives. Reyson could either be very happy about this or he could keep trying to beat my ass until his wife calmed him down. Ripley Bell was theonlyperson I’d known since the universe had been created who could rein in the God of Chaos.
And then there was Freya. I hadn’t known her as long, but she was a dear friend. Freya was the god of many things. Love and sex were two of them. George and I were probably broadcastingall kindsof shit to Freya that we could have kept a secret if we were around her alone.
“Sorry,” I said, wiping the tears from my eyes. “I was so worried about everything I forgot about your superpowers. I’m crazy about her. I was just supposed to be teaching her and helping her with her powers, but she’s amazing. She punched me in the face, Freya.”
Freya cocked an eyebrow at me.
“I don’t kink shame, but I think you’re good for each other.”
“I’m not—It’s not—It was never a kink thing. I don’t ask her to hit me. I’m older than the universe. In my long life, everyone has been too scared of me to get properly angry with me or hit me. Then this furious eighteen-year-old god storms into myoffice because she’s mad at me and breaks my nose. She was glorious, and she’s not scared of me. She treats me like everyone else.”
“Her daddy might change his mind about hitting you when he finds out,” Freya hooted.
“I know,” I moaned. “How did Loki take it when you told him Baldur was back?”
“I didn’t. I had to see it for myself first. I was planning on going back to Ravyn’s cottage to break the news before I started staying with Baldur and Odin. He needs to know, but hehasto stay away until Baldur is ready to see him. I do need to get back there. It’s getting late.”
Freya disappeared in a shower of daisies. I usually operated off a few hours of sleep, but Freya liked her beauty rest. I’d been sleeping alone for a long time, but now that I’d spent the night with George, I wanted to do it again.
I didn’t particularly want to sleep alone in this cabin anymore.
