“No.”
The single word carried so much anger, so much sorrow, so much Magic that Lottie could barely take her next breath, let alone speak. Eyes glued to the Valkyrie, she watched Jianna inhale and exhale, could feel the Valkyrie pull back her Magic, and recognized the exact moment her adopted aunt was back in control.
“No one is keeping you in the dark, Lottie.” Voice still rough and low, just barely more than a whisper, Jianna went on, “But I needed you here before I explained. I needed to be sure that you were not running off hellbent on revenge and getting yourself killed.”
“But you had no right.”
Stepping forward, flames bursting to life in her eyes, the Valkyrie ground out through gritted teeth, “I had every right. I made a promise to Margarite before you were ever born. Hell, before she even met your father. I agreed to protect her children with my very life should she no longer be able and that is exactly what I plan to do.”
Clamping her lips tight, knowing it was time to shut up and stop acting like the child she’d just denied being, Lottie watched and waited as Jianna’s chin dropped and her shoulders rose and fell as she fought for control. Time seemed to stand still.
The meadow was utterly silent. Not even the Fairies and Pixies whose job it was to flitter and dance from flower to flower, chittered to one another.
All eyes were on the Valkyrie.
“You fucked up,”Astrid sighed. “You pissed off a Valkyrie. No, wait, not just a Valkyrie – one of the oldest and strongest. The one that was on your side. Has always been on your side. When will you ever learn to keep your mouth shut? I know you hate it, and I’m gonna pay for sayin’ this, but maybe Van was right. Maybe you should listen twice as much as you talk. After all, the Great Goddess gave you two ears and one mouth. That has to mean something.”
“Shut. Up. Astrid.”
“And speaking of that sexy Dragon man,”the Sleipnir Mare continued without so much as a breath. “What does it matter if Jianna arranged for him to be here? We all know it’s for your own good. You need to get off that high horse of yours.”Barking out a laugh that bounced around Lottie’s mind, she went on, “Ha! Get it? High horse? You’re you and I’m me and we’re joined at the everything and you get to be a horse whenever you want? That’s funny shit right there. Damn, I crack me up. You really do need to get over yourself, come to terms with the reality of the situation and just claim that man as your own.”
“I’m warnin’ you.”
“Don’t you think for one minute that I didn’t hear your heart do that goofy little pitter-pat when you saw him. I know darned good and well your palms got sweaty, ‘cause it felt like we were havin’ a heat wave in here. Why didn’t you just jump into his arms and yell, ‘Take me to bed or lose me forever’?”
“Because that is not what this is about. This is about finding the ones responsible for the death of my mother and our Coven. Not dealing with…”
“Your Mate?”
“He’s not my Mate.”
“Yes, he is, and you know it. I heard you think those exact words just a little bit ago. You do it all the time. Even when you don’t know you’re thinking it, you’re thinking it.”
“I have not nor will I ever say those words.”
“Yes, you have, and you will again. Doesn’t make a bit of difference to Fate and the Universe. Hell, everybody knows. Ignoring it is only making you crankier than usual, and that is a hill of beans nobody needs to have to deal with, especially me.”
“I am counting to three, and then you better…”
“Excuse me, ladies,” Jianna chuckled, the lilt back in her voice and her aura once again bright and shining with the most positive and beautiful colors. “I have a resort to run.” Barely holding back her laughter, her eyes twinkling with mischief and the dimples in her mocha cheeks shining, the Valkyrie added, “If y’all need some alone time – we can talk about the real reason you’re here after you, umm… shall we say, let Donovan scratch a certain itch and put a smile on that pretty face of yours?”
“Shut. Up. Ji.”
“Okay, okay, don’t kill the messenger. I was just sayin’…”
“Yeah, well don’t, okay?” Shaking her head and blowing out the breath it felt like she’d been holding since arriving, Lottie got right to business. “So, tell me everything. What did the witnesses see? Was there a positive ID of Vanessa Marron and her birdbrained sidekick? Did she have the grimoire? Could you feel the Magic of the Goddess? Is there CCTV, magical media, anything I can actually look at? What if I…”
“What if you slowed down just a bit,” Jianna snorted, shaking her head as she held out her hand and a floating sphere appeared. “Of course, we have anything and everything to assure the safety of our guests. Just take this.”
Handing off the glowing orb, she went on, “Merlin has your voice imprint in there. All you have to do is tell it what you want to see, andta-da. All will be revealed.”
Laughing out loud, the sound, as well as the action itself, making her feel more herself than she had since that fateful day all those months before, Lottie chuckled, “How long you been holdin’ onto that one? Don’t try to deny it. I know you too well. The minute your man gave you this cool new toy, you came up with those exact words and have been waitin’ to spring them on me this whole time.”
“Yeah, and I looked good doin’ it, too,” Jianna snorted, waggling her eyebrows and shimmying her shoulders. “You know I did.”
“Yes, you sure did,” Lottie readily agreed, her smile growing when the Valkyrie held up her hand and whispered, “Hang on.” Touching her ear, the next words came out more commanding, her tone all business. “Go ahead, Merry. What’s up?”
Nodding as the Dwarf’s voice filled the meadow, Jianna quickly responded, “I know. Hand to the Goddess, I know better than most that Agent Cross can be a lot to handle, but in his defense…” Eyes sliding to Lottie, her brows jumped so high they disappeared under the curtain of thick, brown curly bangs covering her forehead, she explained with a grumble, “His trip from the meadow portal to the front desk was, shall we say, hastened in an unexpected and totally uncalled for manner.”