“May we speak privately?”
“Rise, Fate. As much as I enjoy you on your knees before me, this fake meekness grows tiresome.” As she rose gracefully to her feet, he lifted a hand. “Leave us.”
Venus reluctantly slid off his lap, giving Fate a dirty look. Fate ignored the stupid bitch; she had more pressing matters than who was next in line for a romp with Odin. She could have him, and her look told Venus so.
Odin’s hand tightened on the arms of his throne, barely restraining himself from crushing it in his anger. He had seen the look she had given Venus and knew she felt nothing except contempt for the women begging for his favor. He wanted to throttle the woman … right after he fucked her senseless.
When the court was empty, Odin’s voice boomed out in the hollow room. “What is it you want, Fate?” Odin knew why she had come. It had been her only recourse to regaining her daughters.
“Get Thor to grant me an audience.” Fate could not enter Thor’s palace without permission. It remained the one and only place she could not appear without direct invitation.
“You’re going to ask him for help?” Odin leaned back on his throne. “I’m curious, Fate, why you are not asking for my help. I could retrieve them for you, so why not beg me?”
“I would not ask you to break your oath to Mother.” Odin had given an oath never to interfere on earth again since the last time he had taken hundreds of lives in anger.
Odin nodded. “And what favor would you grant me for asking my son to listen to you? You know I cannot make him aide you, only to listen to your request.”
“I hope I can convince him to help me.” Fate shrugged. “But I can’t ask for his help unless he sees me. That is why I need your help. Whatever you want in payment, I will pay.”
“Anything, Fate? Be careful if you do not mean your words. Once we strike a bargain, I will not allow you to renege on it because you have achieved your goals.”
Fate stiffened. “I give you my word, and once given, I will stand by it until our bargain is met. What do you want in return for an audience with Thor?”
Odin spoke carefully. “You in my bed for as long as I wish.” When setting a trap, the hunter must never let his prey know their ultimate goal. He knew what her answer would be before she spoke.
“One night,” Fate countered.
Odin shrugged nonchalantly. “It was worth a try. Very well, Fate, one night. But be warned, this time I won’t play the part of Valentine so that you can pretend to yourself that you don’t want me. This time, you will know it’s me from beginning to end.”
“Agreed, but I have one stipulation.”
“And that is?”
“I will not see the bargain met until all three of my daughters are safely home.”
Odin admired her. She was a hell of an adversary. She planned to outsmart him, having no intention of seeing their bargain met. As always, though, Fate underestimated him. He was about to prove her wrong.
“Very well. We’re agreed. I’ll send for Thor.”
Fate breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Odin.”
Turning, she started to leave in a hurry to once again check on her daughters’ movements. However, Odin stopped her before she could leave.
“What makes you think he will help you? He hates you, Fate.”
Fate turned back to the obnoxious god. “I know this, but as much as he hates me as his mother, he loves his sisters.”
* * *
Jericho did not speak once they were back at the cabin, showing his anger in silence. Not that he had talked to her more than he’d had to before, but now he simply disappeared into his room, leaving her by herself.
Cara sat on the couch and watched the rain outside the window, sighing. Not much had changed from her home. Her sisters and mother often left her by herself. Cara had become used to being lonely.
She got up and wandered aimlessly around the small room. The lack of color and homey feel was in direct contrast to Mary’s. There were no photos or personal possessions of any kind sitting around, not even a comfortable rug lying around on the wooden floors. It was as stark and cold as the man himself.
Cara frowned. She had spoken the truth when she had told him his soul was black. There was something she had not told him that she had never seen before, though. A slight shade of gold had flickered within the darkness.
Gold souls were the mark of immortals. His was very slight, almost nonexistent. In fact, she would have missed seeing it if not for the amount of time she had spent staring at the man.