See Chapter One For Disclaimers.
Valkyrie Rising
Chapter Five
"Megan…" Ginger's voice was uncertain, husky with emotion. "Not that I'm complaining, but are you sure…?" She looked deep into the icy blue eyes of the woman who held her, searching for an answer. It had been so long since they had been together. She didn't want to jeopardize this now. Megan looked down at her without speaking, the old guilt clearly battling for supremacy over other emotion. Ginger knew then that they still had a long way to go.
Clutching tightly to Megan, she held onto the moment for as long as possible. All she said was "Let's just take it one step at a time here, okay? No rushing things this time." It nearly killed her to get the words out, but the relief in Meg's eyes told her she'd made the right choice. If there was still hope for them, time wouldn't change that. For now, the knowledge that love remained would have to be enough.
It was nearly dawn on Friday and the Black Java was still a hive of activity. Megan and Gin had been there since Franny closed up shop the previous evening. The week had rolled by all too quickly, and the preparations for that night's rave were in full swing. Fran was in drill mode, ordering everyone around like some barbarian queen.
Over and above the usual confusion, the place was crawling with bikers. The street outside was lined with Harleys. Big Tee, Franny's mate, was in charge of security and he'd brought some of his cronies in to help him. As usual, the Nightriders were proceeding enthusiastically with their customary degree of overkill.
"C'mon man, someone's gotta stand by the back door." Tee's massive second, Coll, stood hands on hips glowering down at a small weasel-faced man. "Tee said to make sure this dude don't get out. You gonna tell him you won't do it?"
Megan watched in amusement as the smaller man looked from Coll to Tee and back again. She could almost hear him calculating the odds. She hid a smile as he threw his hands up in capitulation and stormed off. She really didn't see why he'd bother to protest, as far as she knew Coll never lost an argument. By the time the guys were through, there was no way Thor was going to get out without giving her some answers. Fran and Tee had seen to that with their own indomitable style.
Meg's smile faded as she thought about Thor. Somehow, he had set this whole mess in motion. Absently she rubbed the top of her leg where the tattoo sat. After that last confrontation with Brennan, she had a nasty feeling about Thor too. Tomorrow was going to be a big day in more ways than one. Besides the rave, it was her 25th birthday, a milestone of sorts. She had an appointment with her father's lawyer on Monday, something about the final terms of her parents' will.
At the thought of her parents, a familiar tide of guilt and sorrow rose with crushing force threatening to drown her. A hand touched her arm gently, and she found herself lost in the depths of concerned green eyes. Ginger never said a word, just looked at her questioningly. Resolutely, Megan pushed the bleak emptiness aside, for Gin she'd find a way through it somehow. For Gin, she'd walk through hell itself.
Smiling wanly, she patted the little writer's hand lightly. "No rest for the wicked, love. Just thinking about tomorrow." She knew she was underplaying the danger and the potential for disaster, trying to keep the smaller woman from worrying. It didn't matter. Nobody was going to hurt Ginger again. Not without going through Megan first.
"Do you think he'll come here?" Gin asked warily. Despite Meg's attempts to make light of the situation, the earlier events in the week had shaken her confidence somewhat.
"I don't know. Probably. He's tied up in all of this somehow." Megan had no doubt who Gin was talking about. They had spent most of the week going over everything they could find about Loki. It was still hard to accept that the guy was actually a real god. The implications made Megan's mind reel. Gods just weren't supposed to exist, let alone go around meddling in people's lives.
"I'm not worried about myself, Meg. I don't want you disappearing again. I don't think I could take that."
"Nothing strange has happened since the beginning of the week." Except the occasional whirring of wings, Megan finished silently. She hadn't told Gin yet, but she heard them every time she thought about the stranger that had taken over her body. There had been a feeling of kinship there, the sense of family.
Meg had known at the end that it was a spirit from the past, perhaps an ancestor. She knew as well that her destiny was irrevocably linked to Ginger's. It had been a comforting feeling, helping to distance the guilt she felt over her parents' deaths. It was still there, inextricably tangled up with her love for Ginger. It was just a little more manageable now. Perhaps she would yet learn to live with the shadows of the past.
Ginger tugged on her arm, dragging her wayward attention back to the business at hand. "C'mon Meg, Fran wants us to help with the bar set-up." Shaking her head, Meg followed her across the room. Somehow, Tee had managed to wangle them a liquor license for the rave. Given the current attitude about drinking in town, it was no mean feat. That man had to have more connections than seemed reasonable for one lifetime.
He moved silently through the parking lot, sliding from one shadow to the next with lupine ease. His keen senses found what they sought, then recoiled. They were both there, the Valkyrie and the Heart, but the stench of the Thunderlord was everywhere. A feral snarl bared his teeth. 'Father would not be pleased.' Grumbling deep in his chest, he turned and loped away to the north. A slight hint of musk lingered in the wake of his passing.
The hall clock struck two, clamorously proclaiming the hour for all to hear. Morning had come and gone all too soon, Megan reflected wryly. It was a good thing the winter break had already started, otherwise she'd have been good and late today. Stretching awkwardly, she tried to slide her left arm out from under Ginger without waking her. Gin stirred and mumbled, then determinedly burrowed her golden head under the covers. Megan smiled at the muffled imprecations as she slid out of bed and padded toward the bathroom. By the time she'd showered she knew, Gin would be bustling around the kitchen with an appalling degree of cheer. They always had done mornings very very differently. They'd survived it in the past, finding their own unique ways around it. Just the thought suffused her with a warm glow she'd nearly forgotten; warmth totally inappropriate in the present.
Turning the water on full force, Megan sternly told herself not to go there at all. She and Gin had agreed to take things slowly for now, there'd been just that single mind-numbing kiss. She reminded herself for the umpteenth time that they were sharing the bed for safety's sake, nothing more. It had been working out okay so far but Megan knew that if she couldn't keep her unruly thoughts in line, she'd need a cold shower, not a hot one.
Gin curled sleepily into a ball, listening to the pounding of the shower. She knew she should get up, maybe put some coffee on, but she was reluctant to leave the warm haven of the tangled sheets. She could still feel Megan's warmth beside her, feel the touch of her arms. If she let her mind wander she could almost see her standing under the stinging spray, luxuriating in the feel of the water coursing over her skin.
She drew from memory the sight of Megan, eyes closed, writhing slickly under her soapy hands. The small sounds she made and the way her skin felt were as tangible as the sheets Ginger lay in, and the image filled her thoughts to the exclusion of all else. Her body ached to make the images real. Too aware of the promise she had made to follow her heart, she lay there torturing herself until she heard the water quit running.
By the time Megan was out of the shower and dressed, Ginger had breakfast sizzling on the stove and a pot of coffee brewing. There were no outward traces of the strain on her soul. She couldn't let Megan know what holding back was doing to her.
Loki stood on the rooftop of the apartment building looking down on the Black Java. There was no trace of Brennan Loken's elegance and urbanity left about him. Clad in rough leather, he looked every inch a Norse warrior. His bearing was loose and relaxed, one hand resting lightly between the ears of an unusually massive grey wolf. He watched in silence as a pair of huge men, heavily laden with sound equipment rapped sharply at the back door. His upper lip curled in disdain when his brother opened the door for them. Let him have his little moment, Loki would eradicate him soon enough.
Ginger had been waiting impatiently for over an hour. Usually she was the last one ready, but Megan was unaccountably nervous. It was taking her twice as long as usual to get ready to go out. She had already donned and discarded at least a half a dozen outfits at last count. They'd been planning on going over before the band set up, to catch Thor before the crowd came in. It was not working that way.
She herself hadn't given her clothing much thought. In light of everything else, it just didn't seem important. She had dressed in a short jumper of russet suede, leaving her arms and legs bare. It was a little cool outside for the outfit, but they were only going across the alley. Her hair was caught sleekly at the back of her neck with a feathered comb, and she wore a silver filigree necklace and matching wristbands. It had taken her almost no time to get ready, and now she had to wait for Megan.
It was worth the wait. Megan had finally settled on a pair of form fitting leather pants and a tailored leather vest. The supple black hide was starkly unadorned, suiting the mood she'd been in lately. She wore her black hair loose, dancing around her shoulders in a shining cloud. Her only ornament was a silver pendant of a crescent moon, a childhood gift from her Greek grandmother. There was something different in her stance, a new confidence and strength. She looked ready to take on the world. Between the attitude and the outfit, the overall effect was breath taking.
She spoke softly, her voice apologetic. "I know. We wanted to get there early. Do you think they'll be set up yet?"
"Probably." Gin kept her tone dry, showing her amusement. "He'll just have to make time to talk now, won't he?"
"Suppose so. You ready?" Megan looked at her archly, implying she had been the one waiting.
Shaking her head at the other's antics, Gin grabbed her purse and they headed out the door. The waiting was almost over.
The ravens began troubling Megan again the moment they walked in the door of the Black Java. While Gin checked their coats, the whirring rose to a dull roar creating a barrier of sound between her and the rest of the world. An unnatural calm settled over her, chilling her frazzled nerves.
It was in this state of cool detachment that first saw him on the stage. The band was already in the midst of a sound check, their equipment long since set up. His back was to her, but she knew him immediately. His coppery hair caught the light, reflecting it back like spun gold. Clad only in torn jeans and a denim shirt, he was the picture of masculine perfection. Just the sight of him caused her to feel an unaccustomed warmth and shortness of breath. Oddly enough though, it made her think of Gin.
Suddenly he straightened, turning to face Megan as if aware of her scrutiny. A genuine smile lit his face, traveling directly to his brilliant green eyes. With a quiet aside to the other men on stage, he jumped down and strode toward her. The tattoo on her leg began to tingle, and the ravens began to cry.
"Ah, Megan. So good to see you again." He greeted her like an old friend.
His voice was rich and warm, and it sent chills down her spine. He was far too glad to see her. Marshaling her thoughts, she felt Gin come to stand beside her. Without a word spoken, she could sense the aggression in her friend's stance. She practically exuded defiance and rage. Placing a cautionary hand on Gin's arm Megan answered him coldly. "Thor. We need to talk."
"Agreed." Without another word, he turned and made his way to the sheltered back booth.
As she followed him, Megan became aware of Coll's looming bulk just behind them. She found his presence oddly comforting. Sitting face to face with Thor, Gin by her side, she found herself momentarily at a loss for words. Not so Ginger.
"What the hell are you pulling? What have you done to Megan?"
"Nothing harmful. She was lost, I merely showed her the way back." He looked at Ginger full on, meeting her eyes with a level gaze. "She had lost her heart."
Megan found her voice abruptly. "What in blazes are you talking about? I don't want riddles Thor. I want answers."
"You'll have them in time. When you come into your own. Until then, know that I mean you no harm." With that cryptic statement he slid out of the booth and returned to the stage.
Megan stared after him open-mouthed, a cold rage building inside. Slamming a fist down on the table, she started to rise. A heavy hand on her shoulder stopped her. Looking up in surprise, she found herself facing yet another leather clad behemoth. She didn't know him, but he had to be one of the Nightriders because Coll was not at all concerned about his actions.
"Leave it. He's not going anywhere. There will be time enough later." His voice was honeyed gravel, low and full. With long curling dark hair and eyes that were almost black in their intensity, he cut a figure as fully amazing as Thor's. "I'll see to it."
With a knowledge that defied reason, Megan knew she wanted nothing from him. She trusted him no further than she trusted Loki. Blue eyes like ice, she brushed his hand from her shoulder. "I'm not asking for your help."
She saw the slightest spark of anger in his eyes, before he nodded curtly and stomped away.
"What was that about?" Ginger's voice was confused, but not frightened. "Coll, who was that guy?"
"What guy? The one in the band?"
"No not him, the other one, with the dark hair."
"What other one?" Coll's brow furrowed in confusion.
Megan looked at Gin, a cold feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. "Never mind Coll, don't worry about it." She looked up at the big biker winningly. "Do you think you could find Franny for us? We really need to talk to her for a minute."
He watched her in covert annoyance from the other side of the room. Resentment smoldered inside him, building steadily to anger. She'd dismissed him like he was nothing, nobody. Even in this lifetime, without knowing him, she still would not accept his help.
"She may not know you Greek, but I do." A soft voice spoke behind him, its cadence measured.
He whirled in place only to find himself facing a tall gentle-faced stranger. "What the…?"
"This one is not yours." There was no threat in the quiet tone, just firm conviction. "I caution you, do not interfere."
Before he could respond the stranger vanished, fading out as only another god could do.
(c) M.C. Sak 1999