Freed of his collar, Brandr stepped up. "He'l have to go through me." His eyes glowed, his muscles burgeoning.

Natalya flared her poisonous claws. "And me."

Thad bowed up his chest. "Me, too."

Garreth looked ready to tangle. Lucia plucked her bowstring, her loyalties torn. A howl sounded in the near distance, footfal s crashing closer. ...

It was Malkom who broke up the tension. "The magister tortured me, as well."

Great, another hater. "You got your revenge, demon! You want more?"

"I have Carrow because of him," Malkom said. "I want no revenge. I seek to repay."

Carrow gazed up at Malkom like a sap. "Let's start by tracing him the hel out of Dodge."

Chapter FIFTY-SIX

For two days, Chase lay in her bed at Val Hal , pale, still , his heartbeat so sporadic that at times she thought he'd ... died.

Brandr had paced a hole in the rug, while Regin struggled to hold on to hope.

No one had any idea what would happen, not even Nix, who'd only absently said, "Such a sweet little boy."

Now, as another morning broke, Regin rechecked the curtains, ensuring that no light reached him. "Will you stay with him, Brandr? I need to go downstairs for a bit." To go on a fool's errand.

"Of course."

She leaned down and kissed Chase's damp forehead. Strapping on her borrowed sword, she marched from her bedroom, down the stairs, and out the front door of Val Hall.

Thad and Natalya were on the porch swing, drinking coffee and holding vigil with Nix.

Regin's sisters had initial y taken issue with a half vamp like Thad and a dark fey like Natalya gaining entry past the wraiths, but Regin had been adamant about their staying.

Thad asked her, "Is DC going to be okay?"

"He's totally gonna pul through," Regin said, but even she recognized that she sounded half-hysterical, her words tinged with that out-of-place confidence people had when staring down a gun barrel.

"Don't be long, Regin!" Nix cal ed. "And if you see Bertil, tell that little scal ywag that it's past his bedtime!"

Huh. Nix is literal y batshit cray-cray.

Regin tossed her hair tol to the wraiths in order to cross their guard. With their forbidding presence and brute strength, those flying, spectral creatures kept anything out of-or in-the Valkyrie's manor.

But the yard was another matter. Regin cast a murderous look at the crowd gathered along Val Hal 's drive. They were like vultures, waiting there either to celebrate Chase's death-or to kil him.

The only thing that kept them from advancing? The recently repaired driveway gate, imbued with Carrow's protection spell.

Regin flipped the crowd off with both hands, bobbling her birds up and down for good measure while mouthing, Suck it. Then she headed to the swamp on Val Hal 's property.

Near the water's edge she stopped beside a monument, one that looked total y out of place in the bayou: a Norse rune stone, draped with swamp moss, on "indefinite loan" from a Scandinavian museum of natural history.

Taking a deep breath, she knelt in front of it. Clearing her throat, she muttered, "Are you there, Woden, it's me Regin." She gave a nervous laugh.

"I know you and Freya sleep, and that praying to you is probably just a big fat waste of time. But I have to try. Seems I'll try anything." Another steadying breath. "So, Woden, I need you to do me a solid and save the life of Declan Chase, a.k.a. Aidan the Fierce. ..."

She trailed off. This is stupid. She needed to be by Chase's side, not talking to inanimate objects.

What if he ... dies while I'm gone? She swal owed. Then he'd still be gone. Attention back on the rock, she said, "Look, I know I'm not your favorite daughter, never have been. But I'm still your daughter! If you're punishing Aidan for his hubris, then know that you're punishing me too. No, you're destroying me."

Though she tried to bite back the words, out they came: "I've hated you for this! How can you do this to me? For a thousand years, I've lived with this curse, when I should have been living with him."

Her voice broke, and embarrassing tears streamed down her face. "P-please ... please just let me have him this time."

Nothing. Only the sounds of the swamp waking from the night. She hadn't expected lightning to hurl down or anything, but she'd hoped for a glimmer of a sign, anything to give her hope.

Instead, she'd just become deeply aware of how insignificant she was, of how her prayers meant nothing.

Which pissed her off.

She shot to her feet and kicked the stone. That felt good. So she shoved her braids out of her tear-streaked face and kicked it again. "I've never asked you for anything!" She drew her borrowed sword, slamming it against the rock so hard her blade and arm vibrated. "Wake-the-hel -up!" Another swing.

"I can't lose him again!" She dropped the sword, launching her fist against the rock. Just as Aidan had in ages past.

As sobs racked her body, she pummeled her forearms against the stone. "L-let me have him."

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she still ed. Lucia, as silent as ever. "Sister, calm yourself."

Regin turned, unsteady, sucking in a lungful of air.

Lucia's eyes widened at her appearance. "My gods, Regin. You real y want him this much? I still don't understand. Carrow said he'd tortured you."

She squared her shoulders. "So our courtship was rocky. When have I ever done anything normally?"

Lucia inclined her head, conceding the point.

"Besides, you're with a werewolf, Luce. I don't want to hear it."

"Engaged to him, actual y. We were just waiting to find you before we have a grand-scale royal ceremony." For secretive Lucia to be the center of attention that big ...? She must truly want MacRieve.

"The wolf was okay with you waiting for me?"

"I explained that I could never do something that important without my wingman."

Regin tried for a smile and failed. "Yeah, well , that's the least you can do since you two ganked Cruach without me." After all these centuries, Lucia was finally freed of her worst nightmare.

"I didn't have a choice, Regin. Since you were tied up with your ... courtship."

"Did Lothaire real y break your neck?"

"Oh, yeah." Lucia unconsciously rubbed her nape. "Garreth went bal istic."

"I can't believe you're going to sacrifice your archery mojo for MacRieve." Lucia would forfeit her fantastical skil with a bow if she was unchaste. "Who am I gonna hang out with when you're a talentless nobody?"

Lucia quirked a brow at that. "I don't have to sacrifice it. Turns out, it's been my own skil for some time."

"Wow. That's great, Luce." Everything was working out for her. "You deserve this happiness after you've waited so long." But so do I!

"Now, come on." Lucia reached forward to sweep her thumbs under Regin's eyes. "Things are getting tense around the manor. Even more beings are lining up to take out your man."

"I'll kil them all ."

"Though Garreth's cousin Uil eam isn't among that mob, he will seek revenge in the future. Apparently, Chase had him ... vivisected. What would you do to my fiance's cousin then?"

Regin tapped her ear. "Hel ooo, you got something in your ears? I said, I'll -kil -them-al . Including anyone in your wolf pack, if you don't make with the royal decree and declare my man off-limits."

"Huh." Lucia tilted her head. "I could do that, couldn't I?"

"Yep." As Regin picked up her sword, she gazed at the stone one more time, laying her palm against it. She silently cried, Please!

Lucia put her arm around her shoulders. "You know Woden can't hear you."

"Didn't figure it could hurt."

"Lothaire's blood is strong," Lucia said. "It might still work. But don't depend on our father for this."

Yet as they walked back to Val Hal , a warm breeze blew against Regin's face, almost like a caress.

Declan's eyes flashed open, and he sucked in a deep breath. Where am I? Where's Regin? Gaze darting, he shot upright in bed.

Brandr was there. "Easy, friend. You're safe-your woman's safe. She'l return directly." As thunder rumbled the wal s, he said, "We're inside Val Hal ."

Only then did Declan relax a measure, surveying his surroundings. If he hadn't known he was in Regin's bedroom by her scent, he would have by the decorations.

Concert posters covered the wal s, bands from ABBA to Phish. Workout gear and video games abounded. Strands of Christmas lights dangled from the ceiling, only these had strings of vampire fangs wrapped around the cords. Tightly closed tie-dyed drapes blocked out all but a few needle holes of sunlight.

The bedding? Star Wars sheets.

"You're healed now," Brandr said. "Your wound's completely mended."

Declan glanced down. There was no new scar to join his others.

All his life, he'd suffered nightmares of that blow, of Regin's screams.

Her grief had hurt him far worse than any cold steel could.

"So I'm a vampire now." Bitter disappointment settled over him. She might say she wanted him like this, but he could never walk in the sun with her again. And what if his blood-drinking disgusted her?

At the thought of drinking blood, he grew nauseated, still disbelieving that Lothaire's ran through his veins.

"You're an immortal, and that's what matters," Brandr said firmly.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days. Here"-he tossed him a pair of jeans-"I know you're keen to see Regin."

As Declan rose to dress, he thought he heard someone outside yel his name. "What was that?"

Brandr gave him a rueful look. "There might be a few dozen beings gathered outside. And they might be bent on revenge against you, even for things you didn't do. Apparently, you're the poster boy for the Order, and Loreans want their pound of flesh."

This is what I'm bringin' to the table, Regin.

Brandr continued, "Although there are only about three hundred mortal berserkers left, they are your men to lead, Aidan. Dispatch any of us against your enemies."

"I'm no' Aidan. And I'll clean up my own mess."

"Not Aidan? But you claimed Regin. The curse ..."

"He's a part of me, but he's long gone. I'm still a scarred and surly Irishman." He reminded himself that he was what Regin wanted. At least, before he'd been turned into a leech.

"You have his memories?"

"Oh, aye, I remember you from before. You were a young smart-arse whose guard was too low." Then he grew serious. "I also remember that you made me a vow ages ago, one you kept for centuries."

Holding the man's gaze, Declan said, "I'll protect Regin from now on. I'm releasing you from that oath, Brandr." He cleared his throat. "You've been a true friend. You have my gratitude and always will ."

Brandr was looking at him strangely. Not surprising, considering the circumstances, but still ... Yet he said nothing, just stalked around the room, batting a boxing speedbag, toeing a pink bowling bal on the floor.

Declan exhaled. "Say what's on your mind, ber-serker."

"Your eyes were just glowing as you spoke. And when you were unconscious, I noticed that-"

"Release the hounds, muthafuckas!" Regin screamed from outside.

Eyes wide, Declan charged toward the sound, with Brandr right behind him. When Declan threw open the bedroom door, it exploded off its hinges. As he stomped down the stairs, he laid his hand on the railing, rendering the wood to splinters.

"Regin!" He stormed out the front door onto the front porch ... directly into the sun.

Chapter FIFTY-SEVEN

"Let us have him!"

"This has nothing to do with you, Valkyrie."

"He'll pay with his life!"

Loreans were out for Chase's blood, which meant Regin was out for theirs.

But at her command, Lucia sighed. "Real y, Regin? Release the hounds?" She stood at the gate, her hand on the mystical lever.

"Nut up or shut up, Luce. I'm tired of looking at these ass**les, tired of listening to them. Let's do this."

With a rol of her eyes, Lucia said, "I'll be on the porch with Nix, acting as your spotter." Then she opened the gate.

As beings of all stripes stalked toward Val Hal , Regin choked up on her sword hilt, ready to swing for the fences-

A man's deep voice rang out. "Regin!"

"Chase?" Barely daring to believe, she glanced over her shoulder. He was alive!

He and Brandr had come barreling out the front door, but when they tried to make it past the wraiths, those guards hurtled them back.

Lurching to his feet, his face a mask of fury, Declan charged forward again, hitting the barrier like a freight train. The wraiths shrieked. Never heard them do anything but cackle.

The third time he charged, he was in ful -on berserkrage. Nix negligently tossed a braid, and the wraiths were all too happy to let him alone speed through.

As he closed in on her, Regin's jaw dropped, and the fracas ground to a halt. Chase was huge, and scarred, and he looked dangerous. His muscles rippled, his eyes burning with ferocity as his gaze locked on her.

And gods, she was so freaking in love with him.

"Chase!" She ran to him, and he caught her up in his arms, clasping her tight. "You're alive!" She rubbed her cheek against his chest. "And uh, real y strong." He loosened his grip on her. She drew back to see him casting her foes a look of such pitiless menace that even the stronger ones backed down.

Then he set her behind him, bowing up his chest, a low growl rumbling from it. A creature with which one did not f**k.

Once the beings retreated in a wave-cloistering themselves behind the gates, as if that'd protect them -he turned to her. He took several deep breaths, grappling for control. Final y, he grated, "And what were you doin', Regin?"

She jutted her chin. "About to grease every last one of them."

He cast her a chiding look. "And you did no' tie one hand behind your back? Where's the sport, lass?"

Then he wrapped the crook of his arm around her nape. "You're no' goin' to fight my battles. I've done these things, and I'm ready to pay the price."

"The hel ! I've finally got you-you think I'm letting you go that easily?"