CHAPTERTWENTY
Aerith’s mansion was further from civilization than Muni was used to but that didn’t mean she didn’t like the solitude that being secluded brought. The city had been a great way to drown out her thoughts, to cover up the feeling of something missing. Though she was used to the city now and the silence sometimes weighed heavy on her, Muni found it was almost relaxing when she wasn’t exactly alone. For now, she had three companions who consistently found their way around her.
That morning, Muni concerned herself with sitting on the balcony, a coffee in her hand as she watched the sunrise over the mountains. This view was the main reason Muni knew she might one day retreat back to the country rather than living inside the city. That and the sight of the stars at night that were revealed. There was too much light pollution in the city to show too many of the burning orbs despite her good eyesight.
The door opened behind her, but Muni didn’t turn. She didn’t have to. Each man she’d brought from Valhalla had their own specific aura and she knew them easily. She didn’t have to look to know Eirik had just come out of the house with his own cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice still husky with sleep. “Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all,” Muni replied with a small smile. “I’d enjoy the company.”
“Perfect.” Eirik took the seat beside her. “Vidar and Brin aren’t too far behind me. They were attempting to make their own coffee with the Keurig.”
Muni raised her brow. “And they were successful?”
“Not when I left,” he shrugged. “But they didn’t want my help so. . .”
Chuckling softly, Muni took another sip of her coffee and stared again at the rising sun. It felt surreal, to be so close to the Race Games again, invested in their outcome. Though this time she was behind the wheel rather than her brother, Muni couldn’t help feeling the profoundness of the moment. She hoped Hug would be proud. She knew he would have agreed with her finding the corruption in the council. Though she wasn’t as noble as he’d been, sometimes, Muni recognized when something was necessary to keep the balance. The world was imbalanced with the corruption, skewed in one direction rather than perfectly in the center. Someone was playing with lives and despite her penchant for mischief rather than bravery, Muni knew what she had to do.
She was going to find the one responsible for her brother’s death, kill them, and then find the one pulling the strings in the council. There was no other option.
“Do you think I’m being foolish?” Muni asked Eirik, keeping her eyes on the sun.
For a few seconds, Eirik didn’t answer, and she wondered if he’d heard her at all. It wasn’t until she turned to him to see his gaze already studying her profile that she realized he was simply searching for the right words to form his answer.
“If something had happened to my brother or sister, if someone was responsible for it, I wouldn’t stop until there was justice, whether at my hands or otherwise. I don’t think you’re being foolish. I think you’re being a good sister.” His words were soft but strong, comforting.
“Should I just let the corruption continue? It’s not my business, after all. Not really.” Muni worried her bottom lip. “Blood for blood will be done once I avenge my brother.”
He shook his head. “You recognize the corruption, see it. You know it’s causing trouble and will continue to kill people who don’t deserve to die. To remain silent would be a spot on your soul, and I think, despite your thoughts, you couldn’t live with yourself if you don’t act.” Eirik reached over and took her hand. “You’re doing a good thing, Muni.”
“I don’t really think I’m a good person,” she admitted softly. “Who am I to be the one on this journey?”
“What makes you a bad person?” His voice was serious. “Do you murder innocent people?”
“Well, no. . .”
“Do you steal babies in the night?”
“Of course not.”
“Do you cause other people harm, whether financially, mentally, or physically?”
“Only if they’re an enemy attempting to slaughter me.”
“That all sounds like an awfully good person to me,” Eirik pointed out. “In my experience, if someone is worried whether they’re a good person or not, they usually are. Bad people don’t worry if they’re bad.”
Muni blinked at his words, realizing the profoundness of his wisdom. “Thank you, warrior.”
Eirik brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it gently, before dropping it again. But he kept their fingers linked as they both watched the sun rise higher into the sky, as it revealed just how beautiful the world could be.
That was how Vidar and Brin found them some time later, once the sun was steadily climbing high. They still held hands and when Brin’s eyes fell on the contact, he grinned as if he knew all along what would transpire. Muni wasn’t sure he was right, especially with Vidar, but she wouldn’t fight the connections she was growing with the three men. She couldn’t if she wanted to. She was starting to grow used to their antics and movements, to their auras surrounding her. If they decided to go back to Valhalla, she knew loneliness would suffocate her, but she wouldn’t ever stop them, not after taking that choice away in the beginning.
“This coffee tastes like the sweetest ambrosia!” Brin announced, holding up his cup for them to see, as if proving his point.
Eirik smiled in amusement. “What flavor did you end up choosing?”
“The one I used was labeled Dulce de Leche.” Brin’s thick accent trying to form the Spanish words was an amusement in itself, the mispronunciation making Muni giggle softly.
“That’s a good one,” Eirik nodded without commenting on the proper way to say the words, not because he was being rude but because he was being respectful. Brin was learning much since he’d come from Valhalla, and he was doing his best. The proper way to say dulce de leche hardly mattered.
Muni was just about to comment on her own flavor before a screech interrupted the air around them. She looked up in time to see the large falcon swooping in overhead. There was an envelope clutched in its claws. As it flew low over them, he dropped the thick envelope onto Muni’s lap, perfectly aimed as if he’d done it a million times. He probably had. Muni recognized the falcon as belonging to the elven high councilman.
Her name was written beautifully in green script across the front of the cream-colored envelope and without opening she knew exactly what it was.
“It’s our invitation,” she mused. “They shouldn’t have known where we were.”
“Someone is watching you,” Vidar supplied helpfully. “It makes sense. I would like to know the whereabouts of my enemy as well.”
She popped open the edge of the envelope and pulled out the thick, luxurious cardstock from inside. Gold leafing added to the beauty of it, a show of wealth and power when it came to the Council, and it only annoyed Muni. The council shouldn’t be rich beyond compare. They were meant to lead and make decisions best for the supernatural realm. They’d lost that basic task however and were now out for themselves. It disgusted her on many levels. Odin, despite all his wealth, had tried his best to keep the nine realms at peace. The Council only fueled the chaos of their world.
When she didn’t read the invitation out loud, Eirik gently took it from her hands to do the honor.
“You’re cordially invited to attend the Opening Ceremony where the teams will be announced and given opportunity to gather sponsorship amongst the elite. Please dress in formal attire and refrain from playful banter until the games. Please arrive in Manhattan by the morrow. Exact location will be revealed later.”
Muni frowned. “They always reveal the location in advance. Why would they keep it a secret now?”
“That’s new?” Vidar asked, frowning.
“It is,” Muni confirmed. “I can probably discover the exact location in advance, but it might be a waste of resources so soon.” Though Muni was tempted to do precisely that. Secrets always drew her, made her want to search them out. Though this secret was minor in comparison, the need to search it out still niggled at her mind.
“How strange that there’s more secrets than normal when the literal Collector of Secrets is racing,” Eirik pointed out. His brow was furrowed in thought, but clearly, he was thinking the hidden location was meant to draw her in.
“You think it’s purposeful?” she asked, tilting her head.
“It would make sense,” Vidar answered instead. “If whoever is in charge knows the secret you seek, or what you search for, this could be a way to mess with your head and get you focused on a different secret altogether. It would take time away from what you search for.”
Taking a deep breath, Muni nodded. “You’re right. But then that reveals something far more important.”
Brin nodded. “Whoever you seek knows you’re searching for them and has already begun making their moves.”
“It also means they will likely attempt to stop you at all costs in the race,” Eirik added. “If they’re already going through the trouble, they’ve already begun their campaign against you. You have a target on your back.”
Muni waved away the worry in his voice. “There was already a target on my back. Do you know how many people would take the chance to bury their secrets in the ground? I know enough to cause problems for most of the higher ranks, including a majority of the racers.”
The three Vikings blinked at her.
“So you’re in real danger,” Brin murmured.
“Everyone who enters the Race Games is in danger,” she pointed out.
Brin scowled. “But you’re going to be targeted by not only the other racers and the race itself, but by every single person who you hold a secret for. They’ll all pay to sponsor other teams to take you out. This won’t be a race. It’ll be a chase to see who kills you first!”
“The council—” Muni began.
“The council will be the highest bidders on your head!” Brin interrupted. “Odin! We’re going to need more weapons.”
Vidar sat up straighter. “How many in the Council do you hold secrets for?”
Muni pursed her lips in thought. “All but Danica Dyers. And I only hold no secret for her because she has only been in the supernatural world for over a year. All her secrets are out in the open, such as her relationship with the Vampire King and his Second-in-command.”
Vidar nodded and crossed his arms, giving him the appearance of the very Viking he was despite him wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Even in the casual clothing, there was no mistaking what he was. A warrior.
“In war, intimidation is always the best tactic,” Vidar said helpfully, far more forthcoming than he usually was. But though his words were clear enough, it took a few seconds for Muni to understand what he was saying. When she did, she nodded in agreement.
“What are you saying?” Eirik asked, setting his coffee cup aside.
But Muni was already smiling in eagerness. This type of confrontation, a game of Chess where things relied heavily on strategy, always made her soul soar. This was her element, and she lived for it.
“He’s saying we make everyone fear us before they have a chance to attack, to remind them we’re dangerous.”
“But who do we choose?” Brin asked, his fierce gaze letting her know he was prepared to kill anyone she directed him toward. He wouldn’t ask questions. One word and he’d slaughter her enemies. That kind of power would be dangerous in a lesser woman’s hand, but lucky for the world, Muni wasn’t weak enough to allow a man to do her dirty work.
“The first one who threatens us at this dance,” Vidar answered. “We’ll make an example of them.”
Muni nodded in agreement. “In the meantime, we have exactly twenty-four hours to find proper attire and find our way to Manhattan. Prepare yourselves for another flight.” She met their eyes. “We have a weasel to smoke out.”