Serpent''s Kiss

  “Which do you prefer?”

  “Chandra,” she admitted. “For the moon.”

  Thorolf nodded, smiled and glanced over her. “And this guise?”

  “Freya.” She felt her cheeks heat. “I like Scandinavia.”

  His eyes gleamed. “Since when?”

  “About nine hundred and fifty years ago,” she admitted, referring to the date she’d chosen him as her champion.

  He was pleased, but ducked his head to hide it. She gasped when he kissed her nipple again. “The huntress,” he murmured against her skin. “Fertility, death, magic, beauty and war.” He flicked her a glance and his eyes were a vivid blue. “You should know that seriously works for me.”

  Chandra found her mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out. Had anyone ever looked at her with such admiration and desire? Respect, yes, she was used to that and maybe fear, but not this kind of sensual awe. He pushed his fingers into her hair, doing that thing of making her feel fragile and treasured as he drew her against his chest, and kissed her deeply.

  “What exactly can you do?” he whispered into her ear, his breath making her shiver.

  “Shift shape,” she admitted, noting that she sounded uncharacteristically breathless.

  “Seen that. Talk to the dead?”

  “Gather them,” Chandra admitted with a nod, letting her head fall back as he nuzzled her throat.

  “Leader of the Valkyries,” he mused, clearly remembering. “Mistress of Cats.” Chandra breathed agreement to both. Thorolf returned to her breasts again, cupping them with his hands as he kissed first one and then the other.

  “Summon visions,” she whispered. “Cast spells.”

  “Move between Myth and the mortal realm,” Thorolf suggested, but she shook her head.

  “That’s what Snow does.” Her breath caught as his teeth grazed one tight peak. “Snow takes me between realms.”

  She lost the thread of the conversation as Thorolf’s touch became proprietary and more demanding. His thigh eased between her own and his erection pressed against her hip. They were surrounded by the blazing white heat of the firestorm, a brilliance that filled Chandra with insatiable need. She couldn’t imagine how or why she’d avoided this pleasure for so many eons, and couldn’t think of a single reason to continue to do so. She forgot her plan to surrender just a kiss or two. She rolled her hips against Thorolf without even knowing what she did, welcoming him and inviting him with one caress.

  She was on her back on the fallen cedar boughs in a moment, Thorolf on top of her. He held her captive beneath him, suspending his weight so she wasn’t crushed. That he thought she was fragile was both flattering and amusing. Chandra had never been treated like a delicate flower before. Thorolf’s elbows were braced beside her shoulders, her breasts crushed beneath his chest, his pelvis over hers and his thighs outside of her own. She was surrounded by him, protected by him, wrapped securely beneath him. It was a strange sensation, but even more strange was the pleasure she found in it.

  Chandra realized how many centuries she’d fought alone. Once she’d been glad to be solitary and self-sufficient: now she saw how lonely she’d been. The firestorm’s brilliant silver light seemed to shine into every corner of her mind and illuminate every doubt she’d ever had, showing her that making love with Thorolf could make her complete in a way she’d never been before.

  She couldn’t care about the cost when she glimpsed the reward.

  Thorolf smiled down at her before he kissed her again with deliberate intent. His kiss was persuasive and tender, even as his mouth locked over hers and he coaxed her response. Chandra’s fingers eased into his hair, framing his head and drawing him closer as she opened her mouth to him. He was patient and persuasive, and she echoed his moves, wanting to give as much pleasure as she received. She must have succeeded because Thorolf groaned and deepened his kiss, the fire in his touch kindling her own. Their kiss became hungry and feverish, as if they would devour each other and be consumed with pleasure. There was nothing in Chandra’s world but the heat of the firestorm and Thorolf’s commanding caress.

  He abruptly broke their embrace, his eyes bright as he studied her. Chandra knew she didn’t look like herself. She was disheveled and flushed, her lips swollen from his kisses and her body burning for more. She watched his mouth, wanting to taste his kiss again, but Thorolf’s eyes narrowed.

  “Why did you change your mind?” he demanded in a low murmur. She could feel the vibration of his voice against her own skin.

  “About what?”

  “About the firestorm.” He was studying her intently and she guessed that the answer mattered. She supposed it should, given that he’d been determined to change her mind, but couldn’t admit that sensation had overwhelmed her. It sounded weak.

  It sounded mortal.

  His eyes narrowed when she remained silent. “What do you want from me?”

  She told him the truth. “Just an answer.”

  “Where’s Viv?” Thorolf repeated her question, then rolled his eyes. “Why’s that so important?”

  “I told you, I have a quest…”

  “And what happens when you fulfill it?”

  Chandra blinked. “I go back and take another mission.”

  He drew back to study her. “You’re going to leave? That’s why you said you wouldn’t fulfill the firestorm? Because you’re going back to Asgard or wherever?”

  “It’s what I do.”

  “And you do it alone. Got it.” Thorolf rolled away from her, his disgust clear. “So this is just a tease.”

  “You don’t understand…”

  “I think I do. How much were you planning to trade for my cooperation?”

  It sounded very callous when he explained her actions like that. Chandra found herself blushing. “I’m trying to complete my quest. You should understand that—I gave my word!”

  “And you’ll do whatever is necessary to fulfill your pledge,” he concluded, his tone hard. “Even play with the firestorm.”

  “No!” She felt her cheeks heat even more. “Well, maybe.”

  “You’re just like my father!” Thorolf leapt to his feet, and flung out one hand, his anger clear. “Everything is conditional! Everything is about duty and responsibility!” He turned on her, his eyes flashing. “Here’s a newsflash for you: for me, the firestorm is about love.”

  “Love?” Chandra echoed, without meaning to do so.

  Thorolf’s eyes blazed and she knew she’d said the wrong thing. “Love. It’s a mutual respect thing. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s about being more together than is possible alone. It’s about partnership and affection and even destiny.” He glared at her. “I thought you’d know about that bit, or is destiny just something that applies to mortals?”

  Chandra couldn’t think of a thing to say that would improve his mood.

  No matter how she looked at it, she had to admit that her quest wasn’t going well.

  And she had no clue how to save it.

  This was not good.

  Chapter Seven

  Thorolf would have turned to march away, but Chandra seized his elbow. To his surprise, she admitted something. “I planned to surrender something to win you over, that’s right. Because there are two things that need to be done to save the Pyr and you’re the key to both of them.”

  He glared at her, the pale blue shimmer of change tingeing the light of the firestorm. “You’re shitting me.”

  Chandra shook her head. “No. I took a vow to help to ensure the survival of the Pyr.”

  He folded his arms across his chest, letting his skepticism show. “Don’t talk to me about the Avenger of the Aesir.”

  “But I have to. It’s part of it all. You have to listen to me!” Chandra’s words spilled out quickly, which Thorolf knew wasn’t characteristic. Was she trying to manipulate him, or was this really important to her? He knew which answer he liked best, but that didn’t make it the truth.

  The possibility of his mate
deceiving him was infuriating, and he felt the change build in his body. Thorolf knew his eyes changed first, the pupil becoming a vertical slit. To his surprise, Chandra didn’t back away or falter. It seemed almost that she found him even more enticing in dragon form, and she certainly wasn’t afraid of him. She stayed right by his side.

  In fact, her fingers dug into his arm, and her gaze bored into his, as if she could convince him by sheer will. “You are the one, the one who will wield the blade that was forged for your hand before you were born. You are the one who will save the Pyr and the treasures they defend.” She caressed his arm, sending fire through his veins, and an answering heat lit in her eyes. “I chose you. I know what I’m doing.”

  “What if I don’t want to be the one?” he demanded.

  “You’ll just condemn your fellows.” He made to turn away at that, but Chandra stepped toward him and put her hands on his shoulders. He caught his breath at the powerful of the firestorm’s heat. Her next words caught him by surprise. “What if the firestorm is giving us both the chance to have what we want?”

  He glanced over his shoulder, regarding her with skepticism. “What do you want? Tell me the truth this time. All of it.”

  Chandra smiled a little, then actually did as he asked. “To keep my vow to my brother, the one that will ensure you save the Pyr.” Her voice dropped low and her eyes sparkled a little. Thorolf’s heart clenched at the sight. She was incredibly hot. Tantalizing. Challenging. Irritating, but sexy, too.

  “Why?”

  She smiled. “I like dragons.” He could tell by the warmth in her voice that she was telling him the truth. “I like a world with dragons in it.”

  That was promising.

  “How much do you like dragons?” he asked, letting his voice drop low.

  She blushed a little, her gaze darting over him in that unexpectedly innocent way, and she granted him a look that could have been playful. “A lot.” That confession made her turn even more red.

  The problem then, wasn’t his nature. He knew the attraction was mutual, so it wasn’t that either. Thorolf confronted Chandra, then, curious and intrigued. “So if the problem’s not me, what’s your issue with satisfying the firestorm?”

  He expected her to say something about love and affection, or about getting to know each other better, so her confession surprised him.

  “I took a vow,” she said, averting her gaze. Her cheeks were burning.

  “A vow to never satisfy a firestorm?”

  “A vow of chastity,” she replied quickly.

  Thorolf blinked. “Are you kidding me?”

  She straightened as if insulted and her tone was prickly. “Why would I joke about something so important? Celibacy gives focus and improves athletic performance…”

  “I’ve never found that,” he said with resolve. She shot a look at him and he thought he’d hurt her feelings. “Okay, it’s a noble idea,” he acknowledged, slowly closing the distance between them. She watched him, her arms folded over her chest, and held her ground. Warily, but she didn’t run. “And you’ve kept the pledge for a while. That’s good, right? How long has it been?” He thought she’d admit to a month at the outside, which would have impressed the hell out of him.

  “I stopped counting after two thousand years.”

  Thorolf felt his mouth drop open in shock. Chandra held his gaze steadily. He was going to protest that it was impossible, then had a thought. “Have you ever…?”

  She shook her head, blushing again.

  “Then you could only do it because you don’t know what you’re missing.” Thorolf grinned but before he could make a suggestion, Chandra backed away, shaking a finger at him.

  “You’re not going to offer to tutor me.”

  “It’s the only decent thing to do,” he said and was pleased to see that she couldn’t hide her reaction.

  “I’ll bet you’ve indulged enough for both of us,” she charged, but there was no heat in the accusation.

  More of a fluttering awareness.

  Thorolf could work with that. He stopped right in front of her, hearing the rapid pulse of her heart. His own heart started to synchronize with hers, a powerful and incredible sensation. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted.

  Oh, he’d make a feast of consummating this firestorm.

  “Practice,” he murmured, bending to touch his lips to her temple. “Practice is the key to good performance.” He let his mouth graze her skin, then kissed her earlobe. He felt her exhale, was aware of how she quivered, and was completely certain he could change her mind.

  Then she abruptly stepped back, holding her hand up between them.

  “Turnabout is fair play,” she said. “What do you really want?”

  Thorolf didn’t even have to think about it. His reply was immediate and resolute. “To be loved for who I am, not for what I can do for someone.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Chandra chided, her tone dismissive. “Everything is an exchange. Do you think anyone ever loved me for who I am?” Her mood had changed completely, and Thorolf watched, guessing this was important. “They’re afraid of me. They pray for me to fix things in the mortal realm. The other gods negotiate with me.” Her eyes lit with impatience. “Nothing is ever without an exchange.”

  It was important. Thorolf understood why Chandra didn’t believe in love and partnership. She’d never experienced it. People always wanted something from gods and goddesses. If sex was just an exchange, he might not have wanted it either.

  Um no, he’d still have wanted it.

  Maybe the firestorm was about changing her perspective.

  Maybe his task in this was to change her mind.

  “Maybe that’s why you don’t believe…” he began, but Chandra didn’t let him finish.

  Instead, she reached up and kissed him. Even though he guessed that she was using the firestorm to shut him up for a moment, her ploy worked. The heat seared his mouth, feeding that desire deep within him. The amazing thing was that the firestorm affected her, as well. She became soft, seductive and completely perfect in his embrace. As she kissed him, Thorolf felt like he could do anything.

  Even win the heart of a reluctant goddess.

  He had to believe a treasure like that wouldn’t be easily captured.

  When he lifted his head, Chandra was nestled against his chest, flushed and pleased and clearly overwhelmed. He pushed back a strand of hair from her temple, then touched the same point with his lips. “Maybe you’re right about just tempting the firestorm,” he murmured and she glanced up with surprise. “Feeling like this for a long time could be kind of fun.”

  She smiled as if she didn’t want to but couldn’t help it. She gestured to herself. “You just like this form.”

  Thorolf shook his head. “I like all the ones I’ve seen so far.” He surveyed her with a smile. “Mostly I like how fast you are.”

  She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “You run fast, you think fast, you act fast.” Thorolf nodded with approval. “It makes sense that you’re one of the Vanir, because you’re a warrior. Like me.”

  “Not exactly like you.”

  “Not exactly, no,” he agreed, but he didn’t mean the dragon part. “You strategize. You plan.” He smiled ruefully. “I’m more of a brute-force, get-shit-done type.”

  Chandra laughed and he liked how her eyes danced. “It works for you.”

  “It has.” He drew her a little closer and whispered in her ear. “But I’m starting to imagine what kind of team we could be.” Her lips parted, as if to invite his kiss, and that was an offer Thorolf had no intention of refusing.

  * * *

  Chandra could have lost herself in Thorolf’s kiss. She wasn’t supposed to be charmed by anyone mortal, much less by one of her brother’s beloved Pyr. Thorolf was supposed to be a tool or a means to an end, and the firestorm should have been more of the same. But every time he coaxed her smile, every time he kissed her, Chandra felt her determination to keep he
r vow of chastity erode a little more. Thorolf was potent stuff. She had just slid her hand into his hair to pull him closer when a bird screamed a warning.

  Snow!

  Something had happened.

  Chandra broke their kiss and pushed Thorolf away. She saw his surprise at her strength, then looked up as the silver falcon swooped low over them. Snow turned, then flew with remarkable speed away over the trees, guiding the way. Thorolf reached for her, but Chandra was on her feet and beyond his reach. She hauled on her clothes, hoping she could catch up to Snow.

  “You can’t follow me!” she insisted, but Thorolf was right behind her.

  “Bullshit. We’re a team,” he insisted, as she should have expected he would. “Wherever you go, I’m going, too. This is the firestorm, Chandra. That’s the deal.” He was glowering at her, hovering on the cusp of change.

  It didn’t matter. He couldn’t intimidate her.

  “Not here it’s not. This is my realm and I know the rules. You will not follow me.” She tugged on her boots and seized her quiver. Her crossbow was on the ground, a few feet away. She was inwardly amazed that she’d been distracted enough to let it be so far away, but then Thorolf had that effect on her. “It’s not safe.”

  “Bull. I’ll fight beside you.” He was already dressed and waiting for her, arms folded across his chest. “Back to back. Let’s do it.” Thorolf looked formidable, unpredictable, pissed off and very appealing. He lifted one brow, daring her. “A team,” he said with emphasis, which was exactly what Chandra didn’t want to hear. “You should try it before you knock it.”

  “You don’t understand. It’s dangerous!”

  His eyes blazed at that, and Chandra realized she shouldn’t have suggested he couldn’t protect her. “I don’t care! This is the firestorm.”

  “The firestorm is just sex.” Which was plenty as far as Chandra was concerned, but Thorolf didn’t need to know that. “It’s not got anything to do with anything else.”

  “It’s not just sex!” Thorolf argued and reached for her.