The Present (Asgardian Calendar)

I listened to the words of the Sidhe Ambassador, but they failed to penetrate. All I could hear was his claim that Shannon, my Shannon, was married, bound to that gods-be-damned Atlantean. That bloody bastard who'd already lain with my goddess, covering her with his scent and filling her with his seed. Even as she carried my child.

I knew he'd saved them. Saved them both.

If he hadn't, I wouldn't have my beautiful, clever son or my gorgeous, sexy consort. They would have died on that starkly desolate shore in the Winter Realm, starved of energy or victims of the Wild Hunt. The idea of their deaths had haunted my nightmares, and even now, so many months later, there were nights I woke with a scream on my lips from visions I couldn't completely shake.

Still, I wanted to hate that bastard, despite knowing I owed him. I fucking hated that I owed him. I loathed it with every ounce of my soul. It was an annoying drop of water constantly pinging me in the forehead, burrowing into my brain.

And now here he was, trying to claim her from me again.

Fucking bastard.

Shannon's exclamation of shock, with both Odin and Thor roaring in anger, told me I'd missed something. Something important.

Taking note of those around me for the first time since Ambassador Ogma dropped the emotional bomb, I realized he looked uncomfortable even as he tried to maintain his facade of implacability. Aware that it took a lot to get that expression on his experienced politician's face, whatever he'd said must be truly detestable.

"How exactly does Badb think she is able to curse Prince Aidan?" Frigga demanded. Her icy tone would have frozen me in my tracks as a child. Now, her tone, paired with those words, froze my heart.

Curse? Aidan? What? What the bloody hell had I missed?

The Ambassador's eyes flicked to Shannon before looking again at Odin and Frigga, both standing ramrod straight, in front of the throne. A muscle ticked in Odin's jaw.

"She's used the blood connection to Princess Shannon, with her grandparents' and uncle's permission," Ogma replied. Both his tone and manner suggested Ogma knew he was walking on eggshells. We weren't known for shooting the messenger, but Odin had yet to speak.

"Repeat Badb's threat please, Ambassador," I demanded.

Ogma winced slightly but inclined his head. "If Princess Shannon is not returned to her relatives to fulfil the consummation ceremony, finalizing her marriage to Prince Elatha of the Fomorians by Samhain, Badb's curse will kill Prince Aidan on the anniversary of his birth."

Rage surged, thawing the ice and superheating it to the flash point. Blood pounded in my ears like a drumbeat of war. I am going to kill that fucking, evil bitch, whether she is Shannon's aunt or not.

"Can she... can she really do that?" asked Shannon, her voice trembling.

The sound of it cut through my fury like a knife through silk.

Think of Shannon, you stupid git!

After blowing out a breath to get a hold of myself, I stepped closer to her, pulling her into my arms. She clung to me, a fine shaking in her limbs and uneven breaths giving away her state, although our bond already vibrated with her fright.

I met Frigga's gaze and the fear in it sent adrenaline surging through me. If she thought Badb, a goddess of fate, could kill Aidan through a genetic connection to Shannon, then the threat was real. Mother had taught me everything I knew about magic. Just because we didn't delve into disgusting blood magic rituals didn't mean we didn't understand the underlying science and energetic connections inherent in blood. Our knowledge of seidhr was far greater than that of the Sidhe, so we didn't need to use such crude techniques, but it didn't mean their methods were not effective.

Especially the Unseelie, who used sacrificial rituals to power their dark realm. Of all the races, they had potentially the greatest expertise in those black arts.

"Yes, it's possible for her to do that," I murmured, trying to rein in my ricocheting emotions for Shannon's sake. Her panic was blazing through our bond, battering me with insistent demand that I fix this, that I save our son.

Samhain. Damn it. Two weeks.

And Aidan's birthday was only two short months away.

That was not exactly a lot of time to defuse something as complicated and dangerous as this threat. Surely, there was a way to protect Aidan without losing Shannon to that fucking Atlantean. There had to be. We'd been through so much. I couldn't lose her again. I couldn't.

"When was this supposed marriage to Prince Elatha made?" Odin snarled, shaking the room with the rumble of his voice as he spoke for the first time. That it had taken him this long to respond told me the level of his fury.

"Queen Aine and Queen Eithnu created the handfasting bond at Shannon's one-year anniversary approximately six years ago. Neither foresaw the complication of her being raised by mortals and achieving her age of majority so quickly," replied Ogma.

Thor caught my eye, his eyebrow twitching. "Cradle-robber," he mouthed silently.

I bit back my snort. If this wasn't happening to me, I'd be able to see the humour, but even I would never go this far in my mischief... at least, not after what had happened with Baldur. Yeah, I'd been stupidly reckless in my younger days.

Still, I appreciated my brother's attempt at breaking the tension he knew I was feeling. It was important that I stay in control for Shannon's sake.

"Did Elatha know?" Shannon asked, surprising me with the anger in her question. "Does he know we are married?" her voice louder.

While I'd noticed her trembles easing, the bond hadn't given away that she'd overcome her initial fear at Ogma's announcement and threat against our son, or that it had turned to fury. She might be young in immortal years, but my goddess was fierce. Pride swelled in me to see her rally her strength so quickly. 

And her anger towards Elatha didn't hurt either. The fucker.

Ogma shook his head. "No, Princess. None of us realized you were the Shannon who'd been bonded to Prince Elatha until Manannan Mac Lir questioned your parents and discovered the marriage. I was present in the Summer Court when Queen Aine sent Manannan to inform Queen Eithnu of what had occurred so Prince Elatha could be told that he was married and that you'd already surpassed your age of majority. She was of the mind to let the Atlanteans decide how they wanted to proceed."

Although I was disappointed, the answer didn't surprise me. I'd suspected he hadn't been aware of their connection. I couldn't imagine knowing I was married to Shannon, and then letting her disappear into the arms of another without fighting for her. Still, I wasn't happy to feel some of her anger dissipate, the tension in her curvaceous body lessening. Selfishly, I'd rather she be furious with the bastard.

"If that is the case, how does this come to our attention now, with this threat from Badb?" demanded Frigga.

Ogma's expression tightened. "My apologies, but it is Shannon's Unseelie grandparents, Gwydion and Arianrhod, that have insisted the marriage be honoured, with the support of the Unseelie Court behind them. Since both of Shannon's parents are Summer Realm, the Winter Realm has graciously agreed to allow the Summer Realm to host the ceremony. They have also sent word to the Atlanteans, demanding the presence of Prince Elatha by Samhain."

"Gwydion and Arianrhod," snarled Odin. "What game are they playing?"

Ambassador Ogma's eyes flickered, but he didn't answer.

He didn't need to. The reason was obvious to me.

"Payback. It's payback, of course. We humiliated them last year, forcing them to bow to our will to get Shannon back. Now that they are aware of the family connection, they are using it to their advantage."

Thor gave Shannon a smirk. "Well, they certainly bit off more than they can chew by trying to manipulate you, little sister. You are no one's pawn."

She smiled at him, inclining her head at the compliment.

It was not empty flattery.

My Shannon could be stubborn like a gods-be-damned mule and clever enough to outwit even my mischief when she was of a mind to. She was an unrelenting force of nature. Those idiots would rue the day they threatened the child of my powerful elemental goddess.

Oh yeah, I was looking forward to her handing them their asses.