"Any news, Thor?" I asked as Mist and I joined him for lunch in one of the lounges off the training grounds.

"Yes. Grab some food and pack. I waited for you to get back. We're heading to Jotunheim."

"Why Jotunheim?" I asked as I made myself a turkey and bacon sandwich on sourdough. Shannon had gotten me hooked on them. It was one of her favourite lunches. Even with us apart, it made me feel closer to her to eat the familiar sandwich.

"One of the Bergrisar has been boasting about a divine mead that gives the drinker god-like powers, specifically creating fire, wind, or rain," Thor explained.

My mouth dropped open, and it took me a second to respond. "By the Norns! You don't think a mountain giant took her and is making a mead potion from her blood? That's ancient rudimentary magic better off forgotten."

Stomach churning, my body flooded with scarcely leashed chaos. Even the idea of such a barbaric practice was disgusting. Blood magic was crass, primitive, and unpredictable. Only someone completely inept in the application of seidhr would use blood. 

If someone has used Shannon that way, they won't live to see the inside of our dungeons. Not this time.

"Certainly worth looking into. Given Shannon is an elemental goddess, someone drinking a potion with her blood would get that potential combination of powers," Mist agreed, even as she wrinkled her nose in distaste. "If it's true, he's dead, Thor. We aren't bringing him back as a prisoner."

Fury boiled in a roiling, ravenous need for revenge like a snarling feral beast barely restrained. No, I wasn't about to be denied my prey this time.

Thor smiled, a tight pressing of his lips, with lightning flashing in the depths of his eyes. "Don't worry, Brother. I have no intention of stopping you and Father agrees. It is entirely your call. I've asked the twins to join us. Thjalfi will scout, and since we're dealing with the mountain giants, Roskva can pry them out of their damn mountains if need be."

"Yeah, you aren't leaving Kara and I behind if we have a lead on Shannon," Mist said as she finished her sandwich. Another turkey and bacon on sourdough. Shannon really had influenced us all.

Thor inclined his head. "I wouldn't even try. Kara is with the twins, gathering the provisions we'll need for the six of us."

Pacified at the knowledge I had Father and Thor's full support, I stilled the growls I hadn't realized were coming from me until he spoke and clenched my hands on the nimbus of black seidhr swirling around my fingers. I had to stay in control, at least until I had the fuckers in my sights. Then, all bets were off.

Quickly, I nodded. "Yes, I just need to talk to Mother for a minute. Something has changed with the way the bond feels, and I want her input before we leave."

"Okay, we'll meet you at the palace gates in thirty minutes. Is that enough time?" Thor asked.

"Perfect." After stuffing the last bite of sandwich into my mouth, I stood and gave them a wave as I headed to Mother's garden. At this time of day, it was her favourite place to have tea.

Sure enough, Frigga appeared to be lost in thought, looking out at her garden as I entered the terrace. But I knew she'd marked my presence. Mother was never caught unprepared. Her sorcery skills were far too perceptive for that.

"Are you ready to leave for Jotunheim?" she asked as I approached, her back still to me.

"Yes, I'm meeting Thor at the gates shortly. Mist and I were successful at finding Manannan today. He's more than willing to search for Shannon and put out word that she is to be assisted if she finds herself in the seas of Alfheim or Midgard."

She turned to face me and tilted her head curiously. "That's excellent news. But you wouldn't seek me out to tell me that when you have a trail to pursue in Jotunheim. So what is preying on your mind, my son?"

"The feeling of the bond has changed. Ever since that cuff was put on her, it was a deep, painful ache. Today, for the first time, it doesn't hurt. Instead, it just seems blocked. Although I tried sending a thought to her, I got nothing back. Yet I can sense the bond. This is more like when she deliberately blocked me. It's that feeling." I bit back the fears that wanted to tumble out.

Frigga smiled, giving me a knowing look. "The good news is it tells us she is still alive. Shannon wouldn't be blocking you. I'm certain she wants to be found. If she is still within the veil of the Faeth Fiadha, the cloaking mists of concealment on Tír na nÓg, then they could block the bond between the two of you just as it blocks Heimdall's sight. I have a theory that the dimensional matrix Heimdall uses to see is the same one that holds the energy ribbons for soul-bonds, which is why he can see such distances with ease. If I'm correct, then it would explain the blockage. If not that, then something similar is likely the cause."

Breath I hadn't realized I was holding expelled in a whoosh. "Thank you, Mother. It is what I suspected, but I wanted your opinion."

Frigga put her hand on my cheek. "Shannon loves you, Loki. Do not doubt it, even for a second."

How clearly my mother always saw me, even when I had trouble seeing myself. She cut right through to the heart of my insecurities to reassure me. I hadn't wanted to admit my fear, even to myself.

I smiled, placing a kiss on her hand. "Thank you."

"Go see what you can find out about Shannon from this boastful giant on Jotunheim. Bring my daughter back." Frigga shooed me away with a gentle smile.

"I love you, Mother," I said as I left the garden terrace.

"I love you too, my son," she called after me.

Stopping by my rooms, I gathered my sword, Laevateinn. Although I could manifest daggers, for anything truly hard to kill, I wanted the sword that had taken me a full year to craft. Inscribed with Helheim death runes with the assistance of Hades, and chaos seidhr from my half-Jotun heritage, it could even kill a dragon lord. Embedded with my essence, just as Mjolnir responded to Thor's call, Laevateinn responded to mine.

If that giant has taken Shannon's blood, there will be no mercy. Politics be damned. Odin can deal with their king. Immediately after that thought, I smirked. Whether their king would survive the exchange depended on whether he knew of his giant's culpability. Father had impressed me with the depths of his fury at Shannon's kidnapping.

Refocused on my task, I considered what else I might need. Anything else I should be able to conjure, but I packed some travel rations, healing salves and potions, and a few spelled medallions for bribing locals. Not always relying on what I could conjure at a moment's notice was wise, especially given our destination. Even I, a god of chaos, wasn't completely immune to the chaotic influences of Jotunheim on seidhr. It made outcomes somewhat unpredictable in that realm.

Packing finished, I teleported to the palace gates to find Thor and the others already there.

"Ready?" Thor asked.

"Yes." I started walking towards the bridge. Thor fell in step beside me.

"Do we have the name of the giant?" I asked.

"Suttung. We'll start at Thrymheim, mountain stronghold of the giant Thiazi. I'm hoping he will have a location for Suttung."

"Doesn't Thiazi hate you?" asked Thjalfi.

Thor sighed. "Yes, but I'm hoping that Loki's silver tongue will be enough to get the information from him."

I rolled my eyes.

It was never that simple. Just because I usually considered my words before I spoke and used highly complex multi-dimensional thinking to beat him in the strategy games Father had us play, my brother assumed I could convince anyone of anything. Or maybe it was because I could convince him of almost anything.

I snorted to myself.

Yeah, I'd gotten us into a lot of mischief over the years that Thor probably wouldn't have gotten into on his own. Okay, who was I kidding? He definitely wouldn't have caused nearly as much trouble without my influence.

Still, while that ability to think before leaping made me the better diplomat, Thor was no slouch in the political arena. As the crown prince, he had hundreds of years of experience dealing with ambassadors of different realms on behalf of Asgard. Not that I didn't deal with them as well, but more often, the duty fell to him unless it was some particularly sticky situation that Odin wanted handled with delicacy. Thor wasn't nearly as quick tempered as he'd been as a child. We'd learned from each other.

"Well, if I can't, I'm sure you can beat some sense into him," I teased.

Just because I knew Thor was far more clever than he let on, it didn't mean it wasn't fun to tease him about only ever using his fists or hammer to resolve any difficulties. What's the point of being a younger brother if you can't annoy your older sibling? I hid my grin behind my hand when Thor glared at me.

Kara snorted, amused at our banter.

"This is going to go well," Ros added in a dry tone.

When we reached the bifrost chamber, Heimdall let us know the closest he could get us to Thrymheim was the start of the Skogsdunge forest that surrounded the Gudbrandsdal mountain range.

"The chaotic magic of Jotunheim interferes with the connection of the bifrost, particularly near their cities and homes, so remember to be well clear by a good fifty kilometres at least or I won't be able to get you," Heimdall warned. "If you call for me and I don't answer, you need to get farther away from any of their seidhr-built structures and into the wilderness."

As the swirling lights of the bifrost dissipated, we found ourselves at the edge of a rocky, desolate, wind-swept grassland and the start of a towering dark forest of pine and spruce. Night had fallen, and the temperature was already dropping. The dual moons cast a pale light that failed to penetrate the close canopy of trees.