Dana Bell - Very Much Alive

Kir whispered in her ear, “It's Enya."

Jordan choked. “Enya?"

Logan, smiling tightly, answered the phone. “Yo, Logan here.” He stomped into the den, trying his hardest to ignore Jordan's muffled laughter.

He sat at the desk and booted the computer. He wanted to see how well the YouTube video's spell was working, and the best way to do that was to check it out online.

"It's Travis. I've got Morgan and Magnus almost detoxed. How's Jordan?"

Ours, finally. “Feeling much better."

"That's good."

Logan rolled his eyes and opened the YouTube link.

"By the way, does Jordan know she's married?"

Logan froze. How in the hell ... ?

Travis chuckled. “Guess not. Give the bride a kiss for me, will ya?"

"When hell freezes over.” All of Jordan's present and future kisses were reserved for him and Kir.

Travis laughed. “Take care, okay? Talk to you later."

"Bye.” He hung up and clicked on the YouTube video, watching closely to make sure that the spell was

still in place, grumbling about nosy detectives.

"Hey, Logan. You want some?” Jordan held up the coffee pot and shook it.

"No thanks. I gotta run. Be back in a bit.” He walked out the front door, not even looking at her.

"Huh."

"What?"

Jordan turned to Kir, putting the coffee pot back down on its burner. “Logan just left."

Kir blinked slowly. “Left?"

The disbelief in his voice worried her. “Just walked out the door."

Kir tensed. “Did he kiss you good-bye?"

"No.” Jordan shook her head, worried about Kir. His pupils were white.

"What room did he come out of?"

She pointed to the den, following behind as Kir rushed into the room.

"Damn. Shit. Grimm has him."

"What?"

"Look. Thanks to Logan, you should be able to see it."

He was grabbing his car keys off the hook while she glanced at the screen. Sure enough, something glowed on the edges of her vision, something blue-white and very cold. “What the hell is that?"

He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the door, not giving her a chance to see what it was. “A spell."

"What?"

"A spell! Look, Logan was probably checking to make sure the spell on the video hadn't been tampered with. He would have left himself open. If Rina cast the spell, Logan would be vulnerable to it."

"Rina? Who's Rina?"

He dragged her to the stairs and opened the door. “Val's mom, and Grimm's mistress."

"Mistress?” Jordan pictured her wrinkled old grandfather getting it on with another wrinkled, gray-haired lady. “Ew."

He was dragging her down the steps as fast as she could go. “Don't think of it as grandpa lovin', because Grimm doesn't really look like you think he looks. Remember, he's a shapeshifter."

"Right. Oh! You mean he's hot under the wrinkles?” She thought about that as they took another corner

at high speed. “Double-ew.” She landed hard on the next landing, but Kir didn't stop tugging her on.

“Why are we taking the stairs?"

"I'm hoping to beat the elevator to the bottom.” Kir took the next corner at speed.

"From the twenty-second floor?” Jordan was only grateful he'd grabbed her good hand to tug her along.

It took them a few minutes to run all the way down to the first floor and out the door. Jordan's legs would probably never forgive her, but if Grimm had Logan the burn would be worth it. “Why is he vulnerable to Rina's magic?"

"Opposite elements. Rina's a frost Jotun, Logan's a heat Jotun."

"Oh.” They made it to the front door in time to see Logan stepping into a silver Porsche. He turned and looked at them and mouthed a word just as the car took off down the street to the blare of horns.

"Shit! Did you catch that?"

Jordan ran back into the building, Kir right behind her. “Yes. Jamie ."

She was dialing Travis's number as she ran.

Kir drove like a bat out of hell to Grimm's house, per Jordan's orders. He had no intention of arguing with her. From the look on her face, she had something planned. “He's not going to take Logan there."

"I know.” Her voice was calm, but her hands were shaking as they pulled into the driveway. “Wait here."

Kir watched as she got out of the car, stunned. Oh, no. Kir is done playing good doggie. He got out and followed behind as she rang the doorbell.

A flare of red and white flashed on the edges of his vision as Jordan's magic countered Rina's. How in the hell did Grimm convince Frigg to let his mistress ward their house? Fire won, melting the ice-magic. Damn, she's strong. Logan's going to have to start training her right away. He suppressed the shiver of fear that Logan wouldn't be around to train her.

"Jordan?"

For the first time in over a millennium Kir looked in the face of his mother ... and felt nothing.

"Hi, Grammy. We've got a problem.” Jordan turned and looked at him, but he couldn't take his eyes off the woman who'd mistreated his brother. All because Hodr was blind, and he wasn't. She'd virtually

ignored his brother, pushing him aside in favor of the “perfect” son.

Okay, the memories helped. Now, when he looked at her, he wanted to throw up.

"Baldur?” Frigg took a shaky step forward. “Is that you, Baldur?"

He frowned. “I was. A long time ago."

She looked terrified. “Ragnarrok has come?"

He shook his head. If she wanted to play games with him, she was in for a surprise. He didn't have time for this. “You know it hasn't.” He stepped forward, allowing the rage in him to show in his eyes. She gasped as he grabbed her arm. “Where's Logan?"

"Kir?"

He turned to see Jordan holding a silver flask. “Grammy's tonic, lovingly made by Grimm.” She opened the cap and sniffed. Wrinkling her nose, she poured the contents onto the flowerbed. “Apples."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. So some of it wasn't her fault. “Where is Odin taking Loki?"

She shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. “I don't know."

"Grammy?” He was surprised by the affection in Jordan's voice. “I need you to do me a favor."

"What?"

"Mistletoe. You need to get Mistletoe to promise not to hurt Kir."

"Oliver said that wasn't necessary, since Baldur ... Baldur...” She sniffled.

"Kir's not dead. He's holding your arm."

Frigg looked at Kir, confused, clearly befuddled by Grimm's “tonic". “His name is Baldur."

Kir nodded, hoping...

"Baldur.” Frigg's eyes cleared a little as she stared at him, measuring his features, stroking his cheek with a mother's touch. “ Baldur. ” She pulled back, breaking free of his hold on her. “You are alive."

He nodded again, watching as her face tightened.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Grimm?"

"Loki. How dare he keep you from me?"

Kir rolled his eyes. “Loki saved my life. Long story, no time to tell it. Where do you think Grimm would take him?"

She shrugged. “I have no clue."

It was obvious to him that she was lying. He smiled. Thunder sounded in the distance. “If you don't tell me where Grimm took Logan, you'll never be allowed to see my children. Your grandchildren."

She gasped. “Nanna is alive, too?"

He gritted his teeth. “No. Grimm murdered her. Jordan is ... ours."

"Ours? What do you mean, ours?"

"Mine and Logan's."

She glared at Jordan. “You would sleep with Loki after sleeping with Baldur? How could you?"

"Because I love them both! Look, we don't have time for this! Grimm has Jamie!"

Frigg hissed, “ What ?"

"That was the lure he used to get Logan to go with him. He kidnapped Jamie."