“Because it is,” someone enlightened before Thor appeared. He nodded hello to Raven, who perked her brows in surprise at his arrival and nodded her head in return. “The weather is shifting over this mountain. Becoming something different.” His expression grew grim when he looked at Trinity and Vicar. “I don’t think you’re the only ones with a backdoor plan into enemy territory.” His gaze went to where the grove had been moments before. “These memories, that raven, are connected to a powerful Celtic goddess. My guess would be Mórrígan.”
“Because she doubles as a raven sometimes,” Raven concluded. Though known for many things, Mórrígan’s primary strengths lie in war, fate, and sexuality. “She was looking for me when she came into the house. Seeking me out.”
“Yet caused no havoc.” Tor frowned. “Wouldn’t she have sensed your location through your sisters? When she did, wouldn’t she have finished off all four of you then and there? Because I imagine it would have been easy enough to locate you at the cabin by the chalet.”
“You would think.”
When Raven appeared to consider it, Tor knew a memory was just out of reach. Something she needed to remember.
“Then again, what says she didn’t?” She looked at Thor. “Maybe tracking my sisters and I has been her Trojan horse. All moments that, despite making us stronger, led me back to the Vanaheim grove. To a place she can access despite it being a Norse world.”
“Why, though?” Trinity frowned. “Destroy us upfront in Maine, and she would likely never need a backdoor into enemy territory. She and her Celts could have very well won the war rather than risk their enemies growing so powerful.”
“Which tells me there’s more to this.” Thor’s gaze landed squarely on Raven. “And somehow, I think it has everything to do with you.”
“Does that mean you and I have crossed paths before?” Raven asked. “Like you did with a few of my sisters when they were younger?”
“Not that I recall thus far.” As though his godliness sensed something, lightning sizzled over the hammer strapped to his back. “I get the feeling this Celtic entity is gathering closer to you somehow, likely via that grove. It’s waiting for something before it makes its move.”
The corners of Raven’s mouth tugged down. “Waiting for what?”
“You meanwho,” Thor said before lightning crackled even brighter and zigzagged up to the ceiling. Thunder crashed and shook the floor.
“I must go,” the god said moments before he vanished.
“So he thinks Mórrígan is coming for me?” Raven concluded. “One of the head honchos in this blasted war.”
“It would make sense,” Vicar said. “Your power is already considerable, and you’ve yet to Forge.”
“Right,” Trinity agreed. “Just imagine how powerful you’ll be after that.” She gestured between Tor and Raven. “You might just have Vicar and I beat.”
“You would think Mórrígan would want to stop that,” Raven said. “Which leads me back to thinking she would have been wiser to do it at the get-go.”
“Unless,” Tor theorized, “Mórrígan knows something we don’t. Something like Thor insinuated that would give her a backdoor into enemy territory.” He looked at Raven. “A backdoor that she could only come through if you came this far. If we reconnected.”
“Which would mean she has a small window of opportunity before we Forge.”
“Or a bigger onebecauseyou Forge,” Vicar said. “It’s been my experience that assuming is never good. Best to look at things from all possible angles.”
Tor frowned. “Why would she want to let Raven Forge?”
“Only one thing makes sense.” Raven’s troubled gaze went to Cian. “I would have had to be in league with her. If that were the case, I’d be a pretty damn good weapon to use against you all.”
Cian didn’t need to respond for them to know she was on to something. His pinched brow and heavy frown said it all.
“My God,” Raven exclaimed. “If that’s true, then why the hell wouldn’t you just say so?” When he gave her a look that she should know the answer to that, she shook her head. “Because I told you not to.”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “It was important you remembered things in the correct order.”
“It all sounds pretty shady now that you put it like that.” She gestured loosely at him. “For all we know, you’re her ally too.”
“Here behind enemy lines already.” Tor narrowed his eyes and withdrew Loki’s Dagger again. “Already in position to attack from the inside.”
“Which would mean the same of your seer, would it not?” Cian pointed out. “Is she not just as beholden to Raven as I? And through Raven, possibly Mórrígan?”
“Revna wouldnever,” he spat, only to realize how protective he sounded. But hell, he was. Raven possessing her aside, Revna had once been a friend.
“Well, why not?” Predictably put out, Raven scowled at Tor. “If I’m not mistaken, Revna runs pretty dark as a rule thanks to both her seer and fire demon blood.” She shrugged. “Is it so hard to believe, knowing a Great War loomed, that she foresaw the future and wanted to be on the winning side?” She issued a dark chuckle, clearly not concerned with incriminating herself. “Who knows? Maybe Revna and I have been in cahoots since the beginning. Maybe she approached me as a child, and we hit it off.” Another shrug. “Decided we’d work together to stay ahead of the game.”
