“Why?”

“They were looking for evidence in the murder of Oliver Grimm.”

“What? ” Jamie sat up, pushing against Travis’s hold. “What would make them think you murdered Grimm?”

He shared a look with Logan that she didn’t like. “Grimm will make it look like we killed him.”

Logan nodded. “Damage control?”

“Not sure. We don’t have a clue where he is. If we did, things would be different.”

“Hugin and Munin give him an edge we just don’t have.”

The names sounded vaguely familiar. Where had she heard them before? “Who are Hugin and Munin?”

Travis smiled down at her, but it was grim. “Thought and Memory.”

Of course. Her father had told her tales of Odin’s constant companions. “The ravens?”

“They’re actually an item created for Grimm by the Dökk Alfar before the war broke out.”

“The statues on his desk?” Jamie remembered seeing Grimm stroking the paired raven statues that sat on his desk in his office. She also remembered playing dolls at his feet while he wheeled and dealed on the phone above her. She shook the memory off. “They’re his ravens?”

“Yes. He has complete control over them. No one else can control them. They were created just for him.”

“So going and taking them wouldn’t do us much good, would it?”

“It’s not a bad idea. If he doesn’t have access to them, he’s weakened even further.”

“I’m sure he’s managed to get the ravens by now. If he hasn’t he’s a lot stupider than I thought.”

She sighed. “He’s got them.”

A knock sounded on the door just as Travis nodded. Magnus went and let Uncle Val in.

“Guess what?” He headed right into the kitchen, grabbing a beer.

“The police had a warrant to search your house for evidence in the murder of Oliver Grimm?”

Val stopped. “You too?”

“Yup.”

“Well. Isn’t that special.” He threw himself on the other side of Jamie. “Hey, pumpkin.” He kissed the top of her forehead before bringing the beer bottle to his lips. Halfway there, it paused. “Jamie?”

“Hmm?”

“Where’s your cast?”

“Gone.” She held up her wrist, twisting it back and forth to show that she was perfectly healed.

“Don’t need it.”

He studied her face, visually tracing where all her bruises and scars had been. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t. He put the bottle carefully down, stood, walked over to Logan, and took the surprised man into his arms. “Thank you.”

Logan looked stunned. He returned the embrace slowly. “Ah. You’re welcome.”

Val pounded Logan on the back. He let go of Logan with a big, happy grin and sat back down next to Jamie. “You look beautiful, pumpkin.”

She pouted at him. “Don’t I always?”

“Seeing you without all those bruises makes you extra beautiful today.” His eyes narrowed as he studied her features, the grin dimming a bit. “Who else did you share blood with? Travis?”

She nodded.

Val looked at Travis. “Thank you.”

Travis’s arm tightened around her shoulders, pulling her in even tighter to his chest. “Don’t thank me.

We nearly lost her last night.”

“What happened?” They filled Val in on what had occurred, ending with Baldur’s appearance. He scrubbed his face with his hands when they were done. “Well, hell. At least you’re all right.”

They ate the pizza Jordan had ordered. “So, what’s next?”

“Contact Nik?”

“We haven’t seen Nik since…when was it, Logan?” Kir leaned over and handed Logan another beer, stealing a bite of the redhead’s pizza in the process.

“Paris, eighteen fifty-seven, I think.” Logan in turn stole Kir’s entire slice of pizza, earning himself a glare. With a smirk he bit down, taking a huge chunk before handing it back. “And I never did understand why he didn’t turn us in.”

“Speaking of which, anyone know which side he’s going to come down on?” Travis leaned forward, snagging the last piece out of the box before Morgan got hold of it. He held it to Jamie’s lips, his eyes lighting with satisfaction when she took a dainty bite.

“Who knows? Nik is a secretive son of a bitch.”

“Nik as in Niklas DeWitt?” Jeff rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, he’s one of you guys.”

Jamie shivered. Niklas DeWitt was one of the few people in the world who gave her the heebie-

jeebies. It was those strange silver eyes of his. He had the look of a man who’d seen it all, and his flat silver eyes reflected that. The one time she’d met him she’d practically peed her pants in fright. He’d stared hard at her long and hard before he’d smiled the coldest smile she’d ever seen and headed for Travis’s office.

Luckily she’d been gone to lunch when he left and she hadn’t seen him since.

Travis nodded. “He’s Heimdall, Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge that connects this plane of existence to Asgard.”

Oh. Well, that explained that. She rubbed her forehead, a slight headache building behind her eyes.

Heimdall was the god who never slept. It was said he saw everything that happened in all of the nine realms. Wonder what he saw when he looked at me. “So if he helps us, we’d have the same advantage Grimm has?”

“Not quite. Nik can be blocked with magic. It’s harder to block the ravens.” Travis stroked her forehead. “Headache?”

“A little.” She looked up at him to find the beginnings of a worried frown on his face. She didn’t want to tell him yet that the majority of the headache was from practicing magic, of all things, while he’d been dealing with the cops. Besides, she owed Jordan a new vase and she really didn’t feel like getting into it again with her sister. “I’ll be all right.” She let a small grin grace her lips. “That which does not kill me merely pisses me off.”

The amused snort from Logan was ignored by Travis. “You sure?” She nodded, to his obvious relief.

“Okay. But we’re heading to bed soon, understand?”

She bit her lip, uncertain of what that was going to entail. If Travis made another move on her she knew now what her answer would be, but would he make that move after the way she’d acted earlier?

She’d been a total spaz, and she wouldn’t blame him a bit if he pulled back a little. “Okay.”

The heat that filled his expression was tamped back down when Jeff threw a wadded up napkin at them. Jamie glared at her brother. “Don’t you have a date, or a case to work on, or something?”

Jeff grinned. “Nope. My boss gave me the month off, and frankly some of us have been too busy to chase tail.”

Travis flipped him the bird.

“Besides, who else do you trust to hunt down Nik?”

“No.”

“Uh-uh.”

Jeff stared, startled, at Logan and Kir. “Why not?”

“Because Nik can’t be found unless he wants to be found. Besides, you can’t go where Nik is likely to go.”

“Where? Siberia?”

“Try Alfheim or Vanaheim. Or even Asgard. While Jordan and Jamie can go there now thanks to their blood bonds, you can’t.”

Jeff flopped back on the sofa. “You people suck.”

Jamie grinned at her twin. “Bored?”

“Titless.” He sat up. “Give me something to do? Anything.”

Travis focused on Jeff. “I have an idea, but I’m not quite certain if you’re up for it.”

Jamie’s eyes flew to Travis’s face. He’d sounded weird. “What idea?”

Travis darted a quick glance at Logan. “I want to be the one who frees Fenris.”

Logan’s quickly indrawn breath could be easily heard. “What if he tries to kill you?”

Jamie tensed. “Yeah, what if he tries to kill you?” Because she’d have a new fur coat if the wolf laid one paw on her man.

“I’m taking Jeff and Jamie with me, but first I have to deal with Grimm’s little game.”

He acted as if they hadn’t said a thing. Wasn’t Tyr the one who’d betrayed Fenris, chaining him down before the wolf was impaled through the jaws on a sword? Jamie very much doubted Fenris would be in a forgiving mood, apple explanation or not, despite having taken Travis’s hand in payment.