Nothing at all.

This is us, my dove.

Apollo had said that to me when I'd taken his c.o.c.k that same night.

He was right too.

This was us.

This was what I could give him. All I could give him.

He could give me clothes. Jewels. Beautiful houses. Fancy sleighs. Trips to b.a.l.l.s where intrigue was happening. A home. Laughter. Safety. Kindness. Good friends.

Children.

I could give him my a.s.s. My body. My c.u.n.t.

I could not be Ilsa. I could not do anything, have another purpose, give him more in any other way. I could not replace what he lost with her, something he'd gone out of his way to find again when he brought me to this world.

And this was good. Apollo didn't want me to be Ilsa.

But he did want this.

And I had this to give.

So I was going to give it to him.

I was giving it to him because he wanted it. I was giving it to him because I wanted him to have everything he wanted.

And I was giving it to him because it was all I had.

Chapter Twenty-Four.

Become Found "You rang?"

Apollo turned in his chair at his desk in his office at Karsvall.

He'd been looking out the window at the woods that led to the dower house. His thoughts so engrossed with Madeleine, as well as Christophe, he not only was not seeing the woods, he had not sensed her arrival.

But there she was, the witch Valentine, wearing a green dress, sitting in a chair opposite his desk, studying him like he was mildly interesting but she had better things to do.

Instead of greeting her, he stated, "May I remind you that you've been paid handsomely to a.s.sist our efforts at quelling whatever evil threatens our land. Yet you've disappeared for weeks. Repeated messages sent from witches of this world have gone unanswered. Things have happened that have put Madeleine and my children in danger. You finally arrive and you're flippant?" He shook his head. "I'll warn you my patience is spent, witch, so there is none to test."

"You must know I've been keeping an eye and noted you've had matters in hand, mon loup." She smiled a sly smile. "Well in hand."

He knew precisely to what she was referring. It was annoying but he couldn't think on it or it would spur him to action. They needed to speak, not argue.

Therefore, he informed her, "You have not been called here to discuss how things progress with Maddie."

Her smile stayed firm in place when she told him, "We don't need to discuss how things are progressing with Madeleine." Her smile grew slier. "You have done well in the time I've been away, cheri."

He had.

Absolutely.

Perhaps too well.

Something was amiss with his Madeleine. Something troubling. Something Apollo could not put his finger on.

But not something he'd discuss with the witch.

Consequently, he moved their dialogue to what he would discuss.

"You've received the message from Lavinia," he said, but it was a question.

They had arrived back at Karsvall two days earlier. Lavinia was there, as planned. And upon their arrival, Frey and Apollo had asked her to contact her fellow witch as a matter of urgency.

Since the two were friends, he deduced that Lavinia's call was the one that was finally answered.

"I have indeed," she confirmed. "Although I will admit that I received other missives from your witches, another matter has been taking my time."

Apollo raised one brow. "And this other matter has priority over what's happening in this world? And by that, witch, I'm asking if your fee was higher considering we've paid you extortionately for your aid, something which we are not getting much of, but we've paid enough we should be your priority."

Her gaze was steady on his when she replied, "Perhaps the fee wasn't higher, although the Sjofn diamonds I received for the job I'm completing made an extraordinary necklace that I quite cherish."

He felt his shredded patience fray further for he again knew to what she was referring.

He had given her a bag of Sjofn ice diamonds to find Maddie and bring her to him. He also knew the only other job she had on this world was his, something they a.s.sessed before paying her in order to be certain that they would have her undivided attention on this world.

Something they were not getting.

"I'll remind you, that job is complete. Maddie is here. She is safe. She is with me. We're building our life together and we're content."

Or, he was.

Maddie also was, on the outside.

But there was new darkness in her eyes. Something she wasn't sharing with him during their whispered conversations after lovemaking. Something that was eating deeper into her soul.

Christophe had remained distant. He took his meals and had his times with Madeleine, Apollo, his sister, but he made it clear in quiet, rebellious ways that were not his nature that he didn't like it.

This could be what was concerning Madeleine.

But Apollo sensed it was more.

These thoughts were troubling but he came alert as he watched the normally unperturbed witch shift with what appeared to be agitation in her seat.

Seeing her do it, he did not get a good feeling and therefore commanded, "Speak."

She drew in a delicate breath before she stated, "I have some concerns."

"About?"

Again, she steadily held his gaze when she told him, "I cannot see the you of my world."

Apollo knew by her behavior this was not good news.

"This means?" he prompted when she spoke no further.

"He cannot hide himself from me," she explained. "In finding Madeleine for you, I found him first. As he was seeking her, I cast on him so I could watch him should he find her and lead me to her. For obvious reasons, I continued to watch him even after I found her. Since I discovered him, I have never had any trouble seeing him."

"And now you can't see him."

She shook her head but continued to hold his eyes. "No. And to explain why this is a concern, he cannot hide himself from me. Even if he were to somehow understand that there are magical forces at work in our world, he could not do it himself. He'd need a witch." She paused. "A powerful one." Another pause on a deep intake of breath. "A very powerful one."

Apollo did not like where this was leading.

"He's here," he guessed quietly, his gut tightening, his skin p.r.i.c.kling.

"I've no idea," she replied. "But I've spent some time searching for him. There has never been a spell cast to hide someone that I could not break. It is a certainty this cannot be done by any witch in my world. This would lead me to believe that there is a possibility that our foes have discovered his existence and recruited him."

"For what purpose?" Apollo asked, his words curt.

"What purpose do they have for anything they do, cheri?"

A valid question.

One with no answer.

The witch knew it for she continued speaking.

"However, he is vile. He is evil. He wishes Madeleine harm, and I daresay since you took his hand, he wishes you the same. He may not have magic. He may not be of this world. But he has motivation to do ill, he is skilled at it, and they can promise him great riches for this talent."

Apollo looked beyond her, muttering, "We do not need this."

"We do not, indeed," she agreed and he looked back to her. "In my absence, I can a.s.sure you that I have not been dawdling, mon loup. I've been spending a good deal of time searching for the you of my world. I have also been in constant touch with Lavinia. I know what became of Madeleine in Brunskar. I know that it's the women they're targeting. I also know that they have not cast an enchantment on your comrade. The handsome Derrik acts out of his fondness for Madeleine and his absurd, but definitely masculine need to compete against another male, in this instance, you in the compet.i.tion for her heart. His pride was injured when he was so swiftly replaced, and the way that came about, and he set about doing something to heal it. I further know that he has breached Specter Isle. I have since lost sight of him. However, your other man wisely decided not to follow him to that Isle and is on his return."

Mixed news.

It was good to know Derrik was not enchanted but if he breached the Isle, they could have him. If they were torturing Franka's lover, Apollo did not like to think of what they would do to a soldier.

So he didn't think of it.

He thought on something he had some power to control.

"We must see that all the women are safe," he ordered.

Valentine nodded. "I am speaking with Lavinia after our discussion, cheri. The others have reached the font. Circe is currently performing the ritual to recoup her powers. This should be complete within a day or so. After that is done, my suggestion would be to bring all the women together so that Lavinia and I can keep them from harm."

Apollo shook his head.

"I don't think Tor and Lahn will allow their women to be away from them. Minerva and her allies are expending great amounts of magic enchanting Specter Isle to protect it from even dragon fire. Frey bombards them with his dragons every day so they must keep this shield strong and dragon fire is potent, this cannot be easy for them. They've sent creatures to your world, utilized them here, and perhaps brought the other me back. They're wasting vast amounts of magic. Our separation from Lahn, Circe, Tor and Cora force them to concentrate on two fronts."

She threw out a hand before stating, "I see you wish to divide their energies, and use this to conquer. But the women scattered also divides Lavinia and my energies. If the men come with them, so it will have to be and you'll have to devise a new strategy."

He could not argue that, since he'd had the same thought, so he didn't.

Instead, he stated, "Frey has met with the elves. It was not in question they would provide us a.s.sistance; it's how they'll do this we must decide. They're conferring. Frey will meet them again soon to discuss how they'll be involved."

She nodded. "In the meantime, I will be bringing the Circe who lives in my world here. As for the others, it would take too long for them to journey here for they are in the heart of the Vale and the longer they remain separated from you, and thus Lavinia and I, even with Circe back to full power, I fear the more danger they're in. She has great power but she does not have it at her command. It leaks out through her emotions. That could be a hindrance instead of a boon."

This time, Apollo nodded.

Then he leaned slightly forward in his chair, holding her eyes.

"The witch, Helda, if the dragons do not beat the shield and incinerate her, you must know, I want her captured, incapacitated and brought to me. She dies by no other hand. She's mine."

"Brunskar," Valentine whispered.

"Absolutely," Apollo replied.

Her lips curved up in a leisurely predatory way that Apollo suspected many men might find alluring. Men, unlike him, who preferred in such matters to be the predator.

"I will speak to Lavinia," she stated. "Then I will make my journeys and move our people into position."

"And then you will stay," he commanded, this getting him another sly grin.

"Of course, cheri."

Apollo remained silent and Valentine said no more, just sat there grinning at him.

As this lasted some time, Apollo was forced to suggest drily, "It would be beneficial if you saw to all this without delay."

Wisely, her eyes went hooded in order to shield her further amus.e.m.e.nt from him as she stood and lifted her hands.

The green mist immediately emanated from them but as it did, she turned her attention back to Apollo and there was no more humor in it.

"Thank you."

Her words startled him, being those two words coming from her.