He didn't like such events, but from time to time he met interesting people with whom it was worth establishing contact, which is why he appeared every time. This year he also had his own safety valve - Nadia. In case things started to get boring (or worse, pathetic), they could go out and no one would ask uncomfortable questions. He knew she had come to Scotland a few days earlier. She had a photo shoot planned in advance for her sister's new collection and the streets of Edinburgh were chosen as the plan. It annoyed him that she hadn't gone alone - she was with Jean-Pierre, they had hired him as a photographer. The more Robert was disgusted with the fact that he couldn't go with her. He was too busy with his urgent matters. She gave no sign of life, must have been extremely busy, and in the evenings tired, because all he received was a short message with good night wishes. He knew that besides filming, she was taking care of her usual tasks, including keeping an eye on the funds of the family business. He waited impatiently, adjusting the collar of his navy blue, slim, pinstriped fit shirt (which she had chosen for him while in Norway) tucked into jeans fastened with a brown leather belt. Together with him, the young landlord and two other friends went out to the front of the house. He was eaten by jealousy by the handsome, entertaining French. He knew perfectly well that he liked Nadia and was eager to enjoy in her company. She finally came. He bit his tongue to keep from cursing as he saw who pulled her bag out of the furiously red sports car. Dark pants, a light shirt, a colorful scarf around the neck. Dark fringe, playfully curled, slightly falling over the forehead. Glasses with dark peach lenses in thin, golden frames on a gold chain. Jean-Pierre... She appeared shortly after him, looked adorable. The day was a bit cool, but still warm for the end of October. She wore a maroon sweater revealing the shoulders, with white strings tied at the neckline, a pleated black skirt, long, graphite socks and flowing pumps on a fairly strong, high heel. He barely noticed the rather voluminous graphite cap dangling from her head, attached to complement her outfit rather than keep it warm.

- Oh, finally! - the girl sighed. - You have no idea how I was fed up! Pierre is a monster!

- Don't fret, the photos turned out great! - the man replied singingly, then tossed cheerfully, glancing at the rest. - Hello!

- Oh, that's right! Meet Jean-Pierre de Lauriston, my friend and photographer. - she said, coming to the rest, and Robert immediately grabbed her with his arm. - You already know Robert ...

- Of course, my dear! - he replied happily. - By the way ... didn't you forget your promise?

- Pierre, I didn't promise you anything! - She laughed pearl, cuddling with her boyfriend. - However, if necessary, you can contact Robert through me ...

- You are a sly fox, Dina! - he grunted, pretending to be offended. - OK, I'm running away. Have fun!

Robert watched in surprise as the sports car departed, disappearing through a large forged gate. There was something wrong with the man's behavior. He looked questioningly at the smiling girl.

- What was he talking about?

She was confused. There was something to do. He absolutely had to find out.

- You remember the row on the ship, right? - she asked, and when he reluctantly nodded, she continued. - I know perfectly well you were jealous, and the facts are, I should be.

He was stunned. The other three, listening to the conversation, did as well. She pulled back a little so she could look directly at him. She looked clearly amused.

- What are you talking about? Why would you be jealous? - Enrique asked.

- During the banquet, when he pulled me away from Robert, Pierre asked if I had any contact with him and if I would share. - she explained. - I do not give out numbers left and right, so I only promised to ask. The problem was that I didn't have the opportunity because Robert didn't let me get my word out. And now I don't even want to say anything ...

- Why exactly did he want my number?

- He liked you! - She laughed pearlly, hugging him gently.

- Excuse me ...?

- Jean-Pierre is gay, love. - she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

His face fell, and Enrique could barely contain his laughter. A homosexual man interested in HIM? He didn't mind different orientations, but he himself didn't intend to change his. In addition, he made her a tavern fight because of the French. Judging by her expression, she was sure that her friend's request would have cured all their ills. The problem was, he wasn't going to give up on her even then, especially for another man.

What Robert liked the least about Halloween was changing clothes. He felt way too grown up for that, but decided to do it for his friend one last time, choosing something that suited his temperament and at the same time felt as if he could get out of it without making a mockery of himself. He put on a bloody shirt, a black scarf under the collar and an equally dark tailcoat. He put a gold watch in his pocket, fastened with a chain with the nearest button. Jurgens was very curious what Nadia had come up with. She was able to surprise him at such moments. This time also succeeded. Oddly enough, their outfits matched each other, though they didn't even discuss it. Plus, he felt a surprisingly pleasant shiver spread through his body from the base of pelvis, different from the one she had gotten used to. The first thing that caught his attention was a ruby, redder than usual, full lips reflected clearly in the fair face. What looked like a thin trickle of blood was dripping from one of the corners. She definitely turned him on. She let her hair loose, taming it only with a maroon headband with a flower wrapped in a dark spider's web, so that it fell slightly over a black sleeveless blouse, with a stiff collar fastened with a silver brooch, while holding a ruffled scarf under the neck. Only a short maroon bolero was thrown over her shoulders. Beneath breasts, she fastened with shiny clasps a gothic corset with pale, thin stripes, all iridescent with carmine, flowing with a thin layer of wavy satin onto a four-layer, maroon short skirt. The outfit was completed with long gloves tied with a black ribbon, trimmed with a shimmering frill on the palm, and knee-high, tied shoes with red heels. When stunned he took her hand, Robert saw rather heavy, dark rings set with rubies on it. Long, ornate, dark earrings with large shiny stones gleamed under the hair. She was still carrying a snake on her other hand.

- I did not expect that we would come up with a similar idea. - she laughed lightly.

- Great minds think alike, Nadia. - he replied calmly, taking her arm.

The room perfectly reflected the nature of the occasion. Dark, illuminated by a muted amber light, decorated with cobwebs, dangling, amazingly realistic bats, a sea of pumpkin lanterns. The other friends were waiting for them at the entrance: the host of the party, proudly wearing a kilt, with the colors of war on his face, next to him a terrifyingly disguised mime with green hair, and a blond-haired devil with a long tail.

- Mr. and Mrs. Dracula, who would have expected! - Enrique laughed.

- And you Johnny ... wait, I'll guess ... William Wallace. - the girl said. - Scottish hero, leader of the uprising.

- How did you know? - the redhead was surprised. - Scotland has many heroes ...

- Characteristic war paints. - she replied shortly, then caught Robert's searching gaze. - I love such historical flavors!

- You'll get to know a piece of my cousin. - McGregor grunted, not very happily. - Honestly, if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be playing it at all this year. The parents insisted ...

- In my opinion, a very interesting holiday. Maybe it's because we don't have anything similar in Russia.

- Nothing? - Oliver was surprised.

- Hmm ... Women's Day, Valentine's Day, Tatiana's Day ... and of those darker ones ... Labor Day. - she replied sarcastically. - My country is quite pragmatic. Halloween is not absorbed very much in our culture.

Robert hoped Johnny was joking with the cousins. Unfortunately, not at all. They were quickly reached by a group of interested Scots, the most curious about the blonde skater. She endured it patiently, although he could see that she was heartily fed up with signing more photos. Fortunately, they quickly returned to their own affairs and attractions organized by Mr. and Mrs. McGregor. Robert and Nadia could sit at the table and watch the youth playing, sipping the currant juice. He loved the feeling of her cuddling against him, crushing his shirt here and there on his back. She was warm and smelled of the captivating perfumes she had bought during their stay in France. Lychee, pink pepper, patchouli, musk, purple foxglove. He remembered the joy she had chosen to choose each fragrance with. He drank into the pleasant aroma, feeling a great urge to bite into the skin on her delicate nape. The blood in his veins felt as if it was flowing much faster than usual. She looked at him with honey eyes, he could melt with joy. Suddenly something grabbed her neck with something quite wide and dirty yellow, and then wrapped it in several other places, pulling the blonde away from him. He didn't have time to react. After a while, she hung in the air, tightly wrapped in mummy's bandages. Under it stood four men Robert knew whom he counted never to see again. And he certainly didn't think he was getting her into this.

~*~

Nadia felt a dull pressure on her larynx, then her whole body, and then she flew to the very center of the room, hanging in the air, tied with what looked like a few meters of bandage. She looked down. Beneath her stood the mummy-looking bit-beast, and with it stood four men in truly Halloween costumes. The tallest of them resembled a Frankenstein monster, green-haired, solidly built, with a slightly dull expression and pierced ears. The one she suspected was a leader wore, ironically, like a vampire with a burgundy fringe. She didn't have to search long for the mummy's owner, he was almost identical to his beast. Blonde-haired, tied with white tapes. The last one, sticking with the Dracula's imitation, gray-haired with a close-fitting fuchsia turtleneck, similar to a werewolf, looked like he was about to throw himself at someone. She was definitely not laughing, especially when she was hanging a few meters above the ground. Fortunately, the beast also wrapped around her mouth, thanks to which she didn't scream in terror and surprise when she was kidnapped. Majestics went out against the newcomers. They looked as if they already knew each other.

- Dark Bladers ... - Johnny muttered, glaring at them. - I thought you guys let it go.

- You wish ... - growled the gray-haired man. - We won't leave without a rematch!

- Sanguinex, release Nadia, it doesn't apply to her. - Robert said firmly to the man with red fringe, trying to stay calm.

- Your girlfriend will be held hostage. I have to be sure you will play fair.

She didn't like the way things were developing. She was definitely not going to be the lady in trouble like all the women in the B-class cheap cinema from which her torturers and their ideas undoubtedly came."Dina, I have an idea ..." she heard a hiss in her head, and a moment later she felt a chill.

Her right eye flashed with an icy blue tinge of its own accord, followed by the left one, the changes she wasn't used to. Beast's venom has taken hold on only one of them. She knew what he wanted to do. She supported the plan, although it didn't make her very happy to execute it. It was painful, as if she was freezing from the inside. The entire intricately prepared outfit became cold in the blink of an eye, covered with a thick frost reflecting the warm glow of the hall lighting. Due to the low temperature, the mummy's bandages crumbled and cracked, and she nimbly landed on the floor between Majestics and Dark Bladers.

- Cenotaph, what's going on? - Sanguinex snapped to the owner of the dirty yellow mummy.

- I have no idea! Zomb, catch her! - The blond man replied, giving the order to the bully.

- You have no right to disturb this evening, dark beasts. - she said in a voice so terrible that she almost frightened herself.

She had no idea that merging with the beast could do that. They spoke simultaneously as if they were the same body. A frosty aura surrounded her, Nadia had to be careful not to chatter her teeth. She felt a chill seize the left half of her skull, the skin around her eye freezing. She poured down towards the Majestics. All four were surprised.

- Who are you? - said the owner of the ruby fringe, still arrogantly.

- I am descended from the ice giants of the land called Jotunnheim, hanging from one of the branches of Yggdrasil. One of the four monstrous children of the god Loki. A snake that wraps around the entire Midgard. - they replied slowly, keeping a straight face. - I am called Jormurgandr.

As soon as they uttered the name, Vasyl slipped out of her bracelet, wrapping it around her body, leaving the excess of his long body to the floor with a thud. He was more silvery than usual, and he used his owner's energy and willpower to achieve this effect. She also noticed that his eyes were wide open, this time sapphire, piercing his opponents with an icy glare. The trick was successful, the monsters looked no less terrified than the rest of the crowd. The beast brought its mouth closer to the four men who threatened them and opened its fangs, letting the venom drip at their feet. The drops didn't break, melting the tasteful wooden panels with caustic acid, but rolled like ice balls.

- You want to start Ragnarok? - he hissed.

~*~

It was the first time Robert had seen her like this. He didn't even know if it was good or if something terrible was about to happen. The dark outfit immediately covered with a white layer, instead of one blue eye, two shone shining, the light golden hair turned snow-white, even the ruby lips lost their color. The voice she used wasn't just hers, it was tones combined. He didn't think there could be such a close connection between the beast and the owner. The bracelet on her arm glowed dazzling silver, as if twitching nervously. As Vasyl emerged, the stinging chill turned to bitter cold, and the creatures began to retreat. Jormurgandr... Ragnarok... something that meant him. He waited for events to unfold. He trusted that the girl wouldn't be able to take control of herself, and that her beast would not be greedy. As soon as the Dark Bladers were gone for good, he approached her hesitantly.

- Nadia ... - he whispered, touching her cold shoulder.

She scared him, turning to look at the icy eyes that adorned her face completely emotionless. The left side of her pretty face, from eye to ear, looked as if it was freezing every moment. She was so different, unlike herself. An enormous snake's head appeared beside her head. He could have sworn the reptile nervously wrinkles the skin around its nostrils, revealing huge fangs at the same time. He obviously didn't like him, though he never showed any hostility. Robert wasn't going to be pacified. The beast wasn't going to intimidate him, he wasn't afraid at all. The basilisk closed its large sapphire eyes, turning into a silvery mist seeping into the metal ornament on her forearm. The icy aura was gone, as was all the frost effect on the body and clothes. She closed her eyes and dropped, fainting right into his arms. He propped her up on him, quickly taking off his jacket and throwing it over her shoulders. She was completely cold.

- Nadia, speak to me ... - He muttered against her face.

- R ... Robert ...? - she whispered, looking at him with her honey irises again and smiling weakly. - I feel so cold.

- Here you go, you'll warm up. - Johnny said, handing the girl a steaming mug.

It took a while for her to recover. He felt so much better when the blushes returned to her face. He was still bothered by the story they told with the snake. He suggested going out onto the terrace to catch some fresh air. She went back to the room for her coat so that both of them could cover each other properly. The night was cool, cloudless, so they could admire the beautiful fullness without hindrance. Her jewelry reflected the mysterious moonlight, but one of its elements shone with its own glow. She stretched her hand out in front of her so that the head of the serpent rested on it, entwining the rest of her body along her arm.

- How are you, Dina? - he asked calmly.

- Now quite tolerable. - she replied, stroking his scales. - Where did this story about Jormurgander come from? I haven't heard you ever mention him.

- I have no idea, somehow it just came to my mind. - he replied.

- Could you be related to him? - Robert asked.

- I don't remember life before Oleg. - he explained with a hiss. - I do not exclude such an option. All I know is that Oleg got me from Rurik, or whether I actually met him at his uncle's court. This is my oldest memory. The rest is a white spot ...

Robert frowned. The Ragnarok threat would work on anyone who even knew what the word meant. Apocalypse, the time when the whole world will sink in a sea of lava ... He wasn't surprised that the Dark Bladers had let go.