Renegade Valkyrie (Valhalla's Curse Book 1)

by Stacy Claflin

  “Same here.” Calla piles more food on her plate. She’s already eaten at least three times as much as anyone else.

  Gessilyn sets her glass down. “I think Soleil did the right thing. A witch that powerful can be of a lot of use.”

  “But she’s pure evil!” Fox clenches his fist.

  “She can be broken.” Killian glances at the door leading to my basement, where Eveline is now the prisoner. “Especially since we turned that into an anti-magic area. She’ll continue growing weaker until she finally gives you what you want.”

  “I just want her dead.” Fox puts his arm around Calla. “You’re going to be in danger as long as Eveline lives.” He turns to me. “And so will you, for that matter.”

  I shake my head. “No, because I overpowered her. She very nearly died.”

  Titan holds my gaze. “She can lie. Then as soon as she has a little freedom, she’ll overpower us. Is that really a risk you want to take?”

  “I’m going to need all the help I can get once the head Valkyries find me. It’s only a matter of time, you know. They’re already searching for me. I’ll either be killed on the spot, or worse, they’ll bring me back to Valhalla for trial.” I shudder, thinking of their punishments which are far worse than death.

  “Then focus on that dictator you’re supposed to kill. Once you’ve completed your mission, they won’t have anything to complain about.”

  “Other than the fact that I used my sword against someone other than my target. That alone is enough to land me on trial.”

  Titan frowns. “Then why did you do it?”

  I sigh. “Because it was worth the risk to try and protect my friend. Can we just celebrate and be happy? Eveline isn’t getting out of her prison anytime soon. Both Calla and I are free from her grip, and now I can finally focus on finding that dictator.”

  “Isn’t there a way you can break free of Valhalla?” Titan squeezes my hand.

  I shake my head. “My servitude to them is a curse. There’s no breaking free.”

  “I don’t buy that. There has to be a way around it, and I intend to help you find it.”

  “And I appreciate that more than you could know, but it just isn’t possible.” I glance around at the gloomy faces around our table, then rise. “I’m serious about celebrating. Who wants cake? I made it with my special secret ingredient.”

  The mood in the room shifts. Curious eyes meet mine.

  “Unicorn horn flakes?” Titan asks.

  “That’s included, but not the secret ingredient.”

  “Faerie dust?” Calla asks.

  I shake my head no.

  Fox scratches his chin. “Essence from a trapped witch?”

  “For a dessert?” I laugh.

  Killian puts his arm around Gessilyn. “She’d need a sweet witch’s essence for that.”

  Gessilyn blushes and gives him a kiss. “You mean like from you?”

  He puffs out his chest. “No, I’m too tough to be sweet.”

  “What is it?” Roska’s eyes burn with curiosity.

  The corners of my mouth twitch. “Let’s see if anyone can guess after taking a bite. Only then will I give away my secret.”

  They each throw out more ideas as I head for the fridge. As I open the door, something outside catches my attention.

  It’s just a blur, but it isn’t my imagination. Something or someone just fled at a supernatural speed from the house.

  I glance over at my friends. They’re still discussing the possibilities and aren’t paying me any attention.

  Outside, everything appears deceptively normal. It’s not. Not after what I just saw.

  I glance back at the table, then hurry to the back door and push the curtain aside.

  Nothing unusual.

  I unlock the deadbolts, then open the door slowly so it doesn’t creak. My pulse races as I stick my head outside.

  The air smells of Valhalla.

  A Valkyrie has been here.

  Hairs on my neck stand on end.

  I look around, still not seeing anything. The blur that left is long gone, other than the telltale scent of our homeland.

  Heart racing, I step outside.

  A note is tacked to the door. The paper is brighter than a fluffy cloud on a sunny day.

  It’s from Valhalla.

  The fancy script is in blood.

  They’ve found you. Leave now.

  A crack of lightning brightens the evening sky. A couple winged figures fly down from the bolt.

  Agents of Valhalla.

  I spin around and close the door, heart pounding. If I don’t get out of here right now, all of my friends are dead.

  “Soleil?” Titan calls.

  I glance out the window. The agents aren’t headed this way yet.

  There’s still a little time.

  I race to the table and look at the witches. “You have to get everyone else out of here. Now!”

  Everybody speaks at once.

  “There isn’t time for questions! Go!” I give Titan a quick kiss. “I’m sorry.”

  “Where—?”

  I race down to the basement and shake Eveline awake. “You’re coming with me.”

  Someone grabs my arm from behind. “No, you’re coming with us.”

  I turn to face Titan and shake my head vehemently. “It’ll only put you in danger.”

  “Let me decide if I want to be in harm’s way. I’m not leaving your side.”

  “You could get killed!”

  His eyes narrow. “So could you. We’re in this together, and I’m not going to let you face Valhalla’s leaders alone.”

  I can’t argue with him, so I spin around and glare at Eveline. “Never mind. You’re staying here.”

  Titan and I run back upstairs to find everyone else confused and worried.

  “What’s going on?” Gessilyn demands.

  Thunder shakes the walls.

  “My superiors have found me. You need to take everyone else back to your home.”

  She glances at the door to the basement. “What about Eveline?”

  “Leave her.”

  “So your leaders can get information from her? No.” Gessilyn extends her arms toward the door and speaks in ancient Icelandic. “The door is now invisible to anyone other than us.”

  “The rune is ready!” Roska calls from the other room.

  I hold Gessilyn’s gaze. “Take good care of them.”

  Titan takes my hand. “You’re coming with us.”

  She nods. “You can figure out where to go from there, but we have to get you out of here. You’re in the most danger.”

  We hurry to the rune.

  Will the leaders of Valhalla find Soleil? Find out in Pursued Valkyrie.

  Pre-order it today!

  Coming in June 2018.

  More of Soleil’s Story World

  While you wait for Pursued Valkyrie, there are plenty more books to read set in this magical world. Do you want a standalone? Or do you want to see where we first met Soleil? Or one of the other characters? No matter what you’d like to read next, you’re sure to find it in one of the twenty-three previous books!

  If you want a standalone…

  Read Sweet Desire, which is Gessilyn’s story:

  Fate can only be avoided for so long. Gessilyn’s time is up.

  She has been living a quiet life pretending to be human for many years, but now she’s a witch on the run. Claudia, her old rival, has found her—and she wants Gessilyn dead.

  If she’s to survive, Gessilyn must return to her roots and learn magic from a father she never knew. The power within her reveals itself to be stronger than anyone has ever seen, and Gessilyn finds herself more a risk to herself than anyone else is until she can learn to control it.

  While needing to focus on all she has to learn, Gessilyn finds herself increasingly drawn to Killian, the handsome loner in her father’s coven. She tries to ignore her growing feelings, but they only intensify. Will she be able to hone her po
wers in time to defeat Claudia, or will Killian distract her and become her downfall?

  Excerpt:

  The moon’s glow on my skin tingled. Then it intensified to a near-burn. It shone full and bright. I gritted my teeth and ignored the discomfort. My pain indicated something more ominous coming.

  Cawing from a murder of crows disrupted the quiet of the night. I shuddered at the irony of the group’s name because they announced ominous things to come. They circled the outline of the moon. It gave them an eerie glow. They grew louder.

  “Is this a warning for me?”

  Silence.

  Several woodland creatures scurried away.

  Goosebumps formed on my arms and neck. I swept my long hair to the side and twisted it around my manicured nails. The moonlight made it seem especially blonde.

  I took a deep breath and ran a finger along the skirt of my dress. “Do you have a message for me?”

  The black scavengers flew erratically, completely blocking my view of the moon. Their cawing sounded more like screams. I wanted to cover my ears but refused myself the comfort. The noise became deafening.

  I squatted to the ground, refusing to leave. I needed to figure out their message.

  The birds dispersed and disappeared from sight as quickly as they’d appeared.

  Gasping for breath, I stood and steadied my shaking arms. My heart thundered in my chest. I was no closer to understanding the message, but I had ways of finding out.

  Links here: http://stacyclaflin.com/books/sweet-desire-3/

  If you want more of Soleil, read Lost Wolf, where we first meet her.

  She’s hiding a dark secret. It already killed her once.

  Victoria can’t wait to start college, but there’s a hitch—she can’t remember anything before arriving on campus. Her memories spark when she sees her ruggedly handsome math professor, but she senses something horrific. The shock on his face affirms her fears.

  Toby is an alpha wolf who never thought he’d see his true love again—not after she died in his arms. Nothing could have prepared him for her walking into his class. But to his dismay, not only has she forgotten what happened, she doesn’t even know who she is.

  He’s determined to do whatever it takes to restore what they’ve lost. Can Toby help Victoria recover her memories, or will he lose her forever?

  Excerpt:

  Attention, please,” Professor Foley said and turned around.

  Grace snapped her attention toward the front. I followed suit.

  “Welcome,” he continued.

  I studied his profile. There was something familiar about him.

  My heart raced at the thought.

  He continued speaking, focused on the other side of the group. I couldn’t understand a word he said. The longer I stared at him, the more convinced I became that somehow I knew him. Or at least had seen him somewhere.

  His hair was dark and thick, his skin tanned to perfection. He had stunning features and a gorgeous profile. It was hard to believe he was old enough to be a professor. He was younger by far than all the others I’d seen. A magazine cover would have been a more fitting place for him.

  Professor Foley turned toward my side of the group. “And be sure to ask questions. That’s what we’re here…” His voice trailed off as our gazes met. His face paled and his eyes widened. His expression held something. Horror? Shock? Whatever it was, he continued staring at me.

  I was frozen in place. My heart thundered in my chest, threatening to break through my ribcage. I knew him. Without a doubt, we had spent time together. I just couldn’t remember any of it. My palms had grazed that stubble and my eyes had stared into those deep blue eyes. Even with the distance, I recalled that he often smelled of woodsy aftershave and soap.

  Those around me whispered, bringing me back to the present.

  Professor Foley cleared his throat and glanced around at the other students. “Excuse me. As I was saying, the faculty is here to help you. Just don’t wait until the final hour.”

  “What was that?” Grace whispered.

  My mouth gaped and I shook my head.

  “You know him or something?”

  “Shh,” I snapped.

  “Sorry.” She scooted away.

  My hands shook. I sat on them to get them to stop.

  Foley stopped talking, and everyone paired off. Grace glanced at me, her expression pensive.

  I nodded and tried to push the instructor out of my mind. But how could I? He was my only clue to my past. Part of me longed to run around the other students and throw my arms around him.

  Grace came over. “I wasn’t trying to bother you before.”

  “I know. Sorry. What are we supposed to do?”

  “We’re supposed to discuss…”

  My gaze wandered back over to Professor Foley. He was speaking to a couple students and smiling. My chest constricted. Oh, that smile. It had taken my breath away countless times, though I couldn’t remember a single one of them.

  Read Lost Wolf for free! Links here: http://stacyclaflin.com/books/lost-wolf/

  If you want to start at the very beginning…

  Deception is where it all started, and also where we first meet Marguerite. (Although she doesn’t know she’s Marguerite yet!) You can read Deception—my first published novel—for free in ebook form…

  What if your whole life was a lie?

  Alexis Ferguson wasn’t blessed with the perfect body, but the ambitious overachiever has used her book smarts to get her where she is today. It’s too bad that everything she knows is wrong.

  After meeting a gorgeous stranger on a blind date, Alexis feels like she’s known him her entire life. Suddenly, dark long-forgotten memories swirl in her mind. She realizes she’s powerful, stunningly beautiful, and marked for death.

  As she faces the one who ordered her execution years ago, Alexis must learn her strange new powers and trust in unlikely allies to keep herself alive.

  Excerpt:

  As I stood in the woods, the hair on my arms and neck stood up, and I knew I was being watched. Here it was—the moment of truth. It was of little comfort to know that at least I wasn’t going to get mauled to death.

  I listened for anything unusual or any sound that would give me a clue as to where the animal or person might be. Nothing seemed out of place.

  I wanted to run up a tree and hide, but I had to stand exposed in the middle of the stupid clearing and wait for my predator to show itself or until I could track it down.

  My heart raced. Was Clara messing with me? I swallowed and looked for someone hiding in the woods. When I had made three-quarters of a turn, I felt that I had reached the direction that I needed to focus on. My skin was crawling with the sensation of being watched. I wanted to scream from both frustration and fear.

  I looked around. It felt like I was staring at one of those pictures where you’re supposed to see a hidden scene if you let yourself go cross-eyed. I never could find those hidden scenes, but hoped this would be different.

  My nerves were shot and I didn’t feel like putting up a fight. I wanted to crawl into bed, but my life might be on the line, so that was clearly not an option.

  Finally, I thought I saw something. It looked somewhat like a head, hiding and blending in between some bushes. I took a deep breath and braced myself. I thought my mind might be playing tricks on me, but I was pretty certain I was looking at the head of whomever was causing all the distress on my senses.

  I heard a light rustle, and nearly jumped and ran off. My heart was racing, and it was so loud I was sure he could hear it too. I turned my attention back to the one watching me. I couldn’t tell if I was truly in danger, or if he was just having fun scaring me. At least it couldn’t read my mind.

  I crouched down a little, gaining some confidence. I couldn’t believe it when I started walking toward him. In my mind, I screamed at my legs to stop, but they refused to obey. I continued to walk directly toward him, as though it was the prey, and I was the preda
tor.

  When I had gone about twenty yards, I could see him smile. That infuriated me, and I wanted to attack the prideful thing.

  “Show yourself!” I commanded with more confidence than I actually felt.

  Read Deception for free. Link here: http://stacyclaflin.com/books/deception

  Other Books

  If you enjoy reading outside of this genre, you may enjoy some of Stacy Claflin’s other books. She is a USA Today bestselling author who writes about complex characters overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone saga of psychological thrillers, her various paranormal romance tales, or her sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional characters shine through bringing an experience readers don’t soon forget.

  Valhalla’s Curse

  Renegade Valkyrie

  Pursued Valkyrie

  Curse of the Moon

  Lost Wolf

  Chosen Wolf

  Hunted Wolf

  Broken Wolf

  Cursed Wolf

  Secret Jaguar

  The Transformed Series

  Main Series

  Deception

  Betrayal

  Forgotten

  Ascension

  Duplicity

  Sacrifice

  Destroyed

  Transcend

  Entangled

  Dauntless

  Obscured

  Partition

  Standalones

  Fallen

  Silent Bite

  Hidden Intentions

  Saved by a Vampire

  Sweet Desire

  The Gone Saga

  The Gone Trilogy: Gone, Held, Over

  Dean’s List

  No Return

  Alex Mercer Thrillers

  Girl in Trouble

  Turn Back Time

  Little Lies

  Against All Odds

  The Hunters

  Seaside Surprises

  Seaside Heartbeats

  Seaside Dances

  Seaside Kisses

  Seaside Christmas

  Bayside Wishes