by S. T. Bende
Things were definitely not good.
“What is it?” I slid off Deathknell’s back and ran through the snow. When I reached the church, I climbed the two steps and peered over his shoulder.
A note? That’s what has him this upset?
Erik’s fingers trembled as he reached back to grip my hand. I stepped closer, struggling to read the untidy script scribbled on the paper that had been nailed to the church door.
Soon, you’ll meet our real warriors.
Valkyris will fall. Its heir will be slaughtered.
We are coming.
For her.
I wish I could say I took the note in stride. Or that Erik hadn’t been so furious, he pounded his fist into the church door and cracked it. Or that Axel hadn’t gone on a rampage that resulted in the destruction of no fewer than two benches in the church garden. I’d like to say we calmly returned to Valkyris, met in the war room, and strategized our next steps.
And we did strategize . . . eventually. But first, we raged.
We were Vikings.
After we calmed down, and after Erik met with Mage to discern what had transpired on the mainland, and after Axel promised to repair the damage he and Erik had caused, we dropped onto the one remaining garden bench.
And we debriefed.
“So, none of it was real?” I stared desolately at the northern lights. They’d continued to illuminate the sky since their appearance over the ocean.
“It was real,” Erik corrected. “It just wasn’t what we thought it was.”
“Explain,” Axel muttered, his head cradled in his hands.
“Mage told me Bjorn sent a small team of warriors here,” Erik explained. “Enough that it seemed like wave one of a full-scale assault, and raised all of Valkyris East’s defenses. They fought for most of the day, drawing our forces out, then retreating, as if it were all a game. Maybe the ships were meant to arrive earlier and trigger the call for reinforcements, or maybe Bjorn was just trying to watch every conceivable defense scenario play out. But either way, they got what they wanted.”
“My God. This was a false attack.” We’d learned about them in Strategy. Professor Steepleton had explained the art of sending a small battle party to suss out an enemy’s weaknesses, then take that information and use it to better plan a full-scale attack. My throat tightened as I whispered, “They’ve flushed out our battle tactics.”
“I’m more concerned that they attacked Valkyris East.” Erik pulled off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. “They’ve never been this bold before.”
“We have to obliterate them.” Axel turned his head just enough to stare at Erik. “All of them. Forget diplomacy. We just need to slaughter them all. If we don’t . . .”
“I agree.” Erik’s lips pulled down. “But if they just willingly sacrificed forty thralls for a false attack, then their numbers are even greater than we’d imagined.”
“We have the might, but we don’t have the numbers.” I mirrored Axel and dropped my head to my hands. “Great.”
“Hey.” Erik rubbed light circles atop the small of my back. “We’ve faced worse odds before.”
“Really?” Axel said. “When?”
Erik just growled.
“It’s okay,” I said softly. “You don’t have to sugarcoat this for me.”
“Sugar what?” Axel asked.
I might never get used to the Saga-Viking context barrier. “I just mean I know it’s bad. But I won’t let it make me afraid. I’m Team Axel; let’s recruit like hell, then kick Bjorn’s butt.”
Erik’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “That’s my girl.”
“Team Axel.” Axel rubbed his hands together. “I like that.”
I rested my head against Erik’s shoulder. “So, what do we do now? Talk to your parents about our action plan? Convince Raynor to go on another recruiting mission . . . and pray he doesn’t sell us out to the highest bidder?”
“About that.” Axel’s voice carried an edge. “Can we trust your brother, Erik? Someone’s selling information.”
“I have no idea if we can trust Raynor,” Erik said honestly. “But the intel leak must have dried up—Bjorn had to resort to this to evaluate our battle strategy.”
“Maybe,” I said slowly. “Or maybe that was part of this attack too. They could be trying to lull us into a false sense of security about the spy. There’s clearly a conspiracy in the works. The problem is, whoever’s orchestrating it is so good we have no idea how to stop it.”
“Skit,” Axel swore. He pushed himself to his feet. “We’d better get to work.”
“You go ahead.” Erik rested his hand on my thigh. “We’ll catch up.”
“You sure?” Axel asked.
“We just need a minute.”
“I’ll check in with Mage—see if she needs anything before we head out.” Axel marched through the snow, passing the field where the dragons stood and heading toward the far end of the colony.
When he disappeared from view, Erik shifted so his hands gripped my hips. He pulled me onto his lap and lowered his forehead so it rested against mine. My pulse quickened as he reached up to brush his thumb along my cheek. “You doing okay?”
“I’ve been better,” I said honestly.
“You know I won’t let anything happen to you,” Erik vowed. “I give you my word.”
Warmth rushed through me, and I leaned forward to brush my lips against his. “I know you won’t,” I said. “Just like I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Emotion clouded Erik’s eyes. “You’re something else, Saga. I never imagined finding someone like you.”
“Trust me, that works both ways.”
I kissed him again. This time, he shifted his hand to my head, crushing his mouth against mine in a kiss that left my skin tingling and my breath coming in short gasps. When we finally pulled apart, he withdrew the poison darts from each of our jackets and set them in the snow. Then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest.
“I love you, Saga Skånstad. To the far reaches of our world and back.”
I glanced up at the light show still dancing across the sky. “And I love you, Erik Halvarsson. From here to the northern lights, and back.”
Erik’s lips brushed against my ear, and I nestled into the warmth of his chest. We had no idea what our future held—whether the next attack would come before we’d amassed the numbers to take Bjorn on; whether we’d be injured, captured, or worse when the next battle began; whether we had mere days or an entire lifetime together. But we had this night, huddled together in the snow while the most spectacular light show played out above us.
As the sky shifted from navy to green to gold, I snuggled into Erik’s embrace and thanked God, the gods, and whatever other entities had conspired to bring us together. Because sitting with the Viking I loved, watching the sky dance while dragons lazed nearby, was an experience I’d never imagined . . . but it was definitely one I’d never forget.
As Erik ran his thumb lazily along my arm, I angled my head back, brushed my lips against his, and grinned.
“What was that for?” He smiled down at me.
“For giving me all of this.” I waved my hand. “This view, this life, you. Right here, right now, everything feels exactly as it should be.”
Erik lowered his head to mine, stealing my breath with his kiss. And for the next few minutes, all thoughts of attacks and battles and threats were swept from my mind as I reveled in the absolute perfection of the moment.
It was a memory I’d cherish for the rest of my life.
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I hope you enjoyed the second book of Viking Academy. You can read book three here. And join my Reader’s Group to get freebies, prizes, and sneak peeks at upcoming books.
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While you wait, meet Axel Andersson’s not-so-mythical Asgardian relation in Perfekt Order. I promise he’ll make you smile.
The Academy crew returns in
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&nb
sp; VIKING ACADEMY: VIKING VOW
Saga Skånstad knows three things to be true: (1) She’s trapped a thousand years in her past; (2) She’s in love with the heir to the unconventional Valkyris clan; and (3) A vitriolic Viking is hunting her new family . . . and he won’t back down until he’s claimed their entire world.
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With their enemies closing in, Saga and Erik undertake the near-impossible task of raising an army strong enough to defeat their fearsome foes. If they fail, it will mean the fall of Valkyris, the death of their clansmen, and an era of unimaginable darkness. Saga will do anything to protect the home she’s come to love . . . even if that means walking away from the greatest happiness she’s ever known.
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Let the battle begin.
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Read VIKING VOW now!
Also By S.T. Bende
Follow the Valkyris crew in VIKING ACADEMY.
VIKING ACADEMY
VIKING CONSPIRACY
VIKING VOW
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Meet the Norse gods, including Axel’s not-so-mythical Asgardian relations in:
THE ÆRE SAGA
PERFEKT ORDER
PERFEKT CONTROL
PERFEKT BALANCE
PERFEKT MATCH
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-and-
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THE ELSKER SAGA
ELSKER
ENDRE
TRO
TUR (a novella)
THE ELSKER SAGA: COMPLETE BOXED SET
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Meet the demigods in NIGHT WAR SAGA.
PROTECTOR
DEFENDER
REDEEMER
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And introduce your Padawans to STAR WARS!
Complete list of S.T.’s Star Wars children’s titles
at http://www.stbende.com/star-wars
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Stay in touch with S.T. at www.stbende.com.
And find pronunciations, translations, and info on all things Asgardian on S.T.’s website at WELCOME TO ASGARD.
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Want more information on upcoming books?
Sign up for S.T.’s newsletter
-and-
Join the RagnaRockstars Street Team – our readers’ private Facebook group!
Acknowledgments
To my beautiful, fun-loving family—you are my greatest adventure.
To Lauren Clarke of CREATING ink, whose kindness and attention to detail make her the ultimate friend-itor. To Mariana, the ever-patient cruise director of this Viking ship. And to Laura, Lorna, and Alison, beloved beta readers/sounding boards. Bless you guys.
To the readers who took a chance on our Academy crew—I’m beyond grateful to you for dreaming along with me.
To everyone who believes in love, honor, and the infinite power of hope—thank you for bringing light to our world.
And to MorMorMa. Always.
Want to know more about Axel Andersson’s not-so-mythical Asgardian relative?
Read about the God of War’s Norse crew, in …
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THE ÆRE SAGA: PERFEKT ORDER
All's fair when you're in love with War.
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For seventeen-year-old Mia Ahlström, a world ruled by order is the only world she allows. A lifetime of chore charts, to-do lists and study schedules have helped earn her a spot at Redwood State University’s engineering program. And while her five year plan includes finding her very own happily-evah-aftah, years at an all-girls boarding school left her feeling woefully unprepared for keg parties and co-ed extracurricular activities.
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So nothing surprises her more than catching the eye of Tyr Fredriksen at her first college party. The imposing Swede is arrogantly charming, stubbornly overprotective, and runs hot-and-cold in ways that defy reason…until Mia learns that she’s fallen for the Norse God of War; an immortal battle deity hiding on Midgard (Earth) to protect a valuable Asgardian treasure from a feral enemy. With a price on his head, Tyr brings more than a little excitement to Mia’s rigidly controlled life. Choosing Tyr may be the biggest distraction—or the greatest adventure—she’s ever had.
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Read PERFEKT ORDER now!
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And read all about THE ÆRE SAGA on S.T. Bende’s website, www.stbende.com.
About the Author
Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, internationally bestselling author S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe…where she became overly fond of McVitie’s cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired her YA Norse fantasy books. And her love of a galaxy far, far away inspired her to write children’s books for Star Wars. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.
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Learn more about the world of S.T. Bende at www.stbende.com.
