The Stone Warrior Series
Book 3
Shatterproof
STEIN WILLARD
© 2020
© Stein Willard 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the author or publisher.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Editor: DEPE
Editor: TJ Whittle
Cover Design: DEPE
BACK OF THE BOOK
As Supreme Valkyrie, the leader of Valhalla’s deadliest female warriors, Hlif, was feared and revered by her peers. Her life took a drastic turn when she opposed Odin to protect her beloved— a mortal. Hlif’s selfless act of love saw her cursed and cast from her celestial home to live as a mere mortal amongst the humans.
Bo Witteman was a self-made woman and proud of it. After surviving a devastating tragedy as a teenager, she left her native Iceland to reinvent herself. But the past never stays buried and when hers resurfaced, Bo returned to her native soil determined to get some answers.
DEDICATION
To my readers.
Thank you for your undying support
I’m your biggest fan, as always.
PROLOGUE
Odin’s Great Hall, Valhalla
“YOU DARE TO DEFY ME, WOMAN!”
Hlif refused to cower faced by the thundering ire of her Lord and Master. No one before her had ever disobeyed the Great Odin and she doubted anyone ever will after her.
“My Lord, I find the request unjust in that it will affect too many lives and leave many broken.”
Odin surged out of his throne, his powerful arms thrown wide to encompass the hall. “Do you all hear? You all bear testimony to the audacity of one of my own—supposedly my Supreme Valkyrie.” Odin fixed his glaring gaze on her again. “You are not to decide for me. Nor do you have the authority to advise me or defy my orders.” The hall grew even quieter as the bearded god slowly approached her. With her head lowered, Hlif could see Odin’s golden slippers as they came to stand before her. “It will set a bad precedent if I leave you unpunished, Valkyrie. I will not have my underlings question my rule. Look at me.”
Hlif lifted her head and was surprised to catch a glimmer of sadness in Odin’s dark grey eyes.
“For your insolence, I ban you to the mortal realm, where you will remain until such time as I deem your misdemeanour paid for in full.”
With a low bow, Hlif nodded as she put her hand over her heart and rose to her feet. As she met Odin’s eyes, she was again struck by the brief look of sadness she read in them. The incensed god turned away from her and Hlif adhered to the blatant dismissal. The Great Hall was quiet as she took the long, shameful path from the throne, through the throng of nobles to the exit. A body fell into step with her and not needing to look to see who it was. She spoke, her words hard and bitter.
“You got what you wanted. Are you happy now, Loki?”
When no reply was forthcoming, she turned to look at her companion. Loki the Mischievous, demi-god and son of Odin, had a small smile plucking at his lips. How no one could see through the man’s fake joviality, baffled Hlif. Looking deeper and harder, Loki’s smiles were menacing and his handsome features cruel.
“It was not my choice to defy our father, Hlif. You did it all by yourself. I carry no guilt here.”
He was right. She defied Odin. She knew she did the right thing in standing up for love. But it all wouldn’t have had to happen, had Loki not planted the devious plan in Odin’s mind. It was a game between Odin and his queen, Frigg to collect the souls of warriors. Where Odin’s Valhalla teemed with an army of brave, fearless warriors, Frigg’s was home to strong-willed, cunning warriors. The queen didn’t put much stock in brawn and bravery like her husband; instead, she strived to outwit her egomaniac husband with an army of strategists. Eventually, when the sword and the mind crossed, Frigg hoped to gloat at her husband when she claimed her pick of favours she would collect as the spoils of victory.
The game was always intense and with all the time to kill; it was also endless. Yet, as of yesterday, it became personal, prompting Hlif to step in. As one of Odin’s celebrated Valkyries, Hlif had scoured countless battlefields to relieve mortally wounded warriors of their pain and escort them to the immortal realm. However, they were all close to death by the time she happened upon them.
Loki changed the rules… and out of spitefulness, no less.
Not once before had either Odin or Frigg stooped so low as to order the death of a warrior. Odin did so yesterday at the behest of Loki. When she heard of the directive, Hlif knew her time as a favourite in Valhalla was numbered. She couldn’t bring herself to partake in something so contemptible.
Especially not when the warrior in question was the love of her life.
***
The Royal Palace, Snowland
The door opened silently as Hlif slipped in and closed it behind her. She was no stranger to the mortal realm. In fact, she spent most of her time down here, since humans were such bloodthirsty creatures, who spend their pathetic short lives warring each other for petty reasons. Where else would a Valkyrie be found if not where war and death reigned? Lightening her steps, she made her way over to the large, fur-covered bed and its slumbering occupant. A warm smile tucked at the corners of her lips, as she looked down at the sleeping features, so angelic in repose.
“You will have to tread even lighter if you hope to catch me unawares, Valkyrie,” a soft voice said.
Hlif chuckled softly as she divested herself of her armour. How this woman had managed to escape Odin and Frigg’s attention for so long was surprising. Gurith Haraldsdottir, Queen of Snowland, had the instincts of an immortal. The woman was destined to be a great Valkyrie and now, thanks to Loki’s interference, Odin knows that too. As stark fear crawled down her spine, Hlif threw off her clothing and slid into the bed, behind the warm back of her lover. The blond head turned to reveal eyes so light they were almost colourless. Their lips met and Hlif hummed at the pleasure of feeling her lover’s slick tongue in her mouth. After ten years of kissing this woman, she still couldn’t get enough of her. Nor could she stop the thrill of desire, which coursed through her every time Gurith touched her. When the kiss ended, Hlif nuzzled the blonde beauty’s neck for a moment longer before the blonde grabbed her head and pulled it back so she could look into her eyes.
“I have suffered your absence for three moons. What brings you here so unexpectedly?”
Hlif cringed inwardly at the question. She didn’t want to talk about her banishment and the reason behind it. “Was it only three moons? It felt more like three seasons,” she teased instead.
Her evasive ploy hadn’t fooled her lover. The blonde queen sat up and Hlif’s mouth fell open at the sight of the beautiful naked globes that swung free. The woman was as gorgeous as she was a great fighter.
It was from the lips of a dying warrior, expressing his regret that death would rob him of ever looking upon the face of the most beautiful woman in all of Scania again, that Hlif had first heard of Gurith. Intrigued, Hlif had returned to earth to seek out this famed beauty. After all, who would mourn a short, paltry human existence to what waited for them beyond the mortal realm? To both her shock and pleasure, she found Gurith to be even more beautiful than the warrior’s description. She fell hard that day and continued to do so every day for the following ten seasons.
“What are you keeping from me, bel
oved?” Gurith asked quietly as she lifted the warm furs to cover her naked breasts. The action, Hlif knew by now, was to focus her attention and not let it stray. “Tell me, Hlif.”
Knowing that she, a demi-god, was not immune against the wiles of this beautiful woman, Hlif rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. “Loki managed to persuade Odin to hunt for your soul.”
There was a sharp gasp, but still, Hlif refused to look at the blonde. “When?”
“The directive was made known a few…”
“When do I have to die, Hlif?”
This made Hlif rise on her elbow as she looked intently at her lover and the owner of her heart. “I was banished, because I refused to follow the order.”
Gurith shook her head, her face a mask of disbelief. “You… you defied Odin? For me?”
“I will take on anyone if it means I can keep you safe, my heart.” Hlif captured her lover’s lips in a deep kiss. “You mean everything to me… and more.”
Gurith cupped Hlif’s cheek, her eyes warm and tender. “Those kinds of words can bring the wrath of Odin down on your head, my Valkyrie.”
“I have chosen you above all else already, Gurith. Above immortality. My punishment has set you free from being used as a peon in the gods’ games. For the time being, we will live life as mortals.”
Gurith chuckled, her pale eyes burning with love. “What do you know of living the life of a mortal, daughter of Odin?”
Hlif pushed her hand under the fur blanket and brushed her hand over the springy hair between Gurith’s warm thighs. “I have lived as a mortal once, beloved, many centuries ago. I trust I will survive.”
The queen threw her head back as Hlif’s finger brushed over the small, hard nodule that stood proud and erect between desire-swollen lips. “You were a mere babe then. Life has changed since Odin claimed you and took you to live in Valhalla.”
Hlif nodded. “I know, but you will help me adapt to this crude lifestyle.”
Ice blue eyes swung her way and Hlif chuckled at the warning in them. “Crude, Valkyrie? It will serve you well to remember that at this very moment your hungry fingers roam the hot sanctuary of a primitive being?”
A soft moan escaped Hlif’s lips. She was made to be this woman’s weakness and the other way around. She pinched the slippery nodule between her forefinger and thumb and made as if she was milking it. Gurith threw her head back and let out a guttural moan.
“How can I forget when it sheaths my fingers like a fine silk scabbard?” Hlif murmured. She pressed the roughened pad of her thumb on the nub and watched in breathless wonder as the colour of the blonde Queen’s eyes bled out, leaving them completely colourless. She bit down on her lower lip as her mouth watered in anticipation of tasting that sweet slippery nub. She knows that it will make the Warrior Queen scream and growl like a feline in heat. Hlif pushed two fingers into the writhing woman and smiled when Gurith cursed at the sudden sensation. For such a celebrated leader, Gurith could be unexpectedly and refreshingly crude sometimes. Her profanity surely is a habit picked up from her men on the battlefield.
“Oh, Valkyrie, how you play me like a well-tuned lur. Do not stop, beloved.”
Hlif captured Gurith’s lips in a hard kiss. She looked down into the unfocused gaze of her love and pushed her fingers deeper. Gurith threw her golden head back and let out a deep, lusty moan. Beaming with sexual pride, Hlif whispered, “Do not fear that I would stop, for I love the song coming from your lips too much.”
For the rest of the night, Hlif was tireless as she made up for the three moons they had spent apart. It was only when the sky lightened and dawn announced its splendour in a kaleidoscope of colours, that Hlif pulled her fingers from Gurith and rolled the thoroughly-ravished Queen onto her stomach for a well-deserved rest. She slowly made her exit from the bed and blinked when she stumbled slightly.
How could she have forgotten? Banished from the immortal realm, Odin had also seized her great powers. She was now equal to the mortals who were asleep in their longhouses. Hlif sat on the bed and waited for the fainting spell to blow over. While she waited, she gazed on the form of her lover. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel in the least unhappy for having given up her powers to be the mortal mate of this woman. It was true what she had said earlier about Gurith being everything and more to her. It was possible to be a very good mate to Gurith. She had seen great men of much lesser power wandering the mortal realm. She, too, could be one of them with her now-diminished powers. Feeling stronger, she put on her breeches and a shirt and with one final look at Gurith crept from the sleeping chamber. She quietly made her way through the palace and only stopped when she was outside.
The air was crisp and clean and after their vigorous lovemaking, it felt good to draw it into her lungs. These are the things they took for granted as immortals. When in these three hundred years of immortality had she ever taken the time to stop and appreciate the effortless beauty around her? When did she use her lungs to draw in the clean, fresh air? Feeling elated that she was alive, in love and so thoroughly satisfied, Hlif languidly stretched out her towering frame. She brushed her hands over her short, dark curls and with a slight skip in her step, made her way across the huge courtyard to the lookout point. For a brief moment, she regretted ravishing Gurith to the point of collapse. It would’ve been a memorable moment to have her lover here with her, enjoying the tranquillity and beauty of the first of many early mornings for them. With the thought still running through her mind, Hlif gazed out over the wooden wall.
Her blood instantly turned to ice.
Stretching as far as the eye can see, stood a sea of warriors. She instinctively raised her hand to her back for her shield and spear only to find the space disappointingly bare. The fear that clogged her mind at that moment immediately coursed to other parts of her body, leaving her rooted to the place.
“Ah, we meet again so soon, sister,” a smarmy voice said behind her. Hlif turned to encounter the wicked eyes of her half-brother and nemesis. “What? You do not look pleased to see me.”
“Why are you doing this, Loki? I have been punished and the matter was sealed with my acceptance of the penalty.” Her hands curled into fists as she watched the lanky demi-god blinking at her.
“Why? You ask me why?” Loki threw his hands up, his dark eyes glittering with mirth. “Of all the warriors and Valkyries alike I always thought you to be the most astute. I obviously rushed to my conclusion, sister.” He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them again, Hlif shuddered at the menace she saw in them. “You have emasculated me. As a full-god and son of Odin, I should be the one Father look to for guidance and support. Instead, he grants you, the by-blow of a hasty tumble with a human whore, the honour that should have befallen me.”
Stunned by the vehemence and the words, Hlif could only stare at Loki. A sneer pulled Loki’s boyishly handsome face into an ugly mask of hatred.
“Your arrogance made you grow lax, sister dear. Did you think no one would notice your sneaky trips to this castle? That your rutting with the Queen would go unnoticed?” Loki smiled, an ugly movement of his lips. “It did not take much to find out who she was? Besides spreading her legs for you, she is a descendant of the one warrior whose soul Father could never command. His daughter is the next best thing, especially seeing as she has the same prowess as her father, if not better.”
A tremor slithered down Hlif’s spine. How did Loki find out? When she found out that Gurith was Harald the Great’s daughter, she had made it a point to keep the truth hidden from Odin. And with good reason. Harald refused Odin’s offer to join him in Valhalla. Odin himself had come to the mortal realm to cajole the warrior’s soul from him as Harald lay dying on the battlefield. But the cunning warrior, having expected the god’s interference, waited for Odin to turn his eyes away for a scant instant, to take his own life. The poison was potent and fast working; stealing the warrior spirit before anyone, god or man, could do anything. A soul released under duress was a lost ca
use, soiled and impossible to save. By taking his own life, Harald had cheated Odin from claiming the soul of one of the best warriors to ever have walked the earth.
Finding out about Gurith’s heritage was pure luck. She had been there when Odin courted Harald’s soul and seeing the same sword strapped to her lover’s hips on the many occasions the Warrior Queen was doing battle, made it all come together. She had never asked Gurith about her father, scared that the heavens had ears. Now Loki had managed to unravel the mystery and waved Gurith’s scent under Odin’s nose.
“Please do not do this, Loki. If you want, petition Father to condemn me to the mortal realm forever. With me out of the way, you will be positioned favourably to receive his attention.” Hlif had never begged for anything in her life before, but she would do anything for Gurith.
Loki chuckled softly. “How the high and mighty have fallen. Is she really worth it? Or is what she has between her legs so potent that it has addled the Supreme Valkyrie’s brain?”
A heated surge went through Hlif at hearing the crude words that spilled from Loki’s mouth. She was thus shocked to find a warm hand clasped her wrist. Turning, she met the ice-blue gaze of her lover.
“There is no sense in wasting any sort of emotion on one such as him,” Gurith said. Her voice was heavy with contempt. “He is not worthy to demean yourself over.”
Hlif pulled Gurith into her arms, looking deep into the sombre eyes. “But you are worth it, beloved. I am doing this for us.”
The ice-blue eyes warmed a fraction, before they shifted from her to look out over the wall. “They are here to steal my soul, Valkyrie.”
Hlif tightened her arms around the shorter woman. “I will not let them. I swear. I will not let anyone near you.”
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