“It’s not exactly the same,” she said. “But the signal fires burn day and night, with Valkyries arriving and departing at all times—when we access the Bifrost, there’s a small rainbow spark that happens. Sort of like fireworks, but not with the same intensity.”
“Sounds interesting.” He smiled. “But I don’t think I’m ready to see it just yet.”
She turned to him, keeping her voice low. “Haven’t you ever wondered about the future, past your lifespan?”
“A bit,” he admitted. “But never put a whole lot of thought into it.” He looked past her at the skyline. “You can’t go into battle thinking about the afterlife. Got to stay focused on the task at hand.”
She pressed her lips together, choosing silence.
“Here.” Helen held her cell phone up to Jake. “This is the exit we need to take.”
“Right,” he replied, studying the small screen.
They turned off the highway into a residential area, passing through row after row of identical houses, much like she’d seen in a dozen cities. A turn left, one right and the van pulled into a parking lot at the front of a strip mall.
Brenna studied the storefronts facing them. A Chinese buffet, a pizza parlor, a handful of small stores already closed for the night and…
She frowned, trying to make out the neon sign facing them, shaped into a large ocean wave. People were moving around inside, but she didn’t see the reason for buying water at this time of night, and in a fancy store like this, away from any grocery store.
Erik grinned and patted her arm. “Speaking of new experiences…”
Jake looked over his shoulder at Helen. “This the right place?”
She nodded. “Perfect.”
He nudged a thumb at the bright lights in the distance. “Excellent. We’ll leave the van with you in case there’s any problems. Save us a bundle on parking as well.” He turned the engine off and passed Helen the keys. “We can walk to the Strip from here while you women do your thing.”
“Good chance to stretch our legs.” Mark opened his door and hopped out. “And maybe score a jackpot or two.”
“We can only hope.” Jake laughed as he followed suit. “Give it about two hours, everyone. Meet back here and we’ll hit the campground.”
Eric rolled his shoulders back as Brenna climbed out and leaned against the van, her forehead furrowed.
“What are we…” she started to speak.
“There it is. I called ahead, got appointments for all of us at the spa.” Helen pointed at the lit sign, the blue and white neon wave shining down on them. “Got a reference from a friend. She says this place is wonderful.” She tugged on Brenna’s arm. “Let’s spoil ourselves a little while the men go off and try their luck.”
“W-What?” she stuttered.
“Oh, yeah. A little luxury before we get back to sleeping on the ground.” Lucy hooked her arm into Brenna’s and walked her off, Helen falling in line behind. “This is going to be fun.”
She turned her head and saw Erik smiling. Mark tapped him on the shoulder, and the men moved off, heading down the street toward the nearby casino.
Brenna drew a deep breath, steeling herself. She was a Valkyrie, a battle angel, chosen of Freyja, and one of Odin’s Warrior Maidens. She’d visited many battlefields, varying from deserts to frozen wastelands to watery graves of drowned warriors. Not to mention the weapon fire endured while gathering the Fallen—arrows, musket balls, bullets, tank shells, chemical clouds…the list went on. None of them had given her pause; none had her considering breaking and running.
Until now.
“They’re open 24/7, believe it or not,” Helen said as she led the two women through the swinging doors. She pulled out her wallet. “And don’t you even think about trying to pay. This one’s on me.” She beamed as she walked up to the front desk, the smiling attendant rising to her feet on their approach. A few words and Helen turned around, handing each of them clipboards.
“Here.” Lucy looked at Brenna’s page, drawing her pencil down the paper. “Mark every single thing you can—if she’s paying, we’re going for the deluxe treatment.”
Brenna stared at the options, studying the unfamiliar words. “I don’t…I’ve never…”
“No problem.” Helen came up beside her, holding her own clipboard. “Here, let me help. I know it can look a little intimidating.” She ticked off the boxes, identical choices to her own. “If you feel uncomfortable about anything, let me know—we’re here to relax, not get wound up.”
Brenna nodded, her mind spinning.
“Right, then.” The cheerful attendant took the pages. “We’ll get you set up.” She led them to a dressing room before disappearing through a side door, leaving instructions for them to follow when they were ready.
Brenna stared at the small wooden lockers, the white matching robes hanging up in front of each open door, still at a loss for words.
“So, you’ve never been to a spa before?” Helen asked as she began to strip. Lucy followed suit, shucking her clothing and hanging it up in the locker provided.
Brenna shook her head as she toed off her shoes. “Can’t say that I have. I’ve been to saunas, but…” Her thoughts went back to Valhalla and the hot rooms the Valkyries would sit in after training, the moist heat sucking the pain from their muscles. After that, a cooling shower would strip the last of the sweat off their bodies before they donned the light robes for relaxation and rest.
This…looked nothing like that.
“You’ll love this. Trust me.” Helen reached for the robe. “Nothing like a little pampering to make a lady feel special.” She chuckled as she slipped it on and tugged at the belt.
Brenna followed suit, hanging up her clothing in the locker and taking the small key with her as she saw the others do.
“Got yourself a scrape there,” Lucy said.
She followed Lucy’s gaze to see a scar on Helen’s right leg, below her knee. It had faded with time, the white line hardly visible in the soft light.
“Accident. Son went over a rock in the front yard with the mower, blade tossed it at me like a missile. A handful of stitches and all done.” She patted the puckered skin. “Only serious wound I ever got, and it wasn’t even in battle.”
A gentle knocking came at the door, and one of the attendants poked her head in. “Are we ready?”
“Yes.” Helen beamed. “Yes, we all are.” She shot a wink at Brenna. “Erik’s not going to recognize you.”
Before Brenna could answer, Lucy grabbed her hand and led her onward. “Don’t say anything—you’ll just encourage her.”
Brenna laughed, giving in to the goodwill around her.
Lucy took the lead, chatting up a storm as they moved from room to room, treatment to treatment. Some of the creams and ointments used made Brenna’s head spin. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen lotions before—some of her sisters had made a point of rubbing special liniments into their aching muscles after an intensive workout—but these…these were nothing that she’d seen before. The flowery aromas enough marked them as different, and the way they made her feel…
The pedicure was interesting, the polite attendant going wide-eyed at the state of her feet. Neither had said anything, but Brenna suspected they hadn’t dealt with anyone with such rough skin.
“Don’t you dare apologize,” Lucy said, sitting beside her in an identical padded chair. “Mine’s not much better. Too much time in my running shoes and not enough in my high heels. Been a good long time since I got pampered like this.” She looked past Brenna to Helen. “Thanks.”
“Hey, it’s all good.” Helen sighed as she laid her head back on the thick cushion, seated on Brenna’s other side. “Let the men go chasing their fortunes on the Strip—we’ll be all soft and comfortable here while they stink of cigarette smoke and lose cash.”
Brenna grinned before following suit. The concern for Kara was still there, would always be there until the situation was resolved—but for now
she was going to revel in a sisterhood she missed so much over the past year.
In the back of her mind, she wondered what Erik was doing and what he’d think of her new look.
…
The sidewalks had changed from near-empty at the strip mall to a busy, thriving mass of pedestrian traffic the closer they got to the casino. A glance at the posted cost for parking confirmed Jake’s decision to park back at the spa was a solid one.
With each step, Erik relaxed more, the tension of the past few days easing out of him. He needed a break, and this was exactly the right diversion.
Jake rubbed his hands together. “Let’s see if Lady Luck wants to give us a kiss tonight.” He waved them toward the front doors with a cheerful bark.
The casino was small but packed to the walls—the attached hotel providing a steady source of curious tourists looking for entertainment without going over to the famed Strip.
“Right.” Mark pulled out his wallet and withdrew a handful of bills. “Let’s get this party started.”
An hour later, Erik stared at his cards, trying hard not to grin. The blackjack table had been good to him, turning the last of the money from the fight into a hearty windfall. Jake and Mark were nearby, trying their luck at the roulette table after losing a few hands and conceding the table to Erik.
He only hoped it was a sign of things to come.
The dealer flipped the last card. The immaculately dressed young man smiled. “Another winner.” He dealt out the winnings, adding to Erik’s pile.
A headache crept into his consciousness, pushing past the enjoyment and delivering a sharp, stabbing slap to his thoughts. Erik pressed one finger to his right temple, trying to will the pain away.
No luck.
He stared at the dark felt, feeling his concentration stretch and break with an almost audible snap.
“I’m out.” He pushed a black chip to the employee, who accepted it with a smile. “Thanks.”
He collected his chips and headed for the cashier’s cage, studying the crowd around him. The throbbing behind his eye increased, the bright lights from the slot machines and other games now slightly painful to watch.
The woman behind the bars counted out the money with a smile and slid the bundle toward him.
“Have a nice day,” she said as the cheers increased.
“Thanks.” Erik gritted his teeth and headed for the roulette table where he’d last seen Jake and Mark.
The pain intensified, centered behind his left eye. He ran one hand over his face, fighting back the surge of adrenaline rushing through his system.
Something was wrong. He’d had headaches before—this wasn’t like any of them. It reminded him of the rush before going out on patrol, the heightened senses kicking in to make him more aware of his surroundings.
He took a step back, placing one of the casino pillars at his back while he scrubbed his eyes with both hands. He looked around, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
An invisible ball rolled around his stomach, the nervousness burning his throat. He flashed back to what Brenna had told him in the hotel room, about the headache keeping her on the right trail as she hunted him down. But that was her gift/curse—it wasn’t like he had any idea she was getting closer to him.
But if Freyja flipped it around, threw this on him in some crazy attempt to even the odds, to allow Erik to sense when Kara was near…
No.
The fear scorched his mind, gripping his heart.
She couldn’t be here.
Mentally he ran the numbers—depending on when Kara discovered their abrupt change in direction and transportation and if she bought/borrowed/stole a car or some other form of transportation…
“Hey.” Jake stepped up beside him. “You good to go?” He frowned. “You look like you’re about to puke. Something wrong?”
Mark shook his head. “Dizzy from winning all that cash, I’d bet.”
“You wish.” Erik forced himself to smile. “Just a headache. Let’s get out of here.”
I have to get back to Brenna.
He looked around, studying the bystanders. It was as if someone slowed the speed the world ran by a quarter, everyone a fraction of a second slower. It gave him extra time to assess the situation, take in the scene. He looked down at his hands, suddenly aware his nails were digging into his palms.
“You okay, brother?” Jake put his hand on Erik’s shoulder and squeezed. “Scene getting to you?” He lowered his voice. “I know all about it, noises and lights triggering memories, bad thoughts. Flash you in and throw you back out a minute later.” His tone shifted. “Hell, you know this. Why am I saying anything?”
Erik blinked, and the world went back to normal, shifting away from the charged atmosphere he’d seen over the last few minutes.
He managed a chuckle, the pain diminishing as the tension eased. “Because you’re an old grumpy man who doesn’t know when to shut up?”
If Kara was here, she’s gone now.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Jake gave him a playful punch to the jaw. “A decade or two younger and I’d be challenging you in the cage.”
“Now there’s something I’d like to see.” Mark grinned. “You want to grab a drink at the hotel bar before we head out?”
Erik uncurled his hands, aware the hairs at the back of his neck were still standing upright despite the headache draining away. He wasn’t sure what was going on—and didn’t want to push his luck. He’d talk to Brenna about it, when the time was right.
“I’ll pass. Let’s go see what the women have been up to.”
Jake smirked as they headed for the exit doors. “All of them, or just one?” He let out a sharp laugh.
Erik shook his head and laughed.
…
Brenna wasn’t sure what to make of the way she felt. The staff had been very understanding, accepting her hastily created backstory of never having the extra money to afford such treatments, explaining away the condition of her hands and feet—calloused and tough from decades of training.
Not to mention Lucy and Helen embracing her as a long-lost sister.
Her thoughts wandered far away from Valhalla and Kara, taken up with light gossip and commentary on the various movies Lucy and Helen had recently seen—she begged off any input, claiming she didn’t get out much.
It wasn’t a total lie—during the past year all of her attention had been focused on hunting Erik, not keeping track of who the new Bachelor turned out to be.
The massage had been wonderful, the double pleasure of a pedicure and manicure giving her a whole new set of experiences—including the joy of picking out a nail polish color, assisted by Lucy.
“I tell you, he’s going to love it.” Lucy let out a laugh as they dressed again in the locker room, gesturing at her own dark orange fingernails. “I know he’s not your boyfriend, but there’s no harm in looking good for yourself.”
“And feeling good,” Helen added, slipping her shoes on. “A little pampering goes a long way.”
Brenna held her hands out, studying the dark red nails. “You think Erik might like it?”
“I think he’ll like it because you like it,” Helen replied. “Now hurry up and get dressed—last thing we need is the men complaining that they had to wait for us.” She looked in the mirror and touched her face. “Yep. Nothing like a spa visit.”
Brenna couldn’t disagree. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so relaxed, so…
She drew a sharp breath as she tugged on her shoes. Kara was still out there, and she would come for the two of them at some point.
But right here, right now, she murmured to herself, it was okay to just be…
Be a woman.
Helen finished paying the attendant at the front counter, turning to study Lucy and Brenna. “Looking good, ladies. Now let’s knock some socks off.”
Lucy snickered as she opened the door. “Nothing wrong with making sure they don’t forget we’re still women.”
The thought sent a warm surge through her body. She slowed her steps in an effort to settle her thoughts, letting the other two women go ahead of her.
“Oh, hell.” Mark glanced at Erik, then nudged Jake with his shoulder as they walked toward the van. “Brother’s falling hard.”
Erik said nothing as Jake chuckled, wagging his hand at Helen. “Keys, please. Looks like you had a great time.”
She laughed as she pulled the vehicle keys out of her pocket and handed them over. “Got to look good for the audience.”
Lucy sauntered by the men, a wide grin on her face as she headed for the van. “Come on, boys—night’s not getting any younger, and we’ve still got to set up camp.”
Brenna followed them to the van, each of them taking their old seats in preparation to leave.
That had her sitting next to Erik.
He cleared his throat as the van pulled out. “You look…really good.”
Her cheeks burned, and she reacted, raising her hand to cover her face.
“Don’t do that.” He reached over and pulled her hand down. “You’re beautiful.”
She smiled. “Never felt this way before.”
Brenna was telling the truth—but she wasn’t sure if she was referring to the makeover or the emotions swirling around in her belly from the way Erik looked at her.
“Ditto.” He grinned as he pulled a thick wad of bills from his pocket. “I don’t usually get this lucky. But I can get used to it.”
“Me, too.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Tomorrow morning we’re heading to the nearest IHOP for breakfast,” Jake announced from the front seat. “And Erik’s buying. Spread a little of that wealth around.”
Erik laughed along with the rest of them, nodding his agreement.
Brenna settled down in her seat, enjoying the camaraderie around her. She didn’t know how long it’d last, but she’d take it for now.
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