“We’re fictional beings in Midgard!” I yelled. “They know nothing about us!”
The hellhounds’ barks grew louder, and I saw it before it happened. The dogs’ eyes disappeared and all that remained were black holes filled with fire. The orange and red flames licked the air and fire shot out as they barked, making the metal on the cage steam.
“What the hell?!” Will jumped back, and I protectively moved in front of him as he aimed his gun at the dogs.
“Quiet down, boys.” Fen grinned. “Do you believe us now, detective?”
I slowly inched backward, avoiding the wrath of the dogs, and stood beside Will. I placed my hand on his gun, lowering the icy, steel weapon and not giving him the opportunity to react to the insanity before him. This whole ordeal was going downhill. I wanted to get us out of there as soon as possible. I should have come alone.
“You know I can’t take you to Hel,” I said, redirecting the conversation. “Odin won’t allow it.”
“Odin is missing. The old man has been gone for over a century, so what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Fen shrugged.
“He’s still missing?” That tidbit piqued my interest. I’d see Odin’s crows flying around. Had Fen not seen them? Where there was Hugin and Munin, Odin was not too far away.
“Why do you think you’re still here, darling? You think the Allfather would leave his precious valkyrie with the humans? I didn’t peg you as the type to have daddy issues.”
“You’re asking me to do the impossible, Fen. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn’t.”
“Oh, you can,” he grinned, “and you will.”
I unsheathed the Sword of Souls from my back at the mild threat.
“That’s not fair, Raven.” He shook his head. “Toys are not allowed.”
“No rules,” I growled. “Isn’t that what you always said?”
Just like his father, Fenrir was known for being sly, a wolf in sheep’s clothing—literally.
“You have a funny way of showing you need my help. Why did you have to kill them?” My nostrils flared as my voice choked toward the end.
Fen frowned. “I haven’t killed anyone.”
“Liar!” I aimed the sword at him. “The night I met you, Kendall was murdered. You were there when I met her!”
“Sorry to disappoint, darling, but I couldn’t care less about these humans. I have no need or desire to kill them. What do you care anyway?”
“I don’t,” I said, a little too quickly, “but I won’t let anyone kill in my name. I have enough blood on my hands.”
“I need your help, Raven. Why would I try to make you my enemy?”
“Raven,” Will reached for my arm and lowered it, “he’s right.”
I couldn’t hide the shock on my face. Just because Fen needed a favor didn’t mean he wasn’t a trickster. He was still a killer. Will didn’t know him, but I did.
“Thank you, human.” Fen nodded. “Now that this has been settled, I want to strike a deal. Help me get to Hel, and I will get you back to Valhalla.”
I sucked in a breath, and the world around me froze. If anyone could get me home, it might be him.
14
Flashback
The sounds of horns and the thumping of drums filtered through the land. A hum filled the air as the warriors who protected Asgard chanted in the far distance, their energy vibrating beneath our feet. The build-up and anticipation for war excited me. I couldn’t wait until I was of age to join my sisters on the battlefield and get a taste of real war—the blood, the gory, all of it. I dreamt about it every night and fantasized during the day when the valkyries visited from Valhalla, their tall stature protected in their armor. They were goddesses, amazons, and I wanted to already be one.
“Hrefna!” Hildr called out across the rainbow garden. “Come over! Fenrir wants to show us something.”
My bare feet touched the wet grass as I ran toward them. The three of us were in the same age group so we were together most of the time. I didn’t mind being friends with Hildr, but Fenrir was a different story. His family had a reputation, and I could hear the whispers whenever we were together. People talked of his father. Loki’s relationship with Odin and the other gods was fragile, and we were in a delicate truce that could shatter at any moment.
When I reached my friends, Fenrir waved for us to follow him. I gave Hildr a sidelong glance before we shrugged and followed the wolf to the stables.
“What are you doing, Fenrir?” I looked around us, scanning the area for onlookers. “We cannot be here without Father’s approval, you know that.”
“My father doesn’t care, and that’s all that matters.”
“But this is Odin’s horse. Not Loki’s.”
“Are you scared, Hrefna?” Fenrir taunted. “I thought you wanted to be a valkyrie, the best one to have ever lived. A legend.”
“I do.”
“Then prove it,” he said and opened the stable door. “Ride Sleipnir through the nine realms. Go on.”
The white mare neighed when we approached. Its mane swished back and forth with her movements as she shuffled back and forth in the stall, anticipating her release.
“Odin will have my hide if I do this,” I whispered.
“Not unless he finds out, which he won’t,” Fenrir said.
I wanted to wipe his smirk from his face. Like his father, the wolf loved to play games, and I hated it. I’d had a small crush on him that had me following him around like a lost pet when we were children. We were now barely under forty years and I had outgrown the attraction.
“How are you so sure?”
“Would I ever lie to you?” he teased.
That made me laugh. All Fenrir did was lie.
“C’mon, Hrefna, it’ll be fun,” Hildr urged.
While I’d outgrown my childhood crush, she’d gained it. Hildr was head over heels for the wolf, and I couldn’t understand what she saw. Had she not heard the rumors? According to the Norns, Fenrir was destined to kill Odin. It was why our father kept him close and under watchful eyes in Asgard. Odin was always paranoid and fearful of Ragnarök. It had been foretold that Ragnarök would be the end for all gods, wiping them off all nine realms.
“Why must you always agree with what he says?” I gritted my teeth. “He’s going to get us in trouble. Odin won’t punish him, but he’ll punish us.”
“Fenrir is right. If we don’t get caught, we’ll be okay.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
With reluctance and slight annoyance, I pushed past Fenrir and went to Sleipnir. I unlocked her gate and grabbed the reins. She neighed wildly, stomping her feet with agitation as I invaded her space. Cooing, I rubbed her until she calmed.
“Good girl,” I whispered. “Let’s go for a little ride.”
Fenrir held up a hand to stop me and poked his head out of the stable. He looked both ways before he gave me the okay, and I walked out of the stable with Sleipnir.
The wolf ran his hands through the horse’s mane. “Where do you plan to go?”
I shrugged. “I can’t go to Valhalla until I’m of age, but maybe Midgard. I always hear Thor talk of the mortals. They seem interesting.”
“Don’t waste your time,” he scoffed. “My father has told me all about them. Useless is what they are.”
“You’re useless.” I narrowed my eyes. “Now move before I tell Sleipnir to trample you.”
Fenrir laughed.
“I’ll go check to make sure the Bifrost is empty,” Hildr said and ran off. She only wanted to impress him.
“Why don’t you like me, Hrefna?”
“You really have to ask? I thought it would be obvious.”
The mare neighed when Fenrir began to pet her. She liked him. I was a bit jealous and concerned at the same time. This wasn’t good. I climbed the horse to gain more control and dug my heels into her sides to keep her still.
“I like you.” He grinned as he looked up at me. “A lot.”
�
��I like myself too.”
“You know what I mean. You’re beautiful, Hrefna. And you’re Odin’s favorite, which doesn’t hurt.”
My nostrils flared. Was he insinuating what we all feared? Was he already planning my father’s death at such a young age?
“Don’t think I’m deaf to the whispers in Asgard. Everyone knows what you’re planning. When I become a valkyrie, I will stop you. I will kill you.”
Fenrir stared up at me, his eyes dark and dangerous. His jaw ticked, and I wanted to know what he was thinking.
“Those hags know nothing. The future is never set, and unless Odin is a danger to me, I have no problems with the old man.”
“The Norns don’t lie—”
“And they’re not always right!” he yelled. I could see his frustration as his cheeks turned red and he ran a hand through his dark hair.
“The Norns don’t lie,” I reiterated.
“Fine, Hrefna. If you’d rather believe a false prophesy from three witches who do nothing but sit by a tree all day, that is up to you, but do not think they are on your side.”
Fenrir threw a few blades of grass at me and stormed off. I didn’t understand his reaction; it contradicted everything we’d been taught to think of Loki’s children. We’d been told to be wary, never get too close, and to never trust them. I listened because Odin had told us. My father was never wrong … was he?
15
Present Day
“He is full of shit!” I screamed as we drove away from the warehouse. “Don’t believe anything he says. I know he killed Kendall and Donnie. I just know it.”
I yelled and hollered the whole drive back to the apartment. Will didn’t say a word. He let me vent while I assumed he processed his own thoughts.
My body was quaking in anger as the adrenaline slowly drained from my system. My stomach hurt, and I felt like I was going to throw up. I’d slept with the son of Loki. He’d been searching for me and I’d been caught. There was nothing I did that could have tipped him off I was here. Nothing. None of this made sense and it only built up dread inside me.
“If he thinks I’m going to fall for this charade, he’s out of his mind. I won’t be bamboozled!”
“Bamboozled?” Will repeated as he pulled into the nearest parking space.
“Shut up. I like that word.”
After a few minutes of silence, Will unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to me. “Want to explain to me what the sudden hatred for that guy is all about?”
Where do I even begin?
“All of the werewolves from Midgard stemmed from Fenrir.”
“Midgard?”
“Earth. Werewolves on earth are Fenrir’s descendants. He was their maker and destined to kill Odin. Many believe Loki …”
He raised his finger to stop me. “Wait a minute. Who is Loki?”
I sighed. “Loki is Fenrir’s father. Anyway, many thought Loki would be the demise of Asgard.” Will furrowed his brow, so I hastened to add, “Which is one of the nine realms. But there was a prophecy that said Loki’s children are the true destroyers, and ever since Odin learned about the prophecy of his death, he’d made it his mission to get rid of Fenrir, one way or another.”
Will was quiet as he took in all the new information.
“It hadn’t always been this way.” I ran my hand through my hair. “We were friends as children, but things changed with the prophecy. As valkyries, we were bound to protect Odin at all costs.”
Will took a deep breath before turning to me. “Are you really a valkyrie?”
I stopped mid-rant and saw he was ready to have the conversation I’d been hoping to avoid. There was no way around it now. He knew too much, and I’d be insulting his intelligence if I tried to make up a lie to cover up the truth.
“Yes, I am.”
“Prove it.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I can’t.”
“Why? If you’re really what you say you are, it shouldn’t be a prob—”
“I ripped my wings off!” I yelled. “I’m a valkyrie by origin, but now I’m nothing but a shell of what I once was.”
My chest filled with anguish and the jitters returned. I reached for my Pez dispenser and took a little more than usual.
“You can’t keep hiding behind drugs, Raven. It’s going to make you sick.”
I snorted. “I wish it would.”
“You can’t because … you’re a valkyrie,” he said skeptically.
I only nodded.
“Show me,” he whispered as he leaned forward, his eyes softening.
I’d never had an issue showing others my back. I didn’t care. But in this instance, I felt vulnerable, almost shy. Those feelings bothered me. He was the first human who would know what I was. Never in my long life had I ever befriended a human and told my secret. This was new territory for me. It was dangerous—our current predicament was proof of that.
I turned to face the passenger window and pulled up my shirt. He turned the car light on and gasped. Looking over my shoulder, I took in Will’s features in the dim lighting. He couldn’t hide the pity written all over his face, but there was also a sense of protectiveness that caught me off guard. I was always the protector, not the other way around.
“May I?”
I nodded.
His callused hands started at the top of my left scar. Cold, trembling fingers glided down the mangled indents of muscle and flesh that had been unnaturally ejected. What remained was a distorted beauty of what it had been.
His fingers roamed all over my back and landed on my hip. “You’re beautiful, Raven.” Will inched closer, his breath caressing my skin.
“Will,” I sighed. “We can’t.” I hung my head as I already began to regret my words.
“I know.” He cleared his throat and released me.
“Will—”
He shook his head, stopping me. “Let’s stay focused.”
I didn’t push the conversation and let it drop. Having been at odds since we met, this quiet electricity between us was a surprise. I could feel his heat, the attraction. Gods above knew I wanted to drag Will to the back seat of his car and do things not known to man, but I couldn’t in good conscience. Not with him—anybody but him. He was too good for me, and I wouldn’t tarnish him. He deserved better. Not someone who was looking for a quick escape. Because that’s all I was—a user.
Charlie was awake when I finally went inside the apartment. After a very awkward exchange, Will and I agreed to give each other a few days to take everything in. He’d been missing a lot of work and needed to show his face before others started to get suspicious. I suspected he would also need time to think over all the supernatural things I’d divulged, including everything I’d told him regarding the murder cases. He probably needed to do some research of his own. Will wasn’t a believer, so this would be a tough pill for him to swallow.
“How’d it go?” Charlie reached for her glasses on the nightstand when I stopped by her bedroom. I didn’t need a mirror to see the emptiness in my expression—it was written all over Charlie’s face. “Oh, Raven, come here.” She waved me onto her bed, and I had no problem crawling under the sheets.
It was weird. I’d only met the banshee not too long ago, but it felt longer—like we’d already had a lifetime together. Maybe in my decades of solitude, I was finally in need of a friend. Besides Hildr, I’d never had another friend. I’d been alone for so long, I think my mind and soul craved it.
“Fenrir is behind all of this,” I sighed.
“What? Fenrir, as in the son of Loki?”
I nodded. “He wants me to take him to Hel.”
“Hell? Why can’t he go to a traveler like everyone else?”
“No,” I shook my head, “not H-e-l-l, but H-e-l—the goddess of the Underworld—his sister.” I might have been locked out of Valhalla, but as a valkyrie, I could travel to the other realms.
“Holy cow. I don’t know much about that, but isn’t he forbidden to see her?”<
br />
The story of Loki’s children was a long one, but the condensed version was simple: Odin punished Hel by keeping her in the land of the dead, never to leave again. None of her brothers or Loki could travel to the Underworld to see her, much less help her escape. Anyone who tried will be condemned to a death like no other.
“Why did Odin punish Hel?”
I shrugged. “No one really knows. Rumors say it had something to do with Odin’s son, Baldur, but I don’t know much about it.”
“You think he’s the one who’s been framing you for murder?”
“Yes!” He had to be. I couldn’t imagine anyone else knowing who I was.
Charlie scrunched her mouth to the side. “I don’t know, Raven. It doesn’t really make sense. Besides a traveler that we already know won’t help him, you’re his only hope in getting into the Underworld. How is framing you in his best interest?”
“Who knows what his rationale is?” I threw my hands in the air. “Fenrir is a sneaky bastard. He once tricked me into taking Odin’s horse Sleipnir for a joyride. I got twenty lashings from the valkyries because of him.”
Charlie’s brows furrowed. “How long have you known him?”
“So many lifetimes, I’ve lost track. We grew up together.”
“And you didn’t recognize him?”
“I barely remember what I had for breakfast. How am I supposed to remember someone from millennia ago?”
“Fair enough,” she said. “So … what now? What do you plan to do?”
That was the million-dollar question: Where the hell do I go from here?
There wasn’t much I could do from Charlie’s apartment besides drink whiskey for breakfast, and I couldn’t sit around waiting for Will to call with any news, so I decided to give the library another shot. Maybe there was a clue in one of the books in the restricted section. I didn’t know; I just needed to do something.
A level head was what I needed to maintain. It wasn’t easy. I wanted to tear this whole city apart, scream and yell, possibly even cry. Everything was heightening my emotions—emotions I’d never had before. I wanted to maintain the cold, hard demeanor every valkyrie had, but whether I’d been around humans too long or not, the wall within me was chipping away. For the first time, I was feeling human. That thought alone made me angry, and unfortunately, it wasn’t something I could control. If my sisters could see me, they wouldn’t recognize me at all.
The Last Valkyrie Series Complete Boxed Set Page 11
