“Hrefna, eh? Why does that sound familiar?”
“Asgard, the rainbow garden, always trailing behind Odin. Ringing any bells?” Fen said.
“Oh yes, the stunning favorite everyone talked about. Your beauty was to be envied and your skills deadly.”
“Nothing has changed,” I said.
“Right you are.”
Fen cleared his throat. “All right, we must be going now. Raven?”
“Where to?”
The wolf looked to his sister for direction, and she peered around at all the doors.
“The Fae realm?”
I shook my head. “I heard it was sealed.” Everyone knew the Fae had started an uprising, but I didn’t know all the details.
“It was. My kin were the ones to do it,” Fenrir said. “It was recently reopened. It’s quite the tale, and I can’t wait to address it when I see my wolves.”
Although the lycans had a monarch on Midgard, Fen was their true leader. I wasn’t sure the wolves knew that, but I pitied the day they would.
“All right.” I led them to the waterfall further down the walkway. It sparkled in the dreariness of Limbo, and if you looked hard enough, you could see the greenery of the fae forest, hear birds chirping, and feel the bright sun that made your skin glisten. It was a mirage for the true evil that dwelled there.
As a precaution, I stuck my hand through the waterfall. Sure enough, the realm was open.
“Now, tell me where the backdoor to Valhalla is,” I demanded.
“Here’s the thing, Hrefna,” Fen shrugged, “there is no other entrance.” His smile widened.
Rage consumed me, and I started to see red. The wolf had been playing me all along. I was a fool to believe he’d actually wanted to help.
“I should have known,” I growled.
“You did,” he smirked. “You just had hope. Nothing wrong with that, Raven.”
I pulled my hand out of the Fae realm and unsheathed my sword.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I said.
“We’ll see about that.”
Flicking his hands to his sides, his claws came out. I swerved out of his reach as they slashed toward me. I spun around and swung my sword, but his wolf reflexes were faster. His eyes glowed as the true animal within him peeked out. That’s what he was—a beast. We went blow for blow, but neither of us could find an opening, a weakness. Giving up, Fen turned to his sister, and before I had a chance to register what she planned to do, Hel ripped off her chains and wrapped them around my wrist like a whip. She yanked, and my hand released the sword. My world froze.
“Thank you very much.” Fen bent to grab the Sword of Souls. I tried to reach for him, but Hel had a good grip on me, the chains tightening with every move I made. If I resisted too much, the chains could sever my hand.
This was my worst nightmare.
“You were the one who tossed my apartment,” I said as I put the pieces together. After a while, I’d assumed it was Odin.
“You’re just now figuring it out?” Fen grinned. “Do you know why Odin fears me?”
I remained silent.
“Because the Sword of Souls is the only weapon that can kill him. With it in my possession, he won’t stand a chance.”
“But only I can wield it.”
Fen chuckled and shook his head. “It was designed for you to wield it—to mold to your body. It feeds off souls, off the kills. Odin, the ultimate kill, is what it thirsts for most, and it doesn’t care who feeds it.”
It all made sense. If I stood by Fenrir’s side, he had access to the one weakness my father had. I was his favorite and he’d entrusted the sword to the one person he thought would never betray him. Here I was, fulfilling the prophecy.
“It doesn’t have to be this way, Fen. You don’t have to do this.”
The wolf’s grin fell just a smidge. His dark eyes were sad, and when I looked into his soul, it had lightened since the last time I’d seen it. The black clouds were gray, meaning he was at a crossroads.
“I see you, Fenrir,” I whispered. The wolf hadn’t been all bad. After a while, I saw his potential for goodness. I believed he could be better than his father, better than the rumors made him out to be.
Fen schooled his expression and cleared his throat. “I’m ready to go,” he abruptly said to his sister.
Hel flung my hand into the waterfall, giving them access to the realm.
“It’s been fun.” Fen winked.
With my hand in another realm, I couldn’t liberate myself from her chains, and the two of them strode through the entrance with ease. The warm water of the waterfall slid over my wrist, droplets landing on my hand that flexed with the need for release.
Once they were on the other side, I felt a tug on the chains and was freed from Hel’s hold, nearly falling on my ass. The first thing I did was grip my wrist that had been chained. A red mark encircled it, and I could feel the residual burn like I’d been branded.
They were gone. I was weak and stupid and completely fucked.
25
I punched the bark of Yggdrasil over and over again until my knuckles were raw and bloody. I didn’t cry. Valkyries did not cry, but I wanted to. It all happened so fast, and I let it happen. I’d stood there with my mouth open and allowed it all unfold. First Odin and now Fen. It was pathetic.
I’d been a pawn. I’d always been one. I was so worried about betraying Odin, I never thought of being betrayed. My breathing was erratic as I wandered the forest trying to find some reason within the chaos my life had become. My whole world had been tossed upside down, and for the first time, I had no idea what to do. I dropped to my knees and buried my face in my hands.
“Why have you forsaken me?!” I screamed at the sky. I pounded the ground with my fists, dirt flying around me from the force. “I’m alone.” I gasped, and the reality of it hit me like a bomb. My kind had abandoned me. All hope of ever making it back to Valhalla had vanished in a split second. I was never going back.
The nearest gas station was miles away, and when I reached it, I called Charlie. I told her to head to Will’s apartment as soon as possible. I didn’t know why I called her or why I wanted to tell them. My reaction should have been to travel the nine realms looking for Fenrir and Hel, to get my sword back. It was dangerous in the wrong hands, and it was everything Odin feared. Instead, I was back in Midgard.
I barreled into Will’s apartment where he waited with Charlie. They rushed over to me when they saw my bloody hands and bruised wrist.
“I’m fine,” I said, my voice rough as sandpaper.
“What is going on, Raven?” The worry in Charlie’s furrowed brows was evident. Something had to be wrong if I told her to return before the week was up.
“As promised, I took Fen to the Underworld to break out Hel,” I said and ran a hand through my hair. “They played me. Fen stole my sword and ran into the Fae realm. There was never a secret entrance to Valhalla.”
Will stood back silently, whereas Charlie was having a full-blown panic attack.
“How? What are you going to do? What are we going to do?” She gasped. “Oh my gosh, Raven, this is bad. This is very, very bad.”
“I know. Don’t need you to tell me.”
“Is this really a bad thing?” Will finally said.
“Excuse me?”
“Having the sword stolen. If Fen stays away, that means Odin will be chasing after him. You’ll no longer be a target.”
“And what? Stay in Midgard and live happily ever after?” I scoffed. “You’re delusional.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” Charlie said.
They were all insane. The one weapon that could kill Odin was in the wrong hands. I couldn’t sit around and do nothing. It was my responsibility.
“You don’t owe them anything.” He frowned. “Let them fight this battle themselves. You’ve done enough.”
“This is my path to redemption,” I muttered. “If I help Odin, he could send me back home.”
“Can he really?” Will said. “You keep placing your trust in people you think can send you back when no one can.”
The truth was like a knife through the heart, but it was a truth I didn’t want to hear.
Without another word, I grabbed my duffle bag with the few possessions I had and left. I’d left the trunk in Charlie’s apartment. Slamming the door behind me, Charlie’s pleas for my return could be heard until I made my way outside of the building. I was sure Will was keeping her from chasing after me.
I found myself the nearest bar and caved. I’d spent two days without a drink and it was coming to an end. I ordered a bottle of whiskey. The bartender couldn’t sell it to me, but with a little persuasion, he did as he was told. He now stood behind the bar, shell-shocked, and peered over at me every so often in fear I would stab him in the eye like my victims. With my face all over the news the last few weeks, I was infamous. I figured I might as well use it.
My Pez dispenser was at the bottom of my bag, and I had already refilled it twice. I sat in the booth in the corner of the bar for hours. I no longer knew what time it was, and I didn’t care. Finishing the last drop of whiskey, my vision was a blur. I was beyond drunk, the numbness a nice welcome. To feel nothing was a relief.
I saw a couple two tables down from me who looked madly in love. The girl’s eyes glittered with hope as she stared at her beau with adoration. The guy, on the other hand, spent most of the time looking at her tits. I was bored. They were young and impressionable. I could work with that.
Leaving my things at the booth, I walked over to the couple and took a seat at the empty chair.
“Well, aren’t you two adorable?” I grinned. “First date?”
The girl giggled and nodded.
I’d discarded my utility jacket, wearing only a tight tank top that accentuated my breasts. He couldn’t help but stare.
“I’m looking to have a good time.” I bit my lip, my hand landing softly on hers. It’d be easy to persuade a man, but this innocent little thing would need a push.
She shivered, and her doe eyes followed my fingers as they glided on her skin.
“What’d you have in mind?” The guy wiggled his brows, and her head swiveled to him. He shrugged.
“Follow me.” I took hold of her hand and pulled her to stand on shaky legs. She gulped a few times as she looked around, but no one was paying attention to us as I led them to the men’s restroom.
“Get out,” I told the guy washing his hands. He smirked and high-fived my new friend on his way out.
I turned to the girl, my hand sliding up her arm. “What’s your name, pretty girl?”
“Bethany,” she whispered.
“Okay, Bethany,” I smiled sweetly, “you tell me to stop whenever you want me to. Okay?”
She nodded. I already wasn’t welcome in Valhalla, so it didn’t matter what I did anymore.
I pulled the girl to one of the stalls. Once inside, I placed soft, feather-light kisses on her neck. She tensed at first but relaxed in my arms after a few seconds. Her beau stood behind her, entranced by the two women giving him a show.
After a while, she grew bold and her hands began to roam my hair. My lips glided across her cheek until they met hers, and she kissed me like she’d been deprived of sexual pleasure all her life. I took advantage of her momentary state of insanity and began unbuckling my jeans. I slid them off, removing them from one leg. With one last suck of her bottom lip, I gripped her hair and pushed her down on her knees. Bethany knelt in shock at the turn of events. She stared up at me, confused at what to do next, and I caressed her face to silently reassure her everything was okay and we were just having fun.
I propped my foot on the toilet seat and motioned her head forward. Bethany licked her lips before a devilish smile crossed her face. I shut my eyes, leaned my head against the wall of the stall, and let her go to town. Her licks were sloppy, and she had no idea what she was doing, but I didn’t care. I rolled my hips, holding her in place. She squeezed my ass, making me chuckle. No one was innocent.
Leisurely opening my glazed eyes, I stared at her boyfriend. “Don’t just stand there …” I nodded, directing him to her behind. “Make yourself useful.”
I was sure the moans could be heard all the way out in the rowdy bar, keeping any patrons away from using the restrooms. I stared at the ceiling and wondered what the hell I was doing. Valkyries didn’t cry, but I felt wetness on my cheeks and salt on my lips.
A knock on our door pulled me out of my thoughts. The humans down below were too buried in a cloud of pleasure to notice, much less care. I, on the other hand, looked outside the bathroom stall.
Lana stood by the open door, her eyes forcing themselves to look solely at me. I gave her a lazy grin.
“Want to join?”
“This is what you do? Self-destruct?”
I shrugged. “Nobody’s perfect.”
“Tell them to go,” she gritted between her teeth.
I snorted. “I don’t think so. As you can see, I’m a little busy. Come back later, after a few orgasms.”
“No. You must come with me. Now.”
The last person I thought would come looking for me was the medium. In all honesty, I thought Will would have been on a manhunt. Did I secretly wish for someone to come save me? I didn’t know; I was too much of a mess.
Never breaking eye contact with Lana, I gave one final hip roll and pulled Bethany away. I looked down at her doe eyes and held her by her hair. “I’m done.”
“What?”
The guy had stopped, their clothes everywhere on the dirty bathroom door. I pulled up my pants and wiped the corner of Bethany’s mouth. “Thank you,” I said and stepped over them, following Lana out of the restroom.
“Have you no shame?” Lana said with disgust. “Humans aren’t toys for you to play with as you please.”
We walked through the streets of Portland and assumed we were going to the cemetery.
“I don’t really care.”
“You do,” she said over her shoulder. “It’s why you have to drink yourself into a stupor before you do it. Do as you please, but you’re not fooling anyone.”
Silence followed as we walked the rest of the way. Lana unlocked the wrought iron gates to the cemetery and led me inside. It was the middle of the night and the only sound was the whooshing of the wind.
“Why am I here?”
“Verdandi would like to speak with you.”
I sighed. “I’m done dealing with the Norns.”
“Well, she’s not done with you.”
“Sucks for her,” I slurred and turned to leave.
“Hrefna,” Verdandi’s voice boomed into the night.
I whipped around but didn’t see her. All I saw was Lana standing still with her eyes rolled back, showing only the whites. The Norn had jumped into the medium’s body.
Great.
“What do you want?” I groaned.
“To get you to stop being so bloody stupid,” she barked. “I’ve been following you around, and all you’ve done is make one stupid move after another. You lost the Sword of Souls, so what? Your companions are right, Hrefna. You’re meant to stay in Midgard for now.”
I choked out a laugh. “Are you for real?”
“I’ve seen it, valkyrie. This is where you’re meant to be in this moment.”
“And after this? Where to?”
“I cannot see that far into the future.”
“How convenient,” I muttered.
“You have been chosen, Hrefna. Blessed to be the champion for the humans.”
My mouth hung open, and I was too drunk to stand up straight.
“Just kill me.” I sighed. “Don’t torture me anymore and put an end to my misery.”
All this talk of champions and destiny made me want to hurl. To be reduced from one of the greatest valkyries to have ever lived only to now be the human babysitter was downright embarrassing. I used them for my own selfish gain; I should be the
last person fighting for them.
“With time, you will see you’re the only person who can save them.”
“I hate you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” she said. “Do you remember when I asked about the pebble?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged.
“I want you to use it to bring me back to life.”
I let out a deep, rumbling laugh. “Are you insane? I only have one wish. I’m not wasting it on you.”
“You’re going to need my help. The gods are not finished with you.”
This bitch was missing a screw.
“Your body is destroyed. You’ll be a mangled mess if I bring you back. I’ll need a lifetime supply of duct tape to keep you together,” I joked.
“Use the medium. She has agreed to be my vessel.”
My mouth dropped.
“Think about it, Raven. Come back when you’re ready. I know you will need me.”
Lana sucked in a deep breath as Verdandi ejected herself from her body.
I needed another drink.
26
With my forehead on the door, I pounded my fist for someone to let me in. I felt the two souls I’d been looking for inside. This was the last place I wanted to be, but it was the only place I could go. The idea of being by myself was terrifying right about now, even after living decades alone. And that fear scared me even more. My people had deserted me, but the humans were breaking me. This was my end.
“Let me in,” I slurred and continued to knock.
Will flung the door open, and I stumbled inside.
“Whoa. Easy there,” I said, walked further into the apartment. They’d been waiting for me.
“You’re drunk.” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Perceptive as always.” I winked and went into his kitchen, and Charlie stopped me before I could get to the refrigerator.
“Enough, Raven,” she pleaded behind her glasses. Oh, Charlie. She had so much hope for me. It made my heart ache that I would never be what she wanted me to be.
The Last Valkyrie Series Complete Boxed Set Page 20
