Out of nowhere, a pail of water was dumped over me.
“What the hell!” I shrieked.
“There we go,” Will said as he set the bucket down.
“Are you crazy?” I sniffed the air. “And what is that smell?” I grimaced.
“That,” he pointed at me, “is water from a busted pipe I’m waiting for my landlord to fix.”
“Motherfuc—”
“Raven!” Charlie gripped my arm. “Stop acting like a little bitch.”
Will and I stared in shock at pure, innocent Charlotte.
“What?” she shrugged. “I sometimes curse too.”
“Right,” the detective and I said in unison.
“Anyway, you’re acting like a complete brat. Yes, everything went to shit, but you know what? You’re alive! Your name has been cleared and you’re no longer regarded as a murderer. We had some losses, but there was also a win. Appreciate it.”
“Fuck Odin and everyone else,” Will said. There was a rare anger in his voice, a passion that was unyielding. “What the hell do you want? Not what you think you want, but what do you actually want?”
I was thrown back by his question. I’d always wanted to be a valkyrie. It was all I’d ever known. Taking that away left me without an identity. What would I be?
“You don’t know, do you?” Charlie said. “That’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” I shook my head. “I’ve become weak.”
“That is not weakness,” Will said. “It makes you human.”
Little did he know, that was the biggest insult he could have ever given me. A valkyrie behaving like a mortal? It was laughable.
“Why do both of you insist on helping me?”
“Why do you keep coming back to us?” Will said.
“I’ve been using you this whole time.”
“Have you?” Charlie pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “You didn’t have to save me from Joseph Castellano, but you did.”
“You protected me when we faced those hellhounds. Hell, even from Fenrir sometimes,” Will added.
“You’re reading too much into stuff.”
“Sure …” Charlie smiled.
The detective came closer, his eyes focusing on only me. “You haven’t lived, Raven. Odin took your life away from you. Anything that was ever pure and kind was ripped from you before you could even think of who you wanted to be. You’re free, Raven. Live.”
I looked away. The training of a valkyrie wasn’t sunshine and roses, and I never thought about what I could have been had Kara not taken me under her wing after I’d been ripped away from my human mother. I was the best because I was molded to be a killer. A seductress. Invincible. I was never given an option.
The conversation was making me uncomfortable.
“No one made me become a valkyrie.”
“But they did make you stay in Midgard,” Charlie said. “You’re here, and you’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Make the most of it.”
“I don’t have much of a choice. I’m stuck here either way.” I shook the droplets of dirty water from my hair and wiped my face with my shirt.
I could chase after Odin, or Fen and Hel. I could even continue my quest in trying to open the realm to Valhalla. But what would I gain? I’d spent the last seven decades trying to go back to the past instead of building a future. Now I had two people in front of me who wanted to be a part of that future.
“Seems I might have to start looking for a job,” I said, changing the subject.
“In the meantime, you can always stay with me.” Charlie reached for my hand. She was too good for me, and I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t respond. The last thing I wanted to do was put her in harm’s way—again—although, the danger should be over by now. They were right; Fen and Hel would be Odin’s problem. I was sure Hugin and Munin had already reported the situation and my father was running for his life. I would be the furthest thought from his mind.
“You’re looking for a job, eh?” Will raised a brow. “Just so happens Portland PD is looking for a consultant on a very high-profile case.”
I groaned. “Don’t say what I think you’re going to say.”
“C’mon, Raven. Who would be better than someone with inside knowledge of Castellano’s operation? You’re the perfect criminal informant.” He followed me out of the kitchen. “It doesn’t hurt that you do ‘cross training.’”
“CIs don’t get paid.”
“Which is why I said consultant.”
“I’d have to work with Thompson.”
“I’m sure he’ll love having you around,” Will smirked.
I bit the smile that wanted to come out. This human was nuts. Both of them were mental. A human and a banshee? It was a recipe for disaster. Their need to fix me was ridiculous. I was broken beyond repair.
Every bone in my body wanted to go and protect Odin, even if he was trying to kill me. It was ingrained in me, but I had to push those thoughts out of my mind. Verdandi insisted I was this champion the humans needed, but I didn’t believe her. That was something I’d worry about another day. For now, I might as well keep a promise I’d made to Ken, the kitsune vigilante. Joseph Castellano was out in the wind, and he still had to pay for what he had done to Charlie.
I didn’t believe in this humanity bullshit, but I was a firm believer in justice. I’d figure out what I wanted someday. And I would retrieve the Sword of Souls again. Not because of Odin, but to show Fenrir I was the wrong one to mess with. He’d regret the day he crossed me. But that would have to wait, and I’d bide my time in Midgard.
My rise to glory will come. In the meantime, I am the last valkyrie.
The Sword of Souls
1
I was high, but not the kind I wanted to be.
I was literally high—about sixty floors above ground—and while heights didn’t usually frighten me, it was too early in the morning to have to deal with this.
The sun beamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding me, and I lowered the pitch-black sunglasses that sat atop my messy, shoulder-length hair. The sting in my eyes had eased, but it was still there, lingering in the back. I pulled the Pez dispenser from my back pocket and popped actual Pez candies into my mouth. The habit was supposed to help keep me sober, and let me tell you, being sober sucked. Especially at eight o’clock in the morning.
“What are we doing here, Will?” I grumbled as I munched on the hard candies, knowing it drove Will insane.
He winced from the sound as he walked around the empty office space. “We’re following a lead,” he said. “This floor used to be rented out to Joseph Castellano, a.k.a. The Boss. His lackeys might have left some clues behind as to where we can find him.”
I threw back my head and sighed heavily. “Why couldn’t your partner come with you?” I had other things to do than shuffle around dirty and empty office spaces. Like still be in bed until noon, but he didn’t need to know that.
Detective William Callahan had done a lot for me in the last few weeks, including getting me this consulting gig with the Portland Police Department, which technically made me his temporary partner. Instead of correcting me, he ignored me, as usual, and continued to search for anything out of the ordinary. I was sort of over trying to find The Boss after a week of searching. He was gone, that much I knew. The whole Portland PD was on alert and his face was all over the news. No idiot would stick around with this much heat on him. Yes, I wanted revenge for what he did to Charlie—and I’d get it if I ever saw him again—but I had other plans to worry about until then. I was immortal; I had his whole lifetime to find him.
“There’s nothing here, Will.” I kicked at some dust on the ground littered with paper.
“You’re not even looking, Raven.”
“I am! But it’s just an empty space. Unless you want me to read all these loose papers.” I motioned to the floor.
Will turned to me and gave me a knowing look. That was exactly what he wanted me to do. Of course, i
t was.
“Damn you,” I whispered. “You’re getting my chiropractor bill.”
He snorted. “Send it to the PPD.”
We spent three hours bending down to pick up loose papers and reading them to find some trace of Joseph Castellano, but we came up blank. I knew we would from the very beginning, but Will held on to hope.
“Dammit!” he yelled. “Are you sure you haven’t heard anything?”
I shrugged. “The drug Venom is still being distributed to supernaturals, but I don’t know how.”
“Get me into the Underground, and I’ll handle the rest.”
I grimaced. “Are you crazy, Will? I’ve told you this a million times: you’re human. They’ll sniff you out a block away. No way. And even if we go undercover at the Underground, how are you going to explain it to your superiors?”
He ran a hand through his hair and down his scruffy beard. “I’ll figure it out, but we need to get this drug off the street and Castellano behind bars. Don’t you agree? Or do you not care anymore?”
My jaw locked and ticked. I crossed my arms over my chest. We seemed to have this argument more often than not nowadays. Will thought I was this chosen one for some reason, a champion for humans, and was constantly questioning my allegiance. I was honestly trying to make it day by day. I really wanted to tell him he’d better be happy he’d helped me get sober … somewhat sober. I was working on it. But I needed to take baby steps. It’d only been a few weeks since my whole life imploded and I was just now picking up the pieces.
“I can ask Charlie if she’ll come scope out the Underground with me,” I responded. I wasn’t going to get into an in-depth conversation with him, not before some liquid substance. Like I said, I was working on it.
“Thank you, Raven.” He sighed, and his shoulders sagged. He’d manipulated me, and I let him. I didn’t care though. I needed a drink.
I knew Charlie would help; she wanted to catch him just as badly. He’d kidnapped her, and although she hasn’t wanted to talk about it, I knew it had bruised her ego to have been taken down by a human. I also felt like something else had happened, but she refused to talk about it. I didn’t want to push her. She’d come to me in her own time. The library was the last place I was headed though.
Day drinking was a regular thing for me, so I wasn’t embarrassed walking into the empty bar. I hopped onto a stool and slapped the countertop.
“Whiskey, neat,” I said to the bartender and put some cash on the bar top.
The drink came fast, but I didn’t drink it fast—I savored it. It’d been twelve hours since my last drink, and who knew when my next one would be.
“I was wondering when you’d get here.”
I smacked my lips and grinned. “I got held up. Human stuff.” I turned my head and looked at Lana, the medium, who sat next to me. She was a short woman with very distinctive Native American features and had long black braids that reached below her hips. I could tell from her glossed-over, milky-white eyes that Lana wasn’t here. It was Verdandi, one of the Norns possessing Lana’s body.
“Right now, you don’t have time for ‘human stuff,’ as you say,” Verdandi replied.
“You said I was the humans’ champion, so I’m championing.” I shrugged and took another drink of my whiskey.
She sucked her breath through her teeth. “You can’t be their champion without the Sword of Souls. I told you this the last time we spoke. You must make it your mission to get it back!”
I turned away from her and looked at my reflection in the mirror behind the bar. “And if I don’t?”
Will and Charlie had done a good job convincing me to give up on chasing Fenrir, Loki’s son, who had stolen my sword from me. I trusted Fen—we all had—he used me so he could free his sister Hel from the Underworld. I wasn’t going to be the pawn in all these prophecies and tales anymore. Odin, my father, abandoned me because he predicted I would betray him in order to help Fen, his eternal enemy, and I did. His prediction came true—unintentionally, of course. My father abandoned me way before it ever came to fruition, but still, I was done being the sucker.
“If you don’t find it, Hrefna …” Verdandi called me by my given name. She reached for my hand and gripped it tightly. “This world will see terror like never before,” she continued, her voice hard, “and you will be defenseless to stop it. Only with the sword will you have a chance to save the human world from destruction.”
I snatched my hand from her. After that declaration, I couldn’t sip my whiskey any longer. I threw it back and ordered another one. This called for a double.
“Destruction of the human world?” I chuckled. “What have you been smoking, and can I have some?”
“I’m being serious, and so should you, Hrefna,” Verdandi reprimanded. “You’ve seen the state of affairs of the humans. It’s not good. Dark times are coming, and you must be ready.”
“What about Ragnarök?” I took my second drink from the bartender. “That’s why Odin needs the sword, not for the humans.”
It had been foretold Ragnarök would be the end for all gods, wiping them off all nine realms. Fenrir was destined to kill Odin with my sword.
“Ragnarök is not for some time,” Verdandi replied. “Fenrir cannot start it without the sword anyway, so if you steal it—”
“Gotcha,” I nodded, “but then he’ll be after me again. He’ll want the sword back.”
“It’s yours, Hrefna. It’s been yours from the very beginning. Fenrir can want it, but it has never been his to want. At least you’ll be prepared this time.”
That was true. I’d know what he’d want, and he wouldn’t get it—I’d make sure of it. If I went this route, Will and Charlie wouldn’t approve. I’d promised to let Fenrir go and move on. I promised to get sober and focus on helping humans—starting with catching Joseph Castellano who was feeding supernaturals the drug Venom that was killing them off. I’d agreed to this, so if I decided to pursue Fen, it’d have to be in secret. Then again, if I explained what Verdandi was saying, they’d understand. I didn’t want to lie, especially to Charlie. Hell, or even to Will. They had done so much for me, and I was a shitty liar.
“I have to tell Charlie and Will. I can’t lie to them,” I said as I threw my drink back.
“They won’t understand.” Verdandi leaned forward. “One’s human and the other one wants to be human.”
“I’ll make them understand, but I have to tell them. If not, I’m not doing this. I refuse to chase after Fenrir without them.” I gulped loudly, surprised by my own words. I’d been a loner for so long. Decades, really, so taking others into consideration was a milestone.
Verdandi pressed her lips into a straight line and huffed. “Fine. Consult with your comrades if you must. We’ll meet here tomorrow at the same time.”
She left the bar clearly unnerved, but I didn’t care. I was the one putting my neck on the line. My way or nothing at all. I drank the rest of my whiskey, threw some cash on the bar, and left before I could order another drink.
The library where Charlotte O’Malley worked was in the middle of nowhere and constantly empty. I would have quit by now, but Charlie loved it. The quiet and remoteness was what attracted her to this location in the first place and, of course, so did all the books. We were polar opposites this way and in other ways. I looked homeless most of the time in jeans and whatever tank top and flannel or jacket I could find, whereas Charlie was neatly polished in her pencil skirts, button-up shirts, and black-framed glasses. And forget about my messy bed hair I never combed. Her strawberry-blond hair was always pulled into a tight ponytail away from her face. Like I said, she was put together, while I was a hot mess. Regardless of our differences, we are kindred spirits. There was a reason Charlie and I found each other, and she was the friend I desperately needed.
“Raven!” Charlie called out from the help desk as I entered. “I didn’t know you were coming.” She smiled widely, her hazel eyes twinkling under the fluorescent lights.
&nb
sp; “Yeah,” I smiled back at her, “I just came from the PPD.” A little white lie never hurt anybody. I chewed on a ton of gum on the way here and sprayed some perfume to kill the stench of alcohol.
“How’s Will?” she inquired as she stacked books onto a metal cart.
“Uh … he’s good. Same ol’ Will, ya know.” I shrugged. “I actually came by because we have a favor to ask of you.”
“Oh yeah?” She quirked a brow but continued to stack her books.
I nodded as if she could see me, but she wasn’t paying attention. “Yes.” I cleared my throat. “You see, we’ve been meeting some dead ends recently in our search for Joseph Castellano, and we think our best bet is probably following the drug trail. The best way to do that, though, is to follow the Venom through the supernaturals, which means—”
Her head popped up, her ponytail whipping to the side. “Which means you need to go to the Underground.”
“Precisely.” I squinted. “I wouldn’t have asked unless it was absolutely necessary—”
“I’m in. What do you need?” She dropped what she was doing and dusted her hands on her thighs before making her way around the help desk.
I chuckled awkwardly and grabbed her shoulders. “Slow down there, little banshee. We’re not going there right this second. I still need to clear it with Will that you agreed and set up a plan.”
Her body deflated. “We can’t let him get away with this.”
“And we won’t,” I whispered as I held on to her. “We will get him, and you’ll be there when we do. I promise.”
She nodded.
I knew better than to make promises I couldn’t keep, but I would try my damnedest to make this one come true. Charlie needed a win.
“Good.” I smiled. “I’ll get Will to come over tonight so we can hash out a plan.”
I quickly walked out of the library before I said anything else that could get me in trouble. Tonight, not only would we come up with a plan to follow the drugs to catch Castellano, but I would also tell them my plans to go after Fen and the Sword of Souls. I knew they’d be disappointed in me, but that sword was mine and I couldn’t wait any longer.
The Last Valkyrie Series Complete Boxed Set Page 21
