“I’m covered up from head to toe; you literally can’t see me,” I deadpanned.
“Call it intuition.” He shrugged. “I know once I do, I’ll fall madly in love.”
“Give me a break.” I rolled my eyes, and for a second, I lost my Asgardian accent.
Fen stepped between us and held up a hand to his friend. “She’s spoken for,” he said, and that made me do a double take. Say what now?
The deal we made was that we were fuck buddies, and that was it. His dick in exchange for me giving up drugs and alcohol. Which now that I thought about it, that made it seem like his dick was gold or something. Either way, we promised not to make a big deal out of it, no emotions. Now I was spoken for? We needed to have a talk.
“Are you sure about that, friend?” Bram said, and Fen cleared his throat. I looked up to see them both staring at me. A frown marred my features. I’d been so wrapped up in my own head, I hadn’t been paying attention.
“Mind your business,” I said quickly, avoiding Fen’s questioning gaze. “Look, we have things to do, so if you don’t mind …” I pulled Fen by the arm and attempted to step around Bram.
“Hold one second,” he said, stopping me. Not like Fen was moving anyway. “What are you both doing in Asgard? Maybe I can be of some assistance.”
“We’re fine—” I started, but Fen cut me off.
“We need an audience with Freya,” he said, completely spilling our plan to this stranger—well, stranger to me.
“That’s easy, friend.” He patted Fen on the back. “I can get you in the palace.”
“But I need to avoid my father,” he said, as if this were a typical request of him.
Bram smirked. “Not a problem.”
3
The three of us stepped out of the alley, Fen and I with our hoods over our heads, and Bram led us to a stall where horses were tied and being fed. He untied a brown horse and handed the straps to Fen, while he took hold of a gray horse. I climbed behind Fen and wrapped my arms around his middle. I remembered when horses were a luxury brought over from Midgard. Now they were all over Asgard. Interesting.
“Whose horse is this?” Fen asked; I was dying to know as well.
“A friend of mine. He’s passed-out drunk in the pub. He won’t know a thing.” Bram winked as he tsked and dug his heels into the side of his horse, making it shoot forward as he steered it by the reins. Fen did the same, and we followed Bram down the cobble road toward the palace.
“So, you said you’ve been at war,” I said by way of conversation. “With Hel? When did she attack?”
“About a month ago,” Bram said over his shoulder. “She raised the dead, and they’ve been attacking the outskirts of Asgard. It’s been nonstop ever since.”
“She did that to Midgard a couple of months ago,” Fen said. “I don’t understand her motives.”
“She came here, you know.” Bram looked back at us. “One of the nights she attacked, she came and would only speak to your father. According to him, she wanted him to join her in rebuilding the realms.”
“And he refused?” Fen tensed beneath me.
“You seem shocked.” Bram chuckled.
“Loki loves chaos,” Fen mumbled. I held him tighter, and he placed a hand on my own. I rested my head on his back and closed my eyes, tuning out the conversation between the two of them.
I watched as we passed by storefronts and homes. I couldn’t believe I’d actually come back to Asgard. Odin would get a kick out of this if he found out. Then again, he hadn’t been back here in a while either. I knew the first thing Freya would ask me would be about Odin. I had to prepare my answer. I had to prepare many answers, because I’d be getting attacked from all fronts. I just had to remember why I was doing this—for Charlie, Will, and even Verdandi’s ol’ crazy ass. They’d been gone for too long, and I couldn’t even imagine what kind of torture Hel was putting them through. And here I was, horseback riding through Asgard. But it was for a good reason. It was for them. And now that I knew Asgard was being attacked as well, maybe we could work together. Maybe.
I was deep in thought when I noticed the rainbow garden up ahead, and I lifted my head instantly. “We’re here.” I looked over Fen’s shoulder to see the palace where Odin lived, where I spent much of my youth. I remembered my bare feet running through the wet grass and the smell of the fresh flowers in the garden. I inhaled a deep breath of the crisp air, and it was as if I’d never left, but it was many lifetimes ago.
I could see the stables from the road where Hildr, Fen, and I took Odin’s horse, Sleipnir, for a joyride. Where Odin made me behead my first horse. Many memories, not all good.
We came upon the palace with its open floor plan and pillars holding it high up above, almost to the sky. We rode to the stables and left the horses there before walking up to the front of the palace where guards were stationed at the entrance. They blocked our way until Bram whispered something to them. They stepped aside, and we were let in. I looked over at Fen, giving him a skeptical gaze, but he ignored me.
The ivory marble flooring was the same as the last time I was here centuries ago. Fen and I took off our hoods, and Bram stared at me with intrigue in his eyes as he wondered who I was. Since my hair was cut short, it was the only thing that deterred anyone from thinking I was a valkyrie. Because valkyries didn’t cut their hair. Ever. It was our most prized possession. But when I was stranded in Midgard, with no hope of being rescued for all those decades, I cut it as a means of survival. Valkyrie hair was too valuable, too dangerous in the wrong hands.
“Well, look who has returned. The prodigal daughter,” Freya stepped from behind one of the sheer curtains. She wore a white gown with a gold halter and a gold rope cinched at her waist. Her hair was long and glistening under the sun with two braids on either side pulling her hair back and away from her face. As always, she looked stunning. Like the goddess she was.
“Freya.” I stepped forward and smiled. “It’s nice to see you.”
She clasped her hands in front of herself and stepped forward. Her expression was neutral, which threw me off. She stopped just mere feet away from me, and I held my breath.
“Is it really, Hrefna? Is it really nice to see me?”
My mouth fell open, but nothing came out. I didn’t know what to say. What did she expect of me?
“Freya,” Fen said from behind me, and I welcomed the intrusion. “Our apologies for coming unannounced.”
“Fenrir,” she spat his name as if it tasted bad in her mouth. “Why am I not surprised?” She looked at me once again.
“It’s not true,” I choked out.
“Excuse me?” She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.
“I know what you’re thinking,” I said with much more confidence, finally finding my voice, “and it’s not true.”
“You mean to tell me you have no interest in killing Odin? After everything he’s done to you?” she asked with skepticism in her tone.
I didn’t know how much she knew, so I kept it vague. “He is still my father.”
She chuckled. “You valkyries, loyal until the bitter end.”
“Valkyrie?” I heard Bram whisper behind me, but I ignored it. So did Fen.
“I came to see you, Freya,” I said, watching her carefully. “I need your help.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “My help? That’s a first. What could I possibly do for you?”
Freya walked around me, encircling me as she sized me up. There really wasn’t much to look at since I was still wearing the cloak that hid everything, but the hair was obvious.
I stood straight, my head held high, and spoke, my voice unwavering. “I need to know where the other valkyries are.”
She froze and her breath hitched, and I realized then that there would be no need for an explanation. She knew exactly what I was talking about.
“The Sword of Souls, where is it?” she whispered to me so the others wouldn’t hear.
“Safe,” I whispered back. �
�I won’t let anyone hurt him,” I reassured her, and I was surprised at how true it was. I hated Odin, hated him more than I’d ever hated anyone in my long life, but he was still my father, and I couldn’t bring myself to kill him—no matter how much shit he put me through or the fact that he tried to kill me. Which was why I had Verdandi build the prison for him. It was the best alternative.
She exhaled a breath of relief, and I could tell she believed me. No matter what, she loved Odin, that much was obvious. Even if he left her and cheated on her all the damn time. Even if she wasn’t the true queen of Asgard. But I digressed.
Freya’s back straightened, and she tilted her chin. “Why do you want to know their location?” Her voice was commanding and cold again.
“I believe they can help us defeat Hel.”
She snorted. “A bunch of halflings with no training? You’re delusional, Hrefna.” Freya walked away from me, giving me her back.
“We’ll train them,” Fen said, and I closed my eyes. I really wished he hadn’t said anything.
Freya’s expression turned sour. “You?” She scowled. “An animal amongst men. They’d be better off without you.”
“Freya, please,” I interjected before Fen said anything more. “We can work together. I know Hel has been attacking Asgard as well. Let’s pull our resources—”
“Our resources?” She laughed. “You have none, which is why you’re here. Mistake number one. Guards!” she called out.
Soldiers in Asgardian uniforms came out from behind the pillars and curtains, and we were surrounded by at least a dozen.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Fen came to my side and pulled me closer to him.
Freya looked bored as she cleaned her nails absentmindedly. “I can’t touch you, Fenrir, because it would start a war with Loki, but you, Hrefna, are a wanted traitor. You should have known the minute you stepped foot onto Asgardian soil you’d be taken into custody for betraying your sisters and duty. Take her,” she commanded, and the swarm of guards came toward me.
Fenrir shifted into half man, half wolf, and a growl ripped from deep within him, vibrating through the land. His clawed hand latched onto my wrist, and he squeezed tightly, afraid to lose me.
I knew this would be a possibility. It was why I never went to Asgard after being stranded in Midgard because I’d be sent to prison for the decision I’d made. But I truly thought, after all these decades, Freya would be reasonable.
“You’re making a mistake,” I told her. “I won’t go willingly.” I untied my cloak from my neck and let it drop to the ground. I wore a black tank top that showed the two mangled scars down my back where I had ripped off my own wings. Bram and some of the soldiers gasped at the sight. I had sealed my wounds shut to never let my wings come back, but recently in a moment of desperation, they burst out of me, tearing my skin anew. It had taken me a while to get used to them again, but it was like riding a bicycle. You never truly forget.
The first guard came toward me, but Fen wouldn’t let me go, so I elbowed the soldier in the face and headbutted him, knocking him to the ground. Another one came toward Fen, and he swung me around, and I kicked the guard in the chest, then the nose. I landed back to back with Fen, and he only held on to me tighter.
“You have to let me go,” I said. I could hear the roughness in his breathing.
“Raven …,” he chided.
“Trust me.”
He flexed his hand and finally let go. I rotated my wrist, letting the blood flow back. I now faced three guards, and they were coming at me all at once.
“Good luck,” I told Fen and didn’t wait to hear his response. I charged forward, granting no mercy. I was different. I was sober. And nothing was holding me back anymore.
I released my honey-brown wings and flew up just a few feet until I wrapped my thighs around one of the guards’ neck. Twisting, I tossed my body to the ground until I heard the audible crack of his neck. I sprung up and ran toward the other two soldiers, my hands outstretched, and dug straight for their souls. My hands clawed into their chest, and I squeezed at their aura, making them seize. I didn’t look at it. I didn’t want to know whether they were good men or not; it would just make me feel like shit. I tore my hands out of their chests, still holding on to their souls, and let their bodies collapse to the ground. I hovered in the air as their souls flowed through me. I hadn’t felt this sort of power in a long time.
I looked below and saw Fen was being overpowered by four guards. Swooping down, I plucked two off him and threw them across the room and toward Freya. She dove out of the way, dirtying that pristine white gown of hers.
I flew to the other guard on Fen’s back just as thunder struck the sky above us. We all froze, because that could only mean one thing. We heard two pairs of footsteps as everyone stopped fighting and stepped away from one another. Fen came to my side and grabbed my hand. I tucked in my wings but didn’t put them away. I had nothing to be ashamed of, and I wasn’t going to hide who I was.
They hadn’t changed a bit since the last time I saw them, but it was odd seeing them together. Fen’s hand tightened in mine, and I squeezed it in comfort. This was the last thing he wanted.
Coming toward us was Loki, Fen’s father, in a deep purple tunic, a black cord at his waist. His dark hair and eyes were the same as Fenrir’s, but his hair was longer like most Asgardians. Beside him was Thor, thunder following him like a calling card. His brown hair was pulled up in a man bun, and it almost made me laugh at how ridiculous he looked. His warm smile greeted me as his hand rested on his hammer, Mjölnir, that was clipped to his waist.
“Freya,” Thor’s voice boomed, reminding me how deep it was. “Frigg would not be pleased by the chaos you have caused.”
I looked back at Freya who was behind us. Her face turned red as she watched the two gods that had arrived.
“I’m only doing Odin’s will,” she said, straightening her dirty gown.
“Frigg will determine Odin’s will,” Thor said, “as she is the true queen.” He looked around at the guards that remained. “Please remind the men who they answer to.”
“Yes, sir,” they all murmured as they quickly stood and exited the palace, leaving only Fen, me, Freya, Loki, Thor, and Bram. I’d almost forgotten him. He hadn’t joined the fight.
“Son.” Loki grinned widely and walked toward Fen and me. He took hold of Fen’s face and stared at him for a moment before pulling him into an embrace. Fen still didn’t let me go. “My boy, it’s been too long.” He clapped his back, and I stepped aside a little to give them space.
“Father.” Fen cleared his throat. “How did you know I was here?”
Loki stepped back.
“I told him,” Bram spoke up, and we all turned to look at him. “I told the guards to go get him.”
Fen’s nostrils flared, and his jaw ticked. I knew there was something shady about this friend of his.
“I didn’t know who she was,” Bram continued as he nodded toward me. “But she looked like trouble. And I was right.”
“She is trouble,” Freya said. “And the law states—”
Thunder rumbled. “Enough.” Thor held up a hand to stop her. “Bram, show Freya to her rooms.”
Before we knew it, Bram was escorting Freya out while she protested every step of the way until it was only the four of us left.
Thor walked around Loki until he stood in front of me, but Fen pulled me behind him.
“I’m not going to hurt her, Fenrir,” Thor said with a hint of a smile. I stepped aside—I didn’t like to hide—and I faced Thor head-on. “Hrefna,” he whispered. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has” was all I said as I stared into those hazel eyes. I never had any problems with Thor, though I never particularly liked him. Hell, I used to call him a moron because of how much he loved humans and Midgard. Now I just felt like a hypocrite.
“Walk with me,” he said, nodding toward the entrance of the rainbow garden.
“No!” Fen p
ulled me back. “No way.”
“Fen.” I turned and looked at him. “I’ll be okay.” I pulled my hand from his iron grip and stepped aside. “I’ll be back.”
Those dark eyes of his held all the worry of the world, and I felt bad leaving him. Worse, I was leaving him with his father. But maybe it was time he faced whatever issues he had with Loki as well.
I nodded to Thor and followed him out.
We walked in silence for the most part. Thor’s hands were held behind his back, and I walked beside him with my wings put away and my thumbs hooked in the belt loops of my jeans. Flowers bloomed around us, and the smells were intoxicating.
Thor motioned for us to sit on a bench, and I winced but followed him. It was the same bench I once sat at with Odin when he’d given me the Sword of Souls. This place held too many memories.
“Hrefna,” he started, and I looked down at my shoes. “I wanted to apologize.”
My head shot up, and I gawked at the god of thunder. “What?”
“I should have come for you a long time ago, once I realized Odin was never going to bring you home. I failed you.”
I frowned. “It’s not your responsibility.”
“We’re family, Hrefna.”
I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Yeah, technically we were half brother and sister, but we were more like the human version of cousins. But like distant cousins because there were so many valkyries, our relationship was almost nonexistent.
“There are thousands of valkyries, Thor. You can’t save everyone.” I snorted and looked back down at my shoes.
“You’re different, Hrefna, and you know it. Unlike the others, you grew up here. We spent time together. Unlike the others, I actually know your name.” He laughed, and I couldn’t help but laugh with him. There were too many of us to remember every single one of our names.
My laughter faded. “So, why didn’t you come for me?”
“There is no answer that I could give you that will be good enough, but I’m here now. You came to Asgard for a reason. What is it?”
The Last Valkyrie Series Complete Boxed Set Page 38
