“Thank the gods you’re okay,” Lilja said with a sigh. I looked between them and noticed they had dried blood on their clothes. It could have been from earlier attacks or new ones.
“I’m glad you made it out as well.” I smiled as I took her forearm and she took mine in what was considered a handshake. “I told you, you could do it.”
“Well, I had a good teacher,” she said, and we released each other.
“There are other things I’d be more than willing to teach you. All of you,” I said to the other valkyries, “once this is all over.”
“We would like that very much,” Lilja nodded.
Fen and I left the Tualatin Mountains, leaving the valkyries to rest and the others to train. We’ve had a long day and could use a bit of rest as well. Unfortunately, there was still too much to do and not enough time. Fen drove us back to his apartment where the others were waiting for us.
We walked in to find Thor and Charlie in the kitchen and Will nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Will?” I asked.
“What the hell happened to you?” Charlie took in our appearance, and I only imagined what we looked like. “Are you bleeding?” She jumped from the kitchen counter toward me.
“I’m fine.” I waved her off.
“Will is in bed, resting,” Thor said. “Is everything okay?”
Fen shook his head. “It looks like my father and mother are working with Hel.”
Thor’s big hands balled into fists, and he slammed them on the counter. “By the gods! I’m going to kill that weasel!”
Fen didn’t say anything in regards to the threat toward his dad. He really hadn’t said much at all since we left Angrboda’s house. I thought he was in shock. I hadn’t wanted to say anything, much less the wrong thing because I knew how much of a sensitive topic this was. I also didn’t want him to think I was doubting him.
“Thor, Asgard must be informed,” I said quickly, cutting through the anger. “They might not be aware.”
“I’ll go right away.” He wiped his hands with a dish towel and moved around the counter. “Will you take me?”
“Lilja can travel now. Tell her to take you,” I said. I couldn’t afford another trip to the mountains, and I didn’t want to leave Fen alone.
“Very well. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
Thor didn’t waste any time. He grabbed his hammer and was out the door without a look goodbye. But I understood the urgency. This sort of betrayal had to be reported like yesterday. For all we knew, Loki was Hel’s man on the inside. And we didn’t know what spies Loki had in Asgard. The whole realm was compromised.
“Wait,” I muttered and turned to Fen. “I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be, but I need you. I have to go with Thor. There’s something I have to do, but I don’t want to leave you like this.”
Fen smiled sadly. “I’ll be fine. Go.”
I kissed him quickly and waved at Charlie before racing out the door to catch Thor.
I’d just sent Thor through Asgard and promised to meet him at the rainbow bridge in two hours to bring him back. I was roaming Limbo now, passing the many doors of the different realms until I got to the golden double doors of Valhalla. There were intricate carvings of winged women warriors on the door flying above the sky, and my hand ran across it. A gold chain was wrapped around the handles of the doors, and I wished I could just rip them apart like Odin once had. I leaned closer against the doors, placing my ear against it as if I could hear inside. There was nothing but silence.
“Please,” I begged. “If anyone can hear me, there’s a war coming. We need you. Help us. Help Midgard. Help Asgard. Help the realms. Everything will be destroyed. I beg of you, sisters, help me.” My hands slid on the golden door, but nothing happened. No one was on the other side listening. I was on my own with this one. Me and the other valkyries. I just had to get used to it.
I pulled away from the doors, wiping a stray tear that fell down my cheek. “Hildr, if you’re there—I found them. But we can’t do it alone.” I touched the golden door once more and then turned to leave.
I continued down the path until I reached the end of Limbo. Gray clouds fogged my view, but even with my hiatus, I’d been through here so many times I could walk this path in my sleep. I ignored the groans of lost souls that shouted to be freed and focused solely on the cawing of ravens nearby.
Prison bars came into focus, and the clouds settled as Odin’s cage came into view. He was pacing the space he’d been given, not having noticed my arrival. This time, I put some distance between us.
“I see you’ve adapted to your new space,” I said as I crossed my arms across my chest.
Odin whirled around to face me, his expression grave. “You’ve come to visit—again.”
“Don’t sound so overjoyed, Father,” I deadpanned.
He prowled toward the bars and grabbed one on either side of his face. “I thought you were dead.”
I tilted my head to the side. “And why’s that?”
“Because if you went searching for the others, I was sure they’d have your head.”
I paused for a moment, eyeing him carefully. He really thought the valkyries were a bunch of savages. Was that why he killed them?
I itched to get closer to him, but I willed myself to stay put. “Why did you hunt them?” I whispered, curiosity boiling inside me.
“They are not pure, like you, Hrefna. They are halflings that should have never been born. Nothing but experiments gone wrong. What’s left are soulless monsters who must be destroyed before they destroy us.”
I frowned. “Is that really what you think? Because they were raised by humans they must be damaged? I thought you loved humans because of their flaws?”
“Humans, yes, but valkyries are supposed to be perfection,” he said eagerly.
“It’s not their fault. You produced more than you could retrieve. They were the forgotten, not the imperfect.”
His ancient eyes narrowed on me, and he grunted. “So you met them. Of course they welcomed you in. Your perfect feathers have already been ruffled.”
Truly, I didn’t know what made me come here, why I wanted to tell Odin I’d found them, and I’d survived contrary to his beliefs. How he viewed them made me angry, and the fact that he killed them because of it only infuriated me further. It was his fault they were left in Midgard. Just like me. But they were the ones suffering the consequences of his actions. All because of the great Odin.
“They’re good, you know,” I mumbled. “I thought you should know that. They’ll save Midgard, and no one will give them the credit they deserve. But I’ll make it my mission that everyone in all the nine realms know who they are.”
He scoffed. “Look at you. You think because you’re saving the world and—” He sniffed the air. “—ah, and you’re sober now, that you’re good? You’re a valkyrie, Hrefna. The things you’ve done, you can never take back. You will never be one of them—a human.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me. It was very similar to what Loki said about Fen. And maybe Odin was right—I’ve done too much wrong in my many lives, but what he failed to understand was I wasn’t trying to be human. What I sought was a human emotion—redemption. I didn’t know how I’d accomplish it, but fighting for Midgard was a start.
I turned my back on Odin and started to walk away. “You made me a monster, Father. But I will be redeemed.”
I entered Asgard with time to spare and decided to roam around for a while before I met Thor at the rendezvous point. Crossing the rainbow bridge into town, it was bustling with Asgardians, and it looked much more lively than the last time I was there. I walked the streets aimlessly and found myself standing in front of Ulfrik’s bar. The smell of mead wafted out into the street, and it was so strong my mouth salivated and my hands trembled.
“Are you just going to stand there all day?” someone said behind me, and I whirled around as if I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t be. Which I was.
“Bram,” I breathed. “What are you doing here?” He wore his soldier’s uniform—gold plates of armor on top of his tunics with a sword shielded at his waist.
“I seem to always run into you here at Ulfrik’s. Join me for a drink,” he said, nodding toward the bar.
I bit my bottom lip with nerves. The temptation was there. I wanted to so badly, but I shouldn’t. I couldn’t. Everything I’d worked on these past few months would have been for nothing.
“I can’t,” I said with disappointment clear in my voice.
“Aw, come on, just one drink,” he said as he grabbed my arm and brought me inside the bar.
I stumbled into the open floor plan with wooden seating all around and mainly men drinking. I snatched my arm out of Bram’s grip and looked up at him as he kept walking to the bar. He was ordering when I interrupted and asked for water instead. Bram gave me a sideways glance but didn’t say anything about it. When we were given our drinks, we went to sit at an open table in the middle of the pub.
“So, Hrefna, tell me about yourself,” he said by way of conversation. “I’m sure you’re quite fascinating.” He grinned wickedly, and something about him made me think there was an ulterior motive to his thoughts.
“You know I’m with Fen, right?” I said and wanted to roll my eyes at the fact that Fen made me monogamous. Gods above, when the hell did that happen?
“From what I’ve heard about you, that really shouldn’t matter.” Bram leaned forward, taking a big gulp of his drink.
That made me perk up, and not because he was trying to call me a slut, who cares, but because he was getting information about me from someone that knew me in Midgard. Someone who wasn’t Fen.
I smirked as if interested. “Oh really? And who might be giving away all my little secrets?”
His brow twitched as if he realized what he said, but he kept his grin. “Just a little birdie.”
Loki.
Loki was the little bird that told Fen there was a valkyrie in Midgard, which meant Bram is his little spy. Bram did run to get Loki when we first arrived, even though Fen told him not to. Things just got a little interesting.
I took a sip of my water to wet my parched throat and reached for his hand. “Well, since you know what I like, how about we get out of here and play a while?” I licked my lips for emphasis and then bit my lower lip slowly. His eyes gravitated to my mouth, and he nodded.
We got up from the table and walked out of Ulfrik’s bar. Bram grabbed my hand and motioned me down the street, but I shook my head.
“No.” I nodded toward the alley across the street. “I like it a little dirty.” I tugged him forward, and he followed.
When we made it to the end of the dark alley, I started to unbuckle his armor, and he hurriedly took it off. When the top and armbands were off, he pushed me to the brick wall and started to unbutton my jeans, his mouth coming to kiss across my shoulder and neck. I took that moment to lift my foot up on the wall and dig in my boot for my dagger.
His hands roamed freely around my waist and hips as he tried to slide my pants off. That’s when I stabbed him in his side.
He screamed.
I kneed him in the balls and pushed him off me. Bram fell to the grimy ground, clutching his bleeding side.
“Bloody hell!” he shrieked. “Are you mad?”
“Actually, yeah, I am.” I squatted down beside him. “What was your plan? Fuck me then kill me? Kill me mid-orgasm? That would have been fucked up.” I pulled out my other dagger.
Bram glared at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I chuckled. “Sure, you do, little spy.” I waved one of my daggers in his direction. “I’m just surprised you took your armor off. You must have been real confident.”
He spit at me. “Screw you, you filthy whore!”
I dug my dagger into his thigh and twisted. “That’s no way to speak to a lady,” I said as he cried out in pain. “Now, tell me why Loki wants me dead.”
I didn’t get a chance to hear a response because Bram shot up and headbutted me. I fell back, pulling my dagger out of his thigh and gripping both daggers tightly in my hand.
“Ah shit.” I rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand.
We both stumbled to get up, and once we were facing each other, he unsheathed his sword and held it in front of himself. Yeah, no fair.
“You want to fight me, valkyrie?” he grumbled. “I’ll give you a fight.”
He swung, and I dodged, going on the defense in the confined space we were in. I couldn’t take this fight out to the street because it would attract attention, and if people saw me fighting an Asgardian soldier, I’d be the one in trouble.
I blocked his steel with my daggers, and the force vibrated down to my bones. I tried to find an opening to stab him, but I couldn’t get close enough. So I guessed I’d have to go with plan B.
“How could you go against your own people?” I said as I swerved another blow. We walked around each other, waiting for the next one to make a move. “Teaming up with Loki, is teaming up with Hel. You’re destroying your own world.”
“I’m making it better!” he yelled and swung. “Loki will make Asgard better.”
I laughed. “You believe Loki can lead Asgard?”
“Better than Odin ever could.”
I didn’t have a retort because Odin had abandoned everyone. No wonder Bram was susceptible to the likes of Loki.
So this was Loki’s bargain with Hel—he would get Asgard in the end. I was definitely not surprised.
“If he’s after Asgard, why does he care about me?” I dodged another blow.
“Loki doesn’t believe in creating new souls,” Bram said, out of breath. “Taking you out of the game is the most logical answer.”
Fen told me Hel wanted to remake the nine realms, start from scratch. She believed that since valkyries could see and destroy souls, they could also create them. So for her new realms, Hel wanted to create everything brand new. It was why she kidnapped Charlie and Will, as leverage to have over me. If only Hel knew this was a total bogus idea. There was no way valkyries could create new life. And Loki knew that.
I held my hands up and dropped my daggers on the ground. They clanked against the cobble floor. “I agree with Loki,” I said, hoping he didn’t strike. Bram held his sword up, pointed at me, but he stood still, watching me. “I don’t believe in creating new souls. I can’t create new souls. It’s impossible. So instead of fighting one another, let’s work together.”
Bram puts the tip of the sword to my neck and pierced my skin. I could feel the dribble of blood sliding down my neck. I swallowed loudly and it made him smirk.
“I should gut you,” he growled.
I sighed. “You really should.” I grabbed the steel with both hands, feeling it cut through my palms, but ignored the pain. I twisted it to the side and pushed forward, hitting him in the gut with the hilt. He released the sword, and I threw it behind me as far away from us as possible. Before he could react, I landed a punch in his face before jumping on him and wrapping my arm around his neck. He dropped to his knees and tried to pull me away, but I tightened my grip. He gasped for air, but I wasn’t relenting. Bram tapped my arm for release until he fell limp in my arms, and I dropped him on the ground.
“Impressive,” Thor said from behind me.
I chuckled and looked over my shoulder. “You were standing there the whole time and didn’t think to give me a hand?”
“You looked like you had it handled.” He tapped his hammer at his waist.
“You’re a dick.” I stood from the ground and wiped my bloody hands on my jeans. “He’s working with Loki.”
“I gathered as much. I informed Tyr about Loki, and he’s furious.”
I picked up my daggers, wiping them on my pants and then placing them back in my boots. “How’d you know where I was?”
“Well, when you didn’t show at the bridge, I waited for some time. Then I went searching for
you. I asked around for any funny-dressed woman around, and many pointed me to Ulfrik’s. It didn’t take long to find you after that.”
“Thanks for searching for me.” I wiped some sweat off my forehead.
“I told you, Hrefna, I won’t leave you behind again.”
I nodded, and then Thor went in search of some soldiers to notify Tyr. We didn’t have to wait long for him to show up with a couple of soldiers ready to shackle Bram up and take him away. I informed the two gods what Loki’s motivation was so they were prepared. It was their home he was after.
“Have the dead continued to attack?” I asked Tyr.
He shook his head. “Ever since we learned of their plan and dismantled it, they haven’t been back. It’s been quiet, but we know that won’t last long.”
“She has the giants now, so be prepared.”
He nodded. “It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve fought giants.”
We said our goodbyes, and Thor and I headed back to Midgard.
When we exited the Yggdrasil, the mountains were quiet—too quiet. I hurried to the campsite where the valkyries were staying and found their tents, but they were nowhere to be seen. Fires had been extinguished, and all of their tents were empty.
“Thor … where are they?” I asked as I looked around the quiet. “Lilja!” I called out as I hurried around the maze of tents scattered through the forest. The burning wood was still smoking, so they had been here not too long ago. They just left.
“We should get back to the apartment, Hrefna. Something doesn’t feel right,” Thor said with furrowed brows. “They left in a hurry.”
I turned toward Thor when suddenly the earth started to quake. I crouched to the ground, hovering with my arms spread out, trying to maintain balance.
“Is that a giant?” Thor asked, standing straight as if the movement didn’t bother him.
I placed my hands on the soils as the ground continued to shake and felt beneath us and closed my eyes. I shook my head. “It’s the roots, not a giant.” My eyes popped open. “The Yggdrasil!” I shot up and ran toward the tree, not caring if Thor followed or not.
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