Valkyrie's Kiss

by Kristi Jones

  "What would happen to you? If this Odin turned up?"

  "I don't know. Odin rarely takes an interest in our affairs these days." I returned to the business of kissing my way down to his waiting erection. "Do you really want to talk about this now, Jess?" I said, in between kisses.

  A low guttural moan was my only answer.

  ****

  The fire was long dead, and I felt a shiver run through Jesse's naked body. I wondered what would happen if we just stayed at The Nest. We could spend our days and nights making love, eating, drinking each other in. Forever.

  But someone would come. Mother might decide to have another child—or any one of the dozen or so Brunhilde descendants who shared ownership of the castle. No, I couldn't keep Jess locked away forever. Even if I could keep him for a decade or so, even if he agreed to isolate himself from the world he knew, I wouldn't be able to live with the theft. For theft it would be, the stealing of a mortal man's life. The whole point in saving him was to give him his life back.

  "Why was Gustel so afraid of this witch?" Jesse's voice startled me.

  "You're awake."

  "She was scared. Your sister."

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  "Skuld can tell you things that you don't want to know."

  "What kinds of things?"

  "The future."

  "That doesn't sound so bad."

  "Maybe not, but it's very bad for a Valkyrie."

  "Why? What happens to a Valkyrie who hears her future?"

  "She dies."

  "But you said Valkyries were immortal."

  "We are. But there are lots of ways to die, Jess. Imagine if you knew every minute of your future? Every event, significant and insignificant, for a hundred years. Now imagine extending that knowing into infinity. It's like being on a constant instant replay. It drives Valkyries mad. If I hear what my future is, if Skuld tells me all there is to discover in this long, long, everlasting life, it would be the end of me. Of my mind, anyway. My body would go on, but the essential self would die."

  "Sounds like a nightmare."

  "It would be. A nightmare that never ends. Ever. So I'll need you to talk to her."

  "What would I say?"

  "I'll tell you what to say.”

  "I don't understand. Why would this witch want to drive Valkyries mad?"

  I lifted my shoulders.

  "What are you smirking at?" Jess said, suddenly angry.

  "I'm not. It's just very mortal of you, to think she needs a reason."

  "I thought that's what you liked about me."

  "It is. And as it happens, there is a reason."

  "So you're just being difficult."

  "I’m not trying to be,” I said, teasing. He smiled at me and ran his hand along my naked hip. I closed my eyes, hoping we could drop the conversation.

  “So what is the reason then?” Jess said, dropping his hand.

  “Well, if you must know, legend says that the great goddess Skuld got bored being one of the Norns.”

  “One of the Norns?”

  “You’ve heard of the Norns, surely? The goddesses who rule the fates of gods and men? I’m not sure how much power they still hold after so many centuries, but it is said that they once knew the fate of every god and every human. But supposedly, this power wasn’t enough for Skuld. She asked and received permission from Odin to be a Valkyrie. She left her duties at the Tree of Life and took to the battlefield. The elders say that Skuld was covetous. She used her knowledge of the Fates to claim many warriors. The Valkyries felt it was unfair for a true goddess to hold court over her inferiors and to best them in battle. From there, the story gets a little murky."

  "How so?"

  "Well, I've heard different versions. Some say that Skuld took Sigurd as a lover, stealing him from my ancestor, Brunhilde. As punishment for this, Brunhilde and some other Valkyries arranged for Sigurd to be killed. Legend holds that to this day, Skuld exacts her revenge on the Valkyries she wanted to join by telling them of their fate."

  "God. I don't know if you're crazy or cursed or..."

  "I am what I am, Jess. Just like you."

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

  "You didn’t.” I leaned closer to him and kissed his shoulder, savoring the feel of his smooth skin. “I know this is all new to you, but really you don’t need to learn all our old myths and legends. I just need you to talk to Skuld for me."

  "I'll do it," Jess said, letting out a long breath, "of course I’ll do it. But you'll be there, right?"

  "Yes, I'll be there. I'll stuff my ears with cotton so I can't hear her. I'll speak for you when I can, but you'll need to listen to the answers."

  "What if the witch is really loud, Sabrina? I don't think cotton is going to work."

  "Hopefully she'll take pity on me."

  "Pity on you?"

  "Most Valkyries who seek out Skuld are looking for something. They need something for themselves. Hopefully once she sees that we're asking for help for you, she won't tell. It's our only shot."

  "I don't like this. There has to be another way."

  "There isn't. The only other way is I kiss you and you die."

  "So maybe..."

  "No, Jess. I'm not doing that."

  Chapter Six

  The night blended into a dark and rainy morning. We dressed and ate the last of the MREs in Jesse’s pack. I boiled some water over a small fire in the grate to make coffee.

  Jess was quiet and thoughtful, mirroring my own mood.

  The carriage house was located just a few hundred yards from the courtyard door. Inside were two vehicles, a 1957 Volkswagen bug and a 1986 Mercedes. I chose the Mercedes, and we were soon winding our way through the mountains, along the Deutsche Alpenstrasse, the German Alpine Road, heading for Austria.

  "It's really beautiful here."

  "Yes. It's prettier when the sun is out. In winter, the sunshine striking the snow makes the mountains luminous.”

  Crossing the border into Austria, the picturesque valleys and red-tiled roofs gave way to billboards and dilapidated housing. Where southern Germany was all grass covered hillsides and flowing waterfalls, Austria was bustling city streets, crowded avenues, and inexpensive living.

  "It's like crossing the Brooklyn Bridge."

  "Is it? I wouldn't know."

  "You've never been?"

  "Has there been a battle in Brooklyn?"

  "Not that I know of," Jess said, laughing. "So you've only been to battlefields? What about the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls? Los Angeles or Miami?"

  I shook my head. "I was at Antietam. Yorktown."

  "Ever been to Texas?"

  "Is that where you're from?"

  "Houston."

  "Ah. No, I've never been to Texas. I think Gustel was there once. Mexican war."

  We drove the rest of the way in silence. Jess watched the rolling hills and endless fields of hops roll by, that little muscle in his jaw twitching, lost in thought. It wasn’t long before we were edging through the crowded streets of Salzburg.

  "There it is," I said, pointing to Hohensalzburg Castle. One of the largest medieval castles in all of Europe, Hohensalzburg Castle loomed over the city of Salzburg like a temple. It sits atop the Festungsberg mountain, a sprawling white fortress made of ever-enduring limestone. Its walls and turrets rose up as if the mountain itself had generated the fortress as an adornment.

  I followed the street signs to the parking garage. When we passed into the mountain, Jess shifted in his seat. "We're driving into a mountain?"

  "Yes. There aren’t a lot of places to build parking lots in the mountains.”

  "When are we going to see this witch?"

  "Now. We're here."

  "We're in a parking garage, Sabrina."

  "She lives under the mountain."

  "This is going to be kind of amazing, isn't it?"

  I smiled, despite my own churning stomach. I couldn't help but smile. He was unlike any mortal I'd
ever met. Were all the men from his generation so open minded and fearless? If so, I hadn't seen it. I wondered how much my own unhappiness and boredom with my duties had blinded me to this fresh generation of warriors.

  "A parking garage inside a mountain? I've never even heard of such a thing before."

  "It's unique." I found a parking space and pulled in. My heart was beating a faster rhythm than its usual clock ticking regularity. I was nervous about facing Skuld.

  The garage was packed with cars, but I didn't see any other mortals. The gray walls seemed to press in around me. We followed the painted fire-engine red lines that marked out a walking path to the nearest elevator.

  I pushed the down button and waited.

  "So this witch lives under the mountain. It doesn't seem like much of a hiding place if you can just take the elevator."

  "I'm not sure she is hiding. People usually hide from Skuld, not the other way around."

  "Oh. Right."

  We took the elevator down to the bottom level. The doors opened onto an expanse of stainless steel.

  I pulled my necklace out from underneath my shirt.

  I held up the symbol for the Wings of the Valkyrie, closed my eyes and muttered the charm under my breath. I felt the metal wings heat in my hand.

  Jess gasped, letting me know that the ancient metal glowed a ghostly blue now. I opened my eyes, and the stainless steel door shimmered. Flashes of blue and red glinted in the molten metal like distant galaxies.

  "Oh my God," Jess said, and stepped back.

  A wave undulated through the glimmering steel before the wavering mirage dropped away completely.

  An expanse of black nothingness yawned before us where the door had been just moments before.

  "You have to go first."

  "But there's nothing here," Jess said, tentatively leaning his head forward, careful to stay well back from the precipice. "There's just empty space here, Sabrina."

  "I know, Jess. This is the way. You have to go first. The seeker must enter first."

  Jess stepped back, pulling me with him. "Have you ever done this before? I mean, have you ever brought a ... a mortal here?"

  Sweat coated the top of his upper lip, and I resisted the urge to kiss it away. Instead I wiped it away with my finger. He didn't flinch.

  "No," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I haven't done this before, but I've heard stories. You'll be safe. Skuld won't do harm to a mortal."

  Jess reached for my hand. It was such a human gesture that my breath caught in my throat. I'd clasped men's hands before, in battle. Holding them while they moaned for their mothers. Even the most courageous hero cries out for his mother at the end.

  This was different. Jesse's hand was strong, warm and completely enveloped my own.

  He took a shaky breath, puffed out his chest, and with the same courage I'd seen on that dusty street in Kandahar, he stepped out and into the void.

  I jumped with him, hoping that I could save him as well as myself.

  We fell, and I released my wings, shredding my blouse in the process. The pea coat hung across my shoulders in tatters.

  We fell for what seemed an eternity. The darkness was utter and complete. I clung to Jesse's hand like a lifeline. We coasted down and landed onto a rocky pathway.

  The tunnel was cold and damp, water trickling over the rock face like fresh tears. A pale yellow light flickered in the distance.

  "Look!" Jess said.

  "I see it."

  Without another word, Jess moved toward it. I followed close behind. There was no room for us to walk side by side, and I tucked my wings back into my shoulder blades.

  “Wait,” Jess said, stopping. He slipped out of his trench coat and handed it to me, then pulled off his t-shirt. “Put this on. I won’t be able to concentrate with you topless.”

  “Oh, Jess,” I said, laughing and shaking my head. I dropped the remnants of the pea coat to the ground and pulled the t-shirt over my head. Jess wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. I felt his lips in my hair.

  “Okay, I’m ready.”

  We walked toward the light. Fear cut through me, fear that made my insides feel unhinged, as if my very organs were dropping to earth. Sweat broke out along the back of my neck, and I put a hand on Jesse's back.

  He stopped.

  "Are you okay?"

  "I don't know," I said, shocked by my own trembling, wavering voice.

  "Sabrina." Jess put his arms around me. I clutched at him, the sound of his voice a salve on my twisted nerves. "Sabrina, let's go back."

  "No," I said, pulling away from his warm embrace. "Let's move."

  He hesitated, his eyes trying to find mine in the darkness. He cupped my cheek and bent toward me. I tried to pull away, but he held me firmly in his arms. When he kissed my forehead, I thought I might weep.

  Laughing, I sucked in a deep breath, pulling myself together. I'd never wept in my life. "I'm ready. Let's go."

  "Okay." He turned, but kept my left hand firmly in his right.

  The light grew brighter as we moved toward it, and by the time we came to the end of the tunnel, I was as blinded by the light as I'd been by the darkness.

  When my eyes adjusted, I saw Skuld.

  The goddess sat on a throne of entwined tree limbs. Four torches were placed around her and threw the room into a wavering, underwater light.

  She wore a white veil and a white dress, trimmed in yellowing Bavarian lace. Bony fingers protruded from her long sleeves. Her nails were also extraordinarily long, drawing to dangerous looking points. I could see the smudge of bright red lipstick under the veil.

  Cold sweat broke out across the back of my neck. I was afraid and it wasn’t just the knowledge that she could destroy me. It was something physical. Something elemental. A feeling of disgust overcame me, as if I were standing in the bowels of a viper pit.

  A large raven, the size of a lioness, stood beside her. I'd seen Odin’s ravens before, and like Death, they always unsettled me with their red eyes and screeching cries.

  Jess stood utterly still, his gaze fixated on the ancient goddess. I bowed low, my nose almost touching my knees.

  Keeping my eyes lowered, I said, "My eminent goddess Skuld. We come to you seeking protection for this mortal man. I am—”

  "I know who you are," the witch said, her voice small and weak, a trickle of water and not the roaring waterfall I had expected. Still, I heard her. Despite the cotton stuffed into my ears.

  She ran her long fingernails across the wooden armrest of her throne, the sound of it prickling the hairs on the back of my neck.

  "You are Sabrina, daughter of Gudrun, descendent of Brunhilde."

  I held up a supplicating hand. "Please. Please, great goddess. I come here in humble shame for the injuries my kind have inflicted on the great and mighty Norns."

  Skuld reached up and put a finger to her veiled temple. "Save your breath, young Valkyr. I do not tell your fate as punishment for past deeds."

  "Sabrina..." Jess said, his voice a warning.

  "I am compelled to tell you,” Skuld said, resuming the scraping of fingernails against wood. “It is my curse, as yours is to wander the battlefields of men for all eternity."

  "Please, great goddess, I beg you..."

  A keening sound erupted from the old witch, and it took me a moment to realize that she was laughing. "Great goddess, pah. I am no goddess. I am cursed, child. Cursed for all eternity, as you will be if Odin finds you."

  "But how..." My voice faltered. This meeting was going all wrong. Talking to Skuld, asking her questions? What in Odin's name was I thinking?

  Jess looked at me and shook his head, another warning.

  "My pets hear all," Skuld said, interrupting her scraping long enough to wave towards the raven by her side. She pointed a shaking finger at us. "You have stolen a mortal. Right out from under Death's nose, if the word of the Valkyrie is to be trusted."

  “I only wish to save this mortal from
the clutches of Death.”

  Skuld ran one long fingernail against the armrest of her gnarled throne. Back and forth. Back and forth. “Why is that, young Valkyr?”

  “He is a true hero,” I said, unable to take my eyes off her scraping fingernails, the rhythmic scratching getting louder and louder. “He is the only real hero I’ve seen in all the years, on all the battlefields.”

  “Mark him, then. Why come to me and risk your sanity?”

  “He deserves a life,” I said, finally raising my eyes to meet hers, “a life here, on earth.”

  Skuld pulled back her veil. Her face was the same texture as the bark of a tree. Deep fissures ran down her leathery cheeks. Her lips were a smudge of red, the edges ragged. But her eyes were alive, sparkling pale blue eyes that were alive with curiosity. “You are wiser than most Valkyries, young one. Valhalla is an accursed place, it’s true. But what can I do?”

  “You could give me a protection spell. A spell that will keep Death at bay and let the young mortal live.”

  “You want my help, but I ask you, what are you willing to do for me?”

  “For you?”

  The goddess laughed, a low rumbling that sounded as if it came from the depths of the earth.

  “You want something for nothing, young Valkyr?”

  “No, I just didn’t think—”

  “You don’t think I have needs?” The goddess said, eyeing Jess. “You don’t think I want the same things that you want?”

  I stepped in front of Jess, pushing him to stand behind me. “Tell me,” I said, choosing my words carefully, “what is it that you want, great Skuld?”

  “It isn’t your warrior, child, though he looks enticing enough. No, what I want is much more valuable. How far are you willing to go to save this mortal man?”

  “I will do everything in my power to see that he is safe.”

  “That is good to hear. For what I require of you is something of great importance. I want you to bring me something. You will travel to Vogelburg and retrieve one of my treasures. The mortal will remain here with me until you return.”

  “No,” I said, stepping forward, “wait.”

  “Silence!” Skuld said, her voice like a needle in my ear. “I will not be defied.”

  “Sabrina.” Jess put his arms around me and tried to pull me back, but I stood my ground.