by Linsey Hall
“Well done.” Jude brushed her hands together. “Now, let’s get out of here.”
I gave the well one last look. Longing, almost. For the woman who’d disappeared, and the answers she’d taken with her.
Chapter Fourteen
An hour later, I stumbled into my apartment, exhausted and utterly filthy. At least my wounds were healed, courtesy of my new power over healing. That was one badass magical gift.
My mind swam with all that I’d seen and learned, and it took me a moment to notice Mayhem on the couch.
She looked up, a giant turkey leg clutched in her jaws.
“Mixing it up?” I asked.
She woofed without dropping the meat.
Aching, I shrugged out of my jacket. My hand brushed against the little book that was still inside the interior pocket. I pulled it out, frowning as I studied it.
“I don’t suppose you know what Rebello Deorum means?” I asked Mayhem.
She woofed again, but it sounded exactly the same as the first woof, and I didn’t speak ghost pug, so I just smiled. “Yeah, me neither.”
I set the book on the counter and snagged an energy drink out of the fridge on my way to the shower. We had a debriefing in an hour—after everyone washed the oil and stink off themselves—and I definitely needed a pick-me-up if I was going to make it that long.
In my bathroom, Ruckus sat in the sink, bubbles up to his neck. He barked happily at me, his little fangs glinting in the bathroom light.
“Just clean up after yourself,” I muttered tiredly, unable to help the grin that spread across my face.
The shower revived me somewhat—along with the energy drink that I chugged while the soap was washing out of my hair—and by the time I got out, I was ready to face Jude and Hedy.
Had I succeeded at this test?
True, we’d stopped the curse. But technically, I’d also lost the woman who was the curse.
I wanted to find her for my own satisfaction—she had answers I desperately wanted.
But I also wanted to pass this damned test and advance up the ranks at the Academy. I liked working cases like this way more than I liked training. Training sucked. This was…fun. In a weird way.
Quickly, I dressed, then headed down into the living room. Mayhem waited for me, a small book clutched in her mouth.
“Mayhem!”
I knelt by her. She dropped the book on the floor.
Latin Dictionary.
I picked it up, glancing at her. “You do know what Rebello Deorum means?”
Was my ghost dog smarter than me?
She yipped.
Yeah, my ghost dog was smarter than me.
“Thanks.” I tried to pet her head, but my hand just tingled where it touched her ghostly self.
She yipped again, then returned to the corner where she’d stashed her turkey leg. I laughed, kinda grossed out. Here I had this beautiful new apartment and a ghost pug stored her turkey leg in the corner.
Oh well. I’d take Mayhem over a clean apartment any day.
Aching, I climbed to my feet and picked up the little book off the counter. I tucked it into my jacket pocket and left the tower. In the main hall, I flipped through the dictionary as I walked. It took me a while—and some bumping into things—but I finally figured out what Dei Rebelles meant.
Rebel Gods.
Dang.
That didn’t sound good.
Everyone was waiting for me in the debriefing room. I took a seat between Ana and Cade, my gaze on Hedy and Jude. Caro, Ali, and Haris sat next to them.
Ana handed me a PB&J sandwich. My heart jumped.
“I thought you’d be hungry, and I’d made one for myself,” she said.
“I love you.” I took the sandwich and chomped in. Man, I loved PB&J. Candy sandwiches.
“Well, what happened in there?” Jude asked.
I swallowed the bite of my sandwich, then explained the old monastery and the woman within. The memory of her dark magic made me shiver.
“We think she’s the same woman who gave Ricketts the magic he needed to capture me,” Ana said.
“And the same woman who gave him the orders to capture you,” I said. “She was behind this all along.”
Jude tapped her chin. “So, when your concealment charm failed two weeks ago and the intruder gained entrance to the castle, she learned where you were. But this time, she decided to break in from another direction.”
“Exactly.”
“We’ll station guards by the Magic’s Bend and Edinburgh portals,” Jude said. “Until we catch her.”
It was a good idea. The portals would only permit you entrance if you were a member of the Protectorate or escorted by one, but there was no telling what this woman was capable of.
“The question is, why does she want you so badly?” Hedy asked.
“I have no idea.” But she had to be one of the ones who’d hunted us since we were children. It only made sense.
Finally, they’d caught up to us.
At least we had the Protectorate on our side now.
I pulled the book out of my pocket and put it on the table. “I did find this, though. The front page is in Latin. It says Rebel Gods.”
Next to me, Cade stiffened.
Hedy gasped, and Jude gripped the armrests of her chair.
“Rebel Gods?” Cade’s voice was soft. Dangerous.
“Yeah.” I looked between them, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. This was important. Very important.
“Why is everyone freaking out?” Ana asked.
Caro, Ali, and Haris looked as confused as I felt. But the people in charge looked like they’d seen a ghost.
“Tell me what it means,” I said. “What are the Rebel Gods? Was she a Rebel God?”
“We wouldn’t have won that battle if she had been,” Cade said.
“We need to consult with the other department heads,” Jude said. “And Arach.”
“You know she doesn’t come when called,” Hedy said.
Why were they deflecting? “Will you tell me what the Rebel Gods are? If that woman is after us, I need to know what they are.”
“That’s very advanced for a trainee,” Jude said.
“I just fought her and ended the curse. I deserve to know.”
“Agreed,” Ana said.
“Let us speak amongst ourselves,” Jude said. “Then we will tell you.”
Frustration boiled in my chest. This was important. I was tied up in it—I knew I was.
But Jude was already standing and shuffling us out of the room. Her face was stony. Protocol took precedence here, and Jude was nothing if not good at protocol. Even Caro, Ali, and Haris were booted.
A few moments later, we all stood out in the hall, the door shut in our faces. Jude, Hedy, and Cade remained within.
“Well, that’s crap,” Ana said.
“Rules are rules,” Caro said. “Still, it’s freaking annoying.”
Tension thrummed under my skin. I shook my head. “Something big is happening.” I looked at Ana. “Let’s go find Arach.”
Caro laughed. “You can’t just go find Arach.”
“I can go to her room and yell until she shows up.”
“You might be yelling a long time,” Ali said.
“I’m still going to try. I want answers. This has to do with me.” I gestured between Ana and me. “With us. I want to know what it is.”
And I needed to ask her why people had called me Njord, Rán, and Alateivia.
I turned away from my friends, hurrying down the hall toward the room Arach had appeared in when I‘d first arrived here. Ana rushed to catch up, but Caro, Ali, and Haris stayed behind.
“Do you really think this will work?” Ana whispered.
“I don’t know. I hope so.” I found Arach’s room a moment later. It was empty without that strong feeling of her magic.
I flicked on the light and entered the high-ceilinged room. Books lined the walls, and the quiet was thick.
&nb
sp; “Arach!” I shouted.
Ana winced, covering her ears.
“Arach!”
Nothing.
“Arach, the Rebel Gods want me for something, and I want to know what the heck they are. And people have been calling me by the names of Norse gods.”
Magic shimmered on the air, just a hint of it. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, right on the head. I wobbled.
Arach appeared a moment later, as ethereal as ever, her form somewhat transparent and her features almost human.
“The Rebel Gods, you say?” She drifted toward her chair but didn’t sit. Instead, she peered at me. “Where did you hear of these Rebel Gods?”
“They sent a crazy jerk after me. Attacked the Protectorate with a dark curse meant to destroy the castle itself.” I told her everything that had happened in the last two days.
She listened intently, her gaze never leaving my face.
“Don’t forget the part about how people have been calling you by different names,” Ana said.
Arach’s gaze sharpened. “The Norse gods you mentioned?”
“A Venetian water creature called me Njord. So did Melusina in The Vaults. And then the Daughters of Rán said they reminded me of their mother. And finally, an old man called me Alateivia. They’re all Norse gods. But I’m not a god.”
Arach swayed on her feet, then sat in her chair. It was more of a controlled collapse, really.
I rushed forward. “What is it?”
“This man. Was he a healer?” Her voice sounded distant.
“Um, yeah. His grandson called him a healer.” My heart raced. “What is it? What does it mean?”
Her gaze turned to me, surprised. Awed, even.
“You, Bree Blackwood, are a DragonGod.”
“A what?”
Arach nodded, a smile spreading across her face. “We thought the last ones had been killed. You were supposed to be a myth. There could be no more. Yet you are here.” Her gaze turned to Ana. “And you, too.”
I sat hard in the chair across from her. “What is a DragonGod?”
That sounded really fancy. Really powerful.
Really not me.
“I don’t feel like a DragonGod,” Ana said.
“You will.”
“But what are DragonGods?” I demanded.
“They are the magical children of the gods and the dragons. Long ago, the dragons and the ancient gods came together to create a new species so that the ancient powers could live on.”
“What ancient powers?” My mind was whirring.
“For the most part, the gods no longer walk the earth. In rare cases, there are people like Cade. Earth-walking gods. But like I said, they are rare. One every few centuries. But the gods knew they could do great good in the world if only they were there. But since they could not be—because humans had stopped believing in them—they passed some of their powers on to worthy individuals. Like you.”
“How, though?” I was so not buying this.
“That’s where the dragons helped. We held on to their magic, gifting it to a worthy soul when they were born. We thought we’d gifted all the magic, but you’re here. A dragon must have sensed you when you were born and given you your power.”
“Why us?” Ana’s voice was incredulous.
I couldn’t blame her. My head was reeling.
“You are worthy. Your goodness and strength and determination.” She looked at me. “And you, Bree—if you are being called Njord, Rán, and Alateivia… That means that you are the last Valkyrie.”
“Weren’t they the ones who chose the slain men from the battlefield to go to Valhalla?” I shook my head. “I really don’t want to do that.”
Arach smiled. “Yes. That was once their job. Like the gods, the Valkyrie no longer walk the earth. But you are a modern manifestation of them—the DragonGod who is powered by the magical gifts of the ancient Viking gods.”
I blew out a breath. “I think you have this wrong. That can’t be me.”
I was a disaster. I was not the modern manifestation of a Valkyrie, imbued with the powers of dragons and the ancient Viking gods. The idea was ludicrous.
“It’s you.” Arach nodded. “And you’ll slowly gain the powers of the Norse gods. Not all of their powers, but many of them volunteered little bits of their gifts to go to you. Have you heard voices when your power has come alive?”
Memories flashed. I sucked in a ragged breath. “Yes.”
Arach nodded and smiled. “That’s it, then. You are the Valkyrie of the DragonGods.”
“Whew.” Ana smacked the table. “That sounds cool.”
Yeah, it kinda did. But was I ready for this?
“It’s not all fun and games,” Arach said. “Bree must learn to master her power. She must learn to make it rest easy inside of her, or she will be destroyed. Just like I said would happen with an Unknown.”
“Is that why my sonic boom power disappeared?”
Arach nodded. “Most likely, yes. The powers will try to overtake each other. The sonic boom was not a gift from the gods, so it died first. You must work hard to make sure your magic is in harmony, or you will lose it all.”
No. Losing your magic was like losing your soul. It’d leave me hollow and lifeless—unwilling to even live. It was a Magica’s greatest fear. I swallowed hard. “How?”
“I am not sure,” Arach said. “But we will find a way. We have resources to help you. A seer who may be able to provide guidance.”
I hoped she was right. Because losing my magic… My soul…
I couldn’t bear the thought. It made me cold just to think of it.
Epilogue
The next night, after a long day spent repairing some of the damage caused by the curse, we gathered at Whisky and Warlock to celebrate our victory. The place was full of Protectorate members, but our group had snagged the coveted corner table in our usual room. Sophie was keeping us plied with drinks, and some kind of Celtic rock played on the radio.
It was a good night. A great night.
After all the danger we’d faced, it was the best night.
“To Bree!” Caro raised a glass full of golden liquid and grinned.
“Who saved our arses!” Ali added.
I clinked my Cosmo with theirs, then tapped mine against Haris’s and Ana’s.
“Good, right?” Caro asked.
“Yeah. Fruity.”
“That’s the taste of victory,” Ali said.
“Fruity?” I laughed.
“Victory tastes like security, in this case,” Haris said.
“Which isn’t a taste.” Ali pointed at him, brows raised.
“She gets what I mean.” Haris nodded at me. “Bree saved our arses. That curse could have taken out the Protectorate. But it didn’t—because Bree stopped it.”
My cheeks heated, so I sipped to hide them. “I had a lot of help.”
“Maybe,” Caro said. “But you led the charge. I really do think you will have your pick of departments when your training is through.”
“Pick the PITs!” Ali said. “We really are the best department. The Demon Trackers Unit does have some fun, but the PITs always get the best mysteries.”
“And the prestige.” Haris brushed some imaginary dust off his shoulder and put on a fancy accent. “Everyone is very impressed by us.”
Caro laughed and punched him in the shoulder. “You know that’s not true.” She turned to look at me. “But I do hope you’ll join us. You can do some real good with the investigative unit. You proved that with the dark curse.”
“Thanks.” I smiled, my chest warming with the knowledge that I had such good friends. “But it’ll be a while before I cross that bridge.”
I had to get my powers under control first, and figure out what it truly meant to be a DragonGod. I had to make my powers rest easy inside me so that they didn’t devour each other….or my soul.
And we weren’t done hunting the Rebel Gods woman. Worse, she wasn’t done hunting us.
Ana caught my eye and smiled. But the same heavy knowledge darkened her eyes. The woman had proven she was powerful enough—and smart enough—to get to us. Just because we’d stopped her this time it didn’t mean she wouldn’t find another way.
We had to bring the fight to her. Somehow.
Ana squeezed my hand. “We’ve got this.”
I nodded. There was a lot of this. But she was right. Together, we’d manage.
But tonight, we’d celebrate.
The drinks and conversation flowed, along with a rousing game of darts and the pub cat sticking its head into my chocolate martini to steal a sip.
Life was good.
Tonight was great.
But I couldn’t help but occasionally peek around the pub for a sight of Cade. From what I could tell, he hadn’t shown up, even though the whole Protectorate had come out. The pub was made of multiple rooms and corridors, some big, some small. All built at different times over the years. He might be in one of the other rooms—though this one was our usual preferred hangout.
If he were looking for me, he’d certainly come here.
I shook away the thought. As much as he’d driven me to distraction, he was right. It wasn’t professional to be lusting after a colleague.
I played another round of darts, finally scraping a victory by a few points.
“Good job!” Ana high-fived me.
“I’ll get you next time,” Haris said.
“Yeah, you probably will.” I grinned. “I’ll be right back.”
I turned and headed for the ladies’ room. It was located in the far back corner of the pub, past the front door and through other small rooms. The place was like a maze.
Fortunately, there was no line for the toilet, as the hour was getting late. The other rooms of the pub weren’t as full, either. When I passed by the entrance on my return to my friends, the door swung open.
Cade stepped inside, and I bumped into him. His strong hands came up, gently gripping my arms to steady me.
My heart leapt, my breath coming short.
Sparks jumped between us.
“Hey.” I looked up, taking in his windswept hair and handsome face. He wore a long, dark coat that looked finely cut and somehow managed to make him look dangerous. Like he could take out a demon without breaking a sweat.
