Never Back Down

by Susan Harris

She looked to Ever, who folded her arms across her chest and nodded, giving Erika free reign to try and convince the team to fight with them.

  “First,” she began, her tone crisp and clear, owning her status as the general of Ever’s army. “I want to apologize for my deception, but in my defence, I was bound by the same curse as Ever, unable to say a damn word about what we are or what was going down. I never meant to lie to you all, but it was out of my hands. If you need someone to blame, you can blame him, because he devised the curse.”

  Loki lifted his tumbler, grinning like an idiot even as Caitlyn asked, “And who might he be?”

  “I, Lady Caitlyn, am Loki. I am Ever’s brother and Erika’s lover. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard such amazing things about you.”

  “Christ Loki, please do not tell me that’s the new way you’re going to introduce yourself?”

  “It might be,” he replied with a grin, and Erika slapped a hand to her face.

  “Stall the ball a second,” Donnie said, sitting up straighter. “The Loki. Norse god of mischief? That’s you?”

  “In the flesh.” Loki rolled his arm out in a bow, and both Ever and Erika rolled their eyes.

  Donnie opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, and Ever chuckled. Loki had that effect on people. He clicked his fingers and a bottle of beer appeared so suddenly in Donnie’s hand, he nearly spilled the bottle before he took a slug and said, “I’ve stepped into the twilight zone.”

  “Moving on before his head swells any bigger,” Erika said with a smile, before she went back into General mode. “Odin is coming after Ever and will not stop until she is dead.”

  “Why would he want to kill his own daughter?” Melanie asked, her expression grim. Apparently, the team knew more than Ever thought. “I thought Odin was all about wisdom and poetry.”

  “He was all that once. I remember him telling me tales and reading poetry to me when I was a child, on days I would spend in the keep. He showed me art and literature. We laughed and had fun. And then Frigg died and every ounce of joy in him died,” Ever told them, unable to hide the sadness in her voice for a man who once hugged her with such love.

  “I never believed in a million years that the man I called papa could strike out at me, not until the first time he cut through flesh. The first time I died, and then got my memories back, I felt so empty because the person I loved was gone. I thought he would come to his senses, but the next time we met, he slit my throat.”

  This statement wrung a growl from Derek, but Erika cut him off. “I have spent eons trying to prevent the end of the world from happening with Ever’s death. And I don’t plan on letting her down. I am a Valkyrie, yes, as is Ever, but Ever is my queen. If she dies, the armies of Valhalla will once again belong to Odin, and he will usher in Ragnorok and end the world.”

  Erika paused, waiting for a response, but not a single supe said a word, Kenzie moving to standing behind Caitlyn and Donnie.

  “I’m not going to bore you with a history lesson. We can rake over that later. But if I am going to keep Ever alive, then I will need your help.”

  “What do you want us to do?” Derek said, his tone rough and clipped.

  “I’m getting to that, Boyband.” Erika grinned. “Last night, I fought against Odin. Had it not been for Loki and Thor, I would have died. However, Odin made a fatal mistake; he told me who I am, and why he wants me dead.”

  Ever watched as Erika inhaled a breath and closed her eyes before reopening them. There was a slight waver in her voice as she spoke. “Many years ago, my mother, Livana, left me on the shores of Valhalla to train as a Valkyrie, I was five years old and until last night, I couldn’t even remember my mother’s name. As Odin tried to sway me to his side, he revealed that my mother had been involved with one of the Aesir, or gods in your terms, and I was the result of that relationship. My father is Tyr, the god of war, and I am very much his daughter.”

  A stunned silence greeted her words, and she shifted uncomfortably, before continuing, “For many years, I spent a lot of time unhappy with who I was, or maybe not knowing who I was. But, Odin said something to me that made me think that this time… this time, we have the power to shape the outcome.

  “Odin wanted me separated from Ever because he knew that we were stronger together. Every single time that Ever lost was because she tried to go it alone. This time, that will not happen. This time we have something that Odin could not have predicted even with the strongest of seers.”

  She glanced around the room and stated, “This time, we have all of you.”

  Ever blinked in surprise as Erika’s words sank in, this was what she wanted to avoid, involving the team in a fight that was not theirs. They looked at her, but Ever could not speak.

  “I know what Ever is thinking and she is right, this battle is not yours. If this is not what you want, or if this is something you think you cannot face, then no one will think any less of you. My sisters and I cannot do this alone. We have lost many to this war, and we may lose more, but we cannot see the world ripped apart.”

  “Erika, we are not warriors…well, I’m certainly not. What can we do to stop a god?” Melanie wondered, and Ever echoed her thoughts.

  Erika relaxed her stance. “When my mother left me on the sands of Valhalla, she told me that it was not the size of the girl in the fight, but rather the amount of fight in the girl. Each of you has your own unique qualities. Melanie, you survived a monster and have an inner strength that is enviable. Kenzie, having taken a punch from you, with a little Valkyrie boot camp, we will have you in warrior form. Caitlyn, you have faced evil once and prevailed, that is an inspiration to us all. Donnie, your brute strength and cunning will help me strategize.”

  Turning to face Derek, Erika nodded her head. “You and I, we haven’t got on much in whatever century we’ve met, and that was all me. I was confused and even a little jealous. We need you, Derek, as the queen’s champion. Recently I met a medicine woman who said ‘The future can be saved, but only if you stick together.’”

  She shoved her hands into the pockets of her combats. “Alone, we are sitting ducks. Together, we could be a formidable force. Odin has been beaten back for now, but he will come back stronger and more cunning. Will you fight with us? Will you help us save the world and Ever’s life?”

  Loki was the first to answer Erika, kissing the hell out of her, before he pulled away. “For too long, I have skirted the side-lines for fear of incurring Thor’s wrath. No more. I adore my little sister and detest the madman that Odin has become. I will fight beside you, darling.”

  Sarge nodded, as Ever’s chest tightened. Caitlyn gave Donnie a look before turning to Ever and Erika. “If it had not been for the help of others, the monster who stalked my nightmares might still be alive. We will fight beside you.”

  “Me too. But Erika, you need to train me some more.”

  Erika grinned at Melanie. “Six AM starts for you then.”

  She groaned, muttered that she was so going to regret it, but she was smiling.

  Caitlyn glanced over her shoulder at Kenzie, whose grin was as wide as the Cheshire cat. “Sounds like fun. Me and my scythe can do so much damage. Man, this will do so much for my rep.”

  Donnie chuckled, as Caitlyn shook her head. Ever locked eyes with Derek, who ignored everyone else as he growled. “I look forward to ripping Odin’s heart from his chest. No one touches my family and lives.”

  Ever felt a tear trickle down her face as she said, “I can’t stop any of you from doing this, but if it comes down to me or one of you, I will not watch any of you die for me. You did not sign up for this, and I dropped it in your lap.”

  Sarge stood, came over to her, and wrapped her in a hug. “I always knew you were special. I could not have imagined just how remarkable you would be. We are all grownups, and we make our own decisions. We will not allow you to sacrifice yourself for us.”

  With a kiss to her temple, Sarge walked out, with the rest of the
team following suit, each bidding Ever goodbye in their own way. When only Ever and Derek, and Erika and Loki remained, Loki wrapped his arms around Erika and kissed her, before nibbling on her ear, to which she tried to smack him away.

  “We do not have to fight gods tonight, my dear. Shall we leave the wolf and the queen to chat?”

  She shook her head, and Ever saw happiness in her friend’s eyes. “You just want to get me naked, Trickster.”

  “Naked Valkyrie is my favourite thing.”

  Erika glanced at Ever. “You gonna be okay?”

  “Yes, be gone before I get sick at you two being all lovey dovey. I think I preferred when ye snipped at each other.”

  With a laugh, the pair disappeared, leaving Ever and Derek to themselves.

  “I wasn’t expecting those two together.” Derek stated.

  Ever shrugged. “They have centuries of pent up lust. I think it was written in the cosmos.”

  “Like us?”

  “Derek,” she sighed his name.

  “I told you that we would all do this together.”

  “I guess I don’t have any say in the matter,” she remarked.

  “You never did.”

  She shook her head as he rose, her heart thundering in her chest. “You never had a choice, Ever. From the very first moment we met, I knew you were mine. And I’m just gonna say this one more time. Fuck fate, screw destiny, screw angry gods, and everything in between. If you don’t want me then just say it. Tell me that this isn’t what you want and I will go. I’ll fight beside you and keep you alive, but we won’t be together.”

  Oh, she knew that he was serious, his tone told her that. When faced with the possibility that she might lose him, she had decided days ago to go with her heart and forget the nagging voice in her head.

  Walking up to him, she inched up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. Her body ignited. Kissing her back slowly, he slid his hands into her hair, backing her up against the wall as he nipped on her lower lip. She opened her mouth and licked out, and he rumbled. She caressed the planes of his chest through his t-shirt, her brain fogging as he deepened the kiss, hungrily coveting her mouth.

  Breathless, he pulled back, a wolfish grin on his face. Moving his hands down her face, he cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips softly to hers before kissing his way down her jaw to the nape of her neck until she could hardly breath at all.

  He captured her hand and led her toward her bedroom, only letting go when they walked into the room. He sat down on the edge of her bed, and there was no more delicious sight then Derek Doyle with a smile only for her.

  “So what do you think, Ever? Do we do this thing together?”

  She faced away from him, closing the door before she turned back. Reaching down, she yanked her t-shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor, a rush coming over her as lust flared in his eyes.

  Heart beating a tattoo in her chest, she came to stand before him and wrap her arms around his neck.

  “Together, Derek. We do this together.”

  Freya stood outside the door of Ever’s home, watching as all of the people inside promised to lay down their lives for her daughter. Even the child of Tyr finally looked as if she had become who her mother wanted her to become, as she wrapped her arms around Loki and vanished.

  When her daughter and the champion began to get intimate, Freya gathered her strength and left this mortal world for the shores of Valhalla, preparing to rally the remaining Valkyrie to make themselves known on Midgard.

  It irked her that she felt sadness at not being included in her daughter’s plans, that Ever had simply forgotten her. They dismissed her as a warrior, forgetting it was Freya’s training that had prepared them for this day, for this fight.

  The moment her feet touch the sand, she felt a presence and cursed herself for not being aware of her surroundings before she flashed to Valhalla. A hand clasped around her throat, a blade poised at the base of her spine.

  “Come to finish me off, Odin. Took you long enough.”

  “I had forgotten about you, lover, much as Ever has forgotten about you.” Odin whispered in her ear, his breath hitting against her skin. There was nothing left of the man she had once bedded, the one who she might have once began to love.

  “I will leave you bleeding on these shores, and no one will come to look for you until they come to claim your soul.”

  Freya did not struggle, nor did she flinch. “Do your worst, lover,” she spat out. “I will smile down on my daughter from the skies above and watch as she sends you to Hel.”

  “Goodbye, my lover,” he began, then stopped. “Maybe I will let you live, but render you useless in the fight that is to come. Unable to fight, unable to help. Maybe that is a fate worse than death.”

  Odin licked the curve of her neck and slowly dug the blade into her spine. Pain ripped through Freya, yet she refused to cry out. He yanked out the blade, and Freya crumpled to the ground. He had severed her spinal cord, the pain a phantom in her mind as she no longer felt anything below her waist.

  A scream built up inside her, but darkness came for her too soon. The last thing Freya saw before darkness came to claim her, was Odin striding away, leaving her broken in the sand.

  Tadgh opened his front door and set his duffel down beside the coffee table. He was rather exhausted after attending the conference in Dublin with Anna, and could not wait until he washed the dirt off and crawled into his nice comfy bed. Flicking on the light, he was just about to kick off his shoes when the flick of a lighter startled him.

  Almost leaping out of his skin, Tadgh cringed when he saw the man lounging in his grandmother’s old armchair.

  “Christ chief, you scared the holy hell out of me.”

  “The warlock’s gone off to rehab.”

  Dammit! He should never have given the white rabbit to Ricky. Now he was totally in hot water.

  “I’m sure he won’t say a thing, chief. I’m almost certain.”

  The man known only as the Viking, named after the tattoo on his left arm, ran his fingers through the dark stubble on his chin and lifted a single eyebrow, a gesture that made grown men piss themselves. The Viking was the biggest dealer in Cork, and considering that he dealt specifically with supernatural drugs, his cliental had expanded two-fold.

  “Almost isn’t good enough, Tadgh. I took a chance on ya, bud, a big chance and it’s about to blow up in my face. If the warlock spills his guts and connects the dots from me to you, then a six-foot-deep hole awaits ya.”

  Tadgh blanched, fear coursing through his veins. “I’ll take care of it, sir, I promise.”

  “Even if it means killing a cop.”

  Tadgh froze, his legs suddenly feeling like cement. “You want me to kill Ricky?”

  The Viking shrugged as if taking a life meant nothing to him. “Only if he becomes a problem. So, make sure he doesn’t become a problem.”

  “And what about the rest of the team? I can’t hold my own against all of them.”

  Standing to his full height, the Viking flicked his lighter on and then off again. “Vampires gotta sleep. Wolves gotta turn furry and howl at the moon. Set the house on fire and shoot the dog with silver. Problem solved.”

  The Viking strode past Tadgh, stopping with his hand on the door handle. “I hope it doesn’t come to that. But, Tadgh, I mean it about the warlock. Shut him up before I have to shut you up. I don’t want things to get messy.”

  Tadgh turned so that he faced the Viking, purely out of fear. The Viking grinned and Tadgh’s blood turned icy.

  “But Tadgh, I don’t want to see a scratch on the body of Melanie Newton. If she is harmed in any way, I swear to God you will live to regret it.”

  Melanie had always been nice to Tadgh, and he didn’t like the menace of the Viking’s tone. Who was she to him?

  “What do you have planned for Melanie?” Tadgh wondered, though he knew questioning his boss like that could incur the man’s wrath.

  A sardonic grin crep
t up the Viking’s lips, his features darkening with a glare that had Tadgh shivering in terror. “You don’t worry your handsome head about it. You leave Melanie to me. We go way back.”

  Also by Susan Harris

  The Ever Chase Chronicles

  Skin & Bones

  Collateral Damage

  Smoke & Mirrors

  Night of the Hunter

  Never Back Down

  Shattered Memories

  Erika:

  Headstrong—Trapt

  You’re Going Down—Sick Puppies

  Lose Yourself - From “8 Mile” Soundtrack—Eminem

  I Will Not Bow—Breaking Benjamin

  Break Stuff—Limp Bizkit

  I Want—Mantra Waking up (Acoustic)—Pvris

  Belgrade—Battle Tapes

  Exposed—A Day To Remember

  Love Surrounds You—Ramsey

  Scar—Foxes

  Good Enough (feat. Jussie Smollett)—Empire Cast

  Go To War—Nothing More

  Legends—Sleeping With Sirens

  Fuck With Myself—Banks

  Elastic Heart (Rock Version)—Written by Wolves

  My Favourite Game—The Cardigans

  Just A Girl—No Doubt

  Dream On—Aerosmith

  Outro—NF

  Anyone Else—Pvris

  Blow Your Mind (Mwah)—Dua Lipa

  IDGAF—Dua Lipa

  Loki:

  Enemy—Fozzy

  Thunder—Imagine Dragons

  Cross My Mind—A R I Z O N A

  Ritual Spirit—Massive Attack, Azekel

  Double Darkness—Big Scary

  How Could I Love You?—Little Hours

  Waking Up The Giants—Grizfolk

  Feel It Still—Portugal. The Man

  Lullaby—Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

  The Violence—Rise Against

  Bottom Of The Deep Blue Sea—MISSIO

  Someone Else to Blame—Evarose

  When We Were Young—Andy Black, Juliet Simms