Shield Maiden (The Lone Valkyrie Book 1)

by Charley Case

  Finn nodded. “Okay, sounds good to me. Where is it? In general, that is. Obviously, you don't know exactly where it is.”

  Mila shrugged, turning to a particular page in the book. “Nobody knows. Probably in the Middle East, but some people think it might be in England or Scotland. There’s not a whole lot known about it once it was stolen.”

  “That’s a lot of ground to cover,” Danica said, her brows rising. “Some people think it’s in Scotland? Why?”

  “There’s a theory that the Lost Tribe of Dan might have taken it there,” Mila said as she read a passage in the book.

  “Yeah, that might be a little too much ground to cover,” Finn said, now a little less confident. “What else do you have?”

  Mila read a little more before her face lit up and she began talking to herself. “That’s right. I couldn't remember if they found it.”

  “Found what?” Danica asked, craning her neck to see what Mila was reading.

  “The treasure of Montezuma the Second,” Mila said, finally looking up from the book as she rested it on Danica's shins. “At the end of the sixteenth century, Cortés and his men sacked the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan and murdered the emperor, Montezuma the Second. The city went nuts, attacking the conquistadors and driving them out of the city. The Spanish weren’t going to get away weighed down by all the treasure, so they dumped the gold into Lake Texcoco. Over the years, people searched for it but found nothing. After a while, the lake was drained as the Spanish began settling the area, but they never found the gold.”

  “Where is Lake Texcoco? I feel like I’ve heard of it before?” Danica asked, a narrow-eyed look of half-recognition on her face.

  “It’s the lake that used to be where Mexico City now stands. And that’s the really interesting part. Back in 1986, they were doing some construction on a museum on Avenida Hidalgo and they dug up one of the gold bars. They didn't find any more, but they now know Cortés did dump the gold.”

  Finn sat up, his face full of excitement. “Perfect! I don't even have to hike to some mountain or go looking at the bottom of the ocean. I can handle a city, no problem. Shit, I can probably get this done by dinnertime.” He jogged off to his and Mila's room, leaving the rest of them sitting with open mouths.

  “There is no way he can find that treasure by dinner time,” Mila said, shaking her head. “There’s, like, seven hundred years of city built over the site. Do you have any idea how many times Mexico City has been rebuilt?”

  “Chi. Squee shir,” Penny said matter-of-factly.

  “Oh, I don't doubt his abilities as a treasure hunter,” Mila said, then cocked her head to the side in consideration. “Actually, I don't have a frame of reference for how good he is. I’ve never seen him do a treasure hunt. I mean, the whole hellhound thing was like a treasure hunt, and that only took a day or two.” After a second, she shook her head emphatically. “There is no way. If he comes home with a sack of gold tonight, I’ll… I don't know. I’ll do something I hate.”

  Danica smiled evilly. “You could go for a ride with him on his motorcycle. We all know how much you love that.”

  Mila felt her face go white. The idea of being on a motorcycle with Finn driving scared the shit out of her. She would never admit it out loud, but the thought of not being in control while on a motorcycle made her palms sweat.

  Ever since Finn had gotten his Triumph, Mila had found excuses not to ride with him. She had used the fact that it was too cold for about as long as she could, but now with spring nearly over, she was going to have to come up with something new.

  “Oh, that is evil,” Mila growled at her now-laughing friend. “You know I hate the idea of riding on that thing.”

  “You hate the idea of not controlling that thing,” Danica shot back, laughing harder when she saw the look of guilty shock on Mila's face. “That’s it. That’s the bet. If he comes back with the gold tonight, you owe him a ride.”

  “Fine, but if he doesn't come back with the gold tonight, you have to do all the laundry for a week,” Mila countered.

  Danica closed her mouth, and her face went serious. She hated doing laundry with a passion. She glanced at Penny, who gave her a subtle nod. “You really think he can find the treasure in a day?” she asked the dragon.

  A single smoke ring puffed from her nostril in answer.

  “Deal!” Danica shouted, taking Mila's hand and shaking it before she could back out.

  “Hey, wait a minute! I didn't know Penny was so sure,” Mila complained, but she knew she was caught, and her shoulders slumped. “Fine. It’s a deal. There is no way he does it by dinner.”

  “Does what by dinner?” Finn asked, coming out of the bedroom wearing his “adventuring” gear: a black t-shirt and jeans with a brown leather harness that went over his shoulders and held a few healing potions, along with his axe Fragar.

  The axe was a dwarven-made weapon that folded down into itself until only the handle remained. He had given Mila two items that were similar: a shirt of mythril chainmail that she was now bonded with, and the sword Gram. The sword folded down impossibly when stored like Fragar, but the armor had bonded with her and was now a part of her, coming out when she said the word of power that activated it.

  “Find the treasure,” Danica said. “We have a bet going.”

  Finn's brow went up. “Oh?”

  “You don't get to know the details. This is between just us girls,” Mila quickly added, not wanting him to know that she bet against him.

  He smiled. “Okay, keep your secrets. Danica, can you teleport me down to Mexico City? I want to get moving.”

  Danica rolled off the couch and onto her feet. “Sure. I always like teleporting.”

  Finn held out a hand and pulled Mila up. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Mila put her arms around his neck and stepped up onto the couch so they were closer in height. “You be careful. How will you get back?”

  He shrugged, a big smile on his face. “I’ll find someone local. Maybe I’ll call Hermin or Garret. Don’t worry about it.”

  She smiled at his excitement. “You really missed this, didn't you?”

  “Yeah, I think I did. Plus, who doesn't want to see some dragon babies?”

  Mila laughed. “That will be pretty special.” She nuzzled his neck, squeezing him tight for a second before pulling back and kissing him deeply. “Be careful.”

  “You already said that,” he teased.

  “I mean it. I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  “Chi shee shee,” Penny said with an eye roll, pretending to shove a taloned finger down her throat.

  “You get a room!” Mila shot her a dirty look.

  Penny held up her hands in surrender. “Chi.”

  Finn laughed. “Look after her while I’m gone,” he said over Mila’s shoulder to the snickering dragon.

  Penny gave him a thumbs-up.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Finn said, stepping close to Danica.

  Without a word, Danica held her hands out, and a bubble formed around the two of them. It popped and they were gone, only the faint smell of roses lingering in the air.

  Chapter Five

  Mila folded her legs and fell into a cross-legged position on the couch as soon as Finn and Danica left. Penny reached out and patted her head. She crawled down from the back of the couch into Mila's lap.

  They stared at one another in the sudden silence of an empty house. Finn might be loud, but she had come to be comfortable in his chaos.

  “You want to watch a movie?” Mila suggested with a questioning shrug.

  Penny's eyes filled with panic. “Shir shee.”

  “No need to worry about that.” Mila chuckled, picking up the remote from the side table. “We are definitely not watching a John Wayne movie.”

  Penny sagged in relief, then situated herself so she was sitting in Mila's lap while using her stomach as a backrest.

  Mila's phone rang, and she handed the remote to Penny as she pulled
her phone from the thigh pocket of her leggings and checked the caller ID. Preston Meriwether’s name flashed on the screen.

  Preston was the de facto governor of the magical community for most of the western United States and happened to be one of the richest men in the world. Mila and Finn had done quite a bit of work for him over the last year, but it still boggled her mind to get the occasional call from such a famous figure. He was also one of the few Minotaurs left on Earth.

  Quickly hitting the accept button, she put the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

  “Dr. Winters, so good to hear your voice.” Preston’s mellow baritone floated out of the phone. “How have you been?”

  “Pretty good. I’ve had quite a few interesting conversations with Victoria about my Valkyrie.” She chuckled. “How has the reconstruction been going?”

  Preston’s manor on the south side of Denver had been leveled in the battle with the Dark Star. She knew the construction was dragging since he was a public figure and couldn't use obvious magical construction methods with the media closely watching the progress.

  “Slow, but it’s coming together. It was a blessing in disguise, really. The grounds and house needed an update anyway. Mind you, there were a few artifacts I would have liked to save, but in the end, insurance is covering most of the cost of the rebuild, so I can't complain too much.”

  “Not that money is a problem,” Mila said, then turned red with embarrassment when she realized what she had said.

  Preston laughed it off. “That’s true. I am extending the underground bunker, though, so a lot of that cost is falling to me. The staff and I were packed in pretty tight during the battle. I want to make sure I have enough space for my people next time, just in case we have to stay down there for an extended period.”

  Mila was grateful he didn't take offense, but now she was nervous she was going to say something else stupid and figured getting down to business was the best move. “Good plan on building more bunker space. I assume you didn't call to chat. Is there something I can do for you, Preston?”

  His rumbling chuckle made her phone vibrate against her ear. “Actually, there is something I was hoping you and Finn could check out for me.”

  “Finn is out of town, but Penny and I could help.”

  He was silent for a few seconds as he considered. It was just long enough that Mila felt a little insulted that Preston thought she couldn't handle whatever it was without Finn. Then she thought about some of the things she and Finn had done for Preston and agreed it might be a little too much for her. He answered before her mind spiraled out of control.

  “I suppose you two would be a better choice than sending Finn anyway. He does tend to...make things happen.”

  Mila laughed. “Yeah, he is a one-man natural disaster sometimes.”

  Preston snorted, his large nostrils perfect for the emote. “That’s just a fact. He’s a good man, but a little straightforward at times.”

  “Tell me about it. He thinks he’s going to find Montezuma’s gold before dinner tonight.” She laughed.

  There was a moment of quiet contemplation from Preston. “You know, if anyone could do it, it would be Finn.”

  Mila rolled her eyes. “Not you too! Am I the only one who thinks finding a lost treasure should take more than a day’s work?”

  “Well, he is a dwarf. They’re kind of built for this kind of thing,” Preston said matter-of-factly. “Luckily, I don't need you to find any lost treasure.

  “There is an elvish settlement in northern Idaho that supplies the Trinish Mushrooms we use in medicine at the Menagerie. Anita let me know that they missed their last delivery, and she hasn't been able to get hold of anyone at the settlement. Luckily none of the magical beasts are ill, and we have a small stock of the mushrooms, but it’s odd that we haven't heard from them. I was hoping you could head up there and check in with them. I would send a G.A.E.L. team, but the elves there are a little nervous about the strike teams.”

  Mila’s eyebrows rose as the story went on. “You don't seem all that concerned. Have they lost touch before?”

  “Well, yes.” Preston laughed. “The settlement is pretty free with the mind-altering drugs. A few times in the past, they have gone offline for a week or so while they searched their inner minds in a drug-induced haze. Nothing dangerous, but they usually let me know before they do it. I didn't hear anything this time, and I just want to be sure they’re okay.”

  Mila could appreciate that Preston wanted to be sure the people in his area were doing fine, and she didn't have any plans for the rest of the day. “Hey, Penny. Want to go up to Idaho and check on some hippy elves?”

  Penny tilted her head up until she was looking at Mila upside down, the top of her head wedged between Mila's breasts. She considered, then nodded, hitting the power button on the TV, not having found anything to watch anyway.

  “We’re in. Where is this settlement?” Mila said to Preston.

  “It’s just outside a tiny town called Elk River. If you go to the town, then head northeast, you’ll find them pretty easily. You can also ask around town. I know they do their shopping in Elk River and are known by the townsfolk.”

  “Okay, sounds good. I’ll give you a call later and let you know what I find.”

  “Thank you. I look forward to talking to you later,” Preston said, a smile in his voice.

  “Talk to you later.” Mila hung up and slid the phone back into her pocket. “I guess we’re heading into the woods. I could use a good walk. We can have Danica take us up when she gets back.”

  Penny nodded, launching herself into the air from Mila’s lap. She flapped her way toward her room to get ready.

  Mila got up, deciding a sports bra and leggings were not the best choice to meet townsfolk in northern Idaho, and headed for her room to change.

  Rummaging through her closet, she decided to keep the leggings and added a form-fitting ribbed green sweater and a thin denim jacket to hide the back of her corset holster. She was tying her hiking boots when her phone began to ring again.

  Pulling the phone from her pocket, she was confused to see that the screen was dark. Then she heard another ring and realized it was the phone Victoria had given her a few months ago. The phone was magical but only worked when contacting people in the sisterhood. Mila frowned as she went to her bedside table and pulled the phone out of the drawer. She had scheduled a call with Victoria for later that week, so getting a call early concerned her.

  “Hello?” Mila said tentatively.

  “Mila.” Victoria’s deeply feminine voice oozed out of the earpiece. “How are you, dear?”

  “I’m doing fine. Is everything okay? I thought our call was scheduled for later this week?” Mila sat on the edge of the bed and began lacing up her second boot.

  “That’s what I’m calling about. I’m stepping down as leader of the sisterhood. Our eldest has rejoined us, having turned fifteen in her new body.”

  “Oh, I didn't realize you weren’t the eldest.” Mila sat up, her eyes wide. “Will you and I not be working together anymore?”

  No, no. Nothing like that,” Victoria reassured her, “but Missy wants to speak to you during our call on Friday. But before that, she wants to see what you’ve learned during our little chats and what your Finnegan has been teaching you.”

  “Uh…” Mila raised an eyebrow as she headed back out into the living room. “I thought as a Lone Valkyrie, I can't get near other Valkyries without sapping their power. It’s kind of the whole reason we’ve never met in person.”

  Mila smelled a sudden rush of roses and glanced toward the dojo just in time to see Danica pop back into the condo. Her mouth was open in shock as she met Mila's eye. Mila gave her a questioning look but pointed at the phone to let her know it would be a minute.

  “That’s true. We can't meet for long before my powers would be drained, but Missy has a mission for you,” Victoria explained.

  “A mission? That seems a little out of the blue. Shouldn’
t I get a lot more training or something? I don't even know all the rules of the sisterhood.” Mila leaned her butt on the back of the couch and crossed her arm over her chest.

  Danica walked to the fridge and cracked open a beer, chugging half of it with a thousand-yard stare.

  “The rules are pretty easy,” Victoria said with a sigh. “We follow the lead of the eldest sister, help the magical community as best we can, and do our best to keep from being discovered as Valkyries. We took passage on this ship to hide from infernals in the first place, so that just makes sense. That’s about it.”

  “Okay, so, what? I do this mission, then we talk about it on the phone?”

  “Pretty much.” Victoria chuckled. “She’s heard all about you from me, but I think she wants to get a feel for you herself. Feel free to take Finn with you. You two are a team, after all.”

  Mila sighed. “You’re the second person today to mention that they wanted Finn to go along. He’s down in Mexico for the day or longer. I’m betting longer.”

  “Shir shee chi!” Penny said, swooping out of the small door to her room.

  “Penny thinks he’ll be back by this afternoon, but I have my doubts,” Mila added, rolling her eyes at Penny.

  “That’s actually better as far as an assessment goes,” Victoria said, adjusting the phone as the sound of shuffling paperwork came through the line. “One of our sisters has gone dark, and is more than likely dead. She was tracking down a spot of corruption that showed up on our radar. Lisa had reports from a small town in northern Idaho that the wildlife was acting peculiar, a good sign that there is dark magic about. You have experience with dark magic, so you know what to expect.”

  “Heather didn't?” Mila asked, shocked that Victoria was so nonchalant about the possible death of a sister.

  “Unfortunately, Heather hadn't had to deal with any dark magic users for some time.” She mumbled to herself for a few seconds. “Shit. She hadn't had to deal with it for well over a hundred and fifty years. Anyway, she was never that good of a fighter. If she died, we can use it as an excuse to get her back into training.”