Dead Chaos (A Valkyrie Novel - Book 3) (The Valkyrie Series)

by Ayer, T. G.

  "Come and lie down. You need to relax." Eir showed me to a small daybed. As I seated myself, she disappeared behind me to return moments later with a goblet. "Drink this. It will help with the healing and of course it will help you to relax." She grinned.

  Mead. I was most pleased to drink the honeyed liquid.

  After swallowing the entire cupful, I lay back and waited. Eir placed a stool beside the bed and went to shut the door. She hurried back, washed her hands, and brought a small tray with her, which she laid on the bed. She shifted the stool closer and pressed the tender red flesh at the mouth of the wound then nodded to herself.

  Choosing a vicious-looking needle, she looped the thread into the eye and bent to her task. "When I say, take a deep breath. It should ease the pain at the entry of the needle."

  I nodded and tried to relax. Too bad Eir didn't have a shot of general anesthetic lying around somewhere. I made a mental note to make that suggestion, then concentrated as the goddess brought the needle to my skin. I breathed deeply, feeling the prick of the needle, the pressure and the break in the skin, the penetration of the sharp point as she pushed it through the flesh and made the first loop to pull the two pieces of skin together.

  Each time she inserted the needle, it seemed to be easier and less painful. I was about to comment on that when I realized my eyelids were drooping as the Mead took effect. I swallowed, remembering she had one more wound to attend to. One that I was grateful I'd most likely be unconscious for. Or at least plenty out of it to not feel the pain.

  I cleared my throat just as Eir began to go in for another stitch. "What is it?"

  "There is another wound. I needed to tell you before I fall asleep."

  "Most likely a wise idea." Eir smiled. "Where is it?"

  "My scalp. I hit a rock wall pretty hard and it was bleeding. Still is a little, I think."

  "I'll take care of it. You just relax."

  Good thing I'd told her when I did. Within minutes, I was asleep, blissfully unaware of the piercing and tugging against my wounds.

  ***

  I woke in the day bed hours later. I hadn’t felt this good, this rested, in ages. A Huldra greeted me when I woke, informing me that Eir had been called away and that I could leave as soon as I felt ready. Then she left, her cow’s tail bobbing at the hem of her skirts.

  I touched my scalp gingerly, and felt the small row of stitches Eir had made and winced as my finger brushed a thread. Rested but still sore, I got to my feet and gathered my clothes together. Before long, I returned to my room to be greeted by a pair of swiftly wagging tails and dark, glossy eyes that looked very concerned for my welfare and very happy to see me back.

  "Down, Fleabag. Give a girl some space." I waved the dogs off and sank into the fur on my bed. I fell against the furs, relishing the soft comfort, my eyes too heavy to keep open any longer. Just as I was about to fall asleep, Turi entered the room to take over my weapons and clothing. She came with a tray of hot food, which fully roused me and had me drooling very quickly.

  Steaming slices of roast beef and gravy and vegetables. Fresh hot bread with lots of melted butter. I devoured the meat, surprised at my hunger. At last, replete and strangely more exhausted than I'd been before eating, I lay back on the furs and watched Geri and Freki as they lounged in front of the fire.

  My heavy lids shut and I was asleep so fast I didn't have a chance to put together a plan for our mission.

  ***

  "So once you arrive in Jotunnheim, you will head for the castle." Fen and the team bent over a map spread open on his desk. I'd summoned them to meet me at Fen's, assuming he'd be the best person to give us the lay of the land of the frost giants.

  I was still sore but well refreshed and ready for action. "Do we know the layout of the castle? How to get to the Tower of Mord?"

  Fen nodded. "The Mord Tower is the only place Loki would keep Heimdall—highly secure, well-guarded, no escape. The perfect prison."

  "Isn't there a king or ruler of Jotunnheim? Maybe we could bargain with him?" I suggested although I suspected it would never be that easy.

  "Yes and no." Fen's response was cold and I suspected he had a history with this ruler of the frost giants. "The King of the Jotunn is Bergfinnr. His loyalty, although at times questionable, lies with Loki. He does not have much love for the Aesir, especially Heimdall and Thor. He will not deign to bargain with you or any one of us."

  "Guess that means we do it the hard way." I shrugged, giving the team a cursory glance. Nods all around. We were all ready to go. "So where’s this tower, then?"

  "West wing of the castle. I have made a copy of the plans for you. You should have no trouble following it." Fen rolled the map up and handed it to me along with another smaller scroll of paper. "And be careful. Avoid fighting the giants if possible. They are hard to defeat even for a powerful Valkyrie."

  I glanced up at Fen but he was looking at Sigrun, a shadow of worry on his brow.

  "We'll be careful. I'd prefer not to tangle with them either. Not after my last experience with the fake Brody we tried to rescue just before Dr. Lee’s henchmen caught me," I said, and Fen nodded. We shuffled, ready to leave.

  "Oh, and don’t forget your Sleipnir," said Fen.

  My jaw dropped. "My Sleipnir?"

  "Yes. You have been trained to ride. And so has your team. You each have you own assigned mount and they will accompany you to Jotunnheim. I do believe they will be an advantage in the Jotunn terrain." I was still surprised but managed a weak nod. "Oh and, Brynhildr? Please be careful. The last thing we need is to lose anyone on this mission."

  I bobbed my head in agreement as I walked off with the others.

  "Bryn." I stopped at the doorway as Fen called out.

  I sensed he wanted a private word and turned to the team. "I'll meet you guys at the transfer room in two hours." They nodded and left, each face somber, aware of the dangers we were inviting by invading Loki's territory. After they departed, I faced Fen, a little startled to see he'd come up close behind me.

  He placed his hands on my shoulders. "Be very careful, Brynhildr. Keep your eyes and ears open and trust no one. Loki is the king of tricksters. He will try to make you see things that aren’t there. Watch your back." Fen's expression was grave.

  "I'll be careful. But what's wrong? You weren't this worried when we went to the Tree or even when we went for Gjallerhorn."

  "We have the one thing that Loki would have been sure was the key. Gjallerhorn. You have thwarted his plan. And if you free Heimdall, Loki will be furious. And so much more unpredictable that ever before."

  "I can imagine. He's crazy to begin with," I said, my voice dry and edged with residual fury at the god.

  "Whatever you do, do not underestimate Loki."

  I nodded, knowing full well what Fen meant. The more we succeed, the more we stepped on Loki's toes.

  And we all knew what happened when you angered the Trickster god.

  ***

  Chapter 35

  I’d entered my room, adrenalin finally seeping out of my blood, and I intended to just relax a bit. The quiet was a welcome change from running around, fighting for my life. Geri and Freki looked up at me from beside the fire. I’d almost forgotten about the wolves. I grinned as I watched them sprawled and sleeping in the warmth of the flames.

  A tray of food on a small table by the fire made me smile. Turi never failed to take care of me. I took the tray to the bed and sat cross-legged on the warm furs, thinking about the last week’s events. Things were taking a turn for the better. The horn was back in Asgard and I crossed my fingers, hoping we’d have Heimdall and Odin back soon.

  Another face wavered in front of me. A little boy with unruly curly hair and dark chocolate skin. Brody was still missing and I hated that Stephen Lee had used Brody’s image to finally abduct me. I’d fallen for their trick because I’d wanted to save Brody. I didn’t plan to lose hope of finding him. It was just that we had no idea how to even start looking for him. A t
winge of guilt rippled through me. Loki had offered Brody’s return and I’d refused. But a more sensible voice in my head reminded me that the trickster god couldn’t be trusted.

  I sighed, lost within my thoughts.

  Then, a knock on the door had me rising to answer it.

  Joshua stood there, the corner of his lip turned up. I’d always thought the little smile was sexy. Why had I never allowed myself to think of him as anything other than just a friend?

  "I thought I’d come keep you company. No point in going all the way to Valhalla just for a couple hours." He winked and headed for the fireside, warming his hands, although the winter chill had lightened a lot in the last few weeks. It was always cold in Asgard, North Pole cold.

  I returned to the furs and Joshua left the fire to come sit beside me, picking at the grapes and cheese from the platter.

  "Thanks for coming," I said, but the words felt awkward when all I could think about was our last kiss and how much I wanted him to repeat the whole activity.

  He must have sensed my thoughts because he took my hand from where it rested on my thigh and entwined his fingers with mine. "Are you okay?"

  I nodded.

  "About us, I mean."

  "I think so. I’m not entirely sure what’s happening, or what it will become, but I am okay with it." Even as I spoke the words, I felt how right they were.

  Our eyes stayed locked on each other as a mysterious, heated silence flared between us. We both moved to get closer, breath coming quicker, hearts beating faster. Joshua's cheek grazed mine, the light stubble softly tickling my skin sending ripples of shivers up and down my spine. His lips claimed mine and I kissed him back just as passionately, just as uncontrollably as he kissed me.

  He deepened the kiss and my mind whirled. I was dizzy with my eyes closed; my limbs melting. Joshua's fingers threaded through the hair at the back on my neck, bringing us even closer. I shuddered. Could we possibly get any closer? I tugged at his shirt then let my hands travel around his waist to run up the taut muscles of his back.

  Kissing Joshua was driving me insane. Insane for more of Joshua.

  He grasped my knee and slipped his hand beneath the hem of my white dress.

  The crackle of flames mixed with the sounds of our desperate breathing.

  Joshua's hand moved an inch higher up my thigh. A growl cut through the air, so vicious and threatening we both sat up in shock, all thoughts of kisses and other desired activities gone from our minds.

  ***

  I ran my hand down Ara’s pure-white neck and the horse snuffed and gave me a small toss of her head, as if she wanted to know what had kept me. I smiled and patted her shoulder before securing a bedroll and a pack filled with provisions to her back.

  Sigrun, Aimee and Joshua did the same with their horses, working swiftly. I guess they wanted to get the horses prepped and get this mission moving as much as I did.

  "Sigrun?" She lifted her head and met my gaze under her Sleipnir’s neck. "How will the Sleipnir get to Jotunnheim? Can they use the bridge?"

  Sigrun’s face scrunched as she considered my question. "I suppose they could use the bridge but if you recall, the Bifrost opens up in some very odd places. Like the top of the rocky outcropping in Jotunnheim. Too dangerous for the horses to maneuver. And besides, the transfer room is not conducive to eight-legged traffic." She grinned, then said. "I supposed nobody ever though of ensuring the bridge can carry the Sleipnir because our horses will always answer our call."

  I frowned for a moment, then bobbed my head as I recalled Fen’s comment about telepathic bonding between Sleipnir and rider. Sigrun continued. "Each Sleipnir is connected with its rider. You may call your mount whenever you need it and it will come. The connection between you and your Sleipnir transcends the realms. It is almost as if that connection opens its own personal bridge between horse and rider. So when the Warrior calls the Sleipnir comes immediately."

  "You mean the horse has the power to appear and disappear wherever it wants?"

  "Not wherever it wants. Wherever you want. The Sleipnir is connected to you so they will appear beside you when they are called. They can also be summoned by any of the gods or even other Valkyries or Warriors the horse is familiar with. The important thing is they needs to be called. And you can also send it back."

  "Using my mind again?" I asked. "So you tell the Sleipnir to go and it just goes?" Sigrun nodded as I digested the information. Looks like the eight-legged beasts could turn out to be quite useful.

  ***

  Icy wind slapped our faces as we stepped off the Bifrost. The unfamiliar terrain confirmed we’d arrived in a different area from our previous visit to Jotunnheim. I gasped as my boots crunched into freshly fallen snow.

  We huddled together, bracing against the wind, wrapped warmly within super-thick, hooded fur coats. I had my sword, Gungnir, the magical water from the Norns, and Lady Tyra's dragon eye. The amber ball sat safely in the pocket of my jacket. I figured I'd need all the help I could get, so I brought it along. Though I had insisted Hugin and the wolves stay behind. I could do without having to worry about the wolves if we encountered the Jotunn. Who knew what would happen?

  Sigrun walked a few paces to a large open area and stood still, staring off into space. Within seconds, the air shimmered and a Sleipnir slowly solidified before her. The horse stamped the snow off her hooves as if offended she’d landed on cold, icy ground.

  Sigrun caught the reins and led her horse away, nodding to me as she went.

  I cleared my throat and rolled my shoulders. I closed my eyes and thought of Ara, saying the words "come to me" in my mind and feeling slightly stupid while I was at it. I opened my eyes and my heart sank. It didn’t work. I was about to turn to Sigrun when a disturbance in the air caught my attention.

  The air began to shimmer as if a ball of oddly shaped water hovered in front of me. The translucent shimmer slowly solidified growing from a weak and watery image of Ara to the solid, living creature.

  I laughed as Ara stamped the ground much like Sigrun’s mount, then threw her head up, whinnying in indignation. I grabbed her reins and pulled her aside, feeling a little proud of myself. I’d done it all by myself without needing a single bit of instruction. Although, I had been certain I’d fail on my first try.

  Just goes to show you can never be entirely sure what you are capable of.

  We waited for Aimee and Joshua to call their horses and we mounted as soon as they were ready. We got our bearings and began to make the trek to the castle, the warm metal of Odin’s spear in my hand giving me a silent assurance. There was no clear path, and with the ground covered with a coat of snow, we couldn’t be sure where rocks or other debris lay hidden, waiting to hobble our horses. We moved at a sedate pace, watching the ground, allowing the horses to pick their way along the path.

  We passed towering spikes of ice and marched across an iced-over lake while winter-blackened tree watched us pass, their bare branches waving sadly in the gusting wind. The snow fell heavier and we struggled to breathe, desperately hiding our mouths and much of our faces within our scarves. The freezing wind scraped the moisture from our eyes and throats, and I soon felt like I was suffocating on the rushing air.

  After a long trek, we stopped and dismounted within a circle of gigantic icicles that gleamed despite the meager daylight. They were large and close together, close enough to provide a protected barrier against the wind. Joshua worked on lighting a fire using a small pile of wood we'd brought. Fen's idea and a pretty smart one, considering all we could see were miles and miles of snow. We hadn't been able to tell if the odd tree we passed was suitable for firewood.

  Fire and some hot soup warmed us up a bit and we settled down to rest both the horses and ourselves. The biting wind and snow had taken its toll but I was impatient to get moving. The last thing I wanted was to sit around doing nothing.

  ***

  Chapter 36

  I got to my feet and walked away from the reach of t
he warm fire, needing to move my tight muscles. As I ducked behind a large rock, the sound of footsteps closed in on me. I'd left to be alone; I hadn't expected anyone to follow me. A figure rounded the corner.

  "Bryn, are you okay?" Joshua asked, his voice gentle and concerned. I sighed to myself.

  "Sorry, I just wanted to get away for a bit," I answered. Oddly I was glad he'd followed me.

  "Do you still want to be alone? I can leave—-"

  "No, please stay." I smiled as I grabbed at his arm to stop him in case he decided to leave.

  "Okay, if you’re sure," he said as he came to stand beside me. He'd strategically placed his body between mine and the brisk wind, and I realized Joshua had always been the gentleman, always making sure I was comfortable first.

  I shivered as another icy gust buffeted us. Perhaps it had been a bad idea coming out here. Privacy wasn’t worth the price of freezing to death.

  I rubbed my arms. "It's so much colder here than I'd expected it to be."

  "Here, I can help a little," Joshua opened his fur and beckoned me forward. I was about to decline when another gust of wind made me change my mind. I snuggled against him, telling myself it was just for a moment and we’d go back to the others soon.

  My body warmed against the heat of his. My fingers shook and I rubbed them together, getting them warm again. Huddled there within Joshua’s fur coat, feeling the warmth from his coat and from his body, I felt safe. For once, I felt that no matter what happened, everything would be all right in the end.

  Joshua put his arms around me, tightening his hold, and I breathed in deeply as the warmth soothed my flesh and my bones and my heart. Cocooned there, I looked up at him and found his face just inches from mine. I came undone the moment his gaze alighted on my lips. I drew in a shuddering breath as the distance closed between our lips.

  I was almost shaking all over, and the shivering had nothing whatsoever to do with the biting cold around us. At last, his lips closed over mine and he pressed close. The heat was unbearable and yet so indescribably beautiful that I didn't want him to stop.