Why didn’t it feel this way with Magnus? Because Brit and Kirby were greeted by being kidnapped and Brit being shot? That definitely added to it, but Magnus had been more guarded from the moment they saw her. Dahlia didn’t have those walls up. Okay, she was the one who was shot and dying. She seemed to have made a full recovery though, and this Dahlia wasn’t any different from the one Brit remembered.
They reached the bathhouse. A simple counter sat out front, and the woman behind had fox-like features and vibrant red hair.
Dahlia handed her a small stack of bills. “Three, please.”
The woman nodded, tucked the cash away under the counter, and set three buckets out in return. There was a washcloth, small bar of soap, and small towel in each.
Dahlia gave a short bow, and Brit and Kirby mimicked the movement.
The three padded along wood flooring, down a long hallway lined with rice paper walls and doors. Intricate details were carved and painted on everything.
“Is this a real onsen?” Brit couldn’t drink in the details fast enough.
Dahlia led them through a curtain, to reveal a room with individual shower heads and stools along the wall, and lockers in a row down the middle. “Depends on your definition. Those are real hot springs out there. We’re expected to scrub down completely and enter them nude. The woman who owns the place is actually a brownie, and I don’t know if she’s ever been to Japan.”
Brit hadn’t either. “I’ve always wanted to go.”
“Japan?” Dahlia looked surprised. “You’ve never been?” She stripped off her shirt, wrinkled her nose, and tossed it in a wastebasket.
Kirby undressed as well, but folded her clothes in a neat pile. “What are you planning to wear when we’re done?”
“Check this out. Bag of holding.” Dahlia opened the wristlet she was carrying, and reached her arm in, all the way to the elbow. She showed them a hint of T-shirt before shoving the clothing back down into whatever invisible pocket held it. “You guys can borrow something if you need. Help me get the blood out of my hair?” She settled on a stool and turned on the water next to her.
“I will.” Brit stripped out of her clothes and set them next to Kirby’s. The three of them naked in what was essentially a communal shower was nothing new. Another throwback to growing up that felt natural.
Kirby took the stool next to Dahlia and started scrubbing clean as well. “When this is over, I don’t care what comes next, we’re going to Japan,” Kirby said. “I can’t believe you never had a mission there.”
Dahlia’s snort of laughter was bitter. “You’re kidding. Everyone knew she wanted to go. Of course Hel made sure she never did.”
That sounded about right. Brit soaped and rinsed the tips of Dahlia’s hair until the water ran clear, then took her own seat and washed up. The bath part of the building was more for soaking and relaxing. The three of them needed to be clean before they stepped into the springs.
They strolled into a room with rock walls and six large baths cutting a straight line to the one farthest from the entrance. The water was a hair too warm when Brit dipped her toes in, but she sank in and let the heat embrace her. Kirby settled next to her, with Dahlia on her other side.
The silence, aside from the ambient trickle of water, was soothing, and they sat for a moment not speaking.
“What happened with Magnus?” Brit asked softly. Meditation was all well and good, but things needed to get done.
Dahlia sank so low only her head was exposed, and leaned against the rocks with a sigh. “We had different definitions of what getting out meant. We were free and clear. We had the money and connections to hide for the rest of our lives. Or, I thought so. Vidar found us.”
Not quite the same as Magnus’s story, but the core sounded similar enough. Dahlia seemed more willing to talk about it, though.
“Did he threaten you? How’d you get away?” Brit couldn’t ignore the memory of how Hel required she prove her loyalty.
“He promised us things were different without Hel. That he didn’t believe in rule by manipulation, and that we were welcome back into the fold, no questions asked.”
Kirby made a soft hmm.
Would Brit have gone back if she were promised the same? Not enough of those people gave a shit about her for her to feel safe there. “Magnus gave us the impression you left for another god. Frey? Fen?”
Dahlia’s laugh was light and genuine. “No. I left for me. I’ve gotten to know them over the years, and I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I love to talk, and since I can’t talk about most things TOM, I talked about Kirby. How much I missed her. Imagine my surprise when they told me they knew her from previous lives. I mean, what in the what? So when I found a prophecy about her, I figured they were the best people to tell.”
There was something unspoken in Dahlia’s story, and Brit grasped to pull the pieces together. It was right there at the edge of her thoughts.
“I was so pissed when they wanted to use the information in exchange for helping Aya,” Dahlia said.
Kirby frowned. “I would have helped them regardless.”
“That’s what I told them.” Dahlia was indignant. “Just because you only loved Brit in school didn’t mean you only protected Brit. Aya didn’t believe me. I never should’ve let them tell her.”
There it was. Brit knew what was missing from the story. “How long have you known Kirby was alive?”
Dahlia worked her jaw and ducked her head. “A few years.” She spoke so softly it was difficult to hear.
“You said hours?” Brit knew she hadn’t. “There’s no way you’ve known for years.”
“Yeah, so, when Frey told me you weren’t dead, it rocked my fucking world.” Dahlia looked at Kirby. “It was like Yule, my birthday, and Spring Equinox all in one.”
Brit’s hurt grew. Years meant Dahlia had known long before things visibly fell apart at TOM. “And yet, you kept it to yourself,” Brit said.
“I didn’t like it. It was another secret. But Frey asked me to, and it seemed smart.” Dahlia finally met Brit’s gaze. “I wanted to tell you so many times, but I also didn’t think you’d ever see each other again. Knowing wouldn’t have helped you heal and... I didn’t know if it would be safe for Kirby.” Dahlia’s voice dropped off at the end again, before her expression brightened. “But look, you’re together. You’re both happy. It all worked out.”
Except Brit couldn’t ignore the ache inside. Had she wasted so much time? What would have been different if she found out sooner? Would she have gotten out sooner?
“Thank you.” Kirby’s sincerity was tangible.
Would Kirby have died before she became a Valkyrie?
“It all worked out, but you couldn’t know,” Kirby said. “Thank you for keeping my secret, especially given how much you hate them.”
It didn’t matter what could have been. This was what was, and Brit was happy with the current situation. It was simply going to take a little while for that sting of what if I’d known to go away.
A somber cloud settled in around them as silence descended again.
“You’re really going to be Queen Motherfucking Valkyrie, aren’t you?” Dahlia’s cheer was too-bright as it shattered the still.
Kirby shrugged. “Urd says so. I’ve never been a big fan of what Urd says, and meeting her didn’t change my opinion.”
“You’d pass up a chance like that to spite her?” Dahlia’s disbelief mirrored Brit’s.
“The spite is a pleasant side-effect, but there’s more to my hesitation than that,” Kirby said. “What if I can’t do it? I’m barely capable of taking care of me. I can’t make more Valkyries.”
Brit’s disbelief grew. “You’re kidding. Aren’t you? You just stood in a room full of gods, garnished with one borderline psychotic wolf, and told them what their plans were for going to war. You didn’t so much as flinch.”
The steam that floated up around Kirby, combined with the soft lighting, cast her in an unearthly
glow, and didn’t hide the fact that her already flushed cheeks darkened. “It was the right decision to make.”
“Which is why you’re the queen.” Dahlia spoke as if there was no room for argument.
And Brit didn’t see any reason to. “You shared your power with Magnus.”
“You did?” Was Dahlia hurt?
“Temporarily.” Kirby emphasized. “It wore off in minutes.”
“What if you meant it?” Dahlia asked.
Good point. “You don’t trust Magnus with that kind of power.” Brit thought for a moment. “Do you trust anyone that much who doesn’t already have their own?”
“You.”
Brit’s heart snagged on the confession. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” The corner of Kirby’s mouth tugged up in a half-smile. “I still have things to work through, with myself and with you. I don’t think I’m the only one. But I want you here while it happens.”
It didn’t feel odd to have Dahlia here for this conversation. Maybe Brit should be more suspicious, but this was family. And she’d ached for so long to have Kirby’s trust again, even though she still wasn’t sure she deserved it. “I’m willing to work. I’m willing to do anything.”
“No you’re not.” Kirby shook her head, but her smile grew. “Anything is fairly all-encompassing, and I wouldn’t ask that of you. It’s like we said before—I want us to be equals. Not identical. Not competitors. Partners. Lovers.”
“Aww.” Dahlia’s squeal was soft. She hid her face when Brit and Kirby looked at her. “Sorry. It’s so sweet.”
It was. “Like chocolate cake with strawberries,” Brit said.
“Exactly like that. So, um...” Kirby chewed her bottom lip.
“I know you don’t want to hear it again, but I’m sorry.” Brit’s voice cracked on the apology and a lump formed in her throat. “For every doubting you. For betraying you. For not knowing what love was, and throwing what we had away. Odin may have cursed you with the multiple lives, but how many people get the kind of second chances you’ve had? I’m pretty much the luckiest person ever to be one of them. I love you.” She poured every ounce of feeling and emotion into the words. It had never been more important to her to be believed.
“I love you, too. What happened wouldn’t have nearly destroyed me if I didn’t.” Kirby pressed her forehead to Brit’s. “But just as important, I trust the things you say. That it won’t be a problem again. That whatever comes at us—monsters, gods, or assholes—we’re strong enough to conquer it together.”
“I’m full up on all of the above, thanks. Maybe someone could throw jelly donuts at us instead?”
“I will.” Dahlia’s cheer was welcome.
Brit laughed through the tears pricking her eyelids. “So, not to push the issue, but since we’re on a timer... how do I get me a set of those nifty Valkyrie powers?”
Kirby kissed her on the nose. “I don’t know?”
“How did you do it with Magnus?” Dahlia asked.
“I focused on sending the power through her.”
“Sounds like a good starting place,” Dahlia said.
Brit shook her head. “Kirby already tried that with me.”
“But now you’re both completely on the same page. In love.” Dahlia’s sigh came with a soft smile. “It’s so sweet,” she repeated.
“I’m not declaring my love to everyone I turn into a Valkyrie,” Kirby said as she took Brit’s hand, closed her eyes, and exhaled slowly.
A sharp shock, like a live wire, struck Brit. “Ow.” She yanked her hand away. “What was that?”
Deep creases lined Kirby’s forehead. “It’s the same thing I felt when I tried to heal you, after you were shot. My magic clashes with whatever makes you immortal.”
“I can’t be a Valkyrie, then?” Brit expected a surge of disappointment. There was a trickle of hurt, but was it tempered with relief?
Kirby looked upset. “I don’t think you can. I’m sorry.”
Chapter Forty
Kirby
“I promise I tried. I’m sorry it didn’t work.” Kirby hated that she couldn’t share this with Brit. If Kirby couldn’t gift this to the one person she knew would use it right, what was the point?
Brit’s smile was sweet. Forgiving. “It’s okay. I promise.” She was sincere. “I’m not you. I know for the longest time I wanted to be, but I don’t anymore. I love you for you, and I need to be me.”
Kirby didn’t know how to respond. “I still wish...”
“Don’t.” Brit brushed her lips over Kirby’s. “Wish for something else for me. Not sure what, but just as good and very different.”
“All right.” Kirby could do that.
When their time was up in the bath, they climbed out, patted off the excess water, and padded back to the dressing room.
Kirby stared with distaste at the stack of neatly folded TOM clothes. She so badly wanted to leave those people behind. Working with them was a necessary evil, but the thought of wearing things they’d given her filled her with ambivalence.
“Here.” Dahlia nudged her and handed her a pile of mostly black fabric.
Kirby unfolded a black T-shirt, leggins, and a sports bra.
“I’m not loaning you my panties, sorry.” Dahlia sounded anything but.
Kirby smiled. “Thank you.” She was a little taller, flatter, and Brit shorter and curvier, but with Dahlia falling somewhere in between, this worked, and the leggins would be much easier to fight in than jeans.
Another thing to do when this was all over—have Min take them shopping. The bucket list of when we survive was growing. They’d better survive.
“Can I see it?” Dahlia asked as they dressed. “You as a Valkyrie?”
There was still no one else here, and Kirby didn’t know if that mattered anyway. This was a village of supernaturals, wasn’t it? “Sure.”
With zero effort, she let the wings unfurl. It was energizing, rather than draining. That was new, and it felt good. She didn’t summon the armor, though. That felt a bit like overkill in a bath changing room.
Dahlia stared at her with wide-eyed awe. “So gorgeous. I’ve always wanted wings.”
“Could you give it to her?” Brit’s question was hesitant.
Kirby trusted Dahlia in few ways, especially knowing she’d kept the secret of Kirby being alive. But making someone a Valkyrie wasn’t a I don’t think you’ll shoot me in the back today kind of thing. It was a potential eternity of power. “How about we start with temporarily, like with Magnus, and then go from there?” If Kirby could even do it again.
Dahlia frowned, but nodded. “That’s fair. Plus, wings, even for a few seconds, wow.”
Kirby took Dahlia’s hand, and focused on letting energy flow between them. There was an invisible wall. No, thinner, like paper? The same thing Kirby felt when she’d tried to heal Dahlia earlier.
“This shouldn’t hurt,” Kirby watched Dahlia’s face, looking for any change in expression, any hint that this was going badly, as she nudged the barrier then pushed through. She expected a shock, like she’d felt with Brit. Instead, the resistance tore. Wings flickered into view, spread from Dahlia’s back, and then vanished, like a bad horror movie special effect.
Kirby tried again, pushing harder this time. The after-image of wings stayed longer, a second or two, and then disappeared. “It’s not working,” Kirby muttered.
Dahlia pulled her hand away and let it drop limply by her side. “It’s okay. I get it. You don’t trust me as much as you do Magnus. I can earn that. That’s fair.”
“That’s not it,” Kirby said. “I promise I don’t trust her more than you. But I also don’t know how this works. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe she was a fluke. Maybe I’m not this great and mighty being people think I am.” Disappointment she didn’t expect welled inside. She didn’t want this to be true. Her reaction to Urd’s revelation had been shock and disbelief, but the idea was growing on her. She could be more than a lost soul, rescued life after life.
She could make a difference. She could take a stand. “Do you think if I told Lance that I can’t do what their vision said, that they’d back off?” Her joke was weak.
Brit shook her head. “Unlikely.”
“Yeah.” Kirby sighed. “But you know me—eternal optimist.” Eternal punching bag for the fates, and she was sick of it. She was going to figure this out, and anyone who didn’t like the way she did it could fuck right off.
Dahlia headed back to NEON, and Kirby and Brit to their temporary house. No surprise, no one was resting. Gwydion, Min, and Starkad sat in the living room, their presence making the space feel cramped, despite there being plenty of room and furniture.
Starkad raised an eyebrow at their clothing. “You join the goth girl club?” His tone was light.
“Shut it,” Kirby said playfully. “Do you want to go over blueprints before we all get together again?”
“Are you done relaxing?” Starkad asked.
Probably until this was over. Another thing for the bucket list. Relax. “Yes.”
Kirby, Starkad, and Brit spread Min’s printouts across the kitchen table, linking them together as best as possible to form a big picture. It would be easier to go into the next meeting with the start of a plan, rather than let the committee make a decision.
They circled caverns that looked large enough to hold multiple people—those were the targets and warning spots. They found the entrances closest to each.
“Four teams, myself, Brit, Starkad, and Magnus,” Kirby said. “Any soldiers Vidar provides split evenly among us.”
Brit shook her head. “Vidar’s not going to go for that. Not with Starkad.”
True.
“I agree,” Starkad said. “But you’re not letting him lead.”
“Fen.” Kirby didn’t hesitate. She didn’t know if he had formal combat experience, but he was a warrior, and he had been a mostly neutral party for centuries. “Starkad can go with him. Gwydion with Magnus. Vidar with me. Frey with Brit.” They weren’t taking everyone, but those were the parties who could fight or get them out.”
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