The Valkyrie's Bond (Halfblood Rising Book 1)

by Lucy Roy

  Focusing her attention away from the bug-eyed secretary and through the leaded glass windows to the campus grounds outside, she began to take note of her fellow students and surroundings, happy for the opportunity to do so in a way that kept her own stares concealed. Leaning closer to the open window beside her, she inhaled, attempting to determine the species of Lind that roamed about outside. The prevalence of the fiercer beasts of the feline and canine variety told her that most of the shifters here had strong bloodlines. The sweet and spicy scents of witches and warlocks floated toward her, although they seemed to be far fewer in number than the shifters, at least from this narrow vantage point.

  “Freya?”

  Tearing her eyes from the busy campus, Freya smiled up at Lazarus. “All done?”

  “All done,” he confirmed. “Let’s head over to the dining hall. I’m sure Lea and Collin will be waiting for us by now.”

  “Food sounds fantastic,” she said with a grin, linking her arm through the one he offered.

  “Then I shall escort you.” Lowering his voice to a whisper as they began to walk down the hall, he added, “If we’re sneaky, we might be able to slip into the kitchens and nab some of the leftover dessert from last night.”

  “I don’t know…” Freya chewed her lip thoughtfully. “From what you’ve told me, Cook might carve us up for a feast tonight if we’re caught.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. “Which is why, dear Freya, we won’t get caught.”

  She laughed. “Next time, maybe. I’d like to at least try to make a good name for myself before being banished by the kitchen staff.”

  After making their way through the food line and filling their trays, they found Lea and Collin seated at the same table as the previous night. Lea bounced a bit in her seat as Freya approached, then held out her hand and snapped her fingers.

  “Let’s see it,” she demanded.

  Setting down her tray, Freya handed Lea her schedule to look over while Lazarus took a seat beside Collin. After a few seconds, Lea let out an excited squeal.

  “Ooo, we all have History together!” She let the paper fall to the table and clapped her hands excitedly. “It’s going to be so fun!”

  “Is that the only one?” Collin asked curiously. Reaching across the table, he took the paper and scanned it. Lazarus leaned over, resting his chin on Collin’s shoulder as he read.

  “And combat,” Collin said, pointing.

  “At least we’ve got the afternoon slot and not the morning one,” Lazarus grumbled, slumping back in his chair. “Aerelius, too.”

  Freya gave him a curious look. “That bothers you?”

  “No, no, Aer is like a brother to me,” Lazarus replied. “His sycophants, on the other hand…”

  “Reprehensible,” Lea told her.

  “Shameless and opportunistic,” Collin added.

  Freya wrinkled her nose at that. “How unfortunate for them.”

  Collin handed Freya her schedule back. “You’ve also got Literature with me and Civics with Lazarus.”

  “And Toxins with me,” Lea told her. “So you won’t be on your own for any classes.”

  “That’s good, I suppose,” Freya murmured, looking over her course list again. Having always had an interest in toxicology, Toxins was the course she was most eager for, followed by Combat. The others, while she knew were necessary for her lot in life, did little to hold her interest.

  “Do any of you know who our professors are?” she asked, picking up a piece of crusty bread and dipping it into her tomato bisque. “The commander didn’t give me a great deal of information before he left.”

  “We met a few.” Lea chewed on a carrot stick contemplatively. “Oh! Our Toxins professor, Doctor Florian, is a former assassin.” She grinned at Freya’s look of surprise. “He’s served the Harridan line for nearly seven centuries, although I’m not sure what he did before that because no one really knows how old he is. He retired when King Salazar took the crown.”

  “But,” Laz held up a finger, “it’s never actually been confirmed that was his job.”

  “Or that he actually retired, come to think of it,” Collin added.

  “Officially, he was an officer of the court,” Lea added. “A judge. It’s quite common knowledge that was only a cover, though.”

  Freya gave her a dubious look as her excitement began to fade. “How has it become common knowledge?”

  “My mother is good friends with King Salazar’s first cousin, once removed—”

  “Twice removed,” Laz corrected.

  “—who is a horrendous gossip.” Abandoning her carrots, Lea took a large bite of a crisp green apple. “She told my mother of Florian’s profession and was overheard by a maid, and well, I’m sure you can figure it out from there.” She shrugged and wiped a bit of juice from her chin with the back of her hand. “Sometimes new kings will execute the prior king’s hired assassin, but Uncle Salazar considered it a ‘waste of a good mind’ to have him killed. So when Florian voluntarily retired—I think he said the work had become ‘boring’—Uncle Sal decided to put his expertise to use here.”

  Freya laughed. “I think I like King Salazar even more now.”

  “I’m certain he’ll be so pleased to hear that,” a reedy female voice said from behind her.

  Freya’s hand froze, her spoon poised halfway to her mouth. Glancing at the others, who were harboring varying degrees of annoyance, Freya set her spoon down and turned in her seat, then looked into the green eyes of the blonde female she’d seen at Prince Aerelius’ side the night before.

  Freya flicked a cursory glance up and down the girl’s body. She was tall and thin, with just enough curve to avoid being considered lanky. She had a pretty face—high cheekbones, long, straight nose, and bow-shaped lips—and her wavy hair was long and honey-colored, streaked with shades of light brown here and there. Green eyes, vivid and sharp, glared down at Freya.

  With a sigh, Freya lifted a brow in question. “And you are…?”

  The girl’s mouth dropped open in offense and the two females who stood beside her tittered in amusement.

  “I,” the girl began, “am Lady Myria Bryton of Saith, daughter of Governor Emric Bryton.”

  Freya leaned over and picked up a piece of bread, then winked at Lea, who appeared on the verge of laughter. She looked back at Myria, holding her stare in mock confusion for a few more seconds as she broke off a small piece of her roll and put it in her mouth. “I apologize for my ignorance, Lady, but for some reason I thought the governor had a son.” She swallowed her bite of bread and smiled apologetically. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of you.”

  “As a recipient of the crown’s charity, it’s not surprising you’ve been raised outside the social loop,” Myria said airily, brushing her hair from her shoulder. “It will mean something soon enough.” She eyed Freya scornfully. “I saw the way you looked at the prince last night. Would you like a bit of friendly advice?”

  “No, but thank you.” Freya smiled.

  One of the girls behind her—a brunette who might have been pretty if not for her sour expression—gave Freya a wide-eyed look of disdain.

  “Well, take it as a gift, then,” Myria snapped. “Whatever dreams you have in that tiny head of yours—you might as well give up on them now.”

  Freya eyed Myria curiously, then leaned toward her and sniffed. Angling her head to the side and biting back her glee at the girl’s horrified expression, she narrowed her eyes. “Your shifted form is a cat, correct?”

  Myria smirked. “It is. And based on the stench coming from you, I’d guess you’re some type of bird.” Leaning down so her face was inches from Freya’s, she bared her teeth. “Do you know what big cats do to little birds?”

  “I believe they eat them raw, although considering your ability to use cookware, I can’t imagine why you would. All those feathers…” Freya shuddered.

  Lazarus let out a loud snort.

  “Oh, move along, Myria,” Lea final
ly said through peals of laughter, waving her hand dismissively. “Go spew your venom elsewhere.”

  Myria’s cheeks flamed as she ignored Lea and gripped Freya’s chin. “I hope you realize what you’ve gotten into,” she sneered. “I am not the kind of person you want to cross.”

  One corner of Freya’s mouth curved up in a mocking smile. Letting her fingernails shift into talons, she wrapped her hand around Myria’s wrist and squeezed, digging the sharpened points into the girl’s skin and eliciting a sharp yelp of pain. “Keep. Your claws. To yourself.” She released the girl’s hand and shoved her back a step, sending her stumbling into her friends. One cared enough to grab Myria’s arm to steady her, but the brunette leapt out of the way to avoid the blood that dripped from Myria’s wrist.

  Lips trembling and eyes wide with shock, Myria stared down at her hand, hissing at the thin streaks of blood that now coated it. Tear-filled eyes met Freya’s, her voice quavering as she spoke.

  “You are finished here.” Then, cradling her scratched hand, she turned and sped from the hall.

  Freya watched as Myria left, her two followers on her heels, one casting furtive glances over her shoulder as though fearful Freya might follow them.

  Shaking her head, Freya turned back to her food.

  “How long will that take to heal?” Collin asked, tilting his head toward in the direction Myria had just run.

  Freya shrugged and picked up her fork and speared a piece of ham that dripped with some type of honeyed glaze. “My talons are only venomous if I want them to be, so she’ll be fine in a few minutes.” Closing her eyes, she savored the ham’s sugary taste, Myria’s threats instantly forgotten. “This is divine.”

  “There have been rumors that Cook was sent directly from the heavens,” Lea said.

  Freya frowned across the table when she saw Collin staring at her appraisingly. Lazarus seemed to notice at the same time, because he smacked Collin’s chest lightly with the back of his hand.

  “Stop, Collin,” he admonished.

  Freya gave Collin a curious look.

  “Collin’s goal is to become a scientist,” Lea explained, rolling her eyes. “He’s got a particular interest in venoms, so try not to be offended when he asks for a bit of yours. He’s not intentionally trying to scare you off.” She shot him a pointed look and tossed a raspberry in his direction.

  Deflecting the projectile, Collin smiled sheepishly. “Not to worry, Freya. I’ll wait until we get to know each other a bit better first.”

  “If you play your cards right, I might give you an entire feather,” Freya teased, then laughed at his shocked expression.

  “Now you’ve done it,” Laz muttered.

  Collin gave him a warning look. “It would do you a fair bit of good to take a deeper interest in your studies, too, you know.”

  “What do you plan on pursuing?” Freya asked Lazarus, taking another bite of ham.

  He shrugged uncomfortably. “I haven’t quite decided yet. Science is Collin’s forte. I tend to lean more toward liberal arts.”

  “My cousin is a bit of a history buff,” Lea explained.

  “He’s quite into politics, as well,” Collin added, stretching his arm across the back of Laz’s chair and smiling softly. He nodded toward Lea. “We’ve been trying to talk him into pursuing a career in that arena.”

  “And I’ve told them I don’t have the stomach for scheming and betrayals, which is all politics is,” Laz told Freya.

  She nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  He elbowed Collin in the side. “See? I’m not crazy.”

  “I never said—” Collin rolled his eyes. “I merely suggested you put your skills to use in a more public forum than working with historical artifacts, that’s all.”

  “Both are important to the furthering of our society,” Lea interjected, pointing her fork at Collin. “Both are necessary to preserve the things we accomplish, so let’s leave him be.”

  Freya sent Lazarus a sympathetic smile. “Try not to worry. The entire point of the first year is to find a concentration. You may find an interest in something entirely unexpected.”

  Laz’s shoulders seemed to relax a bit at her words. “Thank you, Freya.”

  “What about you?” Freya asked Lea.

  She shrugged. “Teaching, maybe. It’s always been an interest of mine.”

  Freya grinned. “I could see that. You have that no-nonsense way about you that good teachers need.”

  “Do you have a concentration you’d like to focus on while you’re here?” Collin asked.

  Freya huffed out a sigh. “Politics, civics.” She gave him a wry smile. “It’s the family business, after all.”

  He laughed. “I certainly understand that.”

  Lea gave her a small smile. “It’s not the worst thing in the world, you know, having to stay at court. The royal family is quite lovely.”

  “Oh, I know. Ordona… she loved to dote on me when I would stay here during the holidays,” Freya said, “and Aer and I always got along very well, although I’m sure he’s changed just as much as I have. I know nothing of the other court members, though, so I’ll have to trust you three to fill me in.”

  “Don’t worry,” Laz said, tossing a bit of bread into his mouth. “Barely half are like our dear Myria over there.”

  Lea groaned and Freya dropped her head to her hands.

  Chapter 7

  The rest of the day was spent at the stores in Iladel acquiring texts and other supplies they would need for the first term, along with enough capital-appropriate clothes to last Freya for a year. They returned to campus later than planned. Lazarus and Collin had managed to secret away a good deal of food from the kitchen while the staff were occupied, resulting in a quick dinner by the lake. By the time darkness fell over the campus, Freya was more than ready to get a solid night of sleep before starting her courses.

  When she rose at dawn for the second day in a row, she contemplated taking a walk to the lake but decided to let Collin and Lazarus have a bit of time to themselves before the day began. Instead, she opted for strolling the grounds, getting a better feel for her new home on her own before the rest of the residents woke for the day.

  She dressed in a pair of slim-fitting gray pants and a sleeveless red blouse made of soft muslin trimmed in bits of silver. Topping her outfit with a leather jacket to combat the early-morning chill, she tugged on a pair of black leather boots that laced to her knees and made her way quietly from her dorm.

  As she wandered the stone paths that criss-crossed the grounds and wound around the many buildings on campus, she found herself comparing her newer, quieter surroundings to her home in Watoria. Though small compared to Iladel, her home city was bustling, filled with the sounds of its citizens, the rattling wheels of carriages on the busy streets, and the sounds and smells of commerce. Woodsmoke from smiths and carpentry stalls and the perfumes and incense of the market district always filled the air, giving Watoria a smell that Freya thought of as distinctly home. While many of those things could be found in the busiest sections of Iladel, here on the outer edge of the city, the only sounds were buzzing insects, the whispered chatter of wood sprites, the quiet flap of pixie wings, and the twitter of birds. The forest surrounding campus seemed alive, breathing in the mountain air and exhaling the sweet scent of foliage, flowers, and the earthy scent of loam. It enveloped her in a way the air in Watoria hadn’t, and as she walked, she struggled to decide whether that was a good thing or not.

  That was until she saw the cinnabar-streaked hair and broad-shouldered form of Commander Balthana at the end of the path, waiting on the steps of the academy’s administration building. As she approached, he gave her a nod in greeting.

  “Settling in well enough?” he asked.

  “Well enough,” she replied. “Lea and the others seem nice. Is something wrong?”

  “Aside from you assaulting a lady of Saith?” He shook his head. “Lady Bryton was quite upset yesterday, or so I’ve hear
d. As her father will be, when word gets back.”

  “You’re here to scold me?” Freya held out her hands, palms up. “Go on, then, get the rod. But for the record, she deserved it.”

  Balthana stared down at her, stone-faced for several seconds, then shook his head. “Be that as it may, you’ve got a legacy and a future to uphold. You’d do well to remember that.”

  Before she could respond, he pulled a folded piece of parchment from the inside pocket of his uniform jacket and handed it to her. “As promised, your social schedule for the upcoming months, directly from the queen. If you’ve got any questions, Lea should be able to help.”

  Taking the paper, she unfolded it and scanned the list.

  “Do each of these require special attire?” she asked, glancing up at him, tamping down the slight flare of panic that flickered in her chest. It had been ages since she’d had to dress for court functions, especially any so fancy as a ball. The last had been the Summer Solstice celebration her final summer in Iladel, but as that had been in the dead of summer, heavy ballgowns weren’t required.

  “It’s uncommon to be seen at court functions in the same costume twice, so, yes, I would recommend purchasing something different for each.” He nodded toward the schedule. “A few have a recommended color palette that will complement the theme of the night.”

  With a sigh, Freya looked back down at the list. The annual Commencement Ball for Aldridge in two weeks had a warm color scheme; purples, reds, and oranges that represented the sunsets that Saith, the king’s ancestral homeland, were famed for. The queen’s Nameday celebration seemed based on her native home in the southern realm of Edhil, with a theme of diamonds and sapphires—the two main jewel exports of the southernmost court. Scanning the rest of the list, she saw the other events—several dinners and a few formal gatherings—had similar specific themes guests were expected to adhere to.

  Freya let her arms fall to her sides as she met the commander’s eyes. He looked amused, which to Freya’s recollection was never a good thing.