by Anne Schlea
She can sort the rest out later.
Chapter 14
An hour later, Runa and Kristoff wait inside a dark SUV, watching the door to the warehouse in question. Sunset won’t come for another few hours, but Kristoff doesn’t want to run the risk of anyone escaping. It calms his nerves to watch the door, knowing Zartan’s men are similarly watching the other exits and entrances. So far, no movement, and no sign that anyone inside realizes a task force is building outside.
Holding a gun clip in her hands, Runa turns the clip over slowly, spinning it around in endless circles. He watches her hands, wondering why he hadn’t noticed how delicate they were before. Thin fingers topped with well-manicured nails could belong to a ballerina, long and graceful.
Her eyes are looking in the direction of the warehouse, but Kristoff can tell they’re focused on something much farther away.
He didn’t want to bring her. His every instinct is still screaming at him to turn the car around and leave her at the hotel. Tie her up and toss her in a closet with armed guards if he must. Protect her. Keep her safe.
Logic reminds him that Runa is valkyrie. She’s not a vampire female, nor is she human. She isn’t as fragile as his mind makes her and she would hate him if he tried to keep her away.
Keeping her away from this warehouse won’t keep her safe, and it won’t help her to heal. She needs this, to be here when they blow the doors off the building and level everything inside of it.
But, god, he didn’t realize how hard it would be for him until now. If he didn’t have his hands gripped on the wheel he’s sure she’d notice the tremors going through them. The inability to do anything is almost debilitating.
“You’re going to be okay.” He reaches out to brush her hair from her face. “Maybe not today. Maybe not even tomorrow. But you’re going to be okay.”
“I know.” She breathes in deeply through her nose and looks over at him. She’s centering herself, keeping in the present moment. He wonders if her mind is taking her back there, back to the place he found her. “I can’t see him. In my mind, it’s too dark. All I see are shadows and hear voices. I never saw a face. I need to know what he looks like.”
Kristoff keeps his face from reacting despite his desire to bare his fangs. Even if they manage to kill the bastard who hurt Runa, there’s still no guarantee she won’t keep having the nightmares she tries to hide from him. Thankfully, their frequency has lessened, but they still happen some nights. All he can do is hold her after she wakes, grateful she’s still sleeping in his bed where he can give her at least this little bit of comfort.
He hopes she never knows the gnawing guilt he feels for not being there sooner, the irrational rage the comes over him for allowing this to happen.
“When this is over…” Runa takes a breath. She seems to try and center herself, then takes another breath. He wonders if she’s going to start hyperventilating again. “When this is over, I will have to face my sisters. They will demand retribution. I’ve lied to them for a long time. I might be gone for a while.”
He doesn’t say anything, careful to keep his energy from turning hostile. He knows she can sense it when his mood shifts and there’s no need to give her more distress than she already feels. A voice inside him warns that she’ll get enough hostility from her sisters, that she doesn’t need it from him right now. What she needs from him is unconditional support.
“I hope I’ll be able to return when it’s done.” One side of her mouth lifts in a cynical grin. She folds her hands in her lap, dropping the gun magazine, her eyes focused on her hands. “Britta’s better at this stuff than I am – the legal, way of the valkyrie stuff. She’s trying to find out how much of what Torhild says is truth. Once it’s all over, if I’m able, I plan to return here. To Atlanta.”
She looks up from her hands to meet Kristoff’s eyes. “If you’ll have me, that is.”
“If I’ll have you?” He’s dumbfounded. Like turning her away is any option at all. He’d follow her to Valhalla if he could. “Haven’t you been paying attention? I turned down the opportunity to make a run at being King for you. I can’t imagine a world in which I’d ever turn you away.”
“I don’t know what they’ll require of me.” She sighs and takes his hand between hers. “There’s so much changing. And if they decide to go to war…I don’t know. I don’t know what they’re going to do. Especially with Torhild…she may convince them to side with the nosferatu or turn me out of our nation. She’s vicious in a way I never could be.”
Her voice fades away.
Kristoff squeezes her hand and keeps his mouth shut. The valkyrie have always insisted that they hold no queen or leader. He knows better. At their heart, they’re a race of warriors and all warriors followed a leader – usually the strongest. Even if she never admits it, he knows Runa answers to someone. Most likely, it’s Torhild. She’s the only creature he’s ever seen that makes Runa afraid.
She’s also the only monster he can’t fight for her. Runa will have to face whatever Torhild has waiting without him.
“We’ll get through it.” He reaches over and pulls her toward him so that he can kiss her gently on the top of the head. “Whatever they demand, we’ll get through.”
“I hope so.” She smiles and leans against his shoulder. “I truly do.”
The golden light of the setting sun bathes the parking lot in brilliant colors. Zartan’s magi is already working the perimeter, sealing it off from the prying eyes of humans and creating the best barrier he can to stop any retreating nosferatu. Behind a vacant warehouse next door, Vampires are milling about, preparing for war, checking guns for bullets, blades for sharpness, and body gear for snugness.
This is the largest all-out attack they’ve had since the last days of World War Two when the vampires united to assist the Allied forces stop the Nazi regime.
Kristoff checks his holster one more time before he tests Runa’s. Both seem snug enough and the placements are good. All weapons can be reached without strain and are loaded with lead bullets. This is the time, before a battle, that calms Kristoff. He repeats the tactical readout in his mind, goes through the battle plan, and focuses his thoughts on how he’s about to do his job.
As the sun sinks in the sky, Runa disappears more and more into herself. He suspects she’s quietly reliving the horror of her time with the nosferatu and doctor, but he knows better than to ask. She’s a warrior, so she’s doing whatever she needs to be ready to breech those outer doors and face her enemies.
When he’s sure she’s as ready as she’ll ever be, he touches her gently under her chin. Her eyes focus on his.
“There’s still time to get you out of here if you want.” He nods to the SUV. It’s useless to ask, but he feels like he has to make one last-ditch effort to get her out of harm’s way. “I can get a ride back with one of Zartan’s men if you want to bail. No one would blame you.”
“No.” She puts a hand on each side of his face and kisses him. “I have to do this.”
He kisses her back, then pulls away and takes a breath. “Then let’s do this.”
Zartan, with his long sword strapped to his back and his brown hair pulled away from his face, signals for the vampires to advanced. They all fall in order, following the sequence laid out earlier in the day. Kristoff, with Runa flanking him, brings up the rear. Their job is to stop anyone from escaping through the door. If Zartan’s men find the doctor, they’ll bring him to Runa, intact.
It hadn’t made Zartan, or Damian, happy for Kristoff to join the fight. Risking one clan leader is questionable. Risking two is downright foolish given what had just happened to Dinah. But Kristoff made the point that he is honor-bound to this kill. His female suffered at the hands of the nosferatu doctor, and he has more right than Zartan to be a part of the strike team.
Trying to keep Zartan from coming was like trying to stop the sun from rising in the sky.
To compromise, they agreed to split the force. Zartan leading in because it�
��s his territory and he holds more power here, Kristoff bringing up the rear with Runa to prevent escape.
In the midst of the negotiating, Kristoff realized how difficult of a job Antonia will have managing a war filled with alpha males, all of whom feel it is their right to fight. He pushes the thought, and his sympathy for her, away for later. They all need to live through today before they worry about the next battle.
Zartan reaches the front door and blows it off with a charge so his men can stream in through the door.
Guessing from the amount of firepower Kristoff can hear echoing in the building, the nosferatu knew they were coming and were better prepared than the last medical lab. Not a big surprise. A bunch of vehicles sitting in an otherwise empty parking lot are easy to see from the windows. Four dozen vampire soldiers, covered in weapons, breaking in through the front door – also easy to see from the windows.
The vampire strike force is banking on the nosferatu’s inability to call in reinforcements during the daylight hours. Hopefully, the strike will be in and out, over in less than an hour, and no extra nosferatu troops will show up before everyone is out safe.
Not to mention hope that no homeless humans get caught up in the firefight and runs off to tell their friends. This big of an attack is risky and too much out in the open for Kristoff’s taste, especially in a city as big as Atlanta.
By the time Kristoff and Runa make the front door, one of Zartan’s men is already pulling out a wounded vampire. Blood is quickly wetting his black pants, darkening the fabric around his right thigh. His face is locked in a grimace, one of his hand gripping the leg where the wound is.
“Be careful, there are more nosferatu inside than we thought.” The vampire evacuating his friend shouts over his shoulder. “Keep your head down.”
Kristoff nods in acknowledgement, then pushes through the door and into smoke-filled darkness.
The soldier hadn’t been joking. The doorway leads into a large, open warehouse space. Nosferatu are perched throughout the building, firing at will toward the door. Kristoff dodges to the right to take cover behind a pallet full of boxes. Runa goes left, sprinting along the wall until she reaches a doorway to duck into. Together, they cover the door.
The warehouse must double as the new medical facility and a barracks for the nosferatu forces. It’s an unlucky strike against their planning. They hadn’t expected more than a security force.
In tandem, Runa and Kristoff clean the warehouse floor. They eliminate nosferatu one at a time until no enemy combatants are left. Line of sight seems to be enough for them to communicate, taking turns shooting and covering for each other. Kristoff’s proud of his valkyrie; she’s a great shot for someone who doesn’t normally handle a weapon.
Runa exits the doorway, checking her pockets.
“Are you out?” Kristoff checks his extra clips, determines he’s still well enough armed, and looks up at Runa.
“I’m good, three clips left.” She looks toward the door on the far wall where they can still hear fighting. “Hopefully, that’s enough. If not, I guess I’ll have to be happy frying the bastard. I didn’t want to use power in here and accidentally take out one of our allies.”
“Good logic.” Kristoff reloads a full magazine and resets his Glock.
Together, they make their way to the doorway. Once through it, Kristoff sees a sight that sends terror ripping through his being. They’ve entered a long hallway, identical to the one he rescued Runa from. Doors to each side of the hallway lead into hospital style rooms, each equipped with a bed, monitors, and an assortment of medical gear.
It seems the raid that had freed Runa barely slowed the process of the nosferatu doctors.
Thankfully, all of these beds are empty and unused. With a little bit of luck, this hospital of doom will be shut down before too much damage is done.
Unfortunately, as Kristoff and Runa continue up the hallway, checking each room as they go, another of Zartan’s soldiers rush by with a woman in his arms. Like Runa had been, she is unconscious. Her limp body is wrapped in a blanket, but not well enough to hide the telltale bruising on the inside of her legs and around her arms.
A rush of anger fills Kristoff, threatening to blind him. Thankfully, years of war and leadership has taught him to keep his weapon up and his head in the game.
Runa slows her pace, watching the soldier and woman pass. She stumbles, reaching out to catch herself on the wall.
Kristoff, afraid to lower his weapon, shouts at her. “Pick yourself up, soldier, or turn around and go home. We don’t have room for weakness here.”
He can see Runa’s back stiffen before her head turns to glare at him. She pushes off the wall and checks her Glock. Then with a nod, she starts moving forward down the hall again.
They don’t get far before they both notice Zartan hauling a human man toward them. By now, the gunfire had quieted to only occasional outbursts. It seems their bet had been more accurate than Kristoff originally thought – once they got through the nosferatu soldiers that had been guarding this warehouse, there weren’t many more behind them.
Runa stops again, this time her silver eyes flashing with fury at the man being brought her direction. She may not have seen the men who held her captive, but her reaction tells everyone she remembers enough to know this is him.
Studying the captive, Kristoff wonders how any human could have done so much damage. Short, balding, and past middle age, he’s wearing a white lab coat and has a stethoscope around his neck. Under the lab coat are standard doctor clothes – a button down shirt, dress pants, men’s loafers.
This man could be working in any hospital in the country and would go completely unnoticed.
Zartan shoves the man toward Runa and takes a step back. His face is splattered with blood, his sword dimmed by the sticky residue on its blade. If a good look at Zartan hadn’t frightened the man into passing out, Kristoff doubts anything else will. “Runa, as promised. I believe this is the man you’re looking for.”
If Runa is surprised that her adversary is human, her face doesn’t show it. She stalks toward him, her eyes holding his with blatant hatred. He seems to size her up, looking her over. Suddenly, recognition hits him. “The valkyrie that got away. How wonderful! You’ve already regained your power, I see.”
Runa stops. “You remember me?”
“Of course.” He positively beams like a proud parent whose child has just done something splendid. He seems happy to see her despite the number of vampires pointing weapons his direction. “You were the most difficult species to control. You power is truly…amazing.”
“Why?” Kristoff watches her walk in a large circle around him, her words are calm. The arc takes her past Zartan and the men he has in the hallway. “Why are you doing this?”
“I’m told you are very old.” He frowns, as if he doesn’t understand the question. “Perhaps you don’t remember what it is to fear death. I was promised immortality to help them. It’s the cost of my soul, I suppose.”
“You did all of this.” She gestures around hallway toward the open doors. “To become an immortal?”
Runa’s eyes move past the doctor’s shoulder to look at Zartan. “How many women? How many more are here?”
“One we carried out.” He holds her eyes, not flinching, not looking away. He treats her with respect, like the soldier she is today. “Two more are dead.”
“Dead?” Runa moves her gaze back to the doctor. “How many have you killed? How many of our sisters have you ended?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” His head tilts to the side, thinking. Then he shrugs. “I lost count long ago.”
“Do you want to know how valkyrie are made?” The air around her crackles with static, forcing some of Zartan’s men to step backward. Zartan himself crosses his arms over his chest and stays put, proving his strength to his men. The doctor’s eyes light up and he nods his head, Runa continues. “We die a human death. Only death can bring us to immortality.”
She
paces around him, circling the small man like a predator. His eyes follow her, enraptured.
“I fought my whole human life, a soldier for my brother’s crown.” She shudders, her memory calling forward images she hadn’t thought about in centuries. “Until he married, and his wife thought me a potential challenger to the crown. She gave me a traitor’s death to better secure my brother’s claim as King.”
Runa stops in front of the doctor, meeting his eyes, unflinching. Her power pulses, pushing farther down the hallway. “Do you know what it feels like to have your gut slit? To have your organs spill at your feet? Do you have any idea how long it takes to die like that? And all the while, my brother’s wife watching me with cold eyes.”
Kristoff stumbles backward at the wave of energy erupting through the hallway. Zartan’s men, the doctor - all of them stumble. Lights overhead flicker as she touches the wall, trying to ground herself. Finally, she looks back at him her eyes completely taken over by the silver of her powers.
“And they call us the monsters.” Raising her Glock, she shoots him in the thigh, close to the femoral artery. Blood begins to pour from the wound. She watches as the human doctor sinks to the floor. When he’s finally kneeling, she turns her back on him and walks away.
Kristoff stops her when she reaches him. “What are you doing?”
“He doesn’t deserve another bullet or another moment of my thoughts.” Her eyes are at the end of the hallway, on the door leading out into the night. “Let him bleed out.”
Pushing past Kristoff, Runa walks the rest of the way down the hallway and through the door.
Chapter 15
Runa stands patiently while Kristoff zips the back of her dress. He hooks the hidden eye and runs his hands down her exposed arms as he places a gentle kiss on her shoulder. “You look beautiful.”
