"He's right," Tori says softly. "We should have considered it. It takes a soul to open a Forsaken portal, as if they use it to rip a hole right through reality. It took Rissa's father's soul to openthe one we made. That's what the Bifröst is. Soul magic. That's why we feel connected to it. Because, in a way, we are." Her gaze flickers to the Fae. "I think when it fell, it sent the Fae to the only place it still felt Valkyrie. It sent them to wait for us."
I stare at the Bifröst for a long moment before turning back to Stephan. "You're not a dream?"
He grins at me, humor in his eyes. "Only when you want me to be, Valkyrie."
I glance from him to the Fae, hoping for a little clarity since all he has are jokes.
"His is the first soul tied to life by his bond with a Valkyrie in over three hundred years," Dax says, stepping up beside Rissa. "He's your warrior now. So long as you live, he'll live, Kara. The Dark can't claim his soul. No matter what they do to him, his soul is yours now. It belongs to Valhalla."
"What happens if I d-die?" I whisper.
"Ég fer þangað sem þú ferð," Stephan growls softly, spearing his hands into my hair. "Always, Valkyrie. Always."
I sob quietly, throwing myself into his arms. He catches me, pulling me up against his chest. His lips come down on mine in a hard kiss. And in this moment, I know that he's real, that he's here, and that he isn't going anywhere. He's a warrior of Light now, the first new warrior of Valhalla in over three hundred years.
And he's all mine.
After a moment, Dax clears his throat, breaking us apart. "You have a job to do, Valkyrie." He nods toward the Bifröst. "You might want to get to it. The Forsaken are opening their portals all over Asgard. We don't have long before they come through instead of sending the varulv. You and your sisters need to free the trapped souls before they get here."
"I don't know what to do," I whisper.
Rissa extends her hand toward mine. Behind her, my sisters smile.
"Then we'll figure it out. Together."
