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The voices of women sang their response, “He will live, because you will it, my sister.”
You are the warrior we seek—
Shielding you from death,
To fight for the living.
A promise,
A light,
Fate.
The wind started to ebb away. Danny smiled at me with vivid green eyes, eerily bright, now like Logan’s.
I examined his bloodied chest. The bleeding had stopped, but a hole still plunged in his chest. I frowned and touched the raw tissue of the bullet hole.
“It will heal, in time. Why did you hesitate?” Ales barked over my head.
“I didn’t,” I said.
I ignored Ales and searched for my soul this time, for Charlie, within the light. The strength I had taken from the men had nourished my aether, and subsequently, the Valkyrie was bursting to take control of me, of Charlie. It was terrifying to feel so powerful, and not know who was in control.
Me or the Valkyrie?
I pushed the warrior down, trying to ignore the euphoria, so I could feel slightly normal again.
I gently placed a kiss on Danny’s forehead. His skin was warm now, compared to the cold, clammy feel of him before.
I closed my eyes and bowed my head.
“Thank you… whoever you are,” I murmured into the wind, so soft. Not even Danny could hear my appreciation to the women above.
Logan’s hard hands squeezed my shoulders from behind. “Thank you, Charlie.” His voice was as raw as the flesh on Danny’s chest. I knew if I turned around, I would want to bury myself in his arms again. When I was close to Logan, I felt more like Charlie.
I slid half a step closer to his body, his warmth.
I think his gesture was supposed to be comforting, but it tore me in half. I didn’t turn and look at him because I wasn’t sure what to say. He had helped me escape, but that didn’t mean I could forget his lies altogether. If Ales hadn’t come for me, would Logan have freed me anyways?
I wanted to be next to Logan, especially when I still liked how his hands touched my skin, but my light craved Ales. It was all so confusing.
I’m too tired for this.
I sighed and looked around the boat, turning to Ales.
Ales and Crixus looked at each other, sharing some message only they understood before they stared at me with impassive faces. They were quite a brooding group. I’d just saved a man’s life. A little smile wouldn’t hurt.
A laugh erupted from behind me. Leo, a barrel-chested man with wide eyes and stout arms, picked up Logan and me in one swoop. He hugged us both. He swung us in a wide circle around the boat.
I was tossed like a toy. Charlie, the human part of me, loved this man’s playfulness. It had been too long since I had something to laugh about.
Logan and I looked at the man who had jubilantly thrown us around.
He was truly something to behold. His oversized eyes made him seem gentler than the others, or was that because I’d sensed his soul? A long, angry scar ran down his bulging neck. He was seven feet tall, with charcoal-black skin and long wavy hair braided down his back, like Ales.
He looked down at me. “We have searched many moons for you, baby Valkyrie.” His broad smile seemed genuine. He bent down and kissed the crown of my head.
I paused at the nickname. The term Valkyrie was still a little terrifying, but I didn’t mind if it came from Leo. He meant it as a term of endearment, I thought.
