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Chapter Nineteen
Mercy
Ales released me. Then the Valkyrie ebbed back slightly. I bounded away from them both, physically and mentally swimming toward air.
The saltwater was not dim, like it had been before. I could see thirty feet ahead of me now in the crystal water. The bottom of the sea floor was only twenty feet below me, with black serrated rocks and light rose-colored sand littering the ocean floor.
Looking up, only ten feet of water was between me and the surface. Two fierce kicks, and my head broke the water.
I coughed and gagged, sputtering sea water out of my mouth and nose as I blinked against the bright sunlight. I kept coughing while I searched the surface for the others.
The Valkyrie had honored my promise. I sensed the recognition of our pact. I could remain Charlie, until the Raiders came for us. Then I would surrender myself to the Valkyrie and Ales. I would submit to the light, so they could be together. It would give me a few more days, maybe even weeks, to live my life as Charlie before I was gone forever.
Logan and Danny treaded water a few feet away. Leo and Cri embraced each other with a slap on the back as they grinned at Ales, who treaded water beside me.
He smiled impishly. “Welcome to Eir.”
Oh, wait. I know this word.
Eir, in Old Norse, translated to mercy.
I smiled, a bit confused. We were still in the middle of the ocean. Not a deep ocean, but still an ocean. The air was warm and humid with the two suns blazing down on us.
Two suns.
My eyes squinted up to find I was not mistaken. They were both high in the sky, sitting next to each other.
I looked back at the men. They were all facing me, but Logan and Danny were frozen in awe. I turned around to see what the group was staring at.
An island rose out of the water like a hand stretched toward the heavens. The rosy-pink sand-dusted shore paled in comparison to the lush green mountains behind it. The mountains were the darkest shades of emerald, overflowing with plant life. Trees I had never seen before dotted the shoreline. Some looked like overgrown palm trees with three heads, others like pine trees sprouting fruit and flowers—assuming the pink- and purple-colored balls were fruit. The sand was so fine, it was almost dust that glistened with a light-pink flushed glow.
At the furthest end of the island, about a mile off the coast, I could see various emerald shapes in the water—a chain of islands. Each one appeared to be a tiny dot in the ocean, much smaller than the one directly before us.
This place was not only a safe haven, it was paradise. I understood why Cri and Ales had kept it a secret for so long. The water was a light turquoise blue, so warm it could replace bath water.
It could have been the crystal water or the sunshine, but I was at peace with my promise. I hadn’t felt this great in years. I could still taste the honey from the golden aura of the aether. The warring back and forth with the light had been exhausting. Now it glowed beneath the depths of Charlie without the turmoil of urging to break free, as long as I wasn’t touching Ales.
I couldn’t contain my smile when my feet made contact with the soft sand where the waves broke on shore. It had been a long time since I had swum for enjoyment.
I wrung out my hair and trotted from the ocean. I felt so much lighter, so much freer—until I noticed everyone on the shore was gaping at me.
I followed their gazes downward to the reason I felt so much lighter. It was not just in my soul, but my sweatpants. They had been lost somewhere on the swim to shore.
I had been so caught up in the island I had not even noticed until now, as all five men stared at me like I had grown three heads. Thankfully, the men’s shirt I was wearing covered everything, but just barely.
Avoiding any eye contact, I tugged my shirt down and staggered across the shore to find a palm tree, or basically anything to cover me, when two men wearing black leather armor came running toward us.
Both men were as stunning as every other Einherjar I had met so far. These men had silver eyes like Ales. One had skin dark as night, but his hair was so blonde it was white. The other had bronzed skin like Ales, and dark hair. They both smiled at me.
I nodded and smiled back while awkwardly tugging at the bottom of my shirt.
Ales came forward, embracing both men by grabbing their forearms and pulling them into a hug. “Welcome home, brother,” the fair-skinned man said as he embraced Ales.
“You have a baby Valkyrie and two infant Einherjar?” the darker-skinned man questioned.
Ales nodded and grinned at his friend. “Ajax, tell the hunting parties to kill more beasts. We will need more food tonight.”
The fair-skinned man smiled and laughed. “Tonight, we feast! A Valkyrie awakening is something to rejoice!” he yelled as he crossed the shore and blindsided me into a dizzying, sweeping hug.
