AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She’s late,” Garmr snarled. “I knew she wouldn’t have the guts. We should have just sent her a bloody message. That would have worked better.”
“Patience. This is the only way to get her away from the gods,” my mother said. “And she will come. Her loyalties are her weakness.”
I hated that she and I sounded so similar. I hated we shared the same hair. I was only grateful that fate took pity on my height.
I used to lament that I never grew as tall as either of my parents. Now I was glad fate made me the same height as my past. It made me different from her. I didn’t want another reminder of her plaguing me. I wanted reminders of Randi, my real mother.
“I don’t know,” I said, announcing my presence. “I think it makes me that much stronger.”
Eyes turned to me. I refused to wilt under the hard attention. My senses sharpened, awareness pushing out. There were people in the nearby buildings. There were people skulking around in the shadows.
Were they people? I couldn’t tell. The way they moved, and their presence licking the corners of my magic, didn’t feel quite right.
“Well, hello darling,” Ingrid said, a false, toothy, too-white smile on her face. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“The feeling isn’t mutual.” I leaned heavily on my past to keep my emotions in check.
I wanted so much to run from these two. I wanted to hide and pretend they didn’t exist. They weren’t the bogeyman living under my bed that could be thwarted off with “monster be-gone” water made special by my dad. These were real life monsters I had to face. And running away wouldn’t make them disappear.
Ingrid frowned. “Is that really how you’d greet your own mother?”
“You only wish you were good enough to be a mom.”
I had to bite back a smirk when she scowled. “You were always such a horrible daughter.”
“That’s cute, coming from someone who tried to kill her own daughter.” The words came out, so devoid of emotion.
How recent was it that I’d struggled to come to terms with that fact? When had the tears stopped flowing every time I thought about her rejection and hatred toward me, an innocent little girl who had only wanted to be loved by her?
When a god and a dragon told me I was worthy of their affection. When a dad revealed his immortality and showed me the magnitude of his love—one stronger and fuller than any other child could ask for from a parent.
She held her arms out. “All for the greater good, Astrid. You were to be a sacrifice for something greater. For prophecy. There is no greater honor.”
“If you actually believe that bullshit that comes out of your mouth, that’ll be the most surprising thing said so far.”
Ingrid tsked. “I’m so disappointed. These so-called gods you’ve been taken by have really done a number on you. How they’ve weakened you when you had so much potential.”
Did she really think she could manipulate me? I knew these tactics. I trained so hard to help people overcome the destruction such attempts created in their lives.
My magic pulsed and my Valkyrie power kicked up. Wings grew from my back, lifting me off the ground. My armor manifested, and my hand gripped my axe, made from the staff of my real mother. “I am far from weak. I am not the scared little girl you think I am, Ingrid. I will not fall for your lies and manipulations. And I won’t allow you to harm these innocent people I’ve sworn to protect. You will let them go.”
Ingrid tapped her lips casually. “It seems my magic blockers have, in fact, worn off.”
Magic blockers? Was that a thing? Did that explain part of my issues with my magic?
“Well, no matter. We have what we need to deal with… whatever these gods have turned you into.”
“Valkyrie,” I said, my voice carrying farther and with more weight than I expected. “I am Tyr’s Valkyrie, and I deem neither of you worthy of life, or an honorable afterlife.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” she said in an airy, arrogant way, waving her hands dismissively. “But what about these four innocent people? We’ll let them go, of course, seeing as you arrived. But sadly, for how long you took, we can’t give you them all. Pick three who live, and one who dies.”
It took every ounce of control I could muster not to react. I knew there would be a catch. There was always a catch in hostage negotiations.
My eyes swept over each person whose lives now hung in the balance. They stared back at me. Fear, confusion, awe, desperation, it all played along their faces.
I could see determination and acceptance in Rory. He was a man of honor and served the people. He’d lay down his life if it meant others were free and safe.
Disdain marred Ben’s face. He suspected I’d sacrifice him. No doubt this was what Ingrid and Garmr expected. If they did their research, as I suspected they did, they’d know the rocky history between us.
