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Gods, she's beautiful when she's annoyed.
Nei, she's beautiful every moment.
Yet again, awe courses through me. She saved me. Healed me. From a bite that no Valkyrie has ever been able to heal. I knew she was powerful. From the moment she opened her soul to me when I first placed my hand on her in that bathtub, I felt her Light flickering like a thousand suns.
But she is far more powerful than I imagined. She's radiant, a dazzling star standing in the face of the Dark. And somehow, inexplicably, she finds me worthy.
Suddenly, a shout goes up outside. "They're retreating! The Forsaken are retreating!"
A murmur of relief rolls across the Hall. Thank the Gods. The bastards are fleeing from the Light like the cockroaches they are.
The echoes of battle fade in the distance as the Light around Rissa and Abigail winks out. The Hall settles into calm stillness.
"Dax," Rissa sighs, her voice weak. "It's done." She sways on her feet.
Her mate steps forward, dragging her into the safety of his arms even as Damrion and Adriel crowd around Abigail, offering her their strength.
"Ja," Dax whispers. "It's done, elskan-ljós."
An hour later, the first vehicles roll out, four Fae warriors riding with twelve of the Blooded in every van, with the injured scattered between. We send them in small convoys, four at a time.
Our convoy is the second to leave, though Damrion and Malachi stay behind to ensure everyone else gets out safely. Tori, Rissa, and Abigail ride in the van with me, Dax, Adriel, Garrison, and Stephan. Daric, Taeral and Keryth, three of the strongest Fae warriors, also ride with us to ensure the Valkyrie have ample protection.
No one speaks for a long time as we race through the inky pre-dawn light. Tori rests her head against my shoulder, her hand wrapped in mine. I run my fingers through her hair, simply to remind her that I'm here. Or perhaps to remind myself that she's here. I don't know, but I can't stop touching her. She's soft and warm and mine.
"What is that?" she eventually murmurs, looking at the tiny bottle in Rissa's hands. A thin sliver of Light floats within it, twisted around itself as if to form a knot.
Rissa freezes and then exhales a slow breath, glancing at my Valkyrie. "I think it's my father's soul," she whispers. "The Forsaken killed him."
Tori slips her free hand across the small space between her and Rissa and gently squeezes her arm. "I'm sorry."
"We weren't close."
"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," Abigail says.
Rissa turns to look at the Seer, surprise flickering in her gaze.
I sit quietly, trying not to disturb their moment. Dax and Adriel do the same, allowing the three Valkyrie to bond without us interrupting. They need this moment.
My brothers and I have fought side by side since the day we entered Valhalla. We've had millennia to grow accustomed to one another. Tori, Abigail, and Rissa don't have that kind of time. The bonds of sisterhood they must forge will save all worlds, and they have far too little time to forge them.
"You're allowed to love someone who hurt you," Tori whispers to Rissa, her voice soft. "You're allowed to forgive them too if that's what you want to do."
Rissa licks her lips, nodding. "Maybe," she whispers. "Maybe." She falls silent for a moment. "I haven't decided."
"But you kept his soul," Abigail says. "Why?"
Rissa's brows furrow, unease dancing through her eyes. "I was going to release it in Eitr. At least, that was the plan." She peeks over at Tori, her gaze assessing. "Did you hear the Forsaken say anything about needing a sacrifice to open the portal?"
Tori's brows furrow as she considers the question, searching her fragmented memory. After a moment, she reluctantly shakes her head. "I don't remember much about the portal. Only that I heard the word. I can't remember anything specific. It's possible they said a lot about a sacrifice, but if they did, I don't remember it. They kept me drugged with that powder. Entire sections of my memory are missing."
This time, Rissa reaches out, offering comfort to my Valkyrie. "I killed them, you know," she says. "Most of the ones who hurt you paid for it. They died screaming."
"Good," Tori whispers vehemently. "I hope it hurt like hell."
"It did."
Tori eyes Rissa for a moment, licking her lips. "H-how do you do it? How do you use your power?"
