The Fallen Valkyrie Duet: Fallen Valkyrie, #3

FALLEN VALKYRIE DUET

Book 1

ANCIENT GODDESS

ANCIENT GODDESS CHAPTER ONE

EVERY AFTERNOON FOR THE last millennia, colors of the Bifrost shimmered on the ceiling of our training hall at the precise moment the suns passed in the sky. Light filled the gallery, turning the golden walls into a heavenly rainbow. It was as glorious as the day before, and the day before that, and yet I was abysmally bored.

The peace Asgard had lived in for the last few centuries had made the Valkyrie army complacent. But I won’t fall prey to this pretense of peace. It never lasts, and this time, I didn’t want to be caught unaware. The last time we had turned complacent, we lost more than half our numbers in a bloody battle.

I sighed and turned back to my sparring partner, redoubling my efforts as internal frustration mounted under my skin.

Mercy! Amala cried as my sword struck hers, spitting sparks from the contact. She desperately tried to ward off my attack. Her short-cropped, sweat-soaked flaxen hair clung to her pale skin, evidence of her valiant, but sub-par effort.

Do you think our enemies will accept a cry of mercy, I roared and struck again. Steel met steel with a burning clang.

Enough, Kara! Freya snapped from the other side of the arena.

I turned to the head of the Valkyrie army. Her wings appeared in a challenge to my excessive use of force on the training field. Her silver-gray eyes flashed at me, and the stern set of her lips told me I had gone too far. Again.

I threw down my sword and stomped off toward the showers unable to stay for the reprimand Freya was about to deliver. My aggravation ran through my veins, heating my skin enough that the chilly air wafting down on us didn’t cool me down. Something had me on edge, and I didn’t have a clue why. It was as if my senses were on high alert the way they used to be during the war for the realms nearly a hundred years ago.

This unsettled restlessness had kept me sharp, and it kept me alive back then. I wasn’t about to second-guess it, either.

The metal adornments on my shoulders and chest came off easily, unlike the armor we used to wear in battle. Those magnificent suits of armor used to take at least two of us to remove. This new style was crafted with peace in mind, not war. I tossed them into the storage area and turned to head to the showers to dull this fiery anger burning in my core.

Freya blocked my path. Her muscular arms crossed over her chest as she stared down her nose at me from a slightly taller position. Her silver eyes matched her tightly drawn hair, which never seemed to fall out of the ornate bun at the back of her head. What are you doing?

Sparring. Isn’t that the point of these daily exercises? To keep us battle-ready? I waved toward the colosseum, where the rest of the team was swinging swords as if there wasn’t a care in the world. It was ludicrous.

You are more vicious than ever out there. What is wrong? Her stern glare took me in and pushed buttons inside me as if she were mentally prying my secrets out.

Unease pounded my muscles, and I sighed. I don’t know. A strange anxiety has overtaken me, as if the realms are on the edge of bloodshed, again. I shook my head, trying to pinpoint why, but the feeling persisted.

She studied me. There is no sign of war to be battle-ready for, so I don’t see the need to spar until blood is spilled. But yes, the daily sparring is meant to make sure our skills are not forgotten in the event Odin calls upon us.

I pressed my lips together against the comment that wanted to escape.

Her eyes narrowed. Speak, she ordered.

This is not keeping us sharp. It is merely going through the motions. I didn’t mean to, but the words came out in a derisive hiss. I turned away.

Do not wish for war, Freya warned.

I do not wish for war. I wish for purpose. I slung the words over my shoulder as I turned the corner, out of her sight. Purpose and this biting edginess to go away. I knew I would be pulled aside once I had calmed down, and the prospect of another lecture had me lingering under the warm waters of the showers.

When the sound of the others coming in from practice echoed off the walls of the showers, I turned the water off and wrapped myself in a plush towel and wrung out my long, blonde hair. But even the hot shower did not penetrate the restless knots in my muscles.

I stepped out of my heated bliss and toweled off before dressing and retrieving my armor. As per the rules, we were required to polish our armor after every sparring session. I didn’t see the reason. Armor in battle was far from gleaming—it was usually splattered with blood and gore.

But I still must follow the rules, even if I detested them. I took the first seat in the shining circle and started the tedious process of cleaning my already shining armor.

Amala stepped out to join me, clean and refreshed, but still the palest-skinned warrior of all of us. Instead of taking the seat next to me as custom dictated, she took the seat opposite me with a seasoned glare. Do you have a problem with me?

No. I have a problem with sparring for show. Not one of you is battle-ready. I continued to alternate between the wax and the shine rags.

And you are? she asked with an undertone of hostility.

I glanced up at her, raising my eyebrow and Amala dropped her gaze and started to shine her armor. She knew I was more prepared for a true fight than anyone else in the army.

Before she could come out with a rebuttal, the ground buckled bad enough to throw us from our chairs. My heart slammed in my chest and all the saliva in my mouth dried. Amala’s wide eyes met mine, and panic filled her irises.

We both stood, but an explosion rocked the building, sending us on our asses again. A plume of smoke belched from the gallery into the armor room. Through it, Freya stumbled, and for the first time that I could recall, her hair was amiss.

Kara, Amala, get your armor on. We’re under attack! Then Freya disappeared back into the fray.

My heart contracted hard enough to jolt me to my feet. I didn’t hesitate and my armor was on in seconds, but Amala just stared as if this were all a bad joke. I stalked to where she stood and delivered a hand-stinging slap to get her to focus.

Amala held her cheek where the outline of my handprint still registered red, and she blinked at me as her jaw dropped in indignation.

You heard our general. Get suited up. I didn’t wait for her. I grabbed a sword and rushed into the smoke.

Blood exploded in the air and the clash of steel-on-steel rang through the space around me. For those who had never seen war, I recognized the shock flickering on their faces. My muscles, though weary from sparring, still remembered what to do without thought, and I struck, parried, and spun to strike again, ignoring the horrors surrounding me.

Hesitation in battle was deadly, and there were more than enough bodies littering the ground to prove my point. We were not ready for anything of this scale.

I didn’t immediately recognize the species we were fighting. They drifted like smoke around us, and only materialized into a solid, black faceless form to slash out or hurl an explosive in our direction. My sword clashed with another just in time, and I pushed off as my adrenaline spiked. It took my mind a few minutes to latch on to the reality of what exactly our attackers were.

Wraiths. Deadly and ruthless. And they hadn’t been seen since the last time Asgard battled for rule of the realms.

My heart plummeted.

They were just as brutal as I remembered, and I did not go unscathed. My arm burned where their metal cut. Same with the back of my thigh. Despite my injuries, I kept swinging my sword, blocking theirs, because stopping meant death.

The slam of Thor’s hammer sent a shock wave that rammed through me. It had the wraiths running, but it wouldn’t keep them away for long. Now that Asgard knew the wraiths were back and bidding for war, nothing would stop Odin from hunting them down and squashing them like the bugs they were.

Silence befell the city as the wraiths disappeared, leaving only our wounded and the dead of both species soaking the ground in blood.

ANCIENT GODDESS CHAPTER TWO

I LOATHED SITTING STILL. Even if it was for the dressing of my wounds. I’d rather be helping others in more dire need than I was, but Freya insisted I take a break and get my wounds dressed. She stood over me like a mother hen, making sure I was attended to. I grumbled under my breath, and her severe expression landed on me.

How did the wraiths get free from the magic that bound them to their world? I demanded of her. My gaze was just as hard as hers. I wanted to know how they bypassed the magic that the Valkyrie, along with Odin had stitched into the fabric between realms.

Her jaw muscle twitched. I was just going to ask you that question.

Freya’s comment sent a rash of chills through my form, bringing bumps to my exposed skin. I blinked at her as the implied claim under the biting words sunk in.

You think I had something to do with this? I pointed to my chest, bothered by the implied slight. I may have been unhappy with our lack of diligence in sparring, but I certainly would never set the wraiths free out of spite. That was traitorous.

Only a Valkyrie soldier could reverse that spell. Her arms crossed and her lips pursed in irritation. And you were more on edge than normal today.

I stared up at her as her accusation raked fine nails across my back. She thought I was capable of freeing one of our worst enemies in all our history. I slowly shook my head and pushed the medic away. I rose and faced her, stepping so close that the huff of her breath caressed my cheek. As hurt as I was from her denunciation, I needed to rein in my anger. I inhaled and let my breath out slowly. In her shoes, everyone was a suspect, and rightly so.

I have been on edge, but it wasn’t because I intended to set the wraiths free. It’s because I sensed a darkness creeping toward us, and I couldn’t put a name to it. I tried to express myself in a way Freya would understand.

And you expect me to believe you. Her knuckles on the hand gripping her bloody sword turned white.

Heavens, Freya was ready to strike me down right here. I took another slow breath and stared into her eyes. I swear on my mother’s soul, I did not let the wraiths free. I prayed she would believe me and kept eye contact, silently conveying my innocence. If she didn’t, I was as good as dead.

The thought that someone intentionally let these beasts free had my blood boiling, but I remained in place awaiting Freya’s judgment.

Freya searched my gaze, narrowing her eyes. Her lips thinned and her nostrils flared.

I did not move my gaze away, and I stood still. Fidgeting under her scrutiny wouldn’t send the right message. A bead of sweat slid down my back, tickling me enough to want to wipe it away.

Finally, she stepped back and nodded. When you are finished getting patched up, you can help the medics with the rest of the injured.

And after everyone is patched up? I wanted to search and destroy right now. Eliminate all the wraiths and find the traitor who opened the flood gates to our world.

Freya understood the feral quality of my question.

After, we hunt. Her voice carried enough of the fury contained in her being to understand her anger surpassed mine. One of her warriors did this, and it was unforgivable.

I grinned my approval and gave her a curt nod before I turned back to the medic, giving myself over to his patchwork. As soon as he finished, I shadowed him and helped take care of the others. My need for vengeance grew with each injured Valkyrie we repaired and each innocent hurt in the cross fire.

Our force had been cut down to a third of what we had been. A third was not enough to defend against another strike. Those of us who were still on our feet were like me, sporting injuries that weren’t life threatening, but they were a hinderance if there was another attack.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead on my sleeve and followed the medic, whose name I’d already forgotten, to the next patient. I gasped as I stared down at Amala’s bruised and broken form. Her face was split by a deep laceration that decimated one of her eyes. Her good eye darted around as she moaned indecipherable words.

I took her uninjured hand and squeezed it but refrained from placating words to soften the truth of her injuries. If she lived, most potential suitors would run from her personality and the rest would shy away because of the battle scar. It was enough to send a plume of pity to the surface.

When Amala’s gaze found mine, it narrowed.

Her grip on my hand tightened. You should be dead, she hissed between cracked lips. They weren’t supposed to declare war on all of us.

I searched her gaze as the ugly truth hit. You let them loose? Her crazed smile sent chills down my form, and I attempted to pull my hand away, but her grip was too tight to escape. I still could not comprehend such a vile act.

Your death for their freedom, she cackled.

I glanced at the medic, who had stalled in his care. His jaw clenched and his hard gaze found mine. He slowly shook his head and pulled his medical bag away from the turncoat among us.

Freya! I called without losing eye contact with the medic.

Wind blew my hair as Freya slid next to me in an instant. She glanced between the medic and me, and then down at Amala’s hand gripping my wrist to the point her nails had broken my skin and blood slid down my hand.

Amala let the wraiths loose. My voice shook with rage, and I cut my gaze to Freya’s.

Freya made a dismissive noise and turned to leave, as if my words meant nothing. It burned enough for me to yank my hand from Amala’s grip, tearing more of my skin in the process. I grabbed Freya’s shoulder, spinning her back toward us.

She admitted it to us, I hissed.

Before I could say more, the medic said, I heard her confess. He packed the rest of his medical supplies into his bag. I will not waste my services on a traitor.

Freya blinked and looked between the medic and me before looking down at Amala. Amala, one of the weaker Valkyrie who had not been in the battle a hundred years before. She had no battle experience at all. Which was why I had been so hard on her.

Why? Freya demanded with a chill in her voice.

I wanted her dead, Amala snarled and glared at me, as if I had wronged her in an unforgiveable way. Her beatings must stop.

I blinked and glanced at Freya as the medic wrapped my wrist, covering the damage done by Amala’s nails.

Freya’s eyes hardened, and she bared her teeth in disgust. Sparring is supposed to be a challenge. You have gone soft, and worse than soft, you have become a traitor to Asgard. You set the wraiths free and for that, you deserve death. She stepped back, drew her sword, and before anyone could intervene, the blade whistled as she swung it down, neatly removing Amala’s head from the rest of her body.

Blood spurted rivers from her severed throat and puddled on the floor below the cot.

Without another word Freya turned and headed out of the makeshift sick bay that the injured occupied. The medic and I stared at the brutal and swift act of justice before turning away to the next patient in need.

ANCIENT GODDESS CHAPTER THREE

AS SOON AS THE last patient was patched up, I headed toward the exit of the makeshift triage tent. I needed sustenance and a stiff drink. But before I broke free of the tent, Freya intercepted me.

Odin would like to speak with you. She nodded toward the great hall where Odin’s throne sat. The line of people loitering, waiting for their viewing with the king, was longer than normal. They probably wanted answers. Answers Odin likely didn’t have yet.

Does he know that one of the Valkyrie set the wraiths free?

Freya shook her head. I did not speak with him. I’m just passing the message on. She tilted her eyebrow up.

I shivered. Thor?

She nodded. It was common knowledge that Thor was on a mission to get me into bed. I was the last holdout of all the Valkyrie, and rumor had it that he wanted a clean sweep of us all. And I was not interested. He was too vain for my tastes.

I just wanted food and a bed, and the line stretched out far enough so I wouldn’t get either until well into the night. I wasn’t in the mood to wait, and I leaned my head back with an exaggerated sigh. I didn’t need to ask if I had to stand in line. Freya’s insistent gaze moved my feet to the back of the queue, where she left me with a smirk.

This was not going to be pleasant.

My stomach grumbled loud enough for the man in front of me to turn. His irritation smoothed out as he took in my marred Valkyrie armor. He nodded before offering me a piece of sweet jerky he pulled from the recesses of his pocket.

I took it with a smile, even though the rags he had on announced this was probably the last meal he would have for a while. Thank you. Hopefully, the jerky would keep my stomach from rumbling loud enough to wake the dead while I had an audience with Odin. That would be as embarrassing as letting a smelly fart go. And with how hungry I was, that might actually be a reality if I ate the jerky. Still, it didn’t stop me from taking a bite. My taste buds jumped into overdrive as the sweet-salty treat tickled all my points of interest. It was almost as if the jerky knew what I needed to satiate my hunger. I devoured the piece before the line even moved forward a pace.

Grumbling began at the front of the line as people moved back and guards marched forward until they reached me. My mouth dropped open as they grabbed my arms and dragged me forward as if I were a common criminal. Even though I was pissed at the way the guards manhandled me, I gave my best apologetic look to the angry crowd as the guards pushed me in front of the gates.

I turned on them with a growl that had them stepping back. Do not ever treat a Valkyrie like that. Especially if you value your life.

We were told time is of the essence, one of the guards said as the other one spun me around and pushed me through the gates of the now-empty hall.

I stepped to deliver a good ass kicking, but the doors slammed shut in my face. Silence gathered around me, but I could feel eyes on my back. I composed myself before turning toward the dais at the far end of the great hall.

Odin sat on his throne like a regal ruler, but I knew he had a ruthless streak. If he felt slighted, he would not hesitate to smite if he thought it was the right thing to do. His long white hair danced on a breeze that only seemed to encompass his throne. His piercing eyes glowed even from this distance.

I had never been in the great hall with only the ruler of the realms present. Usually, the rest of the Valkyrie were gathered here with me, and I found I was intimidated without my sisters surrounding me. My steps faltered as a shadow moved behind the throne. I swallowed hard, and my feet moved faster.

When Thor stepped out of the shadows into the spot next to his father, I slowed down. His smug smile snuffed out the intimidation and replaced it with a burning irritation. That smile always set my rage meter off. I wanted to scrub it from his face. He winked, and my teeth clenched.

The man was incorrigible. I was never interested in being another notch on his very marked-up bedpost. Other Valkyrie had fallen for his wiles over the years, and he always crushed their hearts. And his attempts to woo me had always fallen short because I could see through his god façade. He was just a power-hungry jerk, and I wanted no part of him.

Odin shifted forward in the chair, setting his elbows on his knees as his gaze narrowed. I gathered, from his frown, he’d caught the nuance of change in my demeanor when his son appeared.

As I stepped to the foot of the stairs, I dropped to my knee, showing my respect to the king of the realms. If it had only been Thor on the dais, I would have flipped him off and marched right back out the door.

Kara Mist. Odin leaned back. His voice carried a chill with my name that tickled my spine. I have a task chosen just for you.

My attention was now solely on Odin, and my heart thundered. I had to school my features to show no emotion. Odin didn’t like seeing Valkyrie gushing over anything; he liked us stoic and in charge of our feelings. Even so, my heart galloped away at the thought of being handpicked by Odin. Perhaps he saw my valiance on the battlefield today and maybe I’d be leading the charge against the wraiths on their home turf. There was nothing I wanted to do more than tear those bastards to pieces.

Yes, my king. I looked up, catching the smirk on Thor’s lips before he suppressed it. Based on his expression, my stomach plummeted. He wouldn’t be smirking if this didn’t involve him in some way.

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