by S. T. Bende
No!
“Let her go,” Tyr seethed. “She means nothing to you.”
“True.” Runa shifted Mia, locking my friend’s neck in the crook of one arm. She used the other to twirl a finger through Mia’s hair. My friend jerked against Runa’s touch, but kept her chin high. “But she means everything to you. And since you still refuse to join our side…we thought you could use a little motivation. What do you think, brother? How would your girlfriend like to die?”
“Get your hands off of her,” I ordered. Brynn’s team followed me closer to the dock, until we hovered just behind Tyr, Henrik, and Forse. The boys’ swords remained pointed at the two dwarves while Gullinbursti snarled behind them, her injury keeping her grounded. “We outnumber you. And we won’t hesitate to kill you.”
Despite my words, Tyr motioned for us to stand down. What? I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them. It was ten on four, not including the boar and the boat—was I hallucinating?
“I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt her,” Tyr pleaded.
Was he serious? Negotiating with terrorists had never been on the table.
“Tyr! We can easily take them both out. What are you doing?”
“You can’t know that for sure.” Tyr’s face was ashen.
“Don’t worry about me. Just protect the realms!”
My heart shattered at Mia’s words. She had embraced our life so fully that she now lived by the basic tenant of Asgardian existence—duty to realm trumped duty to self. But in her generosity, she’d forgotten the other tenants of Asgardian life.
We didn’t leave family behind. And we never let the bad guys win.
I set my attention on Tyr, hoping he wasn’t so far gone he’d shut off that extra sense inside his head. Gullinbursti can right this, I pressed.
Relief coursed through me as War used another of his Odin-given abilities to speak directly into my mind. How?
She beams light into darkness. Hymir’s long gone, but Elsa said Runa still had a flicker of goodness inside her. If the boar can reach that tiny bit of light, maybe she can expand it enough to get Runa on our side.
Tyr’s skin paled another shade so he matched the Jotunheim snowfall. I’ll give the boar thirty seconds. But if they put so much as a scratch on my girl, I’m taking her place. I won’t let him hurt her.
Neither will I. My eyes narrowed in determination as I pressed a finger to my collarbone. “Gullinbursti, share your light.”
At my command, the boar burst into a shimmering, golden beam. She shone from her spot near the dock all the way to the mountains, illuminating the blue–black waters of the ocean and bathing the sky in a blinding light. I threw my forearm to my eyes as the beam intensified, the white-hot light burning my lids. When I finally opened my eyes, Tyr had positioned himself atop the bow of Naglfar, within striking range of Hymir and Runa. His rage bubbled in sparks of absolute fury as he roared at Runa. “Let her go!”
Runa didn’t release her grip. “Make me.”
With a cry, Tyr pulled back his sword. As he swung it in a fierce arc, Hymir let out a roar. The monster withdrew a dagger and thrust it toward Mia’s heart. Gods, no! Tyr’s weapon was moving with too much force; even with his Asgardian strength he wouldn’t be able to change course. Hymir’s blade moved too quickly, and Tyr’s strike was simply too set.
Mia was going to die.
My world view shifted into slow-motion. Tyr’s knuckles whitened, his anguished cry filling the sky. Mia squeezed her eyes shut, as if bracing herself for what was to come. Brynn and I leaned forward, urging our pegasuses to close the insurmountable gap between us and the girl we’d come to love as a sister. And Runa…
Runa’s jaw slackened as she looked between the girl in her arm and the god she’d once protected from a ruthless father. Her resolved glare flickered as Tyr’s face contorted in pain, his agony palpable beneath the fierce warrior’s façade. His love for Mia poured so ferociously from his heart, it coated everything—and everyone—in its wake. Etched within every agonized crease of Tyr’s face was his desire to protect the being he loved more than any other.
And that love, that desire to protect, coupled with the light of the boar, and the unifying energy lingering in the air, must have triggered some long dormant instinct in Runa. As a single tear streamed down her brother’s cheek, Runa’s face transformed. She ripped a dagger from her own belt, extended her arm, and spun so her back was to Hymir. In the split second it took for her to position her body between her father’s dagger and Mia’s heart, her eyes locked on Tyr’s. Compassion flickered in their chocolate-brown depths, and with a surge of awe it hit me.
Runa was protecting her brother one last time.
Hymir’s dagger pierced his daughter’s spine, lodging at the hilt. A crimson trail seeped through the leather of Runa’s vest as her back arched. The spasm was just enough for her to unleash her grip on Mia. Tyr lunged forward to catch his girlfriend as she tumbled toward the ground, at the same time Runa flung her hand out. She jammed her blade upward, striking Hymir’s groin and wrenching the dagger down as she fell. A thick stream of blood shot from Hymir’s thigh—Runa must have pierced an artery. The giant dropped to his knees.
“Valkyries!” I shrieked. “Seize him!”
Brynn led the charge for Hymir. By the time we’d dragged him from the ship to the dock, where Henrik restrained him with an immobilizer, the light had already left his eyes. They blinked once, twice, and with a weak exhale, whatever had passed for Hymir’s spirt left his body. Tyr’s biological father was gone. And if the amount of blood covering the bow of Naglfar was any indication, Runa wouldn’t be far behind.
Bless you, Runa. May your soul finally know peace.
“Mia.” Tyr buried his face in his girlfriend’s hair. “Thank gods you’re all right.”
Starla’s wings flapped silently as we hovered at the edge of the bow. Beside me, Brynn gave a delicate sniff.
“I am,” Mia said softly. “Thank you, Runa.”
Tyr lifted his head. At the sight of Runa folded over on the dock, his face crumbled into a mask of sorrow.
Mia raised her palm to his jaw. “Go to her.”
Tyr carefully released his hold on Mia. He crawled on his knees, quickly covering the few feet separating him from the girl he’d once known as his sister. With painstaking care, he lifted Runa’s head onto his lap, and grasped one of her hands in his. “You saved Mia,” he whispered. “Why?”
“Because once upon a time, your happiness was everything to me. I got lost along the way, but…” Runa’s words gave way to a gurgling cough. The blade must have pierced her lungs.
“Shh.” Tyr used the hand not holding Runa’s to brush the hair from her face. His thick thumb gently stroked the skin between her brows, and I knew he was using whatever abilities he could to ease her pain.
“You were always meant to do great things. I couldn’t let him break you the way he broke me.” Runa raised a shaky hand to Tyr’s face. “I love you. Brother.”
My heart cracked into a thousand pieces as the light faded from Runa’s eyes. Her fingers wilted, then dropped to her chest as the life left her body.
“I love you too,” Tyr whispered. A lone tear crept down his cheek as he brought his fingertips to Runa’s eyes and pressed the lids closed. He slipped his hands beneath her knees and shoulders, lifting her easily in his arms. Then he turned a tight circle, surveying the scene.
Below him, two dwarves were bound in cuffs, Henrik on one side and Forse on the other. A sea of dead jotuns littered the far end of the dock, and near the hills lay a flock of smoking krugers. Odin and his guard moved unsteadily toward us, accompanied by Marshmallow, Hyro, and the rebel riders and feyndrals on the ground, and Sigrunn’s pegasus team in the sky. Brynn and I hovered just in front of the boat, our valkyries directly behind us. The battle was won.
All that was left was to sink the ship.
“Is Odin secure?” Tyr called to the guards.
“Yes, sir.” The one with the
most decorated uniform saluted. “We will escort him home via the Bifrost.”
“And Thor?” Tyr pressed.
“He returned to Asgard to assist Sif.”
“Good. Brynn,” Tyr barked, “half of your team can escort the dwarf prisoners back to Asgard. I want them rotting for an eternity in the darkest of our cells.”
“Got it.” Brynn wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She shot Mia a sympathetic look before directing three of her girls to take care of the war criminals.
“Forse and Henrik, sink this thing. I never want to see it again.” Tyr jutted his chin at Naglfar, now covered in the blood of the last remaining members of his birth family.
“You and me both.” Henrik grimaced.
“Brynn, I want you and Fang to take Mia straight to the valkyrie compound. And Freya.” Tyr’s eyes sought out mine. A thousand heartbreaks burst from their grey–blue depths. “Help me bring my sister home.”
“Of course. She’ll have a valkyrie funeral,” I vowed. With a shaky breath, I nudged Starla forward. Brynn and Fang followed, and Naglfar bowed slightly as the two of us touched down on its toenail-crafted planks. Our mounts took a knee, allowing Mia and Tyr to climb up.
“Be safe, prinsessa,” Tyr murmured.
“I love you,” she replied. “I’m so sorry we lost your sister.”
Tyr gave a tight nod and climbed on Starla’s back. He settled in behind me, Runa still in his arms, and gripped my waist with one hand. “When you’re ready,” he said.
I glanced to my right to confirm Mia was secure atop Fang before clicking my tongue and urging Starla forward. My pegasus took to the air as a brilliant rainbow shot from the sky. The Bifrost was in place.
We could go home.
I held out my palm and called back the boar and the ship. Two capsules appeared instantly in my hand. I tucked them into my belt, where they would rejuvenate and be ready for use the next time they were needed.
Which, I hoped, was never.
“You ready?” I murmured over my shoulder. Brynn, Mia and the dragons had already entered the rainbow.
“Take us home, Freya.” Tyr’s voice cracked over the words.
With a nod, I lowered my head and tightened my grip on Starla’s mane. She rode for the Bifrost; for security; for a land filled with hope in a cosmos ravaged by war. Gods willing, we’d return to Asgard to find the rest of our teams had won their battles—that Ragnarok had ended in victory for all who fought for the light. But the odds had been so stacked against us, the forces working to destroy Asgard so mighty, and their determination so strong. It would take a miracle to have thwarted the carefully devised plan Loki had set to end our world—all our worlds. And Runa’s change of heart had been miracle enough for one day—I barely dared hope for another.
Instead, I gripped Starla’s mane, entered the Bifrost, and prayed.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
BRYNN
THE SECOND MY BOOTS touched down on Asgardian soil, I slouched off Fang’s back, dropped to my knees, and thanked the gods I was out of that stupid Bifrost. Fang nudged her head against my shoulder, her anxious whinny harmonizing with Mia’s gentle tsks, as I tried not to hurl my guts up. This transit had been particularly turbulent, as my party had borne the additional weight of the four feyndrals and their solidly built fire giant riders.
The smallest of those riders now leapt off her dragon and ran to my side, placing one hand to the small of my back in support.
“That rainbow sucks,” Hyro sympathized.
“It sure does.” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and stood up. The others would be right behind me, and I needed to look semi-professional when I dealt with the dwarves. Airsick valkyries did not exactly inspire fear, except in those within projectile range. Blech.
Hyro stepped back to pat Marshmallow, while Mia slid from Fang’s back to give my elbow a gentle squeeze. “You okay?”
“I’ve been better,” I admitted.
A flash of multi-hued light lit up the clearing behind the V.C., and the two most battle-seasoned members of my team emerged from the Bifrost, dwarf perps in hand.
“Take them to a holding cell,” I ordered. “Activate a portal blocker in the room, and make sure you both remain stationed at the entrance—viewing screen on. Don’t put anything past them.”
“Yes, General.” The girls saluted before marching their charges to the rear entrance of the valkyrie compound. Our holding area was subterranean—the only rooms in the compound lit not by natural light, but by torches mounted to the cells’ exterior walls. This meant our prisoners were bathed in near-permanent darkness, a fact that drove them slightly mad and tended to encourage cooperation. They usually ratted out their accomplices within a day. We’d have Loki in custody by sundown tomorrow, latest.
I hoped.
“Poor Tyr,” Mia murmured. “I can’t believe Runa…” She shook her head. “I sent unifying energy at her pretty hard, but I had no idea she’d…”
“You couldn’t have known.” I shook my head. “You helped guide her to her most loving choice, and it turns out, she loved Tyr even more than she cared about self-preservation. If Hymir wasn’t such a monster, she’d still be alive. Helheim, maybe she’d even be one of us. I always thought she’d make a killer valkyrie.”
“I hope Tyr doesn’t blame me for her choice,” Mia whispered.
“Never,” I said adamantly. “You may have teed her up, but that boar pushed her off the selfless cliff. You and Freya both helped her do what was in her soul’s best interest…in all of our best interest. She killed Hymir, Mia. Don’t forget her choice stopped that ship from sailing—and may well have turned Ragnarok in our favor.”
“Maybe.” Mia wrung her fingers together.
I slung my arm around her shoulders. “Hey, I get it. Our life is really hard. It’s filled with difficult choices, with devastating consequences on both sides. If you ever want to talk about it…”
Mia rested her head lightly on my shoulder. Her chestnut waves tumbled over the blue and silver of my battle suit. “Thanks, Brynn.”
“Come on.” I nudged her. “The others will be here any minute, and I need to prep the V.C. Hyro, your feyndrals will probably spook the pegasuses, so I’ll call over and have one of the stable hands meet you guys in that field.” I gestured to the fenced pasture. “We can keep the dragons there until we figure out something more permanent for them.”
“Sounds good,” Hyro agreed. She led the dragons and the rebel fire giants toward the pasture. Meanwhile, I used my com to share my plan with the stable valkyries, pointed Fang toward her stall for a well-deserved treat, and set off for the V.C., my hand wrapped firmly around Mia’s slightly trembling one. Poor thing. If she still wanted to be with us after all this was over, Tyr was one exceptionally lucky Asgardian.
We all were.
Inside, the V.C. was every bit as busy as it had been when I’d left. A team of valkyries jogged across the vast entry, making their way toward the back door where, hopefully, they’d be helping with the feyndral situation. Caring for fire breathers would be new for us, but we’d definitely handled weirder. Meanwhile, two of our contemplatives emerged from the children’s room. Their smiles suggested the little ones weren’t in immediate distress. Thank gods. Upstairs, Svetana peered over the balcony with a relieved wave.
“General Aksel!” she called. “It’s over. Asgard has been victorious on all fronts!”
My torso wilted in relief. Mia staggered beneath my weight, and I quickly regained muscle control. “Excellent. Have the chapel prepped to receive a body. One of the hostiles died an honorable death. She’s going to receive a valkyrie funeral, and we need to prepare her for send-off.”
Svetana’s eyes widened, but she didn’t otherwise react—just spoke quietly into her com, and turned toward the rear of the V.C., where the chapel was located.
Two more contemplatives emerged from the children’s room. I raised my voice to catch their attention. “How are they in ther
e?”
“The young are well.” One of the contemplatives folded her hands together, as if in prayer. “Their parents have been contacted, and they will be picked up as soon as the Alfödr greenlights intra-realm travel.”
“Good.” I nodded.
“Is Elsa still upstairs?” Mia asked.
“She is,” the second girl confirmed. “Since open hostilities have ended, her work may be complete. Would you like me to retrieve her for you?”
“No. Tell her to go to the chapel when she’s finished. Her brother will be here shortly.” I turned back to the first girl. “I need you to wait here in the entry. Direct War and Love to join us in the chapel when they arrive.”
“As you wish, General.” Both girls bowed before setting off to perform their tasks.
“Mia, come with me. It’s going to get real intense in here, real soon.” I jogged up the stairs, Mia on my heels.
“More intense than psychotic giants and fire-breathing dragons?”
Point, mortal.
I ushered Mia into the chapel—a pristine, glass wall-and-ceilinged extension off the upper level of the V.C. It jutted into the forest that backed up to one corner of our compound, so all but the chapel’s entry was completely encased in rich evergreens. Greenery burst from planter boxes stationed around the space, and a flower-rich altar stood at the front of the room. It would be here that Tyr laid his sister’s body—here that she rested for nine days, tended to by the most senior contemplatives, whose prayers would prepare her soul to ascend to Valhalla. I dropped to my knees before the altar, resting my hands atop its white-linened surface, and silently thanked Runa for her sacrifice—for all she had given for her brother, for Mia, for our world. Mia fell to her knees beside me, and bowed her head.
Before long, footsteps from behind let me know we had company. I glanced over my shoulder to see our friends entering the chapel. Freya came in first, followed by Henrik, Forse, Elsa, and finally, Tyr. War carried Runa in his arms, her crimson locks hanging listlessly over Tyr’s elbow.
At the final click of the door, I pushed myself to my feet. “Lay her atop the altar.” I smoothed the linen and stepped to the side. Mia mirrored my movement. “It’s the most sacred spot in our compound. Runa will be honored here.”