by Kate O'Hearn
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Freya was frantic. She was on a rooftop, not far from the burned-out building. Pacing back and forth, she searched the skies for Orus. She shouldn’t have left him there, fighting the police. But he’d insisted, ordering her to go.
Her hands were shaking and she felt sick with remorse. An innocent man was dead because of her. It didn’t matter that he was most likely in Asgard and would be treated well. All that mattered was that in touching her feather she had killed him. Did he have a wife and children? What would happen to them? In her desire for excitement and wanting to help, she had destroyed a good man and his family.
‘Freya,’ Orus called.
‘Over here!’ Freya cried, frantically waving her arms in the air. ‘Orus, I’m here!’
‘Thank Odin!’ Orus flew straight into Freya’s outstretched arms. ‘I thought for sure we were done for.’
Freya clung to the raven, grateful that he was unharmed. ‘I’m so sorry. You were right. I should have left when you told me.’
She released the bird and leaned heavily against the roof ledge. ‘Orus, I killed him . . .’ Her voice was no more than a whisper.
‘Who?’ the raven demanded. ‘Freya, who did you kill?’
‘That man, the police officer. He picked up my feather and died.’
Orus’s claws clicked on the ledge as he hopped up to her. ‘He did not die.’
‘Wha-what?’
‘Freya, this is why I was late getting back to you. I knew you would be upset, seeing him collapse like that. So when I escaped the officers, I flew up into the rafters and watched them. They checked him. His heart was beating and he was breathing steadily. He was unconscious but will live.’
‘How is this possible?’
‘I thought you knew? Freya, when you shed your feathers, they lose their killing power. It had only just come away from you, so it retained some power, but not enough to kill him.’
Freya nearly collapsed with relief.
‘Come on, Freya,’ Orus said gently. ‘Let’s go home.’
‘We can’t go back to Asgard yet – we promised to help Tamika.’
‘Not Asgard,’ Orus said. ‘Our home with Archie.’
It was nearly dawn when Freya and Orus made it back to Lincolnwood. They had just landed in the back yard and entered the house as the first rays of dawn arrived.
Freya was still shaking. It had been a bad night and they had come so close to being caught. It would be a long while before she’d risk going out again. She walked into the kitchen to make herself a snack when she heard a sharp banging at the back door. This was followed by a loud whinny and a scraping sound.
‘It can’t be . . .’ Freya called to Orus. ‘That sounds like Sylt!’ She ran to the door and threw it open.
Standing before her was her Reaping Mare with her sister on its back.
‘Maya!’ Freya cried. She stood back and invited her sister and the horse into the house. The wings on Maya’s helmet grazed along the ceiling as Sylt clopped through the hall. The mare’s sides brushed against both walls and her right wing tip swept everything off a small table sending it crashing noisily to the floor.
There was barely enough free space in the lounge to hold the large mare.
‘Thank Odin we found you!’ Maya leaped down from the horse and landed on the sofa. She approached Freya, but then stopped short.
‘What have you done to yourself?’ She looked her little sister up and down. ‘Why are you dressed as a man? Freya, what has happened to your hair?’
Freya threw her arms around her sister and held her tight. ‘I’m so glad you’re here!’ she cried. ‘I’ve missed you and have so much to tell you.’
Archie staggered into the lounge, rubbing his eyes and yawning. ‘Orus, turn down the television, I can’t sleep . . .’
‘Archie,’ Freya called excitedly. ‘Come here. I want you to meet my sister!’
‘Sister?’ Archie mumbled.
Maya removed her winged helmet, and she, Grul and Sylt became visible. Stunned, Archie stumbled backwards and tripped over a side table.
Freya started to laugh and went over to him. ‘It’s all right,’ she called, helping him up. ‘They won’t hurt you.’
Archie’s mouth was hanging open as he looked at the large flying horse in his lounge. ‘Is that Pegasus?’
‘Who?’ Freya asked.
‘Pegasus – you know, from the Greek myths. He’s a flying horse who lives on Olympus.’
Freya shook her head. ‘No, this is Sylt. She’s my Reaping Mare. Now, come here – I want you to meet my sister. You can call her Mia.’
Archie approached Maya in her shining silver armour. She was taller than Freya and her hair was in two long braids. Her elegant white wings were folded neatly on her back. She was clutching her winged helmet in her hand. ‘You’re Gee’s sister? Are you a Valkyrie too?’
Maya frowned. ‘Gee?’
‘That’s me,’ Freya said. ‘He calls me Gee.’
A dark expression crossed Maya’s face. ‘What’s going on here? What have you told this human of us?’
‘Everything,’ Freya said. ‘I’ve been living with Archie and we go to school together. He knows all about me. He’s teaching me to be human.’
Maya shook her head in disbelief. ‘But you’re not human, you are Valkyrie!’
‘I know,’ Freya said. ‘But you were the one who told me I had to get to know them to understand them.’
‘Yes!’ Maya cried. ‘By talking to the warriors at Valhalla! I didn’t mean for you to come here and pretend to be one! Have you completely lost your mind? Do you have any idea what Mother will do when she finds out? Especially when she sees what you’ve done to yourself?’
‘I like how I look,’ Freya defended. She looked down her front. ‘It’s called Steampunk. And I like living here with Archie. I don’t care what Mother thinks. All she worries about is pleasing Odin! I could never live up to her expectations anyway. I’m not beautiful like you, or as graceful as the others.’
‘Of course you’re beautiful,’ Archie cut in. ‘Everyone at school thinks so.’
‘Don’t help her, human,’ Maya shot as her pale eyes flashed fury.
‘That’s enough,’ Freya said to her sister. ‘I’m glad you are here. But Archie is my friend. I won’t let you talk to him like that.’
‘Your friend?’ Maya exclaimed. ‘What is wrong with you?’
‘Nothing! For the first time in my long life, I have a friend. Yes, he’s human, but so what. Orus is a raven and he’s my companion. You have Grul. What about Sylt? She’s part of my life too. What difference does it make what they are? It is how we feel that matters!’
‘But I’m your friend,’ Maya said.
Freya’s shoulders sagged. She had wanted Maya to see her new life, but now that she was here it was all going wrong.
‘You’re my sister,’ Freya started. ‘And you know I love you, but we aren’t the same. You love dancing at Valhalla with the warriors. I don’t. You are content to stay in Asgard, I’m not. I yearn to know more, see more and do more. I want to understand these humans and the reasons for the things they do. No one in Asgard can understand that, let alone explain it to me. So I came here to see for myself.’
Archie was standing between the two Valkyries while they argued. Finally his eyes settled on Freya. He started to frown. Leaning closer, he caught hold of her open coat.
‘Gee, is that blood?’ he asked. ‘What are those holes in your coat?’
Maya stopped lecturing her sister and leaned closer. ‘He’s right. These are bullet holes.’ She sniffed the patch of red. ‘That’s human blood. What have you been doing?’
Freya’s eyes darted between Maya and Archie.
‘Tell them,’ Orus said. ‘They’ll find out anyway.’
Freya sighed. ‘It’s been a bad night and I need some cocoa.’ She left the lounge and headed into the kitchen. ‘Anyone else thirsty?’
The sun was up fully
by the time Freya finished telling Archie and her sister the events of the past evening. Like her, Maya sat on a back-to-front chair and let her wings hang open.
Sylt was standing in the entrance to the kitchen, enjoying a bowl of apples. On the table the two ravens glared at each other.
‘You left a feather behind!’ Maya cried. ‘Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Even away from our bodies, our feathers retain power. This is the World of Man. They might find a way to use that power against us, or against each other. Didn’t Mother ever tell you about that?’
‘I know!’ Freya cried. ‘But by the time I saw it, the policeman was already picking it up!’
‘This is a disaster,’ Maya said. ‘We must get it back.’
‘You can’t,’ Archie added. ‘Not if the police have it. Besides, after tonight there’s no telling what will happen to it. Especially if they realize it caused the officer to collapse.’
Maya rose from the table and reached for Freya. ‘If there is nothing we can do to retrieve the feather, then our only recourse is to get away from here as quickly as possible. Come, we’ll fly back to Asgard and hope nothing further happens with it.’
Freya remained seated. ‘I’m not going back,’ she said. ‘At least, not yet.’
‘What? Of course you are. Now, say goodbye to the human and let’s go.’
‘I have a name,’ Archie challenged. ‘It’s Archie, not Human. And if Gee doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t have to.’
Maya stepped closer and loomed above him. Her white wings opened in threat. ‘This is not your concern, huma— Archie. My sister does not belong here.’
Archie rose and stood before the tall Valkyrie. ‘What are you going to do about it? Touch me? Kill me?’ He offered his bare hand to her. ‘Go ahead! I don’t have much of a life here anyway. And I’d love to see what excuse you give Odin for me showing up in Asgard!’
‘Archie!’ Freya warned.
Maya’s mouth hung open in shock. She looked to Freya and then back to Archie. Finally she burst out laughing. ‘Very good,’ she said softly. ‘You have spirit. I like that. But whether you like it or not, my sister will return with me.’
Once again, Freya shook her head. ‘I will return to Asgard. But only after I have finished what I came here for. Tamika’s family is still in danger. Archie and the Geek Squad still need to learn how to defend themselves. And . . .’
Maya frowned. ‘And . . . ?’
‘Tell her,’ Orus cawed.
‘Tell me what?’ Maya demanded.
Freya sighed. ‘And we all want to go to the school dance together.’
‘What?’ Maya sat down again in complete shock. ‘I can almost understand your desire to protect Archie and the others. But I can’t believe you are risking everything to attend a school dance!’
‘It matters,’ Freya said. ‘I really want to go. For the first time in my life, I am meeting people my own age. I like them and they like me. What’s wrong with that?’
‘Because they’re not your age,’ Maya insisted.
‘You know what I mean,’ Freya argued. ‘Anyway, I have things to finish before I go back. Nothing you say or do will change that.’
‘Fine,’ Maya said, rising. ‘I can’t force you to return. But I will tell you this. In the morning we are going on a reaping. If you are not there, Odin will notice. He will ask questions. I will do what I can to distract him. But eventually he will realize what has happened. Then there will be no stopping him. Promise me you will be back before then.’
Archie looked out the window. ‘But it’s dawn already.’
Maya shook her head tiredly. ‘Dawn in Asgard, not here.’
‘I will,’ Freya promised. ‘The dance isn’t that far off. Then I will come back and no one need ever know I’ve gone.’
‘It is too late for that,’ Maya said. ‘I know, Heimdall knows and, worst of all, Loki knows. He is the one you must worry about.’
‘But Loki helped me get away. If he tells anyone, he’ll be placing himself in danger.’
‘When has that ever stopped Loki?’ Maya asked.
Before she left, Maya warned Freya not to use her winged helmet again. Every time she wore it, Odin and the others in Asgard would be able to tell where she was.
With that agreed, Maya put on her own helmet. After one final plea to get Freya to join her, she sadly shook her head and left.
When she was gone, Archie approached Freya. ‘What did Mia mean when she said there would be no stopping Odin? Stopping him from what?’
Freya hesitated.
‘Tell him,’ Orus said.
Freya inhaled deeply. ‘Odin is very strict. I told you we aren’t allowed to leave Asgard without permission. If Odin finds out that I’ve gone, he’ll send a Dark Searcher after me and then he’ll release the Midgard Serpent on Earth.’
Archie’s mouth hung open. ‘Midgard Serpent? That sounds bad . . .’
Freya took a seat and invited Archie to sit.
‘The last time a Valkyrie left Asgard without permission, Odin was furious. He sent out this large, dark creature to capture her. I’ve never seen one, but I’ve heard they are horrors beyond imagination. When the Dark Searcher was through with the Valkyrie, he gave her back to Odin, who punished her by cutting off her wings and blinding her. Then he banished her to Earth to wander alone for all time.’
Archie sat speechless, just staring at her.
‘Go on,’ Orus prodded. ‘Tell him about the Midgard Serpent. He is human and deserves to know what Odin will do to Earth if he finds out.’
‘And,’ Freya continued hesitantly, ‘after that, Odin released Loki’s son, Jormungand – the Midgard Serpent – from his prison. He commanded him to punish those who had helped the Valkyrie. The Midgard Serpent is a terrible monster who can devour worlds. The last time he was released, he destroyed half the Earth. The only thing that stopped him from devouring it all was Thor. The two hate each other. But it takes all of Thor’s strength just to subdue him.’
Silence filled the kitchen.
Finally Archie spoke, his voice no more than a faint whisper. ‘Gee, your sister is right, you must go back – right now.’
‘I can’t,’ Freya said. ‘I promised Tyrone.’
‘You must,’ Archie insisted. ‘It’s too dangerous. Go back before Odin finds out.’
It felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach. Archie was telling her to leave. His face was red and he was growing angry. His emotions were coming at her in waves too fast for her to understand.
‘Don’t you like me any more?’ Freya asked in a shallow voice.
‘What?’ Archie demanded.
‘Is that why you want me to go? You don’t like me and have been waiting for a reason to send me away!’
‘Is that what you think?’ Archie cried. ‘That I don’t like you?’
Freya couldn’t face him. Instead she just nodded.
‘Gee, no.’ Archie moved his chair closer to her and took her gloved hands. ‘You’re the first friend I’ve ever had. I care more for you than I’ve ever cared for anyone in my whole life! You mean everything to me.’
‘Then why are you sending me away?’
‘I don’t want to,’ Archie insisted. ‘But you must go back. I couldn’t bear it if Odin did to you what he did to that other Valkyrie. It will kill me when you leave, but I’d rather lose you now, knowing you will be safe, than see you hurt.’
‘But I won’t be hurt,’ Freya insisted. ‘Archie, time moves differently between Earth and Asgard. It is still the same night that I left there, while days and days have passed here. There is plenty of time for me to do what I came here for. Asgard’s dawn is still Earth-weeks away.’
‘But, Gee, if you get hurt, I couldn’t bear it.’
‘I won’t,’ Freya insisted. ‘And I know I’ve got to go back – but can’t we have just a little more time? Please, Archie, let me stay.’
‘Do you promise you’ll be safe?’
Freya nodded. ‘I promise. Just a little while longer, that’s all.’
Archie nodded. ‘All right, as long as you are safe.’
Freya and Archie realized they had another big problem. A problem that looked like a horse, but one that had black- and chestnut-coloured wings.
‘If my mom comes home and sees her she’ll have a fit!’ Archie said as he stroked the mare’s soft muzzle.
‘But if Sylt returns to Asgard she could be used to lead others to us. Look how easily Maya found me. Keeping her here is the only way. Besides, your mother hasn’t been home since I arrived. Perhaps she won’t return until I’ve gone.’
Archie didn’t look convinced. ‘What do we feed her? I don’t have a lot of extra money to buy straw or hay or whatever she eats. What about exercise? She can’t spend all the time in the house.’
‘Simple,’ Freya said. ‘During the day while we’re at school, we can hide her in your garage. We’ll leave bowls of whatever we eat and water. Then at night I can take her out to find grains and grass and other food. We can do this, Archie, I know we can.’
Archie was stroking the mare’s neck. ‘I’ve never ridden a horse before.’
‘Then tonight, after it gets dark, if you want you can ride her while we go find food.’
CHAPTER TWENTY
After school Freya stood in front of the Geek Squad in Leo Max’s back yard for their first self-defence session. There were even more kids than Freya first met and she was now faced with eleven students. Mostly boys, but both Elizabeth and Connie were there too – looking just as frightened and anxious as everyone else.
Archie and Tamika were also there, anxious to learn how to defend themselves. But unlike the others, they weren’t nervous and offered encouragement to everyone else.
Freya spoke first about the importance of staying close together. She spoke of strength in numbers and how even the smallest army can succeed in battle with strategy, skill and stealth.
Then one by one she took them through the basics she had been taught in her early life about self-defence. A Valkyrie had to know how to fight. In the distant past, when they arrived at battlefields, occasionally they would encounter a hostile force that did not welcome them. The armies would raise their weapons and take on the winged warriors.