Renegade Valkyrie (Valhalla's Curse Book 1)

by Stacy Claflin

  “You okay?”

  I clear my throat and stand up straight, choking down more laughter trying to escape. “Of course.”

  He yawns. “Let’s go in.”

  “One thing, first.”

  “Yeah?”

  I hold his gaze. “Why don’t you have anywhere else to stay?”

  “Didn’t we go over this? I’m dealing with woman problems.”

  “You haven’t killed anyone, have you?”

  He gives me a double-take. “What? No. Besides, you’re an angel of death. I’m the one who should be worried.”

  My words to Eveline at our first meeting ring through my mind—everyone can be killed, sweetheart.

  “Of course you should, but before I let you in, there’s one thing I need to do.”

  Fox rubs his bald head. “Background check?”

  “Something like that.” I lean forward and drink some of his essence before he knows what hit him. As the silky mist swirls into my mouth and down my throat, images and emotions run through my mind. His heart was broken just that morning and despite his tough exterior, he’s falling apart inside. All he wants is to sleep and forget the pain.

  I close my mouth and end the flow of essence, a warm wave of strength running through me. His energy is just as strong as his physical presence.

  He blinks a few times. “Did you get what you needed?”

  I don’t meet his eyes. “Yeah. Let’s crash.”

  “What did you just do?”

  “Background check.” I pull out my keys and march toward the door. The last thing I want is to admit I know about his heartache. I don’t want to talk relationships over ice cream with this guy I just met.

  He stops me and arches a brow. “What do you do with essence?”

  “It gives me energy.”

  “For what?”

  “Living. Can we go in now?”

  “How much do you need?”

  “More than I have.”

  Fox folds his arms. “Take some more of mine.”

  “No, I have to keep my supply low.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  I twist the key in the keyhole. “It’s complicated.”

  “I’ve got time.”

  We step inside and I lock all the deadbolts. “Okay. People are looking for me, and if I’m full of essence, it’ll make me stand out like a blinking light in the middle of the night.”

  “Gotcha.” He clears his throat and looks around. “It looks like a whole different place from inside.”

  “Yeah, we like it here.”

  “We?”

  “My roommate Titan.”

  “Another Valkyrie?”

  I shake my head and hang up my coat on the rack. “No. Valkyries aren’t usually friends with each other. Titan’s a mesmer.”

  Fox looks impressed. “A Valkyrie and a mesmer. Interesting.”

  “It works for us. So, you want some chow? We don’t have anything fancy.”

  “Nah. I filled up on tea back at the spice shop. Should I take the couch?”

  “I was going to get the spare bedroom set up, but if you’d prefer the couch, you can have it.”

  Fox’s eyes light up at the mention of a bed, so I have my answer. I trudge up the stairs and open the door to the spare bedroom. We should actually call it the junk room because that’s what it really is. I’m going to have to dig to find the bed.

  Once Titan’s healthy, I’m going to have to talk to him about keeping this room tidier.

  “Uh, I don’t mind the couch.”

  I spin around and shake my head at my guest. “It’ll only take a few minutes to pick up. I wasn’t expecting company.”

  “Clearly.” He chuckles. “I’ll help.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  He does, anyway. Even with both of us clearing things away, it’s a solid hour before we clear a path to the bed. And there’s a huge brown stain in the middle of it.

  I don’t even try to cover it up. “So, about that…”

  “No explanation necessary.” He pulls the bedding off in one swift movement. “Got some extra blankets, or should I take the couch after all this?”

  “Do I have blankets?” I give him an exaggerated eye roll, then return with an armload of clean bedding.

  Ten minutes later, he’s snoring loud enough to take down a wall.

  I close the door, not that it helps with the noise.

  After showering I’m still not tired, so I turn on my diffuser and add some lavender and cedarwood oils to see if that’ll help. It relaxes me a little, but my mind won’t stop racing.

  I fling myself onto my bed and pull the covers tight. Still doesn’t help, even with the lavender. I might need to pull out some of my rarer oils, though after the day I’ve had, nothing might help.

  The images of Titan run through my mind, refusing to leave. Not just images of him on the couch, unable to move. But those of him with his shirt off. My heart races at those replays. Definitely doesn’t help me get to sleep. Or even relaxed.

  I check my phone. No updates from Gessilyn or Killian, or anyone from their coven. I still have everyone’s numbers in my phone after changing my number. It’s so tempting to call, but I need to leave them alone. If they’re working, they don’t need distractions.

  Waiting is the pits.

  My mind mulls over every detail I have of Eveline. Nothing jumps out at me as helpful. I think back to her sister—the reason Eveline wants me dead.

  Nothing.

  I grab a pillow and cover my face. All I want is to fall asleep. To sleep as soundly as Fox down the hall, making my walls shake with his snoring.

  My mind races, then slows. I mull over recent times, then reach for older memories. Friends grown and getting older. People with white hair now that I used to party with years ago. Others long gone. Some from natural causes and others meeting more horrific ends.

  That’s the part of this long life that I hate. It’s impossible to forget the ones I cared about—ever. Centuries don’t take away the pain. I just learn to move on and focus on other things. Make new friends. Try not to get too attached. Not to love.

  I did really good until I met Brick. Now my feelings are a complicated mess with Titan.

  If anything happens to him, I don’t know what I’ll do. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything for him. But now apparently my feelings don’t listen to me. They just do what they want, taking me along for the ride.

  Why did I ever let myself fall in love in the first place? I knew better!

  But somehow I convinced myself it would work out.

  I should’ve known it never would. Especially with a werewolf. It’s not like they live forever. Many centuries, sure. They age incredibly slowly. It’s almost like they’re immortal.

  They aren’t.

  Valkyries, mesmers, witches, vampires, and many other supernaturals—we live forever. Unless someone or something kills us.

  Which brings me back to Titan. If Gessilyn and her coven can find the right magic to fix him, he’ll be golden.

  Unless they can’t find anything.

  Gessilyn may be the high witch, but she isn’t anywhere near as old as Eveline. She became high witch when the previous one died, and she’s still learning so much. It wasn’t that long ago she was getting herself stuck in trees and other predicaments while attempting spells in the books passed down to her.

  And now she’s the same one trying to save Titan’s life.

  All may be lost.

  Fifteen

  The smell of bacon wakes me. I roll over and cover my eyes from the bright sunlight streaming in through the ripped curtains. My mouth waters, but my body begs for more sleep. I don’t know how much I got, but it doesn’t feel like nearly enough.

  I’ll have to give Titan a hard time about waking me.

  Then I remember Titan’s not home.

  I sit up and reach around my bed then on my nightstand until I finally find my phone.

  No missed calls
or texts.

  Titan is probably still unconscious. The witches probably have no idea what they’re doing or where to look in all of the ancient spell books.

  Would it kill them to give me even a small update?

  My stomach rumbles, and I give into it by swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and stumbling down the stairs.

  Fox is at the stove, frying bacon and flipping omelets. He’s also wearing my Kiss the Cook apron.

  “Morning.” He waves to me with a spatula. “Coffee’s ready if you want some. There’s also a breakfast sausage cake in the oven. Should be done in about ten minutes.”

  Clearly, he’s one of those people who tries to fix a broken heart with food. Not that I’m going to complain.

  I grab a piece of bacon and pour a cup of coffee. “What’s a breakfast sausage cake?”

  “Just like it sounds. A cake made from breakfast sausage.”

  “Sounds interesting. Want some help?”

  “Nope. My way of saying thanks.”

  “For what?” I snag another piece of bacon.

  “Letting me crash here.”

  “You can stay as long as you’d like.” I grab another piece of bacon.

  He snickers. “That’s what I was hoping for.”

  I arch a brow. “Do you have ulterior motives?” I didn’t see any in his essence the night before, but maybe he’s thought of something since then.

  “Only if by that you mean I need a place to stay for a while.”

  “Like I said, stay as long as you want.”

  He opens the oven. “This one’s gonna be perfect.”

  I sip my coffee.

  Fox nods, then closes the door. “Just a few more minutes now. Hope you like green peppers in your eggs. I couldn’t find any other veggies.”

  “I’m surprised you found that much.”

  “Yeah, I wasn’t going to say anything about that. Want me to go shopping?”

  I wrinkle my nose. “What? No.”

  “I don’t mind. If you can’t tell, I like to cook.”

  Despite having drunk his essence, he still manages to surprise me. “You sure you haven’t cooked up ulterior motives? I’m still an angel of death, you know.”

  “Oh, I haven’t forgotten.” He puts on oven mitts and pulls out an actual cake and sets it on the counter. “Gonna have to let this thing cool down.”

  I put on the news, then shove some clutter off the table so we can eat. As I down the sausage cake, the newscasters discuss the bomb that destroyed the club.

  Fox and I exchange a knowing glance, but don’t learn anything new. All the security videos were destroyed, so they have no idea who was behind it.

  That’s probably for the best considering Titan and I were there as everything unfolded. Trying to explain everything to the authorities would be a major pain. Moving to avoid that would be an even bigger annoyance.

  However, with Eveline determined to kill me, moving might not be a bad idea. Especially considering she doesn’t care who else she hurts in the process—including my new friend.

  After we eat, I insist on doing the dishes. As he sits on the couch, watching the TV, I study him. While he thinks I’m not looking, his excruciating pain is obvious.

  I wish I could do something for him, and the kindest thing I can do would be to get myself as far from him as possible. Titan’s current situation is proof of that.

  Now to figure out a way to get rid of the djinn without hurting his already shattered feelings.

  That’s going to be tricky, but it’s for the best. I need to hunt down Eveline on my own, then face off with her alone. I’ll find a way to drink her toxic essence dry.

  Maybe my best bet is to start looking into the dictator I’m supposed to be hunting. The witch would follow me anywhere to avenge her sister. I’d have my sword. Then I could take them both out and Valhalla would be none the wiser.

  They’d find me, and I’d be on their good list again for having completed my mission.

  Right. I used my sword before taking out the dictator. Regardless if I kill him now or not, my superiors are going to put me on trial. If they find me guilty—and they will—worst case, they’ll put me to death after torturing me. Best case, I’ll be imprisoned for centuries. Probably still tortured, or they’ll make me babysit the human prisoners.

  No matter what I do, it’s not going to end up good for me. Not unless I can find a way to convince them that acting outside of my mission was for Valhalla’s benefit.

  Like that’ll ever happen.

  “Earth to Soleil.” Fox’s voice brings me back to the present.

  “What?”

  He’s standing on the other side of the kitchen island, scratching his chin. “You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

  “The weight of two worlds.” Valhalla and this one.

  Fox gives me a sad smile. “I know how that feels. But I have good news.”

  I let go of a dish towel I didn’t realize I was squeezing. “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “I thought of another friend who might be able to help.”

  “He isn’t anything like Roster, is he?”

  “No. She doesn’t have any aversion to witches.”

  “There has to be a catch. It sounds too good to be true, so it has to be.”

  Fox nods. “There’s always a catch, isn’t there?”

  I lean against the counter. “What is it?”

  “She’s trapped by a spell.”

  “Trapped?”

  “Can’t leave her property. Ticked off some witch years ago.”

  “So now we have to track her down to break the spell?”

  “We can’t. I heard the witch was killed.”

  I groan. “Of course she was. What can your friend do for us if she’s stuck there, unable to go anywhere else?”

  “She was deep in the witch world before she got herself locked up. She knows all kinds of local secrets.”

  “And you didn’t think to mention her last night?”

  Fox cracks his knuckles. “Roster’s a lot easier to get to. Besides, you were already headed for the spice shop. I was just going to take you because I needed a distraction and a place to stay. But now I actually want to help you.”

  “Thanks, I think.”

  He chuckles. “Not many win me over. You’ve managed.”

  I glance around the messy house. “It’s the house, isn’t it? You’re enamored by my riches.”

  “Obviously.”

  “You’re not getting any, so get that idea out of your head.” I pause and mull over everything he said about his friend. “What’s it going to take to get her free from her spell? Or do we have to figure that out too?”

  “No, she has all the ingredients except one.”

  I take in a deep breath. “Let me guess. It’s rare, across the globe, and guarded by something deadly.”

  “It’s not that bad.”

  “But close?”

  He shrugs. “Probably.”

  “Probably? You don’t even know what she needs?”

  Fox traces a scratch in the table and doesn’t say anything.

  “Just spill it. Unless you know anyone else who can tell me about the local covens, we’re going to have to get what she needs.”

  He glances up at me. “You could talk to your friend the high witch. She might know something.”

  “I doubt it, but I need to call her anyway.”

  Fox nods.

  I rise and push the chair in. “So, what does your friend need? Maybe my friend can help us out.”

  He frowns. “A drop of blood from the first vampire.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, but I heard he’s dead.”

  “All vampires are. That’s part of how they achieve their immortality.”

  “No, I mean he actually died like a thousand years ago. But if we can find one of his descendants, that might work. I heard they can have kids.”

  My mind is racing too
fast for me to keep up.

  “Why do you look so happy?” Fox’s brows knit together.

  I take a deep breath. “I know the original vampire. Well, not like we’re besties or anything, but we’ve met. I can get to his hidden castle.”

  Fox’s mouth drops open. “You really do know everyone.”

  “I don’t, but his adopted daughter is like a sister to me.”

  “This is incredible. You’ll actually help Calla?”

  “I’ll try. Let me find out how difficult it’ll be to get King Alrekur’s blood.”

  Color drains from Fox’s face. “He’s a king?”

  I nod. “The fiercest one you’ll ever see.”

  Sixteen

  I can’t bring myself to make the call. Actually, I don’t know who to call. Do I call Ziamara and ask about seeing her adoptive parents, the king and queen of the vampires? Or should I call Gessilyn? She might have a drop or two of the king’s blood in stock. Plus, she can tell me about Titan’s progress—if there is any.

  My stomach twists at the thought of hearing he isn’t any better, or that he’s possibly worse. With no news, I can at least hope he’s getting better. Once I hear otherwise, what hope is left?

  I pace my room. Indecisiveness drives me crazy, and yet here I am, doing exactly that.

  As much as I dread hearing bad news about Titan, I need to find out how he’s doing. Then I need to track down Eveline and make her pay. Maybe Gessilyn can help with that.

  Before I can talk myself out of it, I call the high witch. It rings and rings until finally going to voicemail. I debate whether to leave a message, but then just leave a quick one.

  She’s avoiding me. That’s the only explanation. Something has gone wrong with Titan. What if they couldn’t save him?

  I pace with fury, my wings threatening to burst out. My back hurts as I fight to keep them in. Pressure builds in my eyes as they darken. One glance in the mirror shows they’re a deep green, close to black.

  Eveline is going to pay. Not only am I going to take her life, but I’m going to make sure she suffers. A lot.

  My wings crack and pop beneath the surface. I clench my jaw and fight to keep them in. I’ve ruined enough shirts already.

  The phone rings.

  My heart skips a beat. Panic sets in. What if Gessilyn’s calling back with bad news? It has to be her. Hardly anyone has the number.