by Cooke, CJ
“Maybe I’ve just got stronger thighs than you,” he laughed.
“Once I get my ass up off this ground, I’ll show you strong thighs,” I grumbled and then winced at how weirdly sexual that sounded.
I looked around. It was weird because we were essentially in a giant tree, but the base of the branch we were currently on was about as big as an apartment block. There was no doorway or portal entrance nearby that I could see. But the curve of the trunk meant you couldn’t see to the other edge of the branch.
“I guess we just wander around the trunk until we find an entrance then,” Liam said, struggling to his feet.
“All I know is the entrance was sealed. I don’t know where it is, but I doubt Ratatosk would have left us here if it wasn’t nearby,” Virion said, looking around us in interest. This would have been his first time this far up Yggdrasil too. It was pretty amazing when you thought about it.
Liam walked over to me and helped me up to my feet. I didn’t miss the opportunity to make a dig at the others about how Liam was the gentleman of the group. They all just chuckled, not taking me seriously. My follow up implying Liam was the only one winning sexual favours, soon got them to shut up.
We searched the side of the trunk in silence for a while, at least until I couldn’t take the quiet for much longer. “So, the Vikings got it right then,” I said. But then when I thought about it for a bit longer, I realised. “And maybe Christianity if angels are a thing as well.”
The guys looked confused for a moment until they understood what I was talking about. Virion was the one who stepped in to completely blow my mind. “Not as such, whilst the Vikings got the name of Asgard right, like other cultures they only recognised their own pantheon of gods.”
“I don’t get it,” I said, feeling like an idiot but also kind of not caring at the same time.
“All of the different panthea of gods exist. They all live in Asgard. It’s also referred to as the God Realm.
“Oh, so they’re like a whole race of people then?”
“Essentially, yes. Each pantheon has risen to popularity at some point in time or region within the human realm. I’ve heard some of the old gods are having a resurgence in the human realm,” Virion explained. The other guys just kept searching.
“So, do you guys not worship a god?”
Virion shook his head. “Not as such. The Fae look to more of a nature-based religion. We don’t have a singular person which we attribute magic or the world too. It’s more an appreciation for the world around us and what it provides for us.”
“Yeah, shifters are mostly the same. It kind of feels a bit weird worshipping a god when you know they’re just a person. The only difference is their magic is different from ours,” Kyle added.
“So, gods aren’t special then?” I asked, growing more and more confused.
“Depends on who you ask,” Sykes laughed.
We wandered a bit further on in silence where I felt myself having a mini existential crisis. In the end, there hadn’t been any need for us to search. Once we reached the doorway, it was undeniable what it was. You know, because of the twelve-foot Valkyries carved either side of the massive door.
“Do we just knock?” Sykes said, cocking his head and looking at the massive door. There weren’t any handles or any way I could see to open it. It looked more like a picture of a door than an actual door. As if someone had just carved it into the bark of the tree.
All of the guys turned to me as if expecting me to answer Sykes. “How am I supposed to know?” I huffed in annoyance. Maybe I would officially become the world’s worst Valkyrie because I didn’t know how to open the gates of Valhalla.
Virion walked up to the door and started to run his hands along the surface as if he was searching for a crack to prize open. I went over and joined him. It's not like I had anything better to do. I could feel the depressions where the picture was carved into the bark, but none of them seemed to go any deeper than a fingertip. It was almost like it was just a carving and not a door, had never even been a door.
“Are we sure this is even it?” I asked no one in particular.
“You had better hope it is,” Kyle said wearily.
I looked around in confusion, and when I saw what he was looking at, I squinted my eyes to try and get a better look. “What is that?” It looked almost like a flock of birds, but not quite.
“Demons,” said Liam from beside me. “At least thirty.”
“Oh, of course, they fucking fly now. We wouldn’t want them to not be able to get at us now we’re hundreds of miles above the surface. That would just be unfair on them,” I scoffed as I turned back to the carving.
Virion had given up on his search and was now just gently banging his forehead against the surface. Sykes chuckled and pulled him away, laughing even harder when he saw the round red spot in the middle of his forehead. I had to admit, it did look pretty ridiculous, especially when his forehead crinkled up in confusion because he didn’t know what we were laughing at.
“Guys, whilst I’m sure there’s something really fucking amusing going on, can I remind you that death is literally flying towards us?” Kyle said, drawing his sword from his back. He was right; the demons were getting closer, and they were closing in fast.
“Maybe, one of you should make a run for the other side of the branch and see if there is anything else that could be a doorway,” I suggested, turning back to the carving and frantically starting to run my fingers along it again.
There was nothing there, nothing I could reach anyway. I took a step back to look at the carving as a whole. It was a large arched doorway. A Valkyrie stood either side of the door, and their wings arched upwards at if they were getting ready to take flight. They each held a sword above their heads pointing towards the top of the arch. There was an etching of a helmet at the very top of the arch with big wings sprouting from either side. It was truly beautiful. It couldn’t be anything but the doorway to Valhalla.
I beat my wings and hovered off the ground to search the rest of the carving I couldn’t reach when standing on the floor.
“Any time now would really be good, sweetheart,” Sykes shouted.
When I looked over my shoulder, I saw the demons were close enough now to make out every ugly feature about them. I turned back to the door and shuddered. I didn’t have time to think about them. I had to trust my mates would have my back if needs be.
I flew level with the helmet. There was something off about it, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It had to be this. There was no handle on the door. The Valkyrie were identical, but it was almost like they were pointing up to it. It wouldn’t be accessible to just anyone.
I ran my hands over the carving's surface, but it just felt the same as the rest of the door. Panic was starting to settle in, the demons were close, we had absolutely no cover, and I was the shittest Valkyrie ever known because I couldn’t even open the door to Valhalla.
I flew back from the carving, my eyes skimming over the surface again. There had to be something, anything. I was certain it must be the helmet. It made the most sense. As I went to turn around again to see how much time we had left, my eye caught a shadow as my eyes glanced across the surface. I quickly flew over to the helmet again, my hands frantically searching. I couldn’t feel any difference in the surface, but it had been there, I knew it had.
I pressed my face up against the bark so I could look across the surface of the carving, and that was when I saw it. There were markings in one of the eyes of the helmet you couldn’t see when you were face on. It looked almost like a star. I ran my hands over the eye, but there was nothing there. I tried pressing down on it. I tried to prize any edge I could with my nails, but nothing would give. Then it struck me. It wasn’t a star.
“I need the compass,” I shouted, turning around.
My heart sank when I turned to my mates. I was too late. They were already here. The first demons were just touching down on the branch. Most of them had landed f
urther down and were crawling their way towards us. They scuttled across the ground like a swarm of spiders. Running along on their arms and legs, they even used the hooks on the tips of their bat-like wings to pull themselves along the ground. Their mouths were full of fang-like teeth, and they had some kind of excessive saliva problem because the amount of drool coming out of them was, quite frankly, disgusting.
All of the guys quickly cut down the first wave as they touched down on the branch before they could get all four limbs down. Kyle spun around and threw the compass to me. The demon which was nearly at him shoved him forward as it lunged. Liam dived, and his sword ran straight through its abdomen. At the same moment, Sykes sliced off its head with a swing of his sword, and it dropped to the ground dead.
I turned back to the carving as soon as the compass was in my hand, and pushed it into the eye of the helmet. It sank into the carving without any resistance, and a blinding shot of white light ran around the door carving. The compass sank through the carving and was swallowed up into the tree.
I sank back down to the ground, and the door shimmered in front of me just as I realised it was a portal. I fucking hate portals!
I spun back around with a smile of triumph on my face, but it immediately dropped when I saw Kyle on the ground lying so very still, and Liam and Sykes standing guard over him. Virion had moved in front of them to meet the next wave head-on, alone. There was so much blood. And I froze. I couldn’t do this again. I couldn’t lose someone else. My heart stuttered with pain and grief. But then Kyle groaned and tried to roll to his side, the relief that rolled through me was almost overwhelming. My magic slammed through my veins with a heat that glowed with the all-consuming anger I felt. My wings spread wide, and I soared over the top of my mates, landing on the branch ahead of them.
“Get through the portal now,” I screamed over my shoulder at them. “I’ll cover you.”
I didn’t wait for their response. I just launched forward. My magic had never felt like this, it was almost overwhelming, and it felt like it scorched my insides as it roared through me. It didn’t feel like it flowed through me anymore. It felt like it would consume me. And I was ready to let it.
My eyes fixed on the wave of demons in front of me, and a battle cry roared from my mouth. At this point, I couldn’t tell if it was from the anger of seeing my mate injured, or if it was from the blinding pain which accompanied my out of control magic. With both swords in my hands, I met them slashing and screaming. They’d dared to try and take my mate from me, and the only thing that could calm me now was watching the blood drain from their bodies.
I became a whirlwind of blades, slicing through limbs and necks with ease. The wave of demons soon started to waver, and they pulled back momentarily as if to reassess their approach. It was a level of intelligence I hadn’t encountered in any of the other demons we had fought.
I tightened my grip on my swords and dropped into a defensive stance. I could hear Virion screaming my name behind me, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the demons in front of me. My magic demanded blood; it demanded the lives of those that had dared to hurt my mate. It didn’t matter the one that dealt the blow was already dead. It wanted them all.
Virion’s shouting became more frantic, and I tore my eyes away from the demons to make sure he wasn’t in trouble.
The portal was closing. The others were gone and must have stepped through already, and Virion was screaming for me to run. I glanced back at the demons, and they must have realised what was about to happen as they suddenly surged towards me as one. They didn’t make a sound; they all just moved simultaneously like a wave.
I spun on my heel and ran. Virion was right next to the portal as it grew smaller and smaller and smaller. He held one hand out for me and kept glancing between me and the portal. It was closing too fast.
“Go, go through, I’m right behind you,” I screamed as my wings surged out and I flew towards him, my legs not having carried me fast enough.
“Not without you.” His eyes kept going from my face to behind my shoulder, and I knew the demons were only a step behind me.
If I stopped to face them, I would be stuck on this side of the portal. I would have gladly stayed and held them back if all of my mates were safely on the other side. But I couldn’t risk Virion being stuck on this side with me. I didn’t know if I’d be able to protect him from the swarm behind me, and I’d never risk him.
I held my arms out in front of me and collided with Virion without slowing down. My arms closed around him, and I beat my wings as hard as I could one last time before I wrapped them around him. We sailed through the air, he held me close, and despite the imminent danger to both of us, I felt the tension leave his body and his relief at having me with him. I buried my face into his shoulder, and I felt the wet sensation of the portal wash over us.
I landed hard on my right shoulder; Virion landed heavily on my ribs, still wrapped up in my arms and wings. We rolled once, and I shoved him out of my grip, behind me and came out of the roll on my feet. My wings spread wide behind me, sheltering him from anything that could follow us through the portal.
Five demons flew through the portal before it had a chance to shimmer to a close. My magic sang in relief. It wasn’t finished yet. It needed more. This was what I’d been afraid of when I first arrived at the Academy—my magic overwhelming me and losing control. I didn’t want to become one of those people I’d seen on the news. I had so much more to lose now. But my magic was insistent. Being on this side of the portal seemed to make it stronger. I tried to pull it back inside me, but a part of me knew there was no way to contain it now.
I surged forward without a second thought, and my swords sank into demon flesh. I hacked, and I cut. I didn’t even hear their screeching screams anymore. All I could hear was the battle song my magic sang through my veins.
When they finally lay dead at my feet, I turned. My magic was done with the blood for now, but it would no longer be contained. It had felt the freedom of battle; I’d revelled in the death it was made for, and it knew it had finally come home.
Before me stood a legion of Valkyrie, most were dressed for battle. They all wore various looks of shock and amazement on their faces. My mates knelt on the ground before them. Kyle was sitting up, but the others were clustered around him frantically trying to patch the large gaping gash in his side. The colour had drained from his face, and I could see how much he struggled to breathe through the pain.
I looked at those that were supposed to be my people, with my mate dying at their feet, while they made no move to assist him. My magic roared within me. Its anger drowned out only by my own. The heat surged until I could contain it no longer and flames ignited along my wings. It surged from my hands and coated my blades. A collective gasp ran through the Valkyrie and as one, they slammed their right fists onto the armour that covered their chests and dropped down on one knee. One voice rang out from the crowd, “We await your orders, Phoenix General.”
The Story Continues in Destiny Realised
Keep reading for a sneak peek at the first chapter!
Chapter 1
Caleb
It was the screaming that woke me. As I sat bolt upright in my bed, I assumed it was the same nightmare which had been terrorising me for the last few nights. But when the screaming continued, I knew. I knew it was happening again.
At first, I was frozen where I was. Terror flooded my body, and chilled sweat broke out on my skin. I couldn’t do this again! I wouldn’t survive a second time. Even worse, Aria wasn’t here to save us. But with the thought of Aria, came the thought of her Elites. I knew they would be fighting, and I wasn’t about to let Aria down by letting them fight alone.
Jumping from my bed, I grabbed the sword Aria had gifted me from where I placed it under the bed. Before I’d even stood back up, Dom was racing into my room.
“The demons, the demons are attacking the pack,” he panted.
He looked about as terrified as I was
. You couldn’t live through a massacre like we had without it leaving a stain on you in some way.
I gave Dom a nod. “We stay together, no matter what. We survived last time because we didn’t let the demons draw us into a fight alone,” I told him.
He just nodded. What else was there to say? We were running towards death, and not many people got to cheat it twice.
As we raced out of the cottage, Madame Nines suddenly shouted after us. “Frannie is gone, she isn’t in her bed.”
“Fuck!” Dom shouted, looking around him frantically. “Surely she wouldn’t have gone up to the house?”
Madame Nines looked like she was about to tear up there herself. Last time she’d allowed the witches to channel her magic to help them close the portals. Whilst it would be beneficial to have her there again, we didn’t know what we were running into, and she didn’t have any combat skills. It was going to be hard enough to stay alive; to stay alive and protect her as well would be impossible.
“Stay here,” I told her, making the decision myself. “We’ll look for her up at the house. Ward the cottage and stay inside.”
I didn’t wait to see if she heard me, or even if she would agree with me. For now, the members of the pack were still screaming. If they were screaming then at least they were alive. We at least had a chance to save some of them, maybe.
Dom and I ran through the trees as quickly as we could. We didn’t bother trying to mask our approach. There wasn’t the time, and it wouldn’t make any difference anyway. When we broke through the treeline at the clearing where the packhouse lay, it was carnage. The area was flooded with demons; there had to be at least forty.
The Elites had formed a line in front of the steps leading up to the house. They were trying to hold the demons back from getting through. Trent and his pack were there with them. They seemed to be holding the line for now, but they were vastly outnumbered, there was no way it could last for long. The screaming inside the house seemed to have died down. I just hoped it meant there were no more demons inside because the alternative was more than I could take right now. The ground in front of the house was already littered with the bodies of pack members who hadn’t made it. It was more than my eyes and mind could process right now.