by Katrina Cope
Contents
Valkyrie Academy Dragon Alliance Books
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Free Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Acknowledgments
Newsletter & Updates
Your Thoughts
Books by Katrina Cope
About the Author
VALKYRIE ACADEMY DRAGON ALLIANCE
BOOKS
Marked (Prequel-Newsletter exclusive)
Chosen
Vanished
Scorned
Inflicted
Empowered
Cosy Burrow Books
VALKYRIE ACADEMY DRAGON ALLIANCE
Book One
CHOSEN
KATRINA COPE
Copyright
Chosen
Ebook first published in USA in August 2019 by Cosy Burrow Books
Ebook first published in Great Britain in August 2019 by Cosy Burrow Books
www.katrinacopebooks.com
Text Copyright © 2019 by Katrina Cope
Cover Design Copyright © art4artists.com.au/
The moral right of Katrina Cope to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher
This book is a work of fiction. Any references or suggestions herein to actual historical events, real people or actual locations are fictitious. All names, characterisations, locations, incidents, and fabrications are solely the product of the author’s imagination, and any, and all, resemblance to actual persons alive or dead or locations or events is entirely coincidental.
Published by Cosy Burrow Books
All rights reserved
ASIN: B07TRK3KNM
ISBN: 978-0-6486613-0-6
Dusk ~ For your endless love and dedication ;)
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- CHAPTER ONE -
A horn blares, and I run outside the academy walls to watch the ascension of the winged Valkyries to the rainbow bridge. There could only be one explanation for the horn–a war in Midgard, and warriors are falling. The winged Valkyries flock to Heimdall’s post, the entrance of Bifrost, seeking departure from Asgard and entrance into Midgard. Envy stirs deep within when I think about their mission–to find the brave warriors of either side and reap their souls to send to Valhalla in preparation for Ragnarok. It is a mission that is denied to me and my kind. Awe envelops me as I watch them take flight with their beautiful majestic wings flapping and raising them high.
A piercing alarm bell rings throughout the school, and a sense of urgency flutters through my body. I pull my eyes away and rush past Asgard’s harsh landscape to the center hall, where we’re expected to gather every time the alarm sounds. This is my third year at Valkyrie Academy, leaving one year to go. After receiving a formal education, the Valkyries are sent to the academy from ages fifteen to eighteen to finish their training for their duties, which they will undertake for the rest of their immortal lives.
“Wait up, Kara. What do you think they need us for?” Eir moves in beside me. She pulls a hairband off her wrist and ties back her long light-brown hair, securing her wavy locks neatly out of her face. Her kind face creases, and her light-brown eyes fill with worry.
“Perhaps for once, they are giving us something important to do.” Hildr joins me on my other side, clasping the hilt of her sword, looking ready for action, even though we’re not going to war.
“I doubt it,” I say, and her green eyes focus on me with such annoyance that I think I see her short spiky red hair stand on end. “Hey, don’t kill the messenger.” I hold my hands up in defense. “You know where I stand with the bias against our wingless kind.”
She huffs as we enter the academy hall. We scurry to find a seat around the outskirts, watching our mistress stand in the middle.
The winged Valkyries file in and sit in the reserved seats in the rows closer to the mistress. On one hand, I loathe that they are treated like royalty among the Valkyrie, but on the other, I long to be part of what they can do.
My eyes narrow as my nemesis enters the room, flanked by her two accomplices, Mist and Prima. They look as though they were made from the same molding cast. Rota’s perfect waves of blond hair fall to her shoulders, and her slim figure in her tan leather jacket and tight blue pants is framed by her beautiful, majestic white wings. She is beautiful in every way, as a Valkyrie should be. I don’t despise her for this. Even the wingless Valkyries are known for being beautiful. My distaste for her is based more on how she treats my kind, me in particular. It isn’t unusual for the winged Valkyries to pick on the wingless ones, as we are seen as lower class, but this particular one has taken it to another level with me. For some reason, she has taken an interest in tormenting me in my daily life in the academy right from my very first day. Perhaps it is because she knows that I’ve strived to be one of the winged Valkyries and how I long for the myth of how Brynhildr got her wings to come true.
Rota is holding her head high with an air of superiority as the three take the prime seats, directly in front of the mistress. Deep-green envy runs through my veins. I wish that, for once in my life, I could wipe the smug looks off their faces.
As everyone scrambles into the room, the ruckus of the hall is overbearing. The mistress raises her hands. “Now, Valkyries, students, quiet down.” When the hall remains noisy, she raises her voice some more. “You must be silent this instant. We have an urgent matter to discuss.” The noise in the hall remains the same. Her voice crescendos. “Valkyries! Be quiet now!”
The hall falls silent. It is surprising that the hall remained as loud as it did for so long. We all know that if we do not listen to the mistress, the punishment is severe. Shuffling shoes echo through the hall as some straggling Valkyries hurry to their seats.
A flicker of annoyance passes over Mistress Sigrun’s face before being washed away by control. “There is a war on Midgard, and we do not have enough Valkyries to reap the brave warriors. As you know, we need these courageous warriors to train here so that they will be ready to defend Asgard when the day of Ragnarok arrives.” Her eyes land on the winged Valkyries, and a sense of pride fills her face. “My top students, it is now your time to undergo your first reaping.”
A murmur echoes through the hall, and the mistress raises her hands again, causing the hall to fall silent. “We knew this time was coming, and for the senior students, your opportunity is now. You have trained hard and trained well.”
Without meaning to, I look at my nemesis, and I can’t help glowering. Her face is overflowing with pride and arrogance in knowing that she’s about to have her first reaping. She knows that soon, her name will be honored among the Valkyries and spoken of in the halls of Valhalla. I don’t think it is possible for me to loathe her any more than I do right at this moment.
The mistress raises her arms again, calling for attention. “Valkyries, let us leave and head to Heimdall’s point. Time is of the utmost importance.”
A rustling of feathers echoes through the room as the winged Valky
ries stand and exit the hall, leaving the wingless Valkyries in their spots, and a potent disappointment tarnishes the atmosphere. Because we are not winged, we are not permitted to go to these battles.
Pausing at the entrance of the hall, the mistress spins around to add insult to injury. “Oh, and don’t forget to clean the hall of Valhalla. I’m sure the claimed warriors had a large party last night and have left it a mess after drinking too much mead. The hall must be cleaned and ready for the new group of warriors so that they may be impressed by our hospitality.”
Although she’s the mistress, I can’t help but glare at her with all the hostility I can muster. I want to prove my worth, and I am sure we have special gifts as well. My sword’s sheath rubs against my black leather pants as though reminding me it is there.
Without another word, the mistress spins around and follows her prize possessions up to the bridge in a sea of tan leather jackets and blue leather pants—their Valkyrie uniform.
“I want to punch someone!” Hildr’s feet are planted firmly on the ground with her knees shoulder width apart. She sits forward, and her black leather pants squeak as her elbows twist into them.
Eir reaches over me and places her hand on Hildr’s back. “Chill. There is more to life than fighting.”
Hildr’s voice explodes with aggression. “Just because you’re willing to go with the flow doesn’t mean I can’t be angry about our role. Are they ever going to let us fight with them? Kara and I are incredible fighters. Even you are, too, when you put aside your peacekeeping intentions.”
I rise and head for the door.
“Where are you going?” The anger in Hildr’s voice remains, but I ignore it. I know it is aimed toward the winged Valkyries and their rules.
I turn around to look at her. “I’ll meet you in the hall soon. I’m going to watch them ascend.”
Hildr huffs. “Do you think I need any more salt rubbed into my wound? There is no way I am going to watch them ascend into glory.”
Eir gives me an understanding smile. “Don’t do anything stupid. They would love to give you more menial jobs, I’m sure, if they catch you at Heimdall’s point instead of cleaning the hall.”
Turning, I cast her a smirk over my shoulder. “I’ll be stealthy.” I quicken my pace and stop at the weapons wall outside of the hall, grabbing a bow and throwing a quiver full of arrows over my back before heading straight to Heimdall’s.
The sky lights up with a rainbow of colors then dulls again as Bifrost straightens. The first lot of Valkyries is released into Midgard. A few moments later, another large flash goes through the rainbow colors filling the sky, and I know that the next lot of Valkyries has gone—the Valkyries from the academy. It is only seconds before Bifrost straightens, lining the sky in a nice neat rainbow.
I head in that direction. Maybe I can find a way to sneak past Heimdall and help the winged Valkyries reap the souls with or without their approval.
- CHAPTER TWO -
By the time I reach Bifrost, my legs ache. It’s far away from the academy, and the journey ends with an extensive climb, a feat that the winged Valkyries don’t have to accomplish. They land with ease, using the power of their wings, an option not available to me. Instead, I had to climb the rocky terrain, ascending to the point of the tower.
Placing my hands on my hips, I catch my breath and study the rainbow bridge stretching far and wide. I observe the straight lines and follow them all the way until they reach the small tower where Heimdall stands with his legs in a ready stance. His towering bulk is covered in armor, a horned helmet protects his head, and his hands are planted over the hilt of his sword while he guards the entrance to the other worlds, scanning with his all-seeing eyes. I’m sure he is also watching the Valkyries’ progress into Midgard.
Ignoring my exhaustion and the pain surging through my legs, I approach Heimdall. His eyes slowly turn, and he gazes at me as the distance between us closes.
“Young Valkyrie of the wingless kind. You have traveled far. What is your purpose?” His eyes bore deep into my soul, as though he’s reading my intentions. From what I have heard, he is not able to read our thoughts, but he does know what we do.
I square my shoulders and step forward with confidence that I don’t feel, doing my best to steady my breath. “Heimdall, I wish to join the winged Valkyries and help them reap the brave warriors for Valhalla.”
The corners of his eyes twitch up, and his eyes dance for a moment, as though he is about to break into a smile. He quickly pushes his mouth into a flat line. “Young Valkyrie, you are courageous, but this is not your destiny. You must turn around and go back.”
“But I believe I can help.” The words come out faster than I intend, sounding urgent, almost desperate.
“Your intentions are good, young Valkyrie. But this is not permitted. It is the Asgard way. You must return to your academy. I will inform your mistress that you are willing to drop everything to help the cause.”
My mistress’s likely response flickers through my mind, and my heart sinks. Her face would break into a smile, and she would laugh despite my wanting to help and my intentions being good. I know if anything, it will just be a joke to her.
“No, don’t bother. This can remain our secret.” I let my eyes trail to the tower, the entrance of which I can use to leave this realm and go into Midgard. And my heart longs to enter there. I can feel his eyes studying me, taking in everything that he is seeing, and I’m sure it is an unforgettable memory that he will store away. I so badly want to go and help. Surely I can be of more use than cleaning the halls and being almost a slave to the winged Valkyries.
As I stare at the entrance, a voice enters the depths of my mind, deep and rumbling. Go, young Valkyrie. Despite what he says, it is your destiny. You are more important than what they make you believe.
I look at Heimdall to see if he’s the one talking in my mind. Perhaps it is a gift he holds that I don’t know about. I search the depths of his dark-brown eyes, which peer out from under the canopy of his large horned helmet, and see no sign lying in them that it is him. Maybe this is a joke he plays when faced with someone opposing the rules of Asgard’s borders. He is the watchman of the gods and the gatekeeper to Bifrost. If he is not the one that is telling me this, then who can it be? I cast a brief look around but cannot see anyone else.
A deep, searing pain shoots from my shoulder and down my right arm. I flinch and clutch at it, grimacing.
“Young Valkyrie, what is wrong?” Heimdall moves forward, concern in his eyes.
I yank back my black leather sleeve, revealing my shoulder, and peer down at the initiating point of the pain. The scar that I received a couple of years ago has turned bright red and is burning. I place a hand over it, protecting it, as though that’ll help the pain go away, but it does not feel any better, so I rub it, trying to work away the pain.
Heimdall’s eyes are wide. “Where did you receive this mark, young Valkyrie?”
After seeing no new damage, I cover my shoulder. “Some beast attacked me one day when I was in the dragon fields. I had stumbled across a nest of dragon eggs. It was trying to steal them, and I went to stop it. I managed to scare the beast away from the dragon eggs, but it clawed me as it took off, leaving me with this scar.” I rub the spot harder through my clothes. “It has never burned like this before.”
“What kind of beast?”
At first, I am shocked by his question, until it occurs to me that he wouldn’t know, as he doesn’t watch what happens in Asgard all the time. Instead, his eyes are focused on outside threats.
“I don’t know.”
His brow furrows, and something flits over his shoulder. It takes an effort to peer around his bulky form, and my eyes widen as they land on the same beast that caused the mark on my shoulder. I hadn’t seen it since the day it injured me.
“It was that beast,” I say, pointing past Heimdall.
He spins and lifts his sword a split second before the beast lunges for him,
managing to block the beast’s attack. The beast lunges at him again then maneuvers back before the mighty protector of Asgard can strike.
Even though my shoulder is throbbing, I am still determined to make my way to Midgard to see if I can help the winged Valkyries. The thought of helping the great gatekeeper fight off the beast passes through my mind, but as I watch him, I am confident that he will be able to defeat it. He is an extremely large warrior.
While Heimdall is distracted, I run to the tower, the entrance to the portal. Behind me, I can hear the beast continuing to attack the great guard of Bifrost, yet neither seems to be successful in striking the other. No cries of pain come from either one.
I reach the portal entrance and hold the knob with both hands. When I turn to see Heimdall, the beast is moving in for another attack. He spins and swipes his sword at it but misses as the beast flaps its wings and darts away. The creature’s beady eyes land on me, and a piercing squawk fills the air before it flaps away.
Heimdall’s distraction is disappearing into the distance, and I am about to miss my opportunity. I brace myself, ready to turn the key, when Heimdall spins and spots me at the portal.
“No, young Valkyrie!” His large form takes enormous steps as he runs toward me, closing the gap between us quickly.
I have to act now. With my heart thumping quickly, I twist the knob. Heimdall is only seconds away from me as a bright, colorful light surrounds me, and I feel myself being sucked into a vacuum as though I am on a slippery slide twirling downward. Dizziness engulfs me, so I close my eyes, knowing I can do nothing other than go with the flow until I land with a thump.
My butt aches from the rough landing. I place my hands on either side of me and feel a solid surface with something rough tickling my palms, then I open my eyes and blink a couple of times before gazing down to see green strands protruding out of the hard, grey dirt. It is some kind of foliage that softens the hard earth, and I notice that it covers nearly every part of the ground. Midgard almost looks green. It is beautiful.