by Raye Wagner
Shock rippled through the air between them, and Ari took a step forward and whispered, “What would you do?”
Tears streamed down Nysse’s face. Her hands shook as she brought them up and cupped Ari’s face. “This isn’t about what I would do,” she whispered. “It’s about what you actually do. I’m so sorry, Ari.”
Nysse pulled away with a sob and stepped back into her house, closing the door on Ari.
~~~
Ari stayed up all night.
There were plenty of examples of Valkyries who had changed the fate of Mortals. Some had been forgiven by the Norns, and others had been punished. But there was nothing worse than what the Norns had already threatened. She couldn’t save them all, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do anything.
Regardless of what I wanted.
His words haunted her. Because what she wanted, more than anything, was for him to want to stay with her. But he’d called her an unnatural abomination. And as she contemplated what she was going to do, and what she’d done, she had to accept he was right. So, regardless of what she wanted, she would respect what he’d said.
But maybe she could still save him.
It was only an hour before the sun would start its assent when Ari stepped through the mirror to Kai’s room. At least he’d been clear. And the runes wouldn’t change him. Not just one set. She pulled out her silver artavus and traced his skin with quick strokes. Mrs. Cipriano wouldn’t lose both of her sons.
Chapter 10
“I’m not going to the game,” Ari said, resting her hand on Chase’s arm. The bell had rung, and they were supposed to be getting ready to load the bus. She had tried to broach the subject all day, but she couldn’t. Now, this was the last moment, the last second, and she swallowed back the wrongness of the words and forced herself to continue. “Why don’t we skip out and go to my apartment?”
She raised her eyes and flinched.
Chase stared down at her in shock. “What? What are you saying?” He shook his head as if trying to clear it. “You’re part of the team. You have to come. We need you.”
He would hate her. She knew it, and still, she would seal her own fate if it meant he would live. “What if I don’t want to be? What if I was just trying to get close to you? I don’t really care about the game. I want to spend time with you.”
He didn’t look flattered. His skin paled and his lips parted. “What? How can you say that?”
She shrugged, but her heart broke as she continued to try to save him. “Maybe I’m not the girl you thought I was.”
Even if he hated her, if he didn’t get on that bus, he would be safe.
His shoulders dropped, and he clenched his fists. Shaking his head, he refused to meet her gaze.
“I guess not,” he whispered, stepping back. “I thought you were better than that, Ari.”
His words were physical blows. “I’m not,” she snapped. “I’m nothing.” Her voice rose as she continued down the path of self-destruction. “I’m not better. You saw me as something to save, but you can’t. You can’t save me. No one can.”
Her heart was shredded. There was no sting to this ravaging agony. All she wanted was for him to stay; she wanted to keep him safe. But without using her artavus the only way to keep him safe was to keep him off that bus.
“You’re wrong,” he whispered, trailing his fingers down the side of her face. “I never thought I could save you.” His eyes were fathomless in their depths as he stared at her. “I always knew you could save yourself. I always knew you had the power.” He pulled his hand back and frowned. “But I guess you don’t want to.”
“Please,” she begged. “Please don’t get on that bus. I don’t want you to get on that bus. Let me take you. Or drive yourself. Please.”
He shook his head. “I don’t get it. What is your problem? Being a part of a team means it isn’t about any one individual. It’s about the team. You don’t live in a vacuum. What you do affects others, whether you want it to or not. You chose to be a part of the team, and now you’re trying to pull this—”
The intercom paged them both.
“Please don’t—” she whispered.
He held his hand out, stopping her plea. “I’ve got to go. My team needs me. Goodbye, Ari.”
The note of finality in his voice shook her. Stunned her. She didn’t know what to do, and her hesitation cost her the precious seconds she’d needed. When she ran out to the parking lot, the bus was already pulling out.
“He does love you,” Nysse said, coming up behind her. “But he doesn’t understand.”
Ari turned to Nysse, the horror of what was coming twisted her features with pain. “I didn’t rune him.”
Nysse’s mouth dropped open. “Chase? Kai?”
Ari crumpled to the ground and sobbed. “I . . . I did Kai last night. But Chase . . .”
Nysse grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. “You’re kidding, right?” Nysse’s eyes were wild with panic, and she shook Ari as she screamed at her, “You’re kidding, right?”
Ari shook her head as the weight of what she’d failed to do settled over her. She’d signed his death sentence with her own inaction. She looked at Nysse with wide eyes. “I’ve got to go.”
She didn’t wait to hear what her friend would say. As she ran, she pulled her keys out of her pocket and prayed she would get there in time.
The wind whipped her, tugging her hair as she sped after the bus. The county road turned into a two-lane highway just outside of Kayville. She saw the bright yellow vehicle, a small dot on the horizon, and she revved her engine as she activated the runes on her bike. She would get there in time. She would save him. She would spend eternity in whatever form of torture the Norns inflicted, but she would save Chase.
The semi flashed its lights as the bus swerved into its lane.
There was the grating of brakes followed by the squealing of tires.
Time seemed to elongate. Seconds became eternity as Ari sped toward the inevitable unfolding right before her eyes.
She saw Kai and Chase at the back of the bus. Saw their expressions morph from alarm to terror.
The crunch of metal as the semi jackknifed, the bus swerving into the trailer . . .
Oh gods.
The silver barrel was marked with the universal image meaning flammable.
Tears streamed down her face. She pulled out her artavus and gunned her bike, heading for the epicenter of her universe.
The back door of the bus popped open with the force of impact. Two bodies flew through the air as the explosion rocked the entire valley.
She could feel him. His heartbeat, a thin thread of life, pulling her to him. She wasn’t surprised to see Kai standing over Chase’s broken body, head bowed.
The runes she’d traced over Kai late last night glowed with the reflection of the flames, devouring the wreckage behind them.
She fell to her knees next to him—the man who had given her reason to live, hope for life, and desire for love—and wept. With a trembling hand, she drew every rune for healing she knew, and then she drew every one for life, longevity, and power. She was still tracing runes when someone touched her arm.
“If you don’t stop, he will become Immortal,” Larissa said. “I’m okay with that, but I don’t want you to regret it.”
She would never regret it, but she wanted him to make that final decision. If he refused, she would accept that. She would tell him everything and then let the chips fall where they would. She wasn’t willing to lose him before he knew his options. And so she stopped her selfish act and stood.
“What are you?” Kai asked in a voice filled with wonder. “How . . .?”
Larissa nodded at Chase’s body. “He has a beautiful soul, full of possibilities, and is quite worthy of you.”
Ari nodded, her heart clenching when she thought of what she’d almost lost.
“You’re worthy of him, too,” Larissa whispered in her ear. “Now, I’ll wait here while you take ca
re of the rest.”
Ari spared a glance at Kai. His eyes were wide, but his breathing was steady. Larissa had taken his hand and was tracing a sleep rune on his forearm with her artavus.
He blinked, and his eyes glazed over.
Ari turned to finish her assigned task.
The flames climbed over the metal, licking at the grass on either side of the highway. Knowing that her team was already dead, she took a few minutes to draw runes to contain the destruction.
Then she turned to face the wreckage.
There they were. Twenty-five souls of her teammates and her coaches, all looking at her expectantly.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I have little control over fate . . .” She choked on the last word, but there was no reproach in any of their faces. She explained what she wanted, what their options were, how they were revered as athletes, and how it would be an honor to fight by their side when the time came for Ragnarok.
She’d hoped to collect a few. That enough would come with her to satisfy the Norns and the Valkyrie Council. But tears streamed down her face as every single member of her team stepped forward to follow her to Valhalla.
Larissa winked at her as she opened the portal and then stepped back to wave Ari through.
“I’ll stay here until you get back.”
Gratitude filled Ari, and she nodded at her mentor, knowing she would look after Chase and Kai.
Chapter 11
“I knew you had it in you,” Larissa said, and she pulled Ari into a hug. The air was foul with the stench of burned metal and gasoline, and billows of black smoke made every breath taste of ash.
But Ari let Larissa hug her. It felt good, this connection with her mentor, and Ari even returned the embrace.
Chase and Kai were still asleep in the grass, both breathing slow steady breaths.
Kai had a few scrapes and scratches, but Chase’s skin was completely unmarred.
“The Mortals will have a difficult time explaining how he doesn’t even have a scratch on him,” a female voice said. “You shouldn’t be so sloppy.”
Ari turned. Fear squeezed her chest, but she would face her fate without regret.
Larissa straightened. “They will invent something to explain it. You know they always do.”
The blonde Norn was crossing the street, and the other two were closing the doors on a MINI Cooper parked on the side of the road. This time, the Norns wore matching cheerleader outfits in white and green.
The brunette one eyed Larissa with warm recognition. “Lari, is this young Valkyrie your trainee?”
Larissa smiled, but the skin around her eyes remained tight. “Addy, I didn’t realize you were in this area. Are you the reason I couldn’t get in contact with her?”
“It’s Adri,” she said, brushing her hair over her shoulder in a very familiar gesture.
Ari’s jaw dropped as she put two and two together.
“She’s much smarter than you’ve given her credit for,” Adri said. “And much more talented. Her previous life left a big scar, though. We had to block you so Ari would let her guard down and learn how to trust again. Next time, and every time hereafter, make sure she has enough time to get the connection she needs. She knows how to do it now. She’ll be fine.”
The words gave Ari a hefty dose of hope, and she blurted, “You’re not going to punish me?”
The Asian girl laughed, the sound of tinkling bells, and shook her head. “No, but you’d best be careful with that young man. It is against the rules for Mortals to know about us, so make sure you finish what you started with your mate.”
Sudden clarity struck Ari like an arrow to her heart. She mentally ticked off the names of her teammates and coaches while she counted on her fingers. Awe mixed with gratitude as she realized the Norns had known all along she would save Kai and Chase.
The beautiful brunette, Adri, raised her eyebrows and pointed at the ground. “That goes for you, too, Larissa.”
Wait. Kai? And Larissa? Had Larissa runed Kai with more than just the sleep one?
The blonde Norn sniffed, her features turning into a frown as if she’d just realized she’d been outmaneuvered. Without saying anything else, she turned and stomped back to the car.
Ari felt light, so full of joy she was sure she would float away on the slightest breeze. She grinned at Larissa and then the two remaining Norns. She could hardly believe it. “That’s all?”
Adri inclined her head. “All as it should’ve been is now as it should be.”
She embraced Larissa, whispering something in her ear, too low for Ari to hear.
But when the two Norns started back across the street, Ari felt the final tendrils of fear release their hold on her heart, and she ran back to Chase.
He blinked, the clouding of his deep blue eyes washing away as consciousness returned.
“Ari?” He stared at her in disbelief. Sitting up, he brought his hand to his head. His eyes widened, and when he saw Kai next to him, he reached out and put his hand on Kai’s chest. As Kai breathed, Chase let out a long exhale and dropped his head into his hands. “What happened? How am I still here?”
She swallowed, but there was no anger in his voice. She took courage in the Norns’ words. At knowing he was her soul mate. “I’m sorry. I wanted to save you. And I wanted to respect your wishes. I didn’t want to take away your choices, but I couldn’t make you stay, and when it came down to letting you go, I couldn’t do it.” She traced the fading runes. “Not without you knowing everything. And then I’ll respect your decision. No matter what it is.”
He stared at her fingers, and then he brought his own up and copied the strokes she’d used. “You healed me.”
She nodded. “I’m not Mortal.”
He brought his gaze back to hers. “Am I?”
She nodded again. “I wouldn’t take that away from you without your permission.”
Sirens blared in the distance.
Kai sat up, patting first himself and then Chase. “We’re still alive.” When his gaze met Larissa’s his eyes widened, and he breathed out a heavy, “Whoa.”
“What happens now?” Chase asked after a sideways glance at his friend.
Ari looked at Larissa. In the past, they’d left, but there had never been any survivors in the past.
Larissa shook her head. She gave Ari a meaningful look and pulled out her artavus. “We’ll see you at the hospital.”
Ari leaned over Chase, not willing to have any more secrets between them. “I’m going to be invisible, but I’ll be here with you the whole time.”
He nodded, and his eyes widened as she drew the symbols on her skin.
“What’s supposed to happen?” he asked.
All the runes she’d used on him must’ve made it so he could still see her. Ari shook her head at Larissa. “I’ll be quiet, but I’m not leaving him.”
Fire trucks arrived, followed by ambulances.
Larissa nodded. With a sideways glance at Kai, she excused herself and left.
“Whoa,” Kai said again, falling back on the grass. “Sorry, Ari. I think I’m in love.”
Chase snorted. Pulling Ari close, he whispered in her ear, “Will you tell me what happened?”
She told him everything. How when Larissa had saved her from Escobar, she’d given Ari the option of being Immortal and then a Valkyrie. She told him why she’d said yes and how she’d failed every time she’d been sent to collect. She told him about the Council, the Norns, why she’d yelled at him, what she’d wanted to do, and then when she’d come upon the accident, her overwhelming desperation to heal him. They were interrupted by EMTs then nurses, doctors, and more nurses and doctors, but Ari told him all of it.
Larissa was right. There was talk of miracles, doctors trying to make sense of the two young men thrown from the bus, the one with plenty of bruises and scrapes, and the other, who must’ve been protected by his friend. Ari heard them talking to Mrs. Cipriano, heard the Witch’s calm responses and reiterations
of miracles and angels.
And when they got back to the Cipriano’s, Bree and Nysse hugged Chase and Kai over and over while Ari stood silently, invisible in the corner. But as Ari followed Chase upstairs to his room, both of them whispered their thanks to her.
Chapter 12
Chase’s room reminded Ari of his eyes. The carpet was the same beige as Nysse’s, but his bedding and walls were dark hues of the ocean’s depths. There were no posters of girls or rock bands, only pictures of the Ciprianos and one of a little girl with black hair, wearing a pink dress and smiling at the camera. His desk was neat, his drawers closed, and his closet door cracked just enough to see that it was tidy as well.
“Will you stay with me?” he asked, blushing as he invited her to his bed. “Not, like that. I’m not pushing for sex—”
That was clear even before he started stammering. Ari knew this survivor’s guilt. She knew the nightmares that would come. The dread of being alone with memories of what you couldn’t stop and the self-reproach of if only.
“I can make them go away, the flashbacks. I can draw a rune so you can sleep,” she said.
But Chase shook his head. “Please don’t. If I forget . . .”
She knew what he was saying, that forgetting would dishonor his friends. “Okay, I won’t.”
He nodded and sat on the edge of his bed, dropping his head in his hands. “Did they suffer?”
“No,” she answered, sitting next to him. “It was over in an instant.” She put her hand on his knee and told him the rest. “They all went to Valhalla, where they will train for Ragnarok and be revered warriors.”
He looked at her with tears in his eyes. “Really?”
His question wasn’t one of doubt but awe, and the power of what lay between them changed her in that instant. A weight she’d carried deep in her fractured soul disappeared like a wisp of Nysse’s fragrance on the air, and the pieces knit together, her soul mending with the trust given and received from someone she loved—who also loved her in return.