“Your mother stole it to keep it safe, but as she ran from the Legion, her labor began early. I claimed her for Valhalla and transitioned her to a Valkyrie, before she delivered you. However, her new status caused the need for your conversion immediately after you were born. It’s part of the reason you struggle on Midgard during your missions.”
He hesitated, and I couldn’t help blurting out my questions. “All Valkyries were human first, but they don’t struggle like me. Even though it was only for a breath, shouldn’t I be the same?”
A smile, kind and patient, split his face as he lay a hand on my cheek. A warmth radiated through my body as my injuries healed, and I inhaled, slow and deep. No longer hindered with a swollen nose and puffy eyes, I smiled back.
“You are the same as your sisters, in most respects. Your human blood accepted the transition to Valkyrie, which gives you the ability to go to Midgard for short amounts of time.”
What? My human blood. What did that mean?
I leaned back, and the hand still holding my elbow slipped down around my waist. I peeked and confirmed that it was Gus. His eyes narrowed and his jaw set tight as he stared at Odin.
“I . . . I don’t understand,” I stammered.
“There’s more to tell you, about your father, but that should wait. It will be better explained by those in Breasal.”
I’d never given any thought to who my father was. For that matter, I’d never given any thought to my humanness, either. It seemed irrelevant. I was Valkyrie. Nothing more, nothing less.
“What you need to know is that to keep you safe, your identity had to remain hidden. Now that Jemma has exposed you, it’s time for us to part. I’ve held you back, and now you must move on. That’s what we do for the ones we love.”
Gus’s breath hitched. I felt it through my back, and realized I was leaning against him.
The words Odin spoke were familiar. I’d heard the same comment somewhere recently, but where?
I gasped. “It was you, in the garden. You were there . . . on Midgard.”
Thoughts spun inside my head. Odin had been in Midgard. He’d known where I was and what I’d done. Then he also knew why I’d stayed, and what information Gus and I had searched for.
And he’d also left me to struggle and barely make it back.
“You are strong and brave. You are also stubborn and impatient. It was important for you to find your own way and discover your own answers. There is never a time when I am not looking out for you, but you must make your own decisions and forge your own path.”
“Except now you’re sending her away. How is that choosing her own path?” Gus spoke with a hint of anger.
I snapped my head in his direction, ready to demand he give respect, when Odin responded instead.
“She has chosen for herself to accept this new challenge. When she traded her place for a better eternity for the einherjar Stuart.”
I had. I didn’t completely understand the choice I’d made then, but I had made it.
I nodded. “And I won’t let you down.”
“You never could.” Odin moved his gaze to over my shoulder, and I watched it harden ever so slightly. His loving patience turned stern as he addressed Gus. “Beware of the price for inserting yourself in this situation.”
“I’m aware. Maybe more than others, after what Niasa and I went through to get here.”
Odin smiled, and there was a hint of predator within the curve. “In times of need, I’ve sent einherjar into battle on Midgard. They’re not allowed to interact with the living world because they have lost their understanding of it. It’s a good thing you haven’t.”
Wait, was he saying Gus was coming with me? That wasn’t going to work for me. I didn’t need his distraction, and I certainly didn’t want to fight with one hand tied the whole time. That experience needed to stay in the past.
“I can do whatever you ask of me on my own.”
“If she needs help, I can go with her,” Gertie joined in.
She’d been so quiet until then, I’d almost forgot she was there. This whole time, I’d thought she was my friend out of pity. Now I could see that it was genuine, and my heart ached with the need of it.
“You are important to her mission, but you will remain here. The reason will be clear in time.” Odin turned once more to me. “By offering your blood to heal Gus’s wound on Midgard, you gave him an ability no other einherjar possesses. Now that his transition in Valhalla is complete, he can travel with you of his own accord, no longer in jeopardy of being lost. It would not be right to hold him here and ignore the strengths of who he is. He will accompany you.”
Well, rot.
I nodded, since there was no point in arguing. Gus was going to have to learn to like mochas and maple scones if he was going to hang around with me, though.
I’d never felt as if I belonged here, now I wasn’t sure I wanted to be anywhere else. Returning my focus to Odin, his gaze bore through me with intensity before he spoke again.
“You have a unique gift, Niasa. Your travels take you through time in a way no other Valkyrie has managed. It’s the reason you’ve watched humanity grow and develop over the years, and why you’ve gone alone.”
“She was always saying strange things about the way people dress and act. That’s the reason for it?” Gertie’s eyes sparkled as she reveled in the new information.
She seemed excited to find out I was an oddity. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
“That’s correct,” Odin answered.
“And I’ll be able to do that too now?” Gus asked.
Memories of how he’d almost slipped into the Gap must have been running through his mind. It wasn’t a risk worth taking again.
“Yes, you are capable of the same travel. Because of her offering, you completed your transition to einherjar. But there’s something else.”
There was more? I slumped harder against Gus. Too much information swirled in my head already. How could I add anything else?
Gus stood as rigid as stone. We both stared at Odin without words while we waited for his explanation.
“When the medallion was created, it caused a rift in all the realms. It opened a pathway to travel through time. Though few know it exists, every time the pathway is used, a new alternate version of humanity’s future is created. The new timeline created at that moment of disparity is called a ripple, and exists as another realm. On Niasa’s last mission, she managed to travel to a ripple for the first time. It’s where she found you, Gus.”
“I’m not human? That’s not right! I’m from New York, on Earth.” Gus dropped his arm from my waist, and rubbed his hands over his face.
“You are human, as much as all the rest. But your experiences of life on Earth come from a different version of reality than those of the primary timeline. There is no difference in how your world functions, it just creates a different future than what has been destined for the Primes.”
It was all too much. I’d always known I was different, but how could Gus deal with another piece of the life he’d known being chipped away?
It did answer some questions, however. That’s why there were no coffee shops, no Statue of Liberty. It’s how New York had changed so much in a day—I wasn’t really in the same place!
“Mrs. Porter figured it out.” I sucked in a deep breath and left my mouth hanging open for a few seconds. “When she spoke of how I didn’t travel in a straight line . . . she said we weren’t supposed to be there. She knew.” The realization shocked me. I could tell by the expression of frustration mixed with resignation on Gus’s face, he agreed with me.
“That is true, however there is a bigger problem. Unfortunately, Niasa, because you carried the medallion when you went to the ripple, it has opened another pathway. The Shadow King believes he should rule over humanity and has spent a millenia trying. Now there is another route for him to send his Legion of demons to the ripples. A move that could not only destroy Midgard, but the Vergence a
s well. Darkness and evil will rule everywhere and all hope will be lost.
“If we stop this Legion, will it destroy these ripples, as you call them? Will my family and all the others . . . will they die?” Gus asked, his fists clenched at his sides.
As strong and composed as he’d always been, when it came to his family, I doubted he had much tolerance for anyone who put them in danger.
“No, not if the path can be closed and the medallion stays out of the Shadow King’s control. It can never fall into his hands.”
“Then I’ll do whatever it takes to stop them.”
Just like that, Gus was ready to go. Would I ever be that sure of myself?
“And we have to go to the Isle of Breasal?” The question could barely make it past the lump forming in my throat.
Odin nodded. “You will go there to train with the Tuatha de Dannan and begin the next step of your journey.”
“Is that where Toril and Jemma went? Will we have to go the same way they did?” Flying through that swirling vortex didn’t appeal to me.
“No, Toril has been taken by the Legion. Her journey will be different. But she is strong, and I trust her to find her way. However, your path is no less fraught with danger.”
Great, just what I needed to hear.
“The enchanted mists surrounding Breasal become thin on Midgard every seven years. The rest of the time, it stays hidden, like all the god realms, in the Vergence. You must travel through the Gap in order to arrive at its location.”
I couldn’t help it, the laughter squeezed out of me like emotional vomit. After everything, I still had to face the Gap.
Of course. I’m still me after all, and I never choose the easy path like everyone else . . . Well, bring it on, then.
“I’ll be with you, and I won’t let you get trapped,” Gus stated in my ear. “I’m stronger now.”
That steadied me in a hurry. He thought I needed his help? What was I, some kind of helpless damsel in need of rescue? Not in any realm, pal.
I twisted my face to his. “Let me?”
A smile split his face in two. Those icy blue eyes twinkled with mischief. “I didn’t say I was any smarter—just stronger.”
I closed my lips tight. I would not be swayed by his charm.
When I faced Odin again, his expression was coy, as if he was fighting a grin himself. I needed to change the tone of this conversation.
“How do we make it through?”
Odin sobered. “You’ll need a few supplies.”
31
Outfitted in new armor unlike anything I’d ever seen, Gus and I stood in the throne room before Odin. Our breastplates were made of silver, but so thin they molded to our bodies.
I hadn’t believed they would withstand an assault, and was stupid enough to voice my concerns out loud. I’d been hit in the middle of my solar plexus with what felt like Thor’s hammer, and sent flying backward. After a moment to regain my breath, I’d stood unharmed without so much as a scratch on the shiny surface. I’d even gone to the looking glass to check. Sure enough, there wasn’t a single mark. I’d also noticed the way it formed to my shape. I liked it.
Then I’d noticed how it formed to Gus. His chest and abs were defined in a way that had me looking away from him when heat flashed through my stomach, breeding all kinds of flutters.
Okay then, another challenge accepted. We were warriors on a mission, nothing more.
“You will need to stay connected as you fly through the Gap,” Odin’s voice brought my attention back to the throne room. “It will be necessary for Niasa to use her wings and fly as fast as possible. There will be many temptations to cause you to lose focus, but you must not slow down. Fly straight and true with speed, and the island will appear. Once you’ve landed, you’ll be safe.”
Gus slipped his fingers through mine and squeezed. I squeezed back, suddenly thankful I wasn’t going to be alone. A tap on my shoulder made me spin around.
“I’ll be here, waiting to get the communication that you made it safely,” Gertie said with outstretched arms.
I let go of Gus and hugged her tight. “I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t.” She pushed away from me with a genuine smile and silver-lined eyes.
Just when I valued our friendship the most, I needed to leave. My heart pinched, but I turned to face Odin again before I could let it sway me.
“Ready?” He looked from me to Gus and back.
A quick glance at each other, and we resumed our hold, then nodded.
“Your bravery will never be forgotten. I love you now and forever.”
They were the last words I heard before all the air was sucked out of my body. Gus and I scrambled to keep hold of each other with both hands, while I struggled to open my wings as the murky ooze engulfed us.
I felt the momentum shift. We were slowing down. Finally, we righted ourselves and stopped twirling aimlessly. With a crack, I unfurled my wings to their full width and flung them forward with every scrap of energy I had.
A cold mist that smelled like decaying compost bathed us in moisture. The air was thick. I shivered, not from the cold but from the sensation of what felt like gliding through gravy. It made me want to hurry that much more.
I stretched to give one more giant push—then I heard the voices.
“Help me.”
“Don’t leave me here.”
“Take me with you.”
I faltered. Was there a way to save anyone on our way through?
“Niasa! We can’t. Go now!” Gus screamed in my face. He must have guessed what I was thinking and brought me back to our mission.
Ignoring the sting at the back of my eyes as I blocked out the cries, I flapped with all my might. Then I tucked, and we dove in a straight line, faster and faster through the gooey haze, hurtling toward nothing and everything all at once.
In the distance, a shape emerged. Faint at first, then it became more and more defined. A mountain peak, then a forest glen filled with green grass.
We were nearly there.
My heart pounded against my chest, and the thrumming in my ears blocked out every sound. Locked on my target, I flapped again.
The ground came up faster than I could slow down. Rather than risk damaging my wings, I tucked them tight to my back.
“Relax and roll!” I had just enough time to yell to Gus before we hit.
The impact knocked us apart, and I summersaulted until I came to a stop at the base of a boulder sticking out of the ground. Gus smacked into me a heartbeat later.
So much for a graceful entry to make a good first impression.
With a groan, he sat up and reached out to help me. I shoved him aside and sat up by myself. He may have earned his way on this mission with me, but that didn’t mean he was going to be in charge.
We peered around in silence, taking in the scenery. Tall pines sat among sparse grasses and scattered boulders. The air was crisp and clean, tingling with the scent of forest. The sun was overhead—indicating it was about midmorning, if everything worked the same as I knew—but it wasn’t hot. Just warm enough to push back the mist hanging in the air, and keep the chill out of the bones.
It was perfect.
“It’s beautiful here,” Gus said, breaking into the tranquility. Since I agreed, I didn’t mind. “We’re sure we’re in the right place?”
That ended the peace. “Yes, why would you ask? You were the one that insisted on going over the directions a hundred times, so you should know.”
“And you were the one who was supposed to verify them with Odin before we left. It seems right, but how will we know for sure?”
“Gus, you need to relax. Let’s get up and look around, you’ll feel better when we start moving.”
We’d made it to Breasal, at least I was sure of that. Now we just needed to find the Tuatha de Dannan, learn how to stop a legion of demons, and adjust to living in a new realm. No problem!
Whatever challenges came our way, I kn
ew Gus could handle them and so could I. With a nod to each other, we set our shoulders and strode out of the glen, ready for our next adventure.
Also by Kelly N. Jane
Time Academy (The Portal Sagas: Valkyrie’s Gift 2)
Niasa made her choice.
Now she’s on a mission to stop the Legion from infiltrating the human realm—through the doorway she created. Except, no one explained to Niasa that her mission would involve going to class!
When tragedy strikes, it throws everything into chaos.
Once again, someone else pays the price for her mistake. While Niasa struggles to find her place, unlikely allies emerge. Revealing secrets from her past shed light on her current troubles.
However, she must put her own conflicts aside.
Thrown into an unexpected battle, she’ll need all of her skills against a new threat. More is at risk than she thought, and someone is blocking her every move.
Will she find the answers she needs in time to save those she’s come to care about?
The second installment in The Portal Sagas continues with fast action and intriguing characters. New worlds, exciting powers, and dangerous magic collide for a read you can’t put down! CLICK HERE to grab your copy on Amazon.
The Viking Maiden Series:
Ingrid, The Viking Maiden
Amber Magic
Realm of Fate
Arcanum (stand alone prequel novella)
The Complete Series box set
Thieves & Monsters (Exclusively in Kingdom of Mirrors and Roses Multi-Author Collection box set)
The Mystic’s Choice (Exclusively in Realms of Magic: Spellcasters Story Collection anthology) Fall 2019
About the Author
Kelly N. Jane is the author of fantasy novels with spunky young women who challenge the rules, defy convention, and set an example for any era. Click HERE to view a full list of Kelly’s novels.
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