Dead Wrath (A Valkyrie Novel - Book 4) Page 5

  "Grandmother, the only eyes you have are those all-seeing golden ones that have the weird habit of blinking at the wrong times," Siri spoke, then clamped her mouth shut and folded her arms.

  Tyra gave a bark of laughter, then said, "I am sorry for the short visit, dear child, but I will be back soon. I must return to Muspell immediately. That son of mine needs me to take over the reins before he leaves for Asgard."

  "Steinn's coming here?" I asked, perhaps a little too eagerly. I would not have minded seeing him again.

  "I believe he thinks it is his duty. He has sworn fealty to Odin and to Asgard." Tyra's voice was emotionless as she spoke, and I knew the knowledge was hard on her. Then she sighed. "Unfortunately, there is little I can do to change that stubborn boy's mind. And now I've come to hand my grandchild into your care." The old dragon's golden eyes narrowed as she studied me. "Do not fret. In times of war, I cannot hold a single person responsible for my flesh and blood. Both father and daughter have chosen their paths and they must both do as they see fit. My only request of you, Valkyrie, is that you ensure she is trained to be as strong and powerful as she can possibly be."

  With that, Tyra reached for my shoulder, pulled me into a tight hug, and turned on her heel to face her granddaughter. She cupped the girl's cheek and said, "I do so wish you weren't so stubborn. But you get it from my son, I know. It's in that dragon blood of yours." She sighed, then drew Siri into a hug. As she squeezed her, she said, "Make all of Nidhogg proud, my princess." She withdrew, and I could have sworn I saw the gleam of a golden tear on her cheek, but when I looked again, it was gone. I must have been mistaken.

  "Don't worry, Grandmother. I can take care of myself. I've been doing well enough on my own until you called me home." There was a slight rebuke to the girl's tone that piqued my curiosity further.

  "Siri, you know we had to call everyone home when the horn was blown."

  "But I told you and Father already. I am not ready to be dragon queen. This whole royalty thing is getting old."

  "Is that why you chose to come to Asgard?" Tyra's expression seemed a little hurt by Siri's words, but she hid it well. Besides, the girl didn't seem interested in how the old woman felt.

  Siri nodded, then raised her eyebrows almost in a challenge. "I'd rather be fighting than making little dragons to add to the line of the Nidhogg."

  That made Tyra burst into laughter. "Oh, Siri. You are too much sometimes. Who in the world told you such a thing? Making little dragons indeed."

  Siri looked at her feet as pink bloomed on her cheeks. "Nobody. But that's what being Nidhogg royalty means, doesn't it?"

  "My dear girl. Did we force your father to take another wife after you and your mother left? Did anyone force me to take another husband after Grandfather was killed?" The girl shook her head and remained silent. "Well, then. That should tell you something, silly girl. You follow your heart to find love." Then she gave a huge sigh and looked over her shoulder at me. "But nothing will happen in life or love until we have this war resolved. Ragnarok is now the main concern for us all. So work hard and do whatever Bryn asks."

  Siri's face now filled with worry. "I will, Grandmother. I promise."

  With a quick nod, Tyra disappeared in a whirlwind of golden dust.

  As soon as she was gone, the girl turned to me and said, "I will work hard. Just tell me what you need me to do."

  I gave her an encouraging smile, remembering what it was like to be a newbie, remembering things said and done by Sigrun all those months ago. "Why don't we work together? I'll get someone to organize quarters and armor for you. And weapons as well." As I spoke, I looked around, belatedly realizing Joshua had remained so silent during Tyra's visit that I'd forgotten to introduce him. He gave me a wave as my gaze settled on him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I should have introduced you."

  "That's no problem. There was a lot going on there as far as I could see." He grinned and winked.

  "But I wanted her to meet you," I said with a sigh. "Oh, never mind. Hopefully we'll get another chance." Then I turned to Siri and introduced the two of them.

  Joshua got to his feet and said, "Don't worry. I'll get Siri sorted. Should be back in a tick." He bent to kiss my cheek, and I flushed. I liked the attention he gave me these days, especially since he no longer cared who saw us together.

  "Thank you, Bryn," said Siri, giving me a wide-eyed stare and jerking her head at Joshua. She seemed impressed by him, and I colored a little as they headed for the door.

  "My pleasure, and we need to talk. I want to know everything about you," I called out as she disappeared into the hallway with Joshua in tow.

  I sat in Joshua's seat and pulled the laptop toward me, then spent the next few minutes staring at the spreadsheet. I began to formulate a plan, when again a noise at the door disturbed me.

  I looked up to find half a dozen men occupying the war room.

  Not men.

  Frost giants.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  They came in human form, but my ability to see through glamor seemed to have been dialed up in the last few weeks, and I was able to see right through them the instant I looked up. My body tensed and my hand went straight for my sword, but the first Jotunn held out his palm as if to stop me. I blinked as two images warred within my sight. His human form was tall, dark-haired, not unlike Fen in stature and coloring. Even his hair hung to his shoulders in an unruly mess. But his frost giant form was less easy on my senses. Or my eyes for that matter.

  Light-grey eyes sparkled like shards of glass in the sunlight, his snow-white hair standing out above his head in dangerously sharp spikes. And the pale blue of his complexion reminded me of the skin of a frozen corpse.

  "I apologize for coming unannounced," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I should have anticipated that being from Jotunheim, we would not be the most welcome." He inclined his head a fraction but maintained eye contact. He was smart.

  I kept my eyes on him to gauge his intent and could see no visible sign he was there to assassinate me. Besides, if he wanted to, there was little else left for me to do but defend myself and hope I killed at least half of the six who stood there watching me in tense silence. Taking a deep breath, I let my sword drop back into the scabbard. The group of Jotunn relaxed visibly when when my hand moved away from the hilt, and I saw that as a good sign.

  "I thank you for showing us a sign of trust." The leader bowed.

  "Don't mistake my actions for trust," I said softly, looking each man in the eye one at a time. "I have yet to find a reason to trust any of you."

  The leader nodded. "I understand. Perhaps I should begin with an introduction. We will explain our position and then you may use your discretion as to whether we leave or stay."

  I merely inclined my head at him, then waited for him to continue speaking. I held back a shudder, sure the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.

  The leader cleared his throat. "My name is Sven and these are my generals. I am from Jotunheim, as I am sure you have deduced, but we come to join forces with your army. We come to offer our allegiance to Odin and Asgard." When he finished, he bowed again and so did the rest of the Jotunn.

  "Do you really believe all it will take is for you to walk in here and state your fealty? You have given me no reason to trust you apart from expressing your desire to join us." Then I frowned. "And how in the world did you get into Asgard in the first place?" I asked, walking slowly around the table toward Sven.

  "We heard the call of Gjallerhorn. And so we came. The Bifrost is open to us because the All-Father has had our fealty for generations." He fell silent, as if realizing there was little else he could say to convince me.

  "Is there anyone here, besides the All-Father, that can verify what you say?" I asked, keeping my expression neutral. "I cannot allow you to stay without verifying if you really are who you say you are. Granted, the wards at the Bifrost entrance to Asgard would have stopped your entry if you didn't have the right to enter, but I still need so
meone from Asgard to vouch for you."

  "Fenrir, the Ulfr, will speak for us. And so will the goddess Freya. We have all fought together before, and they are both aware of where our loyalty lies," he said softly. He was calm, not in the least impatient or annoyed.

  "Very well, if you will remain here, I will fetch Fenrir." I grabbed the laptop and left the room. There was little I could do to protect the files, but from the looks of the group, they seemed content to stand beside the doorway and wait.

  I hurried next door and entered Fen's hall without announcing myself. He leaned against the wall by his hearth, staring into the dancing flames, unmoving. Just by looking at the expression of his face, I could tell he was far away, and I hated to interrupt him.

  Before I could open my mouth, he said, "Come inside, Brynhildr. You should know by now you are always welcome." He looked up and met my gaze, giving me a weak smile.

  I didn't move. "I need you in the war room. We have guests that I need you to verify." I tried to keep the slight rise of fear from my voice, but Fen was far too astute.

  "Verify?" he frowned and pushed off the wall, coming toward me in great big strides.

  I didn't answer, just spun on my heel and headed back to my room where the band of Jotunn still stood at the door, waiting in silence. The room was now even colder, and I wanted to hurry to the hearth to try and coax the dying flames back to life. But instead, I waited for Fen's reaction.

  He entered the room and came to a halt in front of Sven. The two men grinned widely at each other. Then Sven grabbed hold of Fen around his waist, hugging him so vigorously he lifted the Ulfr general off his feet for a few seconds before dropping him back to the floor. I stepped forward, concerned and curious, but all I saw was the welcome expression that Fen gave the group of men.

  "I take it they are okay, then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I waited while the men shook hands and turned smiling faces in my direction.

  "They are very okay, Brynhildr," said Fen as he looked back at Sven. "We are most fortunate to have Sven and his army at our side. I would have expected nothing less from him. Thank you for coming, my friend."

  "So he is loyal to Odin?"

  "Loyal? He is more than loyal. Sven here will die for Odin." Then Fen slapped the frost giant on his shoulder and led him out of my room, the two already discussing past adventures. Their voices echoed down the hall until they became muffled when they entered Fen's hall.

  My mouth curved pleasantly, hesitantly. Frost giants on our side? I shook my head in disbelief.

  Who would have thought it were even possible?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  As I looked over the spreadsheet, my thoughts kept going back to Aidan. He and his father were the only people we knew who had been directly influenced by Loki. Apart from Mika, that was. I tapped my fingers on the table and sat back. I suspected I was going to regret my decision.

  I got to my feet and stepped to the fireplace. A bell pull hung beside the mantelpiece and I gave it a tug. I didn't use it often, preferring to do my own legwork, but I didn't have the time to go traipsing around Asgard in search of Aidan. The Huldra came quickly, appearing at the door with a cheery grin on her face.

  Returning the smile, I told her to find Aidan and tell him I needed to see him here in the war room. She gave a small curtsy and peered around me at my table. When I looked around to see what it was that caught her attention, she said, "Have you eaten anything for dinner, Valkyrie Brynhildr?" Her eyes flicked away nervously, but she waited stubbornly for an answer.

  "Oh, is it dinnertime already?" My hand was already reaching for a cell phone that was no longer in my pocket. Not to mention the fact that at the moment, neither my long silk dress nor the overdress of chainmail that I wore contained such things a pockets.

  The cheery grin was gone, replaced by a look of admonition. Seriously? The Huldra too? "It is past dinnertime, Brynhildr. I will fetch you something to eat first. Before I bring Aidan to you," she said firmly.

  I glanced at her, ready to insist she send Aidan first, but the look on her face stopped me. Damn Asgard and all the people here who wanted to take care of me. I remained silent and watched her hurry out of the room in search of food for me. How had I forgotten dinner entirely?

  I returned to the laptop, making notes and setting out mission plans for the various teams.

  Dinner arrived within ten minutes, and as soon as I began eating, mu stomach told me how famished I was. The platter contained a nicely roasted tiny bird coated with a sweet sauce. I figured it was pigeon or some other small fowl, but it didn't really matter. It tasted like chicken and I devoured it and the roasted potatoes and steamed carrots that came with it. Thankfully, the meal also came with a fork and knife, two things I'd demanded be given to all einherjar and Valkyrie who'd come to Asgard in the last hundred years. I couldn't understand why none of them had requested eating utensils when it didn't seem to be a problem to demand Brazilian coffee or cinnamon buns.

  The drink was apple cider and I downed it within seconds, then sat back replete. But I didn't have too long to digest my meal in solitary. Aidan arrived within twenty minutes of the Huldra depositing my food on my table, and I smiled. I wouldn't have put it past her to have waited, giving me time to eat before finding him. I snorted. I'd never met her before and she was mothering me.

  Aidan strode inside, all dark tousled hair and gleaming black eyes, to take a seat at a chair opposite me. "Hey. What can I do for you?" he asked nonchalantly, giving me a tempered smile. One that disappeared as quickly as it had come.

  I decided to get right to the point. The last thing I wanted was an uncomfortable disagreement with him. "I need to speak to your father and I want you to come with me."

  Aidan's expression immediately darkened and he shook his head a little too vigorously. "No way. I'm not going to agree to speak to that man." He sounded viciously angry, and a part of me understood his reluctance.

  His father had been the cause of much of Aidan's pain, all through childhood and even into his teen years. He'd sent Aidan to Craven to study me as if I were some kind of animal in the wild, not to mention to decide if I required "termination." What Aidan hadn't realized was his father had already decided Aidan himself required termination. It didn't matter that the man had ordered his son's execution because Loki had told him Aidan was destined to be an einherjar in Valhalla. All that mattered was he'd used his son so ruthlessly that in the end, Aidan could no longer stand to be in the same room with him.

  But now I had to force him to do the one thing he'd sworn he'd never do again.

  Speak to his father.

  "I'm sorry, Aidan. But we need information from him, and you are the only person I know who can possibly get through to him." I felt my heart twist as he set his elbows on the table and sank his face into his palms. For a moment, he was silent. Then he sat up and rubbed his face hard, as if the action would provide him with the courage he needed. "I'm so sorry. I wish I had another option."

  He sucked in a breath and then said, "Fine, but I have one condition."

  "Sure," I said, so glad he was agreeing that my lips began to turn up in a grin, but I held back and just gave him a small smile. These days, Aidan wasn't into big displays of emotion. Or any sort of emotion.

  "I get to join the scout teams on missions. I'm going stir crazy going between Asgard and New York HQ office." He watched my face warily.

  I frowned, a little confused. "But I thought that's what you wanted. You specifically requested to work on the technical side of things."

  He nodded, then looked away, suddenly finding the fire very interesting. "I had my reasons, but I think I'm okay with things now, so I want in on the action."

  "Of course." I agreed, although he still wasn't looking at my face. "I'll put your name down for the next group out."

  "Thanks," he said, at last meeting my eyes and giving me a grateful smile.

  "What else?" I asked.

  "What else what?" he responded, looking a
little confused and a little wary.

  "You looked like you wanted to give me another condition. Go for it," I said, jerking my head at him to speak freely.

  "It's not a condition I want to discuss." He paused, and I leaned forward, keen to hear what he had to say. "It's something I should have said to you a long time ago."

  "Which is?" I asked, hoping I wasn't going to have to draw every sentence out of him. This conversation was already getting tedious.

  "It's about us." When he paused, my chest tightened and my stomach hardened. I prayed he wasn't going to ask me to come back to him. I didn't want to have to hurt him twice. "I wanted to say I understand why things ended the way they did with us."

  I had intended to remain in control of my emotions, but I let out a cynical laugh. "Aidan, things ended because you ended it with your strange behavior and the things you said."

  He nodded, looking into the fire again. Golden flames danced within his dark eyes. "I know. It's what I mean to do. I wanted to drive you away. I certainly hadn't meant to drive you into someone else's arms, but Joshua is better for you than I will ever be."

  I frowned, shock making my limbs feel strange and heavy. "And why is that?" I asked softly. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting shadows across the room and across Aidan's face.

  "Because I could never ask anyone to have a relationship with someone whose blood is tainted with the genes of the god Loki. He's got an evil streak a mile wide and nothing stops that evil from filtering down into the gene pool," he said softly, his words stilling my heartbeat.

  I shook my head, both understanding what he meant and disagreeing with his decision. "And you didn't think I had a say in it? I am fully capable of making my own choices, you know." It was a moot point. It was in the past and done, but I still needed to say it.

  Then he looked up at me, his eyes dark and unfathomable. "No. I didn't want you to make that choice because love makes people do things that in hindsight they would wish they hadn't. I loved you too much to expose you to Loki's bloodline."