Choose The Slain (The Lone Valkyrie Book 2) Read online

  Mila snorted and shook her head in disbelief. “Victoria, we are not my family. Trust me, I know what a family is. I have a good one at home. Family is not a set of circumstances that forces you into a relationship. Family are the people you trust with your life, and who trust you in return. I don’t give my trust freely, Victoria; you have to earn my trust. Keeping things from me because ‘it’s the way it’s always been done’ isn’t good enough, not here in the midst of a war. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but this planet isn’t like anywhere else in the universe. Things move fast here, and we don’t have the luxury of space to maneuver or the time to do it in.

  “From what I can gather, me being a Champion of a Hero, who I might add is a fucking Dwarf King, gives me an advantage over the rest of you, but I don’t understand how or why. If I did, maybe I could leverage that advantage better and expand that advantage to the rest of the Valkyries.”

  Victoria sighed, then nodded as she shut off the shower. She opened the door, and the rest of the glass went clear to reveal a well-muscled body covered with hundreds of scars. She stepped out, took a towel from a heated wall rack, and turned to face Mila. “You’re right, Mila. This is not a time for tradition or half-truths. You have a very difficult life ahead of you, one filled with fight after never-ending fight, and if you’re lucky and can survive the battle, your best reward is to outlive everyone you love and watch them die of old age.”

  She waved a hand up and down her scarred body. “This body is very old by Peabrain standards, and each of these scars is a memento from some asshole who thought they could control dark magic and instead went insane. They, almost to a man, died horrible all-consuming deaths, usually due to their own hubris. And do you want to know what the kicker is? It’s that despite not one person mastering dark magic, they just keep trying, convinced that they will be the one to do it. So life turns into a never-ending battle, and even when there are decades between fights, they always come. But all of those battles are nothing compared to facing a Drude. A dark mage might be able to scar me with tainted magic, but I will not die from dark magic; I’ll come back eventually. A Drude however, will eat your soul, and that will be it. No more Valkyrie.

  “I wanted to spare you the reality of what you are. I wanted to know that at least one of us was truly happy for a lifetime before it all came crashing down. I wanted to spare you the horror of facing a Drude in all its power, so I kept you in the dark and feeling just helpless enough that you wouldn’t go charging in headfirst,” she snorted a sad laugh. “Turns out that you’re not one to be deterred by things like certain death.”

  Mila smiled. “That’s Finn’s doing. I learned my determination from the best. Now, tell me what I need to know. We have a lot to do before we’re done, and being informed is just as important as being prepared.”

  Victoria nodded, dried herself off, and turned to the mirror over the sink. “May as well hop in the shower. This might take a little time.”

  Mila smiled and walked over to the towel rack as she untied the robe.

  “The first thing you need to know is that newborn Valkyries have the ability to adapt to the situation they find themselves in by absorbing the traits and abilities of those around them. This sounds weird, but if you think of Valkyries as antibodies to the evil in the universe, then it makes a little more sense. A new threat means a new type of antibody to fight it. By augmenting your natural abilities with those of the people around you, you can become something unique to fight off an otherwise unstoppable enemy.”

  Mila pulled her robe off and hung it on a wall hook. “So, I’m gaining abilities from Finn, Penny, and Danica?”

  “More than likely, although your ability to channel celestial magic is still going to be your defining trait.”

  Mila narrowed her eyes and looked at Victoria in the mirror she faced. “Can you see in the dark?”

  Victoria shrugged. “Better than most if I enhance my vision with magic.”

  “Interesting.” Mila turned her back to Victoria and opened the shower door.

  “What is that?” Victoria asked, her voice tight.

  “What?” Mila looked over her shoulder and realized Victoria had spotted the tattoo Finn had created for her at the small of her back. “Oh, Finn gave it to me. He said it’s the mark of a Shield Maiden. I guess they’re, like, the most badass of the king’s guards.”

  “I know who the Shield Maidens are, but how do you have it?” Victoria turned and bent close to examine it.

  “Finn gave it to me.”

  “Yes, but this is an empowered mark. It’s not just a symbol; you’re marked as an actual Shield Maiden. If you somehow went to the Dwarven Palace, they would give you complete access because you can’t fake this mark. Only the Emperor can give this mark out.”

  “Well, I don’t think Finn is one to always follow the rules,” Mila half-joked.

  Victoria growled in frustration. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not saying no one but the Emperor is allowed to give out this mark, I’m saying that no one but the Emperor can give out this mark. Even if Finn is his son, he shouldn’t be able to give you this mark…unless he’s become a Dwarf King in his own right.”

  “Well, he does always joke that he’s the Dwarf King of Earth. You know, since he’s the only dwarf on the planet.”

  “He might not be joking.”

  “What does that mean?” Mila asked, more curious than concerned.

  “Well, if you’re absorbing abilities and powers from Finn, and the universe somehow recognizes him as an actual Dwarf King… I have no idea. That’s not something that’s ever happened before. By the end of this, you might not be a Valkyrie.”

  “Well, then.” Mila stepped into the shower and turned it on. “You better explain what you can while I’m still Valkyrie enough to benefit from it.”

  Victoria shook her head in wonder. “Well, I guess it won’t hurt at this point. Do you know what entropy is?”

  “This sounds fun,” Mila said sarcastically.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Mila grabbed a beer and headed up a set of stairs hidden behind a wall panel that led up to the roof, which had been converted into a giant wooden patio. Lights strung across the entire roof blinked on as the sun began to set and cast a warm glow across the deck.

  Benches and stone fire pits had been set in the corners of the patio, with a full bar that had been shuttered for storage. In the center of the patio, several very nice wicker and cloth club-style chairs sat around a large coffee table that had a gas fire pit in the middle.

  From this side of the hill, Mila had an unobstructed view of the bay in front of her, the Golden Gate Bridge to her left and Oakland to her right. The sky had begun to turn a burnt orange, with pink and purple highlights reflecting off the water.

  Mila took a deep breath and zipped up the moto jacket as the breeze picked up and cut through the V-neck black t-shirt she had gotten from the guest closet, along with a full set of underclothes.

  As she took a seat in one of the club chairs, she twisted the top off the beer and looked out over the bay as the light began to fade.

  “Would you look at that view.” Carl’s head popped up over the edge of the building from the alley side of the roof.

  “Hey, Carl! What the hell are you doing, man?” Mila asked, beer bottle frozen halfway to her mouth.

  He glanced over in surprise. “Oh, hey, Mila. I didn’t see you there. I’m just making sure we have good access to the fire escapes if we need them.”

  He climbed up onto the roof patio and headed her way to take a seat in one of the chairs. “I rang Preston while you were in the shower. He’s sending a couple of teams. They should be here in just over an hour. At about the same time, Victoria’s expecting the other Valkyries to arrive. The plan is pretty simple; the G.A.E.L. teams will breach the building and fill the place with gravity grenades. Really discombobulate the shit out of ‘em before the Valkyries head in. We bring up the rear and provide what support we can
. Plan is for us to take care of the minions while you guys hit the big boys. With us taking shots of opportunities.”

  Mila bit her lip and looked out over the bay. “It’s not enough. We need more muscle. Can I borrow your phone? I left mine at home.”

  “Isn’t that a phone in your hand?”

  Mila lifted the phone and shook her head. “This here is a Valkyrie comm device,” she joked. “Actually, that’s not too far off. This phone only works to call other phones on the list. Basically, it’s secure communication for the Valkyries.”

  Carl pulled a phone from a hip pouch he had attached as part of his tactical gear. “No long distance.” He laughed at her surprised face. “Just kidding. Preston pays for it, so you can call the Moon for all I care. I assume you’re calling your boyfriend in?”

  Mila nodded. “And my dragon friend. Hopefully, she found what she was looking for. If I know her, she found a way to turn Azoth into a whiny little bitch.”

  “That would be a nice change of pace.” Carl smirked. “I’ll give you a little privacy. I need to check the escape on the other side anyway.”

  He left her, headed to the street side of the building, climbed over the short wall, and disappeared down a ladder that was out of sight.

  Mila opened the phone, punched in Finn's number, and hit send. She waited while it rang twice and picked up.

  “Finn?” she asked, more excited than she should have been.

  “How the fuck does this thing work?” she heard him grumble, then her own voice in the background. “It’s recording, just go.” Then Finn came back louder than the first time as he put the phone to his ear. “This is Finn. Leave a message or a text. No, fuck that, leave a message.”

  Mila laughed and hit the end button. She remembered when he had recorded that. It was odd to hear since he usually picked up on the first ring. He must be out of range.

  She dialed Penny's number, hoping the little dragon had taken her phone with her.

  Penny picked up on the first ring. “Chi?”

  “Penny, it’s Mila.”

  “Shi shir chi?”

  Mila furrowed her brow. “Man, it is really hard trying to understand you in audio only. Did you just ask if I’ve ever had a daiquiri? Like, a strawberry daiquiri?”

  There was a series of angry shouts from Penny and a man and a woman in the room with her.

  “Penny, hang on. I’m going to call you back.” Mila hung up and dialed Penny again, but this time connected the call through video.

  Penny answered right away. All Mila could see was Penny’s belly as she backed away from the camera after answering. The angle of the phone made it look like she was about six inches tall and standing on a long wooden table that was covered in dark metal pieces. It looked like it could be one of those sculpture puzzles.

  Penny finally backed up so her whole body was in view. “Chi?”

  “Yes, much better. Where are you?” Mila squinted at the screen in hopes of making out what was on the table.

  “Chi shee shiri shir,” Penny waved her arm toward the end of the table where a woman about Mila’s age with a vibrant blue pixie cut and a shoulder exposed out of a wide-necked knit shirt leaned into the frame.

  The woman waved, a smile on her face. “Hi, you must be this Mila we’ve heard so much about. I’m Rebecca Breck, and this is my husband Lance.”

  She held up her arm, and a pudgy man with curly blond hair leaned into frame. Rebecca kissed him on the cheek as he waved.

  “Hello, Mila. Can’t wait to meet you.” He moved out of the frame.

  “Oh, uh…” Mila had no clue who those people were.

  Rebecca snorted. “He’s just messing with you, although we would like to meet you and Finn at some point.”

  “I mean, any friend of Penny’s is a friend of mine. Just one quick question. Who are you guys?”

  For the next five minutes, Penny related her journey since that morning, from finding the name Breck, a supposed chronicler and artificer, and ending with going to the Louisiana bayou and meeting Rebecca, Lance, and Grimmly.

  “Hold up, Penny. You’re telling me that this Gregory not only told Missy she was full of shit but then built a device that could kill a Drude? And that’s it on the table?” Mila sat up straight.

  “Shir shee,” Penny corrected.

  “Sorry, he designed it. But that’s it? You guys built it?”

  “Well, we’re still building it. We have a couple of pieces left to make, then we need to put it together,” Rebecca explained.

  Mila’s heart was starting to beat quicker with excitement. “How does it work?”

  Penny let Rebecca do the explaining since she had the plans in front of her. “Theoretically, if it’s charged up and touches a Drude, it will release its pent-up energy to flood into the Drude, temporarily pulling it fully into the corporeal world. Then it’s just a matter of killing it like you would anything else.”

  Mila narrowed her eyes. “Theoretically?”

  Rebecca gave a tight-lipped smile and shrugged. “Yeah. He never built one, and even if he had, he couldn’t test it. It takes celestial magic to work. Basically, his idea is that since celestial and infernal magic cancel one another out, and a Drude keeps it magic stored in a separate reality by sort of straddling the line between realities, the best way to bring the Drude completely into the corporeal world is to flood it with celestial magic. The magics would cancel each other out and basically burn out everything the Drude has. Since it uses its magic to keep the connection between realities open, that would shut down, leaving just the body. But it would only last as long as it took for it to regain even a tiny bit of magic.”

  “It’s like what happens to Valkyries and Lone Valkyries when they get too close. Our magic cancels out…” Mila stared off into the distance, an idea forming, but too outlandish to be true. “Could a Valkyrie be infected with infernal magic that doesn’t come from a Drude? Like just out in the wild? No, that wouldn’t make sense. It’s not the Drude that the magic reacts to, but the opposite magic. What if it’s the part of us that we use to go to Elsewhere…” She was talking to herself, but the others were still listening, and Mila jumped when Rebecca answered her.

  “That’s an interesting idea. Actually, Gregory had a theory about that,” she said, flipping through an old book on the table in front of her. “Here it is. He believed that ‘by using the Reaper it introduced a taint in the Valkyrie’s soul.’” She looked up at the camera, a slightly confused look on her face. “I don’t know what the Reaper is, but that sounds like what you’re talking about.”

  Mila nodded, the pieces starting to fall into place in her mind, but she felt like there was a big piece that went right in the middle that she just couldn’t see. And lots of questions that needed answering first, like why did the draining effect stop happening to her? What had changed between the first time she and Victoria had met and this time?

  She grimaced. It would have to be a question for later.

  “How long until you will be finished with the device?”

  Penny and Rebecca spoke quietly for a second then Penny turned back to the camera. “Chi squee?”

  Mila sighed. “Three hours is too long. We have an opportunity to corner Azoth and his entire organization in an hour. We’re gathering as many fighters as we can. Preston’s even sending two more of his teams to support us. It’s the best opportunity we’re going to have, but there are only seven Valkyries left who can fight. The other eight—seven now—are Lone Valkyries. I’m afraid it won’t be enough. But the teams all get here in about an hour, and if we wait too long, he’ll be in the wind again, if he’s not already.”

  Rebecca and Penny had another quiet discussion, and this time Lance joined in. Eventually, Rebecca came back to Mila. “We think we can get it done in an hour, but Penny’s going to be spent. I can teleport her to your location to save her the long flight, but we will need to push to get done that fast. And remember, this thing hasn’t ever been tested. It might w
ork perfectly, or it might cause a huge explosion when the magics interact on that kind of level. It will also need to be charged, which if I’m reading this right is a lot of magic. Like, ‘this has to be a mistake’ a lot.”

  “Okay, I’ll bring it up to Victoria and see what she thinks, but I would really appreciate it as an option.”

  “You got it. We’ll make it happen.”

  “Shiri shee chi?”

  “I called him, but it went to voicemail. I’m going to try again after I hang up.” Mila gave them the address of Victoria’s condo and made her goodbyes, with a promise to come and meet Rebecca and Lance soon.

  After hanging up, she redialed Finn and hit send.

  The voice mail picked up again, and she snorted at the message again, then she heard the beep.

  “Hey, Manther, it’s Darlin’.” She chuckled before continuing, “So, we have a bit of a situation going on. I already let Penny know, and she’s going to be here in an hour or so. We have Azoth’s location, along with his entire little army, but I feel like we could really use a dwarf in the mix. We’re staging at Victoria’s San Francisco condo.” She gave him the address. “If you can, come. If not, I’ll be just fine. We’re going in all guns blazing. Oh, if you do make it and kill twenty bad guys, I’ll buy you a pair of enchanted ass-less chaps as a reward; Remmy knows a guy. Just wanted to let you know there would be prizes for participation.” Mila sighed, silent for a second. “I love you, babe. I hope you’re having a good time at the beach, and I’m sure it’s very pretty there, but I have to say the view from this roof deck is amazing.” She looked out over the bay as the last of the sun’s light faded and the millions of city lights replaced it.