Valkyrie Landing: Valkyrie Allegiance, #1

First Law of the Valkyrie… Don’t Fall in Love

Failure

Alone. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d truly been alone. My mother’s spaceship pressed in all around me with its merciless metal plates and groaning sighs as it orbited Muspelheim, the volcanic planet I called home.

One single diamond window gave me one last view of the red world as I awaited the biggest moment of my life. This little chamber seemed to suffocate me, the view outside a final goodbye to all of my sisters and the warmth of our world. My love for them gave me fresh resolve. I couldn’t let them down.

I was a Valkyrie. Fire lived in my veins and sent the metallic sheen of my prison glowing red as my emotions spun out of control.

I wasn’t supposed to have these emotions, but I did. The way my mother set me apart from the rest, I still hadn’t decided if I was special or if I was flawed. My speckled wings brushed my shoulders and I pushed them back, making sure the tips didn’t touch the ground out of reflex. A trusty spear at my right hand kept me grounded and I shamelessly leaned on it as my red world became a retreating dot. Dizziness swept over me. This was really happening.

The ship groaned, then rumbled and gave a high pitched trill as it burned the power of its core to send me to a new world where I’d prove the truth about myself.

For the first time, an icy chill swept over my bones and threatened to quench the flames in my heart. My wings turned to ash and trailed down my back. I held onto my spear as pain ripped a scream from my throat. My Immortal form burned away and delicate, mortal flesh took its place.

I couldn’t keep my Valkyrie body where I was going.

It was time to reap my first soul.

My transition from Valkyrie to human was a lonely one, but when I woke, I had a new life, a new family, and new friends.

A new home.

Sam, my Valkyrie mentor and older sister, gave me a warm smile. About time you snapped out of it. I was wondering if I was going to have to knock some sense into you.

I’d been staring out of the window, absorbing my new memories of a house on a cul-de-sac in Mattsfield Tennessee. This was where I’d grown up—or at least that’s what everyone would believe. Fake memories spilled into me, part of Grimhildr’s programming to help me immerse myself into the human world.

When do I get to meet him? I asked.

Sam scoffed behind me. I turned to find her perched on a chair, one foot on a stool as she painted her nails. For a moment, I remembered her as a Valkyrie and the visage of ebony wings flashed. The memory faded, clamped down by Grimhildr’s programming to show me Sam, the nineteen-year-old human. She’d retained her lengthly beauty with long, muscular legs and a sense of effortless grace that would make all the girls at Mattsfield High envious. According to them, she’d just graduated and now was saving for college—meanwhile stealing all of their boyfriends. She blew on the fresh paint. I’m glad you’re eager, but you’re not ready to meet him yet. She glanced at me, her green eyes betraying the embers that slept within. You need to know what you’re looking for, first. And I can’t tell you. It doesn’t work that way.

I frowned. Reaping my first soul was going to be difficult if I didn’t even know who he was, but this was a special mission. Grimhildr’s programming didn’t subdue the memories that told me why I was here and what I was fighting for. Our world was in danger. A darkness clouded the skies of Muspelheim and stretched icy fingers throughout the universe. For the first time, I couldn’t feel its oppressive weight. This planet hadn’t endured the touch of Ragnarök… yet.

You’re going to have to sense him, Sam instructed as she fitted her toes into a foamy device designed to keep them separated. This isn’t going to be easy. Most Valkyrie have watched their charges for a couple of lifetimes before the reaping.

I knew this was a special case. We didn’t have time for me to sit around for fifty years watching a powerful soul we needed be fed on by the Norn. We needed to get powerful souls like that to ally with us, come to the Einherjar and join the fight against the dark armies that threatened to rain down chaos and death on my home world any moment.

I straightened my spine, determined to make my mother proud. There are two tasks in reaping a soul. One: Trust. Two: Secrets. I recited the simple instructions. I needed to find my charge, get him to trust me utterly and completely, uncover any dark secrets he’s been hiding, and then I could bring him to the Einherjar. Once he knew what we were up against, and what I was saving him from, he’d come with me. He’d have to.

Sam nodded in approval. Great. She thrust the nail polish at me. Now, start painting. Getting a man to trust you starts with looking our best.

I rolled my eyes, but accepted the bottle and curled onto the floor. I took off my socks and examined my toes. The newly pink nails didn’t look like they needed color, but I didn’t question my sister. I unscrewed the top and carefully layered the paint across my nails.

The Pool

Sam wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but I was too mesmerized by my first trip outside to bug her about it.

Wind. Trees. Birds chirping and a yellow sun streaming warmth down as if reminding me that Muspelheim could live anywhere, even here.

Sam directed my attention to the driveway and my eyes went wide. She thrust me into a brand new Porsche and off we went.

Oh yeah, Valkyries make their appearance in style.

I ran my fingers over the expensive leather interior. Sam smiled. Like it? I picked it out myself.

I nodded. It’s amazing. I gave her a raised brow. Did Freya really give us such a high budget?

Allies on Earth helped Valkyries settle into their temporary lives. They didn’t want the Norn getting anymore powerful than they already were. Brief flashes of the dark, horrendous things that were born of suffering made me shiver. It wasn’t a small task, the darkness we fought against. Freya spared no expense in making our immersion into the human world comfortable and easy. Yet… I didn’t remember other Valkyries getting a Porsche.

Sam bit her lip before replying. "Well, she gave us a budget, but she didn’t really say how I had to allocate it. My memories came with me working at the local diner, so that’ll keep me busy while you’re doing your job. She grinned. It’s worth it though, no?"

I gaped at her. "You spent all our money? As in, the budget for all of our food for the next couple of months? What’re we going to eat?"

She laughed and pressed on the gas. The car smoothly accelerated and we flew down the highway. Sam was lucky she still had some of her powers that sensed other humans, or one of the local cops would have given us a fine that would have made us go bankrupt. I said I work at a diner, all right? We have plenty to eat. Just stop by after school.

I groaned and eased into my seat. I grudgingly had to admit that it was pretty comfortable, but from my memories, the diner food wasn’t that great.

Trees sped by in a blur of green as I leaned against the door panel and marveled how everything felt so familiar… yet so different. Two lives battled in my head, and even though I was supposed to embrace my human life right now, I held onto my Valkyrie side with determination. I needed the reassurance to know why I was doing this.

The other Valkyries didn’t have to struggle with emotion like I did. One glance at Sam showed me that she was quite content to help me track someone down to rip their soul out of their body. She flipped on the radio and drummed her fingers to the tune, already adjusted to her role as Sam the human who works at a diner and has to take care of her baby sister.

My stomach churned with remorse, because no matter what I’d been raised to believe, I knew it was wrong to do what I needed to do. Sam sure didn’t feel like she felt any remorse, and I didn’t know if it was because she physically couldn’t, or if because I was being overly sensitive and there wasn’t anything to feel remorse about.

Now that I finally had my mentor alone, perhaps she’d teach me the answers to questions that always got brushed off during my training on Muspelheim. You’ll find out later. Focus on the present, had always been the response.

I bit my lip. So, this soul I’m supposed to reap, I began and Sam tilted her head towards me. What happens if I never find him? His soul, I mean.

Sam sighed, as if the question was irrelevant. I suppose you do need to know the background. You know about the Norn, right?

I nodded. How could I not know about my nightly nightmarish bedtime story. Be a good girl, or you’ll turn into a Norn. Then Freya had amplified the warning with wisps of shadow trailing around her fingers.

That significance hadn’t been lost on me, even at a young age. We were all capable of darkness. Emotion seemed to be the culprit, which was probably why so many Valkyries opted to bury their emotions completely. I didn’t seem capable of just turning them off like a switch. My emotions often controlled me and not the other way around.

The Norn are Valkyries who have failed, I answered with the standard response. They feed on suffering and torment through the souls locked into a contract of reincarnation.

That’s right, Sam said with approval. Reincarnation is not a normal human trait. Souls come from Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, and they must bring with them the joys and experiences of their life back to the tree once they’re gone.

I’d never seen Yggdrasil, but it appeared in my dreams with its silver branches and crystalline fruit of souls that fell to the outer realms to give new life. It was beautiful.

Darkness wasn’t from Yggdrasil. The Norn discovered it and then spread it like a plague. Souls trapped by the Norn can’t return to Yggdrasil, I said, for the first time coming to that horrifying realization. I blinked at Sam. If I don’t reap this soul, and it can’t return to the Tree of Life, then what happens to it? My heart sank, already knowing Sam’s answer.

The soul is destroyed, she said, her tone serious. Souls are supposed to be Immortal, but the Norn pile suffering on it like bricks until its crushed under the weight. It’s absolute blasphemy.

The passion in Sam’s voice surprised me. I’d never pegged her as a religious type, but when it came to Yggdrasil, most Valkyries spoke of it with a sense of awe.

The Norn have disrupted a delicate balance, so it is our job to give that soul a new home. It can’t return to Yggdrasil, so we’ll give it the next best thing.

I nodded, understanding now why we had an artificial replica of Yggdrasil on Freya’s spaceship, the Einherjar. It was the most beautiful ball of light that powered its core and I’d had the chance to see it once when Freya took me there to understand what I would be fighting for. The sensation there had been one of peace, and it made me feel better about what I was going to have to do.

I needed that fresh resolve, for my stomach dropped when I realized where we were. The trees parted to reveal stone pillars that signaled we’d arrived at Mattsfield High. There was a swim meet today and all of the students had come out to watch the school’s hottest guys swimming shirtless.

Sam parked, and then narrowed her eyes when she saw Tyler wave. He’d been waiting for us.

Tyler. Oh my gods. How could I have forgotten Tyler?

A smile sprang across my face as I lurched out of the car and ran to him. Laughter bubbled up inside of me and he grinned as I slammed into him and wrapped my arms around his neck. You’re here!

His low chuckle rumbled as he untangled me from him. I wasn’t used to his human body, but he still had his mischievous grin. I’d know that smile anywhere. Tyler was my best friend and I never went anywhere without him. I just never imagined that he could follow me all the way to Earth.

He gave my hand an encouraging squeeze before stepping away. Sam got out of the car and propped her hands on her hips. Tyler gave her a salute. Human bodyguard, on duty.

Sam rolled her eyes and then walked past us, fully expecting us to follow.

I fell into her shadow, feeling giddy with Tyler by my side. I pitched my voice low, not sure if Sam still had her Valkyrie hearing. How did you get Freya to let you come here? Sam’s fingers twitched, and I grimaced.

Tyler slung a bag over his shoulder and flashed me that familiar, triumphant grin. No one can resist my charm. Not even a goddess like your mother.

My eyes roamed his new body, taking in the similarities and differences. He still felt like Tyler, someone I could trust with my life and often had. Yet, now, a glimmer settled over him as if holding in the natural light of what he was… which wasn’t human.

Unlike me, Tyler didn’t seem to go through the trouble of shedding his Immortal skin and fitting into a new body. I didn’t blame him. I flexed my fingers, my joints still aching from the transition. But that’s how it had to be. I needed to be completely immersed in this life to get my new soul to trust me. If he sensed what I was, he’d think me a Norn… or worse, and then I’d doom him to a fate worse than death.

He grinned as he watched me appraise him. Like the new bod, huh? Pretty sure most girls do. He lifted his shirt just far enough for me to see the sculpted abs fit for a roman statue. In his natural form, he often covered himself with armor that summoned naturally, Odin’s gift to his warriors. It was rare that I saw anything more than his elbows.

A blush crept up my face and I forced my eyes to lock onto Sam’s confident gait. Tyler might be my best friend, but I still had eyes. Didn’t need to see that, I complained, but my words were taut.

He openly laughed, the sound making me relax. This was the Tyler I knew, always cracking jokes and making me smile.

Cheers erupted and Sam glared at us over her shoulder. Apparently we hadn’t been following fast enough. Hurry up! she hissed. We’re late!

Tyler winked at me. Your sister buys a Porsche and she still can’t get here on time. Glad to see nothing’s changed.

Sam flipped him off and then stalked her way down the steps to the pool.

Pungent chlorine hit me in the face like an invisible wall and I kept close to Tyler as we passed under the walkway and into a glossy white cemented area with a fenced-in pool. The stands writhed with high schoolers and their families. Everyone seemed so happy and cheered, ignoring our entrance as we found seats nearly at the edge of the pool. Water splashed under my flip-flops as we settled and I grimaced as the slick cold migrated under my feet.

I can see why no one wanted to sit here, I complained and Tyler slung an arm around my shoulders. The motion was so casual that I found myself relaxing and slipping into his embrace. I wanted to purr at the heat that emanated from his body. Even though he looked human on the surface, his appearance was just for show. My fingers slipped across the thin layer of his shirt and I could sense his true self like the comforting heat of the sun.

Whoa, girl, he said, pitching his voice low. He wrapped his fingers around mine. We’re in the human’s world now. I know you’re just curious, but behavior like that is going to get you in trouble.

I blinked at him, not realizing I’d been so mesmerized by him. Tyler often had that effect, but this time it was different. He’d always been a light against the darkness that shadowed my heart and I would trust him with my life. However, now that I was in a human body, I saw him differently.

Another blush crept up my face and I folded my hands neatly in my lap. Sorry, I grumbled, and then turned my gaze to the pool. Valkyries were sensual creatures and it was encouraged to use our sexuality to bring our souls closer to us. It was just one of our many tools and now that I was here, my instincts were kicking in. It’s just the hormones, I said, trying to sound clinical and then I gave him a snide glare. You chose that body on purpose. You’re a jerk.

Tyler leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head, giving me a view of Sam completely ignoring us. Her face said I’m on a mission and none of Tyler’s antics were going to distract her right now.

Trying to take her as an example, I did the same as a horn sounded. I made sure to pay attention to the swimmers as they got out of the pool to prepare for their first race.

That certainly was a bad idea.

It was as if the flames of Muspelheim gathered inside my stomach and curled until sweat broke out on my forehead. Water dripped from lean, muscular bodies and every movement had me wishing I could look anywhere else than the row of hunk-meat before me.

The girls in the stands hooted and cheered, seeming to have no problem feasting their eyes on the display.

Get to your posts! a teacher announced, and the crowd fell into a hushed silence.

I knew that one of those guys leaning and balancing on their fingers, ready to launch into the pool was a soul I was supposed to reap. A soul fit for a Valkyrie wouldn’t be in the stands, watching. He’d be out there, fighting the weight of the Norn’s curse any way he knew how.

The horn sounded again, and the swimmers glided into the pool, strong arms curling over the turbulent waves as they competed to reach the other side.

My skin tingled as my powers kicked in and I cursed under my breath.

Tyler must have felt it, for he wrapped his fingers around my wrist, trying to help me control the darkness. What’re you doing? he hissed and his warmth traveled up my arm.

It’s the adrenaline, I shot back. I wasn’t used to this body and the powers that threatened to control me were about to win that never-ending battle. Even Tyler’s magic couldn’t keep the darkness away for long.

I was a Frigg, a division of the Valkyrie who had control over time and space… or at least, that was what we were supposed to be able to do. My powers seemed to result in the jerky snaps of time that left me prisoner in moments that made my heart race. Once, I’d frozen time when Sam had stabbed me with a spear. That was not a fun moment to be trapped in.

The air shook as time threatened to collapse and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to control it. The world itself seemed to tremble as a vibration ran through my bones and a sharp pain channeled up my spine. Heat sparked under my fingertips and…

Snap.

Too late.

Tyler couldn’t follow me here, but Sam could. She launched to her feet and growled. Val!

I forced my eyes open and groaned. Water droplets hung in the air and swimmers froze mid-stroke in a race to the end of the pool. I turned, only to find the crowd turned into a ripple of frozen excitement.

Sorry, I said, then peered into to the pool, looking for what could have caused my powers to ignite. My darkness only took over when there was something for it to react to. Suffering. Pain. While I’d been anxious, it shouldn’t have been enough to trigger a full time stop.

I peered into the slippery distortion of of waves, but I sensed