Valkyrie Rebellion: Valkyrie Allegiance Book 2 Read online

  Valkyrie Rebellion

  Valkyrie Allegiance Book 2

  A.J. Flowers

  Valkyrie Rebellion Copyright © 2018 by A.J. Flowers

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  Cover Art by Rebecca Frank

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  Line-editing by Kristen Breanne

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  All Persons Fictitious Disclaimer:

  This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.

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  ASIN: B07J3ZKCT1

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system.

  Published in the United States.

  Contents

  Glossary of Norse Mythological Terms

  Second Law of the Valkyrie

  1. Reborn

  2. Old Flames

  3. Training

  4. Leanne

  5. New Beginnings

  6. The Bifrost

  7. Not now, Mother

  8. A Valkyrie's Love

  9. Chasing Darkness

  10. Tyler's Secret

  11. Love's Sacrifice

  12. Tribute

  13. Ragnarök's Touch

  14. Don't Trust a Heimdall

  15. City of the Gods

  16. Third Law of the Valkyrie

  Next in Valkyrie Allegiance

  Also by A.J. Flowers

  Glossary of Norse Mythological Terms

  This is a work of fiction and any relation to Norse Mythology is the author’s creative interpretation.

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  This glossary contains major spoilers meant to be revealed in the story, but like all Immortals, you have the option of peering into the future… at your own risk.

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  Events

  Ragnarök: A final battle between gods that will result in death and rebirth.

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  Planets

  Asgard: The original home world of the Immortals created by Odin, now under control by Baldr.

  Muspelheim: A volcanic planet that lies outside of time and space. Originally a planet belonging to the Surtr, Freya has taken residence after her alliance with the Jotun to rebuild her armies and take back Asgard from Baldr.

  Earth: The birthplace of the gods.

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  Immortals

  Freya: Goddess of War who has allied with her other half, Odin, as well as the Jotun. Before her exile from Asgard, she was better known as the goddess of love, beauty, and passion.

  Odin: A cyborg who became the first Immortal and is now a ruthless warlord and God of War alongside his wife. Exiled from Asgard, he fights to defend his honor and return to Asgard, the planet he created for Immortals.

  Baldr: Freya’s only son and once loved by the gods, Baldr has exiled his parents from Asgard and is determined to bring about Ragnarök.

  Tyr (Mortal Name: Tyler): One of the Valiant and top lieutenants in Odin’s army. Has a mysterious connection with Valarie Frigg and often calls her Aerie, likely referring to a past she can’t remember.

  William Johnson: Recently ascended mortal and one of Odin’s newest soldiers of the Valiant.

  Heimdall: Now known as Dalia, Heimdall is a defected exile of Asgard and now prominent stock broker and Immortal arm’s dealer in New York. Her powers center in farsight: seeing events up to a hundred miles from her current location, allowing her to establish a stronghold in New York where nothing happens without her knowledge.

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  Spaceships

  Einherjar: One of the major spaceships that is capable of bending time and space. The Einherjar belongs to the immortal Freya and is powered by human souls and is the birthplace of her daughters.

  Mojinir: Odin’s spaceship that can destroy entire planets when fully charged.

  Sleipnir: A satellite that serves to transport Immortals between planets, built by Odin.

  Gulltop: Heimdall’s ship that relocates the Bifrost, the only entrance to Asgard controlled by Heimdall. Gulltop is located on the dark side of the moon.

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  Races

  Valkyrie: Immortal daughters of Freya. Divisions of Freya’s army include Frigg, Lofin, Fulla, and Gina, each with their subtle strengths and talents. Frigg are benders of time. Lofin are healers. The Fulla guide the creation of the Valkyrie. The Gina are best around water and cannot survive long on Muspelheim.

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  The Valiant: Human souls who have earned their immortality by pledging eternal service to Odin after their first kill. Only humans who have been dedicated to the Norn and achieved reincarnation will have the opportunity to kill an Immortal as the necessary sacrifice to ascend themselves.

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  Skuld: Servants to the Norn. Shadowed remnants of souls neither living nor dead. They only know how to feed on the life-force of Immortals. In exchange for their service, the Norns provide sustenance and rejuvenation to keep their withered bodies in one piece.

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  Norn: Ancient Valkyries who’ve lost their way and now work to control the fates of men and gods. When a mortal soul is offered, they feed off of sacrifice, locking that soul into a cycle of reincarnation until it can ascend. Valkyries will often target souls dedicated to the Norn to take the soul after its final sacrifice to the Einherjar where it will serve as a power source. Souls that succeed in defeating the Valkyrie come to claim them ascend as one of the Valiant.

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  The Jotun

  Jotun: A collective of elementals who ally themselves with Freya.

  Surtr: Fiery Embers, natives of Muspelheim and spirits who’ve allied themselves with Freya.

  Skaoi: Ice elementals.

  Huldra: Forest Spirits who dwell on Earth and have a shaky alliance with Freya.

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  Artificial Intelligence Programs

  Thor: An AI program that resets human memories in realtime.

  Jormungand: Thor believes it will one day malfunction and become Jormungand, represented as the serpent eternally devouring its own tail. The malfunction is predicted to result in a poisoned sky that will rain terror on the world during Ragnarök.

  Grimhildr: Housed in Freya’s spear, the Grimhildr program suppresses memories and unleashes rings of flame in battle, confusing enemies. It keeps a record of the memories it has seen and grows unstable when Freya tries to use it on Val a second time.

  Yggdrasil: The origin of immortality. The energy of souls are converted to a physical substance called “Yggdrasil’s Sap”, or YS, that creates life. Yggdrasil’s core is held on Asgard but is linked to all major spaceships, allowing the creation of new life and the sharing of the Sap of Yggdrasil.

  Second Law of the Valkyrie… Don’t Question the Gods

  Reborn

  Two days. We’d been here for two whole days and the world still kept turning.

  Will tugged me away from the window. “Come on. You have to eat something.”

  I placed a hand on my stomach that hadn’t had any food in it since Sam’s sacrifice. I wouldn’t call it death or anything so meaningless. She’d sacrificed herself for me, whether she knew it or not, and that’s what I would call it.

  “I’m not hungry,” I insisted. I felt swollen with the guilt and grief that threatened to take me under.

  Will took my chin in his hands and forced me to look at him, but he didn’t know how much worse that made it. He wasn’t human anymore. That night had changed everything. I wanted to
see soft chestnut eyes looking back into mine, but instead my fingers wound up into metallic blonde hair as I gazed into the eerie crystal of one of the Valiant.

  “Please,” he begged, lines marring his perfect face with pain, “tell me what I can do to take that look off your face.”

  How could I tell him that it was his face that caused me pain? Every time I looked at him, I saw my failure. “You should hate me,” I told him.

  His brows scrunched together. “What? Why would I hate you?”

  I ran my fingers over his cheekbone, arched and perfect, but not the Will I remembered. “This is all my fault. I did this to you. Odin’s going to come for you and—”

  Will surprised me by pressing a kiss to my lips. I knew that he wanted to tell me I was wrong, but words couldn’t change what I knew to be true.

  The love that swept through me unhinged the darkness that clung to my insides and melted me until I was wrapped in his arms, returning his kisses with fervent need of my own.

  Heat blazed across my collarbone, interrupting the moment of passion as I cried out and gripped my locket.

  “What is it?” Will asked, his voice breathless. His gaze fell to the piece of jewelry that glowed like a burning ember. “Oh,” he said, frowning, “I think your mother doesn’t approve.”

  Growling, I forced myself to untangle from Will’s arms and turn aside. “I’ll talk to her.”

  She’d been trying to call me ever since Sam’s death, but what was I going to say to her? She’d want me to come home, but would she even begin to understand the importance of my duty to Will? I couldn’t leave him alone. It was my responsibility to make sure he was protected until Tyler came back.

  I left the house before Will could stop me. He’d try to tell me that Freya could be ignored, but I needed her now. I was losing myself in guilt and in the effect Will had on me. I was losing control, and I knew once that happened, I would be a greater danger to Will than anything I was trying to protect him from.

  Once I was safely on the brush of weeds along the edge of the lake, I gripped the locket that had cooled and closed my eyes. “Okay, Mother. I’m here.”

  Lightning flashed and my spirit transported to the Einherjar.

  I could still feel my body on Earth, but when I opened my eyes, I was in my Valkyrie form as my mother remembered me. Wings brushed my shoulders and my hair pinned taut at my brow with a feathered headdress. I’d once been an admirable Valkyrie and my mother rose from her throne, relief on her face.

  She set her spear to lean against her throne and descended the short steps to greet me with open arms. “Daughter,” she breathed, “I’m so glad you’re all right.”

  I’d expected a warrior goddess looking down the ridge of her nose, but this woman who wrapped her arms around me wasn’t the leader of the Valkyries.

  This was my mother.

  I found my hands trailing up her back, stopping at the hint of downy wings that threatened to spring across her shoulder blades every time she embraced her love for me. “You called me,” I said. My collarbone still burned with the rage with which she’d called, yet now she was all softness and concern.

  She held me at arm’s length. “Yes, dear, I thought you dead. I finally felt you, just now.” Her smile faded and a flash of concern crested her gaze. “What were you doing?”

  I bit my lip before replying. “I was with William. He’s become one of the Valiant.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Oh,” was all she said before returning to her throne.

  I shifted my weight, tugging at the lightweight boots that wrapped around my calves. How did my sisters fight in these things?

  “You’re fighting Grimhildr’s programming,” my mother said, her words chiding. “When I sensed a new Valiant in the universe, you must understand, I—” Her words cut off and her jaw flexed.

  Realization swept fresh guilt through me. The only way a Valiant was born was by killing an Immortal—an Immortal like a Valkyrie that was trying to reap his soul for the Einherjar.

  “It was Sam,” I said, the words coming out of me as the scalding admission it was. “She died because of me.”

  I expected fresh rage, new punishments, or something to show that my mother agreed with me, but her face softened. “I’m so sorry. She was close to you. That must have been difficult.”

  I frowned. “You’re not upset?” She should be. She should rip the wings from my back and bury me in the lava pools of Muspelheim. Because of me, one of her most loyal and perfect Valkyries was dead.

  She shook her head. “No, dear. If she died protecting you, then she accomplished her mission the only way she could. I’m proud of her.” She raised her chin. “And even though you had me worried, I’m proud of you as well. Hiding from me is not an act taken lightly. It takes a great sense of self to do that.” She tapped her spear. “That boy must be special to you. After what he did to become a Valiant, you still protect him.”

  “He had to survive,” I snapped. I wasn’t going to blame Will for what happened. He wouldn’t have been put in that position if it hadn’t been for me.

  Freya went silent and for the first time, I realized how quiet it was in her chamber. Usually I heard something from the outside world. My sisters training or the soft rumble of a planet that never slept. I raised a brow. “Is something going on?”

  The movement of her fingers was so slight, I would have missed it if I hadn’t known Freya to use her spear in the most unexpected of moments. A single button lit up under her touch and the room darkened. “Go back to your Valiant, my daughter. The next time I call you, don’t answer until you’re ready to leave him.”

  “Where did you go?” Will asked.

  His touch graced my cheek and I groaned, the thunder in my head feeling like a thousand tiny explosions behind my eyes.

  I opened my eyes to find the sky heavy with dusk and Will peering over me with brows drawn in concern. His warmth radiated over me, reminding me that he wasn’t human anymore. I couldn’t just pass out in the middle of the woods and leave him alone.

  “I’m sorry,” I began, but a snapped twig across the lake brought me fully awake. I sat up and peered through the foggy distance. Beams of flashlights scoured the forest and dogs barked, their pitch excited as if they’d just found a scent.

  I cursed and gripped Will by the arm. We should be running, but disorientation rooted me to the ground.

  I’d wandered farther from the lake house than I’d realized when my mother had called. She’d found me because my guard had been lowered, my mind mush around Will. But why had she called me now?

  The shouts in the distance told me we were about to be discovered, and that was my mother’s plan to get me home.

  If the humans found Will in his current state, she’d be allowed to intervene in the world of men. The ancient ways of the Norse Gods cannot be shared among the populace. Only the blessed few who dedicate themselves to loyalty and discovery of the truth are allowed a glimpse into our world. Grimhildr’s programming made no qualms about giving up that information.

  When a flashlight streaked across our feet, my heart slammed double time and I finally allowed Will to drag me towards the lake house. He’d been trying to get me to move this whole time, but regaining any part of my memories made time seem to slow.

  Time.

  Heat flashed in the backs of my eyes and I shot a hand behind us, sending the leaves and the air freezing as we ran.

  The only downside my mother hadn’t thought of by allowing me to reclaim any part of who I was meant I had greater control over my abilities. Right now, the heat of her power burned in my necklace and I used it to fuel my control over space and time. I knew that I couldn’t do this often, nor could I hold it up for long, but all we needed was to get back to the house. The magic that cloaked it from humankind would do the rest.

  The second my feet slammed against the floorboards the air behind me popped. I turned, finding men with reflective orange jackets running, only to stop at the lake hous
e. To them, it would only look like a dense forest.

  The dogs ran in circles, having lost our scent and doubled back towards the lake. Their noses grazed the ground as they traced where we’d been, barking when they found the place I’d fallen during my talk with my mother.

  Will and I stood silently on the porch of the lake house until they left. We held each other as strongly as we held our breaths, seeming to be frozen in time ourselves until the humans finally gave up and left.

  “Must have drowned,” one said.

  “We’ll dig it later,” another agreed, his tone disappointed, but weary. They were ready to get this search over with. If they’d been looking for us for two days, I didn’t blame them. Let them think us dead.

  The forest hummed with its nightly song after the humans had left. A forest was never silent, and I hadn’t appreciated that until now. Soft, sleepy calls echoed from creatures rousing from the heat of the day. Jules would have wound her own magic through the leaves, giving nature a melody that truly made the forest beautiful, but the creatures of the night recreated her song as best they could. Crickets chirped, their pitch in tune with the groan of ancient oaks whose roots dug so deep, I felt like I could feel the Earth for myself.