Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Abigail willingly allowed herself to be taken by the Forsaken to ensure one of her visions didn't come to pass. They chained her and tormented her, trying to turn her against the Fae. The Forsaken now have the blood of four of the Valkyrie, possibly all five.
Even worse, Abigail is convinced they intend to use her to turn her sisters to the Dark. If she falls, we all fall.
"Don't tell us what to do, Dax!" Rissa's raised voice echoes through the house. "We're capable of making our own decisions."
"I'm not trying to tell you what to do. But you aren't listening to reason, elskan-ljós. The three of you cannot use soul magic!"
Helvete. They're arguing again. The last few days have brought a lot of arguments for the Fae and their mates. Ever since we rescued Abigail, my brothers and their mates have been at odds over how to proceed.
War is at our doorstep. The Forsaken have an army. And we're still one Valkyrie short of the five we need to restore the portal and keep the Forsaken from gaining access to the souls of the dead.
After millennia at war, a few hundred years on earth have turned us soft. We're floundering without clear direction.
If this were any other war, we'd attack. The Fae do not play defense. But this is unlike any other war. The stakes are higher than ever, our numbers are too few, and the women we're meant to protect too precious. It doesn't matter if we survive—only that they do.
But convincing Valkyrie to see reason has always been a gamble. A Fae was lucky to walk away in one piece from an argument with a Valkyrie. It seems their daughters are no different. They're stubborn, willful, and determined to put themselves in harm's way.
"We are soul magic," Rissa growls. "If anyone can use it safely, it's the three of us."
"She's right, Dax," Tori says.
"Nei," Reaper snarls. "She is not. You are not doing it."
"What's happening?" Marion asks as I step up beside her, gently drawing her away from the door.
I push it closed with a sigh, muffling the sound of the argument below. "Your sisters and their mates do not agree on opening a portal."
"A p-portal?" Marion gapes at me, fear drifting through her expression. I've been careful since she awoke, trying not to reveal too much too soon. She needed to heal and rest, not worry about war and death. But the time for going slow is quickly passing. "You mean like the holes the Forsaken use?"
"Ja."
"We can do that?"
"It seems so, ljúfr."
She processes this revelation, swallowing hard. "Is that why the Forsaken want us so badly? My mother said…"
I meet her emerald gaze, staring intently. The mere hint that her mother knew anything about what's happening catches me off guard. It's the first she's mentioned it. Was her mother Blooded?
"Said what?" I ask, gently probing for more.
But she clams up like usual when I ask for any information about her past, shaking her head as she averts her eyes, refusing to look at me. But I see the little flicker of guilt in her eyes, and it worries me. Whatever she isn't saying is hurting her.
There are secrets lurking behind those striking eyes, truths I need to know. And they're hidden behind something she's ashamed to tell me. But after everything she's endured, getting her to open up is easier said than done.
She's a frightened little lamb, desperately trying to cling to bravery she doesn't feel. She needs time. But I'm no longer sure we have that.
I take a deep breath, choosing my next words carefully. "The Forsaken are after the Valkyrie because of an ancient prophecy," I explain. "It foretold the arrival of five Valkyrie who would either defeat the Forsaken, or usher in the end of the nine realms."
Her eyes widen, a flicker of fear dancing across her face. I ache to pull her into my arms, to shield her from the dark truths that are now part of her life. But she needs to know.
"You're one of those five, ljúfr," I continue softly. "Rissa, Abigail, and Tori are three others."
"And Kara," she whispers.
At the mention of the last name, I glance at her sharply. "Kara?"
"I…" She licks her lips, uncertainty etched across her face. "My mother said I was supposed to find you. That the Forsaken were coming for me, Rissa, Abigail, Tori, and Kara. She said the Fae would protect us."
Shock ripples through me. "Your mother knew all of the Valkyrie?"
"I don't know." She presses her hands to her temples, massaging as if her head aches. "I never even met her until the night…" Her voice breaks, and she trembles, the weight of her past crashing over her.
I can't resist any longer. I pull her into my arms, stroking her fiery curls, silently vowing to slay any demon that dares haunt her.