Valkyrie (17 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

‘
I
’ve never been hit in the wings before. I didn’t think it would hurt so much.’

Freya, Archie and Tamika walked slower than usual as they made their way home.

‘We’ll put ice on them when we get home,’
Orus offered.
‘That will get the swelling down.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Archie moaned. ‘This is all my fault.’

Freya frowned. ‘Why? You didn’t hit me.’

‘Because JP was using me as bait. I should have known when his gang went after us and he wasn’t there. Ever since you proved you were stronger than him, he’s been waiting to get you.’

Freya stopped. ‘Archie, this wasn’t your fault. And I’m not hurt. Just bruised, that’s all. It will take more than a baseball bat to hurt me. Remember, I’m a Valkyrie. We’ve been shot at and blown up since wars on Earth first started. We’ve had arrows fired at us, cannons, rifles and hand grenades. As long as we wear our armour, we can’t be seriously injured.’

The words had only just left her mouth when they heard the heavy gunning of an engine. They turned and saw a large, blue pick-up truck jumping the kerb and driving along the pavement – straight at them.

Freya had only seconds to see JP behind the wheel. Hatred burned in his eyes and she felt murder in his heart. He wasn’t going to stop.

Tamika screamed. Freya knocked Orus off her shoulder and tried to push Tamika and Archie away. Tamika landed on the ground away from the vehicle, but Archie didn’t. He and Freya both received the full impact of the truck’s front end.

Freya was knocked high in the air. She instinctively tried to open her wings, but couldn’t. Their strength managed to tear off the closed buttons, but the coat itself would not give to free them enough. She crashed to the ground hard, landing on her back and bruised wings.

With the wind knocked out of her, Freya was barely aware of the sound of screeching brakes and a truck door opening. Still trying to catch her breath, she saw JP come running over. He was clutching his baseball bat but when he saw her lying on the ground he stopped. His mouth hung open in disbelief.

‘What are you?’ He kicked the side of her left wing and gasped as it moved and folded in tighter.

Freya was furious to realize her coat was wide open. Although they weren’t fully exposed, JP could see her half-unfolded wings fanned out beneath her.

‘What am I?’ she repeated as she climbed painfully to her feet. ‘I’m the last thing in this world you want to cross!’

‘You’re a mutant!’ JP cried. ‘That’s what you are. A freakin’ mutant!’

‘No, not a mutant – a very angry Valkyrie!’

Freya started to advance on JP. He threw the bat at her and she easily deflected it away.

‘Stay back, you freak.’

‘Do you remember when you broke your wrist?’ She stalked him slowly. ‘You did that trying to hit me.’

The sudden realization showed on his face. ‘That was you? You were invisible?’

Freya nodded and caught him by the coat. She pulled his face close to hers. ‘Angels of Death bow to me,’ she said tightly. ‘Kings cry before my kind. You, JP, have just sealed your fate!’

‘Freya,’
Orus called,
‘leave him and come quickly. It’s Archie!’

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

A
rchie was lying very still in the street. There was a pool of blood spreading from him. The raven was hopping around him frantically while Tamika took off her coat and used it to apply pressure to a large open gash on his head.

Freya shoved JP away and ran to Archie’s side. He was unconscious. Despite Tamika’s attempts to stop it, he was still losing a lot of blood.

‘Freya, help him!’
Orus cawed.

‘How?’ She had never felt so helpless before. Her best friend was lying in the street, possibly dying. He needed help, but what could she do? Her touch meant death to him, not life.

‘Greta, here,’ Tamika called. ‘Be careful not to touch him, but hold this coat over his wound. I’m calling an ambulance.’

While she kept pressure on his head, Freya searched the sky for an Angel of Death. So far, none had come. Archie had a chance. But as she held the coat to his head wound, she could feel him starting to fade.

‘Hold on, Archie,’ she cried. ‘Just hold on.’

The police and an ambulance arrived within minutes. Freya was shooed away from Archie as the paramedics started to work on him. She stood back with Tamika, watching them try to save his life.

Archie was loaded on to a stretcher and lifted into the back of the ambulance. When Freya tried to climb in after him, but the paramedic stopped her.

‘I must stay with him,’ she cried. ‘I can keep the angels away!’

‘We’ll keep the angels away,’ the paramedic promised. Then he looked at her. ‘Were you hit too? You look a little rough. Is that your blood on your coat?’

Freya looked down at the wide, wet stain on her torn velvet coat. ‘It’s Archie’s blood, not mine. Please, I must stay with him!’

The paramedic shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, but we need to work on your friend. There will be no room in the ambulance for you. We’re taking him to the hospital. You can follow behind us.’

A police officer came up to Freya. ‘Let them go. I need you to tell me what happened here.’

‘Not now. I must stay with Archie.’ She focused on Tamika, who was standing back with a haunted expression on her face. ‘Will you tell them what happened? I’m going to get my helmet!’

Freya darted from the scene before the police could stop her and ran the short distance to Archie’s house. Tearing inside, she found her winged helmet and put it on. As the world turned to black and white, Orus called to her,
‘Hurry, they’re taking him away.’

Freya threw aside her coat and dashed outside. She opened her wings, but when she tried to fly, the swelling and pain would not let her.

‘Try again!’
Orus ordered
.
‘Hurry!’

On the second attempt Freya only climbed a few metres off the ground before her wings failed and she fell from the sky.

‘I can’t fly!’ she cried.

‘Then run!’
Orus cawed.
‘You can do that fast enough!’

While the raven soared above her, Freya ran as fast as she could to catch up with the ambulance. She darted around cars and wove through traffic as she followed Archie to the hospital. Her eyes never left the sky as she watched and waited for an Angel of Death.

‘Archie will live,’
Orus called.
‘He wouldn’t dare die on us.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

F
reya kept her helmet on when they reached the hospital. As she watched the doctors work on Archie, her heart was on edge. She followed, keeping out of the doctors’ way as he was rushed into surgery. Orus remained at her shoulder, offering what little comfort he could.

The surgeons had only just started to work on Archie’s head when an unwelcome visitor entered.

The most stunningly beautiful angel Freya had ever seen drifted into the operating theatre. He was tall and lean with immaculately groomed feathers on his neatly folded wings. He wore a soft, warm expression on his painfully handsome face.

Freya approached and held up her hand. ‘Go back,’ she warned the Angel of Death. ‘You are not taking him.’

The angel smiled. ‘I had heard that there was a Valkyrie in this place. You don’t belong here, child, and you know it.’

Freya nodded. ‘I do know it. And I know I’ve caused some trouble with the other angels and that Azrael is going to be furious with me. But please, I am begging you. Go back. Archie means everything to me. I can’t let you take him.’

The angel chuckled softly and the sound was like soft bells. ‘You think Azrael will be furious?’

Freya nodded. ‘That’s what all the others say.’

‘Well, I’ve heard he can be very understanding,’ said the angel.

‘Not about me being here. But Archie is my best friend I can’t lose him.’

‘I am sorry to disappoint you, young one,’ the angel said. ‘But it is his time. He was meant to come weeks ago, but you intervened and stopped JP from killing him. You gave him extra time. But that has run out. He must come with me now.’

Freya gasped. ‘Archie was going to die that day?’

The angel nodded. ‘You saved his life then. But there is nothing you can do for him now. It is as it must be. There is no future for Archie, only the past. Take your precious memories of him and return to Asgard.’

Freya opened her arms and her pain-filled wings to block the angel. ‘No, I won’t let you take him. He deserves better.’

‘And he will have it. This you already know.’

Freya shook her head. ‘No, I mean here and now, in this life. For the first time, Archie has friends and people who care about him. I won’t let you take that away.’

‘You can’t stop me,’ the angel said softly.

‘Actually I can, and you know it,’ Freya said. ‘Valkyries get first pick of the dying. You cannot reap until we go. I will not leave him to you.’

‘But you cannot stay here indefinitely. You have your own duties to attend to and will have to go eventually. When you do, I will be waiting.’

‘We’ll see about that,’ Freya challenged.

The Angel of Death chuckled softly, bowed and walked through the wall. Freya could feel him waiting just outside.

‘I don’t think he’s going to go,’
Orus said.
‘He could still cause some trouble for us.’

Freya shook her head. ‘I don’t care. I am not going to let him take Archie.’

True to her word, Freya remained with Archie all through his surgery. As long as she was there, the Angel of Death had to stay away. She watched the surgeon slowly putting her friend back together again and then followed him into the recovery room.

Freya stayed with Archie as he was wheeled into the Intensive Care unit. As the long night wore on, she kept a vigil at his bedside. He was hooked up to so many machines she could barely see his bruised face under all the tubes that fed into him. The sighs of mechanical breathing mixing with the beeps of his heart monitor were the only sounds breaking the silence in the room.

Several times throughout the night his surgeon, Dr Taylor, came to check on him. Freya stayed beside Archie’s bed and could feel the doctor’s deep concern for his patient.

The world outside seemed to still as night turned into day and then back into night again. As yet another dawn approached, Freya still refused to leave. She couldn’t risk it. Gazing towards the door, she saw Archie’s Angel of Death, patiently waiting to enter. He would nod to her when she gazed in his direction. He was leaning casually against the door frame with his arms folded neatly across his chest. Never moving, always just watching and waiting.

‘He’s almost as determined as you are!’
Orus said.
‘Do you want me to go and peck him?’

‘No, he’s just doing his job,’ Freya said tiredly. ‘At any other time we might have been friends. He can’t help what he is any more than I can.’

Late in the afternoon, Freya heard a voice she recognized. She looked up and saw Tamika standing outside the unit. Curtis was with her, holding her hand. The nurse pointed to Archie’s bed and said, ‘You can stay a few minutes.’

‘Greta, are you here?’ Tamika called softly.

‘I am,’ Freya answered.

‘Where? I can’t see you.’

‘I’m here, in the corner up by Archie’s head.’

‘How is he?’ Curtis asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Freya answered softly. ‘It’s like this terrible waiting game. As long as I am here, Archie will live. But if I go, the Angel of Death is waiting to take him.’

‘The Angel of Death is here?’ Curtis asked fearfully.

‘Yes,’ Freya answered. ‘He’s standing right beside the door. He can’t come in with me here. He’s looking at us right now.’

Tamika looked at the doorway. ‘Please go away,’ she called softly. ‘Archie has to live.’

The angel smiled gently at her, but shook his head.

‘He still won’t go,’ Freya said.

‘Greta, you can’t stay here all the time,’ Curtis said. ‘You’ll have to go eventually. What about food?’

‘I won’t leave Archie,’ Freya said stubbornly. ‘I will eat when the angel goes and I know he’s safe.’

Curtis looked down at Archie. He was deathly pale and unmoving in the bed. It seemed that only machines kept him alive. ‘Maybe it’s his time,’ he said softly. Tears sparkled in his eyes.

‘No,’ Freya shot back. ‘I won’t allow it. I can’t lose him.’

‘Has his mother been told?’ he asked. ‘I know this is very difficult for you, Greta, but it’s probably her decision whether to turn off the machines or not.’

‘She doesn’t have the right to make that decision,’ Freya spat. ‘Not with the way she neglects him. It doesn’t matter anyway; no one knows where she is.’

The nurse entered the unit. ‘I’m sorry, but you must go now. Archie needs his rest.’

Tamika was reluctant to leave. She whispered, ‘Don’t leave me, Archie – I’ve had enough people die on me.’ Wiping away tears, finally she called, ‘Bye, Greta, see you later.’

‘Who’s Greta?’ the nurse asked as she escorted them out, Curtis with his arm around Tamika.

Throughout the long day, others came to check on Archie. Leo Max tried to get in, so did other members of the Geek Squad, but the nurses would only let them peer at him from the doorway.

Freya waved to them, even though they couldn’t see her.

As evening turned to night, Freya remained where she was. She reached out with her gloved hand and took hold of Archie’s. Saying nothing, she stood still, just holding his hand.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

A
s though the Rainbow Bridge understood the urgency of the situation, Bifröst released Maya over the central United States. It was dark out and Maya was grateful for the cover of night.

Flying as fast as her wings could carry her, she flew down into Lincolnwood and landed in the back yard of Archie’s house. She stormed up to the door and shoved it open.

‘Freya!’ she shouted. ‘Freya!’

Silence.

‘Maybe she’s in the city helping people again?’
Grul suggested from her shoulder.

‘I hope not.’ Maya ran into Freya’s bedroom to look for clues.

‘Maya, look,’
Grul cawed.
‘That’s Freya’s coat.’

Her sister’s velvet coat was tossed in a heap on the floor. When Maya picked it up, she saw that it was torn and covered in blood. She sniffed the red patch. ‘Oh, no.’

‘What is it?’
Grul demanded.

‘This is Archie’s blood. I can smell it’s his.’

‘But there’s so much of it,’ the raven cried.

Panic gripped Maya’s heart. Her sister was missing and her coat was covered in Archie’s blood. ‘Stop,’ she told herself. ‘Calm down. There is a reasonable explanation for this.’

Maya took several deep breaths to slow her pounding heart. She closed her eyes and opened all her Valkyrie senses, searching the house and surrounding area for signs of her sister. She felt nothing of Freya or Archie, but she did find something that might help.

‘Sylt!’ she said. ‘Grul, Sylt is still here.’

Maya found her way to the garage and opened the door. The Reaping Mare was inside and whinnied excitedly when she entered.

Without pausing, Maya leaped on to the mare’s back and directed her out of the garage. ‘Find Freya,’ she ordered. ‘Sylt, take me to Freya.’

The Reaping Mare nickered, opened her wings and launched into the sky. Keeping low, she soared over Lincolnwood and headed towards a large building. Maya read the lit sign on the front. ‘Lincolnwood Hospital.’

She looked at her raven. ‘This is where they treat wounded humans.’

‘Archie’s blood,’
Grul offered.
‘He’s been hurt and brought here.’

‘I just hope Freya hasn’t done something foolish.’

‘You mean more foolish than running away from Asgard to come here?’
Grul asked.

Maya had the Reaping Mare land on the roof. ‘Sylt, stay,’ she ordered as she climbed down. ‘We won’t be long.’

‘Is it wise to leave a young Reaping Mare here unattended?’
Grul asked.

‘No it’s not,’ Maya admitted. ‘But we don’t have much choice. It’s still dark out so there’s little chance of her being seen.’

‘You hope.’

Maya looked at her raven. ‘Yes, I hope. Now, let’s get in there and find that sister of mine!’