Valkyrie Slumbering (9 page)
Steel ringing upon steel draws my attention back to where Grím is. Two warriors lie still near his feet and he’s battling Steinn. From the sweat on Steinn’s brow and the fear in his eyes, it’s obvious who is faring better. A nauseating mixture of elation, relief, and jealousy floods through me.
Stepping over the twitching bodies, I dash toward Grím. My movement draws Steinn’s gaze. Rather than look worried though, a smile creeps over his face. Then his eyes flick past me.
Wings crack the air with enough force to rival the sound of thunder. Wind whips my hair forward, obscuring my view for a precious moment. I drop low, slide to the left, and spin around.
Talons scrape the rock where I had just stood. They are attached to a reptilian foot that is half the size of my body. Silver scales fill the sky.
“Kyra!” Grím screams from somewhere up the hill.
My throat tightens. He can’t afford to allow himself to get distracted right now. “I’m fine!” I yell back.
A cry of pain sets every nerve in my body on edge. My heart starts to beat again, though, when I hear the clash of swords. My attention is pulled away by a serpentine tail the size of a Viking’s torso that’s whipping toward me. Only a moment to crouch and spring up is barely enough, but I manage to sail high enough into the air to clear the beast’s tail. The slick scales skim my booted feet, sending me tumbling.
Steel clangs against stone as my sword goes flying. I roll to my feet, drawing my dagger as I do so. The sight of the monster before me nearly makes me drop my horribly inadequate blade. Massive bat-like wings extend out from a body that is easily thirty feet from hindquarters to head. Horns curve back from a head held high with an almost regal air. Talons the size of my dagger adorn its four feet and fangs twice as long fill its elongated snout. Long jaws open wide, revealing row upon row of those horrible fangs.
It looks like a mountain of silver scales that is about to swallow me whole. No matter how hard I will it, my body refuses to move. The fear this thing instills in me is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. Jaws opening wider, it reaches for me. Halfway to me, it stops, huge slanted eyes opening wide. A scream issues forth from it that causes a sharp pain in both my ears, then leaves them ringing.
Lips curling up, eyes narrowing, it spins away. My wits return to me in a rush as I realize what distracted it.
“Grím! Run!” I say.
Dagger thrusting out before me, I leap for the
níðhöggr’s
belly. The scales are softer than they look. My blade plunges hilt deep into them, somewhere just between its front legs. But the beast is in mid-stride and as its tree trunk sized leg comes across, it slams into me. For a moment I’m weightless. Then I slam into the rocky ground with such force that my teeth clack together and pain explodes through my leg as something in it snaps.
Wounded and weaponless, I can only watch as the
níðhöggr
turns toward Grím. He stands at the beast’s flank, trying to yank his sword free. Buried hilt deep as it is, there is no way it’s going to come out. That long neck snaps around with the speed of a whip, and its jaws close around Grím’s mid-section.
A scream tears from me, leaving my throat bloody in its wake. Sunlight gleams off of a blade lying between me and the
níðhöggr.
The leather hilt of my sword beckons from no more than ten feet away. Swallowing my pain, I drag myself across the distance.
When my hands close around the hilt, they’re shaking so hard I can barely grip it. Hearing Grím’s pain-filled cry gives me a strength I hadn’t known I possessed. Using my sword as a crutch, I stand and hobble my way to the
níðhöggr.
Even with the support of the sword every step is agony as the bones in my leg shift and cut into me. After an eternity I’m finally standing beside it. Balancing on my good leg, I raise my sword high. Every ounce of fury and pain within me adds speed to the swing. The blade cleaves deep into the beast’s neck until its spine slows the momentum.
The
níðhöggr
releases Grím as it screams. Scales flash and suddenly I’m on the ground again, an impossible weight on my chest.
“No, no, no,” Grím chants in a thick voice from somewhere nearby.
A dull pain, more of a pressure really, starts to spread out from my chest. I can’t sit up, or even roll over. Grím’s handsome face, wrinkled with worry, appears above me. The amount of blood soaking his upper body nearly stops my heart. Two gaping holes mar his leather armor, one showing the glistening innards of his stomach, the other showing red and blue things I can’t identify.
For some reason it takes two tries before I can speak. “Oh no, Grím, you’re hurt so bad.”
Tears burn my eyes and roll down to leave scorching trails on my cheeks. I reach for him, trying to sit up again, but I can’t. My hand brushes his cheek. One hand holding his guts in, he falls to his knees beside me. Instead of reaching for my hand, his other hand reaches for my chest. I manage to lift my head and look down at myself.
The
níðhöggr’s
clawed foreleg lays across me, covering my entire chest. It’s dagger-like talons are buried in me. Even seeing it doesn’t make it hurt, and that worries me a little. But I’m more worried about Grím and whether or not he’s still in danger.
My eyes flick around, making me dizzy and revealing nothing. “What about Steinn?”
“The coward ran when the
níðhöggr
showed up. But I doubt he’ll make it far. I chopped off ‘is right arm,” he says with the shadow of a grin.
My lips pull up into a smile. “He’s done for sure. But what about Loki’s plan?” I ask, having to force each word out.
Eyes straying beyond me, Grím almost smiles. “Its foiled. The beast is slain,” he says.
His eyes slide closed and tears leak from them. My hand slips to his shoulder and I grip it as tight as I can. Though I try to shake him, I’m haven’t the strength to do it properly.
“Grím, don’t leave me, Grím!” I cry.
His eyes flutter open, bathing me with their blue brilliance. Within them shines devotion the likes of which I never imagined a person would aim at me.
“Never,” he says.
Shoulders slumping, he leans forward, nearly falling on me. As well as I can, I pull him down beside me, helping to guide him as he collapses. My arm snakes around him. His head lies next to mine.
Swallowing the thick, coppery liquid in my mouth, I tell him, “If we get separated, I will find you. Nothing and no one in any of the nine worlds will keep me from you.”
Soft as a butterfly, his lips brush my neck. “Nor I from ye. I will find ye, I will always find ye…” His voice trails off, followed by a long, shuddering breath. Focusing all the miniscule strength left in my body, I force my head to turn toward him. Burying my face in his short, dark blond locks, I kiss his head.
Already I can feel the change in his body, as though it is empty. Sobs tear through me, shaking my chest and shifting the
níðhöggr’s
claws about. The movement is followed by a warmth that spreads through me, oddly turning my body to ice a heartbeat later. Above us, the bright blue sky beckons. I plunge into it, hoping to catch up with Grím.
The Beginning…
Kyra and Grím’s quest is just beginning. Look for it to continue in the full-length novel, Valkyrie Awakening, coming this winter from Inferno Publishing.
Acknowledgements:
Taking the plunge from regular fiction to erotic fiction can be daunting—and very liberating after one has done so. I never would have made the journey if it weren’t for the encouragement of my good friend, Jessica E. Subject. And I owe a huge thank you to my wonderful beta reader, Kristie Cook. You ladies have inspired me from the beginning and I will be eternally grateful for that.
To each person who buys this novella I owe a huge thank you to you as well. A story is nothing without its readers. I hope you enjoy it and come back for more.
About The Author:
With all the alluring creatures available in the fantasy genre, there is no end to the inspiration that keeps Lilly’s muse up at night. Her recipe: Start with choice characters, marinate in fantasy (any of the delicious sub-genres will do) add a heavy dash of romance, and mix in a generous portion of hot and heavy throughout the cooking cycle. Lilly has been writing for many years and has multiple books published with a different small press under a pseudonym. Look for her full-length novel, Valkyrie Awakening, winter of 2013!
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