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)
And his is down there somewhere, surrounded by the very monsters who want to use her for evil.
"We should go," Damrion murmurs, nodding to a group of Forsaken heading toward the east wall. "If they spot us before we get in…"
He doesn't have to finish the statement. We all know the risks. We knew them when we agreed to come on this mission. We're outnumbered thirty to one.
"Stay behind me, elskan-ljós," Dax orders Rissa.
"Nei, Dax," the young Valkyrie says, her brows furrowing. "You need me in front. You need my Light."
Dax opens his mouth to protest, but his mate places her fingers over his lips, her expression soft. "You need my Light," she repeats, resting her forehead against his. "You can't take them out from a distance. I can."
Dax grumbles, his eyes narrowing.
"She's right, Dax," Damrion agrees softly.
"Faen," her mate snarls, dragging her into his arms to kiss her hard on the lips. "If anything happens to you, I'll destroy this realm myself, Rissa."
"Then we won't allow anything to happen to me." Her smile wobbles dangerously as he cups her cheeks.
I avert my gaze, glancing back down at Eitr, my heart pounding. Whatever is down there…it's massive. Life-changing.
Faen.
"Let's move," Damrion orders.
One by one, we reach for Magn, and our lyststål blaze to life in our hands. Beside us, Rissa reaches for her Light, the golden glow of the Valkyrie enveloping her.
Don't let us die, I pray silently, though I'm pretty certain whatever Gods are still out there stopped listening to us long, long ago.
A concussive blast of Light erupts from Rissa's hands, slamming into the Forsaken ranks. Their screams pierce the air as they erupt, burning away in moments. The varulv howl in agony, their fur igniting like dry kindling. Their flesh sizzles and smolders, the stench of burning meat assaulting my nostrils.
"Malachi, get down!" Dax roars from behind me, his voice booming over the chaos.
I immediately drop to my knees in the trampled grass, the damp earth cool against my left palm. A Forsaken warrior shrieks as he topples beside me, his skin blistering and peeling away to reveal the blackened bones beneath. Within seconds, he's nothing more than a charred, smoking ruin.
"Thanks," I mutter to Dax as he yanks me back to my feet, his grip like iron around my arm.
We turn to keep running, but another wave of blinding Light blazes to life in the center of Eitr, brighter than any I've ever seen before now. I stumble to a stop, shielding my eyes.
"Is that…?"
"Tori," Rissa whispers from beside me.
The shockwave of her Light knocks us off our feet. I hit the ground hard, the breath rushing from my lungs. Spots dance in my vision as I struggle to sit up, my ears ringing.
All around us, Forsaken warriors and varulv light up in a blaze. As soon as the fiery Light touches them, their screams of horror end in deathly silence, their bodies disintegrating on contact.
Within seconds, every Forsaken and varulv in Eitr is gone, burned to ash.
"Faen," Dax breathes, his eyes locked on the tiny Valkyrie standing at the center of the carnage, blazing as bright as the sun. Her hair whips around her face, crackling with power. She is a Goddess of vengeance, beautiful and fierce.
"Remind me never to piss her off," I mutter, rubbing my aching ribs as I climb to my feet once more.
Dax barks out a laugh, clapping me on the shoulder. "You and me both, brother. She is fierce."
"Cowards," Rissa sniffs, already hurrying toward her sister.
Dax and I advance more cautiously, Damrion and Adriel at our heels.
"Tori!" Reaper cries, racing toward his mate as her Light winks out, and she collapses to her knees. He lands on his knees beside her, scooping her into his arms.
"I thought you were going to die," Tori whispers, placing her palm against his cheek.
The warrior chokes on a cry, pressing his face to his mate's throat. His massive body trembles with the weight of his emotions. "I told you, solsken. I'm never leaving you. Never."
"I thought I was going to die too."
"Never," he growls, his tone black. "You are not allowed."
"I thought we were all going to die," I mutter wryly, but no one is listening to me as Tori and Reaper cling to one another.
"Thank you for coming for me," she whispers a moment later, pulling back to look at Damrion.
"You doubted us?"
"You need her."
"Ja, but we need you too, Valkyrie," Adriel says. "The prophecy calls for five Valkyrie, not four. Not three. Five."
Tori gasps, her eyes wide. "There's one here. In the cabin." She points at the cabin behind her. "She was never at the church. She's been here the whole time."
"Helvete," I growl, already running that way, blood roaring in my ears.
Dax and Rissa race after me.
Another Valkyrie…
Faen. The Forsaken have the blood of at least three now. Two more, and they can restore the portal they destroyed in ignorance millennia ago, granting them access to the souls of the dead. We can no more allow that to happen than we can allow them to get their hands on Abigail.