A Valkyrie's Apprentice: Book Two

Beyond Redemption

– K Á R A –

I strapped two damandium blades to my hips as Tayah weighed the crimson cloak in her hands. 

"We don't have long." I told her as I moved for the gleaming gold gauntlets that would go over my forearms in all their perfection. It would make any power–any demand as simple as breathing.

"Are we about to kill an immortal?" She murmured, eyeing the chrome shield on the table that sang with Odin's power.

I met her dead in the eyes. "No. We're about to kill two immortals."

"She is your longest friend, Kára. Are you sure–"

I slammed one of the blades quickly down against the table sending it through the other side. Tayah didn't flinch she merely watched me calmly.

"Revna is no friend of mine siding with that heathen. If she thinks our history will stop me then I have the upper hand." I finished slowly, breaking her gaze and ripping the dagger out.

"I will do whatever it takes to help you–because I won't have a problem choosing their lives over yours." Tayah responded in a low voice.

I met her eyes again and exhaled.

"I didn't want to put you in this position at all. But Odin seems to think you are better placed at my side and now..." I glanced at the shimmering shield with blue vines of power. "You are well enough armed to stand with me and finish this."

Tayah glanced at the cloak that now adorned her shoulders. The weave of the immortals and something else I couldn't place. "It must be quite something..."

"We'll soon find out." I told her as I drew my spear off the wall and found my helmet.

Tayah rose shrouded in the red cloak past her shoulders, with her fighting leathers under her light and quick. I wished she had a cuirass of damandium like my own... but Odin had reason for everything. 

"How do you feel?" I found myself asking as I watched her attach the shield to her back and fix two of my blades to her thighs.

She rolled her shoulders and drew in a slow breath. When she opened her eyes they were bright like stars.

"Like I could burn the whole city by accident." She smirked.

"Let's try and focus that on a few select people." I murmured, unable to stop my own smirk.

She tested that and called fire into her palm. Without warning her entire cloak mirrored the energy and lit her back in golden flames. I flinched back from the heat in disbelief as Tayah whipped her head behind her.

"That is..."

"Incredible." I finished, staring at the energy cloaking itself around her like a second skin. I had never seen immortal material do that. I stepped nearer, careful of the intense heat that flowed off it. I let lightning crackle in my hand before sending it near the burning material. I drew it in quickly and the flames grew brighter briefly.

"Gods. It absorbs immortal energy." I murmured.

"I can feel it." Tayah, responded with utter disbelief. "This is why Odin gave this to me... you have already mastered the flow of energy... but this–this does the damn thing for me."

"Perfect." I drawled. "It only took me centuries to master and she gets it in less than a month."

Tayah laughed despite it all. Despite the fact that we would face two demi-gods in a battle of sheer will and power. Damn the odds as usual indeed. But I hesitated before taking us there.