A Valkyrie's Apprentice: Book Two

A Choice

– T A Y A H –

I didn't bother with the crash of power around that crumbling room. I darted across it at a speed I hadn't tested before. I tackled Anselle through the black tangles of power and took us both through the crumbling wall over the edge.

We free fell until I felt a surge. A dark ring materialise below us and swallow us before we met the ground. The world flashed briefly before we were spat out in a market square. Anselle hit me square in the jaw with the dark relic taking me off my feet.

I rolled onto the balls of my feet with a snarl. My fire came with it and lit my cloak.

The dark immortal grinned a hideous thing and bowed in a leer.

"How far you've come, dear Tayah!" She cackled.

"I'm not here for the conversation." I growled, quickly flinging an inferno at her. She took it into the shield and slid across the cobble from the force. She tilted her head in surprise and wrapped more smoke and vines of ethereal power around her. Then flicked her wrist up with a smile.

Stone shards came flying to meet me in rapid attack. I rolled away, barely avoiding the stone going through me. The shield caught another at my back and I drew my blades looking as two immortals now prowled before me. They both mimicked her dark smirk. She raised a hand to begin the dance of death but my demi-god had other ideas.

A crash of white lightning struck the centre of the courtyard making us all cast a hand over our eyes. When it faded, a being more powerful than any of us rose in her shimmering glory, blonde hair held high and whipping in the wind.

Anselle no longer smiled.

"Must you always ruin my games!" Anselle screeched across the dark square.

Kára responded by drawing purple vines of dangerous energy into her arms. The arms that now glowed gold from her own relic.

"Release Revna." She said quietly.

Anselle laughed bitterly, her eyes still lost in black vines of darkness. "She needs no release. She was more than happy to surrender the relic once she understood how little regard for the mortals I had!"

I glanced at Revna who waited in silent command. Waiting for the moment when power would dance across the stone until an immortal died tonight.

"Then you would have no problem letting me find that out for myself." Kára grit out. The gauntlets glowed brighter in response. I could practically taste her power from here and I was sure as shit Anselle could too.

But something was unsettling me. A gut wrenching feeling that told me this played into her hands the entire time.

"All that cavalier bravado Valkyrie..." Anselle mocked as she strolled leisurely closer. "Yet your weaknesses are so clear to me."

Kára clenched her fists. "Last chance." She whispered over the winter air. The thunder rumbled above in agreement.

"Very well, immortal dog!" She called suddenly splaying her hands wide. "You have me at my own game. Here is your prize." She growled, a portal fuzed under her feet before either of us could react and she vanished.

"NO!"

I looked to my immortal's shout of despair in confusion. But only for a moment when I realised too late that she had materialised behind me and captured my neck in the same undead control that had taken two experienced Valkyries before me. The only painful difference was that I was completely aware of my surroundings. The God's power ran through me and took a hold of me while I was powerless to will it otherwise.