Chapter Five

"What is this place?" I ask Reaper, spinning in a circle in the middle of the quiet clearing. Giant, towering trees surround it, hiding the tiny valley from sight. Their gnarled branches weave together overhead as if they cling to one another to protect the peace of this place. Even in the frigid, frozen landscape, delicate flowers poke through the frost all across the clearing, lifting their petals toward the sky. It"s beautiful.

We"re still in Eitr. The massive walls of the town loom up around us, standing like sentinels to guard against the night. Parts of them are damaged, charred where the Forsaken unleashed dark magic trying to bring them down yesterday, but they still stand. Lights from the sleeping town slip through the trees to the left, but we"re far enough away that it feels as if we"re in a world all our own. Out here, with the cold mountain air seeping into my lungs, the last lingering vestiges of my nightmare fall away.

"In Valhalla," Reaper says, coming up behind me to wrap one strong arm around my waist, "the valley stretched for miles. When the wind blew, you could smell the Odainsackr and the belladonna all through the Hall of the Warriors. This place reminds me of home."

"Odainsackr?" I repeat, turning a questioning glance up at him.

"Odin"s flowers. You call them poppies."

I smile in wonder. "Are we really standing here right now, Reaper? Talking about Odin and Valhalla?"

"Ja." He dips his head, brushing his lips across my crown. "It must seem overwhelming to you."

That"s just the thing. It doesn"t. In a way, none of this feels new at all. It"s as if some part of me knew it all along and simply needed someone to unlock those memories for me. That should be terrifying, but with Reaper at my side, it isn"t. I"m not afraid of the fact that this strange, new world is real. The universe has always seemed far bigger than just me and my little corner of it.

What scares me is how I fit into it now. And what happens if I can"t do what I"m supposed to do. My nightmare was a vivid, terrifying, soul-crushing illustration of what the world stands to lose—of what I stand to lose. The Fae, ripped from existence. Reaper, murdered in front of me. The shadow of the Forsaken smothering every Light placed before them. Countless millions of souls—destroyed.

I don"t think it was simply a dream. I think it was a glimpse of one possible future. Of what happens if I can"t accept my power. Of what happens if we lose. I"m not entirely sure. But I do know one thing: no matter what happens, I have to try because I won"t allow the Fae at my side to be hurt. I won"t allow him to fall to the Forsaken. I won"t lose him.

I know nothing of soul bonds or mating. I"m nineteen. Until an hour ago, I"d never even been kissed. But I feel this warrior nestling into my soul as if he belongs there, and it feels right, as if that"s where he was always supposed to be. If I"m meant to fear that, I don"t. I want it with a desperation that"s foreign to me. I want him with an intensity that makes me ache.

He"s mine. There"s a reason I felt him in my subconscious. There"s a reason he was with me in the dark when no one should have been. He"s mine. No one gets to take him from me. No one.

"Valkyrie," he rumbles.

Only then do I realize that he"s pressed his body closer to mine, wrapping himself around me like a living flame. The heat of his body engulfs me, searing everywhere he touches.

"Your emotions run hot and wild, solsken," he purrs, his voice like velvet as he spins me in his arms. I feel his erection against my hip, as massive and hard as the rest of him. An answering hunger blooms deep within me, intense and infinite. "I feel them pouring over me."

"I"m sorry," I whisper. "I-I don"t know how to control it so you don"t feel them."

"Don"t be sorry. Don"t control it." His lips seek mine, hot and hungry, eager. "You don"t have to hide anything from me, Tori. I will hide nothing from you. My soul is yours. Yours will belong to me, too."

I think it already does.

God. Why doesn"t that frighten me? Rationally, I know it should. My soul is supposed to be my own. Yet…I"ve always felt like part of it was missing, as if I merely kept this half safe to hand it off to someone else. To him? I think so. It feels right.

His lips catch mine, and thought spirals away, lost to him.

I gasp, tasting his sweetness on my lips, feeling his stubble scratching my skin. My heart hammers against his chest as if it"s trying to beat its way free. He wraps me up in an embrace that feels like home. His hands roam over my back and then down to my ass, squeezing gently.

I shiver, moaning at his touch. He"s so confident, so possessive and sure. There"s no hesitation when his hands are on me. It"s as if he knows I"m meant to belong to him, and he"s eager to claim every inch of me. I want it. So freaking badly it"s overwhelming.

The wind picks up around us, rustling the leaves of trees in a soothing symphony of sound. The scent of snow and frost fills my lungs, but I don"t feel the cold anymore. I only feel Reaper. Only the warmth of his touch, the heat of our kiss.

My fingers slide into his hair, tangling in those beautiful strands. He feels so solid against me, more vital and alive than anything else in this world. My breath hitches when he runs his tongue along my bottom lip before pushing it into my mouth again, claiming it completely.

Pleasure, vast and bright, rips through me, setting me ablaze. It"s exquisite, an intense rush of desire burning right to my core. I get lost in him and the kiss, forgetting everything.

"Solsken," he breathes against my lips. "Ah, solsken. You have no idea what you do to me."

I press closer, eager for more. My tongue slips into his mouth, touching his this time. His rumbling growl sends another wave of pleasure through me. I tremble in his arms, aching to feel this Fae all over me in a way I"ve never experienced.

My eyes flutter open.

"Reaper, I…" I don"t know what I intend to say. There"s so much flitting through my mind, a million emotions fighting for dominion. But I want his hands on my body with nothing standing between us.

Something shifts at the far edge of the clearing, drawing my attention before I"m able to sort through the mess to tell him that. It"s the shadow of a man, stepping out from beneath the trees. I blush at the thought of one of the Fae having seen us in such an intimate moment…only for my stomach to clench.

He isn"t Fae. My instincts scream at me as fear and revulsion surge through me in tandem. I feel them beating in my chest like the wings of a bird desperately trying to escape.

"Forsaken!" I cry, grasping onto Reaper"s shoulders. Evil pulses through the soulless demon as if it"s alive. I feel it choking me. "The Forsaken are here!"

I"d recognize that pale, almost translucent skin, and the malevolent, yellow eyes anywhere. Even if that didn"t give it away, his twisted mouth and misshapen nose do. So does the Darkness clinging to the air around him, writhing and contorting as if in a frenetic dance.

Reaper"s eyes snap open, blazing with an intensity that"s as beautiful as it is ferocious. A savage, deadly snarl rips from his throat, the sound bouncing back from the trees like the warning growl of a dangerous animal.

"Move behind me, Tori," he orders, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through my bones.

I want to argue as the horrible images from my nightmare surge forward in an ugly parade. The Forsaken murdered him. I felt him die, our connection severed forever. But he"s the warrior here. I"m useless, incapable of protecting myself, let alone him.

With a fluid movement that speaks of countless battles and centuries of war, he jumps in front of me, placing himself between me and the enemy. Prepared to die to protect me if that"s what it takes.

Please, God, protect him. Keep him safe.

The air around us crackles with energy as he draws on his power like his brother did earlier. A shimmering blade of pure Light materializes in his hand, as fierce and unyielding as the Fae who called it.

He stands tall and formidable, the living embodiment of war and destruction, but he"s also my defender, my protector, his loyalty as unwavering as the mountain itself. Each muscle in his body tenses like a coiled spring, ready to unleash its devastating power.

I clutch at the fabric of his shirt, my fingers digging into the soft material. My heart thumps against my ribcage, matching the rhythmic flickers of Light pulsing from his lystst?l.

"I trust you," I whisper, my words carried away by the chill winds of fate.

Reaper doesn"t respond, but I know he hears me.

Shouts rip through the night, violently splitting it apart. The distant sounds of fighting bounce back from the trees, echoing through the darkness.

Eitr is under attack.

"What do you want, Forsaken?" Reaper"s voice rumbles like distant thunder, his body coiled, ready to strike.

The Forsaken sneers, a twisted grin spreading over his face. "I"m here for the Valkyrie. Hand her over and we may leave your little village standing."

A shiver rips through me at the thought of being captured by these soulless monsters again. Once was enough to last a lifetime.

With a feral snarl, Reaper lunges forward, his lystst?l slicing through the air with deadly precision. The Forsaken counters with dark magic, black tendrils of smoke snaking toward Reaper like malevolent vines. They writhe and contort as if they"re alive. And perhaps they are.

The Light bends to our will because it"s benevolent. But the Dark has always had a mind of its own, twisting and corrupting everything it touches. Those who deal in evil don"t control it. Darkness holds the reins. It always has. I learned that in church. Regardless of what you call God, the basics remain the same. Light is Light…and Dark is Dark.

Reaper moves with the grace and fluidity of a dancer, his lithe body effortlessly dodging and weaving. I can"t take my eyes off him. His dark hair glints in the moonlight, his fierce features illuminated by the faint glow of the stars above. Even now, when death swirls around him like a promise, he"s undeniably beautiful.

"You"re outmatched," he taunts. "Flee now, little cockroach, or face the consequences."

But the Forsaken only laughs, a chilling sound that echoes through the clearing. He channels dark power, casting shadows that twist and writhe around Reaper.

Reaper"s lystst?l cuts through them like butter, his strikes relentless and fierce. Each clash of Light against Dark reverberates through the night, a symphony of battle and fury. The smell of smoke fills the air, mingling with the softer scent of flowers and frost.

The Forsaken snarls in frustration, his attacks growing more desperate and reckless. But Reaper doesn"t slow or falter. He"s a machine with his lystst?l, implacable and sure.

With a final surge of strength, Reaper delivers a decisive blow that shatters the Forsaken"s defenses. Dark energy dissipates into nothingness, leaving only silence in its wake. A moment later, Reaper"s lystst?l slices through the Forsaken. Smoke curls from the wound, black blood gushing.

For a monster, the Forsaken screams like a man as he ignites, catching fire quickly. Within seconds, he"s a raging inferno, blazing hot. He stumbles forward and falls.

Before he even hits the ground, he"s gone, his body nothing more than smoking tendrils of ash.

Breathing heavily, Reaper lowers his lystst?l. He doesn"t release it though, and he doesn"t relax. Shouts still bounce to us through the trees, eerie and distorted. Eitr is still under attack.

"Are you all right, little Valkyrie?"

"Yes," I whisper.

"Good. We have to get to the Hall of Warriors. The others will be waiting for us there. I want you to stay close and keep your eyes peeled for anything that doesn"t look right. If you see anything, you shout," he instructs, his voice low and urgent. "If we"re outnumbered, you run. You don"t stop until you"re surrounded by Fae. Do you understand?"

"Reaper," I choke, tears welling at what he"s asking of me. He wants me to leave him behind…to leave him to die. I can"t do that. "I won"t leave you."

"You must," he says, turning to place his hand on my cheek. "If you fall, we all fall, solsken. There will be other lives and other worlds, but only if you survive this one."

"But I need you."

His gentle smile cracks my heart wide open. "You have me, Tori. My soul is yours. If I must fall to ensure you survive, I"ll fall with a smile on my lips." He tips his head down, touching his mouth to my forehead. "I felt my heart beat again today, little Valkyrie. For the first time in two thousand years, I felt it beat."

I sob his name, my heart threatening to break. It shouldn"t be possible for him to mean so much already, and yet he does. And yet, if he dies, I"ll never forget him. I"ll never forgive him, either. He"s supposed to live. That"s how he protects me, by living.

If we survive this, one way or another, I will figure out how to wield my power. To save this Fae, I"ll do whatever I have to do.

I stay behind Reaper as we creep through the woods back toward town, my heart in my throat and tears in my eyes. Terror threatens to choke me.

I hear the whispers of the Forsaken as they spread through the forest, creeping toward town. Every shifting shadow sends my heart into overdrive. But somehow, we make it to the edge of Eitr without running into another Forsaken.

I know Reaper is on high alert as well, but he"s calm and collected as always. His lystst?l hangs ready at his side, and he moves with a grace that I can only aspire to.

As we approach Eitr, the destruction is overwhelming. Parts of the village are on fire, entire buildings engulfed in flame. Warriors and Forsaken battle in the streets, the Fae desperately trying to defend the people who call this tiny mountain village home.

Reaper stops just before we enter Eitr proper, turning to me. "Remember," he says firmly. "If you see anything that doesn"t look right, you run."

I nod, trying to swallow down my fear. "What about you?"

He gives me a small smile that doesn"t quite reach his eyes. "I"ll be right behind you if you have to run."

I take a deep breath, fighting not to cry. He doesn"t mean it. We both know he doesn"t. If I have to run, it"ll be a last resort, because we had no other choice. He"ll stay behind to give me time. He"ll sacrifice himself to ensure I get to safety.

"My soul and lystst?l are yours, little Valkyrie. Always." He touches my cheek and steps out on the path running between buildings.

I choke on a sob.

The chaos is even worse up close. The sound of fighting fills the air, along with screams of terror and pain. Reaper stays right behind me as we navigate the madness of battle. Every step feels like an eternity as we try to make our way through Eitr undetected.

How did I end up in the middle of a battle between Fae and the Forsaken? What do they even want from me? They have my blood. What more could they possibly need?

Eventually, Reaper grabs my arm and pulls me behind a building.

"We"re almost there," he says, scanning the area.

I nod, not trusting my voice.

We cut down a small alley, spilling out onto another path. We move slowly, careful not to attract any attention. We"re nearly to the Hall of Warriors—at least I assume that"s the big building directly ahead of us—when five massive black wolves step into our path, snarling. Like the Forsaken, evil clings to them, pulsing in the air around them. They could pass as wild wolves, except for their eyes. There is no intelligence in them, nothing natural. They"re as twisted and monstrous as the Forsaken, and as dangerous. It"s as if they were born to hunt and kill, and nothing more.

"Varulv," Reaper growls, planting his feet. "Stay behind me, Valkyrie. Do not let them bite you."

Varulv—I know that word. I heard the Forsaken say it often enough. The wolves belong to them. I cling to Reaper"s back as he steps forward, his lystst?l spinning in his hands in a deadly blur.

The varulv snarl and bare their sharp fangs, saliva dripping from their jaws.

"Why are they here?" I whisper, my voice trembling with fear.

Reaper doesn"t answer as he continues to advance, his gaze locked on the beasts. They circle us slowly, their eyes never leaving us.

One of them lunges forward with lightning speed. Reaper swings his lystst?l with precision, slicing through the air. The varulv leaps back with a snarl, narrowly avoiding the lethal blow.

"They"re trying to cut us off from the Hall," Reaper finally speaks, his voice low and dangerous.

"What? Why?" I ask breathlessly, though I guess I already know the answer.

Reaper doesn"t answer. All five varulv charge us at once. He roars and jumps forward to fight them off. He moves with such grace and precision that it almost looks like a deadly dance. But even with his skill, it"s nearly impossible for him to fight off all five monstrous wolves at once.

They attack from all sides, lunging and snapping at him. He no more beats one back before another advances, over and over again. He manages to bring one down and then another, but as he goes in to kill the third, another jumps forward.

"Faen!" he roars as it sinks its teeth into his arm, its bite savage.

"Reaper!" I cry.

"Reaper!" Malachi shouts, rushing into view from behind the group of varulv. He takes one look at the situation, assessing it quickly. "Fae! Beskytt Valkyrie! Beskytt Reaper!"

They wage forward like a well-oiled machine, roaring defiance. Their lystst?l spin in their hands in a blur. The remaining three varulv try to flee, but there"s nowhere for them to go. Within seconds, the varulv are dead, their heads separated from their bodies.

I rush forward, falling to my knees at Reaper"s side.

"Nei, Tori. Nei," he gasps, his face contorted in pain. "Don"t touch me."

My gaze falls on the wound, horror surging through me. It"s black around the edges, lines of poison rapidly marching up his arm.

"No, no, no!" I cry, panic rising in my chest. "What can I do? What can I do?"

No one says anything. No one even looks at me.

"Reaper," I plead. "Please."

"There is nothing, little Valkyrie."

"There has to be something," I sob. "There"s always something."

Reaper coughs, teeth gritted as if even that pains him.

Malachi speaks for him, his voice grave. "The varulv were twisted by a type of magic we don"t understand. A bite from one is fatal, even to our kind."

Horror engulfs me, threatening to crack my heart in half. Tears stream down my face as I shake my head vehemently. "No. Please, no."

Reaper gasps as the poison continues its deadly march toward his heart. "It will be okay, Tori," he manages through gritted teeth, his skin pale. "The Fae will protect you. You will be safe."

"No! You can"t just give up!" My sobs echo in the silence that follows, my heart shattering at the thought of losing him. He"s become so much more than just my protector—he"s imprinted himself into my very being. His strength, his gentleness…him…all of him is etched into my soul.

He opens his mouth to respond, but only groans weakly, his amber eyes full of pain. The black lines have climbed all the way up his bicep, disappearing under the sleeve of his faded blue T-shirt. He struggles to breathe, each breath rattling in his chest painfully.

He"s slipping away from me right in front of my eyes.

I ache to reach for him, desperate to brush away the pain that twists so grotesquely on his striking features. Desperate to keep him here.

I need him.

It"s not fair. He promised me. He promised! The Forsaken have already taken my parents, and now they"re taking him too. Anger creeps into my bleeding, broken heart, filling me with cold fury. A tiny light sparks inside me, flickering like the flame of a candle.

They can"t have him. I won"t allow it.

I don"t know what it is or what I"m doing, but I reach for that flickering light, grasping greedily for the hot rush of power emanating from it. An intense blast of Light fills me, ripping me wide open. I let it, allowing it to flood through me.

Reaper needs me. I have to protect him.

I surge forward, my hand extended toward him, deaf to the warnings shouted from the throng of warriors behind me. My heart throbs in my chest, matching the rhythm of the chant echoing in my mind: Not him. Not him.

They cannot have him.

As I touch Reaper, the Light pulses out of me, plunging into his massive body. The world turns white, blinding and relentlessly bright. It"s as if I"ve harnessed the power of a thousand suns and directed it all at him.

His body bows from the ground, his massive form going rigid under my touch. His amber eyes flash open, glowing as bright as the light piercing his massive form. In this moment, I feel everything he does. His regret at being ripped from my side, his pride at having given his life for mine, the power of his feelings for me, and his surprise at what"s happening now.

Behind us, I hear gasps and shouts. They"re panicking. They don"t understand what"s happening—neither do I—but none of that matters now.

I keep my hand on Reaper, willing him to stay. He has to stay. He"s mine. He belongs here—with me.

The Light burns away the poison pumping through his veins, purging it with brutal efficiency. It leaves no trace behind, taking every last evil drop. When the last bit is gone and Reaper"s blood is clean once more, the Light recedes back into me as quickly as it flowed out. It winks out, leaving nothing but normalcy in its wake—normalcy and Reaper, alive and well.

For a moment, stunned silence reigns around us, the Fae frozen in shock.

I collapse across Reaper"s chest, exhausted in a way I"ve never been. But victorious too. He"s alive and he"s safe.

"You promised," I whisper, brushing trembling fingers through his hair. Tears stream down my face as I cling to him, his strong heart beating beneath my ear. The scent of smoke and blood permeates the air, mingling with the metallic taste of fear and adrenaline. My heartbeat pounds in time with his, a testament to the bond we"ve somehow formed.

"Ja, little Valkyrie." His rough voice shakes as he pulls me closer, his lips at my ear. "Ja, I did."

The Fae murmur around us, disbelief replacing shock.

"What in the name of Odin have you done?" Malachi asks, his voice low and awestruck.

I look up at him. "I…I don"t know," I choke out, my mind reeling as I try to process what just happened. I think I just healed Reaper. No, I know I just healed him. I felt it happening. "I felt him slipping away, and I couldn"t let that happen. I don"t know how I healed him."

Malachi and the other Fae share a look between them, their expressions a mix of confusion and awe.

Reaper laughs quietly, his amber eyes shining with pride. "You are a Valkyrie, solsken. That"s how you did it."

"The Valkyrie can heal?"

"Ja, some can," Malachi says. "But none has ever been able to heal the bite of a varulv. You"re the first." He shakes his head, his braids clicking. "It"s a hell of a handy Gift, that"s for sure."

"I…" I trail off, not sure what to say to that. Not sure where to even begin processing this. Like so much else that"s happened, it feels far too big for me. But I guess that"s my life now, isn"t it? Everything is big and overwhelming. Everything except the giant Fae warrior holding me in his strong arms.

He"s the part that makes sense. He"s the part that feels just big enough. And for now, he"s safe.