Valkyrie Blade (Valkyrie Bound #4)

Chapter Nine

Malachi

" H ow are we going to do this thing?" Dax growls, glaring daggers at the little glass jar situated in the center of the table. A tendril of Light hovers inside the glass, trapped and floating there—Rissa's father's soul.

My brothers and Stephan glance at each other, unease stamped into every line of their faces. Despite agreeing to let the Valkyrie try to open their portal, none of us are particularly thrilled about allowing them to take this risk.

Soul magic is dangerous. The Forsaken use it to corrupt and bend souls to their will, to burn them up for dark purposes and darker deeds. Our Valkyrie are protected by the Light…but even Light falters and fails.

How many times have we seen that happen over the millennia? Entire realms have been wiped out, their Light smothered—ours among them. The Fae have no home realm. Ours fell to the Dark long ago.

The Valkyrie cannot fall like álfheimr .

"Well," Rissa says, her face scrunched up in a frown. "I'm not sure. Exactly."

Her mate's scowl deepens, lines of displeasure carving grooves around his mouth.

"I think the Forsaken used our blood and their magic," she continues as if she doesn't see the look on his face. "Maybe we need to do the same?"

She glances at her sisters. Unlike my brothers, they are calm and composed in the face of this storm, Valkyrie all the way to their core. Their foremothers would be proud. We spent millennia fighting at their side, saw their unthinkable bravery, and ferocious spirits. These four are just like them.

Despite everything this prophecy and war has thrown at them—despite torment and untold grief—they've met in on their feet. They're fierce little things, meant for greatness. It's no wonder the Norns spun them out to face this threat. There is no other capable of meeting it as these four have.

They're fucking warriors, every last one of them.

"Sounds good to me," Tori says, one shoulder rising in a shrug. "What's the worst that could happen?"

A miserable groan erupts from Reaper's lips. "Death, little Valkyrie," he says, his amber eyes locked on his mate. "Death is the worst that could happen."

"We aren't going to die, Reaper." Abigail meets my giant brother's gaze, smiling in reassurance. "I've Seen about a million different possible endings for us. Sitting around this table isn't one of them."

"That isn't the comfort you think it is, ást-meer," Damrion mutters, swiping a hand down his face.

Adriel grunts his agreement, his black eye fixed on their tiny mate.

Like Tori, she simply shrugs, undeterred.

"We should surround ourselves with Light," Marion says from my lap, drawing the eyes of her sisters and my brothers. For once, she doesn't cower under their attention. She meets their gazes, her head held high. "If this is as dangerous as they say—"

"More dangerous," Reaper mutters under his breath.

Marion nods in acknowledgement, revising her statement. "Since this is clearly dangerous, the safest thing we can do is ensure we're protected," she murmurs, her voice soft. "Before we do anything, we should link."

" Ljúfr ," I protest, not liking this plan in the least. "If you're linked, anything that happens to one, may happen to all."

"Sure," Reaper complains. "Now, he's seeing reason."

I shoot him a dirty look before turning back to my mate. "It isn't safe."

"We're strongest together, Malachi." She places her hand against my cheek, smiling in reassurance. "And we have all of you here to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"You have far too much faith in us, Valkyrie," I murmur, my gaze flitting across her face.

"No," she whispers, shaking her head. "You have far too little, Malachi. We can do this. All of us, together. The Fae have gotten us this far. You've kept us safe despite all odds. If you can do that, you can do this."

Helvete . Is this what it is to love a Valkyrie? Finding it impossible to tell her no? Because with those emerald eyes shining with trust, every single part of me balks at the thought of telling her no. Of shattering her illusions that we're the warriors she believes we are, capable of protecting them from all harm.

I'd raze realms for her, wage war for her. But I'm still just a Fae, just a man. And I'm as fallible as any other. She and her sisters are the heroes of this tale. The Fae are simply their stewards, sent to slow the Forsaken until they can do what they must. That's always been our role. We're the first wave, expendable.

But I don't have the heart to tell my Valkyrie that, so I don't. Instead, I nod. "Ja," I murmur quietly. "We can do this."

I don't even have to look to know my brothers are glowering at me. I feel the weight of their disapproving stares. As if any of them would have made a different choice. If the Valkyrie have to do this, then we do what we must, too. Even if it fucking kills us.

"Well, that's settled then," Rissa says. "I guess we should get started."

A ripple of unease shudders through the room.

Damrion looks at Stephan. "I want you at the door," he orders. "Once they start, no one comes in or out unless it's through you. Understood?"

The human warrior's eyes gleam with wicked intent as he hauls himself to his feet, reaching for the sword at his hip. "Understood."

Dax plucks the vial from the center of the table, holding it carefully. "Are you sure, elskan-ljós ? We can find another way."

"I'm sure," she whispers, placing her palm against his cheek. "If this is the price we pay to save all souls…" She exhales a shaking breath, her eyes locked on her father's soul. "It has to be done."

Dax leans forward, brushing his lips across her forehead. " Alt du gj?r er gjort i kj?rlighet ."

"Ja," she whispers back.

Her and her sisters rise from the table. When Marion starts to slide from my lap to join them, I hook my arm around her waist, pulling her back down to me. She turns her head to glance at me, a question burning in her eyes.

Before she can say anything, I capture her lips with mine, pouring my love for her into the kiss. She tangles her fingers up in my shirt, gasping quietly.

" Jeg kan ikke leve uten deg. Ek elska tik ," I breathe against her lips.

She pulls back to look at me, her eyes wide and dazed. "I don't understand."

"I know." I brush a curl away from her face, resting my forehead against hers. "I said do this thing safely." That isn't what I said. I told her that I can't live without her. And that I love her.

"Malachi," she whispers, trembling in my arms.

A tear rolls down her cheek. I thumb it away.

"Go, ljúfr . Your sisters are waiting."

She nods, her eyes wide as she pulls away, rising to her feet. She turns, taking a step toward her sisters, only to spin back around, flinging herself against my chest. My arms close around her as she presses her lips against the side of my throat.

"I love you, Malachi."

Gods.

"I love you, Valkyrie."

She rips herself out of my arms, taking my entire fucking soul with her.

The Valkyrie form a circle in the middle of the living room, Rissa holding her father's soul, Abigail holding a knife for them to draw their blood.

"I don't like this," Reaper growls as we watch from a few feet away, trying to give them space without giving them too much space.

"Ja, we know." Adriel turns his eye on him. "But we all agreed it has to be done."

Reaper grunts a curse beneath his breath, his amber eyes locked on his Valkyrie as if he intends to snatch her away at the slightest hint of trouble. I can't say that I blame him. He's fierce in battle, the most lethal Fae I've ever met. No one stands against him for long. But this is a war he can't fight. He has to allow the woman who owns his soul to do it…the same woman he nearly lost just days ago. For a warrior used to doling out death, being helpless to do anything is a gods-damned awful feeling.

"Has Rhistel been warned?" I ask Damrion, concerned how he and his warriors will react if a portal suddenly materializes in front of them.

"Ja," Damrion says. "I let him know to expect a portal if this works."

"How did he take it?"

Damrion arches a brow. "Do you want the whole ranting lecture or just the highlights?"

I chuckle, stroking my jaw. "So he thinks we're fools then."

"Oh, ja." Damrion rolls his golden eyes. "That's one way of putting it. A very mild way of putting it."

My chuckle dies as Light flares around each of the Valkyrie, lighting them up. My brothers fall silent around me, tension rippling through us. My hands physically itch to snatch Marion away, to tell them to forget this whole Gods-forsaken plan. But I clench them at my sides, lock my knees in place, and watch.

The Light around the Valkyrie grows blinding as Marion links with her sisters, acting as a conduit for the second time today.

" Faen ," Damrion snarls, his gaze flickering toward the windows. "If the Forsaken see this from out there, they're going to know something is up."

"Too late for that," Reaper mutters, nodding his head at our mates as Abigail quickly scores the knife across her palm before passing it to Tori.

The blonde Valkyrie doesn't even flinch as she slices her palm and passes the knife to Marion, and then to Rissa. Their blood drips onto the floor at the feet, and every single one of my brothers groans at the sight.

" Faen ," Adriel growls, looking sick.

I feel my heart pounding in my throat as Rissa uncaps the bottle containing her father's soul. It hovers there, too drained to stretch toward freedom.

I don't have it in me to feel empathy for the man he was. Perhaps I should. A soul is still a soul, no matter how vile the person who misused it. But that bastard murdered the woman he was supposed to love and tried to do the same to Rissa. If his soul is burned up to ensure she and her sisters survive now, so be it. It's a more dignified ending than he deserves.

Rissa closes her bleeding hand over the vial, dripping blood onto her father's soul. It flickers, flaring brighter.

"Do you see that?" Dax asks sharply.

"Ja," I murmur. "I see it."

One by one, Tori and then Abigail step forward, allowing their blood to drip into the vial onto his soul. With every drop, his soul lights up, flaring like a meteor streaking across the sky. It grows too, so big it fills the vial.

Marion is the last to step forward. I hold my breath, blood rushing in a torrent in my ears as she lifts her hand over the vial.

A drop of her blood splashes onto his soul, followed by another.

The vial shatters in Rissa's hand.

"Valkyrie!" Dax leaps forward, crying out in alarm, but Damrion and Adriel grab him, hauling him back.

Rissa's father's soul…hovers in midair, flickering. Quivering. It almost seems to dance.

Breath rushes from my lungs in a curse as it expands rapidly, not in a black, rippling hole in reality like those the Forsaken opened all over the forest, but in a blazing white burst.

Faen . It worked. It actually worked. Only, this is no dark magic. This is…Light, as pure and bright as the portal to Valhalla once was.

My brothers and I share a look, stunned speechless as the Light around our Valkyrie slowly dims.

"Rhistel?" Rissa calls, peering into the portal.

But I can already tell from here that Rhistel and the Fae we sent with him aren't on the other side. I don't know where the portal opened, but it wasn't where we intended. The only thing on the other side is a clearing with a small, overgrown cabin at the far side.

Marion glances into the portal and cries out, shock lancing down our bond.

I roar a warning, already racing toward her, trying to stop her…but there is no stopping her.

She charges into the portal, her cry still ringing around her.

Abigail rushes in after her.

"Abigail, nei!" Adriel shouts, leaping forward.

I'm there—right fucking there—so close I feel the breeze on my face from the other side. But I'm too slow. The portal wobbles in front of my face, collapsing in on itself.

Within seconds, it's gone…and the only thing left is Rissa's father's soul, barely flickering where, just moments ago, it blazed.

I howl in fury, in agony, dropping to my knees.