Valkyrie (Kate O'Hearn) - By Kate O'Hearn Page 0,42

a hard life without any happiness.

Freya smiled gently at him. ‘It won’t cost you anything. If you want to learn to protect yourself, just come along and I’ll teach you.’

Moments later, Tamika arrived and Freya could tell from her facial expression that something was wrong.

‘That’s all for today,’ Freya said, drawing the gathering to a close. ‘Remember, if any of you want to learn to protect yourself, meet Archie, Leo Max and me here tomorrow.’

As the Geek Squad drifted away, Freya turned to Tamika. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I don’t know. Grandma called me. She says I have to come home right now. She said you and Archie should come too.’

‘Did she say what’s wrong?’ Archie asked.

Tamika shook her head. ‘Only to get home as soon as possible.’

It wasn’t a long journey to the Johnsons’ house, but it seemed endless. Freya ached to tear off her coat and fly there. They found Alma in the living room. She was clutching papers in her trembling hands and pacing the floor.

‘Grandma, what is it?’ Tamika said.

Alma’s pleading eyes landed on Freya. ‘Angel, now I need your help more than ever.’

‘What’s wrong?’ Freya asked.

The old woman handed over the papers. Freya could read, but she could make no sense of the complicated paperwork. ‘I don’t understand. What does this mean?’

‘They are taking our house,’ Alma said. ‘Men came by this afternoon. Somehow the developers bought our mortgage from the bank. They are demanding full payment immediately or they will evict us. I don’t have the money.’

‘What!’ Tamika cried. ‘They can’t do that!’

Alma nodded. ‘I think they can. The papers seem to say so. I know we need a lawyer, but I can’t afford one.’ Her pleading eyes landed on Freya. ‘Angel, tell me what to do.’

Freya looked over to Archie. ‘What is a lawyer? I’ve heard that term before. How can they help?’

‘A lawyer knows the law. They work as advocates. So if something is wrong with the paperwork, they would find it and stop the eviction.’

‘Please, Angel, help us,’ Alma begged.

‘She can’t help,’ Tamika said furiously. ‘Greta’s got her own problems. We won’t go, Grandma. They can’t make us.’

Freya approached the old woman and took her hands. ‘I told your son I would protect his family. I won’t break my promise. Those men will not take your home.’

‘Gee!’ Archie cried, indicating to Tamika.

‘What do you mean, you spoke to my dad?’ Tamika asked. ‘When?’

‘What Gee means—’ Archie started.

Freya shook her head. ‘No, Archie, don’t make excuses for me. This has gone too far. It’s time we told Tamika who I am.’ She looked at Orus. ‘What do you think?’

The raven nodded. ‘Show her.’

‘Will someone tell me what’s going on?’ Tamika demanded.

Freya pulled off her velvet coat. When it fell to the floor, she reached back for the slip-cover Alma had made for her wings. ‘I am not what you think I am. Please don’t be afraid. I’m not here to hurt you.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Tamika demanded.

Making sure she was standing well away from them, Freya opened her wings.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Tamika wouldn’t stop screaming.

‘Maybe that wasn’t such a great idea after all,’ Orus admitted while Alma and Archie tried to calm her down.

‘Tamika,’ Freya pleaded as she pulled her coat back on, ‘it’s still me. You know me and you know Orus. Please, don’t be frightened. We’re not here to hurt you. We came to help.’

‘What are you?’ Tamika cried as she clung to her grandmother.

‘She’s an angel,’ her grandmother said. ‘Your father sent her to us when he died. She’s here to help.’

‘Angels don’t have black wings and bright-red hair! She’s a monster!’

Freya sighed. ‘If you must know, I’m a Valkyrie. But you probably don’t know what that is.’

Tamika shook her head.

Freya threw up her arms in frustration. ‘I am so tired of people not knowing what I am!’ She looked at Tamika. ‘I was with your father when he died. All he spoke of was you and Uniik. He was so frightened for you he said he couldn’t rest until you were safe. He begged me to come here and protect you. Which is what I intend to do.’ Freya approached Archie. ‘Give me the keys to your house. I need you to stay here with Tamika and Alma.’

‘Where are you going?’ Archie handed over the keys.

‘I’ve got an idea. Hopefully, I won’t be long.’

‘Be careful,’ Archie called after her. ‘And don’t expose yourself!’

Freya dashed to Archie’s house. She pulled her winged helmet from the bottom of the closet and put it on.