Valkyrie (Kate O'Hearn) - By Kate O'Hearn Page 0,52
pausing, she leaped through the glass and opened her wings.
On the street, she heard the hysterical voice of the woman officer she had helped. Freya looked down and saw her being assisted by others. She was pointing up and screaming.
‘That’s her, that’s her – there she is!’
The sounds of gunshots followed Freya as she gained height in the sky and flew as fast as she could from the area.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Freya was frantic. She was on a rooftop, not far from the burned-out building. Pacing back and forth, she searched the skies for Orus. She shouldn’t have left him there, fighting the police. But he’d insisted, ordering her to go.
Her hands were shaking and she felt sick with remorse. An innocent man was dead because of her. It didn’t matter that he was most likely in Asgard and would be treated well. All that mattered was that in touching her feather she had killed him. Did he have a wife and children? What would happen to them? In her desire for excitement and wanting to help, she had destroyed a good man and his family.
‘Freya,’ Orus called.
‘Over here!’ Freya cried, frantically waving her arms in the air. ‘Orus, I’m here!’
‘Thank Odin!’ Orus flew straight into Freya’s outstretched arms. ‘I thought for sure we were done for.’
Freya clung to the raven, grateful that he was unharmed. ‘I’m so sorry. You were right. I should have left when you told me.’
She released the bird and leaned heavily against the roof ledge. ‘Orus, I killed him . . .’ Her voice was no more than a whisper.
‘Who?’ the raven demanded. ‘Freya, who did you kill?’
‘That man, the police officer. He picked up my feather and died.’
Orus’s claws clicked on the ledge as he hopped up to her. ‘He did not die.’
‘Wha-what?’
‘Freya, this is why I was late getting back to you. I knew you would be upset, seeing him collapse like that. So when I escaped the officers, I flew up into the rafters and watched them. They checked him. His heart was beating and he was breathing steadily. He was unconscious but will live.’
‘How is this possible?’
‘I thought you knew? Freya, when you shed your feathers, they lose their killing power. It had only just come away from you, so it retained some power, but not enough to kill him.’
Freya nearly collapsed with relief.
‘Come on, Freya,’ Orus said gently. ‘Let’s go home.’
‘We can’t go back to Asgard yet – we promised to help Tamika.’
‘Not Asgard,’ Orus said. ‘Our home with Archie.’
It was nearly dawn when Freya and Orus made it back to Lincolnwood. They had just landed in the back yard and entered the house as the first rays of dawn arrived.
Freya was still shaking. It had been a bad night and they had come so close to being caught. It would be a long while before she’d risk going out again. She walked into the kitchen to make herself a snack when she heard a sharp banging at the back door. This was followed by a loud whinny and a scraping sound.
‘It can’t be . . .’ Freya called to Orus. ‘That sounds like Sylt!’ She ran to the door and threw it open.
Standing before her was her Reaping Mare with her sister on its back.
‘Maya!’ Freya cried. She stood back and invited her sister and the horse into the house. The wings on Maya’s helmet grazed along the ceiling as Sylt clopped through the hall. The mare’s sides brushed against both walls and her right wing tip swept everything off a small table sending it crashing noisily to the floor.
There was barely enough free space in the lounge to hold the large mare.
‘Thank Odin we found you!’ Maya leaped down from the horse and landed on the sofa. She approached Freya, but then stopped short.
‘What have you done to yourself?’ She looked her little sister up and down. ‘Why are you dressed as a man? Freya, what has happened to your hair?’
Freya threw her arms around her sister and held her tight. ‘I’m so glad you’re here!’ she cried. ‘I’ve missed you and have so much to tell you.’
Archie staggered into the lounge, rubbing his eyes and yawning. ‘Orus, turn down the television, I can’t sleep . . .’
‘Archie,’ Freya called excitedly. ‘Come here. I want you to meet my sister!’
‘Sister?’ Archie mumbled.
Maya removed her winged helmet, and she, Grul and Sylt became visible. Stunned, Archie stumbled backwards and tripped over a side table.