Valkyrie (Kate O'Hearn) - By Kate O'Hearn Page 0,56

anxious to learn how to defend themselves. But unlike the others, they weren’t nervous and offered encouragement to everyone else.

Freya spoke first about the importance of staying close together. She spoke of strength in numbers and how even the smallest army can succeed in battle with strategy, skill and stealth.

Then one by one she took them through the basics she had been taught in her early life about self-defence. A Valkyrie had to know how to fight. In the distant past, when they arrived at battlefields, occasionally they would encounter a hostile force that did not welcome them. The armies would raise their weapons and take on the winged warriors.

The Valkyries always won.

Freya taught them to use anything within reach as a weapon. Failing that, she showed them how to kick in such a way as to bring down even the biggest frost giant. She taught them about pressure points and how to take on opponents much bigger and stronger than they were.

Despite the seriousness of the training, there was a lot of laughter too. Freya delighted in watching the group of misfits coming together. Friendships were being forged and they were learning to watch each others’ backs.

When the first training session drew to a close, Freya was touched by their gratitude and waved to them as they dispersed. They were now proud to call themselves the elite members of the Geek Squad.

‘That was so cool!’ Archie cried as he practised kicking all the way to Tamika’s house. ‘Just let JP try something. He’s in for a big surprise!’

Tamika was also practising her kicks. ‘Take that, Mr Developer! You want to steal my house? Try this!’

Their laughter continued as they reached Tamika’s house. An unfamiliar car was in the driveway. ‘That could be Curtis,’ Freya suggested.

She was right. Inside the house they found Curtis and his wife sitting in the lounge with Alma. Curtis’s wife cradled Uniik in her arms. Her face was glowing as she gazed down on the baby.

‘Greta!’ Curtis cried when he saw her. ‘Come, I want you to meet my wife. This is Carol.’

Curtis’s wife stood. Her dark eyes were wide and curious and carried a trace of fear. They lingered on the lumps at Freya’s back. Curtis had told her everything and she was trying to see her wings.

‘Do you want to see them?’ Freya offered.

Carol blustered. ‘I – I don’t want to be rude.’

‘It is not being rude, you’re just curious.’ Freya removed her coat and freed her wings. ‘See,’ she said, opening them, ‘just ordinary wings.’

As Carol inhaled, Curtis reached out and took Uniik from her shaking hands. ‘It’s all right, you get used to them real quick. Soon you’ll even forget she’s got them.’ He winked at Freya. ‘Except for when you try to get her into a car. Then that’s all you hear about.’

He put on a high and teasing voice: ‘My wings this . . . and my wings that . . .’

Archie started to laugh. ‘You sound just like Gee!’

Freya also laughed. ‘I don’t sound like that!’

‘Sure you do,’ Tamika added.

Before long everyone was laughing and the tension was broken.

When they settled, Carol told Tamika what she’d told her grandmother earlier. That she was starting to investigate the developer. She’d heard rumours around town about him, but so far no charges against him had stuck.

‘Is there nothing you can do?’ Freya asked.

‘I’m only just getting started.’

‘You be careful,’ Alma warned. ‘These are bad men who will kill to get what they want.’

Carol’s dark eyes sparkled. ‘That’s just the kind of challenge I like.’ She opened her briefcase and pulled out an item. It was Freya’s scabbard. The gold casing was intact, but all the jewels had been removed. Carol handed it back to her.

‘I hope you’re not offended, but the real value was in all those jewels, not the scabbard itself. I’m arranging their sale. We’ll receive more than enough money to pay off this house. I’ll set up an account for the balance.’

Alma frowned. ‘What money? Angel, what have you done?’

Freya smiled at the old woman. ‘I asked Curtis to take my scabbard and sell it. The money will pay for your house.’

‘Angel, no,’ Alma cried. ‘That’s yours; I can’t take it!’

‘You are not taking it from me,’ Freya said. ‘I am giving it.’

‘No, it’s wrong.’

Freya looked over to Curtis. ‘I told you she wouldn’t want to take it.’ She crossed to the old woman and knelt awkwardly before her chair. ‘Please, Alma, accept this from me. I