Valkyrie (Kate O'Hearn) - By Kate O'Hearn Page 0,80

Freya and Maya. But when JP and his gang shoved their way into the room, word spread of his arrival and the crowds parted fearfully to let him through.

The moment the Principal caught sight of JP, she shouted to another teacher, ‘Call the police!’

JP stalked closer to the stage and shouted, ‘Valkyries!’

He was wearing Freya’s silver breastplate over his shirt. In his hand he was clutching her sword. He pulled it from its sheath and the lights in the room glinted off the polished steel. He pointed the tip of the blade at Freya. ‘She’s a black-winged freak! A Valkyrie, an Angel of Death sent here to kill all of you!’

Freya and Maya both looked at JP. Suddenly they realized what he and another member of his gang held in their hands. It was their winged helmets.

‘No!’ Freya howled as JP lifted the one he was holding and pulled it on his head.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

There was no reaction from the humans in the room – their ears could not pick up the high-pitched squealing from the two distressed winged helmets. But the Valkyries could.

Freya put her hands to her ears and tried to block out the terrible sounds. Her sister was bent over and crying in agony. Both ravens cawed and shrieked in pain.

‘We’ve got to go!’ Maya screamed, reaching for Freya. ‘Odin will hear that! He’ll come for us!’

‘Odin?’ Dr Klobucher demanded. ‘What will he hear?’

Freya pointed a shaking finger at JP and shouted over the sounds. ‘It is forbidden for living humans to wear our helmets! Odin will hear their cries of distress and come for them.’

Both Freya and Maya were being deafened by the sounds from the helmets, but for everyone else in the hall, there was only silence. So they heard Freya’s shouted response to the Principal.

‘See what I mean!’ JP cried. ‘They’re both monsters!’

Confused expressions turned to fear as the students moved away from the DJ’s podium.

‘He’s lying!’

Freya heard Archie’s voice rising above the sound of the helmets. She looked into the crowd and saw him, with the Geek Squad, charging forward. ‘They’re just causing trouble.’

JP turned the sword on him.

‘What are you going to do?’ Archie demanded, facing the bully. ‘Kill all of us? Go on, try it, in front of all these witnesses! Use the sword. But I swear you won’t get out of here alive.’

‘Archie, stop!’ Freya shouted desperately. Was this it? Was this how Archie was to die? Murdered by JP, using her sword?

Archie looked up to her. ‘No, Gee, for too long we’ve all been terrified of JP and his gang. But not any more. I won’t be bullied by him or anyone else!’ Archie advanced on the bully. ‘Take off the helmets. Right now!’

‘No, Archie!’ Freya howled.

‘Who’s gonna make me?’ JP spat as he advanced on Archie. ‘You?’

Archie nodded.

‘And me!’ Leo Max added. ‘C’mon, everyone, let’s get him!’

JP took a frightened step backwards. ‘Stay back!’ He raised the sword in the air and swished it back and forth. ‘I swear I’ll kill anyone who comes near me! Just stay back.’

Suddenly all the windows in the gym shattered. Ferocious howling screams came from the entrance doors. Everyone turned and started screaming in terror at the sight.

Two creatures stood at the doors. They were dressed in long, flowing, hooded cloaks that covered their heads and obscured their faces. Black armour could be seen beneath their dark cloaks. Huge black wings extended from their backs. In each gloved hand they carried a sword with a black blade. If it were possible, they were blacker than the darkest night and seemed to absorb light.

Both creatures threw back their heads and howled again.

‘Dark Searchers!’ Maya screamed. ‘Odin sent the Searchers after us!’

Freya had never seen one before, let alone two. They were so much worse than she’d ever imagined.

Freya shouted to the room. ‘Everyone get out of here! They are after us, but will kill anyone who gets in their way!’

The two Dark Searchers stormed into the gym. Their heads were panning back and forth over the crowds, searching, searching, and searching until they found JP and his friend, wearing the Valkyrie helmets. They raised their swords and charged forward.

‘Take off your helmets!’ Freya cried frantically. ‘They are calling them!’

JP and his friend shrieked in terror as the two monstrous creatures ran at them.

‘The helmets!’ Maya shouted. ‘Take them off!’

JP’s friend was the first to understand. He pulled off his helmet and cast it aside. One of the Dark Searchers followed it as it rolled