See Chapter One For Disclaimers.
NOTE: For those of you who aren't all that knowledgeable about Norse mythology, the Aesir are roughly the Norse equivalent of the Olympians. More accurately they were one of the two main factions of gods, the other were the Vanir. Please note those of you who DO know that the Valkyrie were not actually warriors, that I have and will continue to take some license with the concept. (Given the liberties that have been taken with Greek mythology in XWP, I don't think this should be too much of a problem for most of us. :))
Valkyrie Rising
Chapter Seven
Silence hung in the air like a pall, heavy and thick. There was a feeling of tension, that bizarre calm that lingers in the last instant before everything explodes. The sense of expectation was almost painful in its intensity. Ginger’s nerves were strung so tightly that she nearly screamed when a large hand closed on her arm, dragging her roughly toward the door.
She whirled, instinctively lashing out with a sweeping kick. The hand left her arm immediately, followed be a solidly satisfying thump. Even as she turned to run, a string of expletives blistered the darkness, burning her ears.
The lights came up as suddenly as they had gone down, and Gin realized that she was completely surrounded by hulking bikers. Arlen was just picking himself up of the floor, looking decidedly shamefaced. Obviously, that was who she'd just nailed. Smiling apologetically at the gangly redhead, she started back toward Megan.
The movement ran her smack into Coll’s chest. He never said a word, but he blocked her every move. Annoyed, she realized that they were determined to cut her away from the action, protecting her. Megan. Gin cursed under her breath. She had no right. If they lived through this night, Gin was going to have to kill her. Raging with frustration, she turned to watch. Sooner or later the guys would slip up and she’d be back in the thick of things.
"So." Thor’s voice echoed oddly, filling the room. "You’ve finally clawed your way out from under that rock."
"No thanks to you. You’d all have been content to leave me there." Loki’s voice was bitter, almost angry. "Now you’ll all find out how dying by inches feels."
Thor looked at him consideringly. "The Twilight? I don’t think so. You can’t stop the Valkyrie this time. She’s already begun to rise. Göndul wakes, and soon enough she’ll have her staff. You cannot win this one."
Inexplicably, Loki began to laugh. "Much good will it do her. This one," he jerked his head toward Megan, "is no virgin."
"Maybe not," the smile that crept across Thor’s face was anything but reassuring. "but as usual, you consider only the surface of things. The prophecy says she must not know the love of man, and in this lifetime she has not. Despite the obstacles, she has remained true to her Heart. As long as they stand together, the twilight cannot fall."
"Then they shall not stand together." Loki’s words were a curse, echoing with hatred. He raised one hand high over his head. From the air around him, he drew a smoldering reddish light. The air crackled angrily as the light coalesced into a pulsating orb above his outstretched hand. Snarling, he sent the ball hurtling straight toward Ginger.
The raven’s screams reverberated crazily through Megan, once more speaking to something deep inside. As she watched the interplay between Loki and Thor, her first thought was for Ginger. The little novelist must be protected at all cost. That enigmatic presence she had sensed in the lab was becoming stronger, lending her an air of eerie calm.
A furtive glance told her that Gin was safe for the moment, protectively surrounded by Coll and several of the other Nightriders. They’d managed to maneuver her closer to the door, although it looked like Arlen was slightly worse for wear. Even so, she was out of harms way. Good. For the moment she could concentrate on the tableau in front of her, intrigued by their conversation.
The two gods were facing one another down like a couple of school boys, but she had to admit they were impressive specimens. Loki’s physique came as something of a shock actually. The designer suits he’d always worn in his guise as Brennan had effectively concealed the breadth of his shoulders, masking the depth of his chest. Now, he presented a far more barbaric mien, fairly exuding a feral strength. The sheer power Megan sensed dispelled any lingering doubt she had concerning his true identity.
Even so, Thor put him to shame. His denim clad figure contrasted sharply with Loki’s rough leathers, and yet he appeared to be the more dangerous of the two. There was an aura of mastery about him, an elemental power in the very way he moved. Megan could almost feel the crackle of lightning tearing into the air around him.
The crowd was hushed, palpably anticipating the next move. The fools seemed to think this was a part of the show; they had no inkling of the peril that surrounded them. A sinking feeling pooled in the bottom of Megan’s stomach as Loki began glowing with a sickly red light. This was going to be very, very bad.
Franny watched the showdown between the two gods angrily. Who the hell did they think they were, coming in and disrupting things like this? She’d show them a thing or two. They’d be sorry they’d messed with her once Rikki arrived. Where was she anyway? She’d told Arlen she’d hurry, but there was still no sign of her. Impatiently, Franny glanced toward the group by the door. She couldn’t help but smile at the look of intense frustration on Gin’s face. If she wasn't mistaken, Megan was going to be in big trouble later.
Baldur continued to annoy the Greek, though the game had long since ceased to be amusing. He was much too easy to bait, being far too likely to let his temper rule him. All in all, the evening had been a total waste. There had been none of the conflict that Thor had feared; Loki hadn’t even shown his sorry face. Which meant he’d wasted an entire evening wandering around an icy parking lot. Absently, he looked at the long row of motorcycles and shook his head. These bikers were as ridiculously testosterone poisoned as the old Norsemen had been. Some things never changed.
The Greek was staring wildly into the shadows when a rather outlandish looking vehicle caromed into the lot. It appeared to have been a mini van at one point, but it bore little resemblance now to that conservative icon of suburban bliss. Every inch of metal had been painstakingly hand-painted, decorated with arcane symbols; every glass surface carefully etched in runes. It was a traveling power sink, a sort of psychic battery, solidly bound to the soul of its driver.
Baldur was appalled. Whoever this person was, they had to be insane. Carrying that amount of energy around was just plain suicidal. What were they trying to do, bind a demon? Oh no. The answer hit him like a bolt. Not a demon, a god. Damn. He had to warn Thor. Baldur whistled in open astonishment at the audacity, momentarily forgetting his battle of wits with the unarmed Greek god. In his distraction, he let the concealing glamour that hid him drop. It was nearly his undoing.
The erstwhile war god lunged at him instantly, knocking him to the ground. The two of them tumbled across the cold asphalt, cursing vehemently at one another. The commotion drew the attention of the group of people that were swarming out of the one-time mini van.
It was the driver that spoke first, drawing all eyes to her. Under other circumstances Baldur would have been intrigued. She was tall, taller than even the rising Valkyrie. A cascade of flaming hair tumbled nearly to her knees, forming a shifting cloak that accented her simple garb. Her features were delicate, almost ethereal. She looked far too beautiful to be dangerous, and yet, she was an extremely intimidating sight. Her voice was harsh, the cadence measured with deliberate scorn. "Pitiful, just pitiful. The gods descend to common brawling."
The disdain in her voice stung the combatants like a lash, bringing their contest to an abrupt halt. Both Gods had the good grace to look abashed, scuffing their feet like small boys.
"That’s better. Imagine scrapping like children at your age." The redheaded witch’s eyes sizzled with golden fire, daring them to take offense.
Predictably, the dark-haired war god rose to the bait immediately. "Watch yourself, Mortal. You presume too much. You have no idea…"
Her ringing laughter stopped him cold, echoing as it did through the winter air. "I would presume far more, Ares. I know who you are, both you and Baldur."
Megan watched Thor and Loki intently, desperately trying to figure out what was going on. Uncertainty held her in place, unable to chose a course of action. In the instant that Loki threatened Gin, everything crystallized. It was as if a switch had been thrown, triggering the release of whatever lurked in the depths of her soul. With nothing but the wild rush of wings to guide her, Megan lunged toward them. The crowd parted before her, clearing the way as if by magic. Her voice welled up, true and clear. "I don’t think so!" She extended her left had toward the pulsating red orb. Without pause it changed course, veering abruptly toward the ceiling.
As the light struck the ceiling, the massive wolf by Loki's side howled long and loud. It was a melancholy sound, full of ice and pain. From the depth of her being, Megan felt herself answer. For one brief second, she was Göndul – Chooser of the Slain. She-wolf and keeper of the magic staff, just as she had always been. A hundred lifetimes passed before her eyes, each fading into the next. A hundred deaths went with them, and through it all one thing remained.
In all of them, she saw her Heart - the one love in all her lives.
Fear paralyzed Gin, holding her rooted to the spot. Time slowed to a crawl, as the angry red glow loomed ever closer. Just when she thought she was totally screwed, the inexplicable happened. Without warning, Megan launched herself into the fray. Watching her former lover face down two gods to save her was a revelation to Gin. If two gods didn't scare her, it seemed unlikely that Death itself would be enough to stop her. Gin knew it with the same unthinking certainty that she knew her own name. There was no doubt that Meg would sacrifice herself to save Gin's hide.
She watched with wide eyes as Megan somehow deflected the orb away from her. What was up with that? Megan couldn't do that. Or could she? After the last few days, Gin wasn't all that sure anymore. She wasn't sure she cared either. What mattered was Meg. She had to get to her, make a stand. It was the only way.
The crowd went wild, chanting and screaming for more. Gin shook her head in disbelief as she overheard a couple discussing the quality of the pyrotechnics. It was obvious that they were enjoying the show. Clueless, all of them. These idiots would stand and applaud while the world ended if the light show was good enough. They did, however, provide Gin with a perfect opportunity. While Coll and the boys were distracted by the commotion of the crowd, she went racing toward Meagan. Together, she knew they could beat anything.
Franny was beside herself with rage. It was all Tee could do to hang on to her, for all he was twice her size. Thank God he'd gotten to her before she got herself killed. Her own safety was the last of her concerns at times like this. The blast to the ceiling seemed to have been the final straw. Rikki or no Rikki, she was determined to have her pound of flesh. She struggled vainly to throw herself into the middle of the battle, but her mate was immovable. All she could do was curse. She did, loudly and at great length. By the time she quieted, she had cast aspersions on the ancestry of nearly everyone in the room.
Megan looked down as Gin slammed into her side. There was no doubt the other woman was ready to fight. It was written in every line of her body. No. No doubt at all. Her eyes were alight with a peculiar emerald fire that said there would be no dissuading her either. She had chosen her course of action, and was determined to stay the distance.
Perhaps it was just as well. Meg's new sense of herself had faded into the background, no longer controlling her actions. Even so, she still felt the conviction that they must stand together. Her usual guilt and angst plagued her at the thought, but she did her level best to ignore it. Regardless of the cost, they could not afford to be separated now.
Rikki contemplated the two chastened gods for a moment. She had to admit they looked complacent enough at the moment, but they were gods after all. Ares in particular was not known for ignoring a slight. She had no doubt that they would turn on her the moment they thought she was defeated. It was beginning to look like her brother had been telling the truth after all. Somebody was in big trouble. Absently twisting a long copper strand of hair around her fingers, she sifted through her mind for a solution. An impish grin twisted her delicate lips as she hit on the germ of an idea.
Abruptly she summoned the other members of the Circle to her. Keeping the two recalcitrant deities in her line of sight at all times, she gave her Circlemates a series of whispered instructions. Two of them began drawing a line around the outer edges of the Black Java, enclosing both the building and the parking lot within its confines. Cornered to the elements, another four began setting up small braziers. A sixth moved the van as close to the center of the enclosure as possible, while a seventh made a series of hurried calls from a cell phone. The other five people sat in a semi-circle on the icy ground in front of the van, apparently doing nothing.
Rikki herself fixed Ares and Baldur with a steady glare. The two began to fidget under her regard, but forbore to say anything. Baldur was watching the preparations uneasily, while Ares appeared to be sulking. Not a good sign. Somehow, she had to keep them off balance until everything was ready. She couldn't let them disrupt the casting that would come later. Abruptly she straightened and walked toward them, doing her best imitation of her brother. Arlen was really good at unspoken threats, hopefully she could do as well. "So boys, which one of you wants to be first?" was all she said.
(c) M.C. Sak 2000