Valkyrie (15 page)

It felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach. Archie was telling her to leave. His face was red and he was growing angry. His emotions were coming at her in waves too fast for her to understand.

‘Don’t you like me any more?’ Freya asked in a shallow voice.

‘What?’ Archie demanded.

‘Is that why you want me to go? You don’t like me and have been waiting for a reason to send me away!’

‘Is that what you think?’ Archie cried. ‘That I don’t like you?’

Freya couldn’t face him. Instead she just nodded.

‘Gee, no.’ Archie moved his chair closer to her and took her gloved hands. ‘You’re the first friend I’ve ever had. I care more for you than I’ve ever cared for anyone in my whole life! You mean everything to me.’

‘Then why are you sending me away?’

‘I don’t want to,’ Archie insisted. ‘But you must go back. I couldn’t bear it if Odin did to you what he did to that other Valkyrie. It will kill me when you leave, but I’d rather lose you now, knowing you will be safe, than see you hurt.’

‘But I won’t be hurt,’ Freya insisted. ‘Archie, time moves differently between Earth and Asgard. It is still the same night that I left there, while days and days have passed here. There is plenty of time for me to do what I came here for. Asgard’s dawn is still Earth-weeks away.’

‘But, Gee, if you get hurt, I couldn’t bear it.’

‘I won’t,’ Freya insisted. ‘And I know I’ve got to go back – but can’t we have just a little more time? Please, Archie, let me stay.’

‘Do you promise you’ll be safe?’

Freya nodded. ‘I promise. Just a little while longer, that’s all.’

Archie nodded. ‘All right, as long as you are safe.’

Freya and Archie realized they had another big problem. A problem that looked like a horse, but one that had black- and chestnut-coloured wings.

‘If my mom comes home and sees her she’ll have a fit!’ Archie said as he stroked the mare’s soft muzzle.

‘But if Sylt returns to Asgard she could be used to lead others to us. Look how easily Maya found me. Keeping her here is the only way. Besides, your mother hasn’t been home since I arrived. Perhaps she won’t return until I’ve gone.’

Archie didn’t look convinced. ‘What do we feed her? I don’t have a lot of extra money to buy straw or hay or whatever she eats. What about exercise? She can’t spend all the time in the house.’

‘Simple,’ Freya said. ‘During the day while we’re at school, we can hide her in your garage. We’ll leave bowls of whatever we eat and water. Then at night I can take her out to find grains and grass and other food. We can do this, Archie, I know we can.’

Archie was stroking the mare’s neck. ‘I’ve never ridden a horse before.’

‘Then tonight, after it gets dark, if you want you can ride her while we go find food.’

CHAPTER TWENTY

A
fter school F
reya stood in front of the Geek Squad in Leo Max’s back yard for their first self-defence session. There were even more kids than Freya first met and she was now faced with eleven students. Mostly boys, but both Elizabeth and Connie were there too – looking just as frightened and anxious as everyone else.

Archie and Tamika were also there, 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 want to do it. Those jewels meant nothing to me, but they will protect you, and that means everything.’

‘But it’s too generous,’ the old woman said. ‘You are giving me all your money.’

‘Not all,’ Carol cut in. ‘Just a fraction of it. Greta is very wealthy.’

There was a sharp intake of breath from everyone in the room.

‘Gee,’ Archie cried. ‘You’re rich!’

Freya shrugged. ‘I don’t want the money. Split it up between Alma and Tamika, Archie and you and Curtis.’

‘Angel, you can’t do that,’ Alma said.

‘You all need it more than me,’ Freya insisted. ‘Alma, you can pay for Tamika’s and Uniik’s education.’ Her eyes settled on Archie. ‘And you can open your own hair salon and maybe learn to cook more than macaroni and cheese.’

‘You’re giving it all away?’ Carol asked. ‘Why?’

‘Because we don’t use human money in Asgard; it has no value there.’

Curtis rose and approached Freya. ‘Are you sure about this? It’s a lot of money.’

‘Absolutely.’ Freya focused on Alma again. ‘But I would be grateful if we could use a bit of it to buy some fabric. I need some more clothes for school. Would you help me?’

The old woman rose painfully to her feet. ‘Angel, I have been waiting to hear you say those words! I would love to make you more clothes.’

‘I know exactly what you’re doing, Angel.’ Alma looked at Freya as she helped the old woman prepare dinner.

‘What?’ Freya asked as she chopped vegetables.

‘I know, and I am truly grateful.’

Putting down the knife, Freya looked at the old woman. ‘I really don’t understand.’

‘Yes, you do. The moment you found out I had cancer, you were thinking of Curtis and his wife for Tamika and Uniik.’

‘You’re busted!’
Orus laughed, using his new favourite expression from television.

Freya sighed and pulled out a chair for Alma to sit. ‘I promised your son I would see his girls protected. He didn’t know what the danger was at the time, but his family was all he thought about. And I know how much you’ve been worrying about them.’

Alma shook her head. ‘The thought of my two girls in care is more than I can bear.’

‘Tamika is just as frightened,’ Freya said. ‘She knows you are very ill. Though she doesn’t say anything, she is terrified for Uniik. She thinks they will be separated.’

‘So you thought of Curtis Banks.’

‘Not at first,’ Freya admitted. ‘But from the moment I met him, I knew he was a good man. It was only when I saw him the second time that I put it all together. He and his wife have no children, but desperately want them. Tamika and Uniik have no parents and you are ill. It seems the perfect match.’

The old woman chuckled. ‘I may not be an angel with the power to know people’s hearts, but I have lived a very long time and met a lot of people. The Bankses are good folk and would care for my girls.’

Freya tilted her head to the side and smiled. ‘There isn’t an Angel of Death beside you just yet. Take the time you have left to get to know Curtis and Carol better.’

‘I don’t have to – I already know,’ the old woman said. ‘But I will take this time before I go to let Tamika get to know them.’

After dinner, Archie could barely contain his excitement. He practically skipped along the pavement.

‘Are you that happy about the money?’

Archie shook his head. ‘Nope. Tonight you said you’d let me ride your winged horse. I can’t wait!’

Freya laughed. ‘Then let’s get home and we can go.’

Sylt had been made comfortable in the garage. But she nickered excitedly when Freya approached her.

‘Are you ready to fly?’ she asked the mare. She looked at Archie and saw his eyes were wide and filled with anticipation.

‘All right, Archie, I want you to start stroking her neck and then move down to her wings. Sylt has never been ridden by a living human before. She may be a bit nervous. But if you reassure her, I’m sure she’ll be fine.’

Archie did everything he was told to do. Before long, Sylt opened her wings and invited him up on her back. Freya helped hoist him up.

Archie offered his hand. ‘Are you coming up too?’

Freya shook her head. ‘I’ve got my own wings that I need to stretch. Besides, I can’t risk my hair or something else touching you. But I’ll be right beside you all the way.’

‘Me too!’
Orus added.

They took off from the back yard.

Climbing high in the night sky, Freya felt all of Archie’s emotions. Fear and great joy all mixed together as he learned to use the reins to direct Sylt in the air.

They headed over the Chicago skyline. And despite everything she felt rising from the street, Freya remained with Archie. The police would have to take care of the criminals by themselves for one night.

They flew away from the Chicago area and towards the open fields and farms of central Illinois. Freya watched Sylt closely. When the mare opened her nostrils and started to sniff, she knew they had found somewhere for her to eat.

Soaring closer to Archie, Freya watched the excitement in his eyes. He was having the best time of his life. She hated to end it, but Sylt needed food. Finally she called over to him to let him know they were going down.

As Freya tilted her wings and descended, the Reaping Mare followed. They touched down in the middle of fields that had recently been harvested. Archie slid off the mare and hugged her neck. ‘Sylt, you’re the best!’

Sylt turned her head back to him and neighed. Then she focused on eating what was left after the harvest.

‘I can’t believe it!’ Archie cried. ‘I’ve never had so much fun in all my life.’

Freya laughed. His face was flushed from the chill of the night air and the excitement. He could hardly stand still. ‘Can we go out again tomorrow night?’

‘Sure. We’ll have to do it every night. Sylt needs food and exercise. But, Archie, we can’t be out as long as this each time.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because you’re human. You need to sleep!’

‘I’m not tired.’

‘You will be.’

Archie was still stroking Sylt as she munched on the grain. ‘Gee, you sure are pretty when you fly. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you do it.’

Freya grinned. ‘I love flying. Sometimes late at night in Asgard, Orus and I would go out until it was light.’

‘I’d sure like to see that.’

‘I really wish you could,’ Freya admitted.

It was getting very late when they brought Sylt back to the garage. Despite the hour, Archie was wide awake. ‘I can’t wait for tomorrow night,’ he said brightly. ‘That was too cool. Best ride I’ve ever had.’