Part 3 (1/2)

Kerr put his hand around mine and started to walk. He stopped and closed his eyes. He turned his head to the side and looked like he was in pain for a moment before letting out a gasp and grabbing me tight. ”Come, we need to get you home.”

”You mean we need to get us home, right?”

He didn't answer me. I pulled on him to stop moving. ”Kerr, what did you see?”

He turned around quickly and kissed my lips. He put his hand on my stomach and pulled me close to him. ”Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll go back to Valhalla. We'll have another chance at happiness, I'm sure of it. Do not mourn yer losses, for we will meet again.”

”Kerr?”

He scared me. I went to reach up for him and heard a rustle in the bushes off to our right. Kerr grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the second ridge. Two men jumped out in front of us. In a matter of seconds, their faces were twisted and fangs were showing. They let out ear piercing screams and focused their eyes on Kerr. ”You're the one we've been looking for.”

Kerr tried to move me behind him, but I gave him a hard time about going. ”It doesn't matter what you turn me into, I'll never fight on yer side, demon or not. I will walk in the light of day and perish before I aid you in hurtin' the innocent.”

I turned and looked at him. That's what he'd seen! He knew what was going to happen-they were going to try to turn him! I had to stop it. I couldn't let them turn Kerr into a vampire. I called upon my power, the same power that set me apart from the other Valkyries and I concentrated it in their direction. I sent a force of wind so great at them that it sent their bodies hurtling backwards and into the trees. One stopped moving when a branch went straight through his heart-the other looked like he'd just had the wind knocked out of him.

”Kill her and turn him.” I heard Corbin's cold voice say from behind me.

I spun around to find at least twenty other demon-guards waiting for us. Kerr turned to me. ”Go, run, go home. We will meet again, Valkyrie, I promise.”

”NO! I'm not leaving you here with them.” I brought more power up and sent another blast of gale force wind towards the vampires. I managed to knock a few out of commission but the rest came swarming at us. Kerr sent one flying backwards with his bare hand. He caught another by the neck and twisted it quickly.

Three came at me. Two with their swords drawn and one with a pistol pointed at me. I tried to bring more power up, I'd never attempted to use so much in such a short period of time before and wasn't sure I could. The pistol went off and I tried to move out of the line of fire, but felt the bullet rip through my lower abdomen. Kerr screamed out for me, and I fell forward clutching the dying dreams of having a family with him.

I looked up at Kerr and saw his blue eyes fill with water, then turn to rage. He twisted around and sent another vampire flying away from him. I pushed to my feet to help him. I struck out and managed to hit one in the neck. I felt my fingers crush its windpipe and was disappointed that I didn't take its head off. I pulled upon what power I had left and waited for the next one to come at me. As soon as it did, I cried out ”core,” and felt my hand pa.s.s right through its chest. I seized hold of its heart and brought my foot up to push it backwards. I kept hold of its beating heart and then tossed it aside. I turned to try and repeat my performance on another one and heard the sound of another pistol going off. A hot searing pain ripped through my upper back. I screamed out and found it cut short by the quick coughing up of blood.

I fell forward and felt someone grab a hold of my hair. My head was pulled back and I found myself looking into the very p.i.s.sed off face of Corbin. I smiled and spit blood at him. His tongue flickered out and he retrieved all of it. I felt the vomit rising up in me and had to fight to keep it down. He pushed me to the ground and kicked me hard in the gut. His boot came at me again and again. I screamed out and tried to grab his foot. I wanted to rip his leg and beat him with it-did that make me a monster too?

Corbin's body was ripped away from mine, and tossed aside. Kerr dropped down in front of me. ”Oh G.o.d, Valkyrie, yer bleedin' all over.”

A cramp in my stomach made me cry out again and I reached for Kerr's hand. ”The baby.... ”I gagged on my own blood. It would take the care of other Valkyries to piece me together again, but I knew that the baby was lost.

Kerr leaned down to pick me up. ”No worries about that now, la.s.s, we need to get you home.”

”But, the.... ”I tried to talk again.

”I love you no matter what, Valkyrie,” he said before his body was suddenly pulled away from mine. I looked up to see Kerr being dragged backwards by four vampires and Corbin standing over him-looking ominous, like a cloud before the storm.

”Hold his head still, I have never seen a human with this much strength, imagine how powerful he will be soon when our blood runs through his veins.”

The vampires bared Kerr's neck to Corbin and I fought to stand up. Kerr never made a sound as Corbin sunk his fangs deep into him. I staggered and fell backwards, and felt the air around me change. The portal opened. I must have fallen into its path. I tried to walk forward to go to Kerr, but strong arms grabbed me from behind.”Linnea, oh my G.o.d, what happened...?” I heard Beau's voice stop dead when he saw the swarm of vampires on Kerr.

”Help him.... ”I coughed and went limp.

Beau picked me up and looked towards Kerr-Kerr's eyes locked on mine and I saw them start to swirl to black. He was dying and the change was taking place. I reached out for him.

”Take her and GO!” Kerr cried out through gritted teeth.

Beau backed up into the portal and tried to calm me down as I cried out for Kerr.

Chapter 9.

”Won't you at least see him for just a few minutes?” My mother asked.

I folded my arms in the chair and turned my face away from her. She tossed her hands in the air. ”Beau doesn't deserve this treatment. The man went against the elders for you. He found his way to you through a portal and brought you back to us safe.

Freezing him out for a year isn't right, you should be thanking him. They're talking about allowing him a say on the board now, you know.”

That made me turn my head and look at her. Getting a say on the board was a huge deal and it wasn't given to just anyone, especially not a man. My mother looked out towards the field. No men were training there today, no, today they were out learning the art of firearms and that was much too noisy to have near the homes. ”Linnea, you've been working yourself too hard. You should take a break. Bringing in six new recruits a week is insane. You can't keep going like this, it will....”

I stood up. ”It'll what, Mother, kill me?” I pulled my s.h.i.+rt up, revealing my unmarred torso to her. ”Many have tried to kill me and look,” I ran my hand over my smooth, tight, skin, ”not a scratch.”

She looked past me and spoke softly. ”I know that you fell in love with him.”

”Beau?” I asked, shocked that my mother would think that I loved Beau.

”No, the potential that you went to the Highlands for, the Scot, Bhreac, and I know that he was lost to the other side. Your heart will never truly heal the loss of him, but someone else will come along and fill that gaping hole that you feel now, trust me.”

”Don't be silly, Mother. I only knew Kerr a couple of weeks. I was foolish to marry him.” Even I knew this was a lie. I loved Kerr from the moment I saw him and would until I took my final breath.

My mother laughed and then smiled. ”Linnea, it only takes a moment to fall in love, and even the shortest of love affairs can stay in your heart for a lifetime.”

”You sound like you speak from experience, Mother.”

”I do, now go and finish up this run, then when you return home, take some time, and mend fences with your friend Beau. He meant well, and now that he is in the favor of the elders they may be willing to make an exception to their rules for the two of you.”

I turned and headed out of the room. I wasn't going to discuss the idea of marrying Beau, it was preposterous. My mother was right on one thing. I was overdue for some rest time. I'd been burying myself in work since I'd lost Kerr, and she was right about Beau, not in the sense of marriage, but that I did need to work things out with him. As much as I hated to admit it, he'd done what needed to be done. Kerr was lost to me, and to our cause, forever. Knowing this made it hurt more. It wasn't supposed to hurt still, it had been a year-it should have felt better, right?

I walked into my room and headed for my wardrobe. I stood in front of it and put my palm on it. ”Rome, 351 AD,” I said softly. I opened the door and found it full of the clothing I'd need to blend in. After my experience in the Highlands, I'd returned home and bewitched my wardrobe to produce costumes suitable to each time frame I traveled to.

I reached in and pulled out the white knee-length tunica. It seemed shorter when I put it on, but it'd have to do. I didn't want to be mistaken for a wh.o.r.e again. I grabbed hold of the white stola and draped it over myself. It went to the floor and was slit up the side. I had a hard time getting the shoulder clasps done, but managed. I glanced in the mirror and shook my head at the high waisted dress ... it wasn't very flattering. I pulled out the golden cords and wrapped them around my body. They served two purposes-they slimmed out the unflattering garment and gave me places to tuck my weapons. I put the palla back in the wardrobe, a shawl would normally do, but I needed the red cloak, it would better hide the sword that I took along. I slipped into my sandals and stood back to admire my handiwork.

I frowned when I saw my waist-length black hair flowing freely. From what I knew of Rome, which wasn't much since it was to be my first trip there, the women wore their hair up. I wasn't very good at doing anything with hair above and beyond brus.h.i.+ng it. I said a quick chant and hoped for the best. I opened my eyes to find my hair piled high on my head. It was curly now, and long ringlets fell loose down my shoulders and back. I didn't have much faith that this hairstyle would hold up through the portal, but I went ahead with my mission anyway.

I glanced down at the parchment in my hand. I looked for a Roman soldier named Gregorios. He was twenty-three and had been rumored to have supernatural gifts. My jaw tightened when I read this again. I had refused to go on any more hunts for gifted recruits after Kerr. Gregorios was to be my first in a year. According to my paperwork, I'd find Gregorios in the battle of Mursa.

He was more than qualified in the bravery department and the speculation that he possessed special gifts only added to his appeal.

I'd become very focused on the mission. I wanted to prevent the Apocalypse from coming and I wanted to defeat evil, but most of all, I wanted to take out my frustrations on any demon I could, and I knew that they'd be crawling all over this recruit-revenge would serve just fine cold.

Chapter 10.