The community centerwas Bertie’s thing. The events she planned were her thing. Ordinary was her thing.
And the Feather she used to claim Ordinary was her thing.
Why she wasn’t tearing the town apart to find the Feather was beyond me. I was thankful, sure, but confused.
Crow had said only someone she trusted could lift her Feather.
But Crow was a trickster god. I knew he wouldn’t let a little truth get in the way of mischief.
The interior of the old-school-turned-community center was cool and smelled of lemon cleaner, the floors scuffed from years of students’ shoes running through the halls. The hollow, thudding echo of my boots snapped back at me from the empty offices, open spaces, and meeting areas. Another, sharper footfall joined mine, and I knew I was being followed.
“Delaney.”
I turned. Ordinary’s only Valkyrie wore a blood-red silk blouse, a heavier bolero jacket in a subtle wash of purple. The wide-legged black pants brought the whole look together, as did the knife in her hand.
“Hi, Bertie. I…your Feather? It’s stolen?”
One well-groomed eyebrow ticked upward. “Come into my office. Sit.”
She arrowed past me and was around her desk and settled before I’d even gotten through the doorway.
Bertie watched me with hawk eyes.
“Crow said he tried to steal a Feather once. A Valkyrie Feather.” I dropped into the chair, then sat up straighter. Coming into this office felt like sitting in front of the principal, no matter how old I was.
“Did he?” she said. “I am not surprised.” The knife was not in her hand. It was slipped, along with three other blades, into a carving block on one side of her desk. “I reported it stolen yesterday and requested to talk to you.”
“I’m sorry you’ve had to wait. So what can you tell me about it? When did you last see it?”
She was so still for a second or two, I glanced at her chest to make sure she was still breathing.
“The Feather was here when you were here Wednesday afternoon, Delaney. It was gone after that.”
I pulled my notebook out and clicked the pen. “Did anyone else come through? To see you?”
“Yes. Many people. I held a local vendor pre-event orientation.”
“Can I get a list of who was here?”
She leaned to one side, opened a drawer, and retrieved a single piece of paper.
“Can I keep this?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you. So is there anyone you know who would have wanted the Feather…um…anyone you’d trust enough that they could take it?”
Her hands spread across the top of the desk. “Delaney. I think you need to be very honest with me.”
“Sure. I’m asking about the trust thing because Crow said you may already know who took your Feather.”
“Crow.” The way she said it sounded like she needed to rinse out her mouth. “He thinks he understands Valkyrie Feathers?”
“He did try to steal one.”
“So you said, but he was not successful, was he? What did he tell you?”
“He thinks Valkyrie Feathers are used to claim territory.”
