Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them,
In the halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live forever.
May the Valkyries guide you home.”
Solveig chanted the death prayer over and over again. She said it for Veda and then for all the other soldiers who’d given their lives.
She wept harder when she found Signe’s and Idunn’s bodies, hands clasped together in a final embrace. They deserved so much more than this, but the prayer and her rage were all she had to offer.
Once she got to Asgard, she would see to it that the funeral rites were completed. She may have lost faith in the gods of old, but many still clung to their beliefs, and she would respect them.
She was halfway through another prayer, losing track of how many times she’d repeated the words, when she heard voices approaching. In a panic, Solveig stood and stepped over to place her hand on Veda’s still heart before rising quietly to her feet. Hoping it was Laeknir and not someone she’d have to kill, she crept forward, hiding in the shadows as the voices grew nearer.
“I must say, I’m impressed. I did not think you would follow through.” Solveig scowled at Ragnvald’s voice. Whoever he spoke to responded too quietly, she couldn’t make out the sound.
“We will see the rest of Vanaheim fall and then Asgard. Oh, come now, don’t be so disheartened. Our little vixen’s letter sped up our arrival timeline slightly,” Ragnvald said with feigned reassurance. “All will be as it should in the end, and you will be reunited with your love.”
Her stomach churned as she thought of the prince, but she shook the image from her mind.
“The gods have guided my path, young one. If you do not trust in me, then trust in them. This is their will.”
“Yes, my King,” came the voice of Ragnvald’s companion. Solveig’s heart stuttered to a halt. They stopped right outside the tent, their silhouettes illuminated by the low sun. Her head spun with disbelief. She had to get out of there.
She crept through the front of the infirmary just as Ragnvald entered and, right on his heels, his bald head bent low, was Laeknir.
Thetwomalesenteredfrom the back not a moment before she managed to slip through the opening of the tent flap. Hopefully they hadn’t seen her. But if she was hoping for anything, it would be to turn back time just a few minutes and unlearn that Laeknir was working with Ragnvald.
And if she turned back time, maybe she could make sure none of this had ever happened.
She thought over the decades with this new knowledge as her world shattered around her. She couldn’t breathe, the pain of betrayal working through her body like poison. The last of her ability to trust died with the sound of Laeknir’s voice.
As quietly as she could, she made her way through the remnants of camp, trying to find survivors—there were none. No signs of any living beings. But her heart leapt when she discovered a poorly hidden trail of muddy footprints leading towards the back entrance of the camp near the stables.
There weren’t many, but she hoped some of her people had survived.
She took off towards the stables, praying the prince had moved on to search elsewhere so she could follow the trail. Just as the half-burned building came into view, a cool familiar hand grabbed her arm, his scent surrounding her.
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She didn’t know what her face looked like, but she didn’t have the energy to hide her absolute devastation. “What is it?” he asked, alarm clear in his tone.
“Let go of me.” She yanked her arm from his grasp and he released her.
His dark brows furrowed. “What happened?”
“Like Hel you don’t know. You’ve been one step ahead of me since the beginning,” she spat, hating that she couldn’t keep the tremble out of her voice.
“Solveig, what are you talking about?”
“You can’t be serious,” she said, gesturing to the ruination around her.
Disbelief skewed his perfect features. “You think I knew about this? You think I would do this?”
“You yourself said you’ve done horrendous things for your people, you can add this one to the ever-growing list.”
His jaw clamped shut. Good, her accusation hit home.
