Page 16 of Between Broomsticks and Beating Wings
“Different gods?” Kari asked, her fiddling hands stilling. I wasn’t sure why I was telling her all of this. None of it mattered anymore. It hadn’t mattered for a long time now.
“Yes, though my civilization has since fallen. I consider Valhalla home now.”
“Sometimes, I forget there are other gods.”
It’d been so long since I spoke of my home, and I felt important details already slipping away. “There’s so much more out there than most people will ever know,” I admitted. “My people’s Allfather was not Odin. His name is Zeus, and he was our King of Gods.”
“Was?”
“He still lives, though his followers are scattered across his realm, no longer the strong civilization we once were. Thalassa, my original home, fell shortly after I was chosen to be a valkyrie, though unrelated, I assure you.” When I spoke, Kari absorbed every morsel of information she could, soaking in every syllable, every inflection. Why was I still droning on about my past? Getting to know her, and her getting to know me, wouldn’t help anyone.
She held up the dress in her hands. “Turn around, please.”
I did as she asked with an amused chuckle, remembering when I first joined the House of Wings. I’d been so awkward around my sisters, uncertain about changing before them, despite sharing a room with ten other girls.
When I heard the silk robe hit the floor, all thoughts of the early days with the sisterhood fled my mind. I didn’t realize how many reflective surfaces there truly were in here until they all stood before me and tempted me with their shiny secrets. I kept my eyes on the floor, much like Kari had, for fear I’d see something she’d rather me not. Even on all those nights I watched her, never once did I allow myself to witness something I shouldn’t have. I would reserve that honor until she begged itof me. Only then would I fully admire her in all her very real glory. Glory that surely rivaled Odin’s.
I heard Kari turn around, and I assumed it was safe to lift my eyes. The cream dress she wore was flowy and had the beauty of Valhalla’s finest. I’d never worn the dress myself, though I’d been gifted the piece from Odin. I was proud to own it, even if I found that the fabric cut around the chest was far too low. I preferred my leathers, but Kari, well…she was magnificent.
Her lips wobbled, and she raised a shaking palm to her shoulder. Before she could cover herself, I noticed splotches of red seeping through the cream capped sleeve of the dress, and she said, “I, I’m sorry. This dress is beautiful, but?—”
“We don’t have anything more practical here, unless you want to throw on some combat gear,” I cut her off, already on my way to inspect her wound. “Your bandages will need to be changed again and your wound healed. I will call for?—”
“No! I’ll do it,” she said, already peeling the sleeve of her dress off, biting her lip as she did. “I guess those healing waters weren’t so healing after all.”
“Or maybe you reopened the stitches on your many tumbles through the bathing chamber,” I uttered under my breath. She shot me a look that said me and my many reflective surfaces were to blame. My stomach turned at the mere sight of her, though she was not what I expected. I should have known a seeress running through forests screaming at flies and ghosts would be, well…unique, but I hadn’t expected her anger. Flies and ghosts were one thing, but she had no qualms about snapping at one of Odin’s attendants, even one whosavedher.
“Let me grab a cloth.”
“It’s fine, I can?—”
“I’m grabbing a cloth,” I stated, my words stone. Her mouth gaped then shut, as if she thought better of continuing this fightI’d surely win. I riffled through cabinets in the bathing chamber, yanking a small cloth free.
What had Bodil used, and why did she take it with her?
I scanned the contents of bottled jars upon the counter, popping a few open to take a whiff, as if that would suddenly give me the knowledge I needed.
“I’m a healer, you know!” she shouted from the bedchamber. “If you insist on collecting the materials yourself, I need yarrow, vinegar, and a strip of cloth.”
Her shout curdled my blood. Yes, she had cried, she had squealed, butthisshout? She may as well have screamed out to everyone in the house that she didn’t belong. If one of the sisters was a healer in their mortal life, they gave up such titles long ago. We were valkyries, nothing more, nothing less.
I stalked from the bathing chamber, cloth gripped in my fist. “Keep. Your. Voice. Down.”
The door to my chamber swung open, Rayna standing in the doorway with wild perplexity. Kari stiffened, and the two women stared at each other as if neither was sure the other was safe. Rayna slowly shut the door behind her, looking from me to Kari. I didn’t move as Rayna closed in to inspect the seeress. Even as she stood a mere foot before her, Kari craning her neck to look at the valkyrie, I kept my position. Rayna needed this. She needed to see this woman she’d never met yet knew far too much about.
“You’re both making too much noise, especially you,” she hissed, her eyes darting back to Kari. “You want to live, yes?”
“I suppose.” Kari swallowed.
“You suppose?” Rayna scoffed. “What a choice, Rune.”
My sister picked up a strand of Kari’s strawberry blonde hair. Rayna’s hair had looked similar once, when I’d drunkenly dipped her golden braids into a pot of boiled lingonberry. The white pieces of her hair remained untouched, but the rest ofit had been stained all day. I tried to keep my face steady as memories of her reaction flooded my mind.
“Leave her be,” I finally said, motioning to Rayna’s hand still clutching the seeress’ wet strands. Rayna rolled her eyes and shook her head, dropping the hair a moment later.
“This decision will be your end, Rune,” she said. “If you want to keep her alive, send her back.”
“Of course she’s going back.” My teeth ground against each other. I didn’t want a fight with Rayna, but gods, she was making this all so much harder.
