Damn, I nearly hurled again.
I swallowed back my bile and shook my head.
My chest still hurt, along with my arm, and the back of my head. Assorted other pains covered my body. What had they done, kick me to death after…I looked down at my chest. My shirt had a horizontal tear in it over my heart. Blood soaked my clothes and not just my shirt. My brand new shorts were solid red.
“Oh, hell. That should have killed me,” I said as I raised my eyes to the woman. She looked just like what I expected a Valkyrie to look like. “Damn, I mean, sorry for the language and all, but are you a Valkyrie?”
Her head cocked to one side and she stared at me. “Yes, I serve Fate and she has–”
“Let me stop you right there. You work for Verðandi, right?”
“Yes, certainly,” the goddess said, her face puzzled.
“And you reap the dead from battlefields to provide Wanderers for Verðandi’s service?”
“You seem very well informed for one so young,” she said as a quizzical smile spread across her face.
“Ah, well, I’ve met Raphael Semmes.”
Her eyes widened, and she nodded slowly. “That would explain much.”
She turned toward her mount and before I could object, she was mounted, and the beast was getting ready to leap into the air.
“Wait!” I yelled. “Can’t I get an explanation from you? I thought you only reaped warriors who fell on the battlefield.”
She smiled warmly at me and then waved a hand across the rooftop. “This was a battlefield this day, and you fought bravely. That is the only requirement.”
“But–”
But nothing, her mount leapt into the air, and they disappeared through a portal before I could get my next question out.
That left me alone in the gathering twilight on a roof in Cancun, Mexico. I was covered in blood, my own blood, and I was still bleeding. I felt weak, almost too weak to keep standing. I hurt, mostly in the chest, but in enough other places to want to scream. Why hadn’t the Valkyrie healed more of my wounds? I guessed she had healed whatever wound had killed me but couldn’t she have stuck around to take care of the rest?
No, matter. I started toward the roof entrance I’d earlier come through.
It took me several minutes to get back to my room. I only fell twice, once on the roof, and then again in the hallway when I was trying to get my keycard out for the door. Letting the heavy door fall shut behind me, I managed to make it to the nightstand beside the bed. I opened the drawer and removed the small leather-bound grimoire that contained the few spells Raphael had been willing to let me copy.
Sitting down on the bed, I turned on the bedside lamp and then opened the little book to the second spell. It was the healing spell Rafe had taught Tess and then she’d taught me.
I felt for a ley line but then remembered that I hadn’t seen one when I arrived. The closest one was miles away, too far to let me draw enough power to activate the healing spell.
Then I laughed out loud. I no longer needed a ley line. I was a Wanderer. For a moment, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop laughing. It was ridiculous; I was no warrior. I could fight, and I’d had some self-defense classes, but obviously not enough to handle myself against five thugs.
I raised the grimoire in my bloody left hand. While reading, I formed the spell’s pattern with my right hand. There was a familiar pop of power as the spell activated. A warmth swept over me as the magic began to mend my injuries.
Setting the book aside, I fell back onto the bed and passed out.
A woman’s scream awoke me.
I sat up and stared around. What had happened? Oh, yeah, the Valkyrie.
Turning to face the door, I saw the source of the scream. It was the maid I’d met the day before. She’d dropped a basket of cleaning supplies and had her hands to her mouth.
“It’s okay,” I said, raising a hand. “I’m okay.”
Her hands lowered shakily, and she made a visible effort to gather her wits. “Why are you covered in blood?”
I laughed. “Some party last night. A friend got me drunk and then decided to prank me by drenching me in blood and leaving me in my bed.”
The maid looked skeptical.
“Seriously,” I said, standing. “Look, I’m fine.”
I was fine. I glanced at the clock; it was nearly noon. I must have slept for fourteen or more hours. The healing spell had carried on its work, just as Tess said it would. I’d used it a few times for practice, healing small cuts and even one stumped toe in the months since Tess and Rafe left, but I wasn’t sure how well it would work on the grievous wounds I’d suffered on the roof.
The maid, Estella, I think, glared at the bedspread. “Do you know how hard it is to get blood out of that?”
“I’m sorry about that, Estella. I had no idea they’d take their stupid joke so far. Here…” I got my wallet off the dresser. “Let me make it up to you.”
I pulled out a twenty and offered it to her.
She eyed the bill suspiciously.
I pulled two more twenties from my wallet and held them out with the first bill.
Estella reached slowly for them as if she was still reluctant to take the money. As her fingers gripped the extended bills, I tightened my own grip on them.
Her eyes met mine.
“We won’t mention this to anyone else, will we?” I asked.
“Si.” Estella nodded.
