Chapter 8: Samantha - Compound Fracture

8

Compound Fracture

Samantha

As soon I had managed to get the girls evacuated from the hookah lounge, and managed to scare away Joshua, I went to check on Brittany—who also was unconscious, but she was breathing, and then I saw her come back to reality, slightly dazed.

“What happened?” she asked me. She curiously looked around. Not seeing everyone. Not Kait, nor the others. “Where is everyone?”

“I got them out.” I told her in a steady breath. Trying to hold back my emotions. “They’re safe.”

I looked with her over at the dead body of Adrian, and I couldn’t help feeling like it was my fault. Like most tragic events that seemed to happen to me.

Ever since I assumed the role of being what I was—a Valkyrie, I never felt like I was good enough to their standards. I never felt worthy of being such a warrior.

Not until I saw Kaitlyn, and all the hell she had gone through

“Aw, how touching.” Her silky voice, which was also as calm as a spring breeze, echoed all around the dark room. “You and Brittany, side by side, ready to die again. Breaking you—body and spirit will be something for me to take immense pleasure in.”

Rising to my feet, I tried to remain calm. But I knew better—that was no longer possible. She had to pay.

She took a life.

I owed her for taking one.

“Come out you fucking coward!” I shouted, my voice echoing in the area. “Or are you that much of a spineless woman that you only strike when you see it’s convenient.”

Just then, a force of energy struck me so hard that I was thrown through the air by at least three feet and losing my sword from hand in the process.

As I crashed into the brick side of the wall, she advanced towards me as she started to swing her thick sword down and through the shock that I was reeling from---I hastily clamored for mine, and reflectively blocked her blow which caused a loud clanging sound to reverberate through the place.

However, it was…. enough.

It had bought me enough time for me to get to my feet. And I could sense that she was bloodthirsty for revenge since I stood her up for death the last time.

She continued her assault once more, with a long, thick broadsword in her hand. It looked like it was twice her weight and would typically slow her down, but she moved fast despite it.

She swung at me again, and this time I had to duck and roll away to avoid taking a hit from it. As I rolled on my side, I had to also watch to see what tricks she could try to pull off.

The darkness didn’t supply me any advantages. If anything, it made this fight severely out of favor for me. I had to make sure that I could keep my eyes adjusting to the dim light that this building had.

She flew at me with lighting quick speed and caused it to where I had to roll to my left to avoid her strike, but in doing so, I knew I couldn’t dodge her strikes forever—I had to go on the offensive.

I had to find a way to twist the odds in my favor. And quickly if I wanted to avoid killed alive by her sword, and her extremely potent dark magic.

Scanning the area as quickly as I could, I looked for things that I could take advantage of so I could manipulate them. Then I saw it; the trashcans back towards where the tables were, and where we also trashed Olivia’s vape mod that I still couldn’t understand how it drugged her.

I just hoped that I could act fast enough to pull this off.

“What do you need help with?” Brittany asked as she intently watched me. She knew I had something up my sleeve.

“Can you set the trashcans on fire?” I asked her as I turned my head around to look at her. “let’s give this place light so I can eradicate the darkness here.”

“Consider it done.” She nodded and then threw me Kait’s sword that had been left behind. “Take it.”

Fighting with two swords was going to be daunting task since I couldn’t move as quickly as I wanted to, but it could help block a few blows here and there from Julian. I figured I would have to adjust on the fly, since there didn’t seem to be any other way.

What a better way to truly put my warrior skills as a Valkyrie to the test. A challenge that I wanted, but against the woman who hated me with so much venom and fury made this truly out of my reach.

Julian. She would take this to edge; She would take me to a place I hadn’t been in a long time. To a brink that could very well shatter who I was.

“You poor little Valkyrie,” She finally spoke, her sleek, velvet voice once again bouncing off walls, as she materialized like smoke. Dressed as exactly as our first meeting; everything about her had remained unchanged, the only small difference was that she had ditched the scarf. “You have no idea what you walked into.”

She snorted evilly. “You’ve simply lost your touch, blinded by this ideal of love. You believe in it so much that you think you can spare little Kaitlyn from it too. It’s quite tragic. But it’s something I enjoy watching you fight and struggle through.

She moved like lighting again, trying to make a strike come towards me. “You should really take your mothers advice and stay out of affairs that don’t require your attention.” Using both swords, I was able to block her strikes, however, the more we moved around exchanging parries and strikes, the more I could tell that she was simply toying with me.

“Haven’t you been paying attention,” I said as I moved as gracefully as I could with two swords. “When it comes to you or her trying to end the world, or trying to kill my girlfriend whose being chased by psychotic bitches,” and just then, a red flame was light to my left, and then another followed, and then rest went up, and I knew that I had managed to distract her long enough to get light in. “I tend to take a keen interest, since it’s my duty to protect the strong willed.”

I sauntered forward with both swords, ready to bring them down into her, she raised her broadsword and expertly blocked it, and bucked it under both of mine, where one was jammed free and fell to the ground with a hard clang.

“The Darkness is coming Samantha,” she hissed as we clashed back and forth with our weapons, also I tried everything to avoid taking a big hit by her sword, and when I found an opening; using my magic, I called some to me in the form of an energy ball and threw it towards her, but that too was pointless since she was able to strike it down with ease.

We connected again, and from what I had saw in Kait’s fight, she was trying to use her body weight to overpower me, although with the weight of the sword, she was finding that difficult, since it created an unbalance in weight and force distribution.

She could push me back, but thanks to the swords weight, she couldn’t push me down since my blade was able to hold her off.

What are you talking about?” I asked completely confused. “What Darkness?”

“You can’t delay the inevitable woman.” She laughed and kicked me in the stomach, where I landed hard into the tables, where I once again was thankful that they broke my fall. “The Darkness shall return, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

“Oh yeah, just watch me.” I snarled, jumping up from the broken table and straight for her. I swung straight for her and all she did was block it and pushed me right into the ground.

We moved like shadows, extremely fast, extremely hard to track, as we continued to trade blows, and parrying whenever we could. I was surprised that this time, I could keep my pace and maintain with her.

Whenever she went and played dirty by using her dark tendrils to ensnare me, I used my magic to not only block it, but also to try to gain some leverage of my own.

After a few moments of continually trading blows, and ducking from her dark magic, I realized that she was still going—energized by her lust and desire to end my life whichever way she could.

At that same moment, I also realized that I had been exerting too much energy of mine, which was why I felt, exhausted. My chest felt heavy, my lungs, unable to get the air quickly enough to keep a level of what would keep me from stumbling over my own two feet.

When our swords connected again, she was able to easily overpower me and shove me down, where I fell into several pieces of glass that had littered the floor, that disoriented my vision, but I could tell that she was ready to end it.

She was hungry with vengeance so much that it fueled her chance to sever the bond she had learned about from our first meeting. She knelt beside me, using her one of her feet to hold me in place by my stomach, and I could already feel the pain. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

“You’re good, you really are.” Julian mocked me, grinning like the devil. “But you’re not on a level like me.” She taunted me with her alluring voice. “You’re not near Kaitlyn’s level of talent—she could always out play you in your duels.” Her eyes pierced my soul like daggers that soaked in gasoline and lit aflame. “Tell me, where do you think she learned what she did, growing up?”

“Definitely not from you!” I shot back, fumed by her remarks. Did she really think she trained Kaitlyn when she had disappeared all these centuries prior. “You were never in life! You were dead!"

“Tsk,” she clicked her tongue in response to my emotional rage. “Darling Sam, you truly are in the dark.” She dropped her sword my side. “They haven’t told you a damn thing, have they?” She quickly went looking for another object to into the fight. “But please, allow me to…shed some light on the situation.”

I watched as she played with a piece of glass in her hands. “You see Sam, you’re not Valkyrie enough. You don’t deserve this burden; this mantle….” She played with her words in such veracity like way, that she had managed to start breaking the pieces of my façade that I had been wearing. “Of responsibility.” As she continued her taunts, she was also eyeing my body, in preparation to bring down the glass that was in her hand; and then when she did, she slammed into my stomach—where I screamed just from the sheer point of entry.

I gasped from the initial wave of pain both loud and harshly, my voice rising three octaves as the glass penetrated my skin. “What did you do?”

“Nothing you won’t remember.” She clicked her tongue in approval while also reaching for my shirt, as she pulled it, forcing me up. “Now let’s go! Fight me if you think you’re better than me.” She forcefully shoved me, which broke our hold, while at the same time throwing her arms wide open. “Strike me down with your magic if you think you’re so strong. If your ever so confident, like you say you are-strike me!”

I laid there completely stunned; just trying to grasp the severity of the situation. The severity of…just her words. They struck me like dagger, clipping more of my mask away.

Slowly, I found the strength to rise to my feet, I debated about trying to remove the piece of glass to see how that would help my dire moment already. My head was pounding from all the loss of blood. My breathing was getting worse, and more ragged. I knew that I had some fight in me, and that I wanted to prove her wrong.

To prove to Julian that I was more than what she thought of me.

Weakly I raised my arm while using my other arm to stop the blood from becoming worse, to strike Julian with my magic, and when I did, I saw that she had been ready.

She had been waiting.

I launched a ball of magic towards her, however due to how weak I was—she easily blew it away and struck me down with her own dark magic, those same dark tendrils, wrapping around me and crushing my midsection—where then she threw me down, back into the sea of glass.

“Take Kaitlyn away, and what are you?” she mocked me, approaching me as I labored on the ground, hunching down on her knees to see my plight. “Your nothing, that’s what. Always a shadow. Never free of your heritage that it brings. She could never love someone like you. She doesn’t deserve you.”

She forcefully pulled me off the ground and took in my saddened brown eyes. The emotional toll was overwhelming me on a level that I couldn’t understand. She even brushed a piece of my black hair behind me ears.

“Remove the mask you wear, and who are you truly Sam? Hmm?” She continued to taunt me, laughing as she did, slowly, breaking the mask. My façade. “What do you fight for? Surely you can’t fight for Kaitlyn—not when you have other issues at hand.” She had another piece of glass in her hand, and this time, stabbed me in the same side, just little lower than the first stab.

“You’re a damaged girl, that’s what. No one to love, and no one to want you.” She pushed the second piece of glass further down, and then added a dagger to the mix.

I let out a sharp gasp and cursed under my breath. I had live through this—I just had to.

“For Christ’s sake, you deserve to be buried away, left to rot with all your self-esteem and self-confidence issues. You’re just as fucked up as her.” A smile tugged at the edge of her lips as she laughed.

“Fuck You…” I struggled for words, fighting through the ounces and ounces of blood and pain. “You spineless fucking bitch.” With what I had left in me, I willed myself to create a kick that was strong enough to break the hold she had on me, but I tumbled right back down to the ground. “You fucking bitch, I will get you for this.”

She laughed at my current plight. “That’s hard.” She crouched down and found another piece of glass that was bigger than her last one, and then thrusted it through me. “When” she forced the second piece further down, and then pushed on the dagger she had in me as well. Creating ounces of unyielding pain. “You’re on the ground, struggling for life, as two pieces of glass are ripping you apart from the inside out.”

“I will never…” I started to fade from reality. “Allow you…to have…her.”

“Trust me when I say this woman,” Julian snarled, not happy that I wouldn’t call quits. She tried to kick me, however a sound of a bullet ricocheting off a trashcan stopped her. She only looked and smiled, knowing that once she was done with me, Julian would go to her next.

Then she returned her gaze to me. “You will never be the great Valkyrie you want to be. You are forever stuck in your mothers shadowed past, and as for love; how can you protect Kaitlyn when…” she continued to watch my struggle. “You can’t even fight me, even with all your might. You wanna know why?” she started smiling, taunting me. “For the fact that you allow love to get in your way. Your pathetic Sam. Worthless. You don’t belong to this world. It’s time you walked away. I’m sure that the gods would spare you, allow you to live as wonderful mortal woman. Maybe they can remove this burden from- “

Just then, a bright multicolored light in the form of a portal struck the ground, and from it, she appeared. The Queen of the Valkyries—Freya.

I could only watch in my struggles as she gracefully walked up to me, but also, she took one hand to Julian and threw her across the room, where she harshly, and loudly crashed into the wall.

“My lady warrior,” Freya spoke so regally, so elegantly. I almost mistook her for my leader. “You’re hurt; please allow me to assist.” She knelt to look over the wound that had been inflicted on me, grimacing in disgust.

“Juli…an...” I said weakly, in between my shallow, rasping breaths. “Kill…her...”

Freya nodded in understanding, reaching down to pick up my sword from the ground, and then turned to face the woman who tried to kill me.

“Julian,” I could hear the commanding tone she held. She had completely swapped personalities, going from flirtatious Goddess of Sex and Magic to Leader of the Valkyries in an instant. “It’s quite unpleasant to see you again; I would have thought, that after your first failure you would have learned to stay away.”

I tried to get to my feet, and managed it bit before I felt the surge of blood run through my hands. Dizzily I stumbled forward, towards where Freya was. However, with how much blood I was quickly losing, I found it tasking to even carry out this simple task.

Brittany rushed to my aid, immediately throwing my jacket around me, as I was slung around her shoulder so she could steady me.

“Must help…” I said shallowly, breathing harder. I could feel myself getting weaker. “I have…to…”

I found little strength to come away from Brittany and took a step forward but immediately fell back down to the ground, punching the ground frustrated because I was helpless.

I wanted to cry. I could feel it.

Everything was starting to boil over. And I felt powerless to stop it.

I was forced to watch as Freya was dueling Julian and something told me that Julian had gotten better from our previous encounter, while she was still totally outmatched, she was able to go head-to-head with Freya on every strike, every parry, every block—she was there. Going stride for stride.

And part of me couldn’t believe it. The other half couldn’t stop watching. Something about her movements that at first, I couldn’t see since I was struggling to stay alive.

Finally, after a few more counters and strikes, Freya got the advantage and pushed her back to where she stumbled backwards and then fell to the ground and then I watched as Freya came towards her with my sword pointed at her throat.

“Give it up Julian!” Freya snarled forcefully, ready to punch the sword through her porcelain body. “It ends here. Your time ends now!”

Se merely laughed in retort. “I think not, O’ great Goddess. You see, I’ve been playing you all perfectly.”

I finally was able come up next to Freya, and see Julian in her glory, taking in this moment.

“Explain yourself!” Freya growled and demanded. “What are you playing with? What did you bring about?”

“The darkness is returning, and you know that you can sense it.” Julian mocked us all, laughing all the while. “It’s returning and there’s nothing you can do but watch and wait as it destroys you.” Then Julian looked at me, smiling as if she knew that I would make it here. Like she knew I would make it this far. “But now Queen, you have bigger matters to tend to. Your about to lose your precious warrior. Soon, unless you act, Samantha will die.”

And then like smoke, she vanished; and in that same motion, my body finally quit on me physically and I collapsed to the ground, blood still gushing out of me at a rapid rate, that unless they all acted, I would be lost.

“I…I’m…Sorry.” I said weakly, tears coming out, my emotional state finally completely cracked. “I failed…you.”

Freya put a finger to my lips. “Save your strength Sam.” She kindly told me. “Truth is you have been more than amazing. You’ve made me beyond proud.” She started to work the glass when Brittany gently put her hands over Freya’s.

“Wish we could do that here, but we can’t.” Brittany explained, trying to not rush to mend the damage. “I do need your help though my Goddess. I need your help in saving her.”

She nodded. “I always help all my warriors and her friends.” She looked back at the dagger, and then went reaching for it.

“No,” Brittany yelped, starling her in the same instance. “Not like that.” And then she removed her shirt and tore a piece that was long enough to cover the dagger in case it was truly covered with dark or ancient magic. “Here, take the piece of my shirt to grab and pull it out.”

“Brittany,” Called started. “Are you sure—”

“Callen,” She firmly directed in a tone that meant do your job and don’t question me. “You’ve seen me in worse states, whether it me being topless or me just in my bra is the least of my fucking problems.” She looked at him briefly. “Get the car started. Make sure that we have plenty of room. Take Drea with you too. That’s my order. Go now.”

And like that he did, he took Drea by the hand and they rushed back to the car so the preparation could be done for when they needed to load me in.

As gently as she could, Freya started to yank the dagger out, and then when she did have it out, wrapped in the remains of Brittany’s torn shirt. Meanwhile I watched as Brittany took the rest of her shirt and wrapped it around the wound and glass trying to get the pieces together so they could sit there in their place like a tourniquet until they could work more on it. However, as they were completing that I slowly fading from reality.

“We’re losing her…” I could hear them say, I just couldn’t figure out who.

“We need to move her. Now.” The other distorted voice spoke. “We can deal with the glass once we get away from here.”

“C’mon Sam,” one spoke to me. “Stay with me. Don’t quit fighting. Don’t give up. Stay awake for me. For Kaitlyn.”

“Don’t die on her. Don’t let Julian win.” The other voice spoke to me as well.

They had managed to carry me to the car, my body fighting with everything I had left in the tank to not black out. I didn’t care that my world was fuzzy or disorientating around me. It had only reminded me, that I had fought through a hard battle; that I had a will that didn’t want to quit.

Though, had I truly won?

“I would ask how that battle ended,” I thought I heard Drea say as I slowly held onto reality the best I could. “But I can see it’s all irrelevant now.”

“And the outcome doesn’t matter either.” Callen spoke up. “Tell us what we can to do to help.”

“Drive,” I heard Brittany breathe hard. Almost sounded like she was panting. “Just drive right now Callen; and drive fast. Break the law if you have to.”

I felt my world move slightly as I was adjusted over Brittany’s lap, trying to steady me. My hair had fallen over my face and spayed out in different directions.

“Brittany…” I called for her through my difficult, shallow breaths. “Brittany.” I instinctively went for the glass shards that were punctured deep within my stomach.

“Please rest Sam.” Freya spoke as her calm, nurturing voice returned. “You need your rest.” She snatched my hands and held them in place.

And right she was---since I had been pushing my body along with my mind to the ends that they had never been pushed to before. I had carelessly put myself and Kaitlyn in danger.

“Let…Kait…lyn...know.” I said, as my body finally decided to give out, unsure if it wanted to wake up anytime soon, or rather at all.

“Callen!” Brittany yelled, taking in the sense of distress my body was suffering from. “Step on it!”

“Yes ma’am.” He replied as the car started to pick up speed and barreled towards the House once more and I tried to continue to fight to stay awake, but in the end, that didn’t seem possible, and I blacked out from the ounces of blood loss.

∞∞∞

It had been six years since we had last seen each other, in my memory flashback.

“Kaitlyn.” I told her when I saw her again. And even though she hadn’t been told about her true heritage, she didn’t care. All that mattered to her was us and how hard I worked to keep us together.

I embraced and kissed her, taking her hands, and pulling them into mine as we walked through the vaunted living room of Brittany’s house.

“I’m glad that you’ve been doing well’ I’ve been worried.” I told her, as I continued to hold her.

“Where?” She replied to me, taking in and looking over the attire I was wearing. I had been wearing a cloak that draped over my shoulders and covered the rest of my slender and toned body, which also concealed my wings. She had been told that sometime ago, although, I don’t think it stuck the first time. “Have you been?”

“That’s not nearly as important.” I replied, hugging her tightly and wrapping myself around her as I took in her lustrous scent. She was a gorgeous mix of Japanese Cherry Blossom and Lavender. “What is that you’re still here. Alive. All this time, my thoughts about you…I can’t even…”

“Then don’t.” She cupped my face and kissed my lips, with her soft ones. All the while, she held me in her embrace and ran her hands down underneath my wings and traveling the length of my spine. “Just be in the moment with me. Just follow my lead.”

She pulled on me and led me into the bedroom that we both shared while I was here, and while she was visiting. It made moments like this easier, however like all long-distance relationships, the distance truly did feel unbearable.

She always did her best to not hide anything from me—from us during my visits, although that was always the case; nor did it work out so well.

Sometimes, I came to learn, through her eyes and then through her words about the pain her nightmares were bringing her, and how that there was no one, besides Brittany, who was able to soothe her when she had a PTSD episode.

She told me that she didn’t trust Liz in any capacity and was truly worried that if she spoke to her, that it would only amplify the emotional damage and make her trauma worse. So instead, I just offered her my ears, my love and undying attention, since she knew I had to make up for all the lost time I had been gone, travelling and handling business on Asgard.

“My nightmares are getting worse hon,” she told me as we both were laying in our expansive California King Sized bed; naked and under the covers, holding onto one another, our bodies touching and creating static electricity between us. “I can’t figure out what they mean, and I honestly don’t trust Liz, she doesn’t seem interested in helping me. She only wants to get inside my head like she’s some sort of…” Her words fell as I could read her face and see that just by bringing this up, she was getting overly anxious, borderline crying.

“Listen baby,” I pulled her closer. Our bodies now intensely rubbing against each other. Her small delicate frame being pushed against mine, with her breasts squishing into mine. “It could be a sign. That there is something about you, that could finally becoming into focus, and the nightmares could be a result of the triggers.”

“Remember when I told you, that I had been kidnapped after leaving the Danish Circle?” She asked me.

How could I not forget that—I wanted to hunt the people responsible for committing such acts against humanity. “I think I can see who pulled the strings in that, and who might have pulled it off.” She cut right to the chase. “I think my nightmares involve Julian. I keep seeing her...like…like she’s alive…but…” Her voice became raspy and shallow. I could feel her heart racing once more since she was talking about the pain. Her trauma.

She had told me that these nightmares felt so real to her that it was as if she had been taken back there. “I know that, that can’t be true can it? She can’t be back, can she? She’s supposed to be dead. I saw her. I watched her.”

“Love,” I started, letting my hands fall into my lap. I could feel that this was gonna be extremely difficult to explain if I even could at all. “Sometimes, things don’t go the way we expect them to, and for some, some people—they just don’t know when to or how to stay dead.”

“What do you mean by that?” Her crystal sea blue eyes intently focused on mine. She had a puzzled expression on her face. “That sounds, very cryptic.”

“I’m saying that…” and my words drifted off, causing her confusion for the reason of how I had said them.

Pling!

I could hear that something was hitting against a bowl.

Pling!

The sound made a resonating sound, and as it continued, I felt myself starting to stir awake from the dream I had, since it reminded me to live as normal woman instead of a warrior twenty-four seven. Which was something I had to constantly remind myself of, but never followed through with.

“She was extremely lucky.” A soft voice started speaking, and I couldn’t tell right away who it was, but I had my hunch.

“Very,” A second, huskier voice spoke. “I can’t believe that we managed to contain that much blood from gushing out from her. “It’s a miracle honestly. Thank you, Freya.”

I started to move around some more so I could get my feeling back when I saw that Brittany and Freya were both in the room. Brittany’s hands were completely covered in blood.

My blood.

“Don’t move so much,” She spoke gently, startling me in the process. I could still sense that my body was under the influence of heavy doses of the medicine that was injected into me when I bleakly looked down at my arm and then up towards her. “Accidently moving might aggravate the wound.” She looked me happily, and thankful. Thankful I had made it through that terrible fight.

I tried to adjust myself under the sheets in bed, and as I moved, my wings moved in the other direction and roughly hit the small coffee table, almost knocking the items on it over.

“Fuck,” I rubbed my head trying to sit up. “How long was I out for?”

“Six hours.” She replied quietly. “You had lost a lot more blood after you passed out. Freya and I…” She paused biting the inside of her lip, as if she were frightened to tell me. “We worked through the remaining hours of night along with some of the other members of pack to contain your blood. You…” she got reached for a towel that had been lying on the bed. Its color lost to the blood that now covered it. “Got very lucky.” I looked around and saw a pair of tweezers on the nightstand, that I almost knocked over---using my shoulder.

I could tell; my body ached from not only the pain I suffered in that battle with Julian. Not to mention, how I was mentally.

The words she said, and how it got to and almost killed me.

You don’t deserve this mantle of responsibility.

“Easy babe,” Brittany spoke again. This time not only was her tone full of concern, so were her eyes. She could sense the pain I was in emotionally.

Mentally.

“The meds I had to inject you with,” I followed her with my eyes and saw that I had a needle in my elbow at the joint, followed by a small tube that was feeding my body the medicine. “They haven’t fully worn off yet. You’re still going to be in a groggy state from what happened.”

I tried to think back to the last thing I remembered, but other than the last bit with Julian, and then Freya arriving, my mind was drawing a total blank.

“I don’t…” I said miserably, I lost all emotion in my voice. Almost wanting to break down again. “Remember.”

“In the car, you passed out.” She had recalled for me. “I would have thought you would have blacked out before then, but you willed yourself till the very end.” She cleared her throat. “In the car, you kept calling Kait’s name. So, I tried reaching her, and didn’t get a response. For all we know Sam, she could have been…”

“I felt it.” I replied with ice in my voice. Still convinced that, knowing her, she found a way to fight. To survive. “She was.” I tried reaching down for my clothes, since I figured Brittany had to either remove them or cut them off to get to the wound quickly.

She handed me a towel to use to cover myself from the waistline up. “They got her. However, as you and I know all too well, as she is your sister and my girl, she doesn’t go down easily.”

She continued to study me. Watching my emotions, my face, even my eyes. She could I was not at full strength on any of those levels.

It had felt like a chuck of armor that I had been wearing, that was just ripped from my skin, and the feeling was gut wrenching. I felt naked, isolated, and sad, among other emotions.

That fight showed me something, and it was horrifying.

That while I was a warrior with a façade, I was showing everyone else what I wanted them to see—the protective, possessive warrior Samantha—Julian had seen right through me, and my façade, cracking—no—even smashing what I was wearing to the point where it completely broke me down.

She made me feel weak; useless.

She was right. I couldn’t protect Kaitlyn if I couldn’t even fight her off.

“It’s not your fault.” Brittany, called for me, momentarily snapping me out of my thoughts. But…it didn’t matter. She dealt enough damage on two fronts to take me out. “She got to us both. She played us both.”

I snapped my head at her. How could she see it like that? “It is nothing like that.” I harshly snapped. “Nothing at all.”

“Sam,” she reached for me, but I painfully pulled back. “Don’t. Don’t fight your emotions. Or me. We all got played, you and I most of all.”

I started to climb out of bed, and I managed to get my feet on the floor, and take a few steps and as I did, she backed up watching me, and then I instantly fell, however she was right there, next to me, holding me in place by my stomach, being careful to not touch the wound.

But I pushed her away and wanted to fall. I fucking deserved it.

“ITS MY FAULT!” I screamed; the water works in full display. I slammed my fists into the floor. “ALL OF IT! I COULD HAVE HAD HER, AND I SHOULD HAVE. BUT I COULDN’T DO IT. I COULDN’T TAKE THE KILL.”

“Well, that’s certainly how your recovery starts.” I could hear Freya’s voice call for me. “Losing is healthy, and in your case, it might have helped.”

“Yeah?” I cruelly snapped at her, still not under control of myself, or my emotions. “How? How does that help me here? Now? I nearly got killed. She got away Freya. SHE GOT AWAY!”

“So, she did,” Brittany wrapped her arm around me as Freya replied sipping on some wine. “What matters Samantha, Is your life. She spared you. Why do you think that? Have you given any thought?”

Freya’s words had struck me and just like Julian’s before. And she was right in every sense. She could have killed me back there; she had multiple chances.

And yet, she took none of them—instead, opting to deliver a fatal blow to my image and confidence. She got a moral victory, rather than a physical one.

“You were spared not because of me.” Freya sternly went on. “Other Than since Julian is a lot like you. Guided by something greater yourself. Confidence. She was so sure of herself back there, and you were not.”

“I was outplayed though.” I nimbly replied, still on my knees, trying to regain my footing. “I didn’t see a way.”

“No,” Freya corrected me, and it was not very subtle either. She knew my skills firsthand. She knew what I could do. “You outplayed yourself. With Everything. You overthought, over analyzed, and never once made your move. You second guessed yourself. You ultimately failed yourself. Your loss is on you.”

That stung, but she was right, and I deserved it. Even more now, as I looked back.

I had my mental state shattered beyond repair, and I had to work to put myself back together. I needed to heal; to let the pain out.

I knew that much.

“Here,” Freya tossed me a sliver locket in the shape of a heart. With what strength I had, I was able to catch it before it hit the ground. “Perhaps, this will give you some motivation. Something to fight for. Something to heal all your pain.”

I grasped it but didn’t want to open it. Not yet at least.

Finally, after her prolonged silence, Brittany spoke. “What do you want to do now Sam?” She still was concerned for me, and honestly, so was I.

I wasn’t going to lie to her, Freya, or myself. I was scared beyond what I could feel or even think. Just trying to think ahead, caused me great anxiety. I was completely anxious on a level that I couldn’t understand. My head had thoughts going a million miles an hour. I was also severely depressed and wanted quit.

To be as normal as possible. To be as happy with myself, with Kait.

“I want to think.” I told her softly, still dealing with all the fallout. “So, I’ll be in the shower so I can clean the rest of my wound.”

I went reaching for the rest of my clothes, but Brittany snatched them. “No,” She suggested that I needed to strip the rest of my clothes. “I need to clean them or burn them. Kait and the others are always used to this. Now, your no different.”

“I didn’t think I would be.” I tried to laugh through my depression, as I removed my jeans, and underwear and kicked them towards her.

I watched as she put the chair from my desk back and then closed the door behind her as she left, which just left me and my thoughts as I made my way to the shower.

I clasped the locket around my neck, and the feeling made me shiver, since it had been a while since I last worn it. But I always carried it.

I went to the wide-open bathroom that was connected to the bedroom and stepped into the warmth of the shower. I allowed the flow to overcome me so I could have a chance to relax my mental state, and overall emotions that were surging through me. Some of them making sense. Some of them, not.

One of them that I thought back to be my own heritage:

Being born under my dark mother, who deiced that since her banishment she wanted make the people of Midgard bend to her wishes and wills more than those from Asgard. I was taught and trained the finest of arts and combat techniques hoping that while this was my birthright, I could move on from her shadow.

However, with each day that passed, the role that was supposed to be a blessing, felt more and more of a curse. A curse that might have been passed through the generations.

I spent so much time, trying to prove to myself, and to Odin, that I wasn’t this person, who was scared to be in this life, that I wasn’t this daughter of darkness, whose own mother almost wiped out Asgard.

Not that I despised him, since he was never around, however, it was the single-handed fact that he held no trust for me. And I felt spent, overworking myself, always trying to earn his trust, and respect, because I had none.

I felt like an outcast and didn’t belong. It felt that simple, yet I had people always wanting to go to battle with me, because they knew they could count on me. But around them, I never showed my weak side, like Julian had exposed.

No one knew about what truly haunted me, or the reason. I didn’t want to tell them—I felt it would be too much trouble.

Maybe that was a smart idea? Maybe I was foolish for holding out on them.

As I felt the water wash over me, I pulled my legs into my chest, and started crying again, until I heard what I thought was a crow, cawing, as it was flying in.

Instinctively, I put my hand out for it so I could land on it, and I watched it, as it also watched me.

“You come to judge me to?” I asked it, as it cocked its head back and forth, still locking eyes with me. “Wanna tell me that I’m a failure too?”

It only cawed in response, but the more I stared at it, the more I started to think that Odin was watching me from somewhere afar.

“Well, I hate to tell you,” I spoke to it again. “This girl has no fight left. I’m broken beyond what I can fix. I can’t protect my lover. What use am I?”

It cawed louder this time and starting pecking at the pedant that hung around my neck, covered by my breasts.

I had to use my other hand to stop it from trying to damage it, but as it was poking me, it was telling me something as well.

I sighed in defeat. “You’re right.” I spoke to it, as it continued to stare me down. “I shouldn’t be sitting here sulking. I should be better.”

It flapped it’s wings in response, and then flew off my hand and back out the same window it had come in from, and then when it was gone, my emotions hit me all again at once.

I could feel my tears coming again—just to remind me of how worthless I felt now.

I had failed Kait, and I knew it.

“IT’S ALL MY FAULT!” I screamed again, also punched the tile on the floor so hard that it felt like I had almost broken my hand. “And now…” my fears, were also getting to me. Letting me know how feeble I was. “Kait’s as good as dead.”

I managed what little strength I had, to keep myself together, before I could really tear myself apart, and then I remembered what hung around my neck.

What the raven had been pecking at. What Freya had tossed to me as I lashed out.

The locket.

I clicked it open, and through my blurred sight, I looked back at the picture of me and Kait, and how were holding each other, kissing, back in Stockholm in the early 90’s.

I had managed to take her there on one of my visits, and she was simply in awe of the city, and its beauty, and to cherish the memory, we took a picture, and gave us each the other half, so we could look back at it for strength.

“For you,” I whispered, as I closed and let it click in. “my love. Always.”

Just as I was about to let myself become lost from the water once more, I sensed something in the air, that didn’t want to settle.

As if….

Someone else had concealed themselves and their dark energy.

Quickly, and silently, I went to grab a towel out of the closet, and as I threw it around myself, I was also trying to be extra cautious, since I was emotionally vulnerable. However, my wings were also sensing something heavy, since I could feel the pain, they were giving off, like a warning of extremes.

Aside from the towel, I also slipped into a fresh pair of panties along with a new bra, while also trying to keep an eye on anyone who would be trying to jump attack me while I was defenseless.

I also grabbed a butterfly knife and kept it in the small of my back, hoping that I wouldn’t have to seriously fight, since I was recovering on two different fronts.

Although—from what I was feeling I wasn’t going to be given much of a choice in the latter, since I could hear her evil laugh before I walked into the bedroom part of the room again.

“You just can’t seem to get enough of me,” Sophie smiled wickedly towards me, her words came across like nails on the chalkboard. But she was worse than that. “Can you now? First it was the house with Erik,” she recalled the encounter for me, like I didn’t need to be reminded of that. “And then I chased you while you were in a swan form, scratching your back with my talons, and yet, now,” She eyed me carefully, watching me. Waiting.

“Here I am, in your room.” She started again. Taking it in, knowing something’s missing; or rather someone was missing. It’s not quite what I…” she stopped, sounding disappointed.

“Wanted to see?” I asked in reply, as I casually backed up to the spot where my sword was hidden.

“I expected to see you and Kaitlyn; Especially with how well she fought for you, after I tried to end your life.” I could sense the boredom in her voice, probably because she was surprised that I hadn’t struck at her first. “Well, at least this way, it gives me a chance of redemption at ending your existence. I’ll take you out before you can ever reach her.”

She rushed me with her sword and instinctively, I threw the dagger from my back at her, as I was forced to roll to just enough to where I would avoid the head of her sword, and I knew that I wouldn’t physically be able reach while avoiding her strike a second time, so I had to test another aspect of the connection I shared with Kaitlyn.

I focused as best I could in my mind as I also sensed the second motion of Sophie’s sword coming down on me.

I sensed the sword come for me in my hand, as I turned it over just in time for it to connect and block the assault that she was about to deliver.

The block allowed me to get to my feet, however my mother was reacting faster than me, and swiftly used her legs to bring me back down to the ground; and then she grabbed me by the base of my bra and threw me into the coffee table that was next to the bed, which made me also lose my sword.

I couldn’t allow myself to get over ran during this fight. Not while I was already down.

Not while I was on the mend. I, at most, had to fight her to the point where it would force her to retreat.

“You’ll never see Kaitlyn!” I yelled, while getting drained as well. I knew I wasn’t one hundred percent and the fight had begun to tax me harder than I thought. I held my side of my wound, hoping that the stitches would hold.

I focused what energy I could, this time, calling upon my magic, and when I had enough, I raised my hands and struck.

The resulting blow threw her back into the east wall, which was just enough time for me to stand, even though I was dazed because of how tired I was.

She only laughed, as she knew I was blocking her from reaching Kaitlyn. Or trying to go through me to get Kaitlyn.

I had to keep fighting her. For both of our sakes.

“Love is fickle, and not meant for gods or immortals.” She said as she started coming back towards me, smiling as if she knew our love wouldn’t last. “It makes us weak. Vulnerable. You know nothing of love. You don’t understand what it can do in its darkest hour.

“As Julian told you, during your fight, you don’t deserve this mantle of responsibility. Without Kaitlyn, your weak. Nothing.” She sneered our love, and what it truly meant.

“At least,” I fiercely looked at her. “I know my love with her is pure. The purest it will ever be. Unlike yours.”

I stung her with my words, but knowing her, she would just deflect.

“You know nothing of that!” She snapped at me. “So, stop while your ahead bitch!”

“I know enough.” I came back. My body once again, wanting to give out because it was exhaustion. “And that’s all you need to know.”

“How can you say that about me, when you don’t know everything about Kaitlyn’s past?” Sophie attacked again. “How can you be so sure that she the one. Hell, the bitch may not even have the bloodline. She may not be Valkyrie at all.”

“STOP LYING TO ME!!!” I yelled so loud I could feel the force breaking something close by. I was losing myself. Emotionally. Mentally. I had hit it. I had hit rock bottom. “STOP ALL THIS; YOU DON’T KNOW HER! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT BEING IN LOVE WITH YOUR SOUL MATE IS LIKE!!!”

“Of course, I do Daughter of mine.” She replied, shaking off my shock like it was nothing. “I was in love; a long time go.”

“YOU WERE AKWAKENED FROM YOUR ENTERNAL SLEEP—BY ERIK—THAT’S NOT LOVE!” I slammed my fists, which still held all my magic currently, into the ground, where the resulting shockwave forced the door to jam into place and stay locked.

The shockwave also broke the glass all around the room. She had done it though. She had succeeded with what she came to do. It wasn’t a fight like I thought. More so, it had been to get inside my head even more than Julian had, and I fell for it.

Twice in the same day.

Brittany and Freya had heard the commotion from the resulting aftermath, and immediately advanced towards my room, having to break it down.

“Sam?!” She called out from the other side. “Are you okay?”

Sophie only took advantage of the situation more and grabbed me by my bra and held me in a chokehold so they could witness how futile I was. How much of a fucked-up failure I was.

Finally, after another minute Brittany broke in followed behind Freya.

“Brunhild,” Freya spoke her ancient name, infuriated by what she witnessed. A name I had only heard a few times. “You were supposed to be locked away and banished. By my hand.”

Sophie snickered. “I guess the times have not been kind to you, have they precious Goddess?” she played with my hold some more, making me even more uncomfortable than I was. “Perhaps, had you been paying attention all those centuries ago, the truth would have been shown to you.” Her grip over me tightened even more.

“Let her go!” Brittany said, gritting her teeth, while also pointing her gun at her. “You don’t want the blood on your hands.”

“You move any closer Lycan, and I put my beloved daughter in your crossfire, and then her blood will be on your hands.”

“Samantha has told me many times,” Freya spoke up trying to ease the confrontation, clearly still angered. “That she has no ties to you. She wants nothing to do with your existence.”

“She is my blood,” Sophie said proudly. “Therefore, her existence is a necessity. She survives through, and because of me.”

I was starting to lose air, along with consciousness. My already weak body couldn’t fight her off. I didn’t have the energy from within to get out of the hold she trapped me.

“You’re no Mother Sophie,” Brittany cut in, still not lowering her defense or weapon. “And I’ve met my fair share of them—you don’t fit the type. If anything,” she lowered her weapon in consideration of me. “You’re a lot like Laci. A woman who acts like a mother just to say that they had a daughter because you felt lonely. And, in this case, with you having Sam, it gave you an excuse for you to take your anger out on someone else. Someone who was just defenseless.”

“LIES! “Sophie snarled. “I loved her! I love Sam.”

With those words spoken, somehow, Brittany gotten her to release me. I collapsed hard and couldn’t really breathe, but I wasn’t out.

“Mothers don’t try to kill their own blood.” Freya pointed to me. “That woman is gifted, talented even, and she has a lover who loves her equally and unconditionally. Even in death—if you could even manage to do it—that would never break them. You would surely fail. Just like you did now.”

“She…” I tried to say but my throat felt crushed. “Succeeded in…”

Brittany got close to me, felt the pressure on my throat, and threw herself around me. I tried to speak but Brittany only kept her finger on my lips signaling for me to rest. Especially now.

“Leave Sophie.” Freya commanded hatefully. “Leave and don’t come back—because if you do, I will bring Asgardian justice to you in ways you never imaged.”

I looked back and watched as she vaporized away like smoke. Being left there, half dressed, emotionally broken, mentally fucked, and physically sore.

I still—I still didn’t have it in me.

And she gotten her moral victory, much like Julian had—and I was fucking scared shitless to admit it.

All I could do, as Brittany held me in her arms, was cry. Cry and let my emotions out.

I had nothing left in me.

I was useless. Hopeless. And downright dead.

“Honey, it’s okay,” Brittany’s motherly tone came out. “Sammi, I got you.”

“Please…” I balled loudly, throwing myself into her and not wanting to be let go. “Please don’t leave me. Not now. Not ever.”

Until now—up until this moment in my life—I had never more scared to be alive. I had never been more scared to be me, a girl who didn’t truly feel authentic in her own skin. Until now—I was scared shitless for both me and Kaitlyn.

Until now—I was scared to be loved since I had never felt it this strongly before. I never had this kind support.

“I promise you honey, I’m not going anywhere.”

I heard Callen’s footsteps and then I saw him.

“What the bloody hell happened here?” He asked, completely stunned by the damage.

“Long story short,” Freya put her hand on his shoulder. “Sam’s emotions broke free and she lost control, shattering the glass in the room. But yes, Sophie was here.”

“I’ll take a few and check the perimeter.” He told Brittany, but is she…” He stopped himself before he started digging his hole. “Right, sorry for assuming.”

He ran off leaving just the three of us. And they knew what happened just by looking at the damage. They didn’t need to be told twice.

“Freya can you gather her laptop, phone and some clothes?” Brittany asked her as she helped me to my feet. “I’m going to spend some time with her; Make her know that she’s wanted after everything that she went through?”

“Not at all,” Freya respectfully replied. “I’ll help you get her settled in, and then I must make sure that the other half to the pair is okay.”

I watched as she packed a backpack full of new clothes, however, they weren’t my size, which meant she had pulled some of Kait’s clothes. She also packed what appeared to be her sword. And then through her magic, opened a portal, and sent the backpack threw it, and then turned to face me.

“Come my brave Valkyrie.” Freya called to me. “You’re not fully recovered. Not even close.”