did it matter. I was dead. I couldn't escape from this monster. I regretted never telling Magnus how I felt about him. He had left me this wonderful note. He had poured all his emotions out onto it.
Magnus bared himself to me. I had to repay his beautiful gift. I had to share my heart before I died.
“You were amazing,” I whispered, leaning over Magnus. I didn't want to look at the monster. “Twice you came to my rescue. I don't have any poems to quote or...or...amazing words to say. I don't know how to describe how strong and wonderful you were. I...I think I may have loved you. When you tried to warn me off from the bar, our eyes met and...I felt something. A connection. A feeling. I don't know. But it was real. I...I wanted to ride with you through the night. I wanted to be your beauty.”
“Such touching words,” the monster snarled.
I shuddered as his breath washed over me. I ignored the fear in my heart. There was no running from this. I leaned over and kissed Magnus on the lips. His blood was coppery. I closed my eyes and waited for death.
Fire blazed inside me.
Cold engulfed me.
Fire burned on my lips.
Magnus convulsed in my arms. His blue eyes opened. His lips kissed me back. White swirled around us, a blizzard had consumed us. His broken arm wrapped around me. His chest rose and fell as he drank in the fire on my lips. I held him tight as we kissed. My heart thudded with exultation. I didn't understand what magic was at work. How had my kiss restored his broken body to life? His arms were strong about me. I closed my eyes as the snow fell upon us.
Magnus wasn't dead. My strong warrior lived.
The snow melted as it touched us. Steam rose into the frigid air. A wind howled, whipping at my long hair. I didn't want to break the kiss, but the world had changed. I looked around at the piles of snow and ice. Shadowed buildings rose about us, windows covered in frost, thick icicles dangling from awnings and rusted traffic lights. Side view mirrors and antennas peaked out of snow covered mounds that lined the streets.
Winter had buried Seattle in a heartbeat.
“What is going on?” I whispered.
“I don't know.” Magnus's voice was soft. His finger touched my cheek. “I saw you kneeling over me.”
“What?”
“I died. My soul drifted free. I watched you, helpless to stop the beast as it lumbered closer while you sobbed over my body.” He smiled. “I heard your words.”
My cheeks warmed.
“Such beauty. Those words called to me. You had chosen me. I felt it.”
“Chosen...” Owen, Freddy, and Gerdie kept talking about the importance of my choice. Even the monster had claimed I poorly chose my protector.
“And then you kissed me. You summoned me back.” He smiled. “My Valkyrie.”
“That's what the monster called me,” I whispered.
My breath frosted before my face. I should be freezing. A blizzard howled down the streets. Instead, I was comfortable in my torn shirt and ripped pants. The pain in my side and upper thigh vanished. I didn't burn from sliding along the asphalt in the crash. My raw skin had healed.
“You must be one,” he whispered, stroking my face. “A Valkyrie. My warrior woman.”
I blushed again. “I didn't do anything.”
“You also stopped running.”
“I couldn't let you fight him alone.”
“Touching,” rumbled the monster.
I jumped. A mirage moved beside us. Warm wind gusted around it, driving back the snow. The dingy-white fur of the ape-wolf rippled into reality, like it was bleeding into this place from our world and bringing a bit of its late spring warmth with it.
“This is where you're from,” I gasped, remembering the snow that had appeared with the monster.
“Did you think fleeing to Utgard would save you from me, little Valkyrie?” the demon growled as it manifested into the snowy waste.
Magnus growled and rose. To my utter shock, he changed as he threw himself forward. Shaggy fur sprouted across his body, black and coarse. Magnus
Magnus bared himself to me. I had to repay his beautiful gift. I had to share my heart before I died.
“You were amazing,” I whispered, leaning over Magnus. I didn't want to look at the monster. “Twice you came to my rescue. I don't have any poems to quote or...or...amazing words to say. I don't know how to describe how strong and wonderful you were. I...I think I may have loved you. When you tried to warn me off from the bar, our eyes met and...I felt something. A connection. A feeling. I don't know. But it was real. I...I wanted to ride with you through the night. I wanted to be your beauty.”
“Such touching words,” the monster snarled.
I shuddered as his breath washed over me. I ignored the fear in my heart. There was no running from this. I leaned over and kissed Magnus on the lips. His blood was coppery. I closed my eyes and waited for death.
Fire blazed inside me.
Cold engulfed me.
Fire burned on my lips.
Magnus convulsed in my arms. His blue eyes opened. His lips kissed me back. White swirled around us, a blizzard had consumed us. His broken arm wrapped around me. His chest rose and fell as he drank in the fire on my lips. I held him tight as we kissed. My heart thudded with exultation. I didn't understand what magic was at work. How had my kiss restored his broken body to life? His arms were strong about me. I closed my eyes as the snow fell upon us.
Magnus wasn't dead. My strong warrior lived.
The snow melted as it touched us. Steam rose into the frigid air. A wind howled, whipping at my long hair. I didn't want to break the kiss, but the world had changed. I looked around at the piles of snow and ice. Shadowed buildings rose about us, windows covered in frost, thick icicles dangling from awnings and rusted traffic lights. Side view mirrors and antennas peaked out of snow covered mounds that lined the streets.
Winter had buried Seattle in a heartbeat.
“What is going on?” I whispered.
“I don't know.” Magnus's voice was soft. His finger touched my cheek. “I saw you kneeling over me.”
“What?”
“I died. My soul drifted free. I watched you, helpless to stop the beast as it lumbered closer while you sobbed over my body.” He smiled. “I heard your words.”
My cheeks warmed.
“Such beauty. Those words called to me. You had chosen me. I felt it.”
“Chosen...” Owen, Freddy, and Gerdie kept talking about the importance of my choice. Even the monster had claimed I poorly chose my protector.
“And then you kissed me. You summoned me back.” He smiled. “My Valkyrie.”
“That's what the monster called me,” I whispered.
My breath frosted before my face. I should be freezing. A blizzard howled down the streets. Instead, I was comfortable in my torn shirt and ripped pants. The pain in my side and upper thigh vanished. I didn't burn from sliding along the asphalt in the crash. My raw skin had healed.
“You must be one,” he whispered, stroking my face. “A Valkyrie. My warrior woman.”
I blushed again. “I didn't do anything.”
“You also stopped running.”
“I couldn't let you fight him alone.”
“Touching,” rumbled the monster.
I jumped. A mirage moved beside us. Warm wind gusted around it, driving back the snow. The dingy-white fur of the ape-wolf rippled into reality, like it was bleeding into this place from our world and bringing a bit of its late spring warmth with it.
“This is where you're from,” I gasped, remembering the snow that had appeared with the monster.
“Did you think fleeing to Utgard would save you from me, little Valkyrie?” the demon growled as it manifested into the snowy waste.
Magnus growled and rose. To my utter shock, he changed as he threw himself forward. Shaggy fur sprouted across his body, black and coarse. Magnus
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