Read Online Truth's Heart (The Valkyrie's Passion Book 3): A Valkyrie/Shifter Romance by Renee Jordan - Free Book Online
Authors: Renee Jordan
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on a pike for all to see the price of treachery.”
I lunged at Thor, crashing into his side. My teeth bit into the wrist of his right arm. He snarled in pain and tried to swing Mjolnir, but I held his wrist in a death grip. His left hand slammed into my side. Ribs cracked.
I drank in the pain, feeding my rage. Raven's head would not grace a pike.
~ ~ ~
Raven
Magnus savaged Thor's wrist while the mighty god slammed his fist over and over into my wolf's side. Magnus growled with every blow. He was in pain, only his berserker fury keeping him from relenting and releasing Thor's grip.
I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to fight Thor. I wanted to flee. The Yggdrasil root was right there. Magnus and I could head through it and escape to Muspellheim. Maybe Thor couldn't follow. Fleeing had to be better than fighting.
Eyes watched us. Loki was near. I bet he was gloating and smiling.
“Damn you,” I snarled at Loki, my eyes casting about for a sign of him. I didn't want to fight, but Magnus needed help. Thor was a god. My wolf couldn't win on his own.
I hated myself for summoning my silver armor and my terrible sword. I used to savor summoning my sword, delighting in the flames dancing on the blade and the strength it gave me. The sword empowered me to defend myself.
I shouldn't hate it.
The dark flames burned and sputtered on my blade, the fires of a funeral pyre. The screams of dying men echoed as I raced around the pool. Thor's blow finally threw Magnus away from the god, my wolf crashing into the hot spring.
Thor turned to face me, blood dripping from his savaged wrist and running down the iron handle of his hammer to the thick, rectangular head. It was an ugly weapon, a rectangular slab of iron attached to the rod, not the graceful weapon from the superhero movies. The weapon was pitted from use.
“I see there is some honor in you, traitor,” Thor snarled. His golden beard bristled. “Come and die with a blade in hand. I'll spare the life of your protector.”
I let out a frustrated roar as I fell into the training Magnus had shown me, my feet moving properly and my blade sweeping down in a slash that didn't leave me open to attack. Screaming sword met thundering hammer.
Energy burst before us.
Thor's eyes widened. “Are you a thief, as well, Valkyrie?”
I roared again, the shouts channeling my bitter anger. I didn't want to fight him, but I had no choice. I swept the terrible blade at Thor, the screams of the dead echoing around us. Every time our weapons met, thunder boomed and dark flames burst.
“You stole Odin's great spear,” roared Thor. “You stole my father's weapon.”
Anger crackled in Thor's amber eyes. He swung his hammer harder. Concussive blasts battered my silver armor every time the thunder boomed. I groaned, fighting against the growling roars that shook my body.
“Your father gave me Gungnir,” I snarled.
“Why would he give his murderer his weapon?” demanded Thor.
I parried his hammer, his strength driving me back. “Because he knew I would have to defend myself. He knew that I had been tricked. Your father forgave me for killing him.”
Tears burned in my eyes for Owen. The world grew blurry. I blinked them away as I blocked his blows. They trickled hot down my cheeks.
“You lie!” The words exploded from Thor's mouth. A concussive blast slammed into me, throwing me back. Trees behind me groaned and cracked, their trunks snapped by the force of Thor's anger. They crashed to the ground as I raised my sword to block Thor's next attack.
“My father would never forgiven you. He loved you and you repaid him with death.”
Magnus crawled out of the hot spring, his fur matted and dripping. He moved slowly, clutching his side as he headed for his discarded ax. His eyes were fierce. He glanced at me as he grasped the ax and turned to face Thor's back.
“Please, Thor,” I begged. “I don't want to kill you.”
“Kill me?” Thor's belligerent laugh sent
I lunged at Thor, crashing into his side. My teeth bit into the wrist of his right arm. He snarled in pain and tried to swing Mjolnir, but I held his wrist in a death grip. His left hand slammed into my side. Ribs cracked.
I drank in the pain, feeding my rage. Raven's head would not grace a pike.
~ ~ ~
Raven
Magnus savaged Thor's wrist while the mighty god slammed his fist over and over into my wolf's side. Magnus growled with every blow. He was in pain, only his berserker fury keeping him from relenting and releasing Thor's grip.
I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to fight Thor. I wanted to flee. The Yggdrasil root was right there. Magnus and I could head through it and escape to Muspellheim. Maybe Thor couldn't follow. Fleeing had to be better than fighting.
Eyes watched us. Loki was near. I bet he was gloating and smiling.
“Damn you,” I snarled at Loki, my eyes casting about for a sign of him. I didn't want to fight, but Magnus needed help. Thor was a god. My wolf couldn't win on his own.
I hated myself for summoning my silver armor and my terrible sword. I used to savor summoning my sword, delighting in the flames dancing on the blade and the strength it gave me. The sword empowered me to defend myself.
I shouldn't hate it.
The dark flames burned and sputtered on my blade, the fires of a funeral pyre. The screams of dying men echoed as I raced around the pool. Thor's blow finally threw Magnus away from the god, my wolf crashing into the hot spring.
Thor turned to face me, blood dripping from his savaged wrist and running down the iron handle of his hammer to the thick, rectangular head. It was an ugly weapon, a rectangular slab of iron attached to the rod, not the graceful weapon from the superhero movies. The weapon was pitted from use.
“I see there is some honor in you, traitor,” Thor snarled. His golden beard bristled. “Come and die with a blade in hand. I'll spare the life of your protector.”
I let out a frustrated roar as I fell into the training Magnus had shown me, my feet moving properly and my blade sweeping down in a slash that didn't leave me open to attack. Screaming sword met thundering hammer.
Energy burst before us.
Thor's eyes widened. “Are you a thief, as well, Valkyrie?”
I roared again, the shouts channeling my bitter anger. I didn't want to fight him, but I had no choice. I swept the terrible blade at Thor, the screams of the dead echoing around us. Every time our weapons met, thunder boomed and dark flames burst.
“You stole Odin's great spear,” roared Thor. “You stole my father's weapon.”
Anger crackled in Thor's amber eyes. He swung his hammer harder. Concussive blasts battered my silver armor every time the thunder boomed. I groaned, fighting against the growling roars that shook my body.
“Your father gave me Gungnir,” I snarled.
“Why would he give his murderer his weapon?” demanded Thor.
I parried his hammer, his strength driving me back. “Because he knew I would have to defend myself. He knew that I had been tricked. Your father forgave me for killing him.”
Tears burned in my eyes for Owen. The world grew blurry. I blinked them away as I blocked his blows. They trickled hot down my cheeks.
“You lie!” The words exploded from Thor's mouth. A concussive blast slammed into me, throwing me back. Trees behind me groaned and cracked, their trunks snapped by the force of Thor's anger. They crashed to the ground as I raised my sword to block Thor's next attack.
“My father would never forgiven you. He loved you and you repaid him with death.”
Magnus crawled out of the hot spring, his fur matted and dripping. He moved slowly, clutching his side as he headed for his discarded ax. His eyes were fierce. He glanced at me as he grasped the ax and turned to face Thor's back.
“Please, Thor,” I begged. “I don't want to kill you.”
“Kill me?” Thor's belligerent laugh sent
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