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WHEN WE LANDED ON the entrance to the Bifrost, colors gleamed through the magically thin layer between worlds, lighting up the sky with every conceivable color. I had always enjoyed walking this thin slip of rainbow, even as a child. It held mystical wonders just by existing, and every step created a small jingle. When we as a Valkyrie force ran along it, it created a symphony of sound that filled me with both awe and excitement, but right now it only sounded like wind chimes ringing in the distance. And I was not enthralled with the sound or this mission.
Thor studied me as we walked. At least he wasn’t leering anymore.
“What?” I finally snapped.
That tilting smile appeared. The one I wanted to wipe from his lips. It held his arrogance in that one expression. “You don’t like me very much.”
I gave him my best “what makes you think that” side-eye, but I didn’t confirm or deny his statement. Truth be told, when I was young, I had a massive crush on him. But as soon as I became a Valkyrie and saw firsthand how he went through the entire force like some sex-crazed asshole, I lost all respect for him. I had never fallen for his lines or his charm, and I certainly wasn’t going to now.
He cocked an eyebrow at my silence.
I sighed and kept walking. My attempt at enjoying the sounds of our footsteps on the Bifrost was quickly souring. “Not particularly.”
“Why not?”
His entitlement astounded me. He truly believed everyone should drop down on their knees and thank the stars above if he graced them with his attention. “Because you are an arrogant fool,” I muttered under my breath, thankful to be approaching our destination.
His lips thinned, and he faced forward as the transport building neared. Hostility radiated from him as if I had woefully bruised his ego.
But I did not give a damn about the God of Thunder or his ego. “You just want me to like you because I am the only Valkyrie you haven’t slept with.” I threw caution to the realms. I might be as close to immortal as he was, but I was only a beheading away from death.
He grunted in a derisive manner and sent me a withering glare.
I smirked and looked away. I successfully pissed off Thor, and I liked that I’d gotten under his skin. If he ever changed his ways and became less selfish, I might consider him a suitable liaison. But that hadn’t happened in millennia, and I didn’t see him changing his spots any time soon.
“Why am I going to Earth to kill an innocent, again?” I asked, hoping to catch him off guard, so he’d provide me with some viable reason.
He grabbed my arm and turned toward me, stopping us. “This is a high honor.” He waved toward the building that would whisk me away from the war.
“Then you go and do it. I wish to remain here to defend our people!” My snarl sent him back a step.
His eyes narrowed. “Can you do what I did?” He pointed back to the city.
My jaw clenched. I couldn’t banish an entire army of wraiths like he had, and it burned that I had to admit that. I slowly shook my head. “But I am battle-ready.” I stared into his blue eyes as they darkened with his anger. “Not many others are.”
“That is the reason why we picked you.” His finger jabbed into my chest. “Earth is in its infancy, and we need a warrior who can defend herself and carry out Odin’s orders without fail.” He crowded me, attempting to intimidate.
I continued to glare without yielding. His words seeped their way through my stubborn resolve, and I blinked, narrowing my eyes. “I do not understand the significance of this Earthling. Why is he so important?” I tried again in a different manner to understand this task.
“Because Odin says he is.”
That wasn’t a good enough answer for me, and I huffed at Thor and turned, ripping my arm from his grip before I trudged toward the structure that held the transport station that would ferry me to the world that Odin wanted me in, regardless of the consequences. I couldn’t imagine why, so my mind filled with even more questions. Questions that needed to be answered before I followed through with this mission. I wasn’t one of Odin’s blind followers, despite being a Valkyrie.
Thor’s sharp stare and narrowed lips announced his displeasure. I couldn’t care less what the pampered prince thought of me. I still believed this mission was bogus, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out the why of it all. And yet, here I was, still following orders like a good little soldier.
The Bifrost keeper, Henrick, stood stoically as we entered the transport room. His hair and eyes were without color, and the rest of him visible outside of his armor was as dark as night itself. He held the sword that allowed us to travel between realms when it was buried in the center of the large golden circle and turned. It had been ages since my last foray into the realms, and I smiled at the keeper. If he were to be compromised, the realms would fall. The keeper was as old as Asgard and would remain in place until Ragnarök took us down.
“Earth,” Thor said before I could even greet Henrick.
I glared at Thor, and then Henrick raised an eyebrow. I nodded, confirming my destination even though everything inside me balked. “Earth.”
Henrick dropped the blade into the slot in the center of the circle and twisted it around three times before finally clicking it into place with a scraping ring. The portal to Earth started in a small circular kaleidoscope in front of where I stood, capturing my attention.
Thor shoved me toward the widening portal, and I was sucked into the ether, tumbling as I tried to gain my bearings. At this rate, I’d be spit out and land flat on my face at my destination. My chest tightened in response to my apprehension.
Thor’s words surrounded me. “Do not fail your mission, Kara, or you will feel my wrath.”