Page 3 of Valkyrie Song

For long moments, there's nothing but the rustle of leaves high up in the trees and the uneven thumping of my own heart. And then I hear him.

"Fuck," he mutters, his voice faint. But even faint, there's no mistaking that it's him following me. As usual.

I release my Light, allowing it to flow back into the well. But I don't reveal myself to him. Instead, I stay completely still as he approaches, intending to ambush him. He won't have a choice but to talk to me this time.

The thought fills me with a strange sense of satisfaction. I think I like the thought of being difficult for him. It serves him right.

A few seconds later, he strides past my hiding spot, muttering to himself too quietly for me to hear. But it's probably about me disappearing. Satisfaction thrums through me at the thought.

I wait until he's several steps ahead and then hop to my feet, stepping out onto the footpath behind him. "Why are you following me?"

He freezes midstep and then turns slowly to face me, those piercing eyes locking with mine. Amusement glints deep in their depths. So does some emotion I'm not sure I understand. But whatever it is sends a shiver through me.

Yet again, I'm struck by how beautiful he is. Even from a distance, he towers over me, strong and fierce.

"If you're going to hide, princess," he murmurs in his deep, rumbling voice, his eyes locked with mine. "You should pick a spot you can defend."

A scowl overtakes my face, my lips pulling down into a frown as I plant my hands on my hips to glare at him. "Who says I can't defend it?"

"I saw you before I ever got close, Kara. If I can see you, so can our enemies."

"We have no enemies here," I remind him.

"Yet."

That single word sends a chill ripping through me because he's right. We have no enemies here yet, but they are coming.

"You walked right past me," I argue instead of dwelling on that.

His lips quirk into a smile, pulling at the edges of a silvery scar near his upper lip. "I knew exactly where you were."

"That's because you're a stalker," I mutter, irritated. This is the most he's said to me in days, perhaps since Marion and Abigail found me hiding in Rand and Simek's cabin.

I know he hears me, but he says nothing. He simply stares at me.

"Why are you always following me?" I ask, determined to get at least one satisfactory response from him today. After two weeks of near silence, I think he owes me that much.

"Because you won't stay in one place, Valkyrie," he says as if that explains everything, but it doesn't. Not even close.

"Try again," I say, my voice flat.

"The Fae asked me to protect you."

"I doubt that request extends to lurking in the shadows, Stephan." I cross my arms, glaring at him. "And I doubt they meant for you to drop everything to follow me like you do."

"Then you don't know the Fae well, princess." His lips twitch again, his eyes still locked on my face. "You're Valkyrie. We protect the Valkyrie with our lives, even if it means we all die."

I don't miss the fact that he includes himself in the Fae camp. Interesting. Out of all the Blooded warriors here, he's most like them. Because he knows what it is to sacrifice? Because he's stared death in the face? I don't know.

I don't miss the way he keeps watching me, either. He's not being honest. At least, not entirely. The Fae may have asked him to watch me, and he may be willing to die to protect the Valkyrie. But that's not why he follows me like he does. It's not why he ignores me the way he does, either. That's something else.

I see it in his eyes. Even now, it glints there, burning bright. It almost looks like…regret mixed with longing? I'm not sure but seeing it glowing in his eyes makes my chest ache.

"You'd die for me, but you won't even talk to me."

"And that bothers you, princess?"

"Stop calling me that."

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