Page 148 of Valkyrie Unknown

Her tone reminded me of Mom. The cadence. The feeling that she wasn’t quite here. My gut churned at the memory.

Two more attackers charged, and I tried to stop them both. One slipped by, but Finn dropped him in an instant before the wolf-like man could reach Sadhbh. There was no time to talk, as three more fighters were rushing me.

My limbs were tired. Cuts and gashes ran along my arms and side. I pushed harder, and weakness screamed back from every inch of me.

While I was holding off a Berserker, two more slipped past me.

“Help me, Azzie,” Finn shouted. “Stop fucking around.”

“I can’t.” I wanted to. Why couldn’t I do this? “I don’t have my daggers.”

“You don’t need a fucking crutch.” Despite his complaints, he took both of his foes out, then turned back to Sadhbh.

I continued to push my opponent back, until he fell as well. My muscles burned. Every inch of me wanted to collapse.

“You promised me you wouldn’t bring her here,” Sadhbh said.

He knew this was going to happen? She’d seen it? I faltered in my step, and the Berserker buried his claws in my shoulder.

Rage spilled inside me and I whirled, cutting my attacker down.

“I had to,” Finn said.

“I know.” She sounded sad and resigned. “I saw it.”

I knew the conversation, or close enough, because I’d had variations on it with Mom when she was alive.

My legs wobbled and gave out as I stumbled. I landed on my knees. I was so weak in here. So mortal. I fucking hated it.

Pounding footsteps and a loud roar grew closer. Another Berserker. I struggled to push to my feet—to fight him off—but I couldn’t find the strength.

He rushed past me, and pinned Sadhbh to the tree with a mace.

“No.” Finn’s shout rattled the trees and shook me to my core.

I’d let someone else die on my watch. I couldn’t save her.

“You’re fucking useless like this.” Finn shoved past me.

I didn’t have the strength to argue. Had he always been this much of an asshole? I needed to get back on my feet. Be ready for the next wave.

“Pull yourself together and get us the fuck out of here.” Finn’s voice went cold, and. He gripped my good arm, yanking me to my feet.

My fury tasted foul. “Me? You were willing to let me take care of this myself—to let me die—so you could tend to a memory. She’s fucking dead. She was before we got here.” I hated the acrid taste of the truth. Hated how callous saying those words made me feel.

“This isn’tmytest.” Finn ground out the words. “You wanted to come here. You wanted to prove how incredible you are. This is for you, and you’re failing. Lugh was wrong about you, and he was an asshole to set this?—”

To set this up. I knew without hearing it. I’d walked into a fucking trap, set by an ancient god. Of course I was. I was such an idiot. “What did Lugh do?” I wanted to hear Finn say it.

“Get us out of here. Take us to Zeke so we can leave.”

“Or what?” I dreaded the answer, but defiance drove me.

Finn fixed me with a glare and stalked closer until his face was inches from mine. “Or I’ll make you suffer until the end of eternity.” His voice was low and even, and I couldn’t look away. “Out there. In here. I don’t care where it is. If Zeke dies so you can ascend, if you don’t take me to him, I’ll torture you in ways your tiny. Mortal. Brain. Can’t begin to fathom. Your pathetic human soul will be ripped to shreds again and again, and I’ll enjoy it.”

It wasn’t the threat that made my blood run cold, it was that he meant it. I’d wondered before now if Finn was a friend or merely an acquaintance. He was my fucking enemy.

I’d also made a blood oath to Zeke that I would do anything in my power to keep harm from coming to Finn.

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