Page 47 of Reaper
“It seems my presence is necessary.” I walk toward them. “Skuld paid Kyra a visit after you left. You’re about to have company, by the way.”
Reaper opens his mouth but doesn’t get a word out before there’s pounding on the door.
“Reaper!” Kyra shouts. “I know you’re in there!”
Reaper’s eyes widen comically, and he rushes to open the door and let her in.
“We need to talk,” she snaps.
“Welcome, Kyra,” I say, drawing her attention. “I hear you’ve had an eventful night.”
She glares at me, and I have to admit, I like her spunk. “Who are you?”
“Kyra, that’s, uh…” Reaper runs a hand over his head. “That’s Odin. He rules?—”
“Valhalla,” she finishes for him. “Yeah, Skuld told me. Lovely woman.”
Sarcasm drips from her tone, and I laugh which is something I rarely do these days.
“I chose well. Makayla and Emmy weren’t near the handful this one is.”
Reaper’s gaze cuts to mine, and I can practically feel him chastising me. He’ll pay for that.
“I’ll get out of your way in a minute,” I tell him before focusing on Kyra. “It’s actually you I came to talk to.”
“Me?” she asks.
“Yes, you. Give us the room,” I command my men, and they do but not without griping about it. Well, all but Reaper leaves. I stare pointedly at him. “You, too, Reaper. I promise, I won’t scare her off.”
“Gettin’ perilously close to that already,” she mutters.
“If you do anything to hurt her,” Reaper growls.
“You’ll what?” I taunt. “Throwmeinto the Fire Pits?”
“Damn straight,” he snarls.
The thing is, I believe him.
“Not a hair on her head will be harmed,” I assure him. What I don’t say is I wouldn’t dream of hurting her, not when she’s so close to healing him.
Reaper finally nods and stalks away, leaving me with the love of his afterlife.
“So, what do you want with me?” Kyra asks.
“Everything Skuld told you, everything she showed you, is true.”
“Okay.”
“But I can show you more.”
“More?”
“So much more.”
Without moving, I project my thoughts onto hers and show her a world of possibilities. The difference is, I don’t sugarcoat it. I show Kyra everything: the good, the bad, and the ugly that Valhalla has to offer.
When I’m done, she stumbles, her body weak, but doesn’t fall. “Was that supposed to help Reaper’s case?”
