Page 121 of Valkyrie Renewed

Ùna chuckled. “It’s fine the way it is. If it tasted better, more would be reckless with their magic.”

She had a point.

My head pulsed. I pressed my forehead into my palm. I tried to focus on my surroundings—my bedroom, from the looks of it—but the pain was too distracting. “I feel like shit.”

“Well, that’s what happens, dear, when you use all your magic in less than five minutes.”

Had I? I supposed I had. I was so overcome with rage, I hadn’t paid attention to how much magic I’d used.

I held my hand out for the tea. This wouldn’t be pleasant, but it would be the fastest way to recover enough of my magic to be rid of this headache. Magic was great, until you learned about its drawbacks.

It was so intrinsically linked to our being that if we depleted ourselves of it, it was like the worst-ever hangover imaginable, mixed with the body aches of the world’s worst flu, then multiplied by eleven. At least that was how I’d describe this awful feeling.

Nose scrunching, I downed half of the cup’s contents before I choked. I coughed and sputtered, barely keeping myself from retching.

Ùna took the cup. “That should be enough. While a good punishment for being so reckless, I’m not one for torture. And that should be sufficient to restore your magic to a more comfortable level until you do so naturally.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

My awareness was already returning, and the headache was subsiding. Angel laid beside me, watching me with great intensity. Blood coated her fur, but she didn’t seem to be injured. Diego perched on the edge of my bed, near my legs. Tyr sat on the floor on the other side of the bed, close to me. Neither of them wore their shirts. Ùna stood on Diego’s side, looking up at me, and Sean lingered in the doorway.

I briefly glanced down at myself and then took a double-take. I shrieked and pulled my sheet over my exposed chest. “Why am I naked?”

Diego and Tyr had seen me naked before, and I knew fae saw nudity differently, so it probably wasn’t a big deal to them, but still, I didn’t exactly consent to exposing myself.

“That was my doing,” Ùna admitted. “That shifter’s blood ruined your clothes, and we needed to regulate your temperature while also giving your body the optimal chance to regain its magic. Clothes risk acting as a barrier to both.”

I puffed out my cheeks. I couldn’t argue with her reasoning. And no one had been staring, as far as I could tell. Well, if Tyr or Diego stared, I wouldn’t have cared.

“Oh, and don’t worry, your mother’s and Baldur’s armor are on your nightstand. I knew you’d panic if you realized you didn’t have those.”

I nodded my thanks. I’d hardly stopped wearing them since Tyr gave them to me.

“What happened? I remember seeing Sean use some sort of nature magic to go after the shifter, and then everything went dark.”

“After you passed out, Tyr and Sean chased after the shifter while I got you back to the house,” Diego said. “That was maybe twenty minutes ago.”

“He got away?” I guessed.

Tyr grunted. “He didn’t just get away, he up and disappeared. Not even the forest could answer Sean on how.”

I frowned. That wasn’t good. Sounded similar to Fen’s description of the shifter leaving his calling card. That almost certainly confirmed magic was involved. So either this shifter could use magic to some degree, or someone was helping him.

I looked to Sean. “Thank you. That must have been difficult for you.”

He nodded slowly. “I know I told you I dislike fighting, but I wasn’t completely forthright about that. I am tired of fighting. I did it a lot, a long time ago, even before your first lifetime. I chose to walk away from that life.”

Sean shook his head. “But I wasn’t about to let that shifter take you. You’ve given me a home—something I haven’t had in a long time. You asked nothing of me for this home, and you’ve respected all my needs. This was all before you knew of my true nature. Once you learned, you’ve done even more for me.”

He lifted his gaze to meet mine. “I don’t seek war and violence again, but I will protect our home and everyone who lives here. Especially you, Astrid.”

My lip quivered, and tightness wound its way through my chest. I nodded, my throat tight and tears stinging the corners of my eyes. I feared if I tried to speak, my voice would crack and the tears would flow.

“Just… don’t be so reckless?”

I laughed. “No promises.”

He shook his head. “Ùna, why don’t we go check the wards again?”

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