Page 77 of Valkyrie Confused

I killed him.

And I’m still leaning on the sword, until it’s literally pinning him to the wall.

Oh God, I killed a god.

I back away, leaving the sword behind, and Pan gathers me to him as the cave around us rattles and shakes—in a non-fun way. Rocks start tumbling down, and one of them barely misses Arnlaug, who reluctantly falls on my other side.

“Can’t you blink us away?” he asks Pan.

Pan shakes his head. “No. The wards he put up are woven into the cave. While it stands, they stand.”

Dahlia hums. “Sounds like an easy enough fix.”

Stunned, I watch her grow and shimmerand grow moreand get all scalyand keep growing. “Sweet, holly fuck, she’s a dragon.” I clap my hand over my mouth.

The dragon spreads her wings, and we all huddle against her side, as she gets even bigger.

It’s practically raining rocks now, the sound deafening, but I feel safe, sandwiched between Pan and Arnlaug.

When daylight peeks in through the ceiling of the cave, Pan guffaws. “Great job, Dragon Girl. Now we have a way out, and Odin is buried under a mountain.”

The wolf shakes his body, and the animal form melts into that of a very huge very naked man. “It’s not polite to call people nicknames they didn’t choose,” he says.

Pan rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You played your part too, Wolfie.“

“Thank you,” I say. “Seriously, thank you so much. I’m Scarlett, by the way. Big fan.”

Freyr chuckles. “Let’s get out of here,” he says. “Get some rest, and drop by NEON tonight for proper introductions. Drinks are on me.”

“I don’t know what NEON is, but drinks sound good.” Rest sounds better.

He nods and stretches his arm to the side.

No, wait. He opens a fucking door into the fucking air—or, you know, the very fabric of reality—and he and Fenrir walk through it.

Starkad gives Arnlaug a curt nod, which Arnlaug returns, and goes after them.

The dragon shrinks back into the gorgeous young woman and follows them through with a little wave at us, before the door closes seamlessly.

“I’ll get my guys too. See you there.” Astrid smiles and fades from sight like the freaking Cheshire cat. Her voice trails out, adding to that effect. “And grumpy? I’m proud of you.”

I’m going to need therapy for ages, to deal with today.

I close one hand around Arnlaug’s and tangle the fingers of my other hand with Pan’s. “Take us home?” I ask him.

Arnlaug tugs at my hand. “Maybe I shouldn’t come with—”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be an asshole, for once,” Pan cuts him off. “You know,notrun away when things get real.”

“I almost fucking killed you. Would have killed both of you.” Arnlaug works his jaw, and my neck hurts from looking up from one of them to the other. “And I didn’t run from you; you told me to go.”

“Because you’d rather be with Odin.” Pan glances to where I felled Odin, whose body is now buried beneath rocks. “It was your choice.”

“I was stupid.”

Pan nods. “You were.”

“And I’m sorry,” Arnlaug says.

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