Page 7 of Fighting the Darkness

The man tilts his head, his eyes narrowing. “And who is your brother?”

“Freyr Bjorn.” My hand finds its way to my hip as my posture changes, daring him to tell me no.

Silence reigns once more, even from the other two groups of people. I fight against the desire to turn my attention to them, keeping my eyes locked on the man in front of me. He nods in understanding, sadness, and sympathy clear in his eyes.

“Then that makes you Freya.”

I’m shocked that he knows my name. “How do you know my name?”

The man laughs. “You were one of your brother’s favorite things to talk about. He was always raving about how amazing you were. We kind of thought he was making you up at first, but then Wilder confirmed you did, in fact, exist. My name’s Orion. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Freya.”

I take his offered hand, head bobbing up and down like one of those bobbleheads. My brother talked about me? Guilt rushes through me once more, and I squeeze my eyes shut to fight back my tears.

“We miss your brother around here. What happened to him was tragic, but the story we’ve heard is that he saved your life. That’s just like Freyr.” Orion’s voice is thick, and when I blink my eyes open, I find tears in his.

He offers me a soft smile. “I’m glad you came. You’re welcome here anytime you want. I work the doors every weekend if there’s a fight. I’ll make sure you’re let in free of charge. That’s what the boss would want.”

“That’s nice, but you don’t have—“

“I know I don’t have to, but Freyr was family. That means, by extension, you’re family and you’ll be treated as such.” He wipes a stray tear away. “Go inside, head to the bar, and ask for Vicki. Tell her I sent you and that you’re Freyr’s sister. She’ll be happy to meet you, and she’ll take care of you, make sure to give you the lay of the land. If anyone gives you any trouble, just let me know, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks,” I whisper, blinking to keep my tears at bay, but one slips down my cheek. Orion reaches out to wipe it away with a smile. “You definitely have the look of him. I always told him he’d make a pretty girl, and you’re all the proof I need to know I was right.”

I snort at that, laughter exploding out of me. It sounds rough to my ears as it’s not a sound I’ve heard in some time, but it feels good. He’s also not wrong. If anything, Freyr was more beautiful than me, and I don’t consider myself ugly. Or at least not usually. Currently, I feel like I’m living inside someone else’s body. But I can’t let myself go down that path. Tonight is about connecting with something my brother loved.

Freyr really would’ve made a hot girl, though.

“Thank you for that.”

“Any time, Freya. Any time.” Orion steps to the side, gesturing for me to head inside.

I take a step forward but halt when the group of four approaches me. The two girls have tears in their eyes when they send smiles my way.

“You’re Freyr’s sister?” the blond one asks, and I nod. “We loved him around here. He’d be happy to know you were here.”

And there goes the tears again. Great. Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea.

The brunette nods. “Your brother was the best.”

“If you need anything,” one of the guys adds, “let us know. We’ll watch out for you since Freyr isn’t here to do it.”

“Thanks,” I squeak out, barreling toward the door. I need to get away from them before I start sobbing. That’s not how I want this night to go.

This is harder than I thought it would be, but it’s nice to hear how many people loved and cared for my brother. He was a genuinely good person who cared more about others than himself. It was hard not to love him.

I take a deep breath before pushing open the door and heading inside.

This might be hard, but this is something I have to do. Something I want to do.

Chapter Four

Freya

Asthedoorshutsbehind me, all I can do is stand there and gape.

This was not what I was expecting from a fight club. It looks more like a dance club, if you ignore the circular cages that dominate the space. The walls are painted black and gold with heavy sheets of deep red material lining a few of them. The lights are bright around the cages, but the other areas are darker with a red-tinted light.

There are a ton of people surrounding the three cages—one large one in the center and two smaller ones in the back corners—and others who are mingling around tables set on the outskirts. To my left, I see a bar, and while it seems unlikely to be the only one, I figure I might as well start there. I want to find Vicki. Not only do I need a drink, but I need some idea of what the hell I’m meant to be doing now that I’m here.

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