Valkyrie of Desire

40. A Mother's Love

Intelligence guarantees thoughtful delusion

While wisdom can counter with life experience

But beware any expert declaring broad truths

—Zenath Kree

Moans echoing from a pregnant orc giantess curled on the floor duel with the snores of man-sized orcs recovering from an assault on their souls. Hildr paces through the pitch darkness between her fallen companions.

Sized for one-eyed giants of a distant age, the wide hall has space for Hildr to roam. One end has stairs going up to the ground level of the library, the other is a sliding wall with the pressure of a river behind it. Transitory freedom with the promise of claustrophobic pressure. Damp, cold, and dark, this place is a grave.

Hildr turns from the exit, and pats the side wall that hides the doppelganger of her father. The man holds no guilt for his appearance. Responsibility sits with her baggage triggering the nefarious magic of his mask. What face would have appeared if she did not have her father on her mind?

She shivers and rolls her mystic diamond across her knuckles like a gambler with a bad hand. Worst of all, the titaness wraith that put down her orc guards and drained her gem still wanders somewhere, and the spirit's promise to feed on Hildr's soul rings fresh in her ears.

She could still run away, abandoning those who trust her. Weeks ago by a calendar, but years by her gut, she has already done it once. The family by the road, helpless and moaning—she robbed them and left them. An act her mother would have approved of, but what about her father?

Would he wonder if they found their way somewhere safe, or if her ruthless act tripped them into shallow graves? Regret is against her religion, but if she had to do it again, maybe she could stay with the family until morning.

A blue glow from the stairwell. Hildr gasps and uses the wall to steady herself. It is too small and dim to be the wraith returning.

Ruse enters, floating with webbed hands clasped. The small beebo was as quick as he promised.

"Agro and the prostitutes are right behind me, each carrying a warded lantern, per your request."

Hildr pockets her gem in her blouse and nods. "And Meepsin?"

"I did not see your fae servant, and I could not risk the sunlight to search for him."

"Hopefully, he's around and has his sling ready to dissuade others from entering."

"Agro did put a closed sign on the door."

"Still," she says. "Be ready to haunt trespassers."

"But what if they have the light skill. The Pales—"

Hildr holds up her hand. "Our allies are here."

Agro leads with his spear. Free hand gripping a lantern, he hops down the final steps with a scowl. Was it a mistake to leave him to gossip with Edgewick's whores?

"Thank you for coming." Hildr bows.

The man grunts and steps aside to allow a pair of voluptuous women with matching lanterns to join him on the floor. Alice huffs, back bowed by the weight of her over-sized breasts, while Bouncella rolls her shoulders with a fist up. The latter may lack personality, but she has a decent boxing stance.

"Ladies," Hildr points at the far wall. "Go to the corners there and keep your lanterns lit. The wraith wards on the bottom only work when they are, and you don't want to meet the haughty bitch haunting the other side."