Wyrd: Book One of the Witch War Trilogy - WATTYS 2018 WINNER!

Chapter 16: In Which Sky Introduces the Aary Twins to New Friends

Her laughter caught in her throat and she looked into those eyes.

He waited.

"I know you think I'm joking," he said, "but humour me."

"I'm not married. I mean ... gods and goddesses do that sometimes, often Valkyries partner with other female Valkyries, or demi-gods find lovers or those they love, but I haven't been with anyone in a long time." Will looked very pleased that his prospects still appeared rosy. "But," Sky countered that optimism, swinging a leg over the bench and facing him with her best don't-mess-with-me expression, "demi-gods are discouraged from falling for humans."

It wasn't only discouraged. It was, for all intents and purposes, prohibited. But that wasn't what was truly punishing about loving a human. Sky had learned that the hard way.

Humans didn't last forever; true love did. She thought it best not to iterate her thoughts out loud.

"Oh," Will said, sounding less than pleased. "But you can't exactly help who you fall for, can you?" He shot his cheekiest grin at her.

She sighed. No. You couldn't. Otherwise she would never have gotten herself into this mess in the first place.

His smile was triumphant. She didn't need to say her thoughts out loud to know he'd read her like a book.

"And earlier... when we met. Tell me I'm not imagining things? Something happened between us. Something incredible. I feel like I know you. I've been waiting for you my entire life." He was serious now, staring at her, those kind eyes searching hers. "And I've never been a believer in love at first sight."

No, it wasn't love at first sight at all. It was...

"Maybe we loved each other," Will said, "in another life."

Sky's heart shuddered, painfully. She wanted to explain everything, to tell him everything. More than anything, she wished for a real future with him. She wanted, needed, this time to be different.

Their knees were touching. He smiled at her again, leaning in closer, closer. One hand stroked her knee as the other came up and cupped her head, his fingers tangling in her thick dark hair and his thumb stroking her jaw. Her heart beat quickly, her stomach fluttered. He waited, patiently, staring into her eyes, for her to close the last inch between them. For her to initiate.

It was torturous. As if the indecision held them there for an eternity.

She shouldn't. But she couldn't help herself. Even after 400 years, love still made her feel like a fledgling. Will was the key to her happiness, to her devastation. And she wanted him, whether or not it was irresponsible. She remembered what it could be.

Her hands stroked his arms, his strong shoulders, his neck, gliding over his muscles greedily. Giving in to her abandon. She traced his lips with her finger. Then she closed her eyes and leaned in.

A shrill screech and a smash sounded from somewhere nearby, and Will and Sky jumped apart and to their feet.

"What was that?" Will asked, looking around.

Laina was sitting, ramrod straight and disheveled in the four-poster bed.

"Wahhh, happened?" came out in a garbled half-asleep mumble.

Sky looked around, assessing. Her heart was still pounding. Beside the bed was a shattered vase. And if the shriek hadn't been Laina's – at first Sky had assumed it was – then what had made that noise? She scanned the room.

"Didn't you say something about people thinking] this place was haunted? Which is why patrols stay away?" Laina asked her.

Sky nodded.