A Valkyrie's Apprentice: Book Two

Negotiations

"Tayah, can you please take your life seriously for once?" I sighed through my nose.

"I take many things seriously." She told me as she walked along the edge of the planks. "Exasperating you is a full time occupation."

"I could take that immortal energy from you and leave you here." I threatened.

"Kára, you could hardly bare to do it the first time let alone purposefully." She retorted, turning to me and flicking me the finger.

I strode up to her rapidly and grabbed her tunic collar leaning her over the edge of the water. She merely raised her eyebrows at me with a slow smile.

"I've been told I'm a poor swimmer. I think I'd just take you with me anyway."

I watched her eyes flicker between my own and felt the charge between us build in that painfully familiar way. I slowly pulled her back to the planks. She patted down my furred shoulders and left her forearms on them.

"So, what's the plan?"

"You can stop tormenting the mortal in there." I answered her, trying to get my thoughts clear again. Her eyes seemed to come back into focus at this. "I already found what I needed before John wasted his breath."

"Why did you let us–"

"Because I do not like the Assassins Guild." I interrupted flatly.

A grin claimed her beautiful features. At this distance it was hardly fair at all. "This wouldn't be because of that time with the Jaded Fylerns... or perhaps the ambush with poison?"

"Most who cross you, Tayah Ashrive, end up on the wrong side of my blades." I said as I moved a strand of hair out of her face.

"I think you and I will make quite the team finding him."

"Team?" I scoffed, bringing her back to arms distance again. "Tayah, you have no immortal armour or weapons. Your energy is as wild as a raging boar and you may just burn down a house trying to use that power."

"You can insult my ability all you like, Stormbringer. You can even try to force me to stay." She told me with a slow smirk. "I don't give a toss what you do, because I will be the one to stand before the mortals that took him and reduce them to nothing more than dust before me." She finished as her hair blew back in waves.

I stared at her completely lost for words. In seconds she could turn from carefree to immortal warrior in a blink. A formidable fighter in her own right I knew this but the idea of risking her at all was so unbearable now.

"Now. Which direction am I walking?" She demanded.

I shook my head slowly and let out a breath. "You will wear my armour for a start." I told her as her eyes widened and raked over my gleaming body. "Then we will meet Revna."

If we really were pursuing these assassins together I would not have her in anything less than impenetrable armour. My power practically was its own armour it only made me slightly more killable on this realm.

She broke her hold on me and turned to begin walking back to the warehouse but I stopped her shoulder. Holding her eyes.

"We are careful about this." I stressed, "Do not make the mistake of thinking you are invincible here."

"I always thought you were." She told me with something burning in her eyes. They seemed to go far away. "Even after you told me how vulnerable you could really be on this realm... I still never felt danger when I was with you. Maybe that's why I chose what I did so easily in the Underworld." She murmured with a shrug.