Chapter 7
Standing there on the porch, watching Axel drive away, I had a decision to make. I could run again, taking Mason as far away as I possibly could before these Valkyrie caught back up to me—and I'm sure they would eventually—or I could stand my ground and face them now. They had answers I needed, and quite frankly, I didn't know where I would go next anyway. Besides, with all the dangers that lurked around every corner, I feared for Mason's safety. With that final thought, the decision was made.
I folded my arms across my chest, beckoning them to come.
The redhead leaned out the window. "I'm skinning you next! My karaoke nights are sacred; no one messes with my time!"
"Shut up, Bryn, and sit your butt back in the car, you're scratching my paint job with your claws!" The dark-headed one that I remembered was called Rune shouted. And the obscenities flew from there, both women going at it like there was no tomorrow.
Strangely, the closer they got, the braver I was beginning to feel. Laughing at how stupid they looked, I walked down to meet them as they pulled right up to the porch.
Lighting continued to strike above us, filling me with an amazing feeling of energy and power. I decide to cut to the chase. "Can either of you tell me who my birth mom is? I'm an archer and according to the shifter you just chased away, that's passed down through the blood line."
Rune got out of the car first, coming around to look me over. "The little pain is correct, it is passed down." Bryn joined us, hopping up to sit on the hood of the car, receiving a glare of warning from Rune. "Your mother was an amazing archer. She saved us in many battles with her skill." Was, as in past tense. My shoulders slumped forward. What had I expected, a happy family reunion? Not happening. "She died shortly after you were born. We didn't know that she put you in the human system until much later. Don't be angry; she thought she was doing the right thing."
"I'm not angry. I was happy before all this happened." I looked up to see actual compassion in the eyes of the Valkyrie, Rune. "Who are the ones responsible for the tear?"
"We haven't time to discuss this; we need to hit the road and get back to Valhalla," Bryn commented coldly while examining her nails or claws that she’d painted red.
Standing my ground, angered by her callous tone, I said, "I'm not going anywhere until one of you explains to me who this ‘enemy’" is that took out my family and the entire town because I'm going to hunt them down and kill every single last one of them!"
Bryn's eyes glowed green. "You kill one Slasher and that makes you hardcore. Ha, you ain't seen nothin’, and let’s get one thing straight right now," Bryn slid off the hood to stand toe to toe with me, "you're coming with us because Rune and some of the others believe you may prove useful. Me? I'm not so sure, and if I'm correct and they’re wrong, I'll dangle you as bait for the one responsible for all this BS!" She nudged me hard with her shoulder, knocking me back a bit as she walked back around the car to hop through the passenger side window. My claws began to curl. I had to fight the instinct to attack her.
"Don't pay her any attention; she's just moody." Rune wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a hug. "Your mom and I were extremely close. She was my sister, our sister." She glanced over her shoulder at Bryn. "You look just like her." Strangely, it didn't feel all that weird to be hugged by her, it felt sorta safe.
I tried a different approach and tried to appeal to her on a different level. "Aunt Rune, are you going to explain all this to me?"
"Ah, young one, you are just like your mother." She laughed. "Of course I'll explain things, but Bryn is correct, we need get you to Valhalla." She steered me more toward the car.
"Kylie." I heard my name called out in the form of a squeak.
Oh, my God, Mason! I couldn't believe that I almost forgot my brother. Digging my heels in, I called out, "It's okay, Mase. Come on, we're going to be staying with them for a while. They are going to help us find out what happened to Mom and Dad."
"Oh no!" Bryn stuck her head out of the window. "We're not taking the human kid along with us, just you." She ducked back inside. My nails were seriously curling now. She and I were going to have a major problem. "Don't you look at me like that, missy. I’ll wring your scrawny little neck for even thinking about jumping me!" Bryn was in front of me so quickly I could barely track her movement, but I was glad and ready for her. Lightning flashed overhead and I knew it was coming from me.
I shoved Rune away as Bryn and I began circling one another. "I'm about sick to death of your loud mouth, you redheaded freak! Where I go, my brother goes. Now you can shut your trap and deal, or I'll shut it for you."
Rune hopped up on the hood of the car as if to get a front row seat to an event. "Come on down here, little fellow, and watch your sister claw that redheaded freak’s eyes out." She laughed loudly, waving to Mason to join her. "Get her, Kylie, you can take her!"
As if being urged on by a force out of my control, I launched myself onto Bryn, attacking her as I did the Slasher, only minus the part of ripping her head off. She backhanded me, sending me flying onto the porch steps. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I caught the flash of red before my eyes, realizing it was Bryn's hair. She was airborne. Rolling to my side, I kicked her squarely in the ribs, sending her to flop right in the dirt.
"That's it, Kylie, make her eat that dirt!" Rune hollered, clapping her hands.
I was already on Bryn, punching her square in the face until I heard a satisfying crunch; I'd broken her nose. The next thing I knew, I was the one that was airborne again then slamming into a tree face first.
I opened my mouth and let out a screech that shattered what was left of the windows in the old farmhouse as well as Rune's car. I was back on my feet, raging with fury. The blood inside my veins felt like hot lava once again as I stormed at Bryn. Her eyes rounded with shock and something else I couldn't quite discern for a minute and then, when I did, I stopped my advance. Admiration. Bryn admired me?
Rune was beside me, speaking soothingly into my ear. She didn't touch me, just calmly coaxed me down from the height of anger that was about to boil over and spill out onto everyone around me. "That's it, deep breaths. I'm proud of you. You really kicked the chiz out of Bryn." At her use of my brother's word, I turned to face her. "Yeah, it's my new word now. Love it! Now, why don't we head home?" Home, where was that? Mase and I didn't have a home anymore.
Turning to go toward the car, I felt awful about the mess I'd made of it. "Rune, I'm sorry about your car."
"Don't worry about it, sweetness. I can always get another one. Come on, Mase my man, load up in the backseat with the redheaded freak."
At that, Mason came running out of the farmhouse with both our packs on his arm. I'd never even seen him go inside, I must have been really out of it.
"I'm only going to take so much, Rune, keep pushing," Bryn growled as she crawled into the backseat.
Rune dusted the glass off my seat and helped me inside, smiling. My life in Weirdville had just jumped up a few notches.