Valkyrie's Harem (Academy of Immortals 1)

“Hildi,” he says, eyes darting to his prey, “I thought you were getting more drinks.”

“I was.” I place my hands on my hips. “Until you started skulking around.”

“Skulking?” His accent has a faint trace of his British heritage. I won’t deny it’s alluring.

“I told you—no females.”

His green eyes hold mine. “Just because you’re a sexless prude doesn’t mean we have to be.”

I take a step back. “Did you just call me a sexless prude?”

He shrugs and lifts the bottle of mead to his lips. Roland, of course, has to chime in, “When was the last time you had a good fuck? Because I’m certainly not hearing your bed bang against the walls all night like your friend Morgan.”

It’s a low blow. He’s well aware that I lost the love of my life, Andi. That she got sick and died from the awful virus the Morrigan unleashed on the world. Tears burn at the corner of my eyes. I glance around, worried others are listening, but no one is, not even Circe who is helping a customer. No one but the other guys at the table seem to notice me and Marshal.

In a low voice I say, “Fuck you, Roland. You don’t know anything about me.” I look at the fairy, who’s pushed her long dark hair over her shoulder and is listening to us. I issue a warning to Marshal, “Keep your hands to yourself. That was the deal.”

He swallows and nods. He may not be afraid of me, but he is loyal to the Raven Guard. These aren’t my rules—we’re all just following orders.

I grab a bottle of mead off the table and head to the back door, trying to keep my hand shaking to a minimum. The air on the small deck is warm, the city cooling from the summer day. I take a swig and then another, refusing to look back when the door opens behind me.

Whoever came out is also quiet and just sits on the wooden picnic table just out of my view. “You didn’t have to follow me,” I say, taking another drink from the bottle.

“You’re not the only one that needed some air.”

Miya stares at the ground. His hair is short on the back and sides, thick and wavy on the top. His cheekbones could cut glass.

A thick scar runs down his neck, vanishing into the collar of his shirt. I shouldn’t be surprised he’s the one that came out here. Bars and having fun are low on his list of activities. He spends most of his free time meditating and channeling some kind of zen. I probably need a little bit of his inner peace.

Well, if there is such a thing.

“Don’t let Roland get to you. He has a knack for picking out a person’s weak spot.”

“My sex life isn’t a weak spot, Miya.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “No?”

I sit next to him and rest my arms on my knees. “No. It’s not about sex. It’s about…love, you know? I loved Andi. And I miss her. She was my best friend.”

He frowns, so much of this is hard for them to understand. They lived a barbaric life of murder and rage. I forget this sometimes. So I ask, “Did you ever love anyone?”

He thinks on it, which is something I like about him. “No, I don’t think so. I was a warrior before I hit puberty. Women weren’t something to love but simply a release.”

I nod. I get this. I’m a Valkyrie. Our duty is to Freya and the afterworld, but then Andi happened. But they also lived so long. To never have found one love in a dozen lifetimes? It’s heartbreaking. “I guess Marshal is probably the same.”

He laughs, and small lines appear by his eyes. It makes him seem softer. “We’re all the same.” He touches his heart. “Warriors first. Weapons second. Slaves third.”

“And after that?”

“There is no after that. There’s just now.” He glances up at the tall city buildings that surround us. “This is a foreign world with strange rules. I think we all feel a little lost and are looking for some grounding.”

I give him a small smile. “I’ll try to remember that.”

He nods and then adds, “It wouldn’t hurt for the boys to get laid, either.”

“Just the boys? Not you?”

“I took an oath of celibacy…after gaining my soul back. It seemed the right thing to do.”