The Sword of Souls Read online

  The Sword of Souls

  The Last Valkyrie #2

  Karina Espinosa

  Copyright © 2019 by Karina Espinosa

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover design by © Orina Kafe

  Edited by Beyond Def Lit

  Copyright 2019 by Karina Espinosa

  ISBN-13:

  ASIN:

  For my mom

  (Skip the sex scenes, please)

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Also by Karina Espinosa

  About the Author

  About the Author

  1

  I was high, but not the kind I wanted to be.

  I was literally high—about sixty floors above ground—and while heights didn’t usually frighten me, it was too early in the morning to have to deal with this.

  The sun beamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding me, and I lowered the pitch-black sunglasses that sat atop my messy, shoulder-length hair. The sting in my eyes had eased, but it was still there, lingering in the back. I pulled the Pez dispenser from my back pocket and popped actual Pez candies into my mouth. The habit was supposed to help keep me sober, and let me tell you, being sober sucked. Especially at eight o’clock in the morning.

  “What are we doing here, Will?” I grumbled as I munched on the hard candies, knowing it drove Will insane.

  He winced from the sound as he walked around the empty office space. “We’re following a lead,” he said. “This floor used to be rented out to Joseph Castellano, a.k.a. The Boss. His lackeys might have left some clues behind as to where we can find him.”

  I threw back my head and sighed heavily. “Why couldn’t your partner come with you?” I had other things to do than shuffle around dirty and empty office spaces. Like still be in bed until noon, but he didn’t need to know that.

  Detective William Callahan had done a lot for me in the last few weeks, including getting me this consulting gig with the Portland Police Department, which technically made me his temporary partner. Instead of correcting me, he ignored me, as usual, and continued to search for anything out of the ordinary. I was sort of over trying to find The Boss after a week of searching. He was gone, that much I knew. The whole Portland PD was on alert and his face was all over the news. No idiot would stick around with this much heat on him. Yes, I wanted revenge for what he did to Charlie—and I’d get it if I ever saw him again—but I had other plans to worry about until then. I was immortal; I had his whole lifetime to find him.

  “There’s nothing here, Will.” I kicked at some dust on the ground littered with paper.

  “You’re not even looking, Raven.”

  “I am! But it’s just an empty space. Unless you want me to read all these loose papers.” I motioned to the floor.

  Will turned to me and gave me a knowing look. That was exactly what he wanted me to do. Of course, it was.

  “Damn you,” I whispered. “You’re getting my chiropractor bill.”

  He snorted. “Send it to the PPD.”

  We spent three hours bending down to pick up loose papers and reading them to find some trace of Joseph Castellano, but we came up blank. I knew we would from the very beginning, but Will held on to hope.

  “Dammit!” he yelled. “Are you sure you haven’t heard anything?”

  I shrugged. “The drug Venom is still being distributed to supernaturals, but I don’t know how.”

  “Get me into the Underground, and I’ll handle the rest.”

  I grimaced. “Are you crazy, Will? I’ve told you this a million times: you’re human. They’ll sniff you out a block away. No way. And even if we go undercover at the Underground, how are you going to explain it to your superiors?”

  He ran a hand through his hair and down his scruffy beard. “I’ll figure it out, but we need to get this drug off the street and Castellano behind bars. Don’t you agree? Or do you not care anymore?”

  My jaw locked and ticked. I crossed my arms over my chest. We seemed to have this argument more often than not nowadays. Will thought I was this chosen one for some reason, a champion for humans, and was constantly questioning my allegiance. I was honestly trying to make it day by day. I really wanted to tell him he’d better be happy he’d helped me get sober … somewhat sober. I was working on it. But I needed to take baby steps. It’d only been a few weeks since my whole life imploded and I was just now picking up the pieces.

  “I can ask Charlie if she’ll come scope out the Underground with me,” I responded. I wasn’t going to get into an in-depth conversation with him, not before some liquid substance. Like I said, I was working on it.

  “Thank you, Raven.” He sighed, and his shoulders sagged. He’d manipulated me, and I let him. I didn’t care though. I needed a drink.

  I knew Charlie would help; she wanted to catch him just as badly. He’d kidnapped her, and although she hasn’t wanted to talk about it, I knew it had bruised her ego to have been taken down by a human. I also felt like something else had happened, but she refused to talk about it. I didn’t want to push her. She’d come to me in her own time. The library was the last place I was headed though.

  Day drinking was a regular thing for me, so I wasn’t embarrassed walking into the empty bar. I hopped onto a stool and slapped the countertop.

  “Whiskey, neat,” I said to the bartender and put some cash on the bar top.

  The drink came fast, but I didn’t drink it fast—I savored it. It’d been twelve hours since my last drink, and who knew when my next one would be.

  “I was wondering when you’d get here.”

  I smacked my lips and grinned. “I got held up. Human stuff.” I turned my head and looked at Lana, the medium, who sat next to me. She was a short woman with very distinctive Native American features and had long black braids that reached below her hips. I could tell from her glossed-over, milky-white eyes that Lana wasn’t here. It was Verdandi, one of the Norns possessing Lana’s body.

  “Right now, you don’t have time for ‘human stuff,’ as you say,” Verdandi replied.

  “You said I was the humans’ champion, so I’m championing.” I shrugged and took another drink of my whiskey.

  She sucked her breath through her teeth. “You can’t be their champion without the Sword of Souls. I told you this the last time we spoke. You must make it your mission to get it back!”

  I turned away from her and looked at my reflection in the mirror behind the bar. “And if I don’t?”

  Will and Charlie had done a good job convincing me to give up on chasing Fenrir, Loki’s son, who had stolen my sword from me. I trusted Fen—we all had—he used me so he could free his sister Hel from the Underworld. I wasn’t going to be the pawn in all these prophecies and tales anymore. Odin, my father, abandoned me because he predicted I would betray him in order to help Fen, his eternal enemy, and I did. His prediction came true—unintentionally, of course. My father abandoned me way
before it ever came to fruition, but still, I was done being the sucker.

  “If you don’t find it, Hrefna …” Verdandi called me by my given name. She reached for my hand and gripped it tightly. “This world will see terror like never before,” she continued, her voice hard, “and you will be defenseless to stop it. Only with the sword will you have a chance to save the human world from destruction.”

  I snatched my hand from her. After that declaration, I couldn’t sip my whiskey any longer. I threw it back and ordered another one. This called for a double.

  “Destruction of the human world?” I chuckled. “What have you been smoking, and can I have some?”

  “I’m being serious, and so should you, Hrefna,” Verdandi reprimanded. “You’ve seen the state of affairs of the humans. It’s not good. Dark times are coming, and you must be ready.”

  “What about Ragnarök?” I took my second drink from the bartender. “That’s why Odin needs the sword, not for the humans.”

  It had been foretold Ragnarök would be the end for all gods, wiping them off all nine realms. Fenrir was destined to kill Odin with my sword.

  “Ragnarök is not for some time,” Verdandi replied. “Fenrir cannot start it without the sword anyway, so if you steal it—”

  “Gotcha,” I nodded, “but then he’ll be after me again. He’ll want the sword back.”

  “It’s yours, Hrefna. It’s been yours from the very beginning. Fenrir can want it, but it has never been his to want. At least you’ll be prepared this time.”

  That was true. I’d know what he’d want, and he wouldn’t get it—I’d make sure of it. If I went this route, Will and Charlie wouldn’t approve. I’d promised to let Fenrir go and move on. I promised to get sober and focus on helping humans—starting with catching Joseph Castellano who was feeding supernaturals the drug Venom that was killing them off. I’d agreed to this, so if I decided to pursue Fen, it’d have to be in secret. Then again, if I explained what Verdandi was saying, they’d understand. I didn’t want to lie, especially to Charlie. Hell, or even to Will. They had done so much for me, and I was a shitty liar.

  “I have to tell Charlie and Will. I can’t lie to them,” I said as I threw my drink back.

  “They won’t understand.” Verdandi leaned forward. “One’s human and the other one wants to be human.”

  “I’ll make them understand, but I have to tell them. If not, I’m not doing this. I refuse to chase after Fenrir without them.” I gulped loudly, surprised by my own words. I’d been a loner for so long. Decades, really, so taking others into consideration was a milestone.

  Verdandi pressed her lips into a straight line and huffed. “Fine. Consult with your comrades if you must. We’ll meet here tomorrow at the same time.”

  She left the bar clearly unnerved, but I didn’t care. I was the one putting my neck on the line. My way or nothing at all. I drank the rest of my whiskey, threw some cash on the bar, and left before I could order another drink.

  The library where Charlotte O’Malley worked was in the middle of nowhere and constantly empty. I would have quit by now, but Charlie loved it. The quiet and remoteness was what attracted her to this location in the first place and, of course, so did all the books. We were polar opposites this way and in other ways. I looked homeless most of the time in jeans and whatever tank top and flannel or jacket I could find, whereas Charlie was neatly polished in her pencil skirts, button-up shirts, and black-framed glasses. And forget about my messy bed hair I never combed. Her strawberry-blond hair was always pulled into a tight ponytail away from her face. Like I said, she was put together, while I was a hot mess. Regardless of our differences, we are kindred spirits. There was a reason Charlie and I found each other, and she was the friend I desperately needed.

  “Raven!” Charlie called out from the help desk as I entered. “I didn’t know you were coming.” She smiled widely, her hazel eyes twinkling under the fluorescent lights.

  “Yeah,” I smiled back at her, “I just came from the PPD.” A little white lie never hurt anybody. I chewed on a ton of gum on the way here and sprayed some perfume to kill the stench of alcohol.

  “How’s Will?” she inquired as she stacked books onto a metal cart.

  “Uh … he’s good. Same ol’ Will, ya know.” I shrugged. “I actually came by because we have a favor to ask of you.”

  “Oh yeah?” She quirked a brow but continued to stack her books.

  I nodded as if she could see me, but she wasn’t paying attention. “Yes.” I cleared my throat. “You see, we’ve been meeting some dead ends recently in our search for Joseph Castellano, and we think our best bet is probably following the drug trail. The best way to do that, though, is to follow the Venom through the supernaturals, which means—”

  Her head popped up, her ponytail whipping to the side. “Which means you need to go to the Underground.”

  “Precisely.” I squinted. “I wouldn’t have asked unless it was absolutely necessary—”

  “I’m in. What do you need?” She dropped what she was doing and dusted her hands on her thighs before making her way around the help desk.

  I chuckled awkwardly and grabbed her shoulders. “Slow down there, little banshee. We’re not going there right this second. I still need to clear it with Will that you agreed and set up a plan.”

  Her body deflated. “We can’t let him get away with this.”

  “And we won’t,” I whispered as I held on to her. “We will get him, and you’ll be there when we do. I promise.”

  She nodded.

  I knew better than to make promises I couldn’t keep, but I would try my damnedest to make this one come true. Charlie needed a win.

  “Good.” I smiled. “I’ll get Will to come over tonight so we can hash out a plan.”

  I quickly walked out of the library before I said anything else that could get me in trouble. Tonight, not only would we come up with a plan to follow the drugs to catch Castellano, but I would also tell them my plans to go after Fen and the Sword of Souls. I knew they’d be disappointed in me, but that sword was mine and I couldn’t wait any longer.

  2

  I paced the living room as I waited for Will and Charlie to arrive. I was still staying at Charlie’s apartment and had told Will to come at the same time she would be arriving from work. It would be easier for me to let it all out at once. Charlie’s squeaky-clean apartment always made me feel like I was institutionalized with its all-white everything. All that was missing was the padded walls. She was a neat freak.

  I heard them before they arrived. Their laughter carried down the hall. I went to the door and opened it before Charlie could put her key in the door, startling both of them.

  “Uh … hello,” Charlie greeted me, taken aback, her eyes bugging out from behind her thick-framed glasses.

  “Raven?” Will raised a brow.

  “What took you both so long?” I complained as I rushed them in.

  I poked my head into the hallway, looking both ways, and hurried to close the door when I saw it was empty. I didn’t know why I was paranoid. I knew Fen and Hel were in the Fae realm, but you can never be too sure. And Odin was always watching. I hadn’t seen Hugin and Munin in weeks, but I wouldn’t be surprised if those ravens were still lurking around.

  “What’s up with you?” Will said over his shoulder as he went into the kitchen for a beer, but it had been cleared out of alcohol because of me. I wanted to offer him some of the whiskey I kept in my nightstand, but I’d get a judgy glare from Charlie, and then the three of us would have to have the “sober talk.” I’d gotten off the drugs, but the alcohol was a little harder to get rid of.

  “Are you high?” Charlie whispered as if it were a secret.

  “What?” I scoffed. “Of course not! I just have to talk to you guys and I’ve been about to burst all day.”

  “Oh.” She perked up. “Is it about what we talked about today?”

  I shook my head. “No, it’s something else.” I took a deep b
reath. “You should both have a seat.” I motioned them to the couch.

  They looked at one another and Charlie went straight for the sofa.

  “I think I’ll stand, thanks.” Will crossed his broad arms over his chest.

  I sighed dramatically. “You always have to make it complicated for me. Fine.” I rubbed my sweaty hands together and then over my jeans. “I met with Verdandi today.”

  “What!” Charlie squealed. “How? I thought the Norn was dead?”

  I nodded. “She is. She’s possessing Lana again, the medium we met.”

  “That’s messed up.” Will shook his head.

  “Not if Lana gives her permission, which she did,” I reassured them.

  Charlie scooted to the edge of the sofa, completely intrigued by the conversation. “What does she want? I thought Verdandi hated you the most out of the three Norns.”

  I chuckled. “Actually, she does, but she hates Odin more for killing her and her sisters. So … she’s willing to side with me—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second,” Will interrupted. “Side with you? For what?”

  All day, I debated how I would break it down to them. I could make it pretty so the blow wouldn’t be so bad, but then I realized I wasn’t that kind of person. I was more of a raw, straight-with-no-chaser type of individual. I wasn’t going to start changing now.

  “I can’t be the humans’ champion without the Sword of Souls. I need it back, and she’s going to help me get it.”