Calling the Blood by Amy Cissell

Author:Amy Cissell
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781960766106
Publisher: Broken World Publishing

Chapter

Twenty-One

A wooden canoe drifted out to sea. Flames licked at the sides, rendering the boat nearly invisible.

I sat and watched with the others. We were lined up along the western edge of the island, sitting on the cold, hard, damp ground, saying nothing.

The service had been less than I’d expected. Göndul’s body had been examined by each of the Valkyries, excluding me and Hope, before Kara and Lena wrapped her in a funeral shroud and placed the body in the boat. Lena held aloft a torch, and Kara and two others walked forward, lighting their torches from hers.

The four of them held their torches to the kindling in the canoe until it caught fire, then pushed it away from the shore. They doused their flames in the water and joined hands.

When the fiery boat disappeared from view, the four Valkyries returned to the group. Grief creased their faces.

“We are diminished,” Kara said, her voice harsher than usual. “There should be four and twenty gathered here in celebration. Instead, we are fourteen strong and two novices. Where are the others? Anja, where is your daughter? Has she not yet come into her power?”

A short, white woman with dirty blonde hair, slight frame that was almost frail, and wearing jeans and a denim shirt walked forward, nodding deeply. It wasn’t quite a bow, but it spoke of obeisance and demonstrated how much everyone respected Kara.

“I don’t know,” Anja said, clasping her hands in front of her. “When Katrin informed me the next generation was finally waking, I called Riley and asked her to come home. I haven’t heard from her since.” Her voice wavered for a second, but she gained control before she spoke again. “That was three days ago. It is not unusual for us to go a few days, even a week or two, without speaking, but she will always text me back within a few hours. Since she’s supposed to be on her way home, it is worrisome.”

Kara reached out and placed a hand on Anja’s shoulder. “You don’t have to hide your worry and fear. We are not men who deem any emotion but anger to be weakness. We are your sisters.”

Anja’s shoulders shook. Mom walked forward and slung an arm around Anja, leaning in to whisper something to her. I didn’t know what it was, but in my imagination, she was reassuring the other woman that her kid was unlikely to disappear for a full ten years like I had.

Pressure against my lower shin drew my attention. Archibald headbutted me in the manner of cats everywhere when they were both showing affection and demanding attention. I kept my eyes on the women in front of me but squatted to scratch behind Archibald’s ears.

“She’s not talking about you,” Archibald said softly. “She wouldn’t. She shared her pain at your absence with her sisters, but she never spoke negatively about you in any way.”

“And how do you know that, cat?” I whispered. “It’s not like you were here, right?”

He looked at me, forcing my hand off his head, then slowly and very deliberately winked.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.