The Mercenary's Valkyrie: Book One

Inevitability

I watched a droplet of water catch on a nearby waxy leaf. It glided leisurely along the wiry veins of green before freeing itself to the ground below.

"Tayah."

I flicked my eyes back up to the immortal stood over me. Not even a remote sign of tiredness gripped her features. Only the usual beauty.

"We are done for today."

I let out a sigh and dropped onto my back. Droplets of water started falling more frequently now but I couldn't bring myself to care. The cool rain hitting my face was actually a nice change from the stifling heat. But using the immortal power would have felt a lot worse had the Valkyrie not been giving me small slithers of her own. The toll simply would have been too much without it.

To my surprise she walked to my side and dropped into a sit, placing her forearms over her knees and gazing wistfully out across the small clearing. The rain dropped onto her skin and trailed down the line of her jaw.

I saw the corner of her mouth pull up in a smirk and I frowned.

"Always betraying you..." She murmured, staring out at the rain.

I drew up, leaning back on my elbows. My frown deepened. "What?"

"That heartbeat of yours." She chuckled, not meeting my eyes.

My face heated despite the water dripping down it. Ever the immortal senses around to pick up on such things.

"You know the reason. There is not much point in defending my reactions anymore." I muttered. My gaze drifted past her onto the tree canopy above. Small birds were darting between the leaves and branches freely.

"I agree." I felt her eyes on me but I refused to meet them. Once again we were on a topic that would not lead to anything good. Or maybe something very good—

"I have not met many mortals like you." She interrupted my dangerous thoughts.

"Oh?" I asked, glancing at those molten silver pools under the rain. The water only seemed to enhance her godlike features. She glistened under it, her hair a darker but shining blonde and her lips—stop looking at her lips dammit, Tayah.

"You do not seem to take life as deathly serious as mortals tend to. Even in the face of death, you rarely display anything other than that quick wit."

I raised my brows and found her eyes watched me intently. I shrugged and moved to wrap my arms over my knees, hugging them closer. The air temperature had dropped slightly and I felt the water soaking through my light clothing easily.

"You adore my quick wit." I drawled with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "There is more to you than your ever ready humour."

"And you would know me so well?" I quipped.

"Yes. I do." She said matter of factly.

I snorted but did not speak. I turned my gaze back to the trees beyond and watched the clouds grow a darker grey.

"You hide behind it. Whenever you feel an emotion that could compromise you, you use humour and wit to deflect it." My heart seized as she summarised me as easily as you would remark the weather. I knew she also sensed my anxiety but she carried on regardless. "I know why you do it. I know it is because you do not trust anyone."

"Horseshit. I trust my friends." I growled back, refusing to meet that intense gaze.

"You trust them with your life but not the details of your life."