Wyrd: Book One of the Witch War Trilogy - WATTYS 2018 WINNER!

Chapter 33: In Which Uror Plots

The Head Wyrd, the Fate, the Fury, Uror, looked down upon the Twin-world below her. It wouldn't be long now.

She could taste the blood dripping between the Aary girl's toes onto the gritty sand, she could see the crimson spill like oil billowing into the earth's oceans, rivers of red running through a stone maze, rebels floundering, choking, drowning. The Empress, her fleet splayed around her like a peacock's feathers floating on an indigo sea were pulling up onto the land, marching to those old gates, coming in droves, just as the sword fell.

No, it wouldn't be long now at all.

This would be the last time.

Perhaps Uror had underestimated her daughter before. The predictions for the downfall of the worlds were black marks, blights, blind spots in Uror's vision. They would not sully her reputation any longer.

This time would be different.

Uror had a secret. A secret she would wield as a weapon against her daughter.

Uror had been stupid once, too. She had fallen for the myth of romance and made all the same mistakes. Not in the beginning but somewhere in the middle, what had been the end, if only for them, the one she had loved had chosen to ignore the Gods in favour of these creations and he had given human and wizardkind more than he was capable of giving to the Goddess. He had sacrificed everything for these paltry beings and now he would continue to be punished for eternity.

The heart was a stupid thing. Love was a stupid affair. Her daughter was a fool. Just like her father. But the Wyrd's daughter, Skuld, would live a different Fate. Uror wouldn't let Sky make either of her parent's mistakes, not for the love of one or the love of many.

Urur had held the secret of Skuld's origins close to her chest. Not even her sister Veroandi knew the truth. The truth was now a weapon so caustic it would eat away at Sky and Uror was ready to strike the final blow.

The tables were about to turn.

Sky would doubt herself, doubt her choices and everything she was. Her identity, her soul, was the bedrock on which she'd built her fury. She would break. Yes, the knowledge of who her father was would be enough to incapacitate her daughter.

Sky's father wasn't Odin.

Sky wasn't a Valkyrie in anything but name.

Her father was an entirely different beast.

But his wings had been beautiful.

Poor Sky. Even with dimmed powers, her daughter could foreshadow, but Skuld would never see this coming.

That was exactly what Uror was banking on.

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Short, I know, but it was always going to be a short chapter. More coming soon! Stay happy and healthy. Emmy