The Valkyrie hadn't denied her foresight also worked for her.

So that left a burning question. Why wouldn't she use it that way? Byron's head shifted in thought. Then he pointed at her with his off hand, "You know what I think? I think you're scared to look at your own future."

Phenїx's shoulders and spine went back like he'd just whipped her. Her breath hitched audibly enough to cut to his ears.

His eyes narrowed. Well, well. Score one for the reaper's intuition and discernment. 

Byron the noob reaper was onto something. And the scent of her fear confirmed it. The silence after her gasp made the wind louder, a tuning fork to his brain.

The dots connected... maybe...

He snapped his fingers. "You're the first-among-Valkyries."

Phenїx paused. "What?"

"You were queen of the Valkyries. But you ceded your crown and title to your sister Furie, long before any real action was going down. After Furie disappeared, Annika took up the torch." 

Then his head tilted. "But explain that to me. Why is Furie the de facto leader of the Valkyries?"

"She is one of the best of us, you idiot." Phenїx pronounced softly. "She embodies us perfectly." 

That tone was a recited answer. He snorted his derision out, "A load of dragon shit if I ever heard it. You can fool others with that elsewhere, Phenїx."

Furie was part-fury. Sure, they were impressive at routing evil, but they were brute force. Reliant on their might to win a fight. But all of the Valkyrie were the offspring of Wóden and Freya. They patterned closely off of Freya.

And the goddess known as Freya was a thinker, powerful in magicks, an able combatant. But her strength? She was absolutely ruthless in strategems. Phenїx was her, all over, one hundred percent plus some extra. He ran through it in his mind.

Dots... Turning over rightful title and rulership to a sister, steeping oneself in foresight, working on helping everyone to achieve matehood...

His lips parted a moment to take a breath. Then he looked back over at her. "Your mate."

Phenїx shivered again. That rusty blood tone of fear in the air increased. "What?"

He snapped his fingers definitively and gripped tighter on Scalpere. "That's why you're busted up! What, you see something in your mate's life you want to avoid? That's what this is about?"

Nїx's eyes narrowed. "Fuck off and defend yourself!"

She came at him full-bore. He ducked to one side, avoiding a cleaving neck-strike, then ran clear of her thrusts. She growled hate, flinging herself harder at him.

Byron's eyes widened with his devil-may-care smirk. "Ahh, no, I'm just warming up there, Valkyrie. Okay, let's try this-"

He barely avoided the primal blast she howled at him, then looked back at her face. That rust in the air was getting thicker. Oh, I got a run on her, now. 

He leapt back and gave her a tight, knowing grin. "Let's just try there, Phenїx! You tell me when I'm warm. You went ahead and did the bad girl thing of taking a peeksie at your own future."

Her lips twisted, baring her fangs in an image that would make most mortal men piss themselves. "Shut the hells up!"

The fear in the air around her had turned heavy, and that strike was a sloppy one. Too sloppy. He could've taken her head on that one.

Losing your discipline, Valkyrie.

This ancient female couldn't tell a falsehood or hide the truth. She wasn't practiced enough to lie.

Which was crazy to consider when she was one of the oldest soothsayers around. He surmised she'd been relying on hints and visions through her foresight so long, she couldn't hide fear.

And she'd always used half-truths under her foresight. She was innocent, easily readable without her powers and vacant gaze to cover for her.

He looked her square in the eyes. Open, angry... afraid.

"Mommy Freya warned ya!" he shook his head like the temptation was too great. "But you just had to see your male."

Nїx's eyes blazed hatred, "Shut your godsdamned fucking mouth!"

His eyes widened. Shit and damn. Huge tripwire trigger. That was a tactical nuke he just hit. She came in with a fast thrust and two more fierce swipes. Both those might have taken his legs or his arms, but he deflected, flitting back and away.

The Valkyrie was panting, sweating, not merely out of exertion, but desperation.

He finished the thought, "And instead of seeing him, you saw his death."

Nїx gave out her shriek. The primal blast hit like a tidal wave. He twisted around, digging into the soil with the scythe, a three-hundred-meter-long trough appearing where he'd dragged himself to a stop. She came on like a runaway jet engine. Her face... gorgeous... but also...

Terrified.

Byron popped up in a rush, the whole equation clicking like a round in a chamber. He pointed his scythe at her like it was the barrel end of his pistol.

"That's it! You saw his end, and it fucked you up so bad, you figured on becoming a goddess to get around it!"

The magnitude of what he just said struck. He planted the scythe in the ground and spread his legs wide to keep himself upright.

"Jesus God Almighty, you are one fucking hell of a woman."

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