Master of Umbra (The Valhalla Series) by Poppet Read Free Book Online

head, relishing the pain, wishing he'd head-butt me again and give me the high I need instead of ruining my moment with delinquent arguments. “You do this for her, Gunn. You do this. You put him in the grave. Only challenge the writing in the mist after you've met her. But this death, it is your duty.”
    He scowls at me, his hesitation enough to incite anarchy.
    “If you don't do it, I will!” shouts from the onlookers, and then pandemonium ensues. We all need this man dead. Scum do not deserve to live.
    Grant drops from the balcony, impacting the ground and running to finish Dias.
    I shove Gunn at the mangled man on the ground, “Finish him! That's a direct order.”
    I don't have time to fanny about, boosting off the ground I slam into Grant, smashing his trajectory away from the vermin and into the wall using his own momentum. A melee is about to unfold and I can't hold back the horde singlehanded.
    “Do it!” I yell over my shoulder, bashing my forearm into Grant's neck and pinning him to the wall.
    Grant smiles at me, his eyes glazed with bloodlust. He's feeling nothing. Only his training prevents him from sparring me to the ground to complete his objective.
    Struggling with my kin, I glance back at Gunn, elated to see his grim distaste as he punches his fist right through the man's skull, his knuckles cracking when he connects with the indomitable floor beneath the shattered cranium.
    He doesn't have a chance to withdraw when he's crowded by the marauders, mutilating the remains, pulling the bastard apart by his limbs. The pops of tendons snapping sounds like popcorn kernels thrown in the fire.
    Gunn staggers away, bodily shoving through the throng, pausing once to give me the stare of a man on death row.
    Just wait 'til you meet her. Then you'll understand I'm not persecuting you, I'm being a fucking gentleman for the first time in my life.
    He salutes me with his middle finger, giving me a goofy grin, his knuckles already swelling up. I blow him an answering kiss, laughing as I project my voice over the din, “You want to finger my arse? You saucy boy!”
    He bursts out laughing, shaking his head in mock despair, bellowing back, “You are fucked up!”
    “No son, I do the fucking up, and down, and missionary!”
    He smiles, looking for a moment like his old self, waving me off as a lost cause, shouting, “Pillock!”, before walking off to his chambers.
    Smiling myself, I leave my men to clean up the mess. Deliah looked horrified by the arrival of her 'ex'. I can't say I blame her. Jumper cables. Fuck! If she didn't have the pain threshold of an Eagle she would probably be dead by now.
    Walking up to his bloodied skull, I spit in it, pegging in disgust and marching back to my damsel in distress.
    The violence has got me harder than granite and that shower will be a welcome wank in a pocket of peace.

 
    Chapter 8
     
     
    Living or dead, I loved not the churl's son;
Let Hel hold to that she hath!
     
    ~ Völuspá
     
    Deliah:
     
    Footsteps pound hollowly from the passageway and the apprehension is enough to invert my heart.
    Gripping an umbrella which I found on the coat stand, I'm ready to do my best fencing impression if Dias is the one who emerges from the dark cavity.
    Ewan's weapons are far too heavy and I can't wield them, even though I really wish I could. I struggled for vital minutes trying to load an arrow into the crossbow, but the tension on the wire was just too great for me. All I did was strain muscles, leaving me weak and shaky again. Good heavens, I'm just not cut out for this cloak and dagger nonsense.
    “ Get ready to do some major mauling,” I whisper to Bella, who's crouched behind Ewan's chair peeking with alarmed 'made you look' eyes at the entryway.
    Adopting a flexible baseball batting stance, I'm sweating bitchoil, coiled to attack, when Ewan strides into view.
    The relief is enough to make me cry.
    As he emerges fully into the lighting, I drop the umbrella at the state of