Her Mythical Warriors (Book One)
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Gods’ Secret Havent

“Akira, you were supposed to go to safety,” Wolfric said, glaring at his Havent.

Akira snorted, “I’m a Warrior too, Wolfric. Brynhildr made sure of it.”

Wolfric growled and stormed over to her. He slammed her against his chest and grunted with pain. But still, he stared angrily into her eyes.

“You are not a Warrior,” he said with a growl. “It takes more than a ghost to train you to be a true Warrior…,” he stopped talking when her lips captured his. She was not playing fair.

“No time for this,” Malique said.

The Vampire pulled his friend and Psychi away from a blow that would have torn them in half.

Wolfric sneered. “He keeps attacking when we’re not paying attention,” he said, looking up at the giant.

Akira looked up at the same time and squinted her eyes. “What is he?” she asked.

“A Jotnar,” Darius said.

Akira’s eyes opened wide. “So, no killing,” she whispered.

Darius nodded. “No killing.”

“How about we tie him down?” Malique suggested.

“What pray-tell, would hold down a Jotnar?” Akira asked.

“They’re more powerful than a God,” Darius said.

“Magic rope?” Malique asked as he pulled a glowing rope from his bag.

“Where the fuck did you get that?” Wolfric asked, staring at his friend.

Malique smirked. “I have my secrets,” he said, winking at Akira.

The Vampire stretched the rope, holding a piece in each hand, then yanked on it. “Strong and should hold in his strength and powers until we’re through the portal.”

“Why does he not let people leave?” Akira asked. “I mean, I understand him not wanting to let anyone into this realm. But out?”

Darius shrugged. “I heard that the guard of this portal had had an encounter with someone entering and hadn’t been the same since. Like he went crazy. That was a long time ago, thought he had died.”

Akira frowned. ‘Went crazy?’

“I heard that Thor had taken one down before. But he never killed the Jotnar, just imprisoned him,” Malique said.

Akira nodded. “So, they can be captured.”

“The Gods keep them on a tight leash. Otherwise, they would try to rule every universe in existence,” Darius said.

“Let us take him down. We need to get through that portal,” Wolfric said, then shifted into his white wolf and ran at the Jotnar.

“We will need all of us to take him down,” Darius said, then shifted into the Pegasus.

Akira nodded to Malique, who had moved to stand next to her.

“Ready, little one?” Malique asked.

Akira nodded. “I’m ready.”

They ran at the Jotnar together, hoping that the four of them attacking him would startle him enough and he would be an easy takedown.

Boy, oh boy, were they wrong.

Wolfric was thrown into a tree again. Darius was knocked out of the sky, and Malique wrapped himself around Akira as the Jotnar thrashed them to the ground with his club. Malique took most of the attack, and his back split open, making him scream in pain.

Akira whimpered, more for the pain her Warrior was in than her own minor aches. The Jotnar swept his club at them again, sending them flying. Malique covered Akira with his body as they landed. Akira cried out when a stick lodged into her leg.

“Akira!” Wolfric shouted.

He grunted as he ran to his Psychi and best friend. He was wheezing from more broken ribs, but he made it to them, his wolf panting. He should have had Akira heal him before they attacked again. Wolfric looked up and watched the Pegasus try another attack, but the Jotnar took hold of one of his wings and threw him to the ground. Wolfric winced when he saw the wing tear.

“This was a bad idea,” Akira mumbled.

Wolfric shifted and knelt beside the two most important people in his life.

“Wolfie,” Akira cried, reaching out to him.

“Akira, heal yourself,” Wolfric ordered.

Akira shook her head. “No,” she whispered, then touched his chest.

An amber glow surrounded her hand, and his chest glowed. Wolfric felt his ribs being pulled back into place and winced. When she was finished, she turned and touched Malique.

Malique grunted once his wounds were healed. He opened his eyes and stared at them, then looked at Akira when she whimpered.

“For fucks sake, woman, heal yourself. I can heal without your help,” Malique said, looking at the stick still sticking out of Akira’s leg.

Akira shook her head. “Darius can’t, and he needs me. Take me to him.”

“No!” Wolfric and Malique growled at the same time.

Akira smiled. “I said, take me to my Warrior,” she said, using her Havent voice.

Both men growled. Wolfric lifted her into his arms, and they walked her to the Pegasus.

“Darius,” Akira whimpered when she saw the torn wing.

Red blood covered his white coat, and she wanted to tear the Jotnar’s arms off.

“Heal him, then yourself,” Wolfric said.

He placed her on the ground beside the Pegasus, who was barely breathing. Akira ran her hand over the coat of the Pegasus, then gently touched the broken wing. She closed her eyes, and her hand glowed amber. It spread across the creature’s wings and body, and soon everything was snapped back into place, and the wing was healed.

Akira passed out before she could heal herself.

“Damn it, woman,” Wolfric growled as he lifted her into his arms.

The Pegasus shifted into Darius, and he coughed. When he looked up at them, the rim of his eyes were red, and his face was grim.

“What’s wrong?” Malique asked, watching his Psychi and fellow Warriors.

“She will be fine after a quick nap,” Wolfric assured them.

Darius shook his head. “I know she will be fine. It is the Jotnar. I have orders to kill him.”

“Wow,” Wolfric and Malique said at the same time.

“Why?” Malique asked.

“Because he has killed too many descendants of the Gods,” Darius grumbled. “And the threat to our Havent’s life is reason enough to kill a Jotnar, I guess.”

“What does Akira have to do with this?” Malique asked.

Darius looked up at him, his eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t you know?”

Malique and Wolfric shook their heads.

Darius chuckled as he looked at Akira. “Not only is she the last descendant of Brynhildr, but she is also the great-great niece of Zeus.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Malique said, looking at his Havent.

“I knew you were special,” Wolfric said, nuzzling her neck.

“Wait, but only her mother was Mythical. Her father is human,” Malique said, looking at Darius.

Darius shook his head. “Apollo Hendrix is not her father.”

Wolfric and Malique froze.

“What?” Wolfric asked, staring at Darius. “How is that?”

Darius shrugged. “That is why I was spared when my parents were killed. They knew I was the future Warrior of a very important Havent. One who will have more powers than any Havent before her. The first Havent to have the blood of Gods running through her veins.”

Wolfric swallowed and studied Akira’s face. His beautiful little Havent is a demigoddess.

“No wonder her blood has so much power in it,” Malique said, licking his lips.

Wolfric held back a laugh. Leave it to a Vampire to think about blood at a time like this.

“That means that Akira’s father, her mother’s true chosen mate, was a demigod,” Wolfric said, looking at Darius. “But how did he become a Warrior to a Havent?”

“Not just any Havent,” Darius said. “The last descendant of a powerful Valkyrie Warrior.”

“Until Akira was born,” Wolfric whispered.

“Maybe we should hold off on telling her all of this,” Malique said, brushing a hair from Akira’s forehead. “There is so much she will be going through. She doesn’t need to worry about all of that and think her mother betrayed her by not telling her who her father really is.”

“She couldn’t say anything,” Darius whispered. “Apollo let Akira live because he thought she was his blood. If he had known Akira was not his, he would have killed her without a blink of an eye. After all, he’s the one who killed Temple’s Warriors.”

Both men sucked in shocked breaths.

“Fucking bullshit,” Malique growled. “I can’t wait to get my hands on that bastard.”

Darius nodded. “One day, we will. But for now, we have a Jotnar who needs killing.”

Wolfric kissed Akira on the forehead, then laid her on the ground. He looked up at Darius and nodded to their Havent.

“Protect her.”

Darius nodded and placed a spell over their little Havent. Anyone who looked here would see a rock rather than a beautiful girl in peaceful slumber.

Wolfric pulled his shirt over his head, then tied it around Akira’s leg to stop her wound from bleeding. Wolfric stood from Akira and looked at his fellow Warriors.

“I guess we have a Jotnar to defeat,” Wolfric said.

The other two men nodded, then the three men huddled to discuss their next attack.

~⚔~

Akira moaned as she opened her eyes. Where was she? She heard fighting and turned her head to watch her Warriors battle with the giant Jotnar. The beast was so powerful; her Warriors were having a hard time getting him off his feet. It is not always true that the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

A light shone on the rocks above, confirming it was morning. They have been fighting the beast for hours. Her Warriors have got to be getting tired.

She looked up at the Jotnar’s face and saw something shining in the sunlight. The Jotnar swung his club, and Akira watched as Wolfie jumped onto the massive club, his teeth bared. Akira loved watching his white wolf. He is so beautiful.

The silver shined from above the Jotnar’s left eye again.‘What was that?’ Akira quickly got to her feet. ‘Oh, the poor beast.’

“Stop!” Akira screamed as she ran toward them.

They had finally knocked the Jotnar off his feet. Wolfric was in human form, and Akira noticed he was shirtless. She looked down at the leg that was slowing her down. His shirt was tied tightly around the stick protruding from her leg. Akira yanked out the stick and screamed.

Wolfric jumped to the giant’s jugular, raised his sword, and turned when he heard Akira scream.

‘What the fuck was she doing?’

Akira was on her feet, running at them, her wound was healed, and the bloody stick from her leg was in her hand raised above her head. He thought she was going to stab the Jotnar until she threw the stick at him. He growled when it hit his forehead and bounced off.

“What the fucking hell, Akira!?” Wolfric shouted with a growl as he rubbed the blood from the stick off his forehead.

“Don’t kill him!” Akira shouted.

The Jotnar moved, and Wolfric lost his balance.

Malique was watching a rock move across the ground and frowned. It must be Akira, but what was she doing?

Darius chuckled as he watched Akira run at them. He could imagine what she looked like to Malique. He said the spell backward, and the rock turned into their beautiful Havent.

“Kill him!” Darius shouted.

Wolfric got to his feet as Darius and Malique jumped onto the giant. They raised their swords, ready to slice into the Jotnar.

“Stop NOW!” Akira screamed.

The three Warriors froze, their swords still at the ready to slice into the Jotnar.

“Damn her and her Havent voice,” Wolfric grumbled. “What is she up to?”

“He will kill her if we don’t kill him,” Darius grumbled.

Akira walked to the head of the beast and gently touched his cheek. The Jotnar moved, making the three Warriors fall to their asses on his chest.

“Stay still,” Akira whispered.

The Jotnar looked at her, confusion in his eyes. “How do such small girl control big strong men?”

Akira giggled, “I don’t know. I just do. They are my Warriors.”

He studied her, confusion all over his face.

“Polemistés (Warriors),” she said, running her hand up his cheekbone. “I am a Havent.”

The Jotnar laughed.

Wolfric stared at Akira as she ran her hand across the Jotnar’s cheek.

“What is she doing?” Darius whispered.

“Being stupid,” Malique grumbled.

“I don’t know. I think Akira saw something we didn’t see,” Wolfric whispered.

Wolfric pulled himself to his feet, his sword at his side, ready to slit the giant’s throat if he touched their Havent.

“I can help you,” Akira whispered.

“You? Such a small girl, help me?”

Akira chuckled. “I may be small, but I have plenty of spirit,” she said, looking him in the eye. “Will you trust me?”

The Jotnar huffed, “you will try to kill me, like the rest.”

Akira smiled. “Do you blame them? You attacked.”

“Not all,” the Jotnar whispered.

Akira nodded. “I know what you mean. I was teased and taunted and beat because everyone believed that I was soulless, an Empty Vessel.”

The giant moved, and the Warriors raised their swords. Akira lifted her hand to stop her Warriors. They stopped and watched her touch above the Jotnar’s eye. The giant moved back, but she looked into his eyes and commanded him to stay still. With shock in his eyes, the giant stayed still.

Akira took hold of the hilt and pulled. She fell back on her ass as she pulled a very long sword out of the Jotnar’s face. The giant bellowed in pain as he moved away from her, knocking the three Warriors to the ground.

“Akira!” Wolfric called out as he rushed to her side.

“Here’s your problem,” Akira said, holding the bloody sword up so they could see it. “Who knows how long this has been in there, too small for his large fingers to take hold of.”

“Leave it to you to replace it,” Malique said with a laugh as he helped her to her feet.

“That can explain his change in behavior,” Darius said.

Akira nodded and dropped the sword to the ground.

“Look at this,” Malique whispered as he picked up the sword and showed the handle to Wolfric.

Akira walked over to the angry giant, her hands out so he could see she had no weapon.

“I want to help you,” she said, approaching him.

“You hurt me,” he said, glaring at her.

She smiled. “Feel above your eye; it is gone.”

The Jotnar touched above his eye and blinked. No more pain, no more torment.

“Let me help you more,” she said, holding her hand out to him.

“You helped me,” he said, watching her. “Why?”

She smiled. “Isn’t that what a healer is supposed to do? Help those in need.”

He blinked and felt the blood drip into his eye. He swatted at it and growled.

Akira giggled, “please, let me help you.”

The giant looked at her, then moved his head closer to her when she motioned for him to come closer. When his face was in hers, she placed her small hand against the wound above his eye. Akira’s hand glowed a beautiful amber, and the wound closed. She closed her eyes and concentrated on any damage the sword had inflicted while stuck in his skull. Once he was fully healed, she smiled and opened her eyes.

“All better,” she said, then fell to the ground unconscious.