Vanished: Book 2 (Valkyrie Academy Dragon Alliance) Read online

  Contents

  Valkyrie Academy Dragon Alliance Books

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Free Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Acknowledgments

  Newsletter & Updates

  Your Thoughts

  Books by Katrina Cope

  About the Author

  VALKYRIE ACADEMY DRAGON ALLIANCE

  BOOKS

  Marked (Prequel-Newsletter exclusive)

  Chosen

  Vanished

  Scorned

  Inflicted

  Empowered

  Cosy Burrow Books

  VALKYRIE ACADEMY DRAGON ALLIANCE

  Book Two

  VANISHED

  KATRINA COPE

  Copyright

  Vanished

  Ebook first published in USA in August 2019 by Cosy Burrow Books

  Ebook first published in Great Britain in August 2019 by Cosy Burrow Books

  www.katrinacopebooks.com

  Text Copyright © 2019 by Katrina Cope

  Cover Design Copyright © art4artists.com.au/

  The moral right of Katrina Cope to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references or suggestions herein to actual historical events, real people or actual locations are fictitious. All names, characterisations, locations, incidents, and fabrications are solely the product of the author’s imagination, and any, and all, resemblance to actual persons alive or dead or locations or events is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Cosy Burrow Books

  All rights reserved

  ASIN: B07VF2Q8GT

  ISBN: 978-0-6486613-1-3

  My family ~ For your never-ending support

  GET UPDATES & NOTIFICATIONS OF GIVEAWAYS

  Click here to get started: FREE copy of Marked

  Sign up for my newsletter and receive updates about my fantasy books and notification of giveaways.

  - CHAPTER ONE -

  Sitting on the edge of my bed, I wait with a churning stomach. If Elan is right, Odin is about to storm through my door. Hildr’s squeaking leather pants don’t ease my tension as she paces the room. I gaze at Eir. Even the calm one is sitting on the edge of her seat and fiddling with her fingers.

  The door swings open, and Mistress Sigrun storms into the room. Her face is long, showing off her picture-perfect beauty, yet the expression on her face portrays something to be feared. In her annoyance, she has stretched out her majestic white wings, making her appear more intimidating.

  Odin brushes her wing aside and pushes past her. Elan was right. He looks irate. His eye not covered by a patch glares at me with the look that he gave me not that long ago when Heimdall dragged me to his palace. I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong. If anything, he should be thanking me for Elan’s and my assistance in saving the winged Valkyries and our academy from danger. We saved the day. Doesn’t that at least deserve a smile and thanks?

  He stomps farther into the room and stands in the center. His eye bulges as he glares at each one of us individually. I didn’t know that Odin did house calls. He must be furious over something.

  Hildr abruptly stops pacing and stands still in the middle of the room, not far from Odin. Odin’s eye rests directly on me. A lump forms in my throat, restricting my airflow. I attempt to swallow and struggle to move the lump an inch.

  Odin places his hands on his hips, and his red cloak drapes gracefully over his elbows, making him appear broader and more intimidating. He tilts his jaw higher and glares at me. “Young Valkyrie, of the wingless kind. Mistress Sigrun has informed me that you have refused to hand over your dragon.”

  My jaw drops as I stare at him, dumbfounded. We have just protected Asgard, and this is how he treats us. I thought he would be thrilled with our efforts and would be rewarding us. Despite feeling intimidated, I straighten my shoulders and look him square in the face. “Yes. I believe she deserves to remain free. She helped save us where the winged Valkyries failed. I think that letting her remain free is the least that we can do to thank her. After all, she did come of her own free will. She is not one of the sacrificial dragon young.”

  His glower deepens. “The dragons have made an alliance with us. They must give us one of their young dragons. The Valkyries and our warriors need to practice their fighting skills against such beasts in case any of them decide to turn against us. And this dragon is an emperor dragon. We do not have any of them. They have not honored the alliance by giving us one of them.” He moves to tower over me.

  Holding my ground, I broaden my shoulders farther. “It is my understanding that the emperor dragons are not required to hand over one of their young because they are a rare kind, and their existence is endangered.” I can’t help raising my chin as I say this. Though I regard Odin with all the respect he is due, I can’t stand this injustice.

  “Did you not say that the nest you saved this egg from consisted of three eggs?” Odin’s eyebrow lifts as he gazes down at me.

  I don’t know how he knows, but clearly, someone has told him my story. “Yes. I did. This was a couple of years ago.”

  He has a twinkle in his eye as though he thinks that he has outsmarted me. “Three eggs are a large amount for a dragon to have in one batch. This would make it evident that these dragons are not endangered anymore. So now, they must honor their agreement and hand over a young one every year.”

  My mouth falls open. “I don’t know if these other two eggs survived and hatched. I have not asked.”

  Odin chuckles. “Asked. You act as though they can speak to you.”

  “I-I-I guess I mean that I haven’t asked the other Valkyries if they have seen the three babies.” I curse myself for my mistake. It has become clear that they don’t know that I can speak to the dragons and that the dragons are capable of speaking to us. A thought runs through my head, and I frown. “How did you make a treaty if you can’t speak to the dragons? There must be some way you can communicate with them to form an agreement.”

  Odin puffs out his chest and starts to pace the room. “An emperor dragon made the agreement many years ago. Loki managed to shape-shift into a dragon form, and he then communicated with the dragons, and this is how the alliance was agreed upon.”

  “Loki can shape-shift into a dragon?” Hildr blurts.

  Odin gives her a strange look. “Do you not know anything about the gods?” Without waiting for an answer, he shakes his head and continues, “Yes, Loki can. He’s a shape-shifter, enabling him to transform into many different shapes and sizes.” He stops pacing and focuses on me. “Back to the subject. The emperor dragon owes us a baby, at least, if not two. This is a good place to start. The dragon that you’ve been riding is ours. It’s vicious, and you must turn it over to the Valkyries. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, I understand.” I nod once.

  “And if anyone deserves to ride an emperor dragon…” He puffs out his chest. “It will be the gods. We are the only ones who deserve to ride the leader of the dragons.”

  Eir clears her throat, and hesitantly, with a small voice, she says, “Great Odin, that doesn’t seem fa
ir. This isn’t a just repayment for the good that this dragon has done for us. The dragon does not wish to harm us. She wishes us peace. We should let her remain free.”

  Odin glares at Mistress Sigrun. “I didn’t know that you are raising dragon sympathizers within this Valkyrie Academy. This must stop right this instant!”

  The mistress’s face pales. She shakes her head and holds up her hands. “This is not of my doing or the doing of any of the instructors. This purely comes down to Kara.” She throws me a glare out of the corner of her eye and crosses her arms.

  “I am not here to listen to blame games. If I don’t have a dragon delivered to me within the week, other measures will be executed.”

  “What other measures?” I can’t hide the worry in my voice.

  “Pray that you do not find out, young Valkyrie. It won’t be pleasant.” The great god spins around and glowers his disapproval at Mistress Sigrun before he exits the room.

  Mistress Sigrun straightens her shoulders in a way that reminds me of a duck shaking its body. “Well, Valkyries, you heard him. You must follow his instruction.” She lifts her chin and follows Odin out the door.

  - CHAPTER TWO -

  Hildr slams the door behind Odin and Mistress Sigrun. “That’s ridiculous.” She spins around and places her hands on her hips. “They can’t take a dragon away. And besides, it’s you who’s bonded with the dragon.”

  “You don’t have to tell me.” Crossing my arms, I say, “I don’t care if he’s a god. I’m not handing my dragon over. I’m going to tell Elan.”

  “Can we come?” Eir asks. Her usually calm eyes look anxious and keen at the same time. “I’ve never known that they can be peaceful creatures, and this one sounds interesting.”

  “I’d love to come too.” Hildr’s freckly face is loaded with enthusiasm.

  “Okay. I don’t know how she’ll react. It’s not like she’s an animal in a circus. No chains or cages are holding her away if she wants to attack.”

  I open the door to the hall to make sure that there is no sign of Odin or the mistress. When I’m sure that they are gone, I quietly make my way outside, with Hildr and Eir following closely behind. It feels ridiculous to be sneaking around the halls of the academy, but I have to go and see Elan and warn her of what Odin’s intentions are.

  The corridor branches off, and something catches my eye along the alternative pathway. Peering around the corner, I see Rota being aided by her winged Valkyrie friends, Prima and Mist, down the end of the hallway. Despite Valkyries’ fast-healing bodies, she is still bandaged in many places. I’m not surprised after the beating she received from the frost giant. It probably broke most of the bones in her body from the way it was throwing her around.

  After the reception from Odin and Mistress Sigrun, I don’t know what her reaction will be, so I make sure we tiptoe quietly past her down the hallway. The last thing we need is for Rota and her friends to hear us while we exit the building.

  We sneak around the back of the lounge chairs in the lobby, avoiding as much attention as we can. It is not prohibited for us to leave the building during the night, but I want as few eyes as possible seeing where we are going.

  When we reach the main entrance, I release my pent-up breath and step into the darkness. Bright stars twinkle in the night sky, and a long line of light cascades from the full moon across the rugged land. The sharp peaks have an eerie glow under the moonlight, yet at the same time, it brings me a strange comforting feeling. This is my home, and it’s what I’ve known all of my life. Under the moon’s glow, the land almost looks like it’s covered in snow. Tonight, it is only an illusion.

  “Elan, where are you?” I say in a normal voice after we have passed hearing distance from the academy building. I figure she must’ve remained close as she was talking to me only minutes before Odin arrived.

  A few moments pass before a golden glow catches my eye, and I turn to see her golden scales bathing under the full moonlight. I am awestruck by the beauty of her colors under the moon. She is a creature that has the potential to be so dangerous and a face that is hard and vicious to look at, yet she has chosen me.

  She lifts her head and peers in our direction. Her face is set in a menacing expression, and her large horns protruding from the top and back of her head are daunting and even frightening for me to look at. I hear a gasp, and Hildr halts her footsteps while I continue toward Elan. Her golden-brown eyes focus on my two friends then back on me. For a moment, I almost think that it is her mother, not Elan, who lies in the moonlight. Unpleasantness plasters her face, and those golden-brown eyes hold a warning.

  “Elan?” Even I sound hesitant as I call her name.

  She nods once, and a puff of smoke exits her nostrils. She looks intimidating, and I had forgotten that I have only known her for such a short time. In her friendliness toward me, it didn’t even occur to me that I may need to ask her for permission to show her to my friends.

  “She… she looks like she’s going to eat us.” Hildr’s voice sounds unusually meek behind me.

  “Perhaps this was not such a good idea.” Eir sounds equally intimidated.

  As I look at the angry expression in Elan’s eyes, the lack of thought slaps me across the face. I curse my ignorance. “My friends would like to meet you,” I say hesitantly.

  She snorts, and more smoke shoots out of her nostrils. Her large split irises hold no compassion. The silence is painful as she stares at me for a moment longer before she eventually nods once. Very well. A serious tone dominates her voice, and my steps falter. She looks so much like her mother when she does that.

  I am no longer confident about my actions. “Are you sure that’s okay?”

  She exposes her teeth, vast and menacing, and I flinch. A strange sound exits her mouth, and her tone changes. I'm just kidding. Sure. They can come over. I don't mind. Humor dances in her eyes. Did you like my mother’s impression? Was I intimidating?

  With the sudden release of tension, I almost collapse to my knees. I can’t imagine what Hildr and Eir have gone through. “Very.” I steer confidence back into my steps as I approach her and raise my hand to stroke her nose.

  She leans into my touch. You know, it's very unusual for us to like being touched like this.

  “You are a very unusual dragon,” I say and smile. My hand travels along her snout and up to her horns, and I pull at them playfully. “You rascal! You scared the soul out of my friends.”

  Did I? Elan giggles, and her head jerks with the movement. I know I did. I can see it on their faces.

  Hildr and Eir keep their distance while watching us interact. They would only be able to hear my side of the conversation as Elan speaks in my mind.

  She stops giggling, and with her teeth still showing, she focuses on my friends cowering in the distance. Her eyes narrow. Looking like this, she is more intimidating. A voice deep and menacing projects through my head which I’m sure she is making sure the others hear as well. What are you staring at?

  At first, I think she is still only talking to me, but her eyes are still focused on my friends. She stands abruptly and stomps toward them. If you keep staring at me, I'll eat you for supper.

  Hildr and Eir back away from Elan’s approach. Eir’s foot catches on a rock, and she grasps Hildr as she stumbles, pulling her to the ground with her.

  Refusing to take her eyes off Elan, Hildr reaches for her sword, and metal sliding against metal rings through the air as she pulls it from its sheath. The dragon has taken it too far.

  “Elan!” I call, trying to stop her.

  She throws her head back and cackles, the strange sound filling our surroundings and rumbling through our heads. Hildr’s and Eir’s jaws drop, and shocked relief washes over their expressions.

  A second later, Hildr’s relieved expression turns to anger, and she glares at Elan. “That’s not funny.” She aggressively thrusts her sword back in its sheath.

  Eir’s hand covers her heart. “Oh Vanir! I almost peed my pant
s.”

  Elan looks at me. I thought you said these guys are warriors. Her face fills with disbelief.

  I raise my eyebrows. “We are. But I said you are friendly, and they weren’t expecting you to attack. You need to be realistic. Look at the size difference between us. You are enormous. Besides, we haven’t been taught how to fight dragons. It is only something that the winged Valkyries are allowed to do. But don’t get me wrong… now that I have met you, I am glad that we haven’t been fighting dragons. Perhaps we can work together differently.”

  Hildr has regained her composure, and she stares at Elan. “Can I climb on your back?”

  At first, Elan looks startled, then she bares her teeth, and a hiss escapes her mouth.

  “Elan!” I chastise her.

  She glances at me out of the corner of her eye, and I see the mischief there. Then she pulls her lips over her teeth and buckles her front legs. Sure. Be my guest.

  Excitement dances in Hildr’s eyes as she observes Elan’s posture when she tilts down so that Hildr will have an easier time to climb on. “Really?”

  Absolutely. I don't see why not. After all, it is my body and my choice. Elan tilts her shoulder down closer to Hildr’s height.

  Eyes sparkling, Hildr approaches Elan, grabs her scales, and yanks herself up. It takes a lot of effort because the dragon is so big. Using her warrior strength, Hildr reaches into her core and uses her stomach muscles to pull her legs and torso over the dragon. When the struggle is over, she sits up straight on Elan’s back and runs her hands over the golden scales along the dragon’s shoulders.

  Are you holding on? Elan peers over her shoulder at Hildr.

  Hildr reaches forward and circles her arms around Elan’s neck, clasping her scales. Elan bends her knees and pushes off the ground, flapping her long membranous wings until she reaches a decent height then soars through the air. Hildr’s screams of enthusiasm reverberate through the valley while Elan flies a short circuit. After circling a few times, she spreads her wings and glides down to stop, landing stably on all four feet directly on the spot she ascended from. Her wings spread wide, and the spikes on the edges of her wings narrowly miss us as she tucks them away in time.