Freyja's Secret

Chapter Three

    My mom gazed at me with nearly black eyes, so similar to mine. A thick coat of silence had settled around us, almost choking as it smothered the happiness I had felt earlier at seeing her. As my leg bounced anxiously, sending sparks of pain shooting through my back with every impact on the floor, I maintained eye contact. If I look away, she’s not going to tell me. I don’t know why the thought was there, but I was almost certain it was absolute truth. Finally, though, I couldn’t take it anymore. “What is going on, mom?” I narrowed my eyes at her, basically daring her to lie to me.

            She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. “I should have prepared some way to tell this to you.” She shook her head, looking more dejected than I had ever seen her,

            I reached my hand across the dining room table, gently squeezing her wrist. “Tell me what?” I pitched my voice low, hoping to convey more of my fear than my frustration. “I thought we didn’t keep secrets. Not after…” Taking a fortifying breath, I pushed on. “Not after dad died. You and me? We’re a team.” 

            Her eyes opened, and she looked at me for a long moment. “You are correct. I should have told you this long ago, because as you said, we do not keep secrets in this house.” I watched as she took a deep breath, and a look of focus and determination crossed her face. “You are not human.” She stated simply.

            The world tilted on its axis, making me feel as though I were about to collapse again. All of the pain in my back momentarily forgotten, I recoiled. “What the hell would I be if I’m not human?” I scoffed.

            “Language, Freyja.” She scolded, her smooth brow furrowing. “Truthfully, I never thought I would have to have this conversation with you.” She shrugged smoothly, nonchalant despite the fact that she just told me I’m not human.

            “Mom! If I’m not human, what am I?” I enunciated each word carefully as I leaned in, forcing her to meet my gaze.

            “My daughter, you are a Valkyrie, and you are growing wings.” 

                                                                                            *   *   *

            Valkyrie… The word ping ponged between my ears, refusing to settle down and process.

            Finally, my brain caught up and my eyes went wide, locking on the now unfamiliar woman in front of me. “Excuse me!” My mind reeled at a mile a minute. The pain in my spine and shoulders was firmly planted in the recesses of my mind as I stared at my mom in shock. My lying mom! “You’re kidding me, right? This has got to be a joke.”

            “Oh, my darling, Freyja. I wish I weren’t telling the truth.” She gripped my hand in hers and pulled me to my feet, leading me down the hall. As she spun me around in front of the mirror, she whispered hoarsely. “Look, child.” She jerked my shirt up swiftly. “See the proof of my words.”

            It’s not real. I’m not going to see what she says I’ll see. I forced three calming breaths and tried not to hyperventilate. Continuing to take deep breaths while bracing myself mentally, I turned my head and looked at the center of my back. A gasp rasped from my lungs and had to force the shriek back down my throat that threatened to bubble out. “W-What… What the f**k!” I yelled as I whipped around to stare at the woman I thought I knew so well.

            “Language, daughter.” She quipped sternly, her eyes narrowing. “Who we become in times of difficulty is a direct reflection of our character, and we need to mind ourselves rigorously.”

            “Mom, you just told me I’m a Valkyrie and have wings growing out of my back! I think right now is the only good time for me to cuss.” I paused for a second. “Also, I hated the cryptic advice you gave me when I was a kid, I definitely still hate it.”

            She eyed me carefully before closing her eyes and sighing. I reached one hand back and rubbed gently at one of the large bumps just under my shoulders. The pain made me wince, but I couldn’t help but note that it was subsiding. It’s just an inconvenient sensation now… Oh, my god. I’m growing wings! “I should have told you this years ago, but so much time had passed, continued to pass, and you never showed any signs. Your father is completely human and I… I guess after a while, I just assumed that you were human too.”

            “So where do I go from here?” I scoffed. “I can’t go back to school with wings! Fear, uncertainty, and frustration coiled inside of me.

            “No, you are correct. Though, it is possible to hide your wings, you will not be able to return to Ridgeland. There is far too much for you to learn, and I do not have near the capacity of knowledge, nor the time, to teach you myself.” She turned my head to meet her gaze directly. “I will call tonight and get you enrolled at Brickstone. You will start first thing Monday. We will leave tomorrow morning.” She gave me a small smile, and some of the tension drained from my body until her words sunk in.

            “Brickstone? That prestigious prep school?” I’m going to pass out. “How is that better? I at least know people at Ridgeland. I know who my enemies are. Going to Brickstone is the same thing, just with snobby strangers.”

            She chuckled lightly. “It is not a prep school, that is the façade it puts on for the human community. Brickstone is a school for those not traditionally accepted by society because they are beings long forgotten. Such as Valkyrie.” She smiled grimly, her eyes darkening with an unending sadness.

            I furrowed my brows at her. “Like Percy Jackson?” The words came out slow, unsure.

            She sighed dramatically and rubbed her forehead. “I… Freyja, you baffle me. No, daughter, not like Percy Jackson.” She shook her head. “I have calls to make. Go get some rest.” I took one more look at my back, grimacing at the skin splitting over the little humps. That’s disgusting… And so freaking weird… Shaking my head, I walked back to the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the upper cabinet. As soon as it was filled, I slumped against the counter. I don’t think that I can deal with this. Too much is happening in way too short of a time. I’m going to have to switch schools now. It’s all too much.

            Taking a long sip of water, my thoughts turned to packing and a move I’m ill prepared for. An entirely new place with entirely new people to hate me for reasons I can’t control. A new place without my mom… A new place where I’m a Valkyrie and the other students are… What? What am I about to walk into? Suddenly, my body felt too heavy, and the only thing I could think about was my fuzzy beige comforter, curling up under it and passing out. Without meaning to, I slammed the glass down on the counter and bolted down the hall as quickly as possible. I grabbed onto the stair railing and launched myself up, two at a time until I was at my bedroom door and safely inside. The click of the door closing was a welcome familiarity. I let my frustration and fear take over me, let it drag me onto the bed face first. A deep sigh escaped from my chest, and suddenly, I was holding back tears. I don’t want to be an even bigger outcast than I already am. I don’t want to be even more at odds with myself. The familiar itch returned to my arm, beckoning me seductively. I bit my lip, choking on tears that flowed freely down my face. 

            My phone chimed from my pocket, startling me back to my senses with a yelp. Ashton is texting me? 

            ‘How are you feeling -A’

            ‘Better. I’m not sure what happened, but I’m fine now. -F’

            ‘That’s great I’m glad you’re okay -A’

            I didn’t reply. Apparently, I was moving schools. No point in even trying to make friends now. My thoughts quickly turned back to the bitter cesspool they were so good at drowning me in.

            My phone chimed again, this time marginally less surprising. ‘Are you busy tomorrow night -A’

            ‘Yeah, I’ve got homework. -F’ Not like I even need to do it now. I mean, I’ll probably be making potions at Brickstone instead of candy rocks like last week in chemistry. Oh, my god. I’m basically going to a Hogwarts/Camp Half-Blood hybrid school. I wanted to scream.

            I swear, in five years, my phone had never gone off so many times as it had in this one day. ‘If you finish early maybe you could come by and see my set

            If you want to I mean -A’

            I smiled sadly. I wish I could… I rolled over, silent tears leaking down my cheeks, and my last thought before I drifted off into a dreamless sleep was how soft Ashton’s sandy hair looked.