Their wings unfurled and they took to the air, moving over the battlefield before dropping into the middle of it and going to work.

Vig blocked the ax with his shield, turned, and thrust his stolen sword at the man behind him. He turned back and cut off the arm of the one charging him. Spun, and took the same man’s head.

He took a moment to catch his breath and that’s when he heard someone step up behind him again. He brought his sword back but a shield blocked him and a deep voice said in Old Norse, “Your technique is still sloppy.”

Vig relaxed and smiled at his ancestor. “But it’s better, Holfi. Even you have to admit that.”

“Barely. And I have to admit nothing, boy.”

Without even looking, Holfi lifted his shield to block the ax aimed at his head, turned just at the waist to impale the man behind him. Then he focused his attention back on Vig.

“Why are you here?” Holfi asked. “You might get killed before your time.”

“I brought a friend. She needed the training.”

Holfi frowned. “A Valkyrie? Shouldn’t your sister—”

“No. Not a Valkyrie.” Vig knew he couldn’t avoid this so he admitted, “A Crow.”

His ancestor took a step back. “You and a Crow?”

“Before you get upset—”

“Rundstöms to me!” Holfi yelled out and Rundstöm Ravens dropped from the skies to surround Vig. Nearly all his Raven ancestors going back to the early days of Viking society.

“Why’s the boy here?” one of them asked.

“He’s here with a Crow.”

“A Crow? That the best you can do, boy?” one of his giant ancestor uncles demanded. He was at least seven feet tall, about four hundred pounds of pure muscle . . . and not very friendly.

He jabbed at Vig with the head of the hammer he’d stolen from some poor Giant Killer earlier in the battle. “Why can’t you do better?”

“I like her.”

“I like bears,” a great-uncle said. “Don’t mean I should fuck one.”

“That’s not actually the same thing.”

“What about a nice Valkyrie?” a great-great-cousin asked. “Odin always picks the best meat for his Valkyries. Choose one of those.”

“We’re no longer having this discussion,” Vig announced, but when he tried to move past his ancestors, they shoved him back.

“Who do you think you’re speaking to?” Holfi demanded. “We’re your Elders. You’ll listen to what we say. And you’re not taking some former slave as your—”

Kera suddenly pushed into their group, probably unaware that the ancient Ravens were not like the Ravens of today. Without a word, she snatched the Killer’s hammer from hisancestor’s grip, stunning the big man; then she charged back out of the group.

Together, they all turned and watched her run up to an actual giant. There were a few of those who left Jotunheim, the land of giants, to enjoy a little battle time in Asgard.

Kera raised the hammer and brought it down on the giant’s foot. He screamed out, lifting his foot to nurse it in his hands. That’s when she swung the hammer at the ankle of his other leg. The sound of breaking bone filled the air and the giant went down, taking out another group of warriors battling behind him.

Using her wings, Kera flew over the giant until she was near his head. She dropped onto his forehead and ran over to his right eye. Holding the hammer in one hand, she unleashed the talons of the other and brought those down directly onto the giant’s eyeball. As he screamed and covered his eye with his hands, Kera ran to the other eye and did the same thing.

She lifted herself up again and flew down his face. She stopped briefly to destroy his nose with the hammer, flew again until she was at his throat, then brought the hammer down several times until she’d crushed it. Now he couldn’t breathe.

Panting, she flew back to Vig’s side and tossed the hammer at his ancestor. “Thank you,” she said.

Kera looked past them and said, “I’ll be back.” Then she flew into a battle that involved other Crows.

In silence, Vig and his Raven ancestors watched as the giant struggled to breathe. After a few minutes, he no longer struggled. And no, Vig would never tell Kera that the giant wouldn’t be back since he actually hadn’t been dead. Until now. That would just upset her.

When the giant’s arms landed limply beside him, the ground shaking beneath, the Ravens turned back to Vig.

“Well,” Holfi said, patting his shoulder. “It was good seeing you again, boy. Best of luck.”

They all flew off and Vig allowed himself a small moment to smirk.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Kera landed on the back of a warrior whose uniform she didn’t recognize. One of the Crows told her that Odin called on all warriors. He offered them all a place at his table if they were worthy, because when Ragnarok came, Odin wanted the best fighters on his side. Apparently he was only picky when it came to those he chose for his human Clans.

“No one ever says it,” the cute Japanese Crow from Minnesota had confided in Kera a few minutes ago as they’d hacked their way through a field of fighters from the Napoleonic Wars, “but it seems like Odin might be a little racist.”

Kera rammed her blade into the shoulder of her opponent and he screamed. But then his scream changed to a roar and with a shrug, he threw her off his back and turned to face her. That’s when she realized it wasn’t only his scream that had changed.