Linsey Hall [Hall - Dragon’s Gift - The Valkyrie- Complete Series

Dragons Gift: The Valkyrie Book 1

T he Real Death Valley

California, USA

Hurry! I shouted. The sun is almost up!

The engine of our monster truck roared as my sister Ana, the driver, pressed on the gas and laughed like a loon. I grinned. The nut job loved speed. I crouched low on the platform built over the cars hood and clung to the railing, eyeing the terrain ahead for oncoming threats.

Daylight was the most dangerous time in Death Valley. Thats when the monsters crept out. Normally night would be the most dangerous time, right? Well, not here. Even the sun was a weapon in the valley.

This was the time it really got dangerous.

We should have been home before daylight, but our last job transporting outlaws across the valley had run late, leaving us out here at the worst time of day.

Right now, to be precise.

While Ana drove the truck, it was my job to blast away any monsters that might want to snack on us.

I was a lot of things, but monster snack wasnt one of them.

To the left, Bree! my sister shouted.

I squinted into the distance. The weak morning sun painted the desert valley in shades of gray and gold. A salt monster hurtled toward us on sturdy legs made of slabs of pressed salt. We were driving through the Bad Water, a dried-out old salt lake, and these were the guardians. One hit with their giant hands could pulverize puny mortals like us.

Ah, dang! These guys are the worst. Salt monsters were a witch to take out, even with my sonic boom power.

I called upon the magic within me.

Come on, dont fail me now.

My power wasnt exactly reliable lately, but out here in the desert, I didnt have to worry about property damage or zapping innocents. We were the only fools dumb enough and desperate enough to work out here.

Anyway, all I had to do was hit the salt monsters.

Easy peasy.

Ha. As if.

Ana hooted and laid on the gas. The burst of speed jerked me backward, but the climbing harness strapped around my waist and legs yanked and kept me in place.

The monster thundered toward us, footsteps shaking the ground. Chips of salt rained off as it ran. The beast was at least twenty feet tall, and half as broad.

If I could pulverize him properly, hed coat the rims of a lot of margarita glasses.

Hmmm Could we sell that? Not a bad thought for later. We needed the cash.

I swallowed hard, focusing on the magic within me. It was like a stubborn light that zipped around in my chest, waiting for me to catch it and hurl it outward.

Theres another! Ana cried.

Shoot. Fifty meters behind the first monster, there was a second, even bigger one.

Head straight for him! I called. A direct path would increase my chance of success.

Ana veered left, tires kicking up dirt and rocks. The first monster was twenty meters away now, its craggy white face glowering. It had pits for eyes and no mouth. A face only a mother could love.

I called on my magic, gathering it up in a bundle. It thrashed inside me, almost a wild thing, and I launched it outward. The power exploded forth, plowing into the dirt ten feet to the left of the salt monster. Gravel sprayed up.

Dang it! I called on the magic again, flinging it outward. It was a little easier this time, and the power shot toward the beast.

It slammed into the creatures chest, blasting him into a million pieces. Salt rained down like snow, and we sailed through it.

When I got it right, I got it right.

The buggy zoomed away from the salt rain. Buggy was a weird name for such a hulking machine, but we liked the dichotomy.

I licked the salt off my lips, wishing it really was coating the rim of a margarita glass, and squinted toward the next monster.

Get ready to dodge! I called upon my magic once again. I could already tell this one was going to be tricky. My power was partially drained, and he was big.

The earth trembled with the monsters footsteps. It was only thirty feet away. No distance at all, with the buggy going this fast.

I threw my magic at him. It plowed into his leg, obliterating the limb. The beast crashed to the ground.

Right! I screamed.

Ana jerked the vehicle toward the right. I clung to the railing, sliding on the platform. We swerved around the salt monster, but the beast reached out with one long arm and swiped at the side of our buggy.

His massive hand destroyed the metal spikes on the side, bending them backward. Though they were coated with deadly Ravener poison, it didnt affect a creature like him. The shriek of tearing metal sliced at my heart. There went the side door panels.

I loved the buggy. But worse than that, we didnt have the money to fix the machine, and we needed this thing for work. For survival.

Rat bastard! Ana screamed. It was currently her favorite curse word.

But salt monster wasnt down yet.

Just keep going! Quickly, I unclipped my harness and climbed over the front windshield. The truck had no top, just two bench seats where people could sitor fight from if necessary, hurling magic without the restriction of a roof to stop them.

I scrambled by Ana, leaping over one bench seat and then the next, climbing onto the back platform.

Safety first! Ana hollered.

Yeah, yeah. I clipped off my harness because she had a point. If I fell out of this truck, we were both dead.

Me, because Id be monster chow, and Ana because shed come after me even if I was a lost cause.

Behind us, the salt monster clambered to his feet. Uh, make that foot, singular. Id blasted off the other one. Not that he let it stop him. Nope, old salty was using his arms as legs now, like some kind of strange orangutan. He lumbered after us, picking up speed.

Come and get it, salt face! I shouted.

Thats the best you got? Ana yelled back.

You dont like salt face?

Im gonna be frank. It was weak.

I scoffed and heaved a sonic boom at the monster. It exploded out of me, much bigger than Id expected, blasting me backward. The harness jerked me to a stop, and my back ached like hell. My magic had always been tricky and weird, but lately itd been even worsesometimes huge, sometimes not.

I scrambled upright, clinging to the back railing. The blast had plowed into the salt monster, obliterating him. No surpriseit had been so big that I really hadnt had to aim.

You get him? Ana asked.

Yeah! I turned around, wind whipping my dark hair back from my face.

The sun was fully up now, illuminating the valley around us. Sloping mountains on either side rose up toward the clear blue sky, and the heat was already pressing down, suffocating. It was August, and if we didnt get out of here soon, itd be hard to tell the difference between us and beef jerky.

Almost there. Ana turned the buggy toward the mountain slope nearest us.

I inspected our surroundings for more threats, but once she directed the buggy to climb the slope, I relaxed. The deadly part of the valleythe one that humans knew nothing aboutwas trapped between two parallel rows of mountains. Now that we were leaving that behind, I could finally start breathing normally again.

I unhooked my harness and climbed onto the bench seat next to Ana, collapsing into it with an exhausted sigh and pulling off my dust goggles. I propped my booted feet up on the dash as the truck bounced over the rocks and looked at Ana.

She grinned at me, lifting up her goggles to reveal tired green eyes. Her once blonde mohawk was now pulled back in a long ponytail, a style that made it easier to blend into a crowd. She changed it a lot, but lately, itd been a more subtle style. Her brown leather pants and strappy brown leather top made her look like she was in