Enslaved. Bartered. Property.
Two dangerous men pull her chain in opposite directions.

In the northern mountains, Kilda is forced to navigate hall politics to survive. She must master Seidr magic and become a Volva. A slave without value is only good for one thing.
Sacrifice.

Wearing a mask is expected of a thrall. But for Kilda, showing her face is the only path to power. The gods bless only those true to themselves.

Swinging above her rank, Kilda discovers enemies lurking behind practiced smiles as whispers from beyond the veil awaken her desire—and a hunger she can no longer ignore.
When forces older than memory stir, Kilda must decide who she will be.

She did not come this far to kneel.

Chapter 6 (Chained and brought before the Jarl)

Vidar hadn’t even warned me that I would be given away. A slab of meat. 

The woman’s eyebrows lift as a smile climbs to the cliffs of her cheekbones. Her large stature and firm facial features exude strength, echoing Vidar.

“A gift?” says the Jarl. “Of flesh and blood and bone?”

“A fine addition to your house. Father.”

As strange as it feels, at the lowest point of my life, being passed from man to man, I only care about what this woman thinks of me. She is a shining Aesir. A Valkyrie among humans.

Chapter 26 (Training begins… with forced proximity)

“Don’t get any weird ideas!” I hiss.

I’m fuming. It’s already weird. I’m already dishonored. What unwed girl sleeps in a tent with some strange man? An older one at that. A skald, to top it off, a poet. I unroll my sleeping bag and toss it on the floor.

“What kind of ideas do you mean?” asks the bastard crow.

As if he doesn't know. Of course he’s unbothered. Surely his friends would slap him on the shoulder with a shithead grin—“well done, my man,” they would say, or “another notch on your belt, big guy”.

Chapter 63 (A moment of safety and trust)

We don’t break eye contact, the moment is shared, the moment is holy.
As I enclose my mouth around the meat, my tongue glides across the rough texture of his thumb, sending a purr through my entire body.
His eyes flicker to my lips from the contact, I know he felt it like I did.
A fire is kindled beneath my belly, a hunger awakened. My life begins now.

Talismans of Desire is the first book of a series. Follow this path to learn more.