Natalya Read online

  Natalya

  Flight of the Night Witches, book 1

  Heidi Vanlandingham

  Shadowheart Press

  Natalya is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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  Natalya: © 2019 by Heidi Vanlandingham

  Contact: [email protected]

  Cover design © EDHGraphics

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Also by Heidi Vanlandingham

  For all Buy Links: www.heidivanlandingham.com

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  Western Trails series

  Trail of Injustice (1)

  Trail of Hope (2)

  Trail of Courage (3)

  Trail of Secrets (4)

  Mia’s Misfits (5)

  Mia’s Misfits is also in ABC Mail-Order Bride series

  Trail of Redemption (6)

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  American Mail-Order Bride series &

  Prequel to Mail-Order Brides of the Southwest

  Lucie: Bride of Tennessee

  Mail-Order Brides of the Southwest series

  The Gambler’s Mail-Order Bride

  The Bookseller’s Mail-Order Bride

  The Marshal’s Mail-Order Bride

  The Woodworker’s Mail-Order Bride

  The Gunslinger’s Mail-Order Bride

  The Agent’s Mail-Order Bride

  WWII

  Heart of the Soldier

  Flight of the Night Witches

  Natalya

  Coming April 17, 2020

  Aleksandra

  Of Mystics and Mayhem series

  In Mage We Trust

  Saved By the Spell

  Coming May 20, 2020

  The Curse That Binds

  Mistletoe Kisses

  Music and Moonlight

  Sleighbells and Snowflakes

  Angels and Ivy

  Nutcrackers and Sugarplums

  Box Sets Available

  Mail-Order Brides of the Southwest: 3-Book collection

  Mistletoe Kisses: 4-book collection

  Western Trails: 2-book collection

  Contents

  Newsletter Signup

  List of Norse Characters

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Author’s Notes

  Newsletter Signup

  Heart of the Soldier

  In Mage We Trust

  Also by Heidi Vanlandingham

  About the Author

  About the Book

  Natalya Volkov has two dreams—marry the only man she has ever loved and become a pilot. When she is killed in a plane crash defending Mother Russia, the Norse goddess Freyja gives her a second chance at life—for a price. For immortality, she must hunt down the most powerful man in Europe or give up the man she loves.

  Romani-Jew Mikhail Abramovich has known hardship. He escaped a Nazi camp, became a Resistance soldier, and the love of his life died in his arms. Yet, when Natalya miraculously returns to life, he is plunged into a world that is no longer black and white.

  Is the hunt for Hitler and immortality worth giving up everything they have ever known and loved?

  If you love paranormal romances, sign up for my reader list, and as a thank you, I will send you my exclusive ebook:

  No Place Like Hell

  A demon mage looking for answers. An Erinys protecting her child. A rogue ruining everything.

  To download, go to http://tiny.cc/nl-pnr

  List of Norse Characters

  Norse Pantheon: Made up of two clans: the Aesir who are considered the main gods and goddesses and the Vanir who are the fertility gods and goddesses. Asgard is the home of the Norse pantheon.

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  Freyja: Also known as Frigg and is Odin’s wife, but she has nothing to do with her husband. Practices seidr, or Norse magic, and has a fondness for love, fertility, and beauty.

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  Idunn: (Pronounced IH-dune) The goddess of immortality and grows a special fruit that sustains the gods’ and goddesses’ immortality.

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  Odin: Supreme deity in Norse mythology and also known as the war god. He is in charge of the female warriors known as Valkyries.

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  Valkyries: Group of female warrior spirits who help Odin gather dead heroes from the battlefield to Valhalla, which is the hall of the fallen.

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  Thor: Son of Odin and is called the thunder god. Using his hammer, Mjöllnir (Lightning), he defends the Aesir gods and Asgard.

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  Heimdall: (Pronounced HAME-doll) Guardian of the gods’ stronghold, Asgard and lives in the fortress (Sky Cliffs) that sits at the top of the Bifröst.

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  Bifröst: The rainbow bridge connecting Asgard to Midgard (the human world: Earth).

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  Módi and Magni: Thor’s two sons who will both inherit his hammer, Mjollnir, when Ragnarök begins. It is not known whether they will have to give it back after Ragnarök ends and the new world begins.

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  Huginn and Muninn: (Pronounced Hoo-gin and Moo-nin) Two raven spirits that help Odin gather information and are able to communicate.

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  Yggdrasil: The mighty tree at the center of the cosmos, which holds together the Nine Worlds (the homelands of the various types of beings in the cosmos) by its branches and roots.

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  Mimir’s Well: Located beneath the roots of Yggdrasil. The powerful water is known to contain wisdom.

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  Huldra: Beautiful, seductive forest creatures who look like normal women, but they each have a bark-like covering over their backs and long tails. They lure men into the forest and steal their souls.

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  Ragnarök: The ‘final battle’ where everything will be destroyed and then reborn.

  Prologue

  Asgard

  “What valor!” Freyja exclaimed, her gaze riveted on the battle scene playing out in the Gods’ Glass. Millennia ago, Odin had stolen the looking glass from a Greek oracle to see anywhere in the nine worlds, and Freyja had stolen it from him. Her hand gripped the edge of the huge glass disc suspended from the ceiling by thick, black metal chains. “Look at how the pilots maneuver the nimble planes to avoid the German cannon and machine gun fire. I believe these planes are called U-2s, but there are several models, so I could be wrong. The differences are slight, and in the glass, they are too small for me to be certain.”

  Idunn stepped up beside her, a frown marring her beautiful face. “Why do you insist on watching the humans battle each other? Nothing good will come of their war. They will continue to kill each other until no one’s left.” She leaned forward and stared hard at the unfolding air battle. “Who’s flying the planes anyway?”

  “Women. Russian women.”

  Idunn’s frown deepened as she followed the two-winged planes. “There are how many—forty? Why are half of them ve
ering off like that?”

  Freyja leaned closer to her best friend. “Watch as the lead planes maneuver away from the others, drawing the German spotlights.” She pointed with a purple-tipped fingernail. “There. Did you see that?”

  Idunn peered closer, her face almost touching the glass. “What? What am I looking for? They’re all moving too fast!” Idunn’s gaze followed Freyja’s purple fingernail to another lead plane. A flash of light dropped from the back of the plane. “Did the pilot drop a flare?”

  “I think they’re marking the targets for the second planes to hit.” Freyja shook her head, a look of wonder on her face. “Truly amazing. And the Germans can’t seem to hit the target planes.” She grabbed Idunn’s arm and pulled her around to the back of the Gods’ Glass.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Shush.” Freyja closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to remember the words to the ancient spell. Raising her hands, she laid them in the center of the glass. Opening her mind, she let the power of seidr, or fate, flow through the fire opal amulet hanging from her neck as she searched for the hidden passageway through the Well of Urd.

  The bronze backing swirled, turning darker in the center then swirling out, blending the colors together. The farther out it expanded, the lighter it became. Suddenly, a bright burst of white light exploded outward like a million crystal shards.

  “Freyja, this isn’t allowed—I’m not allowed to go through the glass!”

  “Hold onto me—wrap your arms around my waist and don’t let go, no matter who or what you see,” Freyja commanded. Her necklace glowed, and the magic swirled around them, siphoning the air from the room and pulling them into the back of the glass.

  Freyja held Idunn as they flew through the center of Yggdrasil. The tree of life opened up around them as they sped through the cosmos. Cosmic dust clouds of vibrant golds and purples billowed in a giant rolling fog and blended into larger gas bursts as they became massive nebulas. These ethereal wonders contained every color imaginable, as if the artist’s color palette was unlimited.

  “Why are the nebulae and galaxies always named after Greek or Roman pantheons and none of them our pantheon?” Idunn whispered.

  Freyja smiled, her gaze scanning over the galaxy the humans had named Andromeda. The magnificent white center swirled outward and faded to a beautiful shade of blue. “I guess we’re not exciting or romantic enough for them.”

  Idunn made a coughing noise in her throat. “What hogwash. We have Vikings and berserkers for goodness’ sakes! What more do people want?”

  “Handsome Scottish men in kilts with muscles and a sexy accent?”

  “Oh, well, there is that. I’ve read some of those books too. Hard to beat Scottish muscles. Now focus, Freyja. Where are you taking us?”

  Freyja wrapped her free hand around the amulet hanging from her neck and centered her magic, letting it flow through her mind as she pictured the pathway through the center of the tree to Midheim—Earth in the ancient Norse language. “Hold tight and brace yourself. This may be a hard landing for both of us.”

  As she said the words, their acceleration slowed. Freyja didn’t flinch, her smile widening as she stared at the expanding Milky Way galaxy. She focused her magic on the small blue planet, and they found themselves traveling through the outer Oort Cloud. They sped through the thousands of comets, then traveled inward through the Kuiper belt and its icy rocks. Closer to Earth, they came perilously close to being pummeled by several hundred of the millions of rocks speeding through the asteroid belt orbiting between Jupiter and Mars.

  “Hold tight to me, Idunn!” Freyja screamed, her words pulled away as the force of the magic drew them toward the planet. Idunn did as she was told and squeezed her eyes together. Together, with the force of several large bombs, they hit the ground, sending large chunks of dirt, trees, and rocks skyward.

  The two women lay at the bottom of the crater while all around them, bombs fell, their bright yellow-orange blasts lighting up the night sky.

  “The next time you tell me to hang on tight, remind me of this so I’ll walk away. I don’t think I have a single bone in my body that isn’t shattered,” Idunn complained. “Heimdahl guards the bridges between worlds and is bound to know what we’ve done—and what’s wrong with traveling by the Rainbow Bridge? It comes directly here without us being beaten to death by asteroids or landing with the force of a bomb.”

  “Don’t you dare say a word to anyone about this. Heimdahl won’t know. If he knows, then Odin knows and my plan will be for naught.” Freyja sat up, gingerly patting her sides and legs then slowly stood, peeking her head out over the top of the crater to see where they’d landed. “Oh good, we’re hidden from the armies. We’ll be able to see everything from here just fine.”

  “Did you even hear what I said?” Idunn asked.

  Freyja turned and held out her hand, puzzled by the scowl on Idunn’s face as she stared at her long blonde hair. “If it bothers you that much, just braid it like I did mine.” She patted the thick, auburn braid hanging over one shoulder. “Now, come on, get up. If I’m fine, then so are you.”

  Her friend glared from her prone position then slowly put her hand in Freyja’s and stood, wiping the dirt off her pretty light blue gown, perfectly matching the color of her eyes. “I’ll never get the stains out.”

  Freyja flicked her wrist, and their clothes changed from their usual Asgardian court dresses to military-styled clothes the humans favored. She ran her hands down the fur-lined leather bomber jacket then adjusted the fur-lined cap she’d seen a pilot wearing, her ears no longer cold. “This is nice, don’t you think? And, it takes care of your hair issue.”

  Idunn gave her a droll glare. “At least I’m not as cold, but the style leaves a lot to be desired. I feel like a man in this.” She plucked at the jacket with her finger and thumb, her lips forming a distasteful moue. “Now, please explain why we are here?”

  An explosion sounded directly above them, and the two women dropped to their knees, their arms above their heads, both forgetting they were immortal and, thus, couldn’t die. However, being hit by a bomb would definitely cause extreme pain. A low whine grew louder until their bodies vibrated and their ears swelled as if they could burst at any moment. Just when they couldn’t take the agony any longer, the whining abruptly stopped. Half a second later, a brilliant explosion lit up the sky behind them.

  “That was a bit close,” Freyja muttered, trying to pop her ears. “I brought us here to see the war up close, so it is more meaningful. You will understand better why defeating the Nazis is so important to me.” She pulled Idunn toward the edge of the crater, hefted her to the rim, and pushed her out. Sticking the toe of her boot on an exposed root, she half-climbed, half-jumped over the edge of the pit. Idunn grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her the rest of the way out.

  The two women hurried toward the trees in front of them. German soldiers shouted orders to hurry and prepare more cannons. The Nachthexen, Night Witches, were coming around again!

  Freyja smiled. “This is why we are here, Idunn. Look at the chaos surrounding us. Feel how it energizes our power? Without Earth’s wars to fuel our powers, Asgard and the Nine Realms will fall and Ragnarök will begin. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want our current world to end. I rather like it; however, if Hitler wins this war and his Third Reich comes to fruition, there will be no more wars on Earth. He will kill all those who oppose him. I have seen the future, Idunn. The power Asgard and the other worlds use will be gone. There’s no turning back once Ragnarök starts. Our world and everything and everyone we know within it will be forever changed—if not lost altogether.”

  “What do we have to do?”

  Freyja glanced at the incoming planes as the small engines roared overhead. The flares dropped to their strategic targets then scattered as the phut-phut-phut of German anti-aircraft guns filled the air. “Look and listen, Idunn. What don’t you hear?”

  Idunn glanced toward the incomi
ng U-2 planes and frowned. The flames from the burning trees in front of them reflected in her eyes. “Why can’t I hear the incoming planes? The only sound is a strange whooshing noise…like a broom?” She gave Freyja a confused glance then turned back to the planes. As the aircraft flew in front of them, dropping their bombs, the explosions were deafening. Making it past their targets, the quiet engines started up again.

  Idunn smiled. “Amazing. They idled the engines to go silent.” She glanced at Freyja but quickly turned her gaze back to the exciting events unfolding before them. “Have you used the God’s Glass to watch all the worlds?”

  “Of course. What good would I be as a goddess if I didn’t? We have the ability to see throughout the universe and learn what other worlds do…or create. Such as these humans and their tanks, automobiles, and planes.”