Valkyrie Divided (Pyralis Book 2)

by Brandy L. Cunningham

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  Breathing a sigh of relief to finally have my body concealed in clothes, I stared into the flames of the fire as it burned in the pit before me. Lost in thought, I found myself thinking of Aeron. I could still see his multi-hued eyes, and hear the smooth baritone of his beautiful voice. The strong chiseled surface of his square jaw and smooth honey colored skin was easy to recall. I smiled as I thought of all the times he had been so stoic, so cool and aloof. It was, however, the memories of his deliciously dark kisses and caresses that affected me most.

  I had not heard the voice of the one who had called himself the Fenix since the night of my rescue from Desmond’s clutches. It was another mystery in my life left unresolved. Inside, I knew the chances of Aeron having survived the inferno I had created that day were incredibly slim. I wanted to hold onto hope, but it was not doing me any good. It had been months since his death, and no one had any reason to believe he was ever coming back. With a growl, I closed off my memories and my thoughts of Aeron. The emotions they evoked were too painful to deal with.

  The dark skinned woman, Celosia, came to sit beside me. She was quiet for a while, but I could feel her eyes upon my face as she studied me. I continued to stare into the fire, watching as its flames leaned toward me, as though reaching for a lover it could not have. It reminded me of myself. I had been reaching for a lover who didn’t want me, and now my soul mourned his loss. The more he affected me, the larger the darkness in me seemed to grow.

  “You seem to have a lot of anger in your soul. You have been through much in your lifetime, Valkyrie.” Celosia’s mesmerizing silver gaze was steady on my face.

  I noticed she said her words as fact, they were not a question. Was I that easy to read? I needed to get a grip on myself and learn to control the emotions my face portrayed to others. Any weakness in me was more ammunition for those I hunted to use against me.

  Turning to face her, I shrugged. Moving my gaze around the other Drakais gathered round the fires, I found myself watching Shelloa as she sat alone.

  “Where is her family, the small golden one?”

  “Her family was not of our own. Apparently, there are dragon kind who wander alone in this world. Her mother died when she was but a child, and her father was alone. Our hunters found them one day, and they were brought here, to live with their kind. Her father was killed the day the Vampires invaded our home.”

  Considering this information, I sat quietly. So, it was possible there were others of this race out in the world hiding amongst humans, possibly other Casts as well. I wondered, if I had not been killed last Halloween to rise again, would I still walk the life of a normal human girl, blind to the beast that hid within me? Celosia’s next words made me leave my thoughts behind.

  “You are unsure if you are good or evil. There is much darkness inside of you, and you want sometimes to just let go, and let it consume you.”

  Looking into her silver depths, I wondered what led her to those thoughts. “We all have darkness inside of us, everyone, human or other has the choice within them to follow the path of light or darkness.”

  She smiled sympathetically. “But you have much more than most, Valkyrie. Do not forget that I was there in that cave, that I watched as you butchered those Vampires. I saw the darkness rise from you, its shadow hovering over you.”

  I removed my gaze from hers. “I could have left you there to die, but I didn’t.”

  I heard a soft laugh come from her. “No, you didn’t. Even with the thrill of darkness coursing through your veins, you chose to save us. That is what makes you strong, and good. Remember that. When the darkness in you consumes you, remember those actions, and remember the one you mourn.”

  I watched her as she moved away from me. Her long platinum blond hair swayed down her back as she made her way to sit beside Shelloa. I wondered again how she had been able to see such truth about me, when I myself wasn’t sure what the truth was. I wondered if perhaps she was an empath. I had the feeling this Draikais woman was going to be an important piece in this game of war we all played.

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  Silence hung over me as I walked down the dark streets. A day had come and gone while I made my excursion into the Caverns of Draikais, and yet the sky above me had remained dark. I could not tell whether I walked in day or in night. The eclipse flared above me still, fueling my body with rejuvenating power. Like a battery, I recharged. I had learned much in the past twenty-four hours, and I now had another ally.

  Aware of the presence of the four Vampires who followed me, I was annoyed. Their presence made me edgy.

  “Valkyrie, please, it is of great importance that you speak with my brother. You say you stand against Desmond and your father, so why do you refuse to see him when he could be your greatest ally yet?”

  I couldn’t answer that. There was a reason, it was buried in my subconscious memory, but I was not able to recall the reason I avoided the one called Dresden.

  “I need to meet with my spies before I disappear again.” I spoke the truth. I had little doubt that Chandler was scouring the city for me at that very moment.

  He had been angry when I had vanished the last time, and I knew he would be angry now. He didn’t understand my need for solitude. It was something that happened more and more frequently of late. Ever since losing Aeron, I felt like I wanted less and less to be around those I cared about. Maybe if I distanced myself from them they would survive.

  “Byron Walker is not my father. He is the man who raised me, the man who crucified me so long ago, but he is not my father.”

  Devyn sighed. “I apologize. Please, there are things my brother knows that you do not. There is also something he has that I think you will want to see…”

  I hesitated. Pausing, I swiveled my head to look at him. The moment I would have spoken was broken by the steady beat of wings as Gargoyles descended around us. I watched the fear and fascination in Devyn’s eyes as he looked upward, taking in the hundreds of Gargoyles that hung from roof tops and dropped to the asphalt streets around us.

  With a loud growl, the largest of them hurtled toward me, spinning to a stop and morphing to man rapidly in front of me. His muscles strained and bulged as he glared at me. His gray eyes told me he was pissed.

  “Dammit, Valkyrie! I thought we had a deal. How am I supposed to keep you safe, and run an army if you insist on this disappearing act you continue to use?” Chandler’s jaw tensed.

  I looked at my friend. Sending him an amused expression, I laughed. “Keep me safe, Chandler, you must be joking.”

  “You are not infallible Val. You were captured by that creep once before, who is to say it cannot happen again?”

  I hissed at him, my fangs bared. “You act as though I am still a naïve human Chandler. I am stronger. I am wiser. I would not fall for Desmond’s deceit again.”

  Chandler’s eyes softened. “Val, you know I only worry because I care. I am fully aware you have changed, that you are stronger, but look what you had to go through to get to this place. You loved Desmond, how do you know you would be able to see through his lies if your heart still feels for him?”

  I glared harder at him. “My heart does not feel for him. I hate him. I will kill him when I get the chance.” I was pissed now.

  Chandler placed a hand on my shoulder. Lowering his voice, he whispered, “Val, you still call to him in your dreams.”

  I jerked back away from him. I had no memory of such dreams. Staring into his eyes, I felt myself heat. Getting a grip on my control, I took a deep breath, cooling the fire that wanted to ignite. In his eyes, I knew I saw truth. Lowering my head, I swallowed the bile the thought brought to my throat.

  Behind me, Devyn cleared his throat. I didn’t have to look at Chandler to see his body puff up in defense. He was the same with any male who came too close to me. I think in Chandlers mind, I still belonged to Aeron. But Aeron was gone.

  “Chandler, this is Devyn Villart. He has asked me to come with him
, to speak to his brother, Dresden.”

  Chandler growled. “You’ll not be going alone. I will accompany you.” I had begun to reply when I felt the sleek silky sensation of velvety fur as it rubbed against my thigh and hand. It seemed the leader of the Panther’s had also appeared.

  Chandler’s growl deepened. I didn’t want to deal with the bickering between these two right then. “Chandler, you know that’s not possible. You are the leader of the Gargoyles, and of our ranks, I need you to continue training the recruits. Damien will come with me.”

  Chandler threw his head back in annoyance. His eyes flashed like a feral animal. Pacing back and forth, he glowered at the large black Panther who leaned against me. I shook my head, sometimes these two made me feel like a mother chiding her young.

  “Chandler, knock it off. I need to give you some information before I go. I have learned much in my absence, and you will need to relay it to the others.”

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  4

  Masked Memories

  Ihesitated as the four Vampires stopped before the giant tree. The oak must have been thousands of years old, and I was baffled as to how no humans had come across this monumental reminder of days long gone. Devyn glanced at me, grinning.

  “To humans, this is just an ordinary oak tree. What you see before you is the true form. Come, this is the passage that will lead us to my brother.”

  I glanced down at the glowing yellow-gold eyes of the Panther beside me. He purred, pressing his rounded muzzle into my palm, and rubbing the tip of a long canine against my hand. I shrugged. “Okay, show me the way.”

  Devyn traced his hand over the trunk of the tree in an unusual symbol. As he did so, a shaft opened up at the base of the giant tree’s roots and I blinked as I stared into the stairwell that appeared there. Following the four Vampires down the brick staircase, I shook my head. Just another oddity in my ever-strange world.

  The stairwell ended deep into the earth, and before us lay a long brick paved pathway. The Vampires set off down the brick walled shaft, and Damien and I followed closely. The tunnel seemed to go on for hours, until finally, we emerged deep in the woods. I glanced around as we ascended the stairs that led out, curious to see where we had come. I didn’t feel cold, so the only reason I knew it must be freezing here was the sight of the frozen chunks of glimmering snow piled up around us.

  Devyn stepped over a pile of snow, motioning for us to follow. Above us, the sky was still dark where the trees allowed visibility. Stepping into the crunching and shifting snow, I looked curiously around.

  “Where are we?” I waited for Devyn to navigate the mounds of snow.

  “We are in the Boreal Forest of Canada. Deep in the forest. This time of year it gets covered with snow and can become very treacherous.”

  I took care walking through the thick white snow, but even so, I found myself knee deep and stuck in a pocket several times. I will admit, having a giant Panther at my side came in handy. Throwing an arm over the back of the large cat, I heaved myself up and out of the trench. Grumbling, I brushed the ice off my clothes, growing increasingly annoyed as the heat of fire in my veins caused it to melt to slush around me.

  Once I was out of the snow, Damien shifted to his human form. “You can always ride me if the fire inside of you is causing an issue with the snow.” He winked exaggeratedly at me.

  Sighing, I sent him an annoyed look. “I’ve told you before, Damien, I am not riding you in any context, whether you’re in man form, or panther form.”

  Ahead of us, I heard the Vampires chuckle. Closing my eyes, I shook my head. What was it about males? Turning my back on the tantalizing view of Damien’s naked form, I hurried to catch up to the Vampires.

  “Please tell me it is not much farther. If I knew the way I would just fly there.” As it was, there were far too many trees to fly here in this thick wooded forest.

  Devyn laughed. “No Valkyrie. It is not much farther ahead, just through those trees. Good thing too, at the rate we are going you’ll melt the entire continent.”

  I frowned. Looking down, I stared at the muddy mushy mess my heated flesh had caused. Sighing, I picked up my pace, running through the snow and passing the others. Breaking through the dense tree line, I halted, nearly stumbling in my haste. Ahead of me, a mansion sat amidst a white blanket of snow. The large clearing was covered in smooth sparkling snow, and the gray stone walls of the castle-like mansion looked gloomy against the white backdrop.

  I could see firelight reflecting from several of the windows, and torches burned at the doorway to its imposing persona. It was none of those things that struck me. It was the memory that floated around the edges of my mind. I could see this place, bathed in bright moonlight, the shimmering of green foliage masking it in mystery as the dark of the night sky enveloped this great castle in its clutches.

  As if floating, I felt myself carried away into another lifetime, to a time that had long been forgotten.

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  Three Centuries Earlier….

  Stepping from the horse-drawn carriage, I shifted restlessly. The castle spread out before me was immense and grand. Bathed in the light of the moon, it was magical. This was the first time my father had ever let me attend one of the Masquerades. I was thrilled at being allowed to partake in such an opulent gathering. All around us, other men and women dressed in fancy clothes alighted their conveyances.

  My nerves were jittery, and I felt excitement as I never had before. In my mind, I was already grown, but in my Father’s, I was still very much a child. Looking down at myself, I smiled at my sparkling gold topaz gown which had been made just for me, and I wanted nothing more than to twirl about, dancing and laughing.

  Beside me, Belladona giggled at me. “Oh my darling little sister, you look ravishing. I fear you will steal all the attention away from me tonight.”

  Laughing, I looked up at my sister with adoration. With her long wavy auburn hair, and big blue eyes, I didn’t think there could be anyone more lovely than Belladona. She was my idol, my mother in many ways.

  “Oh Belladona, do you think they will notice me, the gentlemen?” I had met so few men outside of my immediate family, I was starved for the chance to interact with the opposite sex.

  Belladona took my gloved hand in hers. Lowering her face until it was beside my ear, she laughed softly as she said, “Sweetling, it is Vampires we come together with, not humans. There are no gentlemen amongst our race. Always remember, at the heart of every Vampire there waits a predator.”

  Giving me a serious look, she stepped forward into the throng of people approaching the castle. Pulled along by my sister, I tried to imitate her gestures. I wanted to walk in the sensual way she did. I wanted to speak as eloquently as she did.

  Glancing over her shoulder at me, she whispered, “Remember, Father will be here, so be sure to behave.” She sent me a conspiratorial wink that downplayed the seriousness of her voice.

  Once inside the massive stone castle, I smiled politely and repeated greetings exactly as my sister did. My face was partially hidden behind the glittery gold mask I wore around my eyes, and my bravado was high. I felt like royalty, the way the men bowed to me and the women curtsied.

  Inside the grand ballroom of the stone castle, I heard my name called. The voice who called to me was dear to me. My beloved brother, Valkyrian. Not just my brother, but my twin as well. Spinning about, I laughed delightedly.

  “Valkyrian, I am so happy to see you after all this time!” As my dark haired brother pulled me into his arms, I caught sight of the man with him. His unusual multi-colored eyes watched me with curiosity.

  Valkyrian twirled me about, grinning in that roguish way of his. “Well, well, you clean up awfully nice little Val.”

  Giggling, I looked past my brother again, enchanted by the handsome face behind him. The man was tall, and much thicker built than my own brother. His dark blond hair fell around his face in attractive waves, and the dark mask around his eyes only
seemed to enhance the striking quality of him. There was a fierceness to him, an almost predatory gleam to his eyes that made me shiver. My brother caught me staring. Turning to look over his back, he grinned wider.

  “Ah, I see you have noticed my company. Val, allow me to introduce to you Alistair La Croix. His family rules over much of Europe, and Father brought him here to visit.” Turning to face the man he called Alistair, Valkyrian continued, “Alistair, this is my twin sister, Valkyrie Walker.”

  The enthralling man bowed to me, placing a soft kiss to my gloved hand. “You cannot possibly be his twin, for you are exceptionally lovely, and he is exceptionally ugly.”

  His voice was deep and smooth. A strong voice. It made me shiver. I smiled the way I had seen Belladona smile. She called it her sensual smile. Alistair watched me, and I felt something stir within me, a feeling I was unfamiliar with.

  Valkyrian laughed. Looking at me, his vivid green eyes sparkled with mischief. Pushing me forward, he said, “Why don’t the two of you dance whilst I say hello to Belladona?”

  As the handsome man pulled me into his arms, I felt as though all of my nerve endings would surely explode. Was this how it always felt when a man held you? Moving to the smooth rhythmic music, we danced around the room, his strong arms never lessening their grip. He stared into my eyes, as though a secret awaited him there.

  “You have very unusual eyes, Mr. La Croix. I do not believe I have ever seen such multi-colored eyes before.” I was nervous. My voice trembled.

  I watched his eyes soften as he looked at me. “I suppose they are unusual. Your own eyes are unusual, for the daughter of two Vampires. Such a lovely golden color, like warm amber reflecting in the sun.”

  I tried to keep the smile from gracing my lips, but it won in the end. Alistair smiled back at me, pressing me slightly closer. I watched the colorful draperies and the fire light from the candles blur as he spun me around, and everything faded except his mesmerizing eyes.

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