I thought about the stranger’s cryptic message as we followed him through the narrow dingy pathway. I could not help but wonder what these beings would make of the darkness that resided within my own soul. I sniffed. It smelled like sea and sand, but I didn’t think it was really possible for this place to exist beneath the ocean. My nose, however, was telling me otherwise. The ground beneath us felt like sand, and the musty scent in the air spoke of long sodden earth. Salt settled on my lips, and when I licked them, I was assaulted with the brackish taste of the air.
This moist earthen tunnel seemed to stretch far longer than the first one had. The longer we walked, the higher my anxiety level rose. I had no idea what to expect when this stranger finally delivered us to his leader. One thing I was about to find out first hand, was that it appeared I no longer lived in a realm of reality.
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23
Halls of Lucina
The stranger before us finally stopped behind an iron door heavily doused with rust and age. Like the others, a simple wave of his hand, and the door dissipated into thin air. The antechamber beyond the door was unlike anything I could have ever imagined. I had been born a Vampire in my first life, but nothing in my entire existence could have prepared me for the image that greeted us.
My first sense assailed was smell. The scents of sea life assaulted my nostrils like a blow to the olfactory bulb. Fish, sea, salt, they were all there, profoundly pronounced in the air. I took several long deep breaths, glancing wildly around as my second sense was overwhelmed. My sight. My retinas were sent into overdrive at the bright wonders around me. Nerves triggered by lightning-fast responses, delivered message after message in rapid succession to my optic nerve.
The images provided to my brain were impossible. Around me, the watery walls of the sea cascaded down, overhead, and all around. It was unimaginable. I blinked rapidly, trying to give my mind a chance to catch up and explain to me what was happening. Stepping out from behind the stranger, I studied the seamless walls of water. They were not stable and unmoving. They wavered, appearing to grow closer one second, and wash farther out the next as though moving to the whim of the tide.
Beside me, Chandler laughed in surprise. “This is incredible. How is this even possible?”
I shrugged. I was absolutely speechless for once in my life. I shook my head, stupefied at the unexplainable phenomena before me. The mysterious and sexy stranger turned toward me then. He could clearly see the awe in my facial expressions. He grinned.
“Usela is incredibly fond of the sea. She made this space her personal chamber. She should be here soon.”
I opened my mouth to reply but quickly closed it again. Around the white sandy space, I saw several opulent white sofas and chairs. In one corner, something that resembled a bed lay nearest the wall of water, but that was not what caught my attention. No, it was the shadow of a giant shark swimming right along the edge of the water wall that had my heart stuttering.
Again, the stranger watched me. I had the feeling I amused him. I tried to control the thrall I felt over this incredible place, but it was extremely difficult. Behind me, I heard a sultry feminine voice as it drifted to my ears.
“Thane, what is so important that you had to summon me from my council meeting? This had better be good.”
I turned slowly toward the voice, preparing myself to see the leader of the winged ones. To say she was not what I expected was an understatement. Her voice was soft and sultry, leading one to assume the speaker was incredibly attractive and feminine. The owner of that voice was not ugly, but neither was she feminine. Standing several feet taller than myself, she was built like a Viking warrior.
Her broad stature was masculine and powerful. Her face was strong with only the subtlest sign of femininity displayed. Her white hair hung in a long straight cascade down her back, and her stone-gray eyes held a peculiar slant to them. Their fringe of long white lashes fluttered against her skin. For a second, I wasn’t sure if I was looking at a man or a woman. Whether she were male or female, her features were strong and striking, and she would have been breathtaking in either gender. When she spoke, however, there was no mistaking her femininity.
She seemed confused for a long moment, looking from the man she called Thane, to Chandler, and myself several times. After the second pass, her eyes drew back to me sharply, and she inhaled audibly. Stepping forward, she placed her hand against her throat. Arching a white brow at me, she studied me with an intensely knowing look that made me want to squirm. Had I still been the eighteen-year-old human, I probably would have.
I watched her as a wide smile spread across her lips. The smile was captivating and easily made her ten times more attractive.
“The mixed bloodline.” Shaking her head, she seemed baffled. “I have known the prophecy would fulfill itself for some time, but I would never have expected such a mixture possible. The power alone in your blood is incredible.”
I kept my gaze focused, not willing to display any emotions. When I didn’t react, she seemed to compose herself.
“I am sorry. Forgive my manners, I am afraid I had begun to lose hope of your coming. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Usela, ruler of the Halls of Lucina.”
Turning toward the one who had brought us here, she continued her introductions. “This is Thane. He is my lead spy. There is nothing in this city that happens without the knowledge of my elite spies.”
Thane swept a sarcastic bow in our direction. When I met his gaze, he was again studying me with intensity. I removed my gaze, choosing to look instead at the woman called Usela.
“I am Valkyrie. This is Chandler. Rafael, the Fiddler sent us to you. We have a message to deliver.”
Usela became still. Her already ivory-colored face became even paler. “The Fiddler sent you? Then it has begun?”
When I nodded my head, she sighed. “I suspected as much with the unusual sequence of eclipses we have had.”
Stepping toward her, I spoke up. “The Vampire Witch known as Desmond is currently headed this way with over a hundred Vampire warriors. We are unsure at this time whether he works with Byron, but we do know he has dark plans for this world.”
Usela nodded. “I see. And you, Valkyrie? What of you? I have a feeling you came here with a bigger agenda than just delivering that message.”
I inclined my head at her then. She was a smart woman. “Indeed. I came here to speak to you about taking a stand against this dark plan Byron and Desmond have hatched. My spies tell me already demons are being unleashed, and the number of attacks on humans has skyrocketed. There are only four eclipses left before the cycle will complete itself, Rafael believes they will occur roughly a month apart.”
I allowed her a moment to absorb this information. When I saw that she was definitely listening, I continued. “Already, three of the Lost Cities have fallen to Byron’s control. I believe Desmond hopes that by swaying your Cast to follow them down their dark path it will pressure others into joining their side.”
Usela and Thane exchanged a glance. She studied me before nodding slowly. “It is true. The Lucina’s are a great and formidable Cast. We are the descendants of angels, and we are strong. Unfortunately, not all who reside within the lush valley of Lucina are descended from angels of light. There are descendants of the fallen ones here too, and many times they have exhibited their desire for darkness.”
She trailed off, and Thane stepped forward, taking up her speech. “Many have heard whispers of darkness spreading across these lands. There are a number amongst us who would see it succeed. Tell me, woman, what can you do against powerful Vampires and dark Nephilim?”
I opened my mouth to retort, but Chandler beat me to it. “There is an army like you have never seen ready to follow her into battle. Witches, Vampires, Shifters and Gargoyles stand united, ready to put aside their differences to follow her.”
Thane looked mildly surprised. “That is interesting. I cannot say I have seen a time in history when the Cast
s have united. All those Casts stand united? Why? Why would they stand with natural enemies to follow this woman?”
I itched to slap the smug smile from his face. If he called me woman once more I was going to be hard-pressed not to act on the urge.
Chandler laughed. “Careful. You know not to whom you speak. There are reasons the others have pledged their loyalty to her without ever being asked. The Wolves follow her because of her mother, Corentine.”
From my position behind Chandler, I noted the look of surprise that crossed Usela’s face at the mention of my mother’s name. It appeared she was familiar with my mother, or at least knew who she was. Part of me wanted to know what she knew, but I knew now was not the time.
“The Gargoyles follow her because she gave us a path when we thought we had none. The Witches follow her because she is the Fiddler’s granddaughter. The Panthers follow her because their leader Damien has promised them she fights for good. The Spirits follow her…” Chandler’s diatribe was cut short as Usela stepped up to me.
“The Spirits follow her because she is the daughter of Death. She is their hope in finding peace once and for all.”
I was silent as I locked gazes with the masculine woman. As I watched, her wings appeared behind her. Great white feathered wings that shimmered silver as though misted in a fine layer of crystals. They were mesmerizing. She smiled bewitchingly at me.
“Now that I have shown you mine, why not show me the truth of yourself, daughter of death?”
I smiled mischievously back at her. “I am not certain you could handle the truth of what I am.”
Usela laughed. It was a short bark of amused laughter. When she stopped, she said, “You want me to convince a race of angelic descendants to follow you. Give me a reason to believe we have a chance.”
I nodded slowly. “You may want to stand back.” When she shook her head in refusal, I shrugged. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the darkness and the anger within me. I felt the moment my shoulders began rearranging and making room for my impossibly large wings. I heard the intake of breath from Usela as they sprung up to hang down over me.
My eyes snapped open. She had seen this side of me, now it was time for the other. I felt the fire surge within me, hotter and more intense now without the pendant to mute its power. My eyes flared in their crimson glow, and flames licked their way up my body. I watched my reflection in Usela’s eyes, and I knew the moment my raven-like wings melted away to become the decaying wings of a reaper on fire.
Usela swallowed. She stepped back, her cheeks glowing red from the heat of my fire. Thane stepped up beside her, and this time, it was a look of honest shock I saw there in his blue eyes. They had both asked to see the real me, but as I had anticipated, they had never expected the truth of what I was.
Usela opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. Beside her, it was Thane who spoke up first.
“What are you?”
I smiled, my fangs bared. “I am Valkyrie, I am Pyralis. Daughter of Corentine Walker, and offspring of Death himself. I am the descendant of Rafael, the first immortal Witch. I am fire, and I am death. Vampire, Witch, Nephilim, and reborn in the ashes of fire.”
Thane shook his head. Turning toward Usela, he asked, “Is it even possible? Can Azrael produce offspring?”
Usela shrugged. “I do not know. She is his child, I’m sure of it. She is stronger than anyone of us. She is the only known descendant directly born to one of the archangels. The rest of us, we are all many times removed. I can trace my lineage to my grandmother who was the child of Michael. Thane, you can trace yours to your Grandfather who was the child of Samael, and your great-grandmother who was the child of Gabriel.
Who is to say that Azrael could not produce children? Being his daughter, she is the first Nephilim child born to a Vampire. I knew she was his daughter, but I am uncertain what this really means.”
Standing there, I felt like a lab rat being studied, and not for the first time. Clearing my throat, I said, “I think, right now, what we choose to do about Byron’s sinister plot is more important than how I am possible.” Waving my hands at the wall of ocean water, I continued, “You clearly have already surpassed the possible reality of this world.”
Usela smiled. “You are right. We must come up with a plan to stop this Desmond and Byron. I for one do not wish to see this world shrouded in darkness as evil runs rampant.”
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So it was, I found myself accompanying Usela into the Valley of Lucina. Once we had stepped over the threshold and into their home, it was easy to see why she called it that. Somehow, there existed an entire valley filled with lush hills and sparkling streams beneath the curtain of ocean life. My eyes didn’t know what to be drawn to. The curtain of water where whales swam past, or the lush rows of apple trees and brilliant green grass.
In the distance, I could see the great sparkling walls of buildings which appeared to be made of pure gold. They rose up to form the walls of the city that lay hidden in this paradise. I smiled in amazement. Rafael would have loved to see this place. I wanted to see this breathtaking city, but as Usela’s steps slowed, I had the feeling that was not going to happen.
I watched the massive Lucina as they romped around in this paradise. Some had their wings on full display, whilst others appeared to be normal humans, albeit very large humans. Usela had asked me to keep my wings visible, she wanted us to make quite an entrance. To say we did exactly that, I am afraid, would be a bit of an understatement. All around the valley, men and women froze. Their eyes immediately drawn to me and my wings.
Usela stopped in the center of the valley. She turned toward me, smiling nervously. For a second, I wished Aeron were with me, but I quickly squashed that thought. The Lucina began to gather around us, each with expressions of wonder, fear, and some of anger. When all the Lucina present here had gathered around me, Usela raised a hand and called for silence.
“For hundreds of years, there has been a prophecy whispered by the Witches of the world. We have listened, waiting to see if it would come to pass. I am sure many of you have noticed the unusual phenomena occurring with the sun and moon of late.”
When the others rose their voices in murmurs of agreement and question, Usela waited a moment for their silence to come once again.
“At this moment, there is a Vampire army headed our way. Their plan is to overthrow us if we will not join in their evil plot. I, for one, will not stand by while this city falls. Our ancestors worked hard to protect it, and so shall we. If anyone here does not wish to stand with us and keep evil from its reign on this world, they may leave now.”
There was a moment of truth as everyone shifted uneasily. It wasn’t long before one man stood up, and called out. “Why should we fight to protect the humans? They have done nothing but ruin this world.”
Usela sighed. “Huszo, I have made my stance very clear. I will not side with evil, and as leader of this Cast, I will stand on the side of good.”
The one called Huszo glared at me then. “You call her good? She is a disgusting mixed-blood. A disgrace to our kind. Can you not smell it? There is so much darkness within her blood, and you say you stand with the light?”
He made a poor choice then. He stepped toward me threateningly. Instantly, I bared my fangs at him, and my wings swung around like a barrier, igniting with flames. My hair lifted as if on a breeze—but there was no wind here—only the power of my flames. Huszo froze.
Glaring at me, he looked from me to the others and back again. “You see! A Vampire whore birthed the child of one of our kind. She is evil reincarnated. Will you willingly follow her to the destruction of this world?”
I laughed. The sound was dark and sexy. “I have been reincarnated already, but I do not bring the end of this world. No, it is another who attempts to do that. I will not deny that there is darkness within me, but I will also tell you I fight for the humans, and for all of us who wish our world to be bathed in the light and in the good. We cannot b
e rid of evil because each of us has the power to become evil. The choice we make to be good is the difference.”
There were mumbles of agreement around me. I watched Huszo closely. I did not trust him not to try something. As everyone was distracted by the heated discussion about the prophecy and what it meant to them, he made his move. He pulled a long sword from within his clothing and lunged for their leader. It was no less than what I had suspected he would do.
In lightning fast movements, I descended upon him, sinking the tip of a wing into his shoulder and pinning him in place. “You will not harm her.”
He turned his malevolent glare my way. His eyes glowed with an eerie white light, and his mouth twisted into a devious smirk. “No? Well, if I cannot kill her I guess you will have to do.”
He threw the sword, and it sunk into my abdomen. It was merely a nuisance for me, but it had caught the attention of all the others. They watched, and they waited. Would I die, they all wondered. I could practically hear their thoughts floating above me. Giving Huszo a malicious smile, I retracted the long silver sword slowly from my abdomen. As it emerged, a fire ignited along its blade, turning from orange to a silvery blue.
When it was fully out of me, the others watched as the flames licked my wound, effectively sealing it up. When I lifted my crimson eyes to the others, they did something I had not expected, nor did I want. One by one, they dropped to their knees before me. Only a handful of them held back, unwilling to follow the actions of the others. I saw the awe on Usela’s face, and in that moment, I understood that a Nephilim descendant can indeed be killed. I realized again what an impossible paradox I was.
Huszo yanked himself out of the grasp of my wing, leaving a bloody wound on his shoulder. He spat at me. “You are nothing but a mixed blood who will bring destruction and death.”
Becoming Valkyrie Page 26