by Trina Bates
“For what? You tried, didn’t you? That’s all that matters, thank you,” I tell him, kissing his cheek, smiling when I see a smirk sneak out.
“There’s definitely some crazy fucking magic keeping this safe. I can’t feel if there will be repercussions if we open it. We need Blue,” Rhett’s huffs out, defeat evident in his body when his shoulders slump as well as his voice.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, you all are the ones that talked me out of doing that in the first place,” I say with my own scowl now taking over, Merrick squeezes my sides gently getting me out of my own head.
“I want you to take two of us with you, preferably the most powerful. Rhydian in Kigiree’s form and Gor, his magics and abilities vastly outweigh any of ours. You’ll be safer with those two,” Ebbin says with a frown. I hate seeing him like this, feeling like he’s not powerful in his own right. I wiggle out of Merrick's arms, throw my hands around Ebbin's neck and kiss him savagely as he sighs deeply and pulls me in closer.
Breaking apart, I look into his ever-changing eyes and ‘boop’ his nose with my finger. He shoves my hand away and tries very unsuccessfully to hide his smile.
“Love you, beefcake,” I tell him turning away to grab a changed Rhydian's hide and Gor’s hand. I find Blue in my heart and mind and close my eyes when I feel the ground shift beneath me.
Opening my eyes, I startle back when a row of imposing, frightening beasts growl and quiver with pent up rage, ready to tear at us the moment they deem proper. Kigiree jumps in front of me, larger and more formidable than any of the other beasts that stand before us. Gor at the ready, his sword held high and his skin turning the familiar shade of blue with his Fae magic.
My Hellfire lights up from my elbows to my fingertips, ready and waiting. That’s new.
“STOP!” I hear Blue’s familiar voice scream, the fear thick in the air from both of us.
All at once the beasts back away and their snarls and lips are replaced with slobber and panting.
“What the fuck is going on, Blue?” I all but shout to her, earning me a few growls. Rhydian, or Kigiree, snaps at one with the darkest fur and it yelps, retreating behind one that is all white, with the strange scales and a jet black mane.
“Hakon, stop, all of you fucking stop! That is my daughter!” Blue yells, surprising all of us. Me the most. But each one of their heads shift to her rapidly and she only shakes her head to them, making me wonder even more. I have only ever heard her say that twice before, and it was never to me, but about me when she was talking with others. I once viewed her that way, until we both were the same age, and she became my best friend. “That is Mira, the one I have been telling you about, the one that you saved, Calder,” she says turning to one of them, he has silver eyes and he’s missing patches of his fur, a light honey color, gorgeous and plush in the spots he still has it. “Mira, they raced me away when everything happened. I can’t leave without them, please you have to understand. These are my… well, mates,” she says breathlessly with the biggest smile I have ever seen grace her face, and she says it with so much love I smile back at her and know here, and now, this is where she heals. “Calder, Vali, Brandt, Arvid and my Hakon,” she tells us all, pointing to each as she said their names. They each dropped their giant heads hello, and I do the same, not wanting to be rude.
“It’s nice to meet all of you,” I say with more question in my tone than anything, “But I really need Blue’s help. We think we found where they’re keeping Siv, but there’s a lot of magic surrounding it and we don’t want to go in blind. We’ve been doing that a lot lately,” I say rolling my eyes. My own stupidity and steadfast ways getting us in trouble too fucking much.
“Boys?” she questions them earning non threatening growls from each, at I’m guessing her use of, ‘boys’. “I will be going with her. I am still your Radningar, that has not changed. Either you stay here, or join us in a battle like none we have faced before, one last siege against this evil” she says to them, my face a twisted sort, confused, baffled and shocked. I don’t know what the hell a ‘Radningar’ is, or what she means by one last siege either, but I can’t say anything. These are her men, not mine. I don’t know what I would do being without them for as long as she has, but I know I would want them with me no matter what.
They each stand straighter, ruffle out their fur and scales. So fucking weird. And nod so human like, it’s eerie.
“Can you carry us all Mira?” she asks me. I look to the large beasts and pray like hell I can.
“I hope so, can they not shift?” I look down to Kigiree and ask, “Can you shift back? I think we’re safe now.” He nods, much like the beasts and lets Rhydian shift effortlessly back. I hand him the set of jeans Gor hands to me and the shirt, wondering when Rhydian had given them to him.
“Not in this Realm, no,” she says disappointed. Her eyes find each of her mates, seeking comfort in the fact she has them back, in any form. She straightens her back in determination and looks back to me.
Rhydian leans down and kisses me on the temple, and when I look back to Blue and her mates, their heads are all cocked to the side.
“They are all like us. Mira is half Valkyrie, half Death Demon, her brother, Gor, is half Metal Fae, half Death Demon. She has three other mates, one, a Trenary, a full Metal Fae, and a Warlock. Rhydian is called a Black Shuck.” She pauses, letting one of them talk. “Yes, from our time. I bet if you look back far enough, you might end up knowing some of his family,” she says with a smile to Rhydian, who stands there with shock and wonder on his face. I grasp his hand and squeeze it.
“Get cozy with one another. I don’t know if this will work,” I say with a concerned lilt in my voice.
Everyone grasps or, touches each other, and I close my eyes, pulling a little of my magic to the surface, pushing with all my might to get us teleported out of this place.
Feeling the ground settle beneath my feet, I open my eyes and sigh in relief when I see we all made it safely, and I am actually in the right place. I don’t wait. I pull Blue’s hand and rush her forward to the door. She places her hands on it exactly how Merrick and Rhett did and closes her eyes in concentration.
“Vali, I need you,” she whispers, never taking her eyes off the door.
A giant white and black beast breaks away from the group and stalks towards us with all the confidence in the world on silent steps. His body, made for agility that only a predator could have, stops at Blue's side. I watch in fascination as he bites his own tongue, the blood dripping into her waiting hand. She licks it all from her palm and moans. She opens her eyes, and I’m shocked when I see they are no longer the blood red I am so accustomed to, they are now a deep green, with her red speckled in and shimmering like the night skies.
“Vali has always given me a little more than normal power,” she says winking at me.
I look down and Vali and feel the wrinkles on my forehead grow as I look at him in confusion. -I wonder if he’s anything more than just a dragon and lion.- I think to myself, but again, my emotions are everywhere and I can’t hold my mind closed.
“He’s a fucking dragon and a lion?!” Rhett all but yells out in jealousy. “You might be cool BinBin, but you’re not THAT cool,” he scoffs. I turn and see Ebbin roll his eyes and shake his head. He looks to me and mimics a kiss which I smirk at.
“Every ward, trap, spell, whatever... It’s all gone. We’re safe to enter,” Blue says proudly, opening the door.
What we find beyond makes me fall to my knees in horror.
Siv is pinned to the wall, giant spikes protruding from her wings, as she stands there on broken legs. Her body riddled with large cuts, blood dried on her body and in a large pool at her feet. Her legs are at such strange angles. The pain from trying to stand looks to have been too much for her, she dangles there, her arms out of socket from the weight and her broken limbs, laying on the ground beneath. I rush up to her and take notice of all the weapons and strange looking torture devices strewn a
round. It makes me nauseous. I gently lift her up by her armpits trying to lessen the strain and pain. She groans into me, and new sobs break from her as I hold her up. “Please, no more Alastor, I told you, I don’t know where she is. Kill me and be done with it. Even if I did know, I would not tell you a thing,” she cries, her eyes too swollen to open and see that it’s me and not her torturer.
“Siv, it’s me. Shhhh, don’t worry, we’re going to get you out of here,” I whisper, hoping the low calmness of my voice will ease her concert does the opposite.
She starts thrashing around and screaming, “No! You should not have come, now he will have us all. Please, daughter, run as fast as you can!”
“We’re all here, my mates, Torunn, Gor, my friend Blue and all of her mates as well. There isn’t anything that is going to stop us. Calm down, let me help you,” I groan out still holding her weight.
“Can I get a little fucking help here?!” I shout over my shoulder, pissed no one else is doing anything.
All at once, a slew of bodies surrounds me. Hands everywhere, carefully pulling the spike from her body as we all lift her off the ground.
Siv lays there in a heap of her own blood, unable to move.
“Touch a body right now! I don’t fucking care what you want, do it!” I scream, ready to be out of this place before anything else can happen.
“GO!” Someone shouts to my left when I close my eyes. I push the rest of the magic I have saved, and the rest of my energy in to one last teleport.
Mira:
Opening my eyes, I exhale in relief when I see we are all here. Our cabin overloaded with new strange creatures, battle-worn family and the gorgeous white couches overfilled with where Blue’s men had landed.
“Rhett! Get over here and help me. I have barely anything left but I want you, me and Blue to put protection barriers on everyone! I know he has a lot of our blood and he can easily find us now unless we do this. Hurry!” I say still holding my mother in my arms.
Blue jumps into action, and when she and Rhett are at my side, we lay Siv on the couch and start with her first. It takes very little to lend Rhett our powers since he is the one with the spell, but Blue and I also weave in our own extra set of protection for each and every person. There’s no way Alastor can portal in and surprise us. Not with so much magic surrounding us.
“I'm so tired, I really need to go and rest, can you,” I say pointing to Torunn,“watch over Siv, and you two,” I look over to Rhett and Blue, “Please, I know we’re all tired and at our ends, and you Blue, want to spend time with your… men, but I want this place secure on all fronts, can you both ward the grounds, set up better alarms? Whatever you need to do. I would help, but I can already feel myself fading,” I huff out, rubbing my eyes and yawning.
“Of course. I just need a little blood form Vali and I can go longer. His blood gives me energy and strength,” Blue says, turning her head to the white lion with the black mane.
“I have a bit more energy as well. I’ve been feeding off of everyone’s anger. If someone wants to get pissed and let me take some, that will help me further,” Rhett says grinning at Merrick, who shakes his head and rolls his eyes.
“Fine, let’s go you, little warlock,” Merrick says walking to the door, and before they get outside, I hear him say, “You better hit me good. Cuz your pussy shit will just make me laugh.”
I giggle at that and sit next to my mother's head, laying my hand a top of her own on her chest, and close my eyes when I lean my head back into the soft cushions of the couch. Before I fall off, I peek my eyes open when I feel two hands on my stomach and smile up at Ebbin and Rhydian. They are trying to feel our daughter, and it warms me.
“She’s so strong,” Rhydian smiles.
“Just like the lot of us, get some rest, Bugs. We’ve got you,” Ebbin says kissing my temple and pulling a blanket over me.
I see all of Blue’s men make a protective circle around the couch, trapping Siv and myself in. Their bodies all facing away from us, watching for anything that might pose a threat.
“Thank you so much, Calder, Vali, Arvid, Hakon, and Brandt. I don’t know how much it means to Blue to have you back, I guess in the real scheme of things, I haven’t known her long at all. But I know she has missed you something fierce. You brought back the pieces of her that were long gone and broken. Thank you for that,” I whisper, barely able to keep my eyes open for much longer. I hear a fews whines and growls from the lion, dragon things and smile, finally closing my eyes for good, falling fast asleep.
When I wake, there is a new light shining through the many windows that are lining the cabin walls. I turn my head to look and see how Siv is doing and frown when I see she’s gone. I bolt upright, tripping on my wings that hurt like hell from sitting on them for lord knows how long. I turn and rush into the kitchen and find her sitting at the island with Merrick taking small sips of coffee, with a smile on her face. She looks so much like me, the only thing that sets us apart is her short hair and higher cheekbones. Other than that, we could be twins.
I creep closer, hoping not to be seen or heard and try to listen in on the conversation they’re having. Siv’s wings are thankfully mended and her legs looked bruised but not broken and healed at the wrong angle anymore. The cuts on her body are all gone and she looks so much better. No doubt someone helped speed her healing along. I know Valkyries and Others in general heal at a rapid rate, but this is just amazing.
“You need to give her time. There are so many new changes in her world, not just with us, and her powers, but her pregnancy, learning about you, Alastor and even Gor. Then what happened with Blue and Rhett. There are strange things at play here and she’s having a hard time dealing with it all,” he tells her calmly, I smile to myself at his words and light up more when I see her nodding her head, though with a frown. I can tell she accepts what he has to say, though the circumstances of why he said those things is unknown, I can take a guess that she wants time to explain things, to let me know what had gone on when I was just a small child. There’s still a lot of pain for me on that aspect, but after all that we have gone through, I do want to hear her side of things. See if there’s even a slight chance we might have some kind of relationship down the road.
“I do understand, just not as much as I would like. I have missed many years, and do not know what has gone on in her life...Ever. I would like to remedy that, but I fear she will not have that,” she says, her voice filled with sadness and regret as she looks down at her cup, stirring her tea nervously.
Ebbin comes in, and sits next to her, he shakes his head at her with a small smile and says, “I don’t think you understand. She literally rallied an army for you and went to Hell and back, a couple times,” he says with a chuckle, his eyes lighting up and I can see the splendor of them from my spot, perched behind the wall, watching and listening. “She will give you the chance, you just need to be patient. She is such a forgiving person, whether many people see it or not. She’s stubborn, filled with life and pig headed sometimes. But she is true, loyal and honest. If you want the chance, then you need to give her your patience. She’ll come around,” he finishes, placing a hand on her shoulder.
I come around the corner and rush into him and Merrick. I throw an arm around each of their necks and hold back the tears that are threatening to flow as I hug them tight.
“I love you both so damn much. You always seem to know just what to say,” I laugh and feel even more loved when they both wrap their own arms around me and hug me just as tight.
After a few moments, I let them both go and turn to Siv, my mother.
“They’re right. I do need time. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be around you. I was so harsh before and for that I truly am sorry. But there are so many things, and you’re right as well. You don’t know anything about me. I think, with time, you can get to know me, hear my stories and understand who I am and how I got here by patience and questions. I don’t want to be bombarded all at once, but
I would like to get to know you as well. There will be days where I’m frustrated and want to stay away from you, but I will try my best to keep my wits about me and give you the same respect you give me,” I say trying to smile without looking as glum as I feel.
“I would like any chance you will give me,” she says with and elated sigh, her eyes crinkling at the corners when she smiles.
I look up to my two guys and stick my tongue out at them playfully.
-See, I can be the bigger person, sometimes!-
-Obviously not a mature one,- Merrick quips back making me laugh.
-I think you both need a little help in that area,- Ebbin says and it turns my laughs into a snort, and they both laugh.
-You guys suck.-
“Oh Bugs, we love you so much,” Ebbin's tells me, kissing the side of my head.
I look to Siv and smile, when her questioning gaze flitters from each of use.
“Can I touch you? To be able to let you in on some of our thoughts?” I ask her. “You might get a few answers from there as well,” . It’s an olive branch, the first step down a long road. But one I think we will be happy for later.
She smiles up to me once more and nods her head. “I would like that, very much.”
I take her hand in mine when she sets her still steaming cup of coffee down, and I close my eyes, searching for the familiar tickle of a new mind and push my own thoughts and memories into her. I started with the easiest. Finding a home with Blue. Then I showed her the day Ebbin and I moved in together. One of Torunn and Cynide in the market so happy and filled with smiles. The bond Gor and I made, when I found out he was my brother. The love in my life is vast, and I want her to see there hasn’t been a lack of it for many years. The time will come when she sees the bad ones, but not today. Lastly, my fondest memory, when I had all of my men surrounding me with love. Each touching me in some way as we all fell asleep after a night of movies.