by Trina Bates
“What do you suppose is going on there?” I ask her, hoping Siv might have talked to her.
“I do not think anything as of right now, but would that not be a magnificent thing?” she replies, my befuddlement apparent on my face. I know what I said before about her needing to give herself the chance to love again, but not with Rhett’s father. Not with someone that has done the things he did.
“I think, with what they each have already endured, they have a common ground, something that… binds them together,” Torunn says, answering the thoughts in my mind.
“What, shitty parenting? They left their kids, so now they can bond over that?” I grit out, my anger already flaring to life.
“You should know better than any, grief is a fickle sort of thing. It brings even the oddest of pairs together. They can share in their misery and grow, heal, and even find love in that time. They need each other. Find happiness that they may heal themselves, along with you and Rhett at the same time. Give it a chance. I sometimes forget how young you really are,” she says fondly, her kind eyes peering deep into my soul as I contemplate her words.
With everything that's going on, I sometimes forget that there are others involved in this, I try my best to keep everyone else at the forefront, they’re important, always. But when it comes to my relationships with my men, and my daughter, things get muddled. It’s not only those around me now, but so many more. Lives torn to pieces and changed forever by my father's actions. I know being pregnant comes with certain attributes, like hormonal changes, my mine seems to be anger and tears.
“It's going to take time and more so after the things that happened earlier today. I don't want to feel like I always have to hide who I am or watch my words. That's not who I am, that's not who I want to be. I hope one day her and I can see things clearly through each other's eyes, but today isn't that day. She pushed the limits and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I know I shouldn't feel this much anger, but some things are simply, the way they are. I know I'm young, as you call it, but there also comes a certainty with being young, a certainty for myself but I don't want to be who she wants me to be. I want to be who I am, who I grew to be. She had no part in that, Do I hurt over that? Yes. Can I change that? No. But I promise you, I will try, just like with her, please just give me time.” I don't ever want to lose Torunn’s friendship or trust. But there has to be boundaries, she has to understand I won't sit idly by and be called out that way. Not somewhere that I consider to be partially my home. This is supposed to be a place of comfort, and when things like that happen, you lose that feeling and then what else is there?
“As long as you're in my life, you will have time. Now, onto bigger and better things. Gor says that he can feel Vie close by. Can you feel Cynide?” she asks the hunger and her tone makes me pause and I look up to her saying the same thing in her eyes. I can't imagine the void that's inside of her having not gone to battle in so long. I don't know how long it's been, but for a Valkyrie, when that's all you've lived for how many thousands of years, how can you not miss what you know so well.
“You seem a little anxious, Torunn,” I laugh out trying to lighten the mood.
“When war is in the air, my heart races in my ears, blood pumping fast through my body. It's the anticipation and never seems lessen with each new fight I face. How are you taking it?” When she asks, she smiles deviously down to me, rolling her armor-clad shoulders.
“As I said before, I don't know how ready I am for the battle, but I'm ready for this to be over and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure it ends with us and in our favor.” With that, I smile to her once and walk away to meet Gor in the middle of the made-up circle waiting for our Agathions to show. Within a matter of moments, Cynide and Vie appear before us with the best of news.
-Penghou has agreed. He is rushing off to tell your father now that when he checked on the property last, the barrier was down, but he was not sure if anyone was here. He did not see you and your brother, you must go down to the cell.- I nod to her and look up to my brother, I need to tell him what I just learned.
“Vie tells me that he would like to be in Locust form out here to help fight the battle. I think that would suit us much better and help take down anything that comes from the underground. We can take the air and ground but not beneath.” I nod to Vie and rush to each person, giving them a hug and wishing them good luck. When I get to mine, they each get a long kiss and an even longer hug with my words of encouragement and love.
“Stay safe, and don’t you dare let him get into your head. Keep our daughter safe,” Rhydian whispers to me as he hugs me fiercely, the waver in his voice making my eyes well up even thinking about what’s about to come. I kiss his cheek once more and turn to Ebbin.
“I love you so much, Beefcake! Keep these assholes in line and kick ass. Stay safe,” I whisper the last words and hug him again.
“You too, and don’t be afraid to call for help. I don’t know what I would do if I were to lose you.” The tears are stinging my eyes and are harder to hold back with his words. I see them in his too and give him a bright happy smile. Not wanting him to see anything but the light before we battle the dark.
“Merrick, don’t you dare run into anything half cocked. Keep your head and keep that sexy ass safe. There’s more I still want to do to you and have you do to me,” I growl out with false bravado as I wrap my arms around him tightly.
“Don’t you worry that sweet ass about anything. It’s my turn, right here…” He makes his point when he grabs a handful of my butt and squeezes tight. “Next, so keep it unharmed or it will only hurt that much sweeter. I love you,” he tells me with a hungry kiss, one that I wish wouldn’t ever end and then spins me around, with one last smack as I face plant in Rhett’s hard chest.
“There will never be enough time, even eternity with you. Don’t make me have to find your fucking soul in Hell if anything happens to you. I just might have to cut off all of this luscious hair out of spite. Maybe get my first real tattoo, right on the nicest dick that you’ve ever seen. Stay fucking safe,” he breathes out, his hands roaming all over my body as I laugh at his jokes.
“You are so fucking weird. I love that about you most. You know I’m going to do anything and everything I can to make sure you don’t harm a hair on that head. The dick tatt sounds kind of alluring though. Careful,” I tell him half jokingly with a smile.
He grabs his chest in mock pain and shakes his head.
“My soul won't be in Hell by the way! Valhalla is where I will be. Haven’t you learned a single thing about me yet?!” I yell running back to my brother, and sticking my tongue out childishly at them all. I take my brother's arm and rush to the cell all the while laughing as the rest of my friends, family, and lovers laugh with me.
My hands are shaking as we race down the narrow hallway, my other hand still tightly grasped around my brother's forearm.
“Do not forget I am here, as is Cynide, we will be safe; we will get through this.” Gor's comforting words ring through the dark, all the way down as we come to the end where they cell waits for us. My father's doom.
Rhett is here and must have portaled in right after we rushed off, I look to him confused and out of breath, panting, unable to speak.
“What are you doing here?!” I exclaim, worried that he will leave the others without the protection of his newfound magic.
“Don't worry, I had to come down here to lock you both in. He can't know this is a cell. Remember the plan Mira, calm down just remember,” he breathes into me as he holds both sides of my face and talks calmly to me, trying to ease the worry in me.
I breathe out a calming breath and lean into his touch savoring these last moments before it all begins. I don't think I'll ever get enough of him, any of them, but if I've been taught anything throughout all of this, it’s that time, the amount that we have, is a complete unknown. I feel horrendous for the way that I've acted. I might have hugged the woman that birthed me before I left her behind, bu
t we left on bad terms and for that I feel terrible. My mind starts to swirl with thoughts of what if’s. What if she doesn't make it? What if somebody doesn't one of us any of us?
- Love, calm yourself. We can all feel what you're going through but we're all here and we will all get through this. No more of these thoughts and feelings. I want you hardened. I'm ready for what's to come,- Merrick broadcasts to me. I smile into the crease of Rhett’s shirt hearing his comforting words, nod my head to myself, ready and alert.
“You ready? The show is about to start.” Rhett let’s out with a sardonic laugh.
I smack his chest once and shake my head with a sly smile on my face.
“Do what you got to do, and get out of here. Oh, have you already dropped the barrier, full?” I ask him in the dark waiting for him to turn the lights on. I haven't spent enough time down here to know where everything is and that makes me feel worse.
“Not yet, I had to do this before I did anything else, so when he senses you, he come straight here, leaving us to do the dirty work when his minions no doubt come through and take us on, trying to divert our attention.”
With the words said I exhale a calming breath again, give him one more kiss, and smile weakly to him as he shuts his eyes and starts chanting.
When he finishes, he whispers his I love you, nods a manly nod to my brother and portals away, My heart immediately dropping into my stomach.
The shine from the silver bars in front of me makes me close my eyes and when I do, I sense it when my father enters the cell. I quickly tear Gor's hand from his side, and hold it tight. He squeezes my hand back, his own fears rising with the sudden intrusion. The silence is deafening as we wait for our father to arrive, I can hear both of our heartbeats racing together as one with my right hand, I pull my sword from its sheath and stand at the ready. Gor doing the same beside me.
“No time to back out now,” I laugh out trying to ease some of the tension in the air.
Gor quickly looks down to me with shock like he can't believe I had the audacity to say such a thing.
“As frightened as I am, there’s no way I would ever do that. You should know that by now, big guy,” I whisper, trying to keep myself as quiet as possible, as we wait.
It doesn’t take long before we meet our literal maker, and the cool look on his face sends shivers down my spine. Gor squeezes my hand so tight, I feel the bones start to crush. I shake him off and smile sweetly to our father. I know Gor has never seen him before, only in my mind, so this is new. I can feel his hesitancy swirling around me and the unease.
I send him calming thoughts and glare to the man we never want to know. I do a double take upon looking closer. He looks so much like Gor, it’s unsettling. I stop all movements and hold my breath.
“So, you have decided to hide yourselves away. You should have thought better of that. While my minions devour your loved ones, I will be here, feasting on your souls that you so easily placed before me. Not only are you about to give birth, but you brought your brother along with you. Tell me young Gorumund… How have you been? It has been a few years since I saw you last. Your soul has ripened so wonderfully. I am so glad to feel you have manifested. You will give me much more power now. Maybe that’s where I went so wrong with all my other children. Powerful as the innocent might be, but you two are more than I could have ever imagined.” I snap my head to Gor at his admission of seeing Gor before and then back to him, and watch in disgust as is tongue slicks out, tasting our fear in the air as he takes a step closer. His eerie red eyes shifting between us. I take a stance, thrusting my sword out and watch as he reels back when he sees my flames lick up the edge, accompanied by my light when I call upon it.
“So, you wish to play ‘who’s fire is brighter?’ Try this on for size child,” Alastor seethes out as bright pink flames lick up and down his skin. I burst into laughter at the color, and watch as his eyes go wide, then to mere slits as he calls on more of his power. His pink flames only grow brighter making him look like a glorified neon street light.
“Adorable, Daddy. But you don’t have what I have, me or Gor,” I laugh out.
“Oh and what’s that?” he clips back.
“This.” I exhale, calling to every ounce of my power, light and dark, asking for their willingness to merge together, work together as one as we take down this common threat.
Right as I take a step forward, he winks out of existence.
“FUCK!” I yell, too pissed at myself to think straight. We didn’t get him trapped, and he fucking got away because the door was left open. I don’t think he knew what this was, but he’s gone now.
I rush out, letting my magic die away and pull Gor with me.
“What the Hell is wrong with you?!” I exclaim through breaths as we make our way to the top of the barn.
“I know him. He came to me when I went in search of Edeline, years ago. I was given an escort and we were in Fae. He was there. He was… nice to me. I knew him as a kind man. He even helped me find her. I am so conflicted.” His admittance to what happened making all the sense in the world.
“He was using you, buttering you up so he could get to you easier, later. Get that out of your mind. You've seen what he’s done, who he is. Keep that memory,” I grind out, pulling him harder and faster behind me, trying to reach my family before Alastor can.
What I see when I get there brings me literally to my knees. I fall to the ground my knees splitting open from the hard rocks beneath me, I cry out in pain from the fall and also the misery from the carnage that lays ahead.
There are nine dragons that I count in the sky two of which I have seen before and I know they are two of Blue’s men, one missing a wing and falling quickly to the ground the other missing half of his tail still fighting a valiant fight high in the air.
A Hellhound Brad I can only surmise, is moaning on the ground twenty feet to my left and I know it is Lyanna's mate I don't know if he is mortally wounded, but with all the blood laying around him and knowing it's his own, I have a feeling it might be.
Ebbin has shifted into Caius and is tearing into a human looking Demon that was trying to catch Blue unaware. Kigiree has one of the strange looking worms in his mouth, shaking it fiercely from side to side, but is coated in blood the striations evident all over his body. Merrick is fighting hand to hand, his long sword forgotten behind him as Agathions surround him, and their masters are even closer.
Blue and Rhett are standing side by side casting spell after spell, offense and defense alike.
Siv and Rial are standing back to back, my mother with her sword out as she slashes and hacks her way through numerous different creatures and Rhett's father throwing out his own spells but keeping her under a protective barrier. I jump up and rush into the middle of it all my sword held high as I hear my brother roar behind me he rushes to Torunn’s side, helping her take down a wicked looking Hellbeast.
Cynide is behind me and growling as she two turns when I yell for her to go help Vie, saying that he is over run even in his Locust form with the creepy crawlies that are coming up from the ground trying to entrap my family.
Coming up to Ebbin’s side, he is the one and the most need, but right as I get there my father pops back in and I slide trying to stop before I run into him my sword connects with his torso sliding and to him cleanly he looks down his eyes filled with shock and I throw my own magic around him holding him in a place.
“I need help!” I yell and Ebbin shifts back in to his human form with ease. Naked and freezing, he helps me pull him down to the cell where I throw him down and pull my blade from his stomach.
I turn as I'm about to shut the door, Ebbin right behind me and tell him, “This will be your new home for the rest of your life or when I deem necessary to end it. I hope you get comfortable, father. Have fun rotting.”
“You think this little cell can hold me? You're wrong,” he laughs out with mirth. With the words said, he jumps up startling me, his body healed and in one piece. He reac
hes his arm out with ungodly speed, shoves his hand into Ebbin's back, Ebbin's eyes going wie with the sudden intrusion, and then my father licks his lips as he pulls out, Ebbin’s heart still warm and dripping blood down Alastor’s hands as Ebbin slumps forward, the look of despair, regret and fear filling his eyes. Finally, his eyes roll back in his head he he hits the ground. I’m right in front of my love, the love of my life, my mate, my everything, and I can’t move. I’m rooted to the ground, unable to move as I watch him die in front of me. Tears streaming down my face as I stare wide-eyed at Ebbin’s lifeless body.
I scream out my own despair, my tortured soul rages inside of me as my Hellfire burts from me, touching everything around us, including my father, but it does nothing to him, he smiles gleefully as I finally find my footing. I pull Ebbin out of the door with me and try to shut the cell door. Trying to lock Alastor in, but I’m not quick enough as he winks once more out of existence with the magic of the cell having not been closed fully. I hold Ebbin in my arms and cry, screaming his name into the nothingness.
I lost my father, I lost my love, and now, my humanity is fleeing from me as well. Good. Let all of the worlds and Realms feel my wrath, if he wants death, death is coming for him, and not alone or with any mercy.
The end of Book 3
Other - Supernatural Creatures
Hollow - Humans
Rare - Dual bloods of two pure, supernatural parents
Ternary - A triple shifter. One of the most powerful beings, a child of two Alphas
The Fall - When the Supernatural world outed themselves, along with every other creature or race.
Yggdrasil - The world, or realm, of the original Valkyries they were once just a race of warriors but now pride themselves on having the strongest Valkyries in existence.
Kalikor - The realm of the Gods that took the Warriors and bred the Valkyries into Existence.
Agathion - A Demon’s familiar after they have manifested their Demon powers. Always have two forms and are very powerful in their own right.