Becoming Valkyrie (Pyralis Book 1)

by Brandy L. Cunningham

  Entering the dressing room, I tried on the clothes, shoving the ones I liked into the satchel. I chose to wear an outfit of form-fitting black jeggings, a dark maroon colored shirt that laced up on both sides and had long sleeves and a turtleneck. It was a tiny bit short, rising up on my stomach when I lifted my arms, but I loved the shirt, so I chose it anyway. The woman had tossed a leather jacket over the curtain, and I pulled that on last.

  It was perfect. It was light and hung down to my knees. A belt attached to the back wrapped around to hold the front closed. Next, I pulled on the knee-high leather lace-up boots with the slight heel she had slipped beneath the curtain. I loved them. Shoving several other outfits in the oversized satchel, along with a pair of shoes, I emerged from the dressing room. The woman looked me up and down. Her face lit up.

  “Now, child, you look like what you are. Beauty and death combined. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Come with me.”

  I watched her wind her way through racks of clothing. Following slowly, I wondered who and what she was. She seemed to know what I was, and I hoped she would be able to provide me with more answers. She waited for me at a doorway leading to the back of her shop. It was covered by long strings of brightly colored beads. She ducked beneath and held the beads aside for me.

  Moving into the antechamber, I looked around in surprise. It looked like a voodoo room. Incense burned in one corner, and a small round table sat alone in the center. Shelves lined the walls with everything from dried herbs to small rocks and crystals.

  “What is this place?” I asked as I sat in the chair at the table she offered me. She watched me look around.

  “You recognize none of these things, child? Your blood carries the Ancient Witches in it. Can you not feel it?”

  I stared at her across the table. Shaking my head, I said, “No. I’m not sure what you are talking about. Are you a Witch like Tamyra was?”

  At the mention of the other Witch, the woman’s unusual yellow eyes opened wide. Her smile grew, defining her lovely cheekbones even more. “Ah. So, she did find you then? Tell me, why is Tamyra not here with you now?”

  “Do you know her? We were separated in Portland, and I accidentally fell into a shaft or something.”

  “Oh. Yes. I know her. I have known her for a very long time. The Cast of Witches is not as large as it once was. Many of our people hide now. There are some Casts which have risen to power while others are forced to hide and flee.”

  I blinked. “You mean like the Gargoyles? Did the Witches get hunted like the Gargoyles?”

  Again, she smiled. “So, you have met the Gargoyles then? Not many have spoken to their kind since…well, since your death. It struck our community hard. Then, he began hunting Desmond, and all of us who sided with you and Desmond were suddenly hunted too. The Gargoyles were once your friends. They took your secrets to their graves, as did the rest of the others who were killed.”

  Staring at her, I tried to ignore the whisper like caress that flitted down my spine at his name. “Why? Why did he kill so many? He killed me, wasn’t that enough?”

  She watched me. “Do you remember it all, or just some of it?”

  “I remember almost nothing. This has all been so surreal. One moment, I’m celebrating Halloween with my town and loved ones, and the next they are all dead and I am alone. Then I meet a Witch who tells me that all the monsters from my nightmares are real. I went to the Tree of Ashes, and she gave me a glimpse into what happened. When Desmond came…”

  The Witch cut me off. “Desmond has found you already? Then why do you sit here alone? He would leave you alone and unprotected?” She seemed very annoyed with this.

  “Uh, yes. I didn’t remember him. I had seen him in the vision of my death, but that was the only memory I have of him. He said it was best he stays away until I had regained more of my past self. Who is this Desmond? What importance did he have to me?”

  The dark woman smiled. “It is best you discover that for yourself. Desmond is not the same man he used to be, so many years ago when you were lost to us. He has…changed. He remains our savior, and so it’s best I accept his wishes. I can tell you about myself if you would like.”

  I studied her, then nodded. It was better than nothing. I waited. The ebony skinned woman winked at me. She stood and walked around, gathering several items in her hand before taking her place at the table once more. Spreading the items around, she looked back at me.

  “I am called Evangeline. I have lived for a very long time. During my time, I was asked to look after you. I watched you from afar as you grew from baby to woman with your brother and sister.”

  Interrupting her, I asked, “Brother? I know about Belladona, but I don’t know about any brother.”

  She smiled patiently. “Yes. Belladona is the eldest of the three Walker descendants. Then came the twins. Valkyrian and Valkyrie Walker. So very alike, and yet so very different.” She paused to allow her words to sink in.

  I blinked several times. “Valkyrian. He was my twin brother? The man with the green eyes was my brother?”

  She nodded. “Indeed. Grown in the same womb together, grown up together, never to be too far from one another, until that summer. Your brother was immensely protective of you. As was your sister. But that summer, your father took them away, to learn their place in the scheme of things. You stayed behind. I cannot tell you what happened during that long unusually warm summer, for that story belongs to another. I can tell you that when your father and siblings returned, it was announced that you would be married to the son of your father’s greatest ally.

  Alistair La Croix. Your father wanted to strengthen his ties with the French Vampire Cast, and the way he would do that was by giving them his daughter. Belladona had been your father’s first choice, but Alistair had wanted you from the moment he laid eyes upon you.”

  I was quiet as I watched her move the small items around. I tried to sort through this information. When she continued, I stared at the herbs as I listened.

  “You became very dear to me. We were close friends, you and me. You tried to be the good daughter and proceed with the engagement like your father instructed, but you were caught up in a world that was much larger than yourself. None of it was truly your fault. Byron Walker was a Vampire possessed by evil and determined to rule all the others. He believed himself to be pure, to be above everyone.

  It was blood and death and destruction he sought and still seeks. It is he who plans to destroy the human world.”

  Looking up at her, I asked, “You were not afraid of me? I was a Vampire like him, yet you befriended me anyway? Tamyra made it seem like Casts were separated by species, and Witches feared Vampires.”

  Evangeline nodded. “I can see why she would react that way. For centuries Vampire and Witches have been at odds. We both poses the skills to kill the other. Witches hold great power. Vampires represent death. In the past, we avoided one another, refusing to acknowledge or challenge the other.

  When your father murdered you, he sent a message. No one was safe. Many Witches held you dear in their hearts. You were so unlike anyone we’d known. Gentle, kind, compassionate to a fault. It was as though one of our own had been killed. Likewise, there were Vampires who rebelled against your death. Now, we all hide, biding our time, waiting for the mutterings and prophecies to be fulfilled. This Samhain marked the turning point in the world. It is why you came back to us.”

  “But I didn’t just come back, did I, Evangeline? I keep hearing that my family is a Cast of Vampires, but I am not. I am something much different.”

  Evangeline picked up the odd shaped dark leaf that lay before her. Nodding to me, she held the leaf out to me. “Yes. You are something else, but do not think the Vampire in you is gone. You were born a Vampire and that will never change. I’m not sure there is anyone alive who can tell you what you really are. You are a mystery to us all. Perhaps, instead of focusing on finding the truth of what you have become, focus on what you once wer
e, and who you once were. Without the knowledge of your past, you may never fully move on.

  That leaf you hold in your hand creates a powerful hallucinogenic. Witches use it to give people glasses, so to speak, to allow them to see the supernatural around them. For a Vampire, it allows your mind to relax and wander to times past.”

  Pointing to a pile of finely ground herbs, she continued, “This is Anise. It has a terrible taste when used alone like this, but if allowed to permeate the senses when burned, it will clear your mind and allow you to find the answers you seek. The rocks," she gestured at those in front of me, "ground one to earth, so they will not be swept away in the tide of Spirits. If you really want to know more, you will light the herbs, and breathe in their scent. You will chew the leaf while holding the stones. Be sure you are somewhere safe, for your body will be in a state of trance during this trip into the past, and you will be vulnerable.”

  I waited there as she stood, unsure what she might do next. She looked down at me. “I must close up shop. The darkness is coming, and our streets have long been deadly at night. You may stay and visit an era past, or if you are not ready, I can package them up and see you out.”

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  10

  Lust

  Wandering through the French Quarter at night was an experience in itself. I had decided to pass up the trip down memory lane for now. I already had so much to think about just with what others were telling me, that I felt I wasn’t ready to actually face the past. Instead, I opted for the present. I sauntered along the dark streets, listening to the sound of laughter and music drifting out from the bars and clubs.

  Several times, I would pass a crowd standing outside, and many of them would stop and stare as I walked past. I knew it was attraction that caused the looks now, but I wasn’t used to it. I had never considered myself overly pretty back in my hometown, but here, people seemed to notice me everywhere I went. Outside one club, in particular, an old building with an air of mystery and excitement, I paused. The old brick and mortar building was eye-catching, yet subtle in its simplicity. It drew my gaze toward it, yet only hinted at what might await me inside.

  The rhythm of the music was darker, slower, sexier than I was used to. It reeled me in, with its darkly seductive tone. I had never been riveted by music quite the way I was by this particular tune. Moving ever closer, I watched the black strobe lights slowly circling the interior. I wanted to go in there, to get lost in the thrall of music and bodies, to forget what had happened on Halloween. Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself moving toward the door with a group of other young women. The giant, heavily muscled bouncer at the door looked me over slowly. Grinning at me, he allowed me entry without question.

  I smiled back, hoping it was mature and seductive. When the man’s pupils contracted, and his breath hitched, I felt pretty sure it was. This new awareness was strange to me. I could see such extreme details, even the smallest contraction of a person’s pupil, or the slight hitch of their artery at the base of their throat. Was it a sign I really was a Vampire after all? I could also sense that the man at the door was human. Somehow, I seemed to come off sexier than I felt, because the looks I had been receiving made me feel very uncomfortable.

  Judging by my senses, I was pretty sure most people within this club were human. Every once in a while, however, I got the scent of something other than human, so I knew I was not the only one here who wasn’t completely human. Moving with the throng of people dancing their way toward the middle, I tried to relax, to allow the beat of the music to move me. It wasn’t easy. All of my senses felt like they were on overdrive. Every breath, every increase in the human heart beats around me caught my attention.

  Pressed between strangers, I began to feel anxiety rise. Each time a stranger pressed into me, or brushed my body in passing, I wanted to erupt into flames. Maybe this had all been a bad idea after all. About to leave, I felt a hand on my shoulder. A breath on my ear, and a voice that sent chills of delight down my spine. Desmond. How did I know it was him with one whispered word? It was vexing.

  “Relax Valkyrie. Take a breath and control it.” The sound of my name whispered in that husky, deep, honey drawl was like the sweetest dessert. Warmth spread over my skin, coursing through my veins, and I was afraid I was losing my battle. Then, I realized it wasn’t the same heat as the fire within my veins. This heat was very different. It was sensual and delightful. It thrilled me as it moved through my every nerve ending. This was a sensation I had no experience with. This was lust.

  I could feel his body pressed against the back of me. He was all hard muscle. Taller than me, he leaned down when he whispered in my ear and trailed his breath over my neck. “I thought you were looking for The Fiddler, not playing around in a dangerous city.”

  I laughed. “Are you my master, to tell me what I’m allowed to do?” I gritted my teeth against the sensations his body was causing within mine.

  He chuckled in my ear. “That’s what I always admired about you Valkyrie. Your unwillingness to bend to the rule of others. You always were a wild card.”

  I shrugged. Moving as far away from him as the tight crowd would allow, I whirled around. I wasn’t prepared for the reaction the sight of him caused within me. My pulse raced. Certain areas of my body I had not been fully aware of before flared to life. Staring at him, I had the urge to swallow, although I knew it was futile. He grinned down at me in a completely sensual way. His dark hair hung over his eyes, like the first night I had seen him.

  His mesmerizing brown eyes explored the length of me, before settling once again on my eyes. There was emotion there, within those eyes that held me so enraptured. What was this connection I had with this man? Part of me was desperate to know, the other wanted to stay well away from this darkly sexual man. Desmond stepped forward. He reached out, placing his hand on my hip, and pulled me close to him.

  When our bodies pressed together, I felt again the powerful heat that swept through me. My body reacted to him in ways I didn’t even know were possible. When Desmond bent his head, to bring his lips close to mine, I was afraid he was going to kiss me. And oh, how I wanted him to. He didn’t. Instead, he smiled in that knowing way of his.

  “For someone who doesn’t remember me, you sure react as though you do. Tell me, Valkyrie. What do I make you feel?”

  I stared at his chest. I didn’t trust myself to look at him, let alone speak. He made me feel alive, aware. I felt lust, and desire, and uncontrollable need. I had never even kissed a boy before, let alone had thoughts like I was having at that moment.

  Summoning all of my self-control, I said, “Violated. You make me feel like you’re invading my space.”

  He laughed. That sound washed over me like warm liquid honey, and with it, a memory came.

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  Darkness was all I could see at first. There were trees, like a forest. Then, I saw two people. Images flashed before my eyes in broken fragments. A woman. Naked. A hand grazed her thigh, moving upward slowly as that liquid honey laugh caressed her. A man. Warm brown eyes that held the promise of many things. The man held her to him. Naked bodies pressed together. He kissed her. He bit her shoulder. Her neck. Her lips smiled. She bit them. She sunk her teeth into him. Biting him, drinking him.

  Her breasts pressed against his golden chest. He bit her again. Running his hands over every surface of her, she moaned. I saw her face. Her golden eyes stared back at me as she cried out. Me. I saw me. But I didn’t have fangs. This woman had fangs. My chest rose and fell rapidly. The images and the sounds of their moans resided, snapping me back to the present and I stared at his face.

  He watched me. In his eyes, I could see that same lust. Trying to calm myself, I pulled away. Making my way through the crowd, I tried to clear those images from my mind. They seemed brandished there. Like a film that played over and over in the back of my mind, never allowing me to forget the sight of us doing those things.

  I knew he followed me. Once outside
, I turned on him. Advancing on him, I was angry. “Go away. Did you not think it pertinent to tell me you were once my lover and not just my friend?”

  Desmond watched me with an intensity that unnerved me. Stepping forward to meet my advance, he grabbed me, yanking me out of the street and into the dark alley beside it. He surprised me then. Crushing his lips down on my own, he kissed me roughly. My anger only rose. I may have been overwhelmingly attracted to this man, but that did not give him the right to take liberties with me.

  My hair ignited along the tips, and I shoved him away from me. “Get off me! How dare you!”

  Breathing heavily, he stepped back. He studied me. Looking at the tips of my hair where they burned brightly, he grinned. “I know I cause you to have feelings, but I didn’t realize how brightly you burn for me, Valkyrie.”

  I wanted to slap the grin off his arrogant face. So, I did. I slapped him hard on the cheek. His smile didn’t falter. Instead, he took a step toward me. I retreated. This man was different. I sensed he wasn’t fearful of my flames as others had been. My back hit the cold wall of the alley, and I froze. Desmond continued until his body pressed mine into the wall further.

  Leaning forward, he breathed in the scent of me. His eyes were filled with something I couldn’t identify. If I had to guess, I would have said need. Placing his hands on either side of my head, he studied the fire. Lifting a finger, he snuffed the end of a strand. My mouth gaped open. How had he done that without burning his finger? His gaze returned to my face. Sending me a seductive look, his gaze moving to my open mouth.

  “Ah, so the Vampire still lives within you, after all, my sweet wild temptress. Perhaps it only took your soul mate to bring it back to the surface.”

  I closed my mouth. What was he talking about? Using my tongue, I ran it over my teeth. They felt normal to me, this man was delusional. I was no Vampire…then, I felt it. A sharp point on my upper teeth. Checking the other side, I groaned. Sure enough, I had sprouted small fangs.