by Tigris Eden
“She’s this way.”
He knew exactly where they were, but he didn’t want Chiyoko and the others to know. Perhaps Colin had been this way before, but Blue couldn’t be sure. It was the cave of the Elders. A long-forgotten cave, but one still in use. Colin jogged up to him, butting Blue’s leg before turning towards the others. It was his way of telling Blue to go; that he’d watch and make sure no one else followed.
“Colin, I need you and Callum with me, I don’t know what I will be up against once I get inside.”
Colin shifted and dusted the dirt off his hands. “You think you’ll run into trouble?”
“It’s the cave of the Elders, anything is possible. There could be leftover magic.”
“True.”
Colin turned and yelled out to Callum, who appeared in his human form behind a spruce tree.
“I’m here. I heard what you said. My only question is, can we trust Sasha and the others?”
“No, but what choice do we have?”
“Blue is right, Callum, we don’t have any other options. If Olivia is inside, she could be in danger. Or worse.”
Blue growled at the mere thought of Olivia being in danger. He didn’t sense that she was. But that didn’t mean anything at all. The cave of Elders was known to block out all manner of things, even a mate calling out to their other half. If she were in trouble, he wouldn’t know it until he got inside the cave itself. “Bring the women and remind Sasha that her presence here has already secured her death. If she doesn’t get her shit together, I’ll end her myself.” Blue turned away from the others and made his way to the entrance of the cave. Somehow, he’d find a way out of the situation. Even as alarm bells sounded in his head, he prayed the warnings were not because his mate’s life was in danger. Vines covered the opening, and he knew them for what they were. “I am Bödvar of Clan Völsung, mate to Olivia Vasques, I demand entrance.” The vines were imbued with the souls of witches enslaved for various crimes. If they completed their sentencing, their souls were freed. A punishment handed down from the goddess Selene.
“You have no right here, warrior,” the vines hissed.
“I have every right. My mate is within these walls.”
“We’ve no recollection of any such person. Only we and the water beyond thrive here.”
Callum and Colin approached with the others.
“If they don’t let you pass, Myieko can handle them. Her sword is spelled with magic.”
“No magic can harm us,” the vines said. Swaying in the wind, their voices sounded more like cackles as they all chimed in unison.
Myieko couldn’t have been more than five feet tall. She pulled her daggers from her hip and stepped up to the vines. Their stems thickened, readying for the attack, and long, black thorns sprouted before they collectively made a hissing noise once again. The first sound of her blade being thrown end over end made the vines reach out before parting, the darkness of the cave swallowing the knife as it missed its mark.
“Nothing can harm us, only the keeper of the cave commands us and instructs who to let in.”
“Then I wish to speak to the keeper.”
The vines swayed as they snickered. “Not possible. For she is busy, you see.”
“Enough,” Blue roared, half-shifting into his Berserker form. He used his claws to slash, the thorns digging painfully into his skin. Their toxic venom burned as he slashed away, but the vines held fast. They continued to bar his way into the cave. Two tendrils reached forward, one hooking him around the ankle, and the other looping around his wrist, lifting him off his feet. He heard Callum curse and Colin laugh. He could see nothing but their feet as the vines held him suspended in mid-air.
“How goes your quest to gain access, my friend?” Colin asked, laughter evident in his voice as he pulled a sword from Myieko’s back. The sound of metal slicing through the air was distinct, seconds before Blue hit the hard, unforgiving ground. Laughter followed again as Callum stood over him, grinning.
“Maybe we should offer Sasha up to the vines, and as she struggles, we can pass through.”
“What the fuck do you mean, offer me? I’m not a slave, I am the daughter of—”
“You are a traitor,” Colin interrupted. “Your family will not acknowledge you.”
“My father and mother will take me back. I am to be Victor’s true mate.”
Colin laughed, and Callum grunted. “You’re no mate to Victor. He has his Eros, and from what Colin tells me, soon, she will be with child. But not just any child. She will carry the next Silverback. Something you can never do. Selene holds no favor for you.” Callum looked at the others before returning his glare to Sasha. “You either help, or you die. Those are your choices.”
Blue didn’t tell the others that Nerina was in fact pregnant. It was something the Alpha and Luna would share with the pack when the time was right.
“Look.” Chiyoko pointed at the now open cave, the vines peeling back like a sheer curtain. The others looked on. Blue stepped forward, and when nothing happened, he walked in. The space was tight. He could hear water in the distance, and as the others followed him, they all crawled their way through until they came to a cliff. He could hear water running. When he stood and looked out over the edge, what he saw bothered him. Olivia lay on the ground surrounded by birds. Next to her, was the Bow. She clung to the grip, her knuckles white in a death hold. Blue didn’t think, he leapt from the cliff, landing on all fours, his knuckles slamming with brutal force into the ground. His head snapped up right before the birds descended. They pecked at his arms and his face, but nothing would stop him from getting to Olivia.
Olivia stood on a battlefield, no longer questioning the how or why of what was happening. She accepted things as they were. She didn’t know what time, or place, she’d been transported to, but as she stood looking around she was giving a front row seat to the intimacies of death. Up close and personal. But what lay in front of her could not be disputed. Large ravens ate at the bodies of the dead. Their beaks were stained with the remains of the fallen. Black smoke danced in the sky, summoning anyone brave enough to withstand its deathly chokehold. She knew she needed to follow the signal. Even if the soot itself would be her doom. The things I get myself into. If her grandmother could see her now…
The bodies strewn across the battlefield lay broken and torn, their blood staining the mud a bright crimson.
The trek towards the plume of smoke posed no threat. The path, although riddled with bodies, was easy enough to navigate. Fire hissed in the distance, and as Olivia made it to the top of the hill where the plume of black smoke originated, she realized that it billowed up from a white tree with black branches. Kneeling at the base of it was an old woman with a face devoid of eyes. Her long, white hair rested in waves down her back, and her white robe sat loosely across her shoulders, the hem of the rob soaked with blood.
“Come closer, child.”
“Who are you?”
“I am who you need me to be, Rubana.”
She’d heard the name spoken before. Rubana was the other who held the Bow and Arrow.
“I am not Rubana. My name is Olivia.”
“You are who I say you are, child, and it is by your mate’s hand that you will perish. He will not be able to control the beast within.”
“Bödvar would never harm me.”
“It is not Bödvar you need to worry about, it is his beast. You have not fed his hunger. You do not replenish his soul.”
The woman was mad, Olivia decided. The Bow in her hand vibrated, and the arrows beneath her skin hummed. She didn’t like what this woman had to say, and in her mind, she saw herself introducing the crone to her arrows. The old woman cackled.
“I offer only the truth. You can try and end me if you wish, girl, but you will not succeed. I am the Angel of Death, the taker of life, and the bringer of doom.”
“That’s quite a mouthful. Are you friends with my accountant? Because she is all of those things and more.
”
“Silence.” The voice of the woman rose, and the fire inside the white tree dissipated as if her voice controlled the smoke. Lightning streaked across the sky, and the ground shook, threatening to open. “I call upon those who seek to control the girl. I call upon those to wish to love the girl, and I call upon all who wish to stand and fight,” the old woman said, rising to her feet, her hair flying around her as the winds picked up and howled.
Olivia stepped back and almost fell into a ditch of bodies as the ground rumbled and rolled. As if on command, the sky opened, but rain did not fall. Winged creatures emerged. Their wingspan was wide enough to where they crashed into one another as they descended to the ground. The old woman stood in front of Olivia, reaching out and grabbing hold of the arm that held the Bow. A jolt surged through her from the spot where the woman touched her, and the energy radiated throughout her entire being.
“You have this one chance to right the wrong done to you in a past life. Selene will show you no favor until you prove that you are worthy to carry the Bow and Arrow. I offer you the last of my strength and knowledge. Turn and face your enemies, and pray your allies are strong enough to support you.”
22
When the birds stopped attacking, Blue and the others found themselves on a bloody battlefield. The dead were starting to rise. Someone unseen had breathed life into them.
“Kill them, kill them all.” But as the words came from his mouth, he saw that the others were already fighting. Chiyoko and her girls were mowing the dead down, two and three at a time, clearing a path. In the distance, he could see black smoke billowing from a black tree, and in front of it, stood a woman. His woman, only she didn’t look like the Olivia he was used to seeing. Her hair was still the same chestnut brown streaked with red, but it was in plaits like a shield maiden’s. Knives were strapped to the outside of her thighs, securely encased in brown leather. Boots were laced up over her knees, and her torso was covered by a breastplate worthy of any warrior princess. Strapped to her back was the Silver Bow of Artemis, and her face was painted with the blood of the dead.
Blue didn’t know if he should be wary or turned on. But his beast responded to the call of battle. Half shifting, he raked a claw down his chest, drawing blood. He looked to the others and commanded, “We have been brought here by the goddess, be sharp, aware, and do not fall.”
Callum laughed, and Colin looked over his shoulder at the women and winked. “You hear that, women? Don’t fall. Unless you’re Sasha, of course.”
To his jab, Sasha spit on the ground at his feet. “Bastard. My father taught me how to defend myself.”
“Good.” Colin laughed. “Then I’ll still have the pleasure of killing you.”
There was a twinkle in Sasha’s eyes, as if she looked forward to the challenge.
“Enough, talking.” Blue stepped forward and over the strewn bodies that lay broken on the ground. If his Olivia had been the one to take these men down, he was more than proud. She stood tall, looking agile. Her eyes were wild, but as he reached the top of the hill where she stood next to the tree, a woman lay dead at her feet. Winged creatures stood like sentries around her. Blue approached calmly, hands out in front of him in supplication, showing his mate that he meant no harm.
“Olivia.”
Her head snapped in his direction, and her eyes narrowed.
“Bödvar, you’ve finally decided to show up and give a damn.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you not see all this shit in front of me? You did this to me.”
“How do you figure?”
“It is because of you that I am in this fucked-up situation. This old woman at my feet cursed me with knowledge. She gave my mind these images and words that I cannot understand or release.” Olivia gripped the handle of an axe hanging at her hip that he hadn’t noticed before and raised it above her head before she screamed, “You should have left me to die!”
From behind her came people he had not expected to see. Roman, Vega, Frankie, and others all stood at Olivia’s back. Roman and Vega looked smugly happy at the outcome.
“You would take their side, woman?”
Olivia looked over her shoulder at those who now stood at her back and smirked. “They are nothing to me. I know who and what I am. You killed me once, Bödvar, you’ll not have a shot again.”
To this, he grinned. She wanted to challenge him? Fine. He’d treat this like any other battle if that’s what she wanted. But he’d not harm her in the process. But he would give just as good as she did.
“Do you see how strong my daughter is, beast? I don’t think you can tame her with your words this time.”
“You do not speak for me,” Olivia tossed over her shoulder. “I speak for myself.”
Roman stepped to the front of the tired threesome. “Girl, you will do as I command. As your father commands.”
“I do whatever the fuck I want. Have none of you been listening? I know. I know everything. I know who and what I am, I know what the goddess wants. And as crazy as this entire thing is, I will say I’m more than ready to oblige her.”
“What does Selene demand of you?” Callum asked as he walked up to stand next to Bödvar.
“She wishes me to fight. To choose. And to finally submit.”
“Submit to what?” Vega asked.
“To who I am meant to be.”
“Anyone else think my sister sounds like a sage?” Frankie asked.
“Quiet, bitch. I still have a bone to pick with you.” Oliva hissed.
Colin started to growl, and Blue had to remind Victor’s brother to keep his cool. “Be calm, Colin.”
“No one speaks to my mate that way.”
“Mate?” Frankie asked, her eyes were colorless. She was no longer able to see, thanks to the Goddess. “You’re not my mate. I am fated to no one, breeder.”
Colin sneered and lunged toward her, but he was pushed back by one of the creatures that stood between Olivia and the others.
The beasts flapped their wings, momentarily blocking Blue’s view of Olivia. One of them stood on its hind legs, and from its mouth came a horrible cry. It broke the line of creatures and stood over Blue, taunting him, daring him to do something.
Blue’s beast answered the call. He did not boast as the creature did because that wouldn’t make any sense. His actions would speak for themselves. Swinging widely, he grabbed the throat of the creature, silencing its cries, and brought it forward, latching on to its throat and ripping its windpipe from its body. Tossing the offal to the ground, Blue turned his head and spit the blood from his mouth.
“Olivia, come to me,” Blue roared.
She threw back her head and laughed. “All right, mate.” She spat the word as if it tasted foul in her mouth.
Then, she charged.
If he wanted her to come, she would come at him like a fucking freight train. With the axe in hand, she rushed forward, and the creatures who’d surrounded her took to the air, circling as she and Bödvar stood toe-to-toe with one another. Her heart beat like a drum, steady and true against her ribcage, pushing the blood to all her extremities. Ready to face Bödvar head-on, she grinned.
“You look very fierce, Olivia.”
“Your point, Blue?”
“There isn’t one. Not really. If you can’t see this for what it is, what’s left to say?”
He was right. There wasn’t anything left to say. The other version of herself had said she wasn’t fit to be with Bödvar. Well, she’d prove them all wrong. She’d prove him wrong. Olivia lunged forward, axe in hand, and bent at the last moment, sweeping his feet out from under him. Before he touched the ground, she was upon him, her knees digging into his massive chest. Bending low, she hissed in his face.
“Show me your heart.”
His eyes widened at her request. “What? Now?”
Olivia held the blade of her axe to his throat, drawing blood. “Show me your heart,” she said again.
“A warrior doe
s not show his feelings until they are cut from him. Take what you will, woman.” His hands gripped her waist, and she planted herself more firmly on his chest. Then she looked down at him, his neck exposed and covered by her blade. She sliced into his skin, opening him.
She watched as his blood spilled. The voice inside her head now was her own. It told her to drink, and to do it quickly before he healed. You need to accept what is real. Bödvar is real, this life is real. Vampires, werewolves, witches, and other dimensions… All of it is real.
“What are you waiting on, girl?” Callum growled from a distance. “Drink from him, he is open to you.”
Olivia looked up at Callum and hissed. “Call me girl one more time, wolf, and I’ll cut out your tongue.”
“Spoken like a true shield maiden,” Bödvar grunted.
Olivia didn’t answer him, but she did drink from him. When she did, immense power filled her body. Blue growled and forced her to take more, grabbing the back of her head to hold her close. When she’d had her fill, she pulled back and smiled. The warmth of his blood stained her lips, and the adrenaline pinked her cheeks. Olivia stood, the power from Blue’s blood giving her a new outlook on the current situation. She turned to her sister and the others, the Silver Bow of Artemis heavy on her back as she faced the true enemy.
Roman, her father Vega, her sister Frankie, and the rest of the men the old woman had brought through the portal. She pulled the Bow from her back and raised it above her head. “I control the children of the night, and I will not be controlled by anyone. Go back to the hole you crawled from, you’re not ready to do battle with us.”
You talk a big game, Olivia Vasques. That she did. But she meant every word. The bodies that lay on the field before her were those that Rubana killed in a rage. It was as if this battle scene were frozen in time. A warning to her, or maybe a reminder of things to come. She needed to keep herself and the Bow in check. She refused to be used by either side.
“Do you really thing you can speak to me that way? I’m the first, the original vampire.”