Dreams of a Dark Warrior (19 page)

“Look, let’s make a deal. I’l tel you more info about the Lore than you’ve ever gotten out of any prisoner, and you’l grant me some concessions.”

“Such as?”

“As long as I’m giving you information, you don’t torture me or Carrow. Or Brandr and Uil eam

MacRieve any more than you have,” she said. “Or Natalya and Thad. Just lay off me and those friends,

and I’l divvy.”

She could see the wheels turning. He ful y believed she was nuts. But he also was weighing the odds

that she’d reveal something he could use.

Again Chase took the bait. “Agreed. So tel me, Valkyrie. How did you and I meet?”

FIFTEEN

Y
ou were a warlord in the Northlands,” the Valkyrie said.

Declan waved her on. But, as she’d done before, she seemed to be wrestling with a decision.
Likely

deciding the best way to deceive the mortal.

Or perhaps this wasn’t a game. Many of the older immortals grew maddened. She might believe what

she said.

Yet her eyes looked lucid. “A
berserker
warlord.”

He froze. Of al the factions she could choose … Brandr had looked familiar to him. As had Regin.

No, this was some sort of scam, a plan to undermine him. He stifled his anger, knowing he would have

to tolerate this bul shite in order to garner information from her. “Tel me what you consider a berserker to be.” To even pretend this was a possibility rankled, but he didn’t see an alternative.

“A berserker is a mortal born with uncommon speed and strength,” she said. “He worships the bear

and can channel its ferocity into a berserkrage, making him as strong as the most powerful beings on

earth. At least temporarily. Afterward, he’s debilitated.” She cast him a measuring glance.

He evinced no reaction, even as a suspicion began to arise.
This might all go back to … Nïx.

“The berserkers swore al egiance to Wóden and fought battles in his name.”

Though myths rarely corresponded with reality, Declan had researched the Valkyrie’s. “Wóden is

al egedly the father of the Valkyrie.”

She nodded. “I’m the daughter of gods. Wel , two of my three parents are.”

“How is there a third parent?”

“When a maiden warrior cal s out for courage as she dies, Wóden and Freya strike her with lightning

and rescue her to Valhal a. I was in the lightning.” She glanced at his expression. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“Immortals are notorious for aggrandizing their own origins. But I’ve learned never to discount any-thing

completely.”

“Fair enough.”

“Though I do wonder, if your parents are
deities
, why would they let you be captured by me?”

“Wóden and Freya sleep to conserve power. They take sustenance from worship, and the last few

centuries have been lean on the Norse god devotion.”

If any of this was true …
Information here for the taking
. “Who is the third parent?”

“She belonged to a people cal ed the Radiant Ones, an ancient race of mortals who glowed. Does it

soften you toward me to know that a mortal woman birthed me?”

It … surprised him. “Where is she? Where are the Radiant Ones located?”

It … surprised him. “Where is she? Where are the Radiant Ones located?”

“She’s long dead. They al are. I’m the last one of my kind.”

“How did they die?”

“Like I said, hers was an ancient race, and they were mortal. Time gives and time takes,” she said with

a shrug, but her eyes flickered, belying her casual air.

“Berserkers, Valhal a, and Norse gods. I suppose you met Aidan over a horn ful of mead.”

She stood, sauntering to one of the windows with that hip-swinging swagger that riveted his gaze and

ratcheted up his pulse. Knowing she could hear his heartbeat, he tried to control it.

“Actual y, I’d just left Valhal a when we met. And I didn’t drink mead. I was only twelve.”

“Where is Valhal a?”

Over her shoulder, she answered, “It’s a different dimension. A godplane.”

“So why would you leave? Wouldn’t that be like leaving heaven?”

“Yeah, but my sister Lucia was in trouble. So out I went into this strange and harsh world thinking to

save her. I was attacked by vampires directly. Barely escaped them.”

“Is that why you hate them so much?”

“Partly. The Horde has been hard on the Valkyrie. Al of the Pravus army has been. Do you know who

they are?”

“I’m aware of your subjective delineations.” Their
leagues
. The Valkyrie, Wiccae, fey, and Lykae

belonged to an al iance cal ed the Vertas. The Horde vampires, some demons, and most of the more

beastlike beings aligned with the Pravus.

“Just remember that the Vertas are the ones you want to pul for in the Accession.” She cocked her

head. “You do know what the Accession is, don’t you?”

“Of course. It’s a war between al the factions in the Lore, occurring every five hundred years. We just

don’t know when exactly or where it wil play out.” When she chuckled, he grated, “What?”

“It’s not a single battle. It’s a
force
that pits factions against one another. The Accession drags us into conflict, keeping our numbers in check.”

Yet more intel. One of the things he’d hated most about detrus was how they spread uncontrol ably,

unchecked by disease, injury, or old age. Now she was tel ing him there existed an inherent mechanism

to make them kil off one another? “Then why not resist that force?”

“Because it also seeds al iances and brings mates together. Plus, fighting is fun.”

“And now humankind wil be dragged into your
fun
.”

At that, she burst out laughing. “Mortals in the Accession? I think you kids should ride the pine in this

one.”

Christ, she got him riled. “Both the Vertas and Pravus have taken out specific human targets recently

and aggressed against the Order itself. As in the past, we’ve had no choice but to defend ourselves

against the threat both sides pose.”

She headed back to the couch. “I hate to correct you, but we just don’t
know
about you. I’d never heard of your little dot-org until
you
told me about it. No one I know has.”

“A war between immortals and humans is on the horizon.”

“Humans aren’t going to war against us—they have no clue we exist. The idea’s laughable.”

“One thing you al have in common? Arrogance. What’s laughable is for your kind to believe we aren’t

aware of you. Part of our mission is to conceal your existence—an impossible task when you flaunt your-

selves? You yourself brazenly go out in public with your skin glowing!”

She slapped her palms to her cheeks and cried, “My skin glows?” Then she grinned. “Should I be

banished from public simply because I touched a radioactive alien cock once? Now you’re just being sil y,

Chase.”

Fuckin’ hate her!
She was a foulmouthed, conscience-less kil er, unfeeling at best and vicious at worst.

And now she was assessing him with those uncanny eyes, her ears twitching.

His own eyes narrowed with realization. She was saying these things to provoke a rise out of him, to

gauge his reactions. Before, he’d thought her flighty and heedless. Now he recognized that she’d been

systematical y uncovering chinks in his armor.

“Lookit, I didn’t come here to fight. I was tel ing you al about your being a berserker. Though you don’t believe a word of it.”

“My parents were normal mortals.”

“You must have inherited a recessive gene of something,” she said. “It’s not unheard of.”

“No, but it’s convenient.”

“I thought I saw recognition on your face when I spoke Old Norse to you.”

“Then you were mistaken,” he lied.
Going mad.
He’d looked up the language in the Order’s databases, but he’d comprehended none of it.

Though he’d understood her perfectly.

“Tel me, Chase, how’d you feel after capturing me in New Orleans? Al petered out after your burst of

strength?”

“Does anyone
not
feel fatigue after exertion, Valkyrie?”

“I’l bet your senses are real y acute. You can see and hear better than anyone you know, can’t you?”

He merely shrugged.

“I figured you’d deny your abilities.”

“I don’t deny them. I deny that I’m a berserker.”

“How can you admit to one but not the other?”

“I suspect your oracle Nïx set this up. She made sure you were caught by me, and that you’d been

informed of any unusual skil s I possess. A mortal berserker would match me most closely. This is al a

scam.”

“Funny. You weren’t stupid in your other rein-carnations.”

Can’t throttle her again …

“I saw you’ve got another berserker here. Didn’t he feel familiar to you?”

“He’s in on this too. You two obviously know each other and crafted this plan. I checked on his capture

—he al but lay down to be taken. As if he’d known you would be captured as wel .”

The Valkyrie nodded. “He wanted in here so he could be near me. He’s my … protector.”

Protector.
So they
were
lovers. Why did the idea make him want to beat the berserker into the ground?

Brandr’s hands on her glowing skin.
Declan couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to kil this badly. His thoughts grew dim, primitive.

—
Mine by right! Meant only for me.—

“Chase, your eyes are ablaze right now. Just go look in the mirror.”

He abruptly stood, crossing to the other window. “And give credence to your lies?”

She moved behind him. In a soothing voice, she murmured, “Be at ease.”

At once, he felt his lids growing heavy, his muscles relaxing.
What hold does she have over me?

“What’s got you like this?”

His response to her only angered him more. “Your bul shite tales.”

“This is al true.”

He turned to her. “Then how do you explain what Nïx said to me? I was at Val Hal earlier on the night I

captured you. When you drove by, she stared me directly in the face and mouthed,
You’re late
.”

“I’m going to kil her!” Lightning flashed just outside the window. “You’re right about one thing—Nïx did

set this up. But I vow that I’m as much of a pawn as you are.”

“To what end?”

“She knew how much I missed Aidan. This would strike her as a perfect solution, forced intimacy and

al that. She’s probably cackling with her creepy little bat right now.”

“Missed
Aidan
? Valkyrie, get your story straight. You just said you were with Brandr.”

She gave a laugh. “With Brandr? Please.” Another snicker. “No, I said he’s my protector. As in, he tries

to look out for me.”

Declan’s relief disgusted him, making his ire escalate again. He moved away from her, back to his

desk.

“Why would he sacrifice himself?”

“He was your best friend,” she said. “You made him vow that he’d earn ohal a and watch over me.”

“Ohal a?”

“If you won two hundred battles while bearing Wóden’s mark, he’d grant you immortal life and strength.”

True or not, this was fascinating. “What was his mark?”

“Two ravens.”

Declan just stifled the urge to touch the charm at his neck. The one imprinted with two birds in flight.

He cast his mind back to the day he’d gotten it. He’d been six, and the nightmares had just started. His

da had been worried about him, and though their family could il afford it, he’d taken Declan and Colm to a fair. A fortune-tel er had given Declan the charm, tel ing him to keep it close to his heart for luck. …

“Chase?”

He quickly said, “That’s why Brandr is deathless?”

“Yeah, against al odds, he earned ohal a. Now he’s as strong as most vamps and demons. Fast, too.

When he hits a rage, he could take on even a Lykae.”

“He kept his vow this long?” So Aidan had enjoyed Regin as his woman and a loyal friend as wel .

“For the first two hundred years, he fol owed me and Lucia everywhere, ready to step in with the

rescuing. We ditched him at every opportunity. Final y Nïx felt sorry for him and told him she’d let him

know if I was in danger—or if you were returning.”

“Why didn’t Aidan earn ohal a?”

“You were working on it, intending to marry me once you became immortal.” She sat on the floor with

her knees to her chest, her head resting against the window. “You asked me to stay with you while you

fought your battles. To me, you should have been merely an interesting mortal, but something about you

drew me. I decided to give you a chance.” She smiled to herself, murmuring. “As wel as my virginity.”

He tensed, appal ed to catch himself wondering what it would’ve been like to be her first lover.