The Rise of House Valdis

by Naomi Valkyrie

  I need to get them away from Mercy so I drop my glamour. It feels good to be fully me, all of me. That is what scares me the most. There is darkness in me, that is partly why I recognize it in others.

  “HEY!” I yell, startling them both. So much for subtlety. They drop Mercy and try to go for their weapons, but I let my power overwhelm them. I whisper guilt into their minds. The power takes hold of them as they feel the weight of every shadow thing they’ve ever done flooding through them. My power speaks the sins of the other to each of them. I don’t need to do much after that, the problem is guaranteed to take care of itself. They each raise their weapons and pull the trigger. Two fewer rapists in the world…and I’ve got blood on my hands, again.

  I might not have physically pulled the trigger, but I drove them to do it. No time for feeling guilty though, they’ll be plenty of time for that later. I’ve got to get Mercy out of here. She’s unconscious now, which is probably a blessing. The poor girl has been through hell.

  ***

  Super strength is also not one of my powers, so it is a slow process getting back to the car. Thank the Goddess we didn’t have to make a quick getaway. Mercy is the same size I am and unconscious, her body feels like lead. Once we manage to make it to the car I lay Mercy in the back seat, hoping the ride back doesn’t jostle her too much. I’m also praying she stays out. I don’t want her freaking out while I’m driving. Picking up my cell, I dial Sylvia. She answers almost immediately.

  “Sylvia, I’m bringing in another girl. She’s in bad shape and I’d rather not have anyone out and about when I get her back.”

  “Got it. I’ll keep everyone busy.” There is a slight pause and then she continues. “Is everything okay? You sound funny.”

  “Yeah, everything is fine.” I am so lying. Everything is not fine. But, I can’t have her questioning the situation too much, there are dead bodies involved.

  “Okay. Be safe.”

  I can tell she doesn’t believe me, but I don’t have time to worry about it. I’ve managed to keep all of the girls safe thus far, I want to keep it that way.

  ***

  Twenty or so minutes later and I am hauling Mercy inside the back door of our house/business. I’ve got to get her to my room, which is on the top floor of the building. Thank goodness for elevators! Three stories don’t sound like a lot, but when you are struggling to carry an unconscious human being, taking the stairs would be murder. Ha! Murder. A little macabre humor to take the edge off. Can’t take life too seriously or you’ll cross that thin dividing line into insanity. Maybe I’m already there…?

  The ride in the elevator feels like it takes an eternity but I’m finally in front of my door wrestling with the knob to get it open. Once inside, I carry Mercy to my bed and lay her down as gently as I can. Reading her energy, I can tell they must have given her some kind of drug, maybe more than one. Her energy feels foggy and sluggish, unsteady. The first thing I need to do is get her system clean.

  I hesitate. Mercy is the first person I’ve ever used my powers on to draw out poison. The other girls who have been on drugs got clean the old-fashioned way, rehab. I’ve never been in a situation with them that was serious enough to warrant me revealing my true nature to them. I don’t have much choice now though, I can’t take her to the hospital, too many questions and no good answers to give anyone.

  Looking down at Mercy, I realize that she can’t be more than seventeen. Poor kid. Her life is never going to be the same. I straddle her body gently and pull her hair away from her neck.

  “Sorry kid,” I say, although it’s not like she can hear me, “this is probably going to hurt, but I’ll make it quick.”

  My fangs extend and sink into her neck with lightning speed. No, I’m not drinking her blood, I’m pulling out the drugs that are poisoning her system. After a minute or so, I pull back. I can feel my body fighting the poison. You would think it would be painful for me, but it feels spectacular actually, like orgasmic spectacular. I feel like my body is on fire with lust. I still have enough presence about me to know that I can’t push that energy into Mercy, after what she’s been through, it would be a violation of the worst kind. I reach out for Maggie. She’s with a client, one of her regulars. Perfect. I push the energy into her. I know she won’t mind. She is the only one who knows what I am and what I can do. We have a standing arrangement regarding my powers. Maggie trusts me and I trust her, with my secrets, and my life.

  With my energy back to a manageable level, I begin converting it to healing energy. I’ve got to heal Mercy’s injuries quickly. As I begin to push the healing energy through, I feel Mercy’s heart stutter.

  “No! No! No! Don’t you die on me!” I’m barely aware that I am practically screaming. But no amount of energy I’m pushing through her is enough. She’s fading fast.

  “FUCK! What the hell was I thinking!” I feel so helpless and angry. I’m angry about my past. I’m angry at the men who did this to Mercy. And most of all, I’m angry at myself for not being able to heal her.

  Out of nowhere it occurs to me. Blood. I need to give her my blood. Even though I’ve never given anyone my blood before, I know it is what needs to be done. It is risky. There is no telling what the results will be. But if I do nothing, Mercy is going to die. This may be the only way to save her.

  Going purely on instinct, I tear into my wrist with my fangs and let the blood drip into Mercy’s mouth. That is so going to hurt tomorrow if I don’t heal it. Since I don’t know how much to give her, I monitor her energy. With relief, I notice that her energy is slowly getting stronger. When she finally seems stable, I pull my wrist away and push my energy into her to finish her healing. I can feel her cuts and bruises beginning to fade as her skin knits back together. The internal damage is healing as well. Exhausted, I lay down next to her and sleep overtakes me.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Xenobia

  I awake to light shining in my eyes through a crack in the drapes. Groaning I start to roll over but quickly stop. It hurts to move. I guess this is the price I pay for not using my powers to this extent for so many years. I imagine this must be what a hangover feels like. In addition to the searing pain in my head, my wrist is aching. I passed out last night before I could heal myself. Damn, that smarts!

  Moving rather slowly, I look over at Mercy. She’s still out. I imagine she’ll be out for a few days since she had so many injuries. I started the process, but there are still things her body has to do on its own. I’d gotten lucky last night with the blood I’d given her. For all I knew it would finish her off, but I’d risked it anyway. I’m really glad it paid off. The question now is, what am I going to do with her? I can’t keep her here if she doesn’t want to stay, but I don’t want to leave her with no support either. Some women try to ignore the trauma they’ve been through, and from what I’ve seen, that never leads anywhere good. I guess I’ll see where it all goes after she wakes up. Play it by ear, that seems to be the story of my life now.

  Taking one last look at Mercy, satisfied that she is resting peacefully, I haul myself out of bed and make my way to the bathroom. A shower sounds great right about now. I sigh as the hot water rains down on me. There is nothing like a scalding hot shower to soothe an aching body. Right now I’d give almost anything to just stand here for hours, but I’ve got things to do, potential clients to meet. Business goes on, even in the face of chaos. As I turn off the water and reach for the towel, I hear the bathroom door open.

  “Morning, Maggie,” I say as I towel off. I haven’t even bothered with putting up glamour so it is a good thing it wasn’t Mercy walking in on me.

  “Sylvia said you brought in a new girl last night. I assume that’s her in your bed. How bad was it?”

  “Pretty bad. I did what I could. She’s looking a lot better,” I say, gesturing toward her through the open doorway.

  “You used a lot of power to heal her. I felt it when you shared it with me. If what I got was any indication, I can’t imagine what was r
unning through you.” Maggie has a smile on her face when she says, “That was some night! I don’t think I will be able to walk right for a week.”

  “Glad you enjoyed my contribution to your evening.” I can’t help but smile at her. I’m glad one of us had a good night.

  “Seriously though, Xen, how bad was it?” Concern is evident on Maggie’s face and in her voice.

  “Very. I almost lost her. I was so out of my element last night. I knew I had to help her, but I wasn’t prepared at all.” I lower my voice and pull her closer, “I killed two men last night. I lost control, Maggie.”

  Maggie’s eyes widen, but there is no judgment. “How did it happen?”

  “They were raping her!” Anger fills me again, making my voice shake, “so I made them shoot each other.”

  Maggie pulls me into a hug and holds me there. I want to be angry because it is easier than feeling shame, but as always, Maggie’s compassion melts me and I feel the tears coming.

  “I don’t want to be a killer, Maggie. I thought I left that behind.”

  Maggie moves back from me a little and holds my face in her hands. “You saved that girl. You gave her a second chance. That’s what you need to focus on.” I close my eyes and rest my forehead on hers. I let myself feel Maggie’s energy. She always makes me feel better. A few seconds later I feel Maggie’s lips on mine. They are soft as silk and taste like cherries.

  ***

  I hear my bedroom door open and someone says “ahem,” followed by a cough.

  “Sorry for the interruption, but there’s a guy downstairs looking for you.”

  I let go of Maggie and walk around her into my room. It’s a good thing I heard the door open and put my glamour up before Sylvia saw the real me. I don’t really want to explain my other-worldly appearance. This close call has me wondering just how much longer I’m going to be able to hide what I really am though.

  “It’s okay, Sylvia. Did he say what he wanted?”

  “No. All I know is that he’s a detective and he asked for you.”

  Shit! A detective. This can’t be a coincidence after what happened with Mercy. I look over at Maggie. She’s got an eyebrow raised, but beyond that, she’s not giving anything away.

  “Stay with Mercy in case she wakes up, Maggie.” She nods as I follow Sylvia out of the door and potentially to my doom. What the hell and I going to tell this guy? How did he even make the connection? I didn’t touch any of the weapons or the bodies.

  ***

  “Ms. Valdis, I presume.”

  “Yes. And you are?”

  “Detective Matthew Winters.” He closes the distance between us that I hadn’t managed to and extends his hand. He’s got a firm handshake but not over-bearing. I like the feel of the connection with him and I hold on a little longer than necessary.

  He clears his throat and I snap back to reality. Looking up at him I see that he’s got an amused expression on his face. He’s definitely aware of how he’s affected me. Damn it.

  “What can I do for you detective?”

  “Well, Ms. Valdis, we found your card on a body down by the bridge on the edge of town. He looks to be a murder victim. We’re still looking into the details.”

  “A lot of people have my card.” I’m starting to relax a little bit. He hasn’t mentioned the other two bodies. Right now he’s just trying to put all of the pieces together, and a business card is a lousy lead.

  “I’m sure they do.” There is a look in his eye, not quite mischievous, but something that tells me he’s got his mind in the gutter. Bastard. Is he making fun of me? I should blacken one of those beautiful blue eyes of his.

  “I still have to follow all of the leads. Which leads me to another question. The victim has a daughter that I’m trying to locate, you wouldn’t happen to know her, would you?”

  Okay, time to panic. My face may look blank, but on the inside, I’m freaking the fuck out. I haven’t actually said that I don’t know who the victim was, but I’ve given the impression that I don’t. If I tell him I know Mercy there will be a lot more questions, especially if they find her in my bed, and pretty much in a coma.

  I’ve been silent too long because he’s starting to look suspicious. He’ll find out about my connection to Mercy sooner or later. Time for the truth I guess, or a partial truth at least. I’m not going to volunteer anything that I don’t have to.

  “I met her once.” There that is true, I have only met her once, when I rescued her and brought her here. Gotta love a good technicality.

  “So, you did know her father. Was he a client?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was he a regular?”

  “To be honest, I only met him twice.”

  I watched as the detective mulls over my answers. Several emotions pass over his face, but I can’t tell which one he’s going to land on. Letting go of my powers a bit, I look into him. His soul looks relatively clean, so overall he’s a good guy, but his emotions are what I’m interested in at the moment. I feel the gentle back and forth of him wanting to believe me and knowing I’m holding something back. He can’t really prove anything at this point, so I’m hoping that he walks away.

  Finally, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a card. “Here’s my number if you think of anything that might help. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Ms. Valdis.”

  I smile at him as best I can with my heart still pounding in my chest, and then watch him walk out the door, and hopefully out of my life.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Matt

  I feel her eyes follow me all the way out of the building. I know she knows more than she’s telling me. I can smell Mercy all over her. A scent that strong isn’t left by just meeting someone once. If you are around a person for more than a couple of hours, their scent stays on you, even after you shower. Or, maybe that’s just how it works for me, I don’t know. What can I say? I’ve got an extremely keen sense of smell, and that isn’t always a blessing.

  I sit in my car and stare at the building, my mind throwing around theories and strategies on the best way to get to the truth. Xenobia Valdis has a good poker face and a healthy sense of self-preservation, that much is obvious. But, I know underneath it, she’s worried. I could hear her heartbeat like a hummingbird nearly the entire time I was questioning her. I’ve got three dead bodies, and she knows something. Next time I visit, I’ll bring up the other two and see how she reacts.

  I sigh as I crank the engine. Why do people have to make things so difficult on themselves? The longer they lie, the bigger hole they dig for themselves. Eventually, they’re going to fall into it. It’s a shame really, I get the feeling that Ms. Valdis is someone who could make my life interesting if it weren’t for this pesky connection to a triple homicide.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Xenobia

  Now that the detective is gone, I close myself off in my office to regroup. I know he’ll be back. He doesn’t seem like someone who would let this go so easily. Plus, I have an advantage. I know he suspects something since I read him. I need a plan, a way out of this mess. I need to focus, I begin slowing down and elongating my breath. Letting my eyes close gently I feel my body begin to relax. I reach my powers out to Mercy. Her body feels like it is still replenishing, but I can tell it won’t be too much longer before she wakes up. If I can hold the detective off until she wakes up, then Mercy can take over and he could ask her for answers about her father. Hopefully her information would appease him and he’ll move along. Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m probably lying to myself, but I’ve got to have a little hope here.

  Having eased my mind with a bit of wishful thinking, it is time to get down to business for the day. No sense dwelling on the nightmare that is becoming my life when I can’t do anything about it at the moment. Glancing at the schedule, I notice that the girls have appointments, but my day is completely open. Interesting. I bet Maggie has something to do with this. Bless her. Always looking out for me. Still feeling exhausted from the events of l
ast night, I’m not going to argue with some downtime. A nap sounds really good right about now.

  ***

  “How’s she doing,” I ask Maggie as I enter my room.

  “Same. How long do you think she’ll be out?”

  “Not sure, but it feels like she is healing well. I’ve never done this before so I don’t quite know what to expect.”

  Maggie nods briefly.

  “I’m going to take a nap. I think the stress of all of this is catching up with me. Would you get Sylvia to keep an eye on things?”

  “Sure thing. Rest well,” Maggie says on her way out, closing the door behind her.

  I stretch out on the bed beside Mercy and close my eyes. I hope I’m doing the right thing. It’s too late to back out now though. The face of Detective Matthew Winters is the last thing my mind shows me before I fall asleep.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Matt

  I’ve been going over the evidence again. Outside of her card being on the victim, I don’t really have anything concrete tying Valdis to the murders. From what it looks like, one of the other two we found at the scene shot Smith, and then the two guys shot each other. Seems pretty open and shut, except that my gut is telling me there is more to it.

  Closing the file folder, I put it aside and then shut down my computer. Staring at it for hours isn’t going to give me anything new. Maybe a short break will help clear the cobwebs in my head. I stretch out on the couch in my office. It is well past lunchtime and I know I should probably eat, but I let my eyes drift shut. Just a couple of minutes I tell myself just before I drift off.

  ***

  I’m standing at the crime scene, except in this version I see Xenobia standing by Smith’s body. She’s so still that she looks frozen. What is she doing here? I know I must be dreaming, but I can’t wake myself up. Great, now my work is following me into my sleep. Suddenly she’s moving. I follow because I can’t seem to help it. My curiosity is getting the better of me. As long as I am stuck in this dream, I might as well see where it goes. Xenobia stops again. It’s dark, but I can see what made her stop. Somehow I know the girl being assaulted is Mercy. I am filled with disgust that a person can hurt another person like this.