“I thought you quit.”
Magnus held the smoke in his lungs for a full heartbeat before blowing it out and muting the smell of pine with the stench of tobacco.
“I did.”
Gideon moved to lean against the post. He folded his arms. “What did I miss?”
His brother shrugged. “Not a damn thing.” He flicked the ashes over the railing into the dead flower bushes below. “Dad went to see Arild. He’s not back yet. Mom’s freaking out. She thinks Arild has thrown him into the pit as punishment for what you did. Reg and I found Imogen.” He hesitated before adding, “She had buried her entire family alone by the time we got there.”
Gideon swore, guilt an angry knot twisting inside him.
Magnus continued. “And Valkyrie’s out searching for Micah and Cara.”
Gideon frowned. “Alone?”
Magnus shrugged. “I offered to go with her, but she told me she didn’t want help, not from me or anyone else. I could almost respect that if she wasn’t doing it for the wrong reason.”
“What reason is that?”
After taking in another mouthful of smoke, expelling it and flicking the cigarette butt into driveway, Magnus turned to him. “She’s trying to prove to her father she’s not worthless and while I understand her desire to prove herself, it’s only affective if it were an actual possibility. We both know Arild Devereaux doesn’t give a shit. Even if she managed to singlehandedly capture the ones responsible, she will never get his respect, or his praise. He’s a cold hearted bastard.” Which said a lot coming from Magnus.
“So just how much trouble am I in?” he wondered, needing to change the subject; talks of Arild Devereaux always left a linger tang of sour bile in his throat.
Magnus snickered. “Let’s just say I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy in your shoes right now.”
Gideon groaned. “Shit.”
“What the fuck were you thinking anyway?”
Pushing away from the post, Gideon paced. “I couldn’t take it anymore,” he blurted. “He’s always putting her down. I just ... I had to say something.”
“Yeah, well, Dad is going to skin you alive when he gets back. He was pissed.”
He glared at his brother. “Thanks for the support, ass!”
Magnus smirked. “You know, between you, Reggie, and Octavian, I’m practically a godsend.”
“What’s wrong with Reggie and Octavian?” Gideon asked, opting to let the other comment go.
Magnus hoisted himself up and perched on the railing. “Well, Octavian never leaves the house anymore, not even to hunt.”
“Well, he never really ever did in the past either,” Gideon justified. “He mainly supervised the bar so that’s not unusual.”
“Yeah, but it’s worse since the whole thing with Riley.”
Gideon nodded slowly. “Speaking of Riley, what you said to her last night, total dick move, man. I would have hit you, too.”
Magnus looked away. “I didn’t mean it the way it came out.” He raised his head and met Gideon’s gaze. “And even if I did, it’s what we’re all thinking.”
“I wasn’t thinking that,” Gideon replied. “Like I said, Octavian never really left the manor to begin with. Him wanting to stay with Riley doesn’t bother me.”
Magnus hopped down. “Well, it should! We’re Casters. It’s our job to kill things, not get moony-eyed over a girl.”
“But she’s not really just any girl, is she? She’s his mate. They went through hell together, almost literally. He gave his soul up for her. That’s serious shit. And what does it matter. I’m out there. You’re out there, and so is Reggie. If Octavian wants to stay here and man the bar, more power to him I say.”
“That’s not the point,” Magnus muttered. “He’s turning into a whipped pussy.”
Gideon laughed. “I wouldn’t say that to his face.” He sobered. “What about Reggie?”
Magnus groaned. “Same thing.”
“He’s getting pussy whipped by Riley, too?”
He knew that wasn’t it, but it was fun watching Magnus grit his teeth and glower at him.
“Daphne,” Magnus barked out. “He spends every free minute outside her house.”
“Why?”
Magnus shrugged, throwing his arms open wide. “Fuck if I know. I don’t understand any of this shit.”
“Have you asked him?”
“Of course I asked him!” Magnus snapped. “He claims it’s to keep her safe. He wants to make sure he’s around in case something happens to her like Riley. I told him he was drawing unnecessary attention to her, but does anyone listen to me?”
Gideon watched his brother pace, watched the agitation twisting his face into a deep scowl that bunched his scar horribly. It was too comical to take seriously.
“Wow,” was all he said.
Magnus ceased his stomping and turned to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that you could be the poster boy for anti-love. It’s very amusing.”
“Bite me!”
Gideon burst out laughing and barely dodged the punch Magnus threw at him. “All I’m saying is that I have never seen anyone so pissed because his brothers are finally happy.”
Magnus raised a brow. “That’s happy? Reggie is miserable. Daphne is miserable. You’re miserable. Seems to me like this whole imprinting bullshit is just a damn headache.”
“So if you were to find your mate, you would—”
Magnus punched him square in the chest, knocking the breath and words from him. “Don’t jinx me, asshole!”
Rubbing what was surely a blossoming bruise, Gideon glared at his brother. “Not even you are bitter enough to ignore the call.”
“Watch me,” Magnus retorted with absolute conviction. “I’m a Caster. I don’t have time to fall in love.”
“Unfortunately for you, no way is Mom going to let that happen. She is determined to have grandbabies, one way or another. Possibly, even without your consent.”
“She has three other sons,” Magnus pointed out. “I’m sure one of you will happily supply her with all the—”
Their father’s sleek, silver BMW rolled into the driveway and pulled to a stop next to their mother’s tiny, mint green Bug. Still clad in black trousers and a white dress shirt, Liam eased out of the car and strolled casually towards them. Gideon fought hard not to fidget under his father’s penetrating stare.
“You’re back,” he said carefully.
Liam nodded slowly. “I am.”
He climbed the steps and stepped past Gideon and Magnus to walk into the manor. The two followed him inside.
“Liam!” Their mother darted out of her chair and hurried to throw her arms around their father’s neck. “I have been worried sick.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You always worry, but I am fine.”
Arms still firmly around her, he peered over at Imogen and Riley still sitting at the table, a stack of papers in front of them. Octavian was at the bar, preparing for the evening rush, but there was no sign of Reggie or Valkyrie.
“Imogen,” Liam said gently. “Would you mind giving us a moment?”
Despite the many centuries ago since his birth, Gideon felt his insides coil with cold dread. He knew what was coming, because even while his father’s tone was light, there was no mistaking the anger in his eyes as Imogen rose out of her seat and left through the kitchen.
With a squeeze and another kiss to Kyaerin’s head, Liam released her and turned to his son.
Gideon flinched from the stare alone.
“What were you thinking?” was all he said in a painfully even tone.
Gideon willed himself not to back down, or apologize. “Someone needed to stand up to him.”
It was the wrong thing to say. He knew that, even before Magnus hissed through his teeth and scurried toward the bar. Even before his father’s nostrils flared.
“That is not your job, Gideon!” his father snapped. “You nearly ruined a bond that ha
d taken centuries to forge and for what? Your own personal vendetta?”
Gideon’s own anger tickled the back of his throat. “I got tired of the way he was treating Valkyrie.”
“She is not your concern!” Liam said as he moved to yank out a chair and motion Kyaerin into it. But his eyes never left Gideon. “He is her father, her king. She is obligated to obey him. Believe me when I tell you, you did not do her any favors. If you believe that your heroic act somehow offered her mercy, you are very much mistaken.”
His anger soured in his gut. “What are you talking about?”
“Harvesters work based on a code of conduct,” he began slowly. “For them, loyalty and bravery are the things that earn respect. It’s why they burn marks into their forearms. It is a sign of great honor. To disrespect your house, never mind your king, is a crime punishable by death, or worse.”
“But she didn’t do anything,” Gideon protested, barely suppressing the rising bile climbing up his chest. “This is my fault.”
“That does not matter to Arild. You attacked a member of his house because of her and that is all he sees.”
Hot and cold chills coursed through him, kindling the strong urge to vomit. “But why not come after me then?”
“That isn’t his job,” his father said sharply. “That was Valkyrie’s job. To uphold her family’s honor, it was up to her to punish you, which she didn’t.”
Arild Devereaux wasn’t a kind, understanding man. He was sadistic and cold and so twisted in the old ways that stories of his cruelty were legendary. He killed his own wife over a rumor, one that couldn’t possibly be true. Anyone who had ever met Valkyrie’s mother knew straight away what a frail and timid woman she had been for a Harvester. Gideon had only met the woman a few times before her death and she had always struck him as soft and gentle, a harsh contrast to her bold and fierce daughters. But she was incapable of the crimes she had been accused of, yet that hadn’t stopped Arild from killing her to make a point. Hurting or even killing Valkyrie would mean nothing to him.
“I have to find her.”
He had to. Just the thought of something happening to her made his world tilt and his chest cinch.
“You can’t.” His father’s voice stopped Gideon inches from the door. “Interfering will only make matters worse. Also, you won’t find her if he does not wish it.”
“Then I will tear his fucking house to the ground until I do!” he snarled, whirling around. “I won’t let him hurt her. I’ll kill him first.”
“Then you will start a war!” his father shot back at him. “You will tear apart the treaty we all worked so hard to create. You will kill her.”
Gideon roared. Something slammed into the wall and cluttered in pieces to the ground. It took him a moment to realize he’d thrown a chair.
“What am I supposed to do?” Breathing hard, he stared at his father. “Leave her to suffer for something I did?”
The anger was gone from Liam’s face. His eyes were narrowed, but with contemplation, and his head was cocked ever so slightly to the side as though he were listening to something in the distance. He studied Gideon like he was a complex puzzle that didn’t make sense. Then, very slowly, something came to life behind Liam’s eyes and they widened. His mouth parted in surprise.
“She’s your mate.”
Chapter Seven
“What?” His mother bolted out of her chair. “Gideon?”
Gideon wasn’t listening to her. His focus was fixed on his father, who was still watching him, waiting for a response to his non-question. Even Octavian and Riley were waiting with wide-eyed shock.
“She’s my mate,” he confirmed.
There was no point denying it.
“How ... when ... why...?” His mother couldn’t seem to latch onto a single train of thought.
“How long?” his father asked for her.
Gideon snorted what could have almost passed for a laugh. “Three hundred years, give or take.”
“That long?” his mother gasped. “That long and you never told us? Why?” The hurt in her voice cut at him.
“She’s a Harvester,” he reminded them.
His father drew in a breath. “You were protecting her.”
Gideon’s smile was wretched. “Isn’t that what we do?”
“Oh my poor baby!” His mother hurried across the room and engulfed him in a fierce embrace. “You should have said something.”
“What difference would it have made?” But he still held her back tight.
“Isn’t there something that can be done?” Riley piped in. “I mean if Gideon imprints on her, there’s really nothing anyone can do, right? I mean Valkyrie’s not human so it’s not like they have to worry about the angels and the promise and stuff. She’s a Caster like him.”
“She’s a Harvester,” his father said.
Riley just shook her head, looking confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Back before the Great War, Harvesters were creatures who guided fallen warriors to heaven. The Norse used to call them Valkyries. During the war, they joined the angels because they are basically as close to being angels as one could possibly get, except that they were the children of angels and demons and considered filth along with the rest of us.”
Riley squinted. “I thought that was the Nephilim.”
Liam shook his head. “Those are children of angels and humans.”
Riley blew out a breath. “For a bunch of divine beings who consider sex a mortal sin, they sure have a lot of it themselves.”
Despite the tension, everyone chuckled.
“Harvesters have their own laws,” his father went on. “One of those laws is that they are forbidden to marry outside their species, or lose their virginities for it gives them their power and without it, they are considered ... useless.”
“Also only their king can pick who they marry,” his mother piped in, pulling away from Gideon. “Unlike selkies, they don’t imprint so for them, it’s a matter of producing the best offspring.”
“So Valkyrie has to marry who her father chooses for her?” Riley seemed to think about this a moment before speaking again. “Okay, but that’s still not a problem. Gideon would make great offsprings.” She wrinkled her nose. “That didn’t sound so weird in my head.”
Moving to take the seat next to Riley, Gideon offered her a lopsided grin. “I’m totally in agreement.”
“But Gideon isn’t a Harvester,” his mother said, returning to her seat. “To pick him would get her banished.”
“If she’s lucky,” his father added. “It would be considered a dishonor, like she doesn’t trust her king to make a proper match for her, or not believing her own people are good enough for her. She would be considered a traitor.” He paused. “She would be tortured and killed.”
“Even if Arild Devereaux adores me,” Gideon added, trying to lighten the mood. All this talk of Valkyrie dying was wrenching a hole through him.
“They would remove her marks and that’s basically the worst thing close to death for a Harvester.” His mother shook her head slowly. “And Valkyrie has worked so hard for each one of hers.”
Riley frowned. “Her marks? You mean those burns on her arm?”
His father nodded. “A warrior can only earn them through extreme physical, mental, and emotional trials. The things they must do are—”
“Barbaric!” his mother blurted, eyes flashing with rage.
His father smiled kindly at her as he continued. “I was going to say brave, but yes, they are barbaric as well.”
“Valkyrie has six,” Riley recalled.
“Yes,” his father murmured. “Her sister Serinda has thirteen.”
“How do they get them?” Riley asked. “I mean what sort of things do they have to do?”
No one seemed willing to answer, like they weren’t comfortable recollecting those memories.
It was Magnus who spoke. “We’re not the only Gatekeepers,” he said quietly as he drifted over to a ne
arby table and dropped into a chair. “There are four other doors, making up the four corners of a compass. North, west, east, and south. Each one is guarded by a group of Casters and Keepers and each one has their own rules. We have a bar. We take applications. We review them and select the most non-threatening demons to enter the human world. Others don’t follow that procedure. The Harvesters hail from the west and while their process is nowhere near as violent or bloody as those of the south, it can be ferocious during their selection.”
Riley seemed to think about this a moment before speaking. “So how do they select which demons to allow pass?”
“The warriors fight them,” Gideon muttered.
Riley’s frown deepened. “But that’s not so bad. Valkyrie seems to really like killing things.”
Gideon snorted a laugh, but couldn’t find the stomach to answer her.
“They’re starved, kept awake for days, and then whipped before being thrown into the pit with the monster with nothing but their bare hands,” Magnus said for him.
“What?” Riley looked horrified. “How is that fair? That’s horrible!”
“That’s how Harvesters are made,” Magnus mumbled. “They must survive the most extreme conditions.”
“And Valkyrie did this six times ... willingly?”
“It is not willingly!” his mother exclaimed, cheeks pink with anger. “They have no choice. If they don’t accept, they are tortured, whipped, and beaten to the point of death before being tossed into the arena. Most of the time, they’re barely conscious or are so badly injured, death is a welcome. Only even if they do win, they don’t get a mark and are disgraced. The only choice they have is the condition in which they get sent in.”
Liam moved around the table and lightly set his hands on her tense shoulders. He rubbed down the lengths of her arms until she melted back into him.
“They are heartless,” his mother went on, quieter now. “They feel no compassion, no remorse. They are all about honor and duty.”
Riley looked down at the table. “I guess that explains why Valkyrie’s so ... intense.” Her shoulders sagged. “Why can’t this be easy just for once?”
Gideon's Promise (Sons of Judgment Book 2) Page 12
