His words struck her through the chest like velvet arrows. How could she hate the man who spent the better part of three hundred years protecting her? Who blamed himself for something he had no control over? A man who infuriated her to no end, yet still somehow managed to make her feel like the most cherished creature in the world? Gideon Maxwell was a lot of things, most of which made her blood boil, but he was also a good man. He was honorable, loyal, and her mate. And the only man she had ever loved, or respected.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” she murmured. “What happened wasn’t your fault.”
The look in his eyes was heart wrenching. So much disbelief, joy, and pain; she almost reached for him.
“I would never hurt you, Kyrie.” He started to reach for her, but stopped himself.
He’d had plenty of opportunities to claim her all those times he had her on his bed, his hands lighting her body on fire. But he had always been so careful, respecting her wishes when she asked him not to, even when there had been moments when having him inside her was all they both wanted.
“I know,” she said, meaning it.
The knowledge that the thing she had fought to keep, to protect her entire life, was gone forever continued to haunt her. But not with the sheer intensity it had that morning. Looking back, she realized the thing that had horrified her after the initial shock wasn’t that her powers were gone, it was that Gideon had betrayed her trust. She couldn’t believe he would take away something he had known meant so much to her. But after hearing what had really happened, she felt ... relief. It was as though a burden had finally been lifted and she was finally able to breathe. It was awful. Her sisters would have been appalled. But the fact that it had been Gideon didn’t bother her in the least. If anything, it was exactly what she had always wanted.
“But we have bigger problems than that,” she continued, returning her thoughts to the problem at hand. “My father will come for me. He won’t stop until I have faced my punishment.”
Gideon nodded. “I know.”
She moistened her lips. “Your family is in danger.”
Those pools of silver rose and met hers. “They won’t let him near you anymore than I would.”
A frown drew her brows together. “Why would they risk their lives for me?”
The leather squeaked beneath him as he adjusted his weight to lean over the console and brush a stray lock of hair off her cheek.
“Because they are not just my family anymore. They’re yours, if you’ll let them be.”
She knew the moment they stepped through the bronze doors that something was horribly wrong. The very air surrounding the small group clustered around the counter was palpable and fraught with tension. Kyaerin was clutching a weeping Imogen to her chest, but the others appeared mostly furious.
“What’s going on?” Gideon moved to stand at his father’s shoulder.
Valkyrie followed.
“There’s been another attack,” Liam informed them, his mouth set in a grim line.
A sob filled the room. Kyaerin hushed Imogen gently and began guiding her from the room.
“The humans found the remains,” Liam went on once Imogen was safely out of hearing distance. “It’s raising some questions.”
“Can the Summit do anything?” Magnus asked. “I mean, this is the sort of thing they try to avoid.”
Liam shrugged. “I am waiting for orders at this point.”
“Who was it?” Valkyrie asked.
“We have not been given that information at this time,” Liam told her. “Only that they were found like the others, a neat row of burned bodies.” He seemed to think of something and twisted his body so he was fully confronting Valkyrie. “What did your sister say? Was she able to help?”
Valkyrie averted her eyes to the counter. “She helped,” was all she could say, because despite everything, Serinda had helped; she had warned them. She had given them the chance to run. It was more than Valkyrie could have asked for. “She can help no more.”
Liam gave a hesitant nod. His gaze went from his sons to her, visibly waiting for someone to tell him something. No one was willing.
“Well?” he prompted. “I highly doubt Arild simply let you go.”
“He didn’t,” Gideon said at last. “Serinda did.” He straightened, folded his arms and Valkyrie was inexplicably drawn to the hard valleys of his biceps and the way his shirt stretched across the span of his chest. “We need to prepare for an attack.”
Guilt had her expecting to see anger, disappointment even, but there was only acceptance in the slight inclination of his head, like Liam had expected nothing less. What’s more, when he glanced from face to face and settled on Valkyrie, he did so with sympathy.
“I will attempt to reach out to Arild before it gets that far,” he promised her, like his only concern was for her. “But we must still prepare for the worst, if this is the place you wish to be.”
Bemused, she shot an apprehensive glance at the others, expecting at least one of them to see the only solution to this problem. Yet none were watching her like she should be tossed to the mercy of her father to spare their lives. Not one.
“My father will not yield.” Why couldn’t they see that?
Liam rose to his full height, towering easily over her despite her boots. Thick lashes lowered half past over dark eyes and he peered down the length of his nose at her with quiet contemplation.
“And what do you suggest, Valkyrie?” he wondered.
She refused to allow herself to falter. She met his gaze squarely. “I will return.” She ignored Gideon’s hiss. So, she noted, did Liam. She continued quickly. “My father will leave you and your family in peace if he gets me.”
“That isn’t much of a plan,” Riley muttered. “You can’t go back to him.”
Valkyrie shot the redhead a fleeting glance of frustration. “The life of one for the lives of many. I will ask him to spare—”
“Yeah, I still don’t like that idea,” Riley interjected.
“It’s not for you to like,” Valkyrie retorted hotly, wishing the girl would cease her meddling. “My father has an army of warriors who are not afraid to die. They will overthrow this place in a matter of seconds.” She fixed Liam with all the urgency coursing through her. “It’s the only logical course of action.”
“You’re right.”
Valkyrie had expected his acceptance, and yet, it stung to hear it.
“Father!” Gideon’s burst of outrage was silenced by Valkyrie.
Pride driven, she gave a single nod of her head. “I will gather my things.”
A hand closed over her wrist. She was drawn short before she could leave the room.
Liam offered her the hint of a smile. “That would be logical, but it’s not the only option. Can Valkyrie and I have a moment, please?” The last part was said to the rest of the room. “You too, Gideon,” he added when Gideon hesitated. “We won’t be long.”
Inclining his head, Gideon left, following the others through the kitchen.
“Sit with me,” Liam said, motioning her to join him in one of the chairs.
With her hand in his, she had little choice. She took the seat opposite him and waited.
“In times like these, it is sometimes hard to remember that not all imprinting experiences are ones of joy. While Riley’s was ... unique, your’s is significantly jarring, at least it must be for you.”
“I’m fine,” she answered and was perfectly aware of the catch in her voice.
If he noticed, he made no mention of it. He lowered his gaze to the table between them, his attention seemingly fixated on a slight crack in the wood. He traced it a moment with his eyes before he lifted them once more to her face.
“You do not need to stay, if that is not what you wish to do. I will help you go anywhere you would like to go. Being mated isn’t a punishment. It’s not meant to cause grief and pain. For a selkie, the experience is one of rebirth. It’s finding a part of you that has been missing f
or too long. For Riley, that experience was tainted by the fact that she was human. But her love for Octavian had been present before the actual imprint. See, the imprinting doesn’t make two people fall in love. It’s simply a guide to help you find the person you’re meant to be with. Whether you chose to remain with that person, or leave, is entirely up to you.” He offered her a half smile. “I know my son is difficult. He always has been. But he’s a good man with a good heart, and he has loved you for a very long time. Nevertheless, I know, for you, he will do what you desire most.”
“I don’t know what I desire most,” she confessed. “But I do know that if I remain, your family will be slaughtered.”
“You are my family, Valkyrie.”
Anger and desperation tore through her, propelling Valkyrie to her feet. “I am not your family!” she shot at him. “I am no one.”
“That is not true.”
His calm reassurance only fueled the anxiety clawing up her throat. “Why? Because I am now your son’s mate? Would I still be your family if I wasn’t? Would you still give your life for me then?”
“Yes,” he answered without a moment of hesitation. “I would because my son loves you. Mate or not, that doesn’t change.”
It was hot on the tip of her tongue to tell him it was no wonder selkies were extinct. The fact that they had not a shred of self-preservation only proved how stupid they were, when the doors blew open with a resounding crash that nearly made Valkyrie jump. Liam was instantly on his feet, his body instinctively moving to shield hers. Valkyrie, too stunned, too braced, didn’t notice as she withdrew her daggers and watched the blue-black wall of night fill the open doorway.
The kitchen doors flew open and Reggie stormed through, angelic blade clasped tight within his grasp. His features were set, eyes narrowed as they flicked to his father. The two exchanged fleeting glances Valkyrie didn’t understand, then Liam’s hand was on her arm.
“Find Kyaerin and the others.”
Valkyrie opened her mouth to refuse, to tell him she could fight, when the first figure advanced, cutting the night in half with its massive frame. Skin the shimmering black of an oil slick glistened under the candlelight. It stretched around straining muscles, rippling as the beast unfurled itself to heights of eight feet. Eyeless sockets took in the room from a flat, round face embedded with jagged outer teeth that were as razor sharp as the many pointed sword clasped in its massive grip. It had no neck. Its bulbous head seemed to be resting solely on the wide birth of its shoulders. A filthy rag hung from its hips, but it was otherwise naked.
It straightened.
Liam’s hold on Valkyrie’s arm tightened. It was the only outward show of his apprehension.
“This place is protected by the Black Laws,” he demanded. “State your business.”
The beast said nothing. He shifted his bulking frame one giant step to the right, twisted his sword in his three fingered hand and speared the point into the hardwood. It was not an aggressive stance. He had all but become part of the furniture.
“We are not here to cause harm,” came a smooth, silky voice. A moment later, a man entered the foyer, rail thin and elegant in his gunmetal gray suit and purple silk blouse. His hair was as black as the monster’s skin and his eyes were colorless, appearing seamless surrounded by the white. He sauntered into the room the way one might a parlor. The cane in his gloved hand twirled once before it struck the ground. “I am Reginald.”
Liam’s grip on Valkyrie’s arm loosened, but he remained a rigid force blocking her. “Liam Maxwell,” he said evenly. “If you are here for an application—”
Reginald’s thin mouth curved. “I do not require an application.”
It was impossible to tell, but he seemed to survey the place through his milky eyes. His head tipped ever so slightly to one side as though listening. Then he straightened and Liam had his attention once more.
“Your sons are on their way.”
Sure enough, a moment later, Octavian, Gideon and Magnus were crowding the kitchen doors behind Reggie. Gideon’s silver eyes went first to Valkyrie before darting swiftly to Reginald.
Reginald smiled. “Wonderful. Now, if your wife could join us—”
“You have no business with my wife,” Liam said with equal calm, but there was a warning in his eyes only a fool would ignore.
Reginald’s cool façade never faltered. He regarded Liam with quiet interest. “I fear I do. You see...” He strolled deeper into the room, his cane swinging like a dark pendulum at his side. “This very much concerns her.”
“I will be the judge of that.” Liam closed the distance between himself and the man. “State your business.”
Reginald turned those unsettling orbs towards the kitchen and the four fanning out throughout the room. He seemed unperturbed about being surrounded.
“There is no need for alarm,” he said. “I do not wish any of you harm. In fact,” he withdrew a chair and folded his slender frame into it. “I am here to assist you. Please.” He motioned for Liam to take the seat across from him.
Liam accepted, but he twisted his chair away from the table, a move warriors were taught when sitting with the enemy; there was nothing hindering him from leaping to his feet at a second’s notice.
Reginald, if he noticed, made no comment. He sat with his legs folded beneath the table, his hands clasped neatly on top. His cane leaned casually against the side of his chair. He was a man confident in whatever he was there to tell them.
“You wouldn’t happen to have tea, would you?” he asked casually. “Traveling between realms always leaves me a bit parched.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Valkyrie will get it.” Gideon had appeared at Valkyrie’s side without her even noticing until he’d spoken.
“I will not!” she retorted sharply.
Gideon’s gaze narrowed on her face. “Yes, you will.”
Reginald chuckled. “Your mate is safe with me, Caster. I will not harm either of them.”
“Either?” Liam jumped in before Valkyrie, or Gideon could inquire.
Reginald revealed serrated fangs in a broad smile. “I do not fancy infants, and no one in this room is a virgin. As I said, you are all safe.”
Raised in a culture where virginity was veered as something to be cherished and guarded, Valkyrie had a particularly sore spot for demons who relished on devouring virgins in any form. But it was the first thing he’d said that momentarily distracted her.
Infants.
That was the second time she’d been told she was carrying, by two different people. Valkyrie didn’t believe in coincidences, nor was she ignorant to what was right in front of her face.
“What is it you want, Reginald?” Liam prompted when the man ceased speaking.
“At this moment, that would be tea,” Reginald stated evenly. “Perhaps some brandy.” He clicked long, yellow nails on the table, one finger at a time. “And your wife’s presence.”
Liam never so much as batted an eyelash at the last statement. “The tea and brandy I can do. Reggie, could you—”
“Could you get the other one to do it?” Reginald interrupted with just a hint of sheepishness that raised even Valkyrie’s brow. “I understand I cannot physically harm anyone here, but you would make me very happy if your guest prepared the drinks.”
“Guest?” Liam questioned.
“Yes, the banshee.” Reginald chuckled and lights sparked off the fine points of his teeth. “I have a soft spot for ... pure things, even if I am forbidden to taste.”
Pinch lines formed around Liam’s mouth. “My son will prepare the drinks. No one else outside this room concerns you.”
Some of the humor slipped from Reginald’s angular features and he regarded Liam with the look one would give a rebellious child.
“You are wasting time, Liam,” Reginald said calmly. “We will have company soon and every minute is precious.”
“Then maybe you should quit beating around the bush and tell us what yo
u’re doing here,” Magnus interjected. “You came to us. We don’t need to cater to you.”
Reginald blinked. His lashes were dark spikes against the pallor of his complexion.
“Cater? All I requested was tea. Have times changed so much that a guest is not even offered such a small courtesy?”
“You are not a guest,” Magnus bit out.
Liam held up his hand, silencing his son. “My son will get your tea while you and I talk.”
Reginald sighed. “Very well.” He turned his head in Reggie’s direction. “Make it quick, if you please. As I said, time is of the essence.”
Reggie left. The kitchen doors clacked shut behind him. They heard the faucet running through the takeout window and the clang of pots. But all eyes remained riveted on Reginald. He seemed to enjoy that. He also, for someone claiming time was of the essence, said nothing until the silver tray was brought into the room and the tea was poured. He cradled his cup gingerly between his hands and brought the dark brew to his nose. He inhaled deeply, lashes fluttering as he did so.
“There is something so calming about tea, don’t you think so?”
Liam said nothing.
Reginald set his cup down. His long fingers remained curled around the ceramic. He raised his pupil-less eyes to Liam.
“Your family has certainly caused quite a stir in the underworld, Keeper,” he remarked with just a hint of amusement. “You and your sons are practically celebrities. There are a few of us who feel as though we know just about everything there is to know about the keepers of the north.”
“Did you come for an autograph?” Liam asked. While the question was mocking, his tone was polite.
Reginald beamed. “No, not at this time. I came to warn you and to perhaps offer you my services.”
“And what services are those?”
Triple jointed fingers came undone from around the mug and were splayed to show a square palm. “I have many, but my most sought after one is my ability to find things.”
“What kind of things?” Octavian wondered.
Reginald cocked his head in Octavian’s direction. “All manner of things. There is very little I can’t find.”
Gideon's Promise (Sons of Judgment Book 2) Page 36
