Becoming Valkyrie

by Brandy L. Cunningham

  “She is becoming Vampire. The process of rebirth is not an easy one. Slowly the human side of her is being suppressed as the darker side of her rises up. After a time, she may level out, become more like what she once was, but I fear that may not be the case. She feels alone, she feels dead. She has been changing. It has gotten worse over the last few weeks since her first kill.”

  Desmond asked, “Her first kill? What are you talking about? Aeron said she refused to drink blood.”

  Rafael sighed. “She did. She went weeks without any after the incident when Aeron brought her here. On the full moon, we had a partial lunar eclipse. She changed. The animal in her came out, and she hunted with the pack. Since then, she has realized her need for blood. It seems the more she drinks, the darker she becomes. She has been slowly acting more like a Vampire, and more like someone who has lived for centuries. There are times I hear the old Valkyrie in her speech, see her in her mannerisms.”

  “What will happen at the eclipse? You have hinted at something major happening, you’ve said it is of great importance that we are both here that night.” Aeron’s voice sounded worried.

  Rafael sighed. “The eclipse that happens in one week will be a full lunar eclipse. A blood moon, like the one that resurrected her on Samhain. It will complete her change. She will become full Vampire and full Pyralis. A Vampire on fire is a deadly Vampire. A Vampire who harbors four hundred years of anger is an even deadlier Vampire.”

  I stared up at the blindingly bright sun as his ominous words hung silently in the air. I felt like they all feared me. Feared what I might become. There were still too many mysteries about me. No one seemed able to answer all the burning questions I had. Most of the time, they seemed to have the same answers. I knew many of the answers I sought lay with the Fiddler, but the old man was canny. He held back much from me, and it only left me wondering why.

  Basking in the solar radiation of the sun, I drifted off into my meditative state. Images came to me as they often did in this place I visited. This time, it was Aeron I saw. He walked in a dark forest, his eyes luminescing in the light of the moon. I watched him, stalking him as an animal stalks its prey. He looked straight at me as though he had waited for me. I went to him. Holding him, kissing him, I watched from afar as I embraced him. Then, we burst into flames, both of us.

  ͼ ͼ ͼ ͼ

  My eyes flew wide open. The forest around me was dark and quiet. I no longer feared these things, the dark or the quiet. I relished in it. The darker the night, the more I enjoyed it. The quieter the forest, the better the challenge. Sitting up slowly, I could feel eyes upon me. I knew someone watched me from the edge of the woods. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. Desmond. The sultry scents of the man drifted to me.

  I shouldn’t have been surprised. He had always enjoyed watching me from afar. I knew I could not avoid the man forever. Calling out, I said, “Why do you hide, Desmond?”

  He stepped from the edge of the thick trees. He was watchful, weary. I was unsure as well. What to do with him, what to say to a man you once loved? He had waited four hundred years to see me live again, and in many ways, it was to him I owed my existence. That did not, however, mean that I belonged to him. The odd thing for me was that Desmond was exactly the type of man I had always dreamed of. He was devilishly handsome and seemed able to charm honey from bees.

  “Valkyrie, the Fiddler grows worried. Will you not come back to his lair?” His eyes watched me, communicating things his words did not.

  Standing, I stretched. Walking toward him, I asked, “Desmond, why do you seem so weary of me? The last time I saw you it was all you could do not to touch me.”

  Desmond laughed. “I admit it is hard seeing you standing before me. I cannot believe you are here, that you have come back, and you are still so beautiful. I apologize for being too rash before. I suppose I thought you would be reborn as the Valkyrie who loved me.”

  I studied his handsome face. I knew it must be difficult for him. “Tell me, Desmond, have you not changed at all in four hundred years? Have you not been with others?”

  His eyes shifted to the side. A sign of guilt. I smiled sympathetically. “Ah, so you have not wallowed in pity as you awaited the return of your love?”

  Desmond took a few steps away from me. “I am not perfect, Valkyrie. For many decades I thought you would never be coming back. I realized I might wander the earth and never know whether you had been reborn. For a very long time I waited for you, but after nearly a century, I wandered alone and desolate. You were my love, and then, you were gone. I went through some…dark times, Valkyrie.”

  “Nor am I perfect, Desmond. I have memories of us together, of the time we met, but I am not that same woman. I have waited four hundred years in a dark abyss, to finally be born again. Things in this world have changed much. I cannot deny there is a link between us, but beyond that, what is left?”

  “What is left is the love I still feel for you Valkyrie. Does that mean nothing? Does the fact that I have never stopped waiting, never stopped wanting and hoping mean anything to you?”

  I looked away. “I cannot pretend to know your feelings. I realize that it must have been hell to watch the woman you love die, to wander alone as you tried to keep the hope alive that she would return. It is a pain I cannot begin to understand, but I ask you, Desmond, is it really me you love, or the memory of who I was?”

  Desmond looked away. His jaw clenched. Turning back toward me, there was an intense look in his eyes. I should have anticipated his next move, but I was still young, I was still naïve in the ways of men. In a flash he stood before me, the space between us evaporated. Grabbing me roughly by the waist, he yanked me up to him. When his mouth descended upon mine, I felt the sharpness of his fangs.

  The kiss was not soft and romantic. It was rough and wild and filled with passion, just like the man. It stirred memories of another time and other kisses. Despite my intent to push him away, I found myself pulling him closer. The animal in me seemed to come alive, and my own fangs came to the surface. His hands roved over my body, roughly caressing me.

  When Desmond finally pulled back, I was breathing deeply, affected by the power of his kiss and the feelings it stirred within me. Desmond himself appeared to be under the spell as well. His brilliant brown eyes, now circled by that unusual violet ring, flared with arousal.

  In a breathy whisper, he said, “Tell me you do not feel it still, Valkyrie. Tell me we are not meant to be together.”

  I laughed. Looking him in the eyes, I shook my head. “For all your changes, you are still a foolish boy. Didn’t you learn when you watched the woman you love burn to death? There is no 'meant to' in life. Love is a fallible fairy tale. There is no love in lust, Desmond. There is only attraction, desire, sex. I feel attracted to you. Does that mean I am destined to walk with you through this life? No one knows.”

  Desmond stepped away from me. Raking his hand through his slightly long hair, he glared at me. I could see he was angry, hurt even, by my words. It was better that he felt that way. Our relationship had burned along with my flesh four hundred years earlier. Soon, I would embark upon my own mission, and I didn’t need any strings trying to hold me back.

  I cannot say the wounded look in Desmond’s eyes did not affect me. It did. He cared for me, and somewhere deep inside of myself, I cared for him. I could not care for anyone any longer. I needed to break all the ties that held me to the past. Ties were poison, and poison was death. Turning on my heel, intent on walking away, I froze. I found myself staring into the multicolored eyes of Aeron. My breath caught in my throat.

  His eyes moved from me to the form of Desmond behind me. I could easily read the suspicion in Aeron’s captivating eyes. I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter what this old Vampire thought, but in truth, it was a lie. Lifting my chin, I glared back at him. His gaze was full of anger, of fire. Keeping my gaze on him, I walked toward him. At the last second, I allowed the flame to overtake me. I needed to burn. I needed
to feel the comfort of the heat and the flame coursing through my veins.

  Aeron’s gaze never wavered from mine. Even with my naked form visible within the flames that engulfed me, those magnetic eyes didn’t leave mine. In his eyes, I noticed a spark that hadn’t been there before. A ring of fire around his pupil. Smiling at him, I brushed past him, purposefully burning the sleeve of his dress shirt. Aeron’s eyes flared as I turned away, but it had not been anger I saw burning there in those magical eyes.

  ͼ ͼ ͼ ͼ

  16

  Betrayals

  Tired of waiting for more half answers, and tired of the thrall the two men had over me, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. The Wolves had been in an uproar ever since Desmond and Aeron had arrived. Over the several days they had been with the Fiddler and me, they had spoken of towns being burned to the ground. I was not going to sit around and let any more people die.

  The whispers through the pack about a group of monsters had piqued my interest. Apparently, these monsters had followed Aeron here, but he had not allowed them to enter the woods that belonged to the pack. I had an inkling as to what these monsters might be. Smiling mischievously, I walked silently through the woods. If there was anything I had become good at, it was silence. Wolves were stealthy, adept hunters, and in order to bypass them I needed absolute cunning.

  During the weeks I had spent in the mountains with these Wolves, I had studied the art of silence, of stealth. I had watched the deer as they silently slunk through the brambles, always aware and alert. I had studied the rabbit, as it moved slowly, always ready to jolt at the slightest sound or scent. I had hidden high in the trees perched beside the owls, peering down upon the creatures of the forest as they blindly went about their pursuits.

  I was stronger now. I saw more than I ever thought possible as a human. My thoughts flowed clearly, they were combined now, there was no longer a sense of split personalities as the voice within my mind and I seemed to now be of one mind. I knew the merge between us was not complete, but to me, it may as well have been. I was ready to stop my kind from killing humans needlessly.

  The Wolves didn’t even notice me leave as I blended with the trees, and skillfully trod the softer parts of the forest. Outside the forest edge, I found the group of monsters. They lazed about, bellies bloated from a freshly killed deer. I sighed. They certainly may not have been the iconic warriors I needed, but they were here because of me. They had followed Aeron here because they were loyal to me.

  Standing there for several minutes, I shook my head as I spoke. “Wow. You guys wouldn’t even hear a damn truck if it was about to mow you over.”

  The six of them leaped to their feet, ready to morph and defend themselves. I smiled. At least their reflexes showed promise. Their leader, Chandler, grinned as he stood. His gaze roved over me appreciatively, and he nodded.

  “Whoa, you clean up damn good, Valyrie. Or, should I say Valkyrie?” he lifted an eyebrow. His gray eyes seemed amused.

  I studied his short cropped brown hair and his muscular frame. Lifting a brow back at him, I shrugged. “Guess the Vampire in me is coming out. I’m assuming Aeron told you who I really am?” When he nodded, I continued, “So, my question for the six of you is, why you are here?”

  Chandler and the others seemed confused. They looked at one another in question. Finally, Chandler looked back at me. “That should be obvious. We are here to serve you.”

  I didn’t like that answer. I didn’t want anyone to serve me. I didn’t want these Gargoyles to serve anyone but themselves. “You don’t serve me. I am no queen, but I do have a proposition for you.”

  Chandler nodded. “We are listening.”

  “I need help. I don’t like this group of Vampires going around burning down towns full of humans who have done nothing wrong. I intend to put a stop to it. In order to do that, I need some extra eyes. What I want you to do is spend the remainder of the week we have until the eclipse studying the Wolves. I want you to learn to be silent and stealthy. Then, we will leave on our mission. In return for your help and loyalty, I will help the Gargoyle Cast rebuild itself to its former glory.”

  Chandler watched me intently as the others mumbled behind him. Stepping forward, he held out his hand. “You have a deal Fire Vamp. We will do whatever you need us to.”

  I shook his hand. Smiling, I said, “Remember, absolute silence. We need to learn to be skillful hunters and spies. Not a word to Aeron and I mean it.”

  Chandler grinned. “No problem. So, tell me, does that mean you’re back on the market?”

  I stared at him. I blinked. Was he serious? What was it with the men around me? Did they all only think of only one damn thing? “Back on the market? What the hell does that mean Chandler?”

  Grinning stupidly, he said, “You know what I mean. Are you free from the clutches of the stoic Aeron to date whomever you please?”

  I stared up at the sky. There were so many things I could say to that. “First off, I was never in his clutches, and secondly there is no market for me. I have one goal right now. Okay, maybe two. First, stop the burning of innocent human towns, and secondly, seek revenge against the one who burned me so long ago.”

  Chandler shrugged. “All right. I had to try. We will see you after the eclipse, then?”

  I nodded. Turning silently, I crept noiselessly back into the forest. Apparently, I was not quite as sneaky as I had thought. Halfway back to the Fiddler’s Lair, I found the ominous old Vampire waiting for me. I had decided that thinking of him as incredibly old might make him less attractive in my eyes. I stopped at the edge of the trees. He leaned back against a boulder, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he watched me make my way toward him.

  Studying him, I sighed. The old label was doing nothing to make him any less attractive. The man was a walking sex idol. I sighed in annoyance. The closer to the merge with my Vampire side I came, the more my thoughts filled with darkness and sex. Shaking my head, I didn’t even want to think about what that would mean for the future. Taking a few steps toward Aeron, I smiled sweetly.

  “Aeron, what are you doing out here, playing sentry again? You know, I’ve been wondering. Just how old are you anyway?”

  His left eye twitched. It was the only sign he even heard my words. He continued to scrutinize me as though I had been up to no good.

  After several minutes, he pushed himself from the boulder and proceeded to circle me. I shivered, and it was not from the cold. It was from the animal look in his eyes as he stalked around me.

  “I had been expecting to find you wrapped up in Desmond’s arms again, but judging by the very pungent odor coming from you, I would say you went to visit your Gargoyles. Tell me, Valkyrie, did you have a nice chat with those idiots?”

  I bristled. He was so quick to assume I was with Desmond and it pissed me off. The way he said my name sent a thrill down my spine, and as I looked into Aeron’s controlled face, I noticed an emotion in his eyes I had not seen before. Was he jealous? Had he not said he wanted nothing to do with me? I waited, being very still as he circled me. At the right opportunity, I stuck my foot out lightning fast, tripping him.

  He flew forward, caught off guard, but at the last second, he flipped himself over and landed on his feet. The Vampire within me purred. I told her to shove it. Aeron’s lips twitched into the slightest shadow of a smile. He lunged at me. I ducked left, but he managed to grab hold of my shirt, yanking me back toward him.

  I grinned. “Not bad for an old man. What are you, a thousand?”

  His face recovered its normal stoic expression. In lightning fast speed that sent my hair flying, we flew through the clearing, until he had me pinned up against the rough bark of an old pine. I looked up at his face, started to see a hint of anger sparking there. He leaned down over me, inches from my face. His breathing was rapid, and I wasn’t sure what he was trying to control, his anger, or his lust.

  “You would do well not to play games with me, Valkyrie. I
have assumed the position of your keeper, and I intend to know where you are and what you are up to at all times.”

  I grinned. I couldn’t help myself. “Wow. I guess this relationship is about to get seriously personal. Shall I let you know when I’m thinking naughty thoughts, so you can stop me?” I plastered on an innocent expression.

  Aeron stared down at me. His nostrils flared, and his pupils contracted. I noticed again the peculiar orange ring around the blackness of his pupils. Curious. I was certain it had not been there before. I knew it was a deadly game I played, but the Vampire within me seemed to crave danger.

  “You know Aeron, Desmond would have kissed me by now. I think you are losing your touch, old man.”

  His eyes flared with rage. He slammed his fist into the tree trunk just above my head, sending a chunk of the tree exploding past my face. “Dammit, Valkyrie! This is not a game; don’t you get it? There are dangerous Vampires looking for you. Do you think any of us want to see you crucified again?”

  I arched my back, pressing myself against him. I watched the shudder that coursed through his body at the contact. He looked on edge, about to lose his control. His head dropped down another notch closer to my face, his lips hovered above mine, so very close, sending a thrill down my body. I felt all of my senses go into overdrive. I wanted him to kiss me. I despaired for him to kiss me, like a need I had long weathered, I thought I might die if he didn’t kiss me. I watched as his fangs descended. My breathing was now shallow, rapid.

  He smiled at me then, and I felt my heart skip a beat. “Funny, I don’t remember you wanting me this much when I was yours to have, Valkyrie. I’m afraid that ship has sailed. Maybe Desmond will be receptive, if you can find him.”

  Just like that, he was gone. Vanished into thin air, and I was left vulnerable and disappointed. My body rebelled at the loss of his body pressed against it. I sucked in a breath, trying to center myself. Straightening from the tree, I needed to run. I pumped my legs at full speed, becoming a blur as I sped through the forest, dodging trees and boulders, along with the occasional person. Finally coming to a stop, I stared into the meadow ahead of me.