Valkyrie Rising

by GR Griffin

  The moment he had pinned her, she had gone still, not even attempt to squirm free. What was the point, when he was so much stronger than her? She had known then and there that there was nothing left for her to try. The vampire would have her, and the only victory she could take from the feeding was that she had forced his hand earlier than he had intended.

  "Why do you not struggle more?" He had demanded in a low, raspy voice.

  "There is no point. You have me effectively pinned." She had retorted. "It will not delay anything, and will only succeed in making your bite hurt more."

  "What do you know of my bite?" He had demanded.

  "I know it is nothing to be savored." She had retorted, and he had growled, affronted.

  "I can make it pleasurable for you."

  "I prefer you do not." She had hissed then, mortified at the thought. That would be the ultimate humiliation, to go to her death and enjoy it!

  "Brave little Valkyrie, so determined to die this night." He had been pressed against her body, seeming unbothered by her armor.

  "If I must die, then it is better to have guided how it will happen." She had retorted, watching as he leaned his face towards her neck. Silmeria had been pleased that she hadn't stiffened, not in fear or anger. She would be brave, and do the Valkyries honor with the valiant way she died.

  But Brahms didn't immediately sink his fangs into her, seeming content to breathe in her scent. Silmeria had wondered if he could smell the blood in her veins, wondered if he could hear the quickening of her pulse. And then he did something most surprising, Brahms actually nuzzling the flesh between her neck and shoulder. It had startled Silmeria enough to gasp, that betraying sound drawing Brahms upright.

  His expression had been nothing she had expected, Brahms as disturbed by what he had done as Silmeria had been. His confusion had been chasing away some of his previous anger, though the crimson had still flared with it. She couldn't say her expression was any less confused, Silmeria staring at him with her breath held. It would expel with her question.

  "Just why did you come to the castle?"

  "My reasons are my own." His answer had of course told her nothing of what she wanted to understand.

  "Whatever those reasons are, you took a great chance." Silmeria had pointed out. She saw then that he had known that, something like embarrassment washing over his face. But his flustered state was brief, his answers had been no more forthcoming than before. It was then that she had remembered Brahms admitting his purpose that night had been to see her. She had assumed his intent had been to kill her, but now she was no longer so certain.

  "Just what do you want from me?" She had asked, her cry frustrated, near helpless from not understanding his motivations. Even worse, he wouldn't answer, not with words. But his gaze would focus, locking onto her lips. Studying them as though they held a great fascination for him. She had come away with the feeling he wanted to KISS her. And that had confused her most of all.

  Brahms would continue his staring, and in reaction she had nervously licked her lips. His eyes had seemed to catch fire then, as though he had liked seeing her tongue's uncertain movement. Silmeria still had not understood any of what he was doing, or what he might be feeling. Nor had she any experience with being a person desired for more than her blood, or skill on the battlefield.

  She had been a complete innocent then. No experience to her name. Never had she dallied with a man, Silmeria having devoted her life early on to becoming the perfect solider for Lord Odin. She had been fighting since she was fourteen years of age, having no time for the things mortal girls would have had experience with. There had been no boys her own age that had tried to court her, none would have dared, knowing she was a Goddess chosen by Odin.

  She had missed out on so much of the things that would be normal for other girls. And for the longest time Silmeria hadn't missed those lost experiences. But as her dissatisfaction with the fighting continued, Silmeria had started to want things. To yearn for that which she had no name. She had even come to the private understanding that perhaps being given to a man would not be the horrible fate the other Valkyries envisioned.

  But Silmeria had never expected that her first real experience with being desired would come at the hands of a vampire. Especially this vampire in particular. Brahms was everything a Valkyrie should have feared, a ruthless killer of her own kind. And yet he had physical qualities a Valkyrie could also appreciate, being strong, fast and agile, skilled in fighting.

  Nor was Brahms hard on the eyes, being of pleasing face and form. Silmeria might even have deigned to admit to herself he was attractive, though she would have gone to her death denying it to him and her sisters.

  And with that acknowledgment of his appeal, she began to notice other things about him. Most particularly his nearness, his body positioned between her spread legs. There was no armor between them there, his groin touching hers through the protection of her dress' skirt. It was a vulnerable position to be in, and any intrigue she might have felt was superseded by her wariness.

  Blood she had then realized, was not the only thing he could take from her this night. And yet she wasn't nearly as frightened as she should be, Silmeria actually staring at Brahms' mouth rather than try to get free. And with that staring, she had realized how full and sensual his mouth was, even with the fangs pressing into the bottom lip. She had even taken a second to wonder what it would be like to be kissed, and her fancies had not allowed her to imagine any other man but Brahms doing the deed.

  It was unfortunate, but the vampire noticed her new reactions to him. That sensual mouth curved into a smile, his voice coming out husky as Brahms spoke. "Perhaps the Valkyrie can feel something after all...."

  "I told you." She had whispered. "I feel."

  "Yes, I remember. You love your sisters...."

  "I do...I..." She had trailed off then, having seen the way he leaned in closer. His warm breath caressed over her lips, Silmeria realizing then he really was going to kiss her. She had known then she wasn't going to fight him, even as Silmeria knew she shouldn't have allowed it. But she had had the thought, that if she was going to die that night, Silmeria would at least go to her grave having experienced a kiss.

  It would be one less regret to have, even if it was her murderer that bestowed the experience on her. And it was an experience, Silmeria gasping at the sweet pressure of his mouth on hers. She had expected him to be cold, but his lips held a fiery warmth to them. It felt as though his kiss scalded her, but there was no pain with that burning.

  His mouth lingered in place, Silmeria analyzing everything about the way he had kissed her. The way he seamlessly fit their mouths together, the vampire eating up her sounds. There was hunger in that kiss, one that had nothing to do with a vampire's need for blood. Brahms had hungered for her, for the taste of her mouth, the pressure growing stronger as he made a demand.

  She hadn't known how to kiss, but she had melted just a little beneath him. Her lips had softened, yielding to the pressure of his mouth. Brahms had been ready to take any offering she gave him, the kiss becoming open mouthed as his tongue swept inside her. The play of his tongue against hers had startled Silmeria, the Valkyrie never realizing a kiss held so much more than just touching lips to another.

  Her blood boiled with the kiss, Silmeria aware of her body in ways she had never noticed before. Her heart beat seemed to thunder in her ears, her pulse going too fast. She thought then he was the devil, seducing her so sweetly, so thoroughly with his mouth. And then she felt the hardness of his groin, pressing against her own sex. Sweet Freya she had thought amazed, marveling at his own powerful reaction to their kiss.

  It had been amazing, but it had also been frightening, Silmeria not ready for such an experience. A kiss had been one thing, sweetly arousing temptation, a memory she could hold to her even as she died. But she hadn't been ready to go any further, nor did Silmeria want Brahms to think he could just take anything he desired, especially from a Valkyrie.

/>   But it had been so difficult to break the kiss, to give up the sensations his mouth and tongue were giving her. She might have moaned then, the tiniest of sounds that made her come off as helpless. But she wasn't, Silmeria using her teeth to snap at his tongue. She hadn't bled him, thank God, but the attempt had been enough to get Brahms to pull back.

  His eyes had been dilated, Brahms looking almost blind with arousal. Silmeria had wondered what kind of expression she had shown him, though the Valkyrie had tried for anger. "That was a mistake." She had said, though something in her had protested. It hadn't FELT like a mistake, the kiss exciting, resonating deep within her. But that rightness had her rebelling, Silmeria hadn't wanted the vampire to think she had enjoyed it.

  "A mistake." Brahms had repeated, as though he was in agreement. Disappointment had flared within her, growing stronger when he stepped back. She nearly fell to her knees, so shaky had she been without his body to support hers.

  "We waste time." Brahms had continued, glancing up at the sky. She hadn't looked up, still staring at him, at his mouth in particular. She had actually wanted another kiss, had yearned for it with every fiber of her being. "Come." Brahms would pull her along by her bound arms, dragging her along the road. He would not speak to her again, nor would Silmeria try to engage him in conversation. She was too busy dealing with her startling reactions to him, and the way he had made her feel as Brahms had pressed his lips to hers.

  How much longer they would continue that way, she could not say. But they would encounter his army almost at the exact moment the Asgardians arrived. She could remember how Brahms had swore, seeming more agitated then ever. Silmeria had expected him to seize her neck as the two opposing forces drew near, but he hadn't. Instead his claws had slashed through her restraints, Brahms then shoving her in the direction of the Asgardians.

  "I don't understand you!" But Silmeria hadn't truly meant it when she cried that out. A niggling suggestion had made itself known to her, Silmeria thinking the vampire might be attracted to her.

  "Go!" He had growled at her, making a show of trying to attack her with his claws. She had leapt back on instinct, throwing her arms up for protection ."Go, and know this is not over between us!"

  Brahms had meant it too. He might not have understood the fascination she held for him, might not have realized that he was attracted to her. But he would soon! And with that realization, an obsession would be born, Brahms pursuing her relentlessly across the battlefield. But that pursuit would not begin that night, not with the vampire so at war with his own feelings.

  Silmeria had not been any better, confused over how the vampire could have come to desire her. Silmeria had felt she had done nothing to merit such attraction, to encourage such obsessive devotion. It would be a long time before the answer would come to her, Silmeria realizing at this very moment what must have happened. The vampire had recognized her for what she was, and it had nothing to do with being a Valkyrie and his enemy. The primal part of him, the part based on instinct and impulses had acknowledge her as his mate.

  Just as the primal part of Silmeria had done the same, the vampire inside her recognizing Brahms as belonging to her. But she wasn't completely happy with that realization, Silmeria gasping as she broke through the dreams and slipped out of sleep. Her eyes immediately looked towards the vampire that sat near her bed, Brahms wearing a pensive look as he stared at her.

  Immediately she flushed with embarrassment, Silmeria sure she was blushing. It was the first real blush she had ever given a man, Silmeria unused to the warmth filling her face. She wanted to lower her eyes, finding it painful to look at him. And all because she was remembering everything that had happened in the moments leading up to her forced sleep.

  She remembered how fiercely she had wanted him, how Silmeria had desired he claim her then and there. She remembered how he had reacted to her, how he had kissed her and touched her, and rubbed his erection between her legs. The recollection both made her want to moan, and cry out, Silmeria bringing her hands up to cover her face. But she couldn't hide from herself, Silmeria starting to tremble and scrabbling desperately for some kind of emotion that had nothing to do with lust or embarrassment.

  It wasn't so easy to turn to anger. But she made the effort, calling to mind the vampiress Surren. Remembering the way the woman had talked to her, baited her, and the way she had hungered for Lenneth's death. Little by little, Silmeria remembered the events that followed, the way she had attacked Surren. The fight that had broken out, extending beyond the two females to involve nearly everyone in the ball room.

  Worst of all, Silmeria remembered how effortless it had been for her to fend off her attackers. How easy it had been to give in to her rage, and go so mindless she no longer recognized anyone but her mate. But she refused to dwell on the calming influence Brahms had proven to be, instead lowering her hands and asking the question that weighed so heavily on her mind.

  "Just what have you created in making me into one of your own kind?!"

  He didn't answer immediately, Silmeria locking her anxious, accusing gaze on him. "I am strong." She stated. "Fast....I react as though I have been a vampire for years, moving with the practiced ease of an elder. That is not natural...NONE of this is natural. What happened in the ball room...I...I should have been killed."

  "You are different it is true." Brahms said at last. "You might be even more advanced than the elders."

  "Stronger than you even?"

  A faint flicker of a smile then. "I doubt it."

  "Why has this happened?" She asked. "Is it because I was a Valkyrie?"

  A quick nod from him. "Yes, I believe that is why."

  "You believe? That means you are not sure?"

  "There's never been a Valkyrie converted." Brahms told her. "There might be no limit to your powers."

  "I am an abomination." Her tone was flat to hide the sudden despair that filled her. "I am something that should have never been created.."

  "Don't say that!" he snapped harshly at her.

  "It's the truth!" She retorted hotly. "You saw what I did in the ball room, what I did to your people." She hesitated then. "Did I kill anyone?"

  "No. Mercifully you did not." She couldn't be relieved then, still remembering the angry rage that had filled her, the needs in her commanding Silmeria to fight, to tear apart anyone in range. True her targets had been vampires, but the way she had gone near mindless with the need to kill scared her. Almost as much as the thought of such rage repeating.

  "But you hurt many." Brahms continued. "One of the guards has lost an eye. Not even blood will heal that injury."

  "Blood..." She whispered, realizing something. "The vampires I injured...they will have to feed to heal."

  "Yes." Silmeria made a dismayed sound at his confirmation, having never wanted to be the cause for the vampires to go after mortals. "We barely have enough donors in the castle." Brahms added. "We will be hard pressed to find more in the coming days..."

  "The vampires will leave the island won't they?" Fear laced her words then. "To feed on the people of Midgard. And it will be all my fault!"

  In an instant Brahms had left his seat, joining her on the bed. His hands went to touch her, something that might be pity in his eyes. She didn't want him touching her, didn't want his empathy, Silmeria trying to struggle free. "Silmeria....it won't be a blood bath. The vampires will only take what they need to heal, to replenish their strength."

  "They will still feed, still make victims out of the mortals!"

  "Not all who are fed on are unwilling." Brahms pointed out.

  "I don't believe that." She told him. "Why would anyone submit to such a thing?" But then she remembered how good his bite had felt, at least while she hadn't struggled. And the memory made her blush anew, Silmeria averting her eyes from Brahms.

  "I think you need to talk to the mortals who live in the castle. Talk to and get their stories. Learn just why they are have tasked themselves with the work of feeding the vampires." />
  "As if I could ever trust what they say!" Silmeria exclaimed.

  "Why would you doubt?"

  "Your kind has fed on them. They are tainted. And even if they haven't been compelled to lie, fear alone might get them to say what you want me to hear." She was sure of her explanation.

  "We have done no such thing." Brahms told her. "And you would know that if you would feed."

  "I won't feed. Not on them, not on anyone!" She was adamant in the moment, even as her turmoil made the hunger all the worse.

  "Your time is running out Silmeria." Brahms warned her. "There will come a time when you HAVE to feed."

  She shivered in response, Silmeria knowing there was truth in his words. She would have

  to take blood, and soon, her protests be damned. Or else what happened in the ball room, would be magnified, a million times worse as she truly became a mindless revenant. Would any of the vampires being able to stop her then? Brahms might, but only if he really was stronger than she.

  A choice was coming, faster than she would have liked. She would have to feed or become revenant, might not have the luxury to wait for her sisters to come kill her. Nor could she afford to become a revenant around them, Silmeria realizing she might have to feed if only to protect her sisters from herself. Lenneth and Hrist would be horrified, but not half as much as they would be if she appeared before them mindless.

  And still she despised the choices forced on her. She might even despise Brahms, even as a part of her lusted for him. A different part wondered if it wouldn't have been better if he hadn't killed her that night on Idavoll. Certainly none of this would have happened if they hadn't kissed. But their fates had been sealed, intertwined just as easily as the pressing together of their lips. Life would continue, her destiny being played out, Silmeria unable to do anything but be swept along it's path.

  PART 2

  Chapter 21 : Twenty One

  Brahms had been impatient as he waited for Silmeria to awaken. His blood had been stirred up, his emotions in turmoil. Not even feeding had managed to bring him down from the anxieties and lusts Silmeria had awakened within him. The feelings he experienced, were at war with each other. Brahms was fighting his disappointments, as well as his hopes, the vampire remembering how Silmeria had approached him in the ball room.