by Trina Bates
-As much as my pride hates to admit this, it will be Caius. His stealth, speed, and claws will do much more damage than even Enbarr could manage. We can shift seamlessly, so if you need any of us, or we feel another is better suited for a certain situation, we will shift accordingly.-
-Thank you so much. We should get back. -
Cynide and Rigar dip their head and start to descend.
As much as I want to enjoy flying, I’m not able to take anything in. We need a plan and we need it now. I’m not about to leave my mother in Hell for longer than she has to be. Who knows what that sick fuck is doing to her. I can't let the thoughts about her, not even being alive, entertain any part of me. I have to believe she’s okay. I have to.
Mira:
My landing skills seem to have improved with sleep. It’s a smooth touch down, I wish the guys are here to see this one.
Rushing into the door, I don’t take into account at how large my wings really are before when I left the cabin, it was fine. I barely noticed them, but now? I’m banging them on everything and getting them stuck in the doorway.
“Fucking giant things! I didn’t even get the chance to ask Torunn how to get my wings in!” I shout out.
“Tatts, chill those luscious tits. One of the books we got from the Council’s chambers has the explanation for it. I think it said something about like ‘calm the fuck down and wish them into you.’ Seems easy enough.” Rhett laughs out, making me glare at the walls ahead of me.
“Fuck you, Rhett. I highly doubt it said ‘calm the fuck down’ but okay. Hand it over…” I stand there with my hand held out waiting for the book. He doesn’t have it, but I’ll wait.
He starts for the stairs and seeing his ass jump up, right when he was told had a light smile playing on my face.
“Woof, woof,” Merrick says imitating a dog, making me snort.
Ebbin comes from around the corner and makes a whipping motion with his hands. Rhydian stands off to the side laughing silently at them.
Rhett flips us all off as he continues climbing the stairs, not caring about the jokes that are being thrown his way.
“You guys are jerks. Ebbin, how did you shift and get clothes on so fucking quick?” I ask him with one brow raised. I’m totally confused and slightly impressed all at once.
Smiling at me he says, “Rhydian told me to keep an extra change of clothes in a bag on the porch for times like that.” He gestures towards the door.
Shrugging my shoulders, I walk into the kitchen and rummage around the fridge trying to find some real food. I’m a little sick of dried meat and fruit. I want ice cream, a burger, and some fucking chips.
I find the ice cream first, of course. Grabbing the entire quart of chocolate chip cookie dough, I dive in with the biggest spoon I could find in the drawer.
Ebbin brings me a bag of salty potato chips and all is right in my world for the moment while I alternate between the salty and sweet deliciousness of my goodies.
“So, did you come up with anything? Where do you want to go from here, Tatts?” Rhett asks as he sits down beside me handing me the book.
“Not yet, I want to get these damn things,” I wave to the huge wings still protruding from my back, “figured out and be able to sit down without feeling like I am ripping off a limb when I sit on them.” That seems to lighten the mood a bit more. Merrick shakes his head with a cute grin, Ebbin’s laughing, Rhett and Rhydian both have their lips sucked in trying to hold back laughs of their own.
Glancing down to the book, I start to flip through the pages until I find a page that has wings and the word ‘Valkyrie’ underneath.
‘Valkyrie Edeline:
Your wings are an extension of yourself. To take them in: relax your mind, feel how your wings extend and unfurl, will them into yourself. Think of your back bare and without wings. If there is any issue, straighten your shoulders and command them. Remember, they are part of your body. You are your own commander. They do not control you.’
“I swear, anytime I read, and this chick is the writer, she gets more cryptic with each page,” huffing out a breath, I stand closing my eyes and try to clear my mind.
I don’t feel anything at first. I stand there like an idiot, my nose is scrunched in concentration and my shoulders are pushed back. I can feel them, my wings, how they move when I barely shrug a shoulder or how they sputter when I stand on my tip toes.
I keep trying to get them to go in, but nothing’s working. It almost feels like they’re deliberately being obtuse, insolent little fuckers. Like they have a mind of their own. I have an image of them in my mind, gorgeous pure, ivory wings, tipped in red. Strong, wide and a sense of freedom is how I feel them. I glare at them in my mind and get a little forceful.
-You need to listen, you are not going to disobey, now get your feathered butts inside of me and listen.-
It was a long shot and yet again, still nothing.
-I don’t think that’s how it's supposed to work, Bugs, calm your mind, and WILL them back to you. They are a part of you and will listen to your commands but you have to really want it.-
-I do want it, you jackass! Why do you think I just told them all that?!-
-Telling them is the problem. Stop thinking about it and will them to you.-
Huffing out a breath, I try to really hear his words. I know what Ebbin is trying to say, but this is a little harder than that.
Clearing everything out of my mind and thinking of nothing, I feel for my wings one more time. I don’t ask, instead, I think about them just listening to my needs and wants and going in on their own.
I can feel something shift in my back, it isn’t painful, a little uncomfortable maybe, but when the strange shifting feel is over, before opening my eyes, I lift my shoulders trying to feel the heavy weight I was getting accustomed to, and thankfully, I don’t feel anything but air on my now bare back.
“Good, that was perfect. Remember that feeling, that’s how you’ll take them out and ‘will’ them back in each time. That was perfect.” Rhydian's kind words make me open my eyes, and finding him standing in front me I smile brightly and proudly into his adoring face.
He’s so fucking gorgeous. His bright blue eyes that remind me of the morning sky are staring intently at me. His wide chest and tall form, relaxed and poised in front of me, waiting.
“Hi,” I squeak.
His smile is one of amusement and love.
“Hi, gorgeous. How are you feeling?” He waves a hand at my back and I had honestly forgotten about what I just did when I saw the look on his face.
Shaking myself, I turn around, happy to see them gone, I feel like now, I can get some actual thinking done.
“Much better. While I was flying, we came up with a start of a plan.” I glance to Ebbin hoping that he was at the front of Rigar’s mind while everything was going on.
“Yeah, that’s not really what I was hoping to hear, but it’s all we have.” Turning to get everyone in on the conversation, he looks grim as he says his next words.
“We have to get into Hell, we know that Mira can teleport everyone there. Cynide has a feeling that Alastor would have taken Siv into Lucifer's realm, his own fucking castle. There will be minions and lots of ground to cover. This is going to be a hard one, there’s no way she’s going into this alone.”
I figured that Rhydian and Ebbin would be my only, ‘for sure companions’ on this trip, I’m a little hesitant to add in the other two. This is a fucking risky mission and they still have their own lives to live, no matter what our relationship is.
-You’re a little dense if you think a single one of them will stay behind. I love you, but that’s stupid to even think of.-
Cynide's chiding voice in my head makes me glare at her small frame.
-Stay out of my head you! You can’t blame me or fault me for having those kinds of thoughts. I know we’re a team, that we’re bonded and trying to work through this still, but there’s so much we still don’t know about each other!-
-Yes, but the one thing you should know, is they are with you one hundred percent, through anything.-
Shaking my head, I have to agree with her. I just hope she’s right.
“We have to go back to Yggdrasil. I need Gorumund. I think I’m going to need that sword sooner rather than later, and where is my armor?”
I hadn’t even thought about it until now. I know it was on me when I ascended. Someone must have taken it off when we got back.
Rhett raises his hand, he’s still sitting on the couch with the book in his hand. When I nod to him to speak, he points behind me.
Turning I see my gorgeous silver and red armor sitting on the small table by the window that looks out the side of the cabin.
Walking over to it and running my hands lightly over the surface, I start to think of what we left, where we left. The amazing memories, new friends, but mostly I think of Grunwald. I didn’t spend a lot of time with him, but I know if I was there now, he would have all the answers and some really uplifting words that would help me through this all.
Yggdrasil is more of a home than this world is to me now. There’s so much life, love, and happiness, to be had there. The people live in such a way they all benefit each other, everyone is equal in their own rights because they all have their own special qualities that help keep life running smoothly.
I wonder what the rest of that world was like. I saw such a small fraction of it, it’s hard to think of anywhere else when you were so attached to one part.
“I think we should stay a day here. Call our perspective peoples, and get things in order. We have no idea how long we’re going to be gone. I can get Ebbin and I an extra two weeks, how about the rest of you?” Merrick's deep sultry voice cuts through, always the planner, and the most level-headed. He might be a brute, but damn if he isn’t efficient.
Rhydian’s nodding his head at Rhett, which makes me turn my own to the side, trying to listen in on their thoughts.
-You're damn right, I’m coming. There ain’t shit that could keep me away from her and Alyria. You three asshat buffoons on the other hand…-
-Shut up, you troglodyte. Okay, I can get you the time. But you have to do something for me. I want to get Mira…-
I don’t want to hear the rest. There’s obviously a surprise coming. I might hate surprises, but I won’t ruin it for him either.
“Cynide, is there anything you can do from here right now to get any intel on where Siv might be, or where my father is? Maybe get ahold of some of the other spirits or something?”
-I wish that were an option. But no. I cannot. I can mist to Hell if you would like? Do as much searching as I can alone?-
“Oh no, no, no! Huh uh!” I exclaim with a little more fear than I mean to.
“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but I really don’t want you going there alone. What if something happened? We wouldn’t know and I know nothing of that place or how to find you. I don’t want to lose you, too.”
The sadness, simply thinking about it, has my voice wavering and my shoulders dropping in defeat. This is my fault and I can’t take someone else being taken or hurt because of me.
Ebbin's strong arms wrap around me and hold me while I try to rein in my feelings and pull myself back together. No one needs to deal with another one of my pity parties.
-I love that you care so much, but if this is what is needed of me, it would be an honor to serve you.-
-CYNIDE! You do NOT serve me. Not now, not ever. You are apart of this team, this family, as much as anyone of us. I’m sorry I made that a demand that you don’t go. Yes, there is a benefit, but there is also a risk, one that is too high for me to want to take on. We will do this how we do everything else. Together.-
If her little lynx face could smile, it would be. I can feel her love through our own little bond.
-I like that idea much better. Now, get to the rest of your plan.-
-Right!-
“Okay, so are we all good on getting the time away extended? I have to call Blue. That will be a task in itself.” I laugh more to myself, but the others know her enough to know I’m right and had a good little laugh at my words as well.
“When that’s all figured out, we’ll stay and get a few more things figured out here. We shouldn’t be in Yggdrasil more than a few hours. I want to find Gorumund, ask him about the sword and maybe find Torunn and Grun. I really don’t want to pop in without seeing them for at least a few minutes.,” I tell them in all seriousness, hoping they agree once more.
“That’s perfectly fine. I say we stay the night here and head back over tomorrow at first light. When we get everything figured out there, we should come back here, get all the provisions that Cynide might think we’ll need and leave the day after that,” Rhydian states, impressing me as he stands there stoic and ready for anything.
Rhydian’s right, but I’m worried about the time. What is Alastor doing to my mother right now? Can we really wait? I don’t want her there for longer than she has to be. This was my fault after all.
Pulling my shoulders back and holding my head higher, “I want to get to her as soon as possible. We have no idea what he is doing to her over there. I have slept enough, I can go to Yggdrasil with Cynide to get the sword. And before you try to fight me on this, I will be there with Cynide and Torunn. I bet even Gorumund would help me if anything happens. I want you all here getting some rest,” I tell them, knowing it’s a long shot, but praying they see how right it really is.
“No, fuck no.”
“There’s no way in hell I am letting you go there with no protection!”
“You can’t be serious? No, not happening.”
Ebbin, Merrick, and Rhett are pissed and this is what I honestly expected from them, what I didn’t expect are Rhydian's words.
“She’s right, and she won’t be without protection. Have you all really forgotten who and what she is? She’s more powerful than all of us combined. With Cynide by her side, they could lay waste to that entire city in a few moments. We all need the rest and she needs to do this, I think on her own. We might all want to be there, but like she has told us before, we won't always be able to. She has faith in all of us. Where is ours in her?”
-He’s my new favorite.- Cynide's joke has me laughing, but Rhydian's declaration makes me take pause and really appreciate everything about him. He really does trust me, and has faith in me. The intensity and fierce adoration in his words has my ego growing and my love for him expanding even more. It’s an amazing feeling to have someone else voice what they thought and felt about you. I’m invigorated and it helps concrete what I had said.
The others stare at him like he’s grown a second head, but soon enough, all shoulders drop in defeat and heads are nodding in agreement.
“I don’t like this, but you’re right, as fucking always,” Merrick says grumpily, turning to me with worry in his gorgeous, silver eyes.
“Can you do one thing for me?” Rhett's question confuses me. They know I will do anything for them.
“Of course,” I say addled, and thankful that I can do something, hopefully right.
“I can find you the same way Alastor did. With blood. If you give me a little of yours, if you're not back within a few hours, I can find you with your blood. I was trying it out while you were out. I took a bit of Cynide's blood, with her permission.” He quickly adds when he sees the death glare I’m giving him.
“She would run off and hide, and with her blood and essence with me, I was able to focus on her and portal in right where she was.”
I’m impressed and a little scared at that. If he’s able to that, the guys were right when I first told them about Alastor taking my blood. They had very good reasons to be scared. He could portal in and take me at any time.
- Why hasn’t he?-
I didn’t mean for that to go out to everyone, but it did, and Rhett was again the one to answer.
“Because I also went to Lyra and asked her how to h
ide essence from him. It was a hard spell, but with her help and vast knowledge I was able to get it done. He can’t sense you or try and teleport in ever. Well, if he gets your blood again he can, but I can do the same spell if that does happen,” he tells me with such hope. He’s standing tall and proud, and I couldn’t be more happy with him right now.
My heart swells at how much these men have done for me in just a few hours while I was asleep. They had taken care of my body, my heart, and my entire well being. We are, yet again, one step ahead and that gives me a new sense of strength.
Sitting down in his lap with my legs on each side of his, I put both my hands on the side of his head and kiss him. It isn’t a passionate kiss, a simple kiss to show him my appreciation. Though he’s hoping for more, I can feel him getting hard beneath me.
Smiling down at his half lidded eyes and the dopey half smile he has on his face, I wiggle my ass in his lap a bit and quickly jump off before he can do anything.
“That’s cruel and very unwelcome punishment!!” he whines out loud. I pull in my lips trying not to laugh, but the others screw me over when they start. I can’t hold it in. He throws a pillow at me but Ebbin is quick to catch it, still laughing at what had happened.
“Okay, get some rest all of you. I’m going to shower and change into real clothes,” I say, pulling the bottom of the smock I‘m still wearing and taking a quick whiff, I feel and smell terrible! “I’m going to grab a few blades and be on my way with Cynide. If I’m not back by the time you wake up, portal to me.” I give a pointed look at Rhett who nods his head eagerly.
“Come with me, we’ll get a little blood and you can be on your way,” Rhett says, holding his hand out to me.
I kiss and hug each one of my men who all tell me to stay safe and come back as quickly as possible, they all know I will.
