I frowned at it as another golden footprint appeared further away.
I adjusted my grip on Tempest and followed the trail through the pounding rain.
I passed by my parents’ tent and my brother’s. The trail wound its way further through the camp, beyond the horses who huddled together to try and escape the worst of the storm. Baltian lifted his head and whinnied hopefully as he spotted me but I couldn’t spare him any attention.
The footprints drew me further into the night, away from the camp towards a sheer cliff lined with pale rock. Further and further I walked, until the camp was far behind me and the cliff towered overhead.
Lightning flared above me and a figure appeared at the base of the cliff. She sat on a throne which seemed to grow from the ground itself. Each time I tried to look at her, my gaze fell upon the throne instead. It seemed to call to me, offering me everything and promising nothing at once.
Its legs were roots which twisted into a thick trunk lined with glimmering golden bark. The back of the throne rose up behind the figure who sat on it, splaying into branches which rippled in a faint breeze, much more gently than the raging storm which buffeted me. Along the branches golden apples sparkled appetisingly. The sight of them filled me with a longing I couldn’t understand. They called to me, whispering promises of dreams fulfilled and life never ending.
I took a step towards them, my hand raising as if to pluck one from the closest branch.
With a growl of irritation, I dropped my hand and forced my eyes away from the temptation of the fruit. Those thoughts had not been my own and I wouldn’t let my fate fall on the bite of some apple.
Finally I managed to look upon the face of the goddess who sat on the throne. I didn’t need to have seen her before to recognise her. I knew who she was in the pit of my stomach.
Idun smiled as my gaze met hers. Her face was beauty beyond words. My heart stumbled in my chest as I took in her full lips and shimmering skin. Her hair was the same bright gold as the apples which adorned her throne and it trailed down the full length of her body, pooling around her bare feet in swathes as soft as silk.
The rain didn’t touch her. She sat in an impossible bubble of calm amidst the raging storm which fell on me.
“I’m impressed,” she purred and her voice was deep and seductive. “Not many men can resist the temptation of my immortal fruit. But you are no ordinary man are you?”
“I do not compare myself to other men,” I replied fiercely. An ache of longing filled me and I was struck with the urge to throw myself at her feet, begging for a moment in her arms. “Your tricks won’t work on me.” I pushed aside the desire to worship her and stepped closer, entering the pool of warmth which surrounded her. The pounding rain withdrew and only the water dripping through my hair remained.
Idun surveyed me through narrowed eyes, a small smile pulling at her lips. Her dress was a living carpet of vines and flowers which twisted its way around her figure, blossoming before my very eyes. “No, there’s nothing ordinary about you at all.”
“I wish to be free of the promise I am to make today. Don’t ask me to take Valentina as a bride; the only thing I’ve ever wanted for myself is love. I will give you anything else. Everything else. But please don’t take that from me.” I gazed at her imploringly, hoping to find some humanity in her glassy eyes.
“And what of that which has been taken from me?” she asked and a hint of rage laced her tone. “Who will set that right for me?”
“I will,” I replied instantly. “Only tell me what it was and I will return it to you.”
She laughed and the sound was a dark thing which mixed with a rumble of thunder from the sky above us. “The thing they stole was their immortality. Your people have tried to right that wrong for two hundred years already and to no avail. I created your kind to do just that but I have been sorely disappointed. I saved a pregnant girl from the Revenants’ village when they were in the first throes of their bloodlust. I gave her much more than I should have and created a village of warriors strong enough to protect her unborn twins and save her bloodline from the vampires. In return all of them swore to destroy those creatures but none of them succeeded. What makes you think you will be able to do what they have not?”
“I don’t understand.” I knew that she had created our people to fight the vampires and end their curse but I had never heard of them stealing anything from her before now. If all she wanted was their deaths then I was already committed to delivering that.
She stood and approached me. The urge to drop to my knees flooded through me but I did no such thing and she smiled as she reached out to touch my chest. The vines which created her dress shifted, exposing much of her flesh and drawing my eyes to roam over her. My body shuddered with desire as her hand skimmed across my skin and she circled behind me but I didn’t move.
“Of course you don’t understand. You mortals never do. What I desire is the return of my reputation. I am the keeper of immortality and I never offered that gift to the Revenants. While they continue to live, I continue to suffer the shame of their creation. If you want my help then finish what your ancestors started.” She moved back in front of me and I shivered as she removed her hand from my skin.
“My life is devoted to destroying the Revenants already; I took my vow two years early. If you need further proof of my dedication-”
“Your dedication doesn’t interest me,” she hissed. “You are all so dedicated to the task and yet you are no closer to achieving it than you were when I created your kind. All four Revenants still roam this earth, mocking me with their very existence.”
“Tell me what you do want then.” Desperation clawed at me. I needed to be free of this betrothal.
Idun sat back in her throne and plucked an apple from its branches. She took a bite, her eyes staying on me as juice poured over her bottom lip and her dress blossomed with white flowers, covering her exposed skin once more.
“Prove your dedication,” she said quietly. “If you wish for true love then you shall find it... eventually. Once you’ve proven yourself to me.”
She snapped her fingers and my heart thumped solidly in my chest as her power washed over me. I buckled forward as something flowed through my body, rocking my soul so that it felt like it wanted to burst free of my skin. I gasped, plunging Tempest into the ground as I used it to hold myself upright and the wave of power slowly faded away again.
“So that’s it?” I asked. “I don’t have to go through with my betrothal to Valentina?”
Idun laughed again and the storm roared beyond our cocoon of warmth. “Oh you’ll have to go through with it alright. You shall seal your betrothal when the sun rises this very day. You want to prove yourself don’t you?”
“But I thought-”
She waved a hand, silencing me. “Many challenges will come your way now Magnar Elioson,” she promised. “And if you manage to pass every test then your reward will come to you. True love,” she sighed like the idea appealed to her. “But you cannot falter. You cannot fail. You will end the vampire curse and remove the gift of immortality from those who should never have been offered it. Or you will die trying.”
I opened my mouth to respond but lightning flared so brightly that I was forced to close my eyes. The pool of warmth that surrounded me disappeared and the freezing rain slammed down onto me once again.
I opened my eyes and the goddess was gone. I was alone in the rain with nothing but the hope that she would keep to her promise. I had to follow my vow and end the Revenants. And perhaps one day I’d be able to find my own happiness in return.
By the time I made it back to camp, the storm had blown itself out and all that remained of it was the deep puddles and thick mud between the tents. A sliver of sunlight had crested the horizon and I could finally see clearly in the growing light.
I didn’t know if my interaction with the goddess had helped me or not. My position hadn’t improved but she’d given me hope that it might. I only had to p
ass whatever tests she lay before me and destroy the Revenants. The fact that our people had been trying to do so for hundreds of years didn’t deter me. I had always been dedicated to finding and eradicating them.
The fact that she had said all four of them still remained stirred a feeling of unease within my chest though. There had been no sign nor report on the whereabouts of Erik in over a hundred years and my people had begun to believe him dead. If he’d managed to remain hidden for so long then finding him now may prove to be very difficult indeed. But I would rise to the challenge. Perhaps the deaths of his siblings would draw him out of hiding.
People were waking and leaving the shelter of their tents as the sun began to climb into the sky. I doubted sleep had come easily to many while the storm raged.
As I closed in on my tent, someone stepped into my path and I blinked heavily as my gaze landed on Valentina. She was dressed immaculately in a deep blue gown which was cut low, exposing much of her chest and leaving her stomach bare. I let my eyes trail over her appreciatively. It wasn’t as though I didn’t desire her as I would any beautiful woman. I just didn’t know her at all.
“I came looking for you at your tent, I thought we might have breakfast together,” she said, her eyes searching my face for something I doubted she would find. “I thought maybe we could get to know each other a little but your brother told me you weren’t there. Where have you been?”
I glanced down at myself. I was half-dressed and soaking wet. It was clear I’d been out in the storm and no doubt she was wondering if I was insane.
“I needed to clear my head. Breakfast sounds good though.” I offered her a faint smile and her eyes lit up.
Julius appeared behind her and I turned my attention to my brother.
“Been walking in the storm Magnar?” he asked with amusement. “No doubt you were tossing and turning in your bed all night with the excitement of today and could hardly sleep.”
“Something like that,” I replied.
“I got quite the surprise when I came looking for you at dawn. To find your bed... abandoned like that.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively and I knew he’d found Natalia precisely where I’d left her. Perhaps bedding the stolen girl the night before my betrothal hadn’t been the best idea I’d ever had. I guessed I owed Julius for covering for me.
“Thank you for your concern brother. I was just about to have breakfast with my bride to be. Perhaps you could make sure my tent is tidied before I return.”
“No doubt you’ll reward me well for such service. Save me some breakfast.” He smiled at Valentina and turned away, heading towards my tent. I knew he’d arrange for someone to return Natalia to her village and she’d be long gone before Valentina even remembered her existence.
“Your brother is still unsworn?” she asked me as she watched him leave.
“For now. We plan to have his prophecy told after his sixteenth birthday so that he might also take his vow early.” I turned away from Julius and led her through the tents towards the campfire which was being built up again after the rain.
“You must be so proud to have taken your vow early,” she breathed, laying a hand on my arm. “No one has ever done so before.”
I wondered why she was telling me something I already knew but I murmured some response in agreement.
“So do you often go walking in the rain?” she asked and I was reminded that she belonged to the Clan of Storms. Perhaps walking in such weather was normal for her people.
“I was searching for... answers I suppose. But the goddess wasn’t very forthcoming.”
“The gods often speak in riddles,” she agreed. “Did you find any clarity?”
I half considered telling her about my encounter with Idun but I doubted she’d appreciate the fact that I’d gone to beg to be released from the promise I had to make her.
“I suppose I did find clarity,” I agreed eventually. I knew now that I had to prove my dedication to the goddess. I had to do this and anything else she asked of me if I ever hoped to find love for myself. So I would lock myself into this betrothal but I intended to follow my mother’s advice too. I wouldn’t go through with the wedding unless my hand was forced by another prophecy or if by some miracle I fell in love with the girl walking beside me.
I took a seat on one of the huge logs which sat around the campfire, choosing a spot away from the unsworn as they worked on preparing breakfast so that we could have some privacy. Valentina dropped down beside me, angling herself towards me.
Guilt stirred in my gut as I looked at her. It wasn’t as though she’d asked for this either but she certainly seemed more willing to accept it than I was.
“Is this betrothal truly what you want?” I asked her quietly.
“Of course it is,” she replied, her dark eyes finding mine. “Don’t you want it too?”
I couldn’t force my tongue to bend around a lie so I offered her something else instead. “What man wouldn’t desire a woman like you?” I reached out to brush her hair back over her shoulder and she smiled. She was certainly appealing if nothing else.
“I know I’ll make you so happy Magnar,” she breathed.
Before my mind could conjure up a response, she leant forward and pressed her mouth to mine. Her lips were warm and firm against my own but the heat of them didn’t ignite anything within my soul. She slid her hands across my chest as she deepened the kiss and I kissed her back, fighting against the urge to pull away. Perhaps I wasn’t being fair to her. Maybe I was so sure I wouldn’t feel anything for this stranger that I was blocking off the possibility of it. But nothing about the two of us felt right to me. I wasn’t even drawn to her in the way I had been to other women before her. She just wasn’t the right fit for me.
My father cleared his throat from somewhere close by and I took the opportunity to release myself from her.
“I’m glad to see the two of you are getting along.” His gaze met mine and I was sure he could see the reluctance in my eyes. He reached out and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “The sun has risen, it’s time to make this betrothal official.”
Valentina jumped to her feet and hurried past the fire to join my mother who was waiting for us. My father held me back as I moved to follow.
“I know it doesn’t feel like this is the right thing now,” he murmured. “But I hope that in time you will come to see that following the path laid out by the gods will always work out for the best. Your sacrifice will be rewarded.”
“I know,” I replied. Idun had told me so herself. I had to face this challenge and any more that came after it. In the end I had to have faith that it would be worth it.
“I’m proud of the way you are dealing with this. It is a lot to take on at such a young age. You need to seal the betrothal today but your mother suggested we hold off on the wedding until after your training is completed.”
“She did?” I looked across the fire to my mother who gave me a knowing smile. There was no set time for how long a warrior's training would take but I’d only bonded to my father a week ago. At the very least this would buy me a year. Likely more.
“Would you prefer that? As Earl it is up to me to decide, if I say your training must take priority then none can go against me.”
“I would.” I practically sagged with relief and I reached out to grasp his arm. “My training is the only thing I want to focus on at the moment. I haven’t learned enough myself to consider marrying and having children yet-”
“I wouldn’t mention grandchildren to your mother if you want to keep her on side with this. If she thinks the situation will bring babies for her to fawn over then she’ll be all for pushing you into it as soon as possible,” he chuckled. “I fully realise she is steering my hand in postponing this union.”
I released a breath and smiled with a little embarrassment. Perhaps allowing my mother to fight this battle for me wasn’t becoming of a sworn slayer but I didn’t care. I would take whatever help I was offered in this matter.
&nbs
p; Father laughed, placing an arm around my shoulders and drew me after Valentina to a clearing beyond the fire. I’d knelt in that dirt just nine moons ago and taken my vow. My father had agreed to train me and the skin on the back of my right hand had been marked with a crescent binding us together. I brushed my fingers over the mark now. It had felt like freedom at the time, now it felt like a trap.
The rest of the Clan gathered around and I caught sight of Julius watching me with pity in his eyes. For all his teasing, I knew he was probably the only one here who fully appreciated what doing this was costing me.
I took my position in the centre of the circle created by my people and Valentina stood opposite me. The rising sun shone down on us and I felt the air humming with a touch of the power I’d felt last night. The goddess was watching. Making sure I kept to my word. I wouldn’t disappoint her.
My father moved to stand beside us, lifting my hand and placing it over Valentina’s heart. I could feel it beating solidly beneath my palm. He lifted her hand next, placing it on my chest too. My heart rate picked up but it wasn’t through excitement. It wished to be free.
“Those gathered here will bear witness to the binding of your souls. Speak the words and let your lives be tied together from now until death divides you. This promise will lead to your union and the birth of blessed children. Do you understand the oath you are making?” my father asked loudly enough for everyone gathered to hear him.
“Yes,” Valentina replied firmly and I nodded. I knew what I was about to do and my heart was heavy with it.
“Valentina of the Clan of Storms, do you claim this man?”
“I claim Magnar Elioson of the Clan of War to be my betrothed. My heart is his. My life is his. We will be one.” Her eyes danced with excitement and for a moment I thought I saw lightning flashing within them.
“Magnar of the Clan of War, do you claim this woman?” my father asked.
A long beat of silence passed before I forced the words from my mouth. “I claim Valentina Torbrook of the Clan of Storms to be my betrothed. We will be one.”
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 37
