Rapture (14 page)

“
Valhalla
,” Raven answered, and Raine turned her head to
see her.

“How
did we get here?”

“Well,”
Caleen said, “we were searching for you, and we got attacked. Next thing I
know, I’m being dragged into this cell as Raven and Odette are being thrown
into theirs; we all fought, so they tied us up. Then we see you getting hauled
in, bleeding from your head and completely unconscious.”

“What
did they do to you?” Odette asked from another cell.

“They
jumped me and Ferox. They … I think they cut his feet off.” A shiver ran
through her at the memory even as worry for her mate took center stage in her
mind.

Caleen
grunted. “But what happened
to you
?”

“Brick
to the head.”

“Oooh,”
they all muttered. Yeah, it still hurt like a bitch.

“Do
you know what they want with us?”

“No.”
Caleen shook her head, which was practically the only movement she could
accomplish. “I do know that Father isn’t happy with us though.”

“You
saw him?” Raine asked, her eyes widening. She hadn’t seen Father in so many
years.

“Of
course we saw him,” she replied, her brows lowering. “The portal opens right
into his hall. No one goes in or out without being seen.”

One of them does,
she thought though that was replaced by,
so he saw me.
“Right.”

Raine
turned her head toward the wooden doorway as another Valkyrie strode in. “Ah,
you’re awake. Father has requested your presence,” she said, approaching her
cell door. She produced a set of skeleton keys and selected one to unlock the
door. It swung open with a groan as the hinges grinded together. She gripped
Raine by the forearm and led her out of the prison and up a long set of stone
stairs.

“I
think I remember you,” Raine said, catching only minor glimpses of the Valkyrie
as they passed torches lighting their way.

“You
should.” They reached the top and the female steered her toward the right.
Toward their father’s hall. Two other Valkyries stood by the doors, opening
them as Raine and her escort approached. As soon as she saw the hall’s
interior, a wave of emotions overtook her. She’d been within these walls
before, and at the time at least, not many had.

The
Valkyrie walked her straight into the room and shoved her down onto a chair,
before proceeding to bind her to it. Raine was too dumbstruck with emotion to
do anything but let her.

“You
can leave us, Bree.”

Raine’s
head whipped around toward his voice, even as her sister said, “Father, you
can’t be ser—”

“That
was not a request,” Odin boomed.

Bree
quieted then and bowed her head as she scurried from the room, the expanse
echoing with the sounds of the doors slamming shut.

Raine
peered up at her father as he crossed the room and sat in his throne,
scrutinizing her with an indeterminable expression on his face. She’d forgotten
how big he was; that was her first thought at seeing him. His hair had also
darkened slightly; no longer a light blond that it used to be, it was now dark
blond with a few strands of brown. His beard hadn’t changed much, other than
growing darker along with his hair, and he still had those light blue, piercing
eyes. That was maybe the one physical attribute she did share with him. The
last time she’d seen him, he’d still worn the patch over his left eye. It had
regenerated beautifully. So perfectly, in fact, that she would have never
guessed he’d been without it had she not seen it for herself.

They
sat there for a few minutes, staring at each other without speaking a single
word. He was reading her every bit as much as she was reading him.

“How
have you been, Daughter?”

“I
have been well. And you?”

He
shrugged. “Not much has changed since you left.”

“You
mean since you banned me?”

His
eyes narrowed. “You made your choice.”

“Well,
you made it easy.”

A
half smile appeared before his lips slid back into place. “You haven’t changed
much, I see.”

“Are
you damning that or celebrating it?”

“I’m
still deciding.” Odin stood from his throne and descended the stairs until he
reached the landing she was on. She kept her eyes on him as he neared her. The
only time she let her eyes stray was when he’d walked slowly behind her chair.
“Your hair has gotten curlier.”

“I’m
surprised you can see that through the blood.”

“Regrettable,
but clearly necessary. Your sisters told me you fought well.”

“Not
well enough.” Raine sighed and eyed him again as he came into view on the other
side of her. “What do you want with me, Father?”

“Can
we not catch up?”

“You’re
the one who has me shackled to the chair.”

He
waved his hand in dismissal. “That was Bree’s doing. I couldn’t care less if
you were shackled.” Her binds immediately fell from her wrists, and she rubbed
her skin where the metal had been. “Walk with me.”

Her
gaze shot up at him. “What?”

“Let’s
take a walk. Are you not curious how your home looks after so long?”

More
than he could know; though she couldn’t consider this home anymore. Her home
was with the Guardians now, and second would be Vampur, if anyone could call it
home any longer. She nodded in response and stood.

“Would
you like to have someone look at that?” her father asked, gesturing to her
head.

“No.
I’m fine.”

“Very
well.” He shrugged and turned away, walking toward one of the doors that would
lead out of the room. Raine fell into step beside him. They walked leisurely,
and soon, they were outside in one of his gardens, with first moon bright in
the sky. First moon had always been her favorite of the two. It was bigger,
brighter, and was so much more beautiful than the other.

“Why
did you bring me back? Why send others to get me?”

Odin
continued his stride next to her, though she had noticed the quick glance he’d
tossed her way. They reached another doorway, which he held open for her,
surprising her immensely. There was a time he’d have waited for her to open it
for him. They ended up in one of the grand passageways; one that she was
familiar with. She’d seen it hundreds of times.

As
they neared the end of the hall that led to the main entrance, she slid her
gaze upward with a hitch in her throat. Attached to the wall was a ten foot
painting of her in the midst of battle. She wore no armor, had nicks and cuts
along her arms and legs, and yet, she appeared victorious. “It’s still here.”

“Of
course it is,” her father replied, sounding almost as shocked that she hadn’t
expected it to be.

She
faced him, swallowing down the lump that formed in her throat. It took a few
tries to loosen it. “But you banned me.”

Odin’s
face softened as he stepped closer to her, cupping her face in his hands. It
reminded her of so many years ago, when she’d been a young girl. Her father had
been so kind and loving, had chosen her among the many, singling her out as his
favorite and making no efforts to hide it, even though he loved all her sisters
as well. He had cared for her, told her fairy tales as he tucked her in for
bed, and hugged her whenever she’d come crying because she’d had a scraped
knee. And when she’d grown old enough to hold a wooden sword and her fighting
classes had begun, he had watched her every day during class and had taken time
afterward to train her even more, honing her craft.

He
smiled sadly. “You have always been my favorite, Raine. My banning you is, and
always has been, regrettable. I should have known that you would eventually see
the error in your ways.”

Raine’s
eyes narrowed as she stepped backward. “What do you mean?”
Her father’s hands left her face as he raised them in exasperation. “It’s
ridiculous, of course. One of my daughters, one of my Valkyries, living with a
vampire?”

“Living
with? Father, I’m in love with him.”

His
face morphed into disgust. “Still? Even after all these years? How could one
created for such greatness settle for such a lowly creature?”

“Settle?”
she gawked. She couldn’t have heard him right. Her male was everything Odin had
once celebrated. “Ferox is strong and brave; he’s a king and a warrior, and he
protects humans, which is something you used to stand for!” She didn’t miss his
grimace. “He fights every night, along with our sons and brothers to—”

“Sons?”
Odin asked, his eyes fastening on hers within an instant.

She
froze, unable to speak another word. It was true that Valkyries weren’t
supposed to be able to have children, since that was part of the blessing—or
curse, depending on who looked at it—that each of Odin’s daughters were
bestowed with before birth. The fact that her father looked so excited,
angered, and well, flabbergasted at the moment, caused a qualm in her stomach.

“So
it’s true then,” he said, his voice practically purring. “I had thought it a
jest, just someone using that excuse to reach one of the temples.”

Her
stomach churned again, the uneasiness growing. “What do you mean?”

“A
few weeks ago, a male traveled to a temple using my bloodline as his passage.”

Raine
blinked, but said nothing as her father continued.

“I
knew it wasn’t one of my daughters since the connection was purely masculine,
but I also knew it wasn’t Thor. He’d have no need to prove his worth.”

“How
do you know?” she asked. “How could you sense something like that?”

He
eyed her before peering up at the heavy canvass portraying her. He clasped his
hands behind his back. “I once held a seat within that temple, though most will
have no clue that I did. I have never technically retracted it, so I can tell
when one of my blood enters that realm.” He faced her again. “And now we can
bring my grandsons home.”

She
shook her head. “They are home. They’re where they belong.”

“You
know, that’s your problem. You’ve never been one to see the big picture. If I
have grandsons, then my army gains their strength, which means I gain their
strength. Or if they are not worthy, then they’re a blemish and should be
terminated.”

She
gasped. How could her father have grown so cruel, so uncaring since she’d left?
“They’re not yours,” she spat. “They don’t fight for you, and they don’t belong
in your army.”

“That’s
for me to decide. Bree!” he yelled, his voice booming through the hallway.

The
other Valkyrie entered the room within seconds, beelining straight for them.

“Take
her down to the dungeons and lock her up,” her father said. Bree tried to grip
Raine’s arms, effectively causing Raine to dodge her. Odin wouldn’t have any of
it, and turned his mental power on her, telepathically removing her ability to
move. She growled, trying to overpower his hold, but to no avail.

Once
Bree had her bound from head to toe, Odin loosened his mental grip. “And, Bree?
Summon the girls. I need them to acquire my grandsons. It seems their mother
has no interest in having them come home.”

“Do
you want me to send them to meet up with Halia and Morda? They’re still doing
surveillance on the … vampire.”

“Yes.”
Odin grinned. “And make sure my grandsons find their way here.”

****

“You’ve
got to be kidding me.”

Bree
smiled as a quiet chuckle bubbled up from her chest. They’d been in the dungeon
for hours, and after burning her repeatedly with a fire-hot sword didn’t break
her, Bree had gotten out her whip and slashed it against her stomach.

Raine
gripped the chain that wrapped her wrists. “I must have done something to you
in the past to really piss you off.”

“You
have no idea. How do you think the rest of us felt, watching you be Father’s
favorite?” The whip cracked against Raine’s skin. “And how you were chosen to
go to the tournament.” Another crack. “And watching Father mourn you when you
left for that … that …
leech
.” Bree
grunted as she swung the whip again and it clashed against Raine’s stomach.

“Not
my fault,” she breathed, shaking from the sound lashings.

“
Yes it is!
” Bree shouted. “It’s always
been your fault. It’s
your
fault I
fell out of favor with Father, and it’s
your
fault our mother is dead!”

Raine
lifted her head from the table, meeting the Valkyrie’s eyes. Our mother? She’d
said
our
mother. Did that mean—

“And
now you return, and suddenly you’ve born sons. Gods, how is it that everything
is always about you?”

“Bree,”
Raine said. “Are we?”

“Sisters?”
Another crack. “Of course we are, you stupid bitch. Before you came along, I
was Father’s favorite, and then our mother got pregnant again and you killed
her. Do you have any idea what it’s like to actually know your mother and have
her ripped away?” She’d said that last part with another strike of the whip.