Valkyrie Blade (Valkyrie Bound #4)

Chapter Two

Marion

I wake with a start, my heart pounding like a drum as I take in the unfamiliar room around me. Furs cover the floor, and ancient weapons glint on the walls, but it's the massive man hovering over me that draws my attention.

He's a giant, with umber skin and striking blue eyes that pierce through me. Beads click in his dark braids as he kneels beside the bed, moving slowly, as if he's afraid to startle me.

He's familiar, like a forgotten memory tugging at the edges of my mind.

Have I seen him before? I try to remember, but everything is a tangled snarl. My mind moves slowly. Too slowly.

The drugs.

I remember those all too clearly.

"Valkyrie," he rumbles, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine. "You're awake."

"W-where am I? Who are you?" I tremble, trying to gather my thoughts. "Are you Forsaken?"

Even as the question leaves my lips, I know the answer. This man is no Forsaken. He's too alive, too vital to be one of them. I feel him like a second heartbeat pulsing in sync with my own.

His eyes flash dangerously. "Nei, ljúfr . I am no Forsaken," he growls, the intensity of his gaze stealing my breath. "My name is Malachi, and you're safe here. You're in Eitr."

Eitr. That's where my parents wanted me to go.

"You're Fae," I whisper, realization slowly dawning. God. I'm so tired I can't think.

"Ja, I am." His stare intensifies, searing clean into my soul. "Your Fae."

His heated whisper burns through me, shaking loose a shiver. The way he says it—the way he looks at me—it's as if he's trying to communicate something without words. For a moment, I think I hear it whispering at the edges of my mind, caressing the edge of my soul. But that's not possible, is it?

I shiver again, sinking deeper into the bed.

Who is this man?

"I was supposed to find you. They told me…" I trail off, licking my suddenly dry lips. Uncertainty creeps in, warning me against trusting too easily. This could be a Forsaken trick, some way of…of what? I don't know.

"Ja, you were supposed to find me, Valkyrie," Malachi murmurs, his voice a rumbling purr of sound. "But we can talk about that later. Sleep now."

He reaches out, running a calloused fingertip down my cheek. Electricity hums beneath my skin at his touch, sinking deep into my core. Heat rushes through me, igniting hidden veins of desire.

A soft gasp escapes my lips, my gaze flying to his.

"Sleep, Valkyrie," he croons, the deep rumble of his voice compelling me to listen, to obey. "You're safe now."

Despite the questions swirling in my mind, exhaustion tugs at my consciousness. My eyes flutter.

"Just sleep," he commands gently, covering my hand with his.

My eyes drift closed, his presence a comforting anchor. When darkness claims me this time, it's peaceful for once.

The soft rustle of movement pulls me from sleep. I blink, momentarily disoriented, before remembering that I'm no longer with the Forsaken.

Malachi.

That wasn't a dream, was it?

I quickly glance around, relaxing only when I find the giant Fae in a chair beside the bed, his eyes closed as he sleeps sitting upright, one hand outstretched toward me.

It wasn't a dream.

He's real, and I'm no longer in captivity.

I exhale a soft breath and then look around. How long was I asleep? I glance toward the windows across the room, trying to judge the position of the sun. A full day, at least, I think.

I slowly creep from the bed, my bladder screaming at me. My bare feet are silent against the furs as I go in search of the bathroom.

"Trying to sneak out already, ljúfr ?"

I cry out, whirling around to find Malachi watching me through slit lids. "You scared me."

"Sorry." The cheeky grin on his face suggests otherwise as he stretches his massive arms, the beads in his braids clicking together. "You're very loud for someone trying to sneak."

"And you're very quiet for someone so large," I mutter, scowling at him. Good grief. Are all Fae so impressively large? I've seen fully grown trees smaller than this man.

His laughter booms across the room, the rich sound making my stomach flutter. "Ja, so I've been told. Where are you trying to go, Valkyrie?"

"Marion."

"Hmm?"

"You keep calling me Valkyrie. My name is Marion," I say, meeting his amused gaze.

"Marion," he rumbles, my name rolling off his tongue like a caress. The smile he gives me has electricity humming through my veins.

"Bathroom," I whisper, suddenly shy under the intensity of his attention.

"I'll show you." He rises to his feet, crossing toward me with his hand extended.

I hesitate for only a moment before slipping my hand into his. Sparks of electricity immediately race up my arm. Desire stabs into me, piercing deep. There's so much of it, pulsing like it's alive between us. It's a vast well of light pulsing just out of sight, like the sun dancing just below the horizon before it rises. It's almost like I could reach out and touch it if I wanted.

Part of me wants to do exactly that. I want to reach out and touch it, feel it pouring over me. I want to run my hands across it, through it, mold it beneath my palms.

" Faen ," he grunts.

"W-what is that?" I gasp, trembling at his side.

He ignores the question, tugging gently on my arm to get me moving. I stumble along behind him to a door across the room, stealing a glance up at his face. His expression is savage, severe…blazing with heat.

"Malachi?" I whisper, suddenly uncertain.

"All is well, Valkyrie." He squeezes my hand in reassurance before throwing open the bathroom door and then standing aside for me to enter.

I hesitate for a brief moment, prepared to press the subject before I decide against it. I quickly duck beneath his arm into the bathroom.

It's cozy, with stone walls and floors and an oversized shower. The only windows are high up on the walls, allowing natural light to spill into the room.

Malachi lingers in the doorway, his broad shoulders nearly filling the frame as he stares at me. "Take your time, ljúfr . I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"Thank you," I whisper, my throat tight at the gentle way he speaks to me. Gentle doesn't seem like his natural state, and yet it fits him well.

As the door closes behind him, I can't help but wonder yet again who he is. Or what I felt when he took my hand. I felt it the last time I woke up, too, when he touched my cheek. Whatever it is, it's him or part of him.

I ponder the question as I quickly take care of business, but every answer I come up with sounds more ridiculous and impossible than the last.

My reflection in the mirror over the sink is a grim sight. My hair is a tangled mess. Bruises ring my wrists. My face is dirty, and my clothes are torn. I look like I haven't bathed in weeks.

God. Has it been that long?

Probably.

The Forsaken took me…weeks ago. I was with them for weeks. I don't know how many. Time has no meaning when you're unconscious and drifting.

Why didn't they kill me?

I shy away from that question as I strip off my clothes, step into the cavernous shower, and turn the water as hot as it'll go. But even as steam envelops me, memories of the Forsaken claw at the edges of my mind, their ghostly whispers echoing in my ears. Panic climbs up my throat, pounding against my ribcage.

I squeeze my eyes shut, focusing on the steady beat of the water against my back.

Breathe, Marion. Just breathe.

Gradually, the tension in my muscles eases, and I'm able to finish scrubbing the dirt and grime from my body.

Fifteen minutes later, I poke my head out of the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy towel, searching for Malachi. "I don't have anything to wear," I whisper when his eyes meet mine.

He nods to the floor beside the door. I glance down and see the pile of clothes stacked there.

Gratitude whispers through me as I lean down to scoop them up. "Thank you."

He grins at me.

I scurry back into the bathroom to dress, not sure I want to know whose clothes he gave me. But the T-shirt fits. I have to roll the sweats up at the waist once to keep from tripping on them, but they fit well enough. Like the T-shirt, the socks are a perfect fit.

I emerge from the bathroom feeling more human than I did when I went in, only to find Malachi waiting for me, a tray laden with steaming dishes balanced on one broad forearm.

"Figured you were hungry," he says, his lips quirking into a grin.

My stomach growls in response, and I realize just how hungry I am. I don't remember the last time I ate or what I ate. I know the Forsaken woke me periodically to force food down my throat. But most of my time with them is a haze. I don't understand why they even bothered.

Why did they need me alive? What do they want from me? I think this man might have the answers. I'm just not entirely sure I'm ready to hear them.

I climb back into bed, dragging the blankets up over my legs. Malachi waits until I'm settled and then places the tray on my lap, his gaze locked on me.

I should feel overwhelmed by his presence, by the sheer intensity of his gaze and the way he watches me so intently. Instead, I find it comforting. It's as if nothing can touch me so long as he's near.

I'm not sure what that means, but I like it.

As I take a tentative bite of the stew, I steal a glance at him. There's something about him…it's like he's tugging at the depths of my soul every time his eyes meet mine. He's familiar in a way that makes my heart race, new in a way that sends shivers down my spine.

And when he touched me earlier…what? What was that? For a moment, it was almost as if I felt his desire, a pulsing, primal force burning brighter than the sun. But that's impossible…isn't it?

Ha. After everything I've witnessed, everything I've endured, can I really be sure of anything anymore? The old rules, the truths I once clung to…they seem to make less sense with each passing second. For all I know, everything I thought I knew about the world was a lie.

"How long have I been here?" I ask after a moment, just to hear his voice again.

His brow furrows, a shadow passing over his chiseled features. "We found you three days ago," he says.

"Do you know how long…?"

"Nei, Valkyrie," he murmurs, his hand twitching as if he longs to reach out and comfort me. "We don't know how long they had you."

I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "What's the date?"

He hesitates for a moment. "September 18th."

"Six weeks," I whisper. "They had me for six weeks, at least."

Something perilously close to fury burns in his gaze as he watches me, his jaw clenched tight. "Do you remember anything from your time with them?"

"Not much." My fingers tighten around the spoon, my appetite vanishing. "They k-kept me drugged."

"Do you remember how you ended up in their hands?"

The memories hit me like a tidal wave, jagged and brutal. I remember that part all too well. My parents sacrificed their lives to save me…and I ended up in Forsaken hands anyway.

Tears sting my eyes, and I quickly shake my head, not ready to talk about it yet. Not ready to think about it yet.

"I don't…I'm not…"

"Easy, Valkyrie," he murmurs, leaning closer, his brows knitted together. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to tell me."

"They killed my parents," I whisper, staring into the bowl. "I'm not…"

"Every Forsaken in Eitr is gone," he murmurs, his deep voice wrapping around me. "We destroyed them. But the rest will pay for their crimes. I vow to you, they will."

I exhale a shaking breath and nod. I want them to pay. I want them to burn the way my mother was burning them, especially the one who stabbed her. He was so pleased with himself.

His sick smile flashes in my mind, and I drop the spoon, shivering.

Why didn't he burn?

"Can I…hold you?"

The raw ache in Malachi's tone catches me off guard. I glance up at him, see the pain in his eyes, as if my grief is his.

I hesitate for a moment, torn between the desire for comfort when there's been none for so damn long and the fear of vulnerability. If I let myself lean on this man, I'll be greedy. I'll let myself need him. I'll take too much. I'll never want to let go again. I'm that starved for affection, that desperate to be cared for, to be loved. He'll see all my broken, jagged pieces. He'll see how much of a coward I am.

Will he regret saving me, then?

But as he holds my gaze, I find myself nodding anyway, too desperate to care if he sees it all, if he finds me weak. I'll be strong again later, but for this moment, for one day, I don't want to rely only on myself. I just want to be held.

"Yes," I whisper.

With a gentleness that belies his massive size, he carefully sets the tray aside and then lifts me into his arms. The moment our bodies touch, a wave of peace washes over me, chasing away the shadows that cling to my soul.

I burrow into his embrace, my cheek pressed against his chest. The steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath my ear soothes me like nothing ever has. For the first time, I feel like I'm precisely where I'm supposed to be.

"I'm afraid," I admit, my voice a scrap of sound.

His arms tighten around me as if he intends to protect me from my own mind. "I'm right here, ljúfr . I've got you."

I tilt my head back, searching his face for answers. "Why do I feel like I know you?"

He hesitates, his jaw clenching. "That's a conversation for later, Marion."

"Please tell me," I plead quietly. "I need something in my life to make sense."

His eyes flash with an emotion I can't quite decipher. "And you think I do?"

I pause, uncertainty swirling within me. "Right now, I think you may be the only thing that makes sense in this world," I mutter, heat rising to my cheeks. "The rest of it is terrifying and overwhelming, but you feel…like home." Embarrassed by my own confession, I scrub a hand down my face, trying to hide the vulnerability I've just laid bare to him. "Ignore me. I don't know what I'm talking about."

"Ja, you do," he growls, gently prying my hand away from my face. His striking blue eyes lock with mine, intense and unwavering. "I am your home, Marion. I'm your mate."

The word hangs between us, heavy with promise. It should feel overwhelming. Instead, it feels…right.

"Mate," I whisper, testing the feel of it on my tongue.

"Ja." His gaze scorches me, igniting a flame deep within my core. "Your soul is bound to mine, and mine to yours. One day soon, you'll learn to love me. You'll let me love you."

His words should scare me, but they don't.

Love is the one thing that still seems familiar in this world. It's the one thing I understand.

It's also the only thing I've ever wanted for myself. And in a world of Forsaken and magic…well, loving a Fae like Malachi doesn't seem all that crazy.

It seems exactly right.