Valkyrie Blade (Valkyrie Bound #4)

Chapter Three

Malachi

" M alachi, wake up."

I jolt awake as Marion's urgent, frightened whisper reaches me. I reach for her immediately, but she's no longer in the bed with me.

"Valkyrie?" I rumble, swiping a hand over my eyes to clear the sleep from them. I lift my head, spotting her standing beside the cracked bedroom door, peering out into the hall with her arms wrapped around herself.

"There's something wrong," she whispers, glancing back at me with wide, frightened eyes. My brows furrow as I haul myself to my feet, my protective instincts soaring in the face of her fear. I don't like it. She should feel safe here at all times. My job as her mate is to ensure she feels safe.

And yet, she doesn't feel safe here. Ever since she woke two days ago, she's been on edge. Anxious. Every little noise makes her jump. Every new voice has her reaching for me. Leaving her side kills me because I know she spends every moment huddled in the bed, afraid and searching the shadows.

And I cannot tell her that all is well because it isn't. While she slept off the drugs the Forsaken used to keep her complaint, our world splintered apart.

Abigail willingly allowed herself to be taken by the Forsaken to ensure one of her visions didn't come to pass. They chained her and tormented her, trying to turn her against the Fae. The Forsaken now have the blood of four of the Valkyrie, possibly all five.

Even worse, Abigail is convinced they intend to use her to turn her sisters to the Dark. If she falls, we all fall.

"Don't tell us what to do, Dax!" Rissa's raised voice echoes through the house. "We're capable of making our own decisions."

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do. But you aren't listening to reason, elskan-ljós . The three of you cannot use soul magic!"

Helvete . They're arguing again. The last few days have brought a lot of arguments for the Fae and their mates. Ever since we rescued Abigail, my brothers and their mates have been at odds over how to proceed.

War is at our doorstep. The Forsaken have an army. And we're still one Valkyrie short of the five we need to restore the portal and keep the Forsaken from gaining access to the souls of the dead.

After millennia at war, a few hundred years on earth have turned us soft. We're floundering without clear direction.

If this were any other war, we'd attack. The Fae do not play defense. But this is unlike any other war. The stakes are higher than ever, our numbers are too few, and the women we're meant to protect too precious. It doesn't matter if we survive—only that they do.

But convincing Valkyrie to see reason has always been a gamble. A Fae was lucky to walk away in one piece from an argument with a Valkyrie. It seems their daughters are no different. They're stubborn, willful, and determined to put themselves in harm's way.

"We are soul magic," Rissa growls. "If anyone can use it safely, it's the three of us."

"She's right, Dax," Tori says.

"Nei," Reaper snarls. "She is not. You are not doing it."

"What's happening?" Marion asks as I step up beside her, gently drawing her away from the door.

I push it closed with a sigh, muffling the sound of the argument below. "Your sisters and their mates do not agree on opening a portal."

"A p-portal?" Marion gapes at me, fear drifting through her expression. I've been careful since she awoke, trying not to reveal too much too soon. She needed to heal and rest, not worry about war and death. But the time for going slow is quickly passing. "You mean like the holes the Forsaken use?"

"Ja."

"We can do that?"

"It seems so, ljúfr ."

She processes this revelation, swallowing hard. "Is that why the Forsaken want us so badly? My mother said…"

I meet her emerald gaze, staring intently. The mere hint that her mother knew anything about what's happening catches me off guard. It's the first she's mentioned it. Was her mother Blooded?

"Said what?" I ask, gently probing for more.

But she clams up like usual when I ask for any information about her past, shaking her head as she averts her eyes, refusing to look at me. But I see the little flicker of guilt in her eyes, and it worries me. Whatever she isn't saying is hurting her.

There are secrets lurking behind those striking eyes, truths I need to know. And they're hidden behind something she's ashamed to tell me. But after everything she's endured, getting her to open up is easier said than done.

She's a frightened little lamb, desperately trying to cling to bravery she doesn't feel. She needs time. But I'm no longer sure we have that.

I take a deep breath, choosing my next words carefully. "The Forsaken are after the Valkyrie because of an ancient prophecy," I explain. "It foretold the arrival of five Valkyrie who would either defeat the Forsaken, or usher in the end of the nine realms."

Her eyes widen, a flicker of fear dancing across her face. I ache to pull her into my arms, to shield her from the dark truths that are now part of her life. But she needs to know.

"You're one of those five, ljúfr ," I continue softly. "Rissa, Abigail, and Tori are three others."

"And Kara," she whispers.

At the mention of the last name, I glance at her sharply. "Kara?"

"I…" She licks her lips, uncertainty etched across her face. "My mother said I was supposed to find you. That the Forsaken were coming for me, Rissa, Abigail, Tori, and Kara. She said the Fae would protect us."

Shock ripples through me. "Your mother knew all of the Valkyrie?"

"I don't know." She presses her hands to her temples, massaging as if her head aches. "I never even met her until the night…" Her voice breaks, and she trembles, the weight of her past crashing over her.

I can't resist any longer. I pull her into my arms, stroking her fiery curls, silently vowing to slay any demon that dares haunt her.

"The night the Forsaken came for me, my parents came to warn me…" Her words are muffled against my chest, but I hear her pain. I feel it tearing at my heart. She may not have known them, but she grieves them regardless.

"Warn you about what, ljúfr ?" I murmur, holding her tighter.

"The Forsaken." She swallows hard, clinging to me like I'm an anchor, rooting her to earth. "They told me to find the Fae. To tell you that the Forsaken were coming."

Faen . How the fuck did her parents know about us? About the Valkyrie? Even if they were Blooded, it doesn't make sense. None of us knew who the Valkyrie were until they were plucked from the tapestry of fate one by one.

Marion's sad sigh has me filing the question away for later.

"My whole life, I saw her watching me, Malachi," she whispers. "I thought she was a figment of my imagination, but she wasn't. I think she was watching over me."

"I'm sorry, ljúfr ." I brush my lips across her temple, trying to soothe her. But she tips her head back, and my lips graze hers instead. I groan at the taste of her, the feel of her soft lips against mine igniting a fire inside me.

The way I want this woman is terrifying.

For millennia, I've wondered what it would be like to have a mate, to know love. But I knew long ago that those things weren't for me. Fae warriors sworn to protect Valhalla don't mate. We gave up that dream when we swore our oaths. And yet, I craved it anyway.

Now, she's here in my arms…and I'm fucking terrified I'll love her wrong. That I've spent too much of my life at war to ever know true peace, and too much of it being a rock for my brothers to ever be the shelter she deserves. This tiny, beautiful Valkyrie deserves the world. All I have to offer is a battle-weary Fae who hides behind laughter and jokes.

It's not nearly good enough for her.

"Please," she whispers, her plea wrecking me. "Kiss me, Malachi. Just once, teach me what it feels like to be wanted."

Every fiber of my being aches to lose myself in her, to show her just how desperately wanted she is. But the weight of duty, of destiny, hangs heavy. We teeter on the edge of a precarious precipice, the fate of worlds resting on the delicate balance between love and war.

How can I protect her while empowering her to fulfill her fate? How can I be both her shield and her sword against the darkness? Questions swirl like storm clouds, even as her intoxicating scent invades my senses.

Faen . Somehow, some way, I will keep her safe. Even if it means shattering realms and defying the very weavings of the Norns. There is no other choice.

I slip my hand into her fiery curls, angling her head back until her eyes meet mine.

"Just once? Nei, Valkyrie," I breathe against her lips, need pounding through me. "Not just once. You aren't wanted just once. You're wanted always."

She whimpers my name, a delicate, greedy sound that unravels me. I swoop, claiming her lips in a searing kiss that sets my soul ablaze. Desire sings to life between us, vast and infinite. My pulse pounds in my ears as I lick into her mouth, tasting her, savoring her. Claiming every piece of her soul as mine.

She trembles in my arms, opening her soul to me without reservation. I crawl inside and take up residence there, carving out a spot for myself. Burrowing so deep she can never root me out again.

"Mine," I vow against her lips, dragging her closer. My hands roam down her body, exploring in a way I've ached to do since I first scooped her into my arms. Her full breasts overflow my hands. "You belong to me, ljúfr ."

She sobs her agreement, clawing at my shoulders, her nails digging in deliciously. I pinch her nipples, making her sob again.

Part of my mind tells me I should stop now, that I've gone far enough for one day, but I can't stop now that she's in my arms and my hands are on her.

I slide my hands down the roundness of her belly, eagerly seeking the heat between her legs.

I slip a hand between her thick thighs, pressing against the heat of her sex through her pants.

Her eyes fly open on a gasp, locking with mine.

"This is mine too, ljúfr . When you're ready, you'll know what it is to belong to this Fae in every single way."

"Please," she gasps. "Please, Malachi."

Unable to resist her sweet plea, I grind my palm against her, tormenting us both.

Her Light spills across my skin in a hot rush as she comes apart in my arms with a keening cry.

Her knees buckle as she shatters, but I scoop her up easily, carrying her to the bed.

I croon to her in ancient Fae as she shivers and shakes through aftershocks, my hands running up and down her sides.

For long moments after she settles, I simply hold her close, more at peace than I've ever been. My mate, my Valkyrie, is satisfied and safe in my arms. I would kill for this. Die for this. Without question or hesitation.

The same instinct drives my brothers. We were designed to defend and protect our mates above everything. It's who we are. But we can't do that now, not with the Valkyrie.

Keeping Marion safe means fighting our nature. It means pushing when we shouldn't. The thought twists like a blade between my ribs. But the Norns didn't bind Fae warriors to Valkyrie souls just to coddle them. They sent us to bathe them in Light to ensure that no matter what Darkness they faced, the Light surrounding them always shone brighter. That's the Fae role in the coming war—to be their shield so they can be the sword.

Unless we're willing to do what we must, to put everything on the line, we've already lost. And so have the Valkyrie.

They cannot fall. Even if it costs every Fae life, they cannot fall . And we're out of time to learn to accept that we can't protect them from the dangers hunting them. Whatever risks they have to take, we have to allow it. Whatever pain they have to face, we have to help them do it.

War is upon us. I feel it like an ice storm rattling the shutters, seeping beneath the door. It's here. And it's here for them.

No part of me relishes what I have to do, but for her sake, I have to do it.

Forgive me, Valkyrie , I pray silently.

"We were trapped here when the portal to Valhalla fell," I murmur into her hair after a moment. "We still don't know if the Forsaken shattered it or if it sealed itself when they attacked. But the result was the same—we were stranded here while they were cut off from harvesting souls."

I brush an errant curl from her cheek. "They need the five of you to reopen the portal, ljúfr . And we need you to free the souls trapped in limbo just beyond the Veil. If we lose…"

"The end of everything," she whispers, shivering in my arms.

"Ja, the end of everything." I press a kiss to her temple, breathing in her scent—honey and sage and home. "We aren't going to allow that to happen, ljúfr . I vow to you that we will win this war." I pause, steeling myself for what I have to do. For what I need her to do. "But I need you to tell me everything you know in order for us to do that."

"Malachi, I…"

"I need to know about the night the Forsaken took you, about what happened to your parents. It's important, Marion."

She lifts her gaze to mine, blinking rapidly. The suspicion in her emerald eyes sends my heart plummeting. "Did…did you do that to make me talk to you?" she asks, scrambling from my lap. My arms fall from around her, aching from the loss of her warmth. "Is that why you've been so nice to me?"

Faen . Is that what she thinks? That I'm only here because I have no choice? Because I want something from her? Already, I'd rip my heart out and hand it to her if that's what she demanded.

"Nei," I growl, rolling swiftly off the bed.

She practically darts across the room, keeping distance between us. "You…t-touched me, told me those things just to get me to tell you about my parents," she whispers, her voice quivering.

"Nei," I growl again, stalking slowly toward her. "You know I did not."

"Then why are you pushing this, Malachi?" she cries, tears welling in her eyes. "Why now?"

I don't say anything as I approach. Instead, I take one careful step at a time, trying not to frighten or overwhelm her. But she's already frightened and overwhelmed. And as soon as I get close, she tries to dart away again.

I grab for her, pulling her up against the hard wall of my chest.

"Let me go," she growls, jerking against my hold, but I'm far bigger than she is, able to contain her with ease.

At least, that's what I think until she blazes like the sun in my hands, and a blast of scalding Light rips through me. It doesn't necessarily hurt, but it stings like a bitch.

I release her with a gasp, stumbling back a step.

She wheels around to face me, her eyes wild, a tiny blue dagger glowing in her hands.

Helvete. She wields a blade like a Fae.

Who is this Valkyrie?

"Don't touch me, Malachi," she whispers, her voice strained, edging toward desperate.

"Nei, I won't, Valkyrie." I hold up my hands, showing her that I mean her no harm. "Release your weapon. Talk to me."

"I don't want to talk!" she cries, a tear slipping down her cheek. "Don't you get it? I don't want to…I don't want…" Her shoulders shake, the blade wavering.

"Don't want what, ljúfr ?" I ask, my voice soft.

"I don't want to remember leaving them there to die!" she sobs, the blade winking out as her knees buckle. "They t-told me to run, and I did. I j-just…left them there!" Her expression crumbles as she collapses beneath the weight of her grief.

I'm at her side in two steps, pulling her into my arms as she cries in a way I doubt she's cried since the Forsaken ripped her from everything she knew. Sobs wrack her body, tears pouring from her.

I tuck her face against my shoulder, rocking her gently in my arms. Each shuddering gasp twists like a knife in my heart. I did this. I pushed her, demanding she face this. I can tell myself that it was necessary all I want, but that doesn't make the sharp blade of guilt any less painful as it pierces my heart over and over again.

She may be Valkyrie, but she's a woman, too. One who has endured unimaginable trauma. One who watched her parents sacrifice themselves to save her, who was ripped from everything she knew and thrust into a world of monsters and magic. One who needs time to heal, to trust, to find her place in this terrifying new world.

Did I trample all over her fragile trust, shattering it beyond repair already? Faen . Am I already loving her all wrong?

Nei, I don't believe that. I can't believe that.

"I'm so sorry, ljúfr ," I murmur against her hair, stroking her back in soothing circles. "My intent was not to cause you pain. I intended only to help you."

But she doesn't respond, lost to the torrent of anguish pouring out of her. I rock her gently, whispering words of comfort in every language I know. Anything to let her know she's not alone. That I'm here, and I'll always be here.

She cries until she has no tears left, until her sobs fade to hiccupping breaths and soft whimpers. Until her body sags against mine, exhaustion pulling her under.

I press my lips to her crown, breathing in her sweet scent and the salty tang of her tears. "Rest now, Valkyrie. Let me watch over you."

A shudder runs through her. For a moment, I think she might pull away. But then she sags against me completely, the last of her resistance crumbling.

I gather her closer, one arm banded tight around her waist, the other cradling her head to my shoulder. In this frozen moment, as she dozes in my arms, nothing exists outside this room—no looming war, no ominous prophecies, no impossible choices. There is only Marion, soft, warm, achingly vulnerable, and mine to protect.

Gods. Who is she?