Valkyrie Blade (Valkyrie Bound #4)

Chapter Eight

Marion

" A Fae warrior mated here on earth?" Adriel finally mutters, the vicious scar across his face puckering as he scowls. "We would have known."

"Would we?" Damrion asks. "Can we even be sure he came through when we did?"

"What are suggesting?"

"We lost thousands during the wars, brother. We were scattered across the realms. Can we really be sure no others were already here on earth, only to find themselves trapped when the portal collapsed?"

"He wasn't trapped. He w-wanted to be here." All eyes turn in my direction. My stomach flutters with nerves, and I almost wish I hadn't said anything. But this is too important. "Um…I think my mother may have been Valkyrie."

That's what the Forsaken called her the night they killed her…Valkyrie. Only, I don't think she was born on earth like me, Rissa, Tori, and Abigail. I think she came from somewhere else. Valhalla. It's the only thing that makes sense to me. I felt her power. It was immense. And the Forsaken were afraid her.

" Faen ," Reaper swears violently, his eyes narrowed. "You're saying a Fae warrior and a Valkyrie ran away from Valhalla together and were living here on earth."

"I don't know for sure, but I think so," I whisper.

"That's not possible," Adriel growls, immediately dismissing the idea as impossible.

"Why not?" Abigail asks.

"A Fae doesn't survive the death of his mate," Damrion murmurs.

"He didn't survive," Malachi says.

I gulp, staring at the ground as tears blur my field of vision. "As soon as her Light started fading, he just…stopped fighting. The Forsaken killed them both, and he didn't even try to stop them."

Malachi wraps his body around me, murmuring soothing words in my ear, but I don't want to be comforted, not this time.

"The Forsaken didn't even look in my direction," I whisper. "It's like they knew she was the threat in the room, not me. They wanted her out of the way first." My bottom lip quivers. "She knew she was going to die when she showed up at my door, but she came anyway. She needed you to know they were coming so badly that she sacrificed herself to make it happen."

" Faen ," Reaper whispers, rocking back on his heels.

His mate's cheeks are wet as she stares at me, empathy in her gaze.

"I think she's right," Abigail whispers, slipping her hand into Adriel's. "The Valkyrie didn't fall when Valhalla did. The last Valkyrie and her warrior were right here, protecting this realm."

I nod. "That's why it took them so long to find us. They kept us hidden. At least, they kept me hidden." I wipe tears from my cheeks. "When I was little, I lived with my father. I'd forgotten about it, buried the memories, I guess. But I still had dreams…"

"Dreams?" Abigail searches my face, curiosity sparking in her gaze.

"Monsters." I whisper. "Awful, evil men who hunted me, trying to hurt me." I swallow audibly. "I thought they were just dreams, but they were memories of the night I saw three Forsaken attacking him in our living room. That was the last time I saw my father until the night he and my mother showed up at my house to warn me…"

"Oh, Marion." Abigail darts forward across the dais, flinging her arms around me in a fierce hug. Tori and Rissa hurry behind her, enveloping me in a wall of support.

Malachi releases me, giving us a moment as he crosses to his brothers, murmuring with them.

"They gave you up to protect you," Rissa whispers, clinging to my hand.

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. It kills me that I forgot him, forgot that I was loved and wanted. But I went into foster care when I was four, just a little girl outside a hospital with a note in her pocket asking someone to keep her safe. I didn't even speak the first two years because I was so traumatized. Everyone assumed it was because of how I was found. Eventually, I guess I learned to believe the same thing. I forgot the truth and accepted the human version of events.

I think their version might be kinder. At least it doesn't involve monsters.

"Valkyrie."

We break apart as Malachi motions for me to join him and his brothers. I reluctantly head his way, my stomach churning with anxiety.

He reaches for my hand as soon as I'm close, pulling me up against his side. "It's all right, ljúfr ," he murmurs, his lips against my ear. "Damrion just has a few questions."

Damrion—the regal Fae with kind eyes.

I glance in his direction, trying not to fidget under the weight of his scrutiny.

"Do you know your mother's name, ást-meer?" he asks, his voice soft.

"My father called her Randgríer ."

Surprise flickers in Damrion's eyes. It echoes in the faces of his brothers. For long moments, no one says anything.

" Randgríer ," Adriel finally murmurs. "She disappeared during the battle for álfheimr ."

"Ja," Damrion agrees.

"You k-knew her?" I ask, my voice shaking.

Damrion nods. "She was a powerful Valkyrie, fierce in battle." His gaze drifts across my face. "Very wise."

"Very bossy," Reaper says dryly, earning a snort from Adriel.

"Ja. You would think so," Malachi says. "You were never good at listening."

Reaper blanches, narrowing his eyes at Malachi. "I seem to recall her threatening to remove certain parts of your body the day you decided to inform the Valkyrie that they were no longer allowed out of Valhalla without asking permission."

"Forgot about that," Malachi mutters, scrubbing a hand over his mouth.

I just stare at them in awe. They really knew my mother. They fought with her, watched over her. It seems impossible. Until now, Malachi has seemed so human to me, larger than life, but still human. He isn't though. He's thousands of years old, immortal. He's lived more lifetimes, seen more than I can even wrap my head around.

"Do you know your father's name, Marion?" Damrion asks, still studying me. He's quieter than the other Fae, more focused. I think he's their leader.

"Simek."

Damrion stumbles back a step, his face draining of color. "What did you say?"

I blink, not sure why my father's name has the stoic Fae looking so shaken. "Simek," I repeat slowly, glancing at Malachi in confusion. "My father's name was Simek."

Malachi's eyes widen with shock as Adriel reaches out to grasp Damrion's arm, as if to steady him. A ripple of disbelief passes through them.

"That's not possible," Damrion whispers, his voice hoarse. "Simek was…" he trails off, seemingly at a loss for words. His hands tremble faintly.

Fear twists my stomach into knots as I reach for Malachi. What aren't they telling me?

"Malachi?" I ask, my voice shaking with anxiety. "What's going on? Did you…did you know my father too?"

He takes a deep breath, gently squeezing my hand as if to reassure me. "Simek…your father…he wasn't just any Fae warrior, ljúfr . He was Fae royalty. A prince of álfheimr ."

My breath catches in my throat. Royalty? My father was a prince?

"I don't understand," I whisper, my mind reeling. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Adriel says, a rasp in his voice. "You aren't just a Valkyrie. You're konunga-kyn . The last Fae princess." He meets my gaze, his one-eye shining. "And you and Damrion are cousins."

I stare at him in shock, my mind spinning. The night my parents came for me, I wondered if I was human. I guess now I know. I'm no more human than the warriors currently surrounding me. "I think I'm going to pass out."

Malachi curses, leaping forward to sweep me up into his arms.

"Are you okay, ljúfr ?" Malachi's eyes track my every move as I pace circles around his chamber, my mind running a million miles a minute.

"Yes." I spin to face him. "No. Are you sure? I mean, couldn't it have been someone else? He couldn't have been the only Fae by that name."

"Nei, he wasn't." A smile flits across Malachi's face. "But you have his features, Marion."

I massage my temples, overwhelmed. Just a few weeks ago, I was an orphan, completely alone in the world. Now, I'm…what, exactly? I don't even know.

Malachi senses my distress and pushes away from the wall, crossing toward me. "Everything will be all right, ljúfr ."

"Will it?" I crane my head back to look up at him, wishing I had his confidence. "It doesn't feel all right, Malachi. The Forsaken…"

"What about them?" he asks, pulling me into his arms.

I hesitate, not sure how to even begin unraveling my thoughts. "When the Forsaken came when I was little, I don't think they came for me," I say carefully. I think hard, trying to recall that night. But my mind is like a sieve, refusing to hold onto much more than droplets of memories. "When they saw me that night, they were surprised, like I was unexpected. And then my mother…the way she talked about hiding me, Malachi. It was as if it was a new part of the plan." I meet his gaze. "I think they intended for my father to raise me."

"Perhaps they did," he murmurs, cupping my cheek. "But your safety was more important, ljúfr ."

"I know." I sigh. "I just…it doesn't make sense. Why did the Forsaken want him dead so badly back then? What were they so afraid of?" My bottom lip quivers. "What did they know that we don't?"

"I think you may be the answer to that question, Valkyrie." He draws me into his arms. "Your Light is vast. What you held today…it would have burned out any Valkyrie I've ever known, but you didn't waver."

"That wasn't me," I protest. "That was all of us."

"Nei. It was your Light combined, true. But you're the one who held it. It flowed through you, not your sisters. You were the buffer, ensuring your sisters didn't burn out." He tips my head back, brushing his lips across mine. "Your power is immense, Valkyrie. You think the Forsaken were there for your father, but I'm not as sure. If they had any inkling of the weapon you'd become, they would have done everything in their power to stop you. You were their target then, just as you are now. Simek and Rand knew this to be true. They hid you where the Forsaken couldn't follow to ensure you had a chance to become what the world needed."

"W-what am I, Malachi?" I whisper, my throat raw. All my life, I've asked myself some variation of that same question, afraid of the answer.

Even when I forgot everything else, my Light never left. I never forgot what my father taught me—how to call it, how to wield it. And in some ways, I was always afraid of it. Afraid it meant I was…bad or wrong, or something less than human.

No one else could do the things I did. Most never even saw when I accidentally called my Light. I could Light up like the sun standing in front of them, and most never even noticed, as if my fear of being caught kept them from seeing. Even as a kid, I knew that wasn't normal. I knew I wasn't normal.

But I never knew what that left. Now, this whole new world is open in front of me. I know where I belong now…but I still don't know exactly what I am. Valkyrie? Fae? Something else? Can I age? Die?

Malachi's lips brush mine again, his arms tight around me. "You are Valkyrie. You are Fae." His tongue touches my bottom lip, sending sparks of heat weaving through me. "You are Marion. And you are mine, ljúfr . My mate. My beloved. My soul."

"Malachi," I whimper, pressing myself up against his chest as tears well in my eyes. I like his answer. I'm all of those things, stitched together from the fabric of scattered realms and shattered destinies, held together by the conviction of his belief in me. And that…that's enough. With his arms around me, it's more than enough.

"Make love to me," I plead, slipping my hand beneath the steel and leather keeping his skin from mine. "Make me yours one more time before we do what we must, Malachi."

"Ja," he breathes, boosting me up into his arms. "As many times as you wish, Valkyrie."

Our tongues tangle together as he lays me out on the bed, his eyes glowing with the promise of pleasure. His hands rake up my sides, tugging my t-shirt up and over my head before he tosses it aside.

I shiver when he hooks his fingers into the waistband of my sweats and panties. With a single fluid motion, he strips them off, leaving me bare before him.

"Beautiful," he rumbles, dragging his gaze over my body, his eyes full of reverence. "A goddess made flesh."

I flush at his praise, almost certain if there's a deity here, it's him. He's so ferociously beautiful it hurts to look at him, every inch of him perfectly, fiercely crafted.

He makes quick work of his own clothes, unbuckling leather and steel until he stands before me, proudly—broad shoulders, sculpted chest, thick, strong thighs, and acres of glowing umber skin. His cock juts out heavy and hard, the tip already glistening with the proof of his desire.

I reach for him, aching to feel his skin against mine, but he captures my hands before I can touch him, pressing a kiss to each palm before setting them on the pillow beside my head.

"Let me worship you, ljúfr ," he murmurs when I meet his gaze. "Let me show you how precious you are."

I nod breathlessly, completely under his spell.

He groans his approval before dipping his head, capturing one hard nipple between his lips.

I cry out at the sensation, clutching at his braids to hold him close. His tongue swirls and flicks, sending jolts of pleasure racing through me.

Determined to taste every inch of me beneath his lips, he kisses a fiery trail down the valley between my breasts, over my quivering stomach, and then lower, settling between my thighs.

His pupils dilate, his nostrils flaring as he spreads me wide, his eyes locked on my center. " Faen , you're dripping for me already, aren't you, ljúfr ?"

"Yes," I gasp, unashamed of the depth of my desire for this Fae. He is my safety in this world, my comfort…my home. And he sets me ablaze like nothing ever has before, lighting me up like the surface of the sun. A single kiss from his lips, a single touch of his hands, and I'm on fire, desperate to burn.

His breath ghosts across my sensitive flesh as he leans in, inhaling my scent. "Ambrosia," he rumbles before swiping his tongue through my slick folds, lapping up my juices like a man starved.

My back arches off the bed as pleasure rockets through me, my fingers tightening around his hair. "Malachi!"

He groans against my sex, the vibrations making me writhe and moan. He grips my thighs, spreading me wider for his ravenous mouth. His tongue delves deep, wreaking havoc on my body.

"You taste divine," he rasps, his voice thick and gritty. "Like honeyed mead." He seals his lips around my aching clit and sucks hard, making stars burst behind my eyes.

"Oh god, yes!" I cry out, rocking my hips against his face, chasing the exquisite sensations. Pleasure coils tighter and tighter in my core as he works me over with lips, teeth, and tongue, implacable in his desire to splinter me apart.

He releases my clit with a wet pop before thrusting his tongue inside me, fucking me with deep, sensual strokes. His nose bumps my clit with each plunge, sending me hurtling toward the edge.

"I could feast on your sweet cunt for eternity and never grow tired, Valkyrie," he growls. "I love the way you taste, the way you feel. The sounds you make as I unravel you."

He's doing it now—unraveling me. Word by word, piece by piece, he's plucking me apart at the seams, reforming me in some new order, some new way. He's making me…his.

And God help me, I love it. No, I love him. Every fierce, beautiful inch of him. I would give up my life for this Fae, tear the world apart for him. In a few short days, he's become my field of gravity, a force I can't withstand. One I don't want to withstand.

I don't know exactly what I'm doing, but I want him to know…want him to feel what I do. So I reach deep, drawing my Light into me. I let it pour over him, giving him everything I have—everything I feel.

He roars as it sears into him, his body going rigid. But he isn't in pain. I know that much. I feel it. An answering Light blazes from him, slamming into me as he launches himself at me, flattening me on top of the bed.

He drives into me in one deep, powerful thrust, burying himself to the hilt. I cry out at the exquisite fullness, my inner walls clenching tight around his massive length.

He groans into my neck, his muscles quivering with the effort to hold himself still, to give me a moment to adjust. But I don't want gentle. I don't want careful. I want him wild and untamed, claiming me with the same ferocious passion burning through my veins.

I rock my hips against him, urging him on. "Take me, Malachi," I plead breathlessly. "Make me yours."

A guttural sound tears from his throat and then he's moving, pounding into me with deep, driving thrusts. He fucks me with wild abandon, his ironclad control shattering like glass.

I meet him thrust for thrust, digging my nails into his back as I lose myself to the breathtaking sensation of our bodies moving in sync. Pleasure builds and builds, coiling tighter and tighter in my core.

His Light still radiates through me, merging with my own until I can no longer tell where I end, and he begins. We are one entity, one soul, bound together for eternity.

He changes angle, hitting a spot deep inside me that has me seeing stars. I throw my head back with a sharp cry, my body trembling on the razor's edge of release.

"That's it, ljúfr . Come all over your Fae."

I sob his name as he strikes that same spot deep inside, grinding against it. My orgasm washes over me in a powerful flood, unmaking me from the inside out. I'm lost to the blissful sensations, floating in a sea of rapture.

"Marion!" he roars my name, his hips crashing against mine as he chases his own release. His thrusts grow erratic, his muscles tensing and quivering.

I feel his knot swelling at the base of his shaft, stretching me deliciously as it lodges deeper with each powerful surge of his hips. The pressure builds, pushing me higher…tipping me over the edge once more.

"Yes, Malachi!" I cry, my nails scoring down his back as he roars my name again.

His mouth comes down on mine, claiming mine in a scorching kiss as he spills into me, his seed warm as it splashes deep within my womb.

"Mine," he breathes against my lips, panting as he grinds his hips, working out every last drop. "You are mine, Valkyrie."

"Ja," I whisper, collapsing beneath him with tears in my eyes.

Even as his Light fades, I still feel him nestled into a corner of my soul as if he's taken up permanent residence there. And for the first time in my life, I don't question what I am. I know. I'm his. And this is where I belong. This is my home…right here with him.