Rapture (17 page)

“Just before I found you.”

And he’d stopped to help her. “Why wouldn’t you just move on to
find the last … You know what, never mind.” She gripped her scroll and
unraveled it, her gaze darting over the map. She eyed him over the paper,
wondering why the male would give up his victory over this round. She studied
the map, recognizing certain geographical landmarks, before focusing on her
vampire. “You weren’t far off, were you?”

“I was close. But, now we have an equal chance at reaching it,” he
said.

“And what if there is only one treasure when we get there? Who
gets it?”

“If that happens, then we’ll figure it out then.”

She shook her head as an unintentional smile crept across her
face, barely keeping a laugh from escaping her. She truly did find his informal
speech and nonchalance refreshing, especially since she’d been trying so hard
to keep her own speech within acceptable limits. He’d certainly loosened up
since they’d first met, and she wondered if the things they had just done to
each other had been responsible for it, or if the fight had brought it on.

 
Scroll gripped in hand, she
nodded. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Chapter Fourteen

Millburn
,
New Jersey

Present
Day

Ferox
paced, eyeing the warriors whenever he met one of their eyes. “We’ve got to
find a way to reach her.” His blood boiled with rage and the ever-growing need
to find Raine. It was something akin to when he’d sensed her in danger, and
he’d done anything to reach her—even plow through a fucking car. He growled.
“What the fuck is wrong with me?”

Draven
met his gaze, a slight tick working in his eye. “Mom is your mate. Your
Instinct is probably pushing you to find her.”

He
rolled his eyes and set to pacing again. No one could find the Valkyries;
they’d up and disappeared at about the same time as Raine, which meant that no
one knew how to reach her. Every Guardian in the house was with him now,
sitting around the cream-colored living room and watching him act like a
goddamned caged animal. He halted at that thought and focused on Ally. “You.”

She
jolted in surprise and glanced up at him. “What?”

“You’re
a goddess.”

She
glanced at Draven unsurely before answering, “Yeah.”

“You
should be able to get there.”

Dellingr
shook his head. “She’s never been there, and she doesn’t know enough to
navigate—”

“Well
then you can,” Ferox said, focusing on him. He’d learned a lot over the last
few days, and knew full well that Ally was a goddess, and that Dellingr was a
Sun God. Who better to travel to different realms than the ones who were
probably responsible for their creation?

Dellingr’s
eyes narrowed. “I was about to say that I’ve never been there myself, and being
that Odin is technically the king of my pantheon, he would know immediately if
I were to go there.”

“Are
you more powerful than he is?”

“No.”
This was said with his eyes cast downward.

Ferox
sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced around the room before
settling on his two sons and Raider. “How did I get there before?”

“You
made a deal with someone,” Ethan replied. “A Keymaster, I think you said.”

He
stared at the younger one with his brows raised, silently asking for more even
as Raider nodded in confirmation.

“A
Keymaster has the knowledge of where portals are and how to navigate them from
realm to realm until you end up where you wanted to go,” Raider supplied.

“Okay,”
Ferox said, running through all of this new information. “Who knows a
Keymaster?” No one spoke up. They merely shook their heads.

“I
might know of a way we can get there,” Draven said after a few seconds silence.
“It’s not through a Keymaster, but it might still work. Demetrius told me of a
way to reach Unitas when Ally was there. I was able to reach the temple using
an Angelos.”

“That’s
dangerous though,” Ally said. “You told me yourself that they could take you to
your death as easily as they could help you to another realm.”

“She’s
right,” Raider said. “Demetrius told me of the risks. That’s not the way we
want to go.”

“But
if it means he could reach her....” Draven said.

“He’s
right. I need to find her.” His very being demanded it of him. He felt as
though he could go into a rage at any moment, barely keeping himself under
tight rein.

“You
would risk our father’s life?” Ethan asked, turning a look of disgust on his
brother.

“Of
course not,” Draven argued, scandalized. “I just know how he’s feeling right
now. I would have done anything to reach Ally. Even had the Angelos taken me to
my death I would have died knowing that at least I’d done something.”

“But
you told me yourself that you had to use your bloodline to gain access, and you
even owe her a favor.”

“And
what happens if we get a different Angelos who isn’t so forgiving?” Ethan
turned away from Draven and focused on Ferox as he leaned forward, bracing his
elbows on his knees. “The Valkyries are gone, and the Angelos really isn’t an
option. You
have
to remember how you
reached
Valhalla
before.”

Ferox
swallowed and met everyone’s eyes: each of the Guardians, their mates, and the
other warriors. He finally nodded. He had to remember. There was just no other
choice.

****

“Wakey,
wakey, little sister.”

Raine
opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as a pair of bright green eyes stared down at
her. Darla was special amongst the Valkyries, having been conceived during
their father’s phase of being immensely interested in witches. Though no one
knew their mother—or, she mentally corrected,
most
don’t know their mother as it turns out—it was rumored that
Darla’s mother was a very powerful sorceress, and that Darla had inherited some
of her mother’s magical traits. As far as Raine knew, every other Valkyrie was
the product of a human female and Odin.

“Darla,”
she said, coughing. She could still feel the nasty effects of Bree’s knife, but
feeling how bad it truly was proved impossible at the moment. She was again
shackled down, feeling manacles on both her wrists and ankles, and even one
across her stomach. Not surprisingly, she was in the same cell. Just above her
and a bit to the right was a grate that let the sunlight filter in, lighting
the dungeon. Though the torches were still needed, it was a relief to see the
bright sunlight beaming in. “What do you plan to do to me?”

Darla
grew excited at that and clapped happily. “Do you remember when.... Oh no, I
guess you wouldn’t. Well, I am just going to remove a bit of your memory. No
biggie.”

That
was what she’d suspected, though hearing it caused a qualm in her stomach.
“What part?”

Darla
shrugged. “Just the last twelve centuries or so.”

She
shook her head, grateful for that tiny bit of freedom in her otherwise immobile
position. “Please don’t, Darla. I can’t forget. I won’t.”

She
gazed down at her with an expression of mock understanding. “If I could pick
and choose the memories you needed to forget, you know I would. Oh, wait a
minute … I
can
do that,” she teased.

Raine
bit her lip, terrified of what was to come. She’d seen this done too many
times, and knew that it was going to be immensely painful. The other Valkyries
she’d seen had screamed and cried as Darla worked on them. She fisted her hands
as Darla inched in closer, her eyes swirling as she summoned her power. She
wouldn’t forget. She wouldn’t. Raine closed her eyes, keeping them tightly shut
as she forced herself to remember the past. If she refused to let her memories
go, then her sister couldn’t take them.

She
hoped.

Darla’s
face was just above hers now, her breath fanning across her skin. “Now, this
won’t hurt a bit.”

Raine
felt the pressure as Darla prodded in her mind.

****

Tournament of Legends

Day Fourteen

Raine eyed the cliff, wondering how far up the rock wall went. At
least she knew what the grapple and rope were for now, though she suddenly
wished she had acquired more than one rope. Ferox already had his put together,
and was currently winding the rope so he could throw it with ease. Raine had
connected hers days ago, and quickly pulled it from her satchel, glancing up as
Ferox released his in the air, the hook snagging on the rock. He pulled it
tight, and tested its durability by placing both feet against the wall.

“Seems strong enough,” he said over his shoulder.

“You should head up. We better make sure one of us makes it up
there first.” There was no telling how close another contestant was.

He dropped to the ground and faced her, letting the rope sway in
the soft wind. “I’m not leaving you behind.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, vampire.” She focused on winding
her rope, not allowing him to see the slight smile that formed. “I’m nearly ready
to climb up too. Now go.”

Ferox raised an eyebrow and folded his arms, planting his feet
shoulder width apart. Stubborn vampire.

“Oh, fine.” Grapple and rope tightly in hand, Raine ran headlong
for a nearby tree, her boots making crunching sounds as she propelled herself
up the large trunk and jumped, spinning in the air as she hurtled toward the
cliff face. As soon as she cleared the branches she spun the rope, faster and
faster before releasing it. The hook caught just before she reached the wall and
she gripped the rope, swinging for a time before her feet met the wall again.
She peered down at Ferox, who was staring slack-jawed up at her from nearly
thirty feet below. “Wish you would have listened to me now?” she yelled.

He set to climbing, his eyes intent on her. “Don’t worry, little
Valkyrie, I’ll catch up before you even reach your hook.”

She smiled and looked up, placing one hand over the other as she
climbed upward, bracing her feet against the wall with every foot she gained.
She was making good progress, especially considering she’d never done such a
thing, when she felt a hand on her ankle.

“Better speed up, little one,” Ferox said, a teasing growl to his
voice. He’d been right; he had caught up to her before she reached her own
hook. She squealed in delight—surprising herself—as he gave her leg a squeeze,
and she doubled her efforts, climbing the rope, and the wall, even faster.
Ferox continued to growl playfully at her, teasing that he could pass her. No
doubt he could, with as fast as he’d caught her. She couldn’t stop laughing,
finding the task much more pleasant with him as company.

They reached their grapples, dangling precariously by one hand as
they launched the hook farther up the cliff before they set to climbing again.
Only this time, Ferox did remain by her side, though his taunts and teases
never ceased. She was growing weak with laughter as his gaze grew heated and
wanting.

She wanted him too.

“How much farther?” she asked when they reached their hook for the
third time. “Can you see?”

“I think we’ll make it with one last throw,” he said. “If not, it
won’t be much more than that.”

She nodded and found a good hold with one hand as she worked her
hook free of the rock. She let the rope slide through her fingers, gauging how
far she wanted to let the hook drop so she could get a good swing on it. When
it felt far enough, she began to circle it around and let go of the rope as the
hook soared up, flying vertically just in front of the rock.
Come on, come on,
she thought,
watching the hook go higher and higher. She felt the jar in the rope and
pulled, hoping that she got a good hold. “Here goes nothing,” she said, winking
at Ferox. What had gotten into her?

His eyes glowed in response, an expression that sent tendrils of
heat through her nerves crossing his face. And suddenly, she didn’t feel weak
from laughter. Now she wanted to reach the top so she could get her hands on
him again.

So his hands would be on her.

Ferox’s grapple whizzed past her, his rope following shortly after
as it sailed higher. When it finally caught on something high above, she heard
him climb, gaining on her. He was by her side again, though no longer teasing
and taunting. He was as determined to reach the top as she was.

And now, it was no longer a joyful climb. Instead, it was a race
to the top.

She doubled her efforts again, and he responded in kind. She’d
grip her rope and pulled herself higher, and the next second, Ferox would be a
few feet higher than she. She’d catch up and pass him, only to have him beat
her again.