Gideon's Promise (Sons of Judgment Book 2) (20 page)

As though hearing him, Valkyrie rolled right under the belly of the beast and thrust up between the slits of impenetrable armor to skewer the tender meat exposed. Blood the sticky black of tar rained down the makeshift weapon and oozed down her hands. The creature shrieked and scrambled away, crashing into the dironous. It was shoved away and left to stumble weakly to one side and collapse. Its massive frame shuddered once. Then nothing.

The crowd, who had up until that moment forgotten to breathe, came to life in a frenzy of delight that was muffled only by the unsteady gallop of Gideon’s heart between his ears. A weak laugh escaped him.

“She did it!”

“I suppose she has,” Arild mumbled lazily. “But there is still time.”

Gideon slanted him a glance from the corner of his eye, wondering how any father could be so unconcerned about their daughter’s life. His own father would have jumped into the hole with Gideon, would risk his own life to protect his children and maybe that was what had Gideon so confused. Valkyrie’s family wasn’t a family. Aside from her mother who had seemed genuinely broken over the thought of her daughter’s death, no one else seemed to care. Would they even have a funeral for her? Would they care? Or would they simply toss her into a hole and walk away to never think of her again?

He turned his head back down to watch Valkyrie push to her feet, bloody horn in hand.

He would care, he thought with a deep ache in his chest. God he’d die if anything happened to her.

As though sensing his thoughts, Valkyrie’s gaze flicked up to his. Their eyes met and locked for those few seconds and it took all of Gideon’s willpower not to leap over the barrier and take her into his arms.

“I can see you will be a problem.”

Arild’s dry drawl pulled Gideon’s attention away from the arena and Valkyrie. He twisted his head in the other man’s direction.

“Sir?”

Arild said nothing. He didn’t even glance in Gideon’s direction. It didn’t matter. Valkyrie was struggling to keep one step away from the dironous. The salt mound was wet with blood and caked to her feet, making them slippery. She dodged the first swing of his meaty fist, but the second one caught her in the side. The momentum of it sent her sailing as though she were nothing more than a doll and she slammed into the wall with such force Gideon could have sworn he heard the crunch of bones. Then she crumpled to the ground, a small, ashen figure encased in salt and blood. Her dark hair spilled in waves across the floor.

She didn’t move.

“Valkyrie!”

Gideon had no recognition of lunging to his feet until his arms were being restrained by two warriors. They hauled him away from the wall as though they had anticipated he would try to jump in.

The dironous loomed over his victory, giant hands squeezed into massive fists that could pulverize granite to dust. His metal plates resonated with a metallic screech that echoed louder than the whole stadium. His knee joints creaked with the lifting of one leg. His desire was clear.

“No!”

Gideon fought against the hands. There was a brief moment of clarity where he slammed his fist into the face of one warrior and kicked the other in the gut. For those few seconds, he was free. He dove for the wooden beams keeping him from Valkyrie. He started to heft himself over.

No less than six pairs of hands grabbed him. He was dragged back and shoved to the ground.

“Don’t!” one hissed into his ear. “She is not dead. But Father will have you watch as she is beheaded if you interfere.”

The warning sang through him as sharp and metallic as the dironous’s armor. It stole every ounce of his fight and he lay panting.

The hands fell away and he was released to scramble to his own feet. He rushed to the barrier just as the dironous dropped his iron foot.

It came down with a booming crack that sent a cloud of salt into the air. Gideon may have screamed. The whole world had become a muddled buzz of chaos between his ears. It took everything in him not to fall to his knees and vomit on the spot as the pain and terror lanced through him with a violent punch. But it was also sheer terror that kept him upright, kept him rigidly in place as the dust settled and it all came back into view.

The creature lay sprawled facedown in the salt, the bull horn protruding from its throat. Valkyrie stood over him, half stooped as she gasped for breath. The room took a full minute to recover. It took Gideon less time than that. It was solely the wooden beams keeping him up. He didn’t even care how she managed to do it, only that she had and she’d lived.

“Isn’t that a surprise?” Arild murmured as he rose to stand next to Gideon by the barrier. “I suppose I will have to try harder.”

“You son of a—” Gideon’s snarl was swallowed by the honk of a conch shell.

The stadium immediately fell silent. All eyes went to the king, waiting for his final say.

Arild was peering down the length of his nose at Valkyrie the way one might a spider on their shoe.

“You have succeeded,” he remarked with just a hint of aggravation no father should ever portray when their daughter just nearly died.

The doors behind Valkyrie groaned open and Serinda walked in accompanied by four other warriors. One carried a dagger, the other two a deep, cast iron pan balanced on a wooden board. The base blazed an angry red and steam rose off the metal in waves. The fourth warrior lifted a hand encased in thick hide and removed the lid. Smoke puffed out in a balloon of white. Inside, hot coals shimmered. Serinda gouged the blade into the embers and released the hilt. While the blade heated, she turned to Valkyrie. The two exchanged glances that must have meant something to them, because it came off completely blank to everyone else. Serinda took her sister’s arm and held it firmly down. She took the dagger with the other.

The billowing stench of burnt flesh and hair perfumed the already rancid aroma of blood when the white-hot blade kissed the toned flesh of Valkyrie’s bicep. What little color the fight had brought to her cheeks vanished and there was a slight sway in her body, but she remained firm, not pulling away until Serinda did.

There was only a trickle of blood, but the wound had already been cauterized, closed against infections and dirt, not that it made much difference. Nothing short of decapitation and fire killed a veil creature. Nevertheless, Gideon was relieved that at least it was over.

“Take her below.” Arild’s command spun Valkyrie around so fast, she nearly impaled herself on Serinda’s blade.

“Father?”

But Arild had already turned away.

Gideon shot bemused glances between Valkyrie’s wide-eyed terror and the man making his way to the edge of the platform. It was evident from the shock on Serinda’s face and the panic on Valkyrie’s that this was not a usual fate for a victor.

“What’s below?” Gideon hurried after the king.

“That is none of your concern,” Arild retorted, climbing regally down the steps.

“Where are you taking her?” Gideon pressed, dogging his steps, but with less grace.

Arild stopped at the base and turned to face him. “You should return home, Caster. You have caused enough damage here.”

With that, he strode off.

Gideon spun back to the arena, but Valkyrie had already been taken away
.

O
ctavian hadn't been exaggerating; Riley looked horrible. Her already pale complexion held an almost ashen tinge like someone a toe away from death's doorstep. Her lips were white and her hair hung dull and limp around her face. She was half sitting, half slumped on the sofa in the parlor. Octavian sat next to her, cradling her to him. He was stroking her arm lovingly while he murmured quietly into her ear.

Imogen sat on the sofa across from the pair, watching them with concern and curiosity. Gideon hovered by the window, watching his twin as Magnus paced. The longer it took for the rest of their group to arrive, the more agitated he seemed to get.

Freshly showered and clad in black jeans and a soft, tight sweater the color of freshly fallen snow, Valkyrie strode into the room. She deliberately avoided looking in Gideon's direction as she claimed the spot next to Imogen, careful to keep the entire sofa between them when she sat. The only ones missing were Reggie and their parents, but Gideon had a feeling his youngest brother would not be making an appearance.

“Where are they?” Magnus snapped.

Octavian raised his head from where he was nuzzling the back of Riley’s head to peer at his brother from over the back of the sofa.

“Mom and Dad said they’d be here.”

“Where’s Reggie?” Magnus tossed an angry glare over the room as though he suspected Reggie was hiding in some dark corner just to piss Magnus off.

“I haven’t seen him,” Octavian said.

Gideon pressed a shoulder to the window frame and twisted his body to study his brother. “He’s at Daphne’s.”

“Daphne?” Riley looked from Magnus to Gideon, brows furrowed. “What’s wrong with Daphne? She okay?”

“She’s fine!” Magnus snapped.

“Reggie worries,” Gideon explained. “He’s a lot like our mother in that aspect.”

“Who is like me?” The woman in question stepped into the room, followed closely by their father.

“Reggie,” Gideon answered. “He likes to worry, a lot like another person I know.”

His mother cast him a glower filled with feigned annoyance. “Can you blame me? I sometimes wonder if you don’t all go out of your way to...” Her gaze fell on Riley and her eyes widened. “Riley!” His mother hurried across the room and all but lunged at the redhead. 

“I’m okay,” Riley promised with a forced smile.

His mother took Riley’s face between her hands, tipping it this way and that. “How long have you been like this?”

Riley shrugged. “A couple of days now, but it’s never been this bad. Usually it goes away after a couple of hours.”

His mother flattened a palm against Riley’s brow and Gideon laughed.

“Are you really checking her temperature?”

His mother glowered at him, but blushed a little and lowered her hand. “You never know.”

“Maybe you’re pregnant.” All chatter died instantly and seven pairs of eyes turned as one towards Imogen, who stiffened under the attention. “I only mean because my mom would always get sick in the mornings for the first three months,” she blurted, face glowing a soft pink.

“Is it possible?” Riley turned bright, wide eyes towards Octavian, and even from a distance, Gideon cringed at the hopeful glow shining in their crimson depths.

Octavian looked like someone had force-fed him a ball of rusted nails. His gaze darted over Riley’s head to his mother for help.

“You’re not pregnant,” Valkyrie stated without a shred of sympathy.

Riley looked at her. “But it could be possible, right? I mean ... it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“Riley—” Octavian began.

Valkyrie beat him to it. “It’s not possible. You’re dead. Dead things can’t reproduce.”

Hurt flickered over Riley’s face. Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t understand,” she murmured. “Then why...”

“Because you’re not drinking human blood,” Valkyrie supplied simply. “Your body isn’t meant to live on animals and blood bags for this length of time. It’s beginning to break down on you. I’m surprised your mate hasn’t told you as much instead of feeding your delusions about the impossible,” she tacked on, casting Octavian a disgusted once over.

“Impossible?” Riley peered from face to face. “Like ...
never
?”

“Valkyrie, stop!” Gideon snapped, before she could open her mouth again.

“No!” Riley shot back at him. “She’s the only one telling me the truth.” She turned big, doe eyes towards Valkyrie. “Never?”

Valkyrie seemed to straighten her shoulders and dart an apprehensive glance over the room before responding in a regretful tone, “Never.”

“Riley, hold on—”

Ignoring Octavian, Riley struggled to her feet. “I need to think ... alone!” she added when Octavian started to rise.

Without waiting for anyone to stop her, she hurried out of the room.

Gideon waited until she was out of earshot before raising his hands and applauding. “Well done,” he said to Valkyrie. “That was beautiful. So tactful. Have you ever considered writing a self-help book?”

“Gideon—”

“I didn’t tell her anything she wouldn’t eventually find out!” Valkyrie shot back, ignoring his mother’s reprimanding. “Something that she should have been told by her mate months ago! This isn’t on me.”

Gideon pushed off the frame. “It sure as hell wasn’t up to you to tell her either!”

Valkyrie lunged to her feet. “Oh forgive me, but I wasn’t raised to pacify fully grown women!”

“Why am I not surprised?” Gideon sneered. “Considering you were raised by a self-absorbed asshole.”

“Gideon!” this was from his father, who had yet to take a seat during the altercation.

Seven inches of steel in the form of sharp spikes cracked on hardwood as Valkyrie closed the distance separating her from Gideon. Her eyes burned like blue flames. Magnus moved as though to interfere, but Gideon shook his head without taking his eyes off the raven-haired beauty charging towards him.

“I warned you once never to speak ill of my father, Maxwell,” she hissed, stiff lips barely moving around the words.

Gideon faced her head on and spread his arms open wide in invitation. “Go ahead. It won’t change the fact that one of these days, I’m going to be the one to kill him, and believe me,” he smirked, dark, cold, and bloodthirsty, “he will suffer horribly before I put an end to his miserable existence.”

There was a spark of light skating up the razor sharp edge of steel before it plunged downward towards his heart. Not willing to call her bluff, Gideon deflected the attack by catching her wrist with one hand and her thick mane with the other. He jerked her to him, more to trap her flailing free arm than anything else. But the assault only managed to fuel the fire already roaring through his veins. It prickled all his senses to life so he was drowning in her warm, feminine scent. Her startled blue eyes went wide before sweeping up to catch him in their stunning depths. Full, red lips parted in a gasp, showing a hint of straight, white teeth. But it was that sound, the soft exhale of breath that rocked him to his core. It was the quick pulse of her irises. More than both, it was the powerful punch of arousal that roared off her and slammed into him. He felt it rising up over his head in waves.