Gideon's Promise (Sons of Judgment Book 2) (63 page)

“G
et some rest.” She rested a hand on Devlin’s quaking shoulder. “We’re not finished.”

Leaving him weeping in the dark, Valkyrie exited the trapdoor an hour later and crossed the maze of boxes to the kitchen. She shut the door behind her and moved to rinse his blood off her hands, her face, and as much of it as possible off her clothes. This part of the job was why she preferred leather. It made for easy cleaning.

She was running her daggers under the water when the first person arrived. Imogen squinted at her through sleepy eyes. Her silky hair hung in tangled knots around her pinkened face.

“You’re awake?” Imogen asked around an enormous yawn. “I don’t even know where I am.”

“The kitchen,” Valkyrie supplied, shutting off the water and stuffing her blades back inside her boots.

Imogen eyed her. “Did you even sleep?”

Valkyrie grinned dryly. “Like the dead.”

The mention of
dead
had Imogen’s eyes growing three times their size. “Liam!”

She didn’t stop the girl when she whirled on her heels and bolted back the way she’d come. She busied herself making coffee and taking it into the diner. She had taken her first sip when she heard the scream. It was only the fact that it was elated and followed by joyous laughter that kept her from sprinting upstairs. Instead, she stayed by the window overlooking a sea of gravel, gleaming vehicles, and a wall of trees as the sun warmed the earth beyond it. Overhead, the sky was a flawless blue that screamed of what would be a beautiful day. She watched a crow vault off a branch, spread its wings, and swoop into the air with a resounding caw. Out of habit, her hand went to her abdomen, expecting to be met with a swollen bump and finding nothing. The absence cracked what was left of her heart and the sound resonated through her with a force that sent her staggering forward. The mug in her hand tipped, splashing scalding liquid across her boots before slipping from her numb fingers to shatter in pieces across the hardwood.

“No...” she snarled through her teeth even as she sank to the ground beneath the window in a broken heap of sobs.

The tightness in her chest expanded, suffocating her with so much despair that she couldn’t breathe. All she wanted was to scream and break everything in sight, but she could do nothing but cry into her hands as the emotions ate at her sanity.

“Kyrie.”

She hadn’t heard him come in until he was there, closing his hands around her and pulling her into his arms. Her own hands reached out, intending to shove him away only to get lost in a tight lock around his neck. She was hauled into his lap like a child with her legs clamped around his waist and left to spill her broken heart down his shoulder as he stroked her back and murmured quietly into her ear.

“He took my baby!”

His fingers tightened in her hair and he crushed her closer. “We’re going to find her,” he promised. “I swear it.”

Beneath his tender hand, her back heaved. She wondered if he could feel the shards of her broken heart; the sharp edges were cutting into every piece of her it could reach. But he never stopped holding her, not even when her tears finally subsided and she lay limp against his chest, her head pillowed on his shoulder. She was the one to draw back. Her hand lifted to wipe her face only to have his already there. His palms cradled her cheeks and he lovingly brushed away the moisture with his thumbs. His gray eyes stared into hers, mirroring her own heartbreak and pain.

“I will fix this,” he vowed. “I will bring her home to you. I don’t care what I have to do. I will never stop searching for her.”

She believed him. The fierce determination burning behind his eyes thrummed with a force that promised nothing less than everything he promised her.

He would not fail.

Valkyrie leaned her brow against his and closed her eyes. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many fears she wanted to throw out into the air, but she knew once they were spoken, she would never get ahold of herself again.

“I want to kill them,” she whispered instead. “Whoever has her, whoever took her, I want to be the one to end his life.”

Gideon kissed her and she wondered if he could taste her bitter hatred and anger.

“It will be yours.”

He sealed it into her skin with another kiss.

That singular promise was the thing that unwound the tension stiffening the ridges of her spine. She softened in his arms. Her eyes closed and she breathed for what felt like the first time.

The quiet creak of doors opening alerted them to the tiny, pale face poking through the plastic folds. Riley offered them a rueful grin, but came no closer.

“Just seeing if everything was all right.”

Gideon looked to Valkyrie, silently asking her the same question.

She nodded. “Everything will be fine.”

“L
iam, you really ought to be resting!” Kyaerin fussed with the blanket draped around Liam’s shoulders, despite his protest.

“Darling, I am fine.”

It had been a week since his near death. The gray of rigamortis had left his complexion and he no longer panted when walking up the stairs, yet that made no difference to his wife, who had all but appointed herself his shadow.

“What if the thing that made you better fails because you won’t let it work!” she shot back.

Liam sighed. “I promise you that it has healed me completely.”

It surprised Valkyrie that he hadn’t told anyone how he made his miraculous recovery, not even Kyaerin. The others, while curious, never asked. Maybe they were just relieved he wasn’t dying. Maybe they didn’t want to jinx it. Whatever the reason, she was relieved. It was a secret she wanted to keep, if for no other reason than because she didn’t want the praise it would bring. The fact that Liam was alive was all the gratitude she wanted.

“You know what I would like?” Liam stated over his wife’s fretting. “A walk to stretch my legs.” He put his hand up when everyone argued the dangers of that. “Just through the manor. Valkyrie, why don’t you join me? I have something I wish to discuss.”

Valkyrie knew exactly what that thing was and started to refuse, but he was already pushing to his feet. The blanket was slung off and draped over the back of his chair despite Kyaerin’s insistence that he should keep it on. He took her face into his hands and kissed her, stilling all further arguments.

“I am fine,” he vowed solemnly. “I am not going anywhere.”

Kyaerin’s small shoulders sagged even as her eyes welled up. “You better not,” she warned him with just a slight catch in her voice. “I will never forgive you if you do.”

He smiled and kissed her again before stepping back.

Seeing no other choice, Valkyrie rose and followed him through the kitchen doors towards the back. Neither spoke until they cleared the third story landing and started down its dusty corridor.

“I never thanked you,” he said. “For what you did.”

“I didn’t do anything,” she mumbled. “You must have been dreaming.”

His quiet chuckle turned up his lips. “You are a strange one, Valkyrie.” He stopped walking and turned to face her. “I never understood you. You had such disdain for me and my family, so much anger, yet you were always there, fighting with us, protecting us, and more times than not, saving our lives when you had no reason to and I just...” he trailed off with a shake of his head. “I couldn’t wrap my head around why. But now I see it. I finally understand.”

“What?” The inaudible croak of her voice fazed neither of them.

“You have always belonged here, and, no, not simply because you are Gideon’s mate. Even if you had not been, this is your place, with us. You, Riley, and Daphne. You are each a piece of what make us a family and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Valkyrie had no idea what to say to that, didn’t know how to respond around the lump that had lodged in her throat. It wasn’t until the words had been spoke that she realized just how long she had been waiting for someone to say them, to tell her they were proud of her.

His smile was gentle and understanding, the sort of smile a father would give one of his children. It was the sight of it that distracted her from seeing his hand until it touched her face wet with tears she had no knowledge of shedding.

“I will keep your secret and what you have done for me, but I will never forget it.” He leaned over and kissed her brow. “Thank you.”

T
wilight glowed against the windows as Valkyrie crept out of Gideon’s arms and shuffled downstairs. There were no lights to guide her, but she had taken that path so many times in the past week that she didn’t need it to find the trapdoor. The hinges squeaked as she wrenched open the flap. She wore no shoes and her feet were soundless going down. Below, she heard the raspy pants growing louder, the sound of desperation and fear at what was about to come. They no longer pleased her, or angered her. They had no effect on her at all.

“Are you ready to talk?”

“I
t is done.” Tiana stood before the white desk, her mane of ebony curls pinned high up on top of her head. Her gown of gold contrasted with the starkness of the room and the hunched little man across from her. “Our arrangement is finished. You have betrayed our bargain.”

“Have I?”

Long, slender fingers pressed into the gleaming wood of his desk as she leaned forward. “When I gave you my men, you swore to me that no one would get hurt.”

Baron chuckled. “This is a war, Tiana. People get hurt. People die. It is a necessary evil for the greater good.”

“No!” Her teeth flashed against her warm, golden skin. “That is not what we agreed upon.”

“And what did you think we were agreeing to?” he countered evenly. “A peaceful war? There is no such thing.”

“I did not agree to let children be burned!”

“Yet your men did it.” He laughed. “I only told them to be convincing.” He smirked at her stricken expression. “I think you need to ask yourself, what sort of kingdom you are ruling where the men are so ... hotheaded.”

“I am repulsed by what you have made my people become.” Her ragged breaths hissed through the room. “What we did to that girl...”

“She had already imprinted on the boy,” he attempted to pacify her. “It was only a matter of time before they officiated their love. Besides, I needed that child.”

Revulsion turned her lips. “That poor woman...” A shaky hand went to her chest. “Having her child torn from her like that...”

“Funny. That sounds exactly like something you would do.”

For a moment, Tiana looked like she was going to hurl something at his head. “That was a different circumstance!”

“And yet, here we are.”

“Our arrangements are over.”

“Not quite.” He steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “I’m releasing her.”

Outraged shone in her dark eyes and thinned her full mouth. “You swore you would keep that thing locked away.”

Baron nodded as her panicked words crashed through the room. “I have kept her locked away for centuries ... as promised, but it is time she played her part.”

“You swore!” Tiana roared, her beautiful, calm exterior finally showing the fine cracks barely holding her together. “You swore you would never release her.”

“I said no such thing. I merely stated I would keep her protected until she becomes of use to me. Now is that time.”

Her dainty nostrils flared with her rage, sharpening her draconian features. “You will regret ever crossing me, Baron. I will make you suffer.”

While he never moved, he knew the moment she sensed his annoyance, the moment it shimmered in his eyes, a solitary warning not to push. Her jaw clacked shut with a resounding click and she reared back as though the force of it physically struck her.

“I believe it is time for you to leave, Tiana,” he stated coolly. “Do not forget what I have done for you and how displeased I will become should you
cross me
.”

Her ample breasts heaved against the bodice of her gown, but she had not ruled for eons without competition because she was a foolish woman. She knew when it was time to retreat. But she did so with the grace of her people, with her shoulders squared and her chin held high. Baron could almost admire her if their history wasn’t a bitter tang in his mouth.

No sooner had the door snapped shut behind her when it opened again and Jacinta poked her head through.

Ever prompt,
he thought. Of his many children, she was the one that least disappointed him. She was also the only one he almost trusted and only because she belonged to him like so many. Her loyalty was a fine thread of silk woven around his finger, as was her life. While she was smart enough never to show her displeasure, he knew she loathed him like all the rest. That was fine. He did not require her loyalty. He only required her obedience. The rest he could control.

“Sir?”

“Summon the Gravedigger. Tell him I require further knowledge of what is to come.”

Jacinta scribbled his instructions down hastily. “And the child, sir?” She lifted her head and peered through her odd shaped glasses in his direction. There was disgust in her eyes that was well hidden behind her cool mask of indifference. “What will you do with it?”