Master of Umbra (The Valhalla Series) (14 page)

Chapter 21

Heroes tread Hel-way;

Heaven is cloven.

~ Völuspá

Deliah:

A foreign vibration pings me awake, it's the subconscious warning of footsteps which are too light. There's a burglar in here and it pegs me upright with alarm pumping.

Listening with every sense, I locate the stranger, waltzing down the tunnel with one glowing eye, her tread careful.

“Hello? Ewan?”

She's got the kind of voice that curls toes and induces raging orgasms, making me instantly suspicious.

Looking to my right, the bed is vacant of the chieftan, and a quick hand swipe under the covers exposes he's been gone for some time.

“
He's not here,” I answer the woman.

Coming closer, she gives me a big smile, “Oh sorry, I was just looking for Ewan. I don't know what he's done with Mac.”

“Who's Mac?” I ask, watching the tall woman stalk my way with the grace of a panther.

“
My handfast, I think of him as a husband. These new terms are still giving me a fucking brain-ache trying to label everything correctly so I make sense instead of speaking modern and normal.”

I nod, relieved. So she's hitched. Good.

Walking deeper in, she points to the glowing crystals, “Aw, look at that. You have so many lit love crystals. He must really love you.”

“
What?” I frown.

What the hell is she talking about?

Walking to the one next to the bed that Ewan lit for me, she smiles, “My dad left me a bunch of love crystals. Only love can make them glow, and they emit light for as long as that person loves you. Which to these guys is forever and eternity.” Giving me a warm smile, she pries, “Did Ewan light them for you?”

I nod, her blithe revelation tilting my world into a flat spin. Ewan loved me when he lit them?

“Explain how they work,” I demand.

“
The person who lights them for you loves you, or it won't work. It's a silent promise, a luminary to light your way home to where the heart is.”

Holy fuck!

“I'm Emma,” she says, offering me her hand to shake. “Sorry I woke you, I didn't mean to impose.”

Arrabella sneaks out from under the covers, staring at the stranger with her 'I adore you' face. And that just narks me.

“Deliah,” I mumble, shaking her hand.

“
It's nice to find a female face in this labyrinth. I'll see you at breakfast?”

I nod in answer, exhaling the breath I didn't know I was holding when she strolls out to find Ewan.

He loves me? When was he planning on telling me that!

*

Ewan:

Watching the coward sit up with his back healed, I can tell he's suffered enough for one night.

“We need to talk, son.”

He gives me a pale faced nod, aware that he's my prisoner until I deign to pronounce him otherwise.

Resting my elbows on my knees, I lean forward to survey the boy. He's stupid, and dangerous because of it. It's time to shock some sense into him.

“
Macala, why do you suppose Wolf desires our clans engage in conflict?”

He gives me a shrug.

“Be a fucking man before I lose my temper with you. You're the chieftan's grandson, tell me why you think Wolf wants us at war!”

He shrinks against his cot, trying to hide his visage in his miasmic shadows. “I wish I knew. It made no sense to me which is why I dared to journey to speak with you directly.”

“Where are your swords?” I ask. It's an issue which has been bothering me.

“
We left them in a cave, thinking it would be better to meet you unarmed.”

“
You sought to appeal to my merciful nature instead of provoking my ire. Well you fucked that one up, didn't you son?”

He nods, looking shamefully at his feet.

“Grow a fucking spine or I'll break yours again. Face me with pride and dignity or get the fuck out of my house!”

This little bastard is severing my boundaries. He annoys the fuck out of me, and that's saying something considering last night's activities.

Mac sits up, squaring his shoulders.

Leaning closer, I point a finger in his face, “I'll tell you why. She's a Thur, she's Skadi's kindred. Need I remind you of their legacy?”

He gives me the clueless stare of the gormless.

Odin fucking help me, he doesn't need his brain, allow me to alleviate him of the burden by smashing that stupid skull in.

Standing to walk off the desire to choke the intestines out of him, I pace, rage building, “Macala, for fuck's sake you are testing my patience. Skadi loves him! They were lovers. He wants Emma! And one look from him and Emma will be lost to us forever. It's a passion she can't control, he is her true match. If you love your woman you will man up pretty fucking fast! We need to wage war on this cunning bastard before he gets the jump on us.”

“
He wants Emma? She'll never love him,” he announces, with all the confidence of a moron in a sanitarium high on his meds and having fake visitations of divine insight.

That does it.

Stepping forward I slam my head into his forehead, “Wake up!”

“
What the hell do you want from me? You're the liege with all the fucking answers! You don't need me for this conversation because you're the only one with a damn inflated opinion of his certainty!”

His left eye flares to life and I finally glimpse the man inside the boy.

“Listen up, son. You need to gather your warriors. We need to move on his lair before he notices we're onto him and his meddling subterfuge. We need to keep that bastard away from Emma. If she joins his army we're all fucked! You hear me? All of us!”

“
I can't just leave her here–”

“
You can and you will. You aren't prepared to protect her. You don't have the might, the strategy, or the damn experience to keep that woman safe. She's not even safe when alone with you as your despicable track record proves. You gather your army and together as one unit we move on the enemy.”

Eyes narrow at me, the pillock folding his arms and lurching on his left leg, “And what do you want in return for this 'kindness'?”

“Our own læraðr trees. They belong to all of us, not just the Raven clan. You do right by me and I'll do right by you.”

He nods, shuffling fingers through his hair as if worrying his peabrain.

“I don't have time for your issues, boy. I will get Emma to go with my trusted third to retrieve her sword. Meet me back here at nightfall. We have no time. You hear me? No time! When Wolf makes a move he'll be prepared.”

“
And what are you going to do?” the little prick challenges me.

“
I'm going to call my people. I'm going to raise the draugr and finfolk from finfolkaheem. I'm not stupid and don't take kindly to your insinuation. Come midnight you'll be kissing my arse for protecting yours this thoroughly.”

“
The draugr?” he frowns.

I'm tempted to slap some sense into this dullard. “The undead! The undead warriors, you fucking imbecile. Maybe you should send your chief in your stead because you alone could start a war. How dare you come to my house and know nothing of my kinfolk! You insult me!” Stepping up to him I bellow, “I am the master of umbra! In my black volcanic house you walk and breathe, in the bones of the underground of my native land you defile the sacrosanct with your ignorance! I am lord of the dead, of the lost, and the night! You are merely a warrior of night, you are not the fucking master of it, son! Show some god damn respect or I'll beat it into you!”

He looks like he's ready to take a dump in his boxers, so I shove him toward the cage door, bodily shunting him out of his cell, “Run boy! This war is waiting for no one.”

“
But Emma–”

“
Is safe! Get a fucking move on!”

The wan coward nods, turning and rushing after Alan, being led out of the catacombs to gather his finest.

If he's anything to go by I doubt they'll be of any use to us in our stealthy attack on Wolf's lair.

Jesus fucking christ, the inbreeding is clearly turning the harii into eejits.

Bellowing after him, I howl, “And you'd better bring me my fucking trees, or the deal's off!”

And we'll keep Emma and you can go fuck yourselves.

*

Deliah:

I've cleaned the kitty litter, had my shower, returned to my own room, all while trying very hard to recall everything that happened last night.

I don't ache, or limp, or hurt. I have no bruises and I know I should have. I feel robbed of the delightful 'morning after' hobble and twinge.

Entering the mess hall, I head for my usual spot, waving to Lloyd who beams at me as if royalty is in the house.

She's nothing special, how come everyone has such a hard-on for this chick? Disgruntled, Adam's enthusiastic wave and pat on the seat he saved for me is enough to smooth my scowl.

At least someone is happy to see me.

Sitting down next to him, I'm facing Gunn and Emma, with Alan on my right.

“Where's Ewan?” I ask Alan, as he usually has all the answers.

“
Seeing the harii off. We move on the bastard tonight.” His smile is so animalistic and dangerous it chills my marrow.

“
What?” I ask, not understanding.

Gunn's deep voice barrels across the feast table at me, “We take down the Wolf tonight. Macala has left to gather his warriors. Which means you and I have some training to do after breakfast.”

Oh boy, this must be my lucky day. I get to train with the only man whose biggest pleasure would be to gut me and leave me decomposing on the rocks for the vultures to choke on.

Emma smiles at me when Lloyd deposits a bowl of porridge in front of me, “You are so lucky you have such a nice chef. Ours is like a drill sergeant.”

Adam grins goofily at her, “The only drill sergeant around here is the bone man.”

She frowns at him, and I laugh under my breath, ducking my head to idly slop the oatmeal around the bowl.

Alan speaks across to her, “He's being a pervert, ignore him.”

I feel Adam jar when someone kicks him under the table.

“Oh! Haha. The drill – sergeant. Very funny.”

Thick much? She should have been blond.

Looking up when I taste my food, she seems absolutely ignorant of the effect she has on a hall of men. She's like the second coming and it annoys me enough that I'm beginning to look forward to beating on Gunn.

Adam plants a big apple next to my breakfast bowl, “The chief says you'd better eat this. All of it this time.”

That's what he said last night, and if memory serves me well I did have all of it, and then some. The chief is hung like a bloody u-boat. How many inches was that exactly?

Chapter 22

On his sword shimmers

the sun of the War-Gods

~ Völuspá

Deliah:

I'm just pulling on my gym top when I hear footsteps stalk into Ewan's chambers.

“Ewan? Is that you?”

“
Mmmmhmmm,” reaches faintly to me.

Dressed for my workout I stomp to my door and shout his way, “Get your fucking backside over here!”

Three seconds later he appears in his chamber entrance, walking my way with his eyebrows lifted in question, “What is it darling?”

I point at the space in front of my feet, “Here!”

His expression hardens, taking offense to being summoned like my lapdog (which he is, let's face it. Nose in crotch mean anything to you?)

He's now towering in front of me and I blank my mind to catch him off guard, looking up and slapping him one helluva shot across his rugged angles, “That's for leaving me to wake up alone, you inconsiderate prick.”

He reflexes back, rubbing his jaw, hinging his mandibles experimentally, “I'm glad to see the apple juice is paying dividends. You no longer hit like a girl.”

“
The first time you fuck a girl at least have the courtesy to wake her up with a kiss and a cup of coffee.” I mutter
wanker
under my breath as I storm off toward the gym.

He doesn't seem fazed and when I look back he's docilely gone back into his chambers, which bloody reminds me!

Pegging back, I go stomping back his way, stalking into his rooms, pointing at the closest 'light stone', “Something else, Ewan. What do you call this stone?”

“
Quartz,” he grumbles, digging in his closet for something.

“
Would you like to lie to me again?” I snap, anger fizzing my blood into berserker froth.

He pokes his head out of the chaos to skewer me with a thunderous glare, “What is burning your backside, young lady? Keep using that tone and I'll introduce you to the ecstasy of a real burn.”

“Fuck you!”

“
You already have, offer something I haven't sampled yet, make it exciting.”

Bastard!
“You suck, Ewan. You suck so bad!”

“
Yes I do, I didn't hear you complaining about that well known fact last night.”

He steps out of his jumble sale to march up to me, gripping my neck and aggressively walking me backwards, “What is on your mind, Liah? Why are you so bitterly bitchy this morning?”

“They're love crystals you dumb fuck. But don't bother telling me that. It'll ruin your precious image.”

“
I love you long time baby. I give you happy ending,” he grins, silent laughter jerking his neck muscles.

Blinking between wanting to cry and laugh, and being utterly befuddled by the conflict, I do both, “Fuck you. Seriously Ewan, you need to stop being a class A dick with me.”

The choke hold unclamps and I'm dizzily dropped to his knee when he sits down with me, holding me loosely in his muscular prison, “Liah, there's a time and a place for declarations. This isn't the time. Give me one more day to put Wolf in his grave, then I promise I'll have some decent alone time with you and we'll cut our bones open and melt the marrows together. Okay?”

His head eclipses the room when he dips to give me a gentle nibbly bottom lip sucking smooch.

His hands have already dislocated from his mind and are fondling soft jiggly bits, my nipples perking up with eager interest.

“
Get out of here. Now you're not just distracting my men, but you're distracting me. I have such a boner I'll have to sit here long after you sashay your sexy arse out my door because it'll be awkward to walk with the sergeant standing to attention.”

Leaning in to kiss his thick strong neck, I inhale his winter rain aftershave.

Hmmmm!

Dutifully getting off his lap, I point an accusatory finger at his nose, “Next time you give me a kiss and coffee or you can go without nookie.”

“Threaten me again and I might have to tap a different keg. I don't follow orders, I give them.”

Walking away I flip him the bird, not bothering to look back.

I am so ready to lay into Gunn now. I have plenty of issues and he's a willing Boxing Bob dummy.

*

Deliah
:

Exhaling harshly, my breath whistling through my gritted teeth, I have the great lug with his fucking hipbone stuck in my neck, his elbow wedged in my crotch, and I can't think of a single maneuver to get out of this one.

He's just too heavy.

“War isn't a gentleman's game, Deliah. Fight dirty or you will end up the dead one in combat.”

Okay buddy, you asked for it.

Shoving my hand up his gym shorts, which is right on top of my head, I find hair and yank on it with the enthusiasm of a mongoose playing catch the snake.

He vamooses so fast I double over laughing, “You said fight dirty.”

“I'm not bitching, Deliah. It was effective, and that's all that counts in hand to hand combat.”

Before I can catch my breath he's dropped down behind me, crossed his legs over mine, and has his arm around my neck in a garroting chokehold.

The pressure is severe enough to give me black spots and I elbow down hard, sinking my nails into his forearm, wriggling my elbow between our bodies to poke the genitals.

Flailing as I edge to passing out, I reach to yank hair, but his is shaved as short as Ewan's.

Fuck!

He releases me, leaving me to wheeze and gasp, “You need more training. Your instincts suck.”

Thanks for vocalizing the obvious, fuckwit.

“
Tell me about your ex,” he says, as if it's no biggie.

“
What about him?” I mumble, guarded, uncomfortable with this line of questioning, twisting to look at my inquisitor.

Gunn sits back, folding his arms and giving me a flat stare, “I want to know why he died. What was his crime?”

I don't want to talk about Dias. I want to leave the past behind me.

“
It's none of your damn business. When you get your psychology degree I still won't want to talk about, so go interrogate someone else.”

I make to move but his arm shoots out to block me, his hand clasping my wrist, staying me, “I shattered his skull for you, I had gray matter and neurons stuck to my fist like toddler snot, and I want to know why I had to do that. You owe me a reason girl.”

His declaration gives me dread, robbing my limbs of strength and making me powerless, hopeless, weak.

Staring at his hand, I manage to waver out in an emotional voice, “Let me go.”

He does, but his gaze is so heavy that I can feel it trying to peel my skin off to find my shameful secrets.

I'm shaking, my hands trembling when I twist further, lifting my shirt up on the side, giving him a glimpse of the damage I will carry as testament to Dias' love for the rest of my god forsaken life.

His jaw clenches so hard I hear his teeth squeak together.

A warm hand covers mine, his free hand tracing a fingertip over the exposed scars, warm breath basting the imposition while he stoops to inspect the trauma.

Tears are falling now. This is my private hell, a place I don't choose to wallow, but the emotional hurt is still so raw that it wells up in me when I get this close to the cesspit of terror.

Freeing my hairband I release my hair, tilting my head forward and feeling for the bald patch in the back. Showing Gunn the spot where hair never grows after the volts pumped into my head, charring the skin, almost killing me. I went into a coma.

Oh god. I can't do this. I don't want to remember because it puts me right back in his hellhole of agony.

“
You want to know about Dias? He put the meth into methodist. He cut me up like he was playing a game of tic tac toe with a scalpel … he … burned … tortured … ” Wail!

Gunn's on the sparring mat behind me and it shocks the suppressed sob right out of me when strong arms fold around me and he cradles me against his chest, pressing his cheek against my temple, whispering hotly, “I'm glad I got the honor to deliver justice. I'm sorry I upset you.”

I'm too far gone. The skeletons in the closet have been exhumed and they're scarring my soul all over again, wracking me with shudders of grief. I lost so much to that man. He took my soul, he murdered my innocence, and he would have burned my eyes out if I'd seen anything that could damn him.

It's instinct to curl in, to hide, burying my face and my pain away from a hall full of sweaty grunting men thumping each other. Too many witnesses.

I just want to die all over again.

“
Let's get the fuck out of here,” mumbles to me, and I'm lifted, my feet dangling, but I still can't find the courage to look up.

He hates me just as much as Dias did. There's such a flimsy line between love and hate, and I've seen it severed and used to strangle the sanity out of my head.

When he puts my feet down on the ground of his chambers, I pivot, running away into the dark, only to be caught by my waist and hauled right back, “Deliah, wait. We're not all like that.”

“
You
are,” I sob, my voice so unstable and watery it sounds like I'm possessed.

Wrangled to face him I duck my head, sniffing, squeezing my eyes shut against the hot tears burning my irises.

“Deliah, please don't run away. Yes okay, I concede, when we go berserk we're mad and unpredictable, but we are not malicious men. We would never harm our own, not ever.”

“
Let me go.”

“
I don't want to. I want to help, heal, to fucking make this better.”

“
You can't,” I mumble, the ache in my heart screaming in the hush of my broken tone.

“
I can.” Kneeling, crouching down, he tries to look up into my eyes, carefully taking my hand in his, “Holding hands is an act of love. Will you let me give you love?”

“
This is stupid, Gunn.”

“
No, what's stupid is how fucking blind I was. I was so busy running from my fate that I couldn't see why I was chosen. My eyes have been opened and I am willing to take that responsibility now. I need to do this. I can't explain how badly I need to heal you.”

“
It's behind me, I just would prefer to not discuss it again,” I sniff, trying in vain to use my firm tone.

He doesn't speak, he simply holds my left hand with his left hand, pressing the palms together.

The room tilts, a violent shock wave traveling up my arm to detonate my heart into skipping a beat, and I'm caught before my head hits the floor.

Staring up with vertigo pinwheeling my reality, two warm gray eyes block the piceous ceiling, staring infinity into me, his solid embrace grounding me.

Lifting my hand he kisses the back of it, “No one will ever hurt you again. Your body will heal the more you drink læraðr juice, and my power will heal the scars no one else can see; the ones in your heart. I promise I'll make this right.”

I can hear thumping in time with my heartbeat in my ears.

“What's that noise?” I whisper, feeling utterly disoriented and way too vulnerable.

He cocks his head, listening, “What noise?”

“That thumping.”

Smiling delight at me, he puts my hand in his flat against his chest, “This thumping?”

It's enough to wrestle a smile from me, “Yes, how weird is that.”

“
Handfasting does that, our hearts beat in tandem.”

Handfasting? Here we go again. This guy just doesn't know when to quit.

“Gunn, uh...”

But my argument is swallowed when his mouth covers mine and he compresses my lips in such a tender heartfelt kiss that it disturbs the nesting swarm of bees in my belly, giving me a swift kick of exhilaration.

It's long, sweet, soft, poignant, and enough to warm my soul the way single malt whisky warms my cockles. Relaxing, feeling dizzy, I have a half smile stuck to my lips when he pulls away.

“
This is a promise for eternity, and I never break my promises,” he murmurs, giving me a raking stare brimming with sensual suggestion.

I frown, unsure of what's transpiring.

Lifting his own shirt, he shows me his scarred body, “I have them too. We're a match made in Asgard.”

He bends over me again, licking inside my bottom lip and smacking his lips together, “Hmmm, tasty. I like my girls sweaty and pumped up from their workout.”

Planting my hand firmly against his chest, I apply force, “What are you doing?”

“
Consummating my handfasting.”