Forsaken (Book #1)
Chapter Four

After about a minute or two of silence, Grayson decided that he should leave. He said that I needed time to absorb everything that was happening and that he’d be back tomorrow. When he left without taking the book I wanted to call him back, and tell him to take it. I didn’t want a reminder that my life was turning upside down and inside out, but I didn’t. I had this compulsion to learn more about Ilya who was a Valkyrie.

If Grayson was right, I was her descendant and if I was going to be thrust into a full-fledged supernatural war I needed to know as much as I could about her and Valkyries.

This all sounded too fantastical to believe still, but I mean there was a part of me – a very, very, very small part – that said that this might be real. That maybe I’m not going crazy.

Ilya was the founder of New Haven and one of the most prominent members after it became a well-established government/faction. As a Valkyrie she is a fearsome warrior and as such was greatly feared by the Afterdark when they became a faction.

That was all on that page. Most of the page was taken up by a colorful picture of Ilya – at least I think it was her – in the center of a battlefield, golden wings unfurled and two swords in her hands. Her eyes held a fierce, determined look and her armor was stained with blood. I ran my fingers along the picture, staring at the fierce depiction of Ilya.

This was my ancestor? This fierce looking woman?

Impossible.

She was everything that I wasn’t. She didn’t look afraid of anything and she was a warrior. She was strong and I wasn’t. It wasn’t just that. Even though this was just a picture I could just imagine how respected and revered she was. How much everyone regarded her and how much they all believed that she could save them.

No one had ever looked at me the way that I’m sure they looked at her. I flipped through the book, pausing every once in a while to read the passages about different supernatural creatures, the factions and Ilya. Flipping the page I finally, finally came to a passage about Valkyries. The book had mentioned several times that Ilya was a Valkyrie and if I was her descendant then I was a Valkyrie too.

But what the hell was a Valkyrie?

A Valkyrie is a frequent subject in Norse mythology and are commonly known as “warrior maidens” and they chose who dies and who lives in a battle. In reality, Valkyries are fierce warriors, but they also bring about omens of death and victory. Valkyries have many abilities under their belt and are only able to use all of their abilities once they have reached maturity. Abilities that many Valkyries have include: choosing if someone lives or dies – but only in battles they are not part of, predicting death, immortality, the ability of flight with their wings, enhanced speed and strength, and the ability to compel.

The Valkyrie will be able to use all of these abilities when they reach maturity.

The book then continued to say that only girls could be Valkyries and that the Valkyrie gene was always dominant. A child of a Valkyrie would always have the gene and would always be a Valkyrie. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I was adopted – that was something that I had known for quite some time – and with that came the revelation that my birth mom was a Valkyrie.

Being a Valkyrie sounded like it came with a lot of responsibility – especially if I was really Ilya’s descendant. That posed the question: Was I seriously believing this? The answer was, yes I was. To me it sounded crazy and it was still hard for me to actually believe it, but it was an explanation that meant that I wasn’t crazy.

But I still was on the fence about this whole situation. I guess being a Valkyrie was much preferred to being crazy.

I think.

I hope.

* * * * *

At around eight, I stopped reading the book. My brain was fried enough and I had a lot to think about. I had no doubt that Grayson was going to come back either tonight still or tomorrow, and when he did I had a lot of questions. Questions that I needed him to answer.

The first of which was: Why me?

There were other Valkyries out there, I was sure. Why did it have to be me? Why couldn’t it be someone else? Did it have to be me because I was Ilya’s descendant? Surely, she had other descendants. So that just brought that question to the forefront of my mind again: Why me?

Why was it up to me to save all of the supernaturals from the raising of a demon on Samhain? I closed my eyes in despair.

Samhain.

Halloween.

Cassie’s party.

Crap.

The doorbell ringing snapped me out of my thoughts and I grabbed the book, stuffing it into one of the drawers. I headed towards the door, and opened it prepared to see Grayson. What I had not expected to see was the golden haired boy.

His golden eyes glowed with molten heat as he stared at me and I flushed.

“Well you’re a lot more attractive up close,” He drawled.

“Who are you?” I asked, prepared to slam the door right in his face.

He just smirked. For a moment I thought he wasn’t going to say anything. Then he let out a dark, sinister chuckle.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of me, haven’t you?” He said cocking his head to the side. “No? Didn’t Grayson tell you anything?” He sounded truly exasperated.

Upon hearing that he knew Grayson I wanted to relax. But there was just something off about him. Something was screaming to my senses that he wasn’t supposed to be trusted. I nudged the door, and he stuck his foot out preventing me from closing it.

“Who are you?” I repeated, eyeing him with suspicion.

“Lucian.” He said after a beat of silence.

My heart thumped out an erratic staccato rhythm as I stared at him.

Lucian.

As in the same Lucian, that was an assassin for the Afterdark? As in the Lucian, that Grayson said might kill me?

I should have slammed the door in his face. But I didn’t. I just continued to stand there, staring at him like an idiot.

“W-Why are you here?” I stammered, gripping the door tighter.

“Can’t I just visit Grayson’s new little assignment?” He asked mockingly, leaning against the doorframe. When I just narrowed my eyes at him he said with a laugh, “Apparently not.” He sobered quickly, “Has he told you the truth about everything?”

“Yes.” I answered trying to sound confident and sure of myself, but failing. Lucian showing up here had rattled me.

Where was Grayson? If he was my protector and he thought that Lucian was a threat to me, then where was he?

“Oh he has, has he?” Lucian mused. “So then he told you that I’m an assassin right? And that I’ll kill you as soon as I get the opportunity to?”

My mouth became dry and I stiffened. Yeah, Grayson had mentioned that. I didn’t think though that Lucian would be allowed to get this close to me. But he had. All because Grayson wasn’t here.

“Unfortunately, my superiors haven’t ordered your death yet so you’re safe for now petite moineau.” He purred.

I skittered back a step, chilled to the bone. His words had oozed with the promises of death. He smiled mockingly at me but didn’t move from his place. Then I slammed the door in his face. Just before the door slammed on him, I saw his eyes grow wide and he scrambled out of the way.

I took a few steps away from the door, staring at it with wide eyes my chest heaving as I fought to catch my breath. That encounter with Lucian had shaken me. It had also made me a little angry at Grayson. Grayson said that it was his job to protect me, but he hadn’t been here. Lucian had been able to practically waltz into my house and my so-called protector was nowhere to be found.

I’d be dead in no time, if every time Lucian showed up Grayson wasn’t here.