Page 24

Chapter 22

úlfhéeinn

T he surging of our mates' bond stitching itself to us was enough to rip me directly to the forefront of my shared mind. Full control tasted like freedom, something I hadn't enjoyed in centuries .

My mate, my strong Valkyrja . I felt her again, like the fire on my wrist that threatened to burn me to ashes in every way I'd savor. She'd been ripped away before, her presence in my mind cleared, her mark void of her touch. It tore through me again now as viciously as the snarl that came from my chest.

Something had stopped me from chasing the trail of her when I'd first felt her loss, a silent song that lingered in my head, pulsing even now. My pack, my brothers, standing between me and the door. Me and her.

How dared they try to stop me?

I curled in on myself, all my breath coming through my nose as I opened my mouth until the jaw cracked. My skin tightened, and a shift almost came, only to be trapped by a magic in the air I could taste … a hint of the sea , like ruthless ocean waves on a sunken ship .

Siren .

"Oh, fuck me, not again."

I shot up from the couch I was on, turning to face the threat. My body betrayed me, staying standing on two feet even as I pushed for the freedom of our other form. Either way, I prepared for a fight, for blood I was sure to find in this fight .

I bared my teeth, watching as the woman that stood at the door, carrying a tray in her hands as another body across the room shot up with a heaving gasp.

Nero .

My other half stirred, trying to rip the reins away from me as Nero looked around, searching every crack and crevice in the room with a frantic gaze. He stumbled from the sheets and bedding he was on, hitting the floor with a thud. Sweat slicked almost instantly across his forehead as he coughed, the sound wet as blood splattered the ground.

The bond pulsed again, my mate calling for me.

" Mate , " I managed, barely getting it out past the crack of my bones. The shift didn't come, like it hadn't before, locked down by something barely tangible as the Siren began to sweat, a whisper from her mouth as she held up her hand. But we were breaking her down, cracking her spell.

Short red hair floated willfully around her head, a sharpness to her aqua eyes that seemed to glow. Her magic was a shackle, a breathy whisper that I could feel trying to drag me back down into unconsciousness.

Caging us.

Nero staggered to his feet, his grunt a distraction as he clutched at his chest. There was a vicious intensity in his eyes, one that didn't let up as he stared at me. There was no fear in him, and I hesitated to push.

He was our elder, the second of our pack. The need to bare my neck warred with the need to move .

"You feel it too, don't you … Aaliyah's back," he whispered, squaring his shoulders. He took a deep breath, his head falling forward in perfect sync with the relentless pulsing of the lavender band. When his head tipped up again, it was like looking into an inferno. He brushed his hair back, adjusting his stance as he prepared to fight . Had I been in my other form, the fur at my neck would have risen. "I need to go. Can I convince you to lie back down, Eri?"

I hesitated, feeling the clawing grip of my other half as he fought me. My mate needed me, called for me … I bared my teeth, hunching as I prepared to lunge forward.

I would not be caged; I would not be idle . My face sharpened enough to bare fangs. " Mine ."

Nero chuckled, almost drunkenly, as he wiped a line of blood out from under his nose, cracking his neck. "Eliza, get out of here."

The Siren hesitated, inconsequential as she looked between us, flinching away when I snarled again.

"You going to be okay?" she asked.

"Of course, I may not look it, but I'm pretty sure I've never lost a fight to this one," Nero said, his smile slipping away, until there was only the warrior.

He hadn't, not once in either form … but that didn't stop us from stalking forward. My mind blended friend and foe, pack and enemy. My sweet Valkyrja was back somewhere, and we'd tear through anyone we needed to get to her. Nothing would stop me.

Not even Nero.

* * *

Fallon

"All right, look alive," Eliza called as she pushed through the door, waking me up with a start and a fucking violent headache.

Her voice held hints of a Siren's Call , likely the only reason it actually got me moving, as I looked around. Even Adrian opened his eyes from the bed he laid on across the room from me, his skin still a mismatched patchwork of pale and inky black lines.

I was on a little mat on the floor, covered in a few nice sheets and a comfortable, if not slightly flat, pillow. The space was in disarray, toys pushed to the soft gray walls, piles of folded blankets stacked haphazardly in the corner to accommodate us.

"Eliza, our glorious savior. Here to yell at us again for getting ashes in your carpet?" Adrian asked, snorting a laugh. "I did apologize, you know."

The breaths he pulled in were labored, a cough following that sounded like he was trying to suck in water, his lungs no doubt filled with the same blood and ash I could feel in mine. Though he seemed to take it in stride, smiling like a madman as he stretched his arms above his head. He looked a hell of a lot better than I thought he would.

Which made how destroyed I felt that much more humiliating . I grimaced and fought through the lingering tremors that even sleep couldn't stave off. Everything hurt. Every single inch of my skin, even my organs and my bones. There wasn't a part of me that was left untouched by the sun or Archon's sick tricks … even my mind, haunted by the shadows I worried might jump out and bite.

Not that I was going to tell them that. I didn't want them to know how close I'd been to falling before we'd made it to Eliza's, that I wouldn't have been able to take another step if I'd tried. I'd barely had the energy to collapse onto her front porch.

Just like then, she glared my way. She was just as frustratingly pigheaded as the day she strode into our house and took Aaliyah, that same determined grit in her eyes as she tipped her chin up and looked between us. Like she was ready to go to war.

Her red hair, cut short on one side, was damp as she brushed the longer half away from her forehead before crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't have time for the sass. One of you needs to go deal with the big one. He and your friend look like they're about to rip each other apart."

Friend … it took me a long second to realize who she was talking about. All of this seemed like a fucked-up dream, and part of me wondered if I wasn't still in Archon's lamp. Was this another ploy? Was Nero being here just another trick ?

My mouth flooded with saliva, my head swelling as I looked at the shadows in the room, swallowing bitterly at the dark spaces that I almost swore held black eyes and the white teeth of a mischievous smile. Aislinn's.

As if on cue, Eirik's growl split through the air, followed by another … deeper, more vocal in the chest and definitely not belonging to our brother. The sound of crashing came next. Eliza sighed, rubbing her temples like we weren't about to deal with a raging death machine. "And that means Carter just joined the fun. God dammit, we just fixed the tile."

Fuck .

I stumbled up, nearly puking as liquid fire swallowed my body. I managed to follow Eliza out the door, Adrian hot on my heels.

" We need to get out of here, " Eirik snarled, the words cracked and clouded by harsh syllables. His furious growl filled the room as his chest heaved, barely being held against the wall by Carter.

Nero was seemingly missing, at least until I saw him pick himself up from the ground by a crumbling wall with a groan, grunting as he popped his neck and rocked his jaw from left to right.

"I thought you said you had this," Eliza said, grinding her teeth.

Nero glared at her, dusting himself off. He was slow to move as blood slid out of his nose and down over his lip. "I'm working on it."

Wonderful , so he was in over his head again. Normally — or, before he'd died— this matchup between him and Eirik wouldn't have even been a question. Nero could fight, and as the second eldest, that meant he could win against damned near all of us. Even Osiris struggled from time to time.

That didn't seem to be the case as he rammed his palm over his ear, grinding his teeth like it might help him see straight.

Eliza rolled her eyes, lifting her hands into the air as she began to sing that same tune she had at Archon's. Her skin glowed, hints of scales crawling up her neck, but unlike before, Eirik didn't waver. He seemed to grow even more agitated, his face lengthening to snap at Carter's throat as the Dragonkin cursed. His face pulled tight, the green of his eyes sharpening as his skin turning molten before hardening into steel. His next breath was a vapor that seemed to glow silver.

"Brilliant plan, Eirik. Biting the hand that feeds you and all that," Adrian said, laughing as he sagged into the wall. Sweat pooled on his forehead, and he covered his mouth as he gagged. Eirik's growl grew to shake the room. "I don't know if you've noticed, but none of us are currently fighting material … you think we can calm down and talk about this instead?"

Eirik's hands shifted into claws, the scratching sound as he caught Carter's shoulder vicious. Eliza sucked in a breath beside me, her voice tapering off. I was frozen in place, like every time I was faced with the part of Eirik that was úlfhéeinn.

Fuck, what would Osiris do in this situation? All I could think of was the last time Eirik's beast came out, Osiris walking up to him like a bite wouldn't be fatal. He'd put his hand on Eirik's neck, over the jagged scar across it.

And told him to stop.

For Osiris, that was enough … but he was older than Eirik by several decades, had the power to subdue him if something really went wrong, and I wouldn't stand a fucking chance completely healthy.

Definitely not in my current state.

Probably not ever, as hard as that was to admit.

That didn't stop me from flexing my hands, prepping my stance as I prepared to fight. It didn't stop the adrenaline as it flooded me, opening my lungs as I pulled in a breath that even helped me stop shaking for a second.

" Something is wrong ," Eirik snarled, his teeth clacking together as his head tipped forward. He'd gone mad, his body jolting so hard the wall behind him cracked. " It's wrong. It's all wrong. We have to get to her! "

" This isn't helping her!" I shouted through the chaos, like screaming at a brick fucking wall. "What would she think if you killed someone she loves? Stop being an idiot and focus!"

Every hair I had along my arms and neck stood on edge as Eirik lifted his head again. The already stormy blue of his eyes snapped nearly black, eating up my brother until there was nothing left but the beast .

Eirik grabbed Carter's shoulder, his claws sinking in until Carter howled, blood pooling past the metal that covered his skin.

In a breath, Nero was by Eirik again.

His hand on Eirik's neck, his gaze unflinching as he stared him in the eyes, exactly like Osiris had done. A smudge of blood smeared across his face, and he wiped it away as he stared Eirik down. He made it look effortless, completely in control as Eirik's growl stopped entirely.

"Easy now, brother," Nero said, his teeth gritted as Eirik's thrashing settled, just enough for Carter to get a better hold on him.

"Let's try this again, yeah? This isn't you, muna langt fram. " Nero said the words with an ease that betrayed the cinching of his face, his head shaking as sweat pooled on his brow.

They had the intended effect, the exact words Osiris had said to Eirik before, like a call to bring him back to himself. Eirik's breaths turned ragged as he shook his head, groaning deep in his chest as he fought the change.

His skin solidified, his face softening as it lost the sharpness of his wolf.

When he spoke, it was a whisper. " Dreyrugr. "

Bloodstained.

Nero calmed the beast, and the confused look in his eyes told me he'd done it on instinct alone.

I'd forgotten exactly how ingrained Nero had been with us. He'd been the glue that held us together, the man that had guided Adrian and I through our Calls a thousand times over … a hundred years without someone would do that to you. There was no question about it now, no stray thought that made me think maybe this wasn't our brother.

Nero grinned, letting Eirik go before stepping away. "Not anymore, Eirik. I believe we're Vivas now."

There was a break of silence, and I tensed, letting my hands relax and rocking my head back and forth as I tried to get the blood flow back to them. It was a long second before Eirik finally responded. He grabbed his neck first, his eyes closing, before he went to his wrist, the lavender band on it dwarfed by his hand. "She's back, Nero. I can feel it."

Jealousy ripped through me, and I reached for my wrist, holding it so tightly my hand went numb. I'd been hesitant to bond myself to Aaliyah before, the idea of getting too close a fear I couldn't have overcome.

How fucking stupid I was. Now that I couldn't feel her, couldn't tell she was okay just by reaching for the mark she'd given me. The mark I didn't have anymore.

"Yeah, me, too," Nero said, rubbing his chest with a content sigh. He smiled, life flooding back into him at the thought of Aaliyah. All of us did, Adrian perking up, even Eirik calming to a standstill. The confirmation that she was okay, truly okay, was all we needed. "Don't worry, I'm going to get her."

He whispered it with such open hope, like he wasn't expecting to speak at all. The fact that he was alive was a miracle, the fact that he was Prince. Her Prince?

Only, Nero barely made it two steps before he was hitting the ground with an oomph , his entire body arching as his eyes rolled back. I staggard to his side, reaching him the same time as Eliza. He grunted, caught between a scream and a plea as he rolled onto his hands and knees, covering his mouth as it splattered with blood. He shrugged us off, and stood, looking at nowhere but the door, even as I reached out to catch him as he stumbled. I couldn't hold the weight, literally shaking under it, and I hated that Carter had to step in to help.

"Do you have a death wish? You haven't stopped—" she said, rolling her eyes when he collapsed again, this time more rag doll. "Yeah, that."

Seconds passed, the Rend seeming to drag on forever before Nero was gasping on a breath, slipping into a memory before he was back to us.

"Aaliyah. She's—" he grunted, managing to get to his feet again. "Whatever happened at Archon's, Eirik is right. I can feel her again. I'm going Eliza, I have to get to her."

"You can barely stand, let alone walk. Just—" she said, practically stomping her feet as he pushed forward anyway, just as Adrian butted in.

"She doesn't know about you yet, does she?" he asked, the same soft dejection I felt.

"No, she doesn't. Not unless Osiris told her," he said, still rubbing his chest, his eyes closing as he took even breaths. "I really need to fix that. I did my part, I saved you guys. Now I need to see her. So, you're not stopping me, not now. I promise, this isn't a fight you'll win."

Adrian huffed, crossing his arms and jutting his hip out, fully intending to argue. "Like hell you're going alone?—"

"We wouldn't dream of it." I reached out, cutting Adrian off, grasping Nero's shoulder. He looked at me with a tilted head and a grin that I couldn't help but smile at. After so long without him, I was surprised at how natural it felt to pull him into a hug. The others went quiet as the room filled with a somber air. The same kind I used to shy away from, snarling and snapping, like it was beneath me. Nero was back. This was my brother, the man I'd buried a hundred years ago … a man who now lived .

All because of her, for her. Ali, my trouble, the woman that got me through hell and gave me back a fire I thought I'd lost a long time ago. Even if I did have the energy in me to move, this needed to be his. He'd saved us, left Osiris to Kri'Valta and saved us when he damned well could have left us to die for her . All with the hope we'd survive, and that Aaliyah would be there waiting for him once he got us back. "Bring her back to us, Nero."

Ever the gladiator, he laughed, his head falling as his chest shook. I couldn't remember a time I'd seen him smile harder. "Without fucking question."

He didn't even look back as he stumbled down a set of steps, cursing as he crashed into something at the bottom, before an off-tune bell accompanied the opening and closing of a door.

Eliza groaned, rubbing the space between her eyes. "Dezen, can you trail him? Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble?"

Dezen, who'd stayed mostly silent through the altercation, nodded. "Of course."

He made my skin crawl, his icy eyes as intense as the brush of his bloody magic. He and Carter shared a look before he was ambling down the stairs after Nero.

"Are you guys going to be okay here by yourselves?" Eliza said, butting in again as she started to pick things up that had fallen, glaring at the walls that had been roughed up.

"Leaving so soon?" Adrian asked, voice airy as he moved to help her.

He picked up bits of drywall, holding them in his cupped hand as he hummed lightly. It put Eliza at ease, as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we're all meeting baba at her house before we head out. Just as soon as the Selkie Eternal and his entourage get here."

"Selkie?" Eirik asked, his voice a touch past growling as he clutched his throat.

"Yeah, are you guys going to play nice?" she asked, as Adrian snorted and shook his head. He walked his handful of debris over to the garbage, tossing it away as Eliza ground her teeth. "I'm serious!"

"I can promise you, Eliza, we'll be just fine," he said, grinning genuinely for the first time in days. I honestly felt the same, a surprising feat considering I knew exactly who was coming my way. "This is just our lucky day."

The door opened downstairs again, the bell going off before footsteps echoed up the narrow hall. They started slow, before stopping entirely for a moment. A hum followed, and Eirik was already standing when Milo King burst his way into the room.

His eyes went wide, his lips still pursed going silent. All it took was one look for a hiss to rip its way out of his chest. He was typically rather carefree, even a prankster at the worst of times … but he didn't handle those in his family being hurt well.

Losing Nero had doubled that instinct down.

"What the fuck . You guys look like a Demon chewed you up and shit you out," Milo said, gawking as he shot forward like a mother hen, stopping in front of Adrian. Two others flanked him, a man and a woman.

"You guys know each other?" Eliza asked, seeming somewhat stunned.

Milo didn't seem to hear, lifting Adrian's arms to check their range, as our youngest laughed.

Adrian's head tipped back. "Of course. Don't you know Milo King is an honorary Vivas?"