Chapter 4 Rhyland
Rhyland
"Rhyland of Midgard." Odin's voice booms through the hall, his one eye fixing me with a stare that feels like it could strip the flesh from my bones. "A grave error has been made. It is only now that we realize the necessity of enlightening you."
An error? What kind of fucking game are they playing here?
The Zeus-looking bastard clears his throat, and my gaze snaps to him. "It seems we have all been deceived regarding your... existence. Upon this realization, we convened and summoned you here."
I clench my fists, my confusion and frustration boiling over. I don't give a flying fuck about their mistakes. All I want is to get back to Dani.
"Cut the crap and get to the point. I don't have time for this bullshit or whatever grand revelation you gods need to drop on me." I snarl, my patience wearing thin.
Odin gestures to the hulking man beside him, "Rhyland, meet Elysium. He is here to rectify the situation."
My eyes nearly bug out of my skull as I stare at the man who's supposedly Dani's father. Elysium? Here, in the flesh? What the everloving fuck is going on? And why in the world is he in ásgard, of all places?
The questions swirl in my mind, but before I can voice them, Elysium speaks, his voice ringing with an otherworldly power that sets my teeth on edge.
"Rhyland Eriksson," he begins, his golden eyes boring into mine with an intensity that makes me want to look away. But I hold his gaze, refusing to back down. "You have been misled about your true nature. It is time for you to learn the truth of your heritage."
For fuck's sake, here we go. I couldn't give two shits about this nonsense.
"We believed you perished centuries ago," Odin interjects, his voice grating on my nerves. "But we now understand our error. You were, in fact, resurrected—as a vampire. Thus, retaining your heritage, power, and role in this prophecy."
"Why now? Why the fuck are you just now telling me this shit?" I can't help but ask.
Elysium lets out a sigh that drips with frustration as if he's not thrilled with Odin's little revelation. "It was only when you unleashed your lightning that we recognized our grave oversight," he growls, his eyes flashing angrily.
Heimdall turns to me, his expression serious. "I couldn't pinpoint your location after I found out," he says, sounding like he's trying to explain how our little portal-skiing escapades through the realms fucked things up.
I shrug, unfazed by their little display.
"Listen, I don't know what kind of games you all play up here in your fucking ivory tower, but I really couldn't care less about whatever bullshit you're spouting," I snap.
"I have one mission, and that's protecting your daughter.
" I fix Elysium with a cold, hard stare, daring him to challenge me.
I can see it in his eyes, those golden orbs that are so much like Dani's—he despises the fact that I've bonded with her, claimed her as my mate—tough shit.
"Make no mistake, boy! I still don't trust you around my daughter—your kind is tied to darkness."
"You may not like it, but Dani is mine," I continue, my voice low and dangerous. "And I'll be damned if I let anyone, god or otherwise, stand in the way of keeping her safe. So, whatever grand plan you have for me, you can shove it up your divine ass. I'm not playing your games."
The air is tense as I stare down the gods before me. I don't care who they are or what they want from me. All that matters is returning to Dani and fulfilling my vow to protect and love her, no matter the cost.
Elysium takes a deep breath, visibly struggling to maintain his composure.
"I am well aware of that, vampire, which is precisely why I am permitting this union.
You were destined to play a role in this prophecy—two saviors are needed to exist: mates of different worlds, one born of mortal and divine blood, and the other born of the gods. "
Two saviors? The prophecy never mentioned two—only that finding one's mate would awaken their powers. Did I misinterpret it? Could the fucking puddle in Aquaria have been right when it spoke of 'saviors'?
But it still doesn't add up. Dani and I are two halves of a whole, two souls torn from different eras.
I stare at him, stunned. "If that's the case, wouldn't Dani had to have been born in my time if you hadn't assumed I was dead?"
Odin sighs, "Indeed. We had a mate chosen for you..." He glances at Elysium. "Do you wish to reveal the truth to him?"
My gaze darts between the two, my mind reeling. Heimdall stands beside me, still as a statue, but he can't even hide the unease radiating from him at this bombshell.
What the ever-loving fuck is going on?
"Enough with the cryptic bullshit," I growl. "If there's something I need to know, then spit it out."
Elysium and Odin exchange a loaded glance, and I can feel the weight of centuries of secrets hanging in the air between them. Whatever they're about to reveal, I know it will change everything. And I'm not sure I'm ready for it.
"Brynhildr," Odin's voice rings out, echoing through the hall.
From behind their thrones, a woman emerges—no, not just a woman, a goddamn Valkyrie.
She's a vision of fierce beauty, with one eye Noric blue and the other honey gold.
Her long, platinum blonde hair flows like silver, and her body is toned and firm, the physique of a seasoned warrior.
She finds a seat next to Elysium and sits with a huff. "It's Bryn," she snaps at the old man.
Elysium's lips curve into a smile at her audacity, and then he turns to me, his expression sobering.
"This is Bryn, whom we initially intended for you.
However, her light proved insufficient. Her power did not align with what the prophecy demanded.
" His words have a profound sadness and a heavy sense of regret in the air. "Bryn cannot wield fire. But Danica—"
"What about Danica?" I snarl, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Your precious little girl that you couldn't be bothered to save when she was on the brink of death?
The one whose guardian angel you fucking banished from Atheria because she had the balls to defy you and keep her alive?
" I can barely keep my rage in check as I spit out the words, the truth burning like acid on my tongue.
Odin leans back, looking at me like I grew a second head. Bryn sucks in a sharp breath turning to Elsyium, "Father, you didn't…"
"You talk a big game about prophecies and destinies," I growl. "But when it comes down to it, you're just a bunch of self-righteous pricks who don't give a damn about the people you claim to protect."
Elysium's voice booms, "My judgment was clouded, formed in ignorance of your true nature. I believed Danica's association with you would lead her down the path of darkness—to death itself."
"So you were just gonna leave her to die?" I shout. "You thought wrong," I growl. "Dani's stronger than you give her credit for. She's a fighter, a survivor."
Elysium's eyes flash with anger. "Watch your tongue, boy. I am still your elder, and your better."
I laugh harshly. "Elder and better? That's rich, coming from a god who can't admit when he's fucked up."
Elysium shouts, "An oversight! And one I am rectifying! Danica is the rightful savior from my blood."
Bryn scoffs at his proclamation, and Elysium turns to her, his voice softening. "Bryn, you remain an extraordinary woman—my daughter—you have brought me immense pride."
I stand here, my jaw hanging open, as I am just now piecing things together.
"Hold the fuck up," I manage to get out, my mind spinning.
"You're telling me that she"—I point to Bryn—"is your daughter?
Dani's half-sister? And you banished her here as punishment because she didn't meet your standards? "
Odin interjects, "Bryn was brought here for her protection, as she failed the requirements for the prophecy. I gave Elysium my word that I would keep her safe. She is of Viking blood."
I shake my head, trying to wrap my mind around this twisted revelation.
"So, let me get this straight. You had her," I point to Bryn, "and when she didn't become the savior you wanted, you just tossed her aside and started over with Dani's mom?
" I can feel the rage building inside me, my power crackling beneath my skin.
"What kind of fucked-up game are you playing, Elysium? "
I can't believe what I'm hearing. The gods, playing with lives like they're nothing more than pawns on a chessboard. Anger surges through me, white-hot and all-consuming.
They gawk at me like I just took a piss in their divine punch bowl.
These almighty fuckers probably aren't used to anyone having the balls to call them out on their bullshit, especially not some vampire with an attitude problem.
Well, tough shit. I'm not here to stroke their celestial egos or play nice with the powers that be.
"I don't give a fuck about your prophecies or grand plans. I care about Dani, and I'll be damned if I let you use her as some kind of sacrificial lamb in your war against Moretemis."
Bryn's eyes flash angrily, and I see the hurt beneath the surface. Although I may not know her, I feel a sense of kinship with her. We're both pawns in this cosmic chess match, our lives dictated by the whims of gods who see us as nothing more than means to an end.
I can feel their eyes boring into me. But I don't back down. I won't let them manipulate Dani the way they did, Bryn. I'll fight tooth and nail to keep her safe, even if it means going against the gods themselves.
Elysium clears his throat. "No, that is not my intention with Danica.
I know her role in this prophecy and the power she wields with…
her true mate, by her side." He runs a hand down his face, frustration etched into every line.
"We just didn't see…this—you two—together.
When you fell on that battlefield, I had no choice but to seal the realms—the Darkness was closing in, consuming everything in its path.
I did what I had to do!" His shout echoes through the hall, raw and desperate.
"I had no idea you were turned into the creature you are today.
" he spits the word creature like I'm disgusting to him.
The memories of that day come rushing back—the Darkness swallowing the world whole. I lay there, bleeding out, knowing it was the end. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I was a piece of some cosmic prophecy, a pawn in a game played by gods and monsters.
And then, to have that demonic whore Lilith sink her claws into me, twisting and corrupting my very essence until I was reborn as something else entirely—a fucking creature of the night, a monster in my own right. The irony is not lost on me.
But that bitch got what was coming to her, and I don't regret making her pay for what she did to me—my brothers, not for a single goddamn second. She thought she could break me—break us, mold us into her perfect little pet monsters, but she underestimated the fury that burns in my veins.
"So, I died. Your only option was to seal the realms and start over—with Dani's mom? What about me?" I demand. "If I'm a crucial piece in this cosmic puzzle, Dani's other half—a savior in my own right—then who's the divine bastard responsible for my creation?"
Odin begins, "Rhyland, your lineage is...complicated."
I laugh bitterly. "Complicated? That's the understatement of the fucking century. You're telling me I'm the other half of this chosen one shit, a savior born of gods. But you still haven't answered my question. Who. Made. Me?"
Odin leans forward. "Rhyland, you are a child of the gods, born of both ásgardian and Olympian blood. Your father was a great warrior, a hero who fought alongside us. And your mother...your mother was a goddess in her own right, a being of immense power and beauty."
I stare at him, my mind reeling—a demigod born of two pantheons, two worlds that should never have crossed paths.
I shake my head. "No. My mother was mortal. Freya. What kind of bullshit are you trying to feed me?"
Odin sighs. "No, my son. We concealed your true heritage, placing you among the mortals until you came of age to embrace your destiny."
The words hit me like a gut punch. My entire existence...a lie? A carefully crafted illusion to hide the truth of my blood?
My memories of my mother's chants and whispered prayers to the gods for the gift of a child take on a whole new meaning now. The words twist and warp like a hall of shattered mirrors.
I can hear her voice, soft and reverent, thanking the deities for the blessing of my life. But now, knowing the truth of my heritage, those gentle murmurs become a twisted mockery, a cruel joke played by the very gods she so faithfully served.
She had no idea, no inkling of the divine blood that flowed through my veins, the legacy of power and tragedy that I was born to bear.
To her, I was a miracle, a gift from the heavens.
But in reality, I was a pawn, a chess piece in a game played by immortals.
My fate decided before I ever drew breath.
I clench my fists. "Then tell me," I growl, my voice low and dangerous. "Who were they? My real parents, the ones who brought me into this world only to abandon me to the fates?"
Odin meets my gaze. "Your father was Magni, son of Thor, a warrior of unparalleled strength and courage. And your mother was Nyx, the primordial goddess of the night, a being of ancient power and mystery."
The names echo through my mind: Magni, Nyx, demigod, and primordial goddess, united in a forbidden love that brought forth a child of two worlds.
Fuck. My. Life.