Chapter 47
It had taken her a while to calm after the letter and everything that transpired after.
Not long after Kaden’s power faded their entire group had come to the door in panic from the rumble that erupted through the building. Once inside, Kaden explained most of what happened, the more intimate parts he left out and she was thankful for it.
“So then what the scout said is true, Mavros is killing villagers to create more Trenchers.” Xander sighed.
“We need to figure out why there is a dead one in a secret room and what else Emris is hiding.” Boone scoffed.
She stood leaning against the back wall, her body still electrified from the morning events and she wasn’t sure how to feel at the moment. Anger, lust and fear all swirled in her but she didn’t feel safe enough to grab onto any of them.
“Sounds like we need to have a conversation with Oak.” Finnley added, Raine sitting next to him on the bed.
“We can’t, it would put us at risk.” Kaden barked.
“Do you believe Silas that Helen was attacked?” Xander said, his eyes staring at her with a worry in them she had never seen or could explain.
“I don’t see why he would lie.” she shrugged. “It’s not like he would expect me to go check it out when I am busy here.”
“Xander, Boone, and I will go check out the room again. Finnley and Titus, you stay here with Alyra.” Kaden ordered and closed the few feet of space between them. “Stay in this room until I get back,” he said a little softer. “Then we will go train more this afternoon.”
She gave him an annoyed look and his lips curved in response.
“Why can’t I go with you?” she snapped.
“I can’t risk you getting caught and possibly jailed for treason,” he whispered. “I won’t risk you getting locked up again.”
Her face fell and pulled on his shirt he had put on when everyone arrived in response.
“They lock you up and I will be the one to make this mansion crumble.” she smirked and he grabbed her face, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.
The entire room stilled, silence heavy around them and she realized the others were still in the room.
“Finally!” Finnley chuckled and the others mumbled in response.
She felt color rush to her face and Kaden glanced back over his shoulder with a playful glare.
“The tension between you two was getting exhausting.” Boone added and she let out her own giggle in response.
“Ok, everyone get out.” Kaden barked. “I’ll meet you in the hallway in five minutes.”
The room vibrated in laughter and once the door closed behind everyone he grabbed her in for another kiss, pressing her against the wall.
“I hate my friends sometimes.” he smirked against her lips. “I promise I will be back soon.”
He pulled away from her and his absence instantly weighed heavy on her as she watched him grab his weapons off the dresser. He gave her one last kiss to the forehead before disappearing out the door without another word.
Finnley, Raine, and Titus all came in shortly after and she stayed standing against the wall in a loss of what to do.
She noticed the book Kaden had taken from the room and pushed herself off the wall towards it. Maybe there was more to the story she hadn’t gotten to yet, and she had time to kill.
Grabbing the book, she sat down on the bed and started to flip through it, the bed sinking next to her.
“What are you looking at?” Raine’s voice was quiet next to her.
“A book with a lot of secrets,” she mumbled and found the pages she had read earlier.
She could tell Raine was reading over her shoulder, but she tried not to feel annoyed as she started reading.
Centuries later, rumors started to stir of an army Mavros had obtained by turning Emris’s people against him.
The truth about Lyra had been spread throughout the kingdom but Emris was able to control it enough to make it seem like a lie. Only those that joined Mavros believe in the truth.
The numbers recorded in Mavros’s lands were far more than Emris could defeat himself, hence making an Alliance with the Valkyrie up north.
Astrid, queen of the Valkyrie was well known to Emris, her husband being the first fae recorded to marry a Valkyrie in history and produced a daughter, Alyra.
Unknown to Astrid, Emris was aware of the power Alyra held and he knew it was the only way to win the war against his brother. He had tried to get Astrid agree to let him marry their daughter, however she was already betrothed to another Fae.
To make sure their alliance stayed strong, he did not push the matter but there was record of his stating “the union between him and Alyra would be the most powerful move in history.”
She felt her stomach lurch and she dropped the book down in shock. Emris wanted to marry her.
“Thank god that didn’t happen.” Raine whispered.
“What’s wrong?” Finnley asked in a panicked tone.
She felt that tether pull again and she responded quickly, taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves.
“Emris wanted to marry me after he killed Lyra to make a powerful offspring,” she said in disgust.
“That’s disgusting.” Titus scoffed.
She gave him a glare and he seemed to realize his mistake quickly.
“No I mean it's disgusting he would try to marry you for your power. You, my lady, are by far, way out of his league.”
Raine bent down to pick up the book and set it on the stand next to them. Alyra tried to take another deep breath, the feeling of disgust crawling all over her skin and she tried to search her mind for any hint of his intentions before the war.
“He did come to Mydalsa one time and watched me train out in the field with the others. I thought he was just making sure we would be able to fight, but it seems he was actually fantasizing about impregnating me.” She quickly stood and rushed into the room, her stomach so queasy it made her puke.
Raine rushed in after her and tried to help hold her hair out of the way.
“Can I get you anything?” Raine asked quietly.
“No, I'm ok.” She sighed and composed herself enough to stand against the sink. “His comments during my dance with him at the ball all make sense now.”
‘You always were a feisty one. It’s a shame your mother didn’t listen to me when she was alive.’
She visibly shook and tried to keep herself upright against the counter.
“Tell me about how you and Kaden finally got together!” Raine tried to distract her and she was thankful for it.
“He chased me through the hedge maze and told me if I won, I got whatever I wanted from him.” she smirked, her heart beating faster and her stomach calm.
“Let me guess, you won and you got to finally tell him how you feel?”
“Did everyone really know?” She giggled.
“It was hard to miss.” Raine chuckled, leaning against the sink next to her.
“Want to know something even crazier?” she smirked.
“Of course!”
“Kaden and I are apparently mates.”
She watched Raine’s jaw drop, eyes widen and emit a shrill shriek, sounding throughout the bathroom.
Alyra’s ears started to ring and both men outside the door came running in out of panic.
“What?” Finnley yelled, his hand on his smaller blade on his hip.
“Kaden and Alyra are MATES!” Raine squealed again and she watched both males' faces turn to shock.
“Well, that makes things interesting.” Finnley smirked. “Also explains a lot.”
She raised her eyebrows to him in curiosity.
“Kaden has never cared about any female, even ones we became friends with since…” his voice trailed off slightly. “The way he is around you, it’s almost frightening how protective he is over you and we have tried to figure out why.” Finnley leaned against the doorframe, Titus standing next to him.
“No one can find out,” she said quickly. “No one outside our circle at least. It would put both of us in danger considering Mavros wants both of our powers. They could use us as leverage against the other.”
“Agreed.” Finnley nodded and went back into the room, her and Raine following.
The weight of the situation made her both happy and stressed at the same time, her body slumping back onto the bed.
Their mating bond made her happier than she had ever been and knew she now had someone who wouldn’t betray her.
The downside to their bond, in her warrior trained mind, was now it could be used against them as a weakness their enemies could exploit.
If Mavros took Kaden, she would do anything to save him and she knew Kaden would do the same for her.
She stayed silent for a long time, Raine and Finnley conversing across the bed and Titus just standing against the wall adding his opinion every so often.
The door opened at least an hour later and Kaden walked back in, Xander following.
“Find anything this time?” Finnley asked tentatively.
“Yep.” Xander huffed and threw a small notebook on the bed next to her.
She glanced up to Kaden, his face not looking towards her and she knew whatever they had found was extremely bad.
Reaching towards the book, she flipped through the pages and felt the color drain from her face.
Test subject 23:
-Female
-Valkyrie features, wings mutated off prior to death.
-Captured on the border of the Obsidian Mountains.
-Subject seems to be a first stage Trencher, skin still rotting and facial features still more Valkyrie-like compared to later mutations but still unrecognizable at a glance.
Magic would not affect the creature along with any iron or other substance.
Tattoos still evident on skin, records indicating the creature was once Astrid Adair.
Her hands trembled and she choked on the breath she was trying to take before tears started to fall down her cheek.
Kaden moved quickly, as if ready to act on whatever her emotions would have been and pulled her into him. Sobs erupted from her and she muffled a scream with her hands as everything around her crashed down.
That body in the room was her mother.