Chapter 69

VALKYRIE

As we approach the castle, Damian’s voice echoes in my mind. “You’ve got a bow and arrows in your weapons bag,” he tells me. I rummage through the bag, finding the bow and arrows, along with my sword and a few daggers.

I tuck the daggers into hidden pockets on my body and secure my sword. Just as I’m about to make my move toward the castle, Damian’s voice fills my mind again.

~“Gabriel is up ahead,”~ he growls. I glance forward and spot him. Without a second thought, I release the reins and rise to my feet on the dragon’s back. I grab a bow and arrow, taking aim.

His eyes widen in shock as he sees us. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, then open them again. He tries to dodge, but the arrow finds its mark in his shoulder. I can’t help but smile.

“I can’t see Dimitri, Damian,” I call out.

~“I’ll find him,”~ Michael interjects. ~“You guys keep going. We’ll catch up.”~ We nod in agreement and press on, while Michael veers off course.

~“Be careful when we get to the castle, Valkyrie,”~ Damian warns me through our mind-link. I can sense his concern.

“Don’t worry,” I reply, a smirk playing on my lips. “I think it’s about time I showed everyone what I’m made of.”

Damian just stares at me. Suddenly, we hear roars in the distance. We look ahead to see ten dragons flying toward us.

“I need a group to attack with Alarik. I’ll handle Gabriel. The rest of you, take down his castle. Leave no one alive. And remember, stay close and stay safe,” I command, my voice echoing over the roars.

I kneel down to stroke Alarik’s head. “Stay safe and stick close to me, okay?” I tell him, smiling. I feel his gaze on me as I instruct him to drop me near the castle walls.

We descend, covered by Damian’s men. Alarik heads toward Gabriel. “This is it, Valkyrie,” I whisper to myself. I leap off the red dragon, landing near Gabriel.

He gives me a stern look as the sounds of battle echo around us.

“Nice to see you again, Father,” I greet him, a smile on my face. Gabriel just glares at me, sword in hand, a smirk on his face.

“You’re just like your mother,” he says. I frown, choosing to remain silent. “But there’s one thing you have that your mother didn’t.”

“And what’s that?” I ask, gripping my sword tighter.

“Determination,” he replies, looking at me. For a moment, I see a flicker of a smile and a hint of pain in his eyes. But it’s gone as quickly as it came.

We stand there, staring at each other, the chaos around us forgotten. I scoff and draw my sword. I roll my wrist, gripping the sword and getting into position.

“Well, at least I got something from you then,” I retort, smirking. “But it’s a shame, you won’t get to see much more of it.”

His smile fades.

“You sound like me,” he says.

“Do I? Because I beg to differ,” I reply. I lunge at him. Gabriel dodges. He draws his sword and our blades clash.

I smile at him. I push him back and seize the opportunity to attack again.

“Not bad,” he admits, a smile tugging at his lips. I grunt and press forward.

Our swords clash again and again as we pour our hearts into the fight. Finally, I see an opening. I spin and kick him in the gut.

Gabriel groans as I bring my sword down, slashing his leg. I hear a roar and glance to the side. Alarik is sinking his teeth into another dragon’s neck.

Distracted, I don’t see Gabriel move. He tackles me, and I hit the ground with a groan.

“Keep your eyes on me, my dear,” Gabriel hisses. I try to roll over, to use his momentum against him, but he’s too strong.

“Fuck off, Gabriel!” I snap, pushing him off me. I let go of my sword, ball my hand into a fist, and punch him. Gabriel stumbles back and I scramble to my feet.

I kick him in the face, then bring my sword down, stabbing him in the thigh. “Don’t think I’m going to make this easy for you,” I mutter.

Gabriel starts to laugh.

“You should keep your guard up,” he advises. I frown, not understanding, until I see a flash of metal. My eyes widen as I try to move, but it’s too late. An arrow grazes my stomach.

I clutch the wound, feeling the warm blood seep through my fingers.

Gabriel stands, pulling my sword from his thigh.

“You would have made a great warrior,” he smirks. “If I’d known I had a daughter like you, I would have made you queen instead of Eros.”

His words remind me of Eros. Where was he? Was he fighting somewhere? Was Dimitri with him?

“Don’t worry,” I tell Gabriel, “Your precious son will be in pieces by the time I’m done with him.” Gabriel growls.

I back away, spotting a set of stairs. My eyes drift to the long wooden spikes lining the walls.

“VALKYRIE!” a familiar voice calls out. I dodge just in time to avoid Gabriel’s sword. I dodge his attacks, seeing his frustration grow.

As he swings his sword down again, I duck and kick him, throwing him off balance. I hit him in the back, kick his sword out of his hand, pull out a dagger, and try to stab him in the head.

But Gabriel grabs my wrists, using all his strength to hold me back.

“You won’t be able to hurt me!” he laughs.

“Who says I won’t?” I reply, smiling. I let go of the dagger, then twist one hand free. I catch the falling dagger and stab him in the shoulder.

Gabriel screams. I pull out the dagger and stab him again in the chest. His blood splatters onto my hand. In pain, he pushes me away.

My eyes fly open as I tumble backward, rolling down the stairs. I let out a groan. My back is throbbing. I try to move, but a sharp pain makes me hiss.

A splintered piece of wood from the stairs has pierced me. I yank it out with a shout. Panting, I attempt to stand again, but Gabriel kicks me in the stomach, sending me rolling down another flight of stairs.

Landing with my face up, I glance toward the stairs. Gabriel is smirking as he removes his chest armor. The heavy metal clatters to the ground as he reaches for me. He picks up a sword and stands over me.

“I don’t want to kill you,” Gabriel says, his lips thinning, “but I can’t let someone like you live.”

I scramble backward as he advances. He brings his sword down, catching a piece of cloth from my armor, pinning me in place.

Gabriel scoffs as he pulls out a bottle of liquid from behind him.

“What’s that?” I whisper, my eyes wide.

“This is something you’ll enjoy,” Gabriel says as he straddles me. I swing at his face with my fists, but he lands a punch first. I grab his arm, searching for an escape.

He uses his teeth to pull the cap off the black liquid. Then, gripping my neck, he slams me against the floor.

“You bastard!” I yell, kicking at him.

My efforts are useless. He’s overpowering me. As his grip tightens, I start to panic. I can’t let that liquid touch me.

As he leans over me, I take a risk. I slam the heel of my hand under his chin, causing him to stumble.

But the liquid spills all over my chest. I scream in panic. It’s eating through the armor like acid.

Suddenly, someone tackles Gabriel. Seizing my chance, I stand and strip off the armor. I toss it aside and check my chest. There’s a hole in the armor where the liquid hit.

I hear grunts and a shout, and I see Dimitri straddling Gabriel. They’re trading punches and groans as they fight.

“DIMITRI!” I yell as some guards aim their bows at us. I rush to push him away from Gabriel. A red wing shields us.

I whip my head around and see Alarik protecting us from the arrows. He roars, devouring the guards. I hear terrified screams as the dragon uses his tail to demolish the castle wall.

Hearing a clattering sound, I glance to the side. My sword has fallen a few feet away. As I stand, I feel someone grab my arm.

“You’re here!” Dimitri says, pulling me into a hug. Surprised, I smile and hug him back.

“This isn’t the time,” I murmur, kissing his forehead. “We have something to finish first.”

“But you need to go back. I can’t let you be here fighting Valkyrie,” Dimitri says as he helps me up. I frown, then remember why he’s saying this.

“Dimitri,” I sigh. I don’t want to hurt him, but he needs to know.

“Let me send you back,” Dimitri insists.

I pull my arm away and look away. The battle is still raging around us. I clench my fists as I hear Dimitri call my name.

I turn and walk to my sword, picking it up. My top is torn, and the wind whistles through it.

“Nothing will happen to me,” I say, glancing over my shoulder.

“What do you mean?” Dimitri asks, his brow furrowed. He looks worried.

“The babies are gone,” I say, walking away. I hear a loud crash and look to the side. Damian is battling a silver dragon.

“ALARIK!” I yell. The dragon is gnawing on another of his kind. Blood drips from his snout. I make a hand signal, and the beast moves toward Damian, helping him fend off the other dragon.

I wave my hand, clearing some dust from my eyes. Debris is flying all around me. I spot a figure and leap out of its path as he yells. His sword scrapes the floor.

“Hello, dear sister,” Eros says as he lunges at me. I block his attacks as I try to back away. Dimitri calls my name, but I stop him.

“I got this!” I say, grinning at Eros. I shove him, kick him in the chest, and spin, slashing him with my sword. Blood seeps from his chest.

I smile and charge him. He barely manages to block my attack. With my other hand, I draw a dagger and, crouching, stab his thigh.

Eros screams as I quickly move again and kick him square in the face. He falls backward, groaning.

“So, how do you want to die?” I ask him, cracking my neck from side to side. I’m feeling exhilarated. “Should I castrate you on the way?”

Eros growls as he pulls out his whip. Then, standing, he spits blood. “I should fucking teach you a lesson,” Eros says. I smile as I see him swing his whip down.

I lift my arm, catching the whip, stopping his attack. Eros’s eyes widen as he sees my face. Blood is trickling down my arm, but I don’t care. I tighten my grip and yank the whip.

“I’m tired of this shit,” I say, moving toward him. Eros pulls, but I yank harder. I wrap my hand around the whip as I feel it cut into my palm.

I pull him toward me, and using the sword handle, I punch him in the jaw. I hear a cracking sound as Eros falls. He’s crying in pain as I walk over and stand over him.

I smile, lift my sword, and stab him in the dick. He screams as I laugh at him.

I raise my other hand, showing the whip that’s still wrapped around my hand. I grab it and shake it, showing him what I have.

“You know, your dear brother used this to whip my back a few days ago. How about we try it on you?” I say, smiling. Eros’s face is twisted in pain.

I raise the whip high and let it fall, striking him over and over. His face, hands, arms—everywhere. All the pain I’ve been holding onto, I release it now, beating him without mercy.

Eros tries to scramble away. “Get back here, you coward. Your sister isn’t finished with you. You’re the one who likes to play rough, right?” I taunt him, a smirk playing on my lips. Fear paints his bloody face.

As I continue to whip him, tears stream down my face. Eros barely moves now, and suddenly, I feel arms wrapping around me.

I gasp as Alarik pulls me away from Eros. Exhausted, I let the whip fall from my hand, covering my face as I break down in tears. Alarik guides me to the side, then turns his attention to Eros.

I collapse onto my backside, watching the scene unfold. The red dragon growls at Eros, then suddenly snatches him up in his snout. Half of Eros’s body disappears into his mouth. Alarik glances at me, then bites down.

As I watch Eros being torn in half, I swallow hard.

“Valkyrie!” Damian’s voice makes me spin around.

“Why are you here?” I stammer, blushing as I realize Damian is completely naked.

“Dimitri needs help!” Damian shouts, pulling my attention away. I scan the area for Dimitri, and my heart stops when I see him locked in a sword fight with Gabriel. I scramble to my feet and sprint toward the staircase.

I whistle, catching Alarik’s attention. He knocks a guard out of the way and turns to me, even as he battles another dragon.

Gabriel and Dimitri are on the other side of the wall. I try to reach them, but I’m surrounded by men. From a distance, I see Alarik heading my way.

My only escape is to jump off the wall. I clench my fists, take a running start, and leap off the edge. I flash a grin at the guards as I plummet.

Alarik catches me with his tail. I can’t help but laugh as he lifts me onto his back.

“Take me to the other side,” I command him. I rummage through the dragon’s harness and find a bow and two arrows. I stand, take aim at Gabriel, who’s still distracted by Dimitri. I steady myself, pull back the string. “Breathe and let go,” I whisper, releasing the arrows.

Gabriel notices them at the last second and deflects them with his sword. I curse under my breath and draw another arrow.

As I take aim again, I don’t notice another dragon flying toward us. It slams into us and I scream as I’m thrown from Alarik’s back. He twists his head around, watching me fall.

“VALKYRIE!” Dimitri’s scream is the last thing I hear before my head hits the ground and everything goes black.