Dreams of a Dark Warrior (44 page)

“She told me I didn’t deserve her mercy—” Declan tensed when Lothaire closed in from behind.

“Are we talking about the Valkyrie, Magister?”

“Don’t cal me that! I’m no’ one any longer.”
What am I now?

He was …
nothing
.

“You’re on a clock,” Lothaire said. “Once she escapes this island, she wil leave you behind without a

second thought.”

And I’ll follow. That’ll be the way of things now.

Brandr said, “After a thousand years of warring with leeches, I never thought I’d say this sentence, but

… the vampire’s right. You have to win her back before we reach the boat.”

“Win her
back
?” Declan snapped under his breath. “I never had her to begin with!”
Dead between us.

There’d been only one night when he’d felt they had a real connection—when she’d been in his home,

in his bath. She’d spun him tales so appealing that for a split second, he’d thought about freeing the

miscreats she aligned with and flying her to bloody Belfast.

At the time, it’d seemed like madness; now it looked like a missed chance.

But, he reminded himself, there’d been no connection. It had al been an act—one designed to kil him.

She might have pul ed back at the last minute, but the intent had stil been there. “Just save your breath.”

“You
can
win her,” Brandr insisted.

Declan actual y held a measure of trust for the berserker. Yes, Brandr had proven himself repeatedly,

but even Declan would admit there was something more. As if they’d known each other …

Now a thread of hope arose at the man’s words. Maybe he knew enough about Regin to aid him.
Aye,

and maybe you’re chasing the wind.
“How can I?” Had he said that out loud? Fuck.

Thad scuffed back to join them, stil burdened by his pack. “So, what are we talking about?” He fel in

beside Lothaire.

The vampire said, “About how Chase can win back the Valkyrie.”

Chase cast him a kil ing look over his shoulder.

“Wel , men,” Thad began in a solemn tone, “this sounds like a brewski moment to me.”

Declan frowned when he heard a pop-top opening. “You brought
beer
with you? That’s what fil ed your pack?”

“Regin said there’s no drinking age in the Lore. And I was thinking I was going to die and al . It’s not just beer, anyway. I’ve got condoms, cologne, toothpaste. Essentials.”

So we have no food.

Brandr said, “Sounds like you were planning on getting laid before you die.”

“I was, until you—how’d Regin put it?—until you
cockblocked
me.”

That’s my foulmouthed lass.

“What can I say?” Brandr shrugged. “But by al means, pass the beers around.”

Thad handed the berserker one, then offered another to Lothaire, who merely raised his brows. “You

want one, DC?” the kid asked.

Declan stiffened. “You didn’t just cal me that.”

With a cheery grin, Thad handed him a warm can.

This situation was surreal. Here he was, hiking a mountain trail at the bottom of the world with a reviled vampire enemy, a vampire lad, and a berserker.

And this was the closest Declan had come to male bonding since he’d run with a gang back in Belfast.

Losing my mind.
Fuck it.
Consider it already lost. A sunk cost.
He raised his bound hands and accepted the beer.

“Sorry it’s warm.”

“How I like it,” Declan said, though he could scarcely remember the last time he’d drunk alcohol of any

kind.

Thad swigged from his can. “So how far did you guys get?”

Brandr said, “If you want my advice, Chase, you need to convince her that the old Aidan is in there.

Maybe make an attempt to be more like him.”

In a disbelieving tone, Declan said, “Be more like Aidan.”
I can barely figure myself out …
He had no idea what or who he was, but now he was supposed to emulate someone else?

“Start being honest with her. Aidan always let her know what he was thinking. And he fairly much treated

her like a queen.”

Lothaire sneered, “That’s the worst bloody advice I’ve ever heard!”

Agreed.

Brandr bowed his chest. “And why’s that, leech? She cared for Aidan once—she wil again.”

“Precisely. She cared for
Aidan,
” Lothaire said. “I knew of Aidan the Fierce—no mortal could kil that many of the Horde without my hearing about it. And I know that he was a bold, blond Viking who was like a

god among men. Women wanted him and men wanted to be him.” He sighed. “Reminded me of myself.”

Then he jerked his chin at Declan. “Chase here is a coal-haired, scarred, underhanded, emotional y

deficient Irishman. Who, incidental y, is loathed universal y by immortals and mortals alike.”

Just lay it out there, leech.
But Lothaire was right. Who was Declan to compete with Aidan—the man Regin had so clearly loved?

Not for the first time, Declan felt a blistering hatred for the man. A jealousy that ate at him.
Even if I
might be Aidan. Sunk cost.

Lothaire said, “I have a much better plan.”

“Why help him?” Thad asked pointedly. “When you don’t help anybody else?”

Lothaire exhaled rueful y. “Incurable romantic.”

Incurable romantic, my arse.
What was Lothaire’s game? What would he gain by this?

Brandr said, “A mil ennia-old source of unadulterated evil dispensing relationship advice? We’l pass.”

“If he takes my advice and it doesn’t work, then I’l release him from one of his vows to me.”

Declan’s thoughts had been so fil ed with Regin, he’d forgotten how in deep he was with Lothaire—a

vow for al the blood the vampire could drink and an open ended one, for
anything
.

Which meant …
I’ll be killin’ Lothaire as soon as he stops being useful.

Brandr shook his head. “If your advice doesn’t work, Chase could drive her further away.”

“Is that even possible?” Lothaire countered. “Now, the first thing. Brandr tel s her nothing, none of that greasing the wheel.” Imitating Brandr’s voice, Lothaire said, “Aw, Regin, he’s been tortured. His life’s

miserable. He just wants you so badly, and psst, the poor guy’s a
drug addict
—”

“You do drugs, DC?” Thad was appal ed.

“Did,” Declan bit out. “Past tense.”

Brandr looked like he wanted to kil Lothaire. “If I tried to grease the wheel, it’s because Chase could

use some help right about now. Al the help he can get.”

Lothaire briefly gazed heavenward. “Chase is clearly a reluctant sharer. Which should incite her

curiosity about what’s going on in his head. She’s a disgustingly self-righteous Valkyrie, fil ed with the need to fix things, to right wrongs. If anything needed fixing …” He waved a hand to indicate Declan from

head to toe. “As wrong as he can be.”

Declan remained silent, even though this reasoning seemed sound.
Jaysus, Dekko, taking advice

from a leech who’s blackmailing you for blood?

His jaw clenched so hard that he
almost
kept himself from grating, “Second thing?”

Lothaire said, “Ignore her. Regin is accustomed to being the center of attention wherever she goes. In

her circle, she’s the showstopper, loud and brash compared to the silent sister she’s always around. If

you ignore her, Regin wil grow even more curious about you.”

Ignore Regin? When even now his gaze was scope-locked on the back-and-forth swish of her hips and

arse? Need hammered at him. Without those shots, lust was riding him hard.

Brandr snapped his fingers in front of Declan’s face. “Oh, yes, this is going to work like a charm.”

“No, it’l total y work!” Thad finished his beer, offering a second round. When both Declan and Brandr

refused, Thad cracked open another one for himself. “I ignored Sal y Ann Carruthers for an entire

semester. My mom came home early one afternoon and found her waiting for me. Get this—Sal y Ann

was waiting
naked
in my
bed
. Mom dragged her out by her ear.”

Quirking a brow at that, Brandr asked Lothaire, “And the next part of your plan?”

“Tonight we wil al make sure she has a chance to go off by herself. Then Chase wil use violence to

break the ice with her.”

Declan repeated, “Violence.”

“Live by the sword, love by the sword,” Lothaire said.

Thad belched. “I got nothing on the violence. I was taught to respect women.”

“He can respect her in the morning. Or not.” Then Lothaire began outlining a plan for this very night.

With each word, Declan realized the strategy made a certain sick sense. He’d have to go out of his

comfort zone, but if this plan could work …

Thad said, “This is definitely beyond my realm of experience. But I do have a tip, DC. My gram told me

there’s one thing a man always forgets to do whenever he bungles something—simply say he’s sorry.

Don’t forget to do that.” He pul ed another beer from his pack. “Going to see if my girls are thirsty.” He trudged ahead to join Regin and the fey.

Brandr seemed resigned to Lothaire’s plan, but added, “If this works, Chase, you stil can’t kiss her.”

“Because her lips drug men? Is that even true?”

“Aidan once admitted to me that her lips were like a drug, but I don’t believe he meant literal y. Hel , you two were locked at the mouth most of the time. However, I do think it makes you remember your past life

sooner.”

The idea of losing himself to Aidan’s memories no longer sounded so bad. Especial y if Declan’s

memories of torture, of addiction, of hurting Regin would al fade. Instead, he’d remember what it was like to be respected by his men rather than feared, to be adored by Regin rather than hated. “You truly

believe in this curse?” Stranger things had happened in the Lore, but Declan had been cursed before and

knew how it felt. Wouldn’t he
sense
his impending doom now?

“I’ve seen it happen too many times,” Brandr said. “So no kissing her, and no berserkrage with her.

And by no means can you claim her.”

Not claim her?
If that Valkyrie parted her thighs and actual y wanted Declan between them …? “Boyo, understand me”—his gaze pinned Brandr’s—“if I get a chance with her, I’m fuckin’ takin’ it.”

FORTY-THREE

I
s someone out there in the dark?
Regin’s ears twitched.
Watching me?

She stil ed in the water of the stream she’d found not far from their camp.

With narrowed eyes, she scanned her surroundings—a marshy plateau cradled high in the mountains.

Here the stream widened into a chest-deep pool before spil ing over into a waterfal .

Her sword and her recently washed clothes were laid out on a nearby boulder, a mere lunge away.

A second passed. Then another. Could just be the misting rain that continued to fal .

She continued her bath, scrubbing sand over her arms in agitated swipes, fearing she might be on the

verge of introspecting again.

The unmerry band of six had traveled al afternoon and most of the night, but had decided to break til

dawn. Though Regin was good to go—her chest had healed completely—Brandr, Chase, and Natalya

needed to eat, were out hunting right now.

And Thad had begun to flag. Three beers hadn’t helped him. He’d grown maudlin, missing his family,

friends, and school. Regin had told Natalya, “The kid needs to be drinking blood, not suds.”

The fey had replied, “Are you offering, Valkyrie?”

No matter how much Regin liked Thad, she wasn’t ready to tap a vein for any vamp. Not hating a

vampire was one thing; fil ing an empty beer can with your blood to feed one was another. …

Al afternoon, Chase had been ignoring her, just as he had when she’d been in that cel . Unable to

stand it, she’d taken Brandr aside, demanding to know what the four males had talked about. He’d

shrugged and said, “Ask Declan.” She’d smacked Brandr on the back of the head and stormed off.

But she couldn’t stop thinking about Chase, about the scars he’d revealed to her. They’d looked old,

which meant he must’ve been young when he’d gotten them—

The memory that had tickled her consciousness the night before final y surfaced, and she recal ed the

picture he’d shown her of the couple who’d been eaten alive by Neoptera.

Those curling, deliberate wounds the man and woman had suffered matched the distinctive shapes of

Chase’s scars. She remembered the ragged tone of his voice, the knotting of his shoulders. The way

he’d pounded his fist on the desk.

A gasp left her lips.
They were his parents
.