"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 therightfulsavior frommyblood."
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 thesavioryou 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 thecreatureyou 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."
