Val stared at the wall for a long moment, the reality of the past few hours not yet registering. She just felt numb. “I had to do something. I had to find Emma.” “If you had waited, or come to us, we could have gotten her out,” Cade said. “You told me we couldn’t do anything!” Val fumed. “The whole reason I went off to find her on my own is because you said no!” “Val, if you had been listening to our plan, we already had a way to get all the girls out that would have wrecked the gang and left the Song family alone. It was all worked out. It still is, except you are now wanted by every member of the Razor’s edges. We cannot get you close to the auction because they will have eyes everywhere.” “You had a plan?” “Yes, Val. We had a plan, and it included you and your friend,” Cade said. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Rest for now. Tomorrow is the auction and we have a lot to do. Alexa and I will go on a Scath hunt tonight. Whi
{Options?} Val asked silently. “Well, I can try to kill everyone here, one by one. Or we can be bold and try to alienate the guild master, and embarrass him enough that his guild turns on him and he fights us in single combat… hopefully with me killing him at the end of that,” Baltazar said aloud. “Hey! You! what are you doing up there?” someone shouted from below. All eyes turned to look at Val. She realized they must be quite the sight, dressed in all black at what seemed to be a house party. “Big and bold it is then,” Baltazar said under his breath. He then projected their voice so all could hear. It was strange hearing his words come out in her voice. “Who? Me?” Baltazar replied in Valkyrie's lilting voice. “Yes, missy. YOU. what are you doing here and how did you get in anyway?” Val spotted Brant walk in then just as he locked eyes with her. “YOU! I shot you just a few hours ago!” Brant bellowed. “Your friend too.” Pangs of guilt and loss washed over Val, but Baltazar kep
Baltazar turned Valkyrie's gaze back to Farson. “I know the hierarchy has been disrupted. I trust you to sort it out.”“I admit, miss, I only have a basic understanding of what all goes on.”Valkyrie silently wondered what she must look like to Farson, with Baltazar still controlling her body.“Fine. After I am gone, call back all the members who will answer. Get acquainted with what each is doing and begin to restructure. Tomorrow, make me a list of anything you cannot handle and we can address it then. Any who dissent are to be killed. Gather these bodies and line them along the river.”“Yes, Miss Reaper. Umm, you said we are no longer the razor’s edges. Is there a new crest?”Baltazar frowned. Valkyrie’s resources were dangerously low. She barely had enough for a follower's sigil.“For now, you as the new leader will receive a mark. Others may duplicate it but in time, I will bless those who have proven themselves with a custom version.” Baltazar took Farson’s wrist and after a few
Val stripped out of her armored clothes and donned a simple night gown. She laid down on her bed, exhaustion from the nights exertion catching up to her. However, as her head touched the pillow and her eyes closed, it was not blissful sleep she found, but the stary meadow.Baltazar paced around and around the edge of the meadow muttering to himself. When he finally noticed she had joined him, he paused and walked over. “Ah, young one. You finally decided to join me.”“I finally decided to sleep. Joining you was not on the list tonight. Were you ignoring me earlier? ” Val replied dryly.“Ignoring? No. I could hear you but to finally have a mouth again after several hundred years, can you really blame me? As for why you are here now, as you connect at a deeper level with the Spark, you will be able to reach this place more easily. The Seer’s sage can help you attain the deeper levels but soon you will be able to reach this meadow with little more than simple meditation.”“So what is ne
Val awoke as Alexa violently shook her. “Get up and get dressed. Be sure to put on your extra armor.” “What?” Val asked groggily. “What’s going on?” “Gang war. Some time in the night someone killed a whole slew of Razor’s Edge guild members. Their bodies line the banks. We need to find out if the auction is canceled. This city is not safe for us right now so as soon as we locate the statuette, we are out of here.” “What do dead guild members have to do with the auction?” “Do you really think a bunch of rich people are going to hang around a city and have a good time while twenty bodies line the banks? I think not. Many will leave town as soon as they hear the news.” “Its just a bunch of criminals. Think someone is trying to limit the attendance to the auction?” Val offered. Alexa was hastily packing up her belongings but paused and looked at Val, considering. “If I had not personally seen you in bed last night, I would suspect you had something to do with all of this. Come on,
Inside the Auction house, a gentleman in a formal suit took their tickets, stamped each with an ink sigil similar to the house crest and then pointed them to a stair case on the right.“Ladies, up stairs and then to the left. You will be in the second door. There will be an attendant on the landing.”“Thank you sir.”They quickly headed up the stairs, and the attendant let them into their box. Val noted that there were several more guardsmen stationed along the hall.There were several seats and over the next hour, several other people filtered in. Val scanned the room below, and noted several Scath Wrath’s moving through the gathering crowd. Nothing unusual for a place like this.What did startle her was the Thrasher Scath that remained stationary in a corner near the front, as if observing the other Scath. Her hand itched for a blade, but with some many guardsmen about, pulling a blade here would be suicide. Be
Moments later, Liam skidded up to her.“You summoned, Miss Reaper?”Val sighed, these gang members were going to be interesting to deal with. She was about to describe the people she needed tailed when she saw Liam staring at her awkwardly.“What?”“You’re pretty.”“Where did that come from?” She looked at his wide-eyed stare that was clearly not locked on her face. “Hello!” she snapped her fingers in his face. When hes eyes didn’t meet hers she grabbed his chin firmly, pulling his face up to hers, “Eyes up here. Pay attention.”He was paying attention, just not to what I was saying. Val thought darkly.“Ouch. Sorry, miss Reaper.”“It’s not like you have never seen a woman before.” Val said, annoyed at his lack of focus.“Yea but none of them talk to me. I normally only see them for a minute wh
“Val? Are you ok?” came Alexa’s voice from the door.Val shook herself, the vision of the meadow fading into the darkness of her subconscious as light poured in from the door.Alexa entered with a small lantern and set it on the bedside table. “We worried when you didn’t show up in the common room so I came to check on you. You were arched, and staring at the ceiling. Is everything ok?”“Bad dream. I must have fallen asleep. Is there still good downstairs? I am starving.”In truth, Val felt like the dream battle had stolen as much energy as it would have if it had been real. Her back and head ached, which was not a common sensation for her.“I think so. Desmond is down there, and that man eats like there is no tomorrow so I think the kitchen is content to keep him happy so long as he keeps the silver coming,” Alexa offered.Val stood and remembered her clothes were soaked with sweat