Chapter 4: Kaitlyn- When Two Forces Collide

4

When Two Forces Collide

Kaitlyn

The moment that Brittany spoke those ill-fated words, that it spelled more than trouble. It involved Samantha and whatever trouble she had brought onto herself, even if she escaped, would surely follow her here.

Even with the events of Tucson technically behind us, I still had Dimitria—and she hadn’t seen Sam in ages either—so it was almost like a “now or never moment”.

I could hear Drea’s voice as she was working with Elizabeth to heal Olivia’s injury, however, as I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Drea shake her head and walk away. Which gave me the inclination that Liz was shutting us out. Yet again.

Which was very typical of her. Especially as of late.

“I can’t believe this woman,” Drea groaned in exasperation as she tried to shake off those contentious moments. She jogged over to us and into the kitchen, as I went to the fridge, where I pulled a drink from it, and then started to make my way towards the huge Veranda I heard her harshly slam the door, causing the ground to shake. “Or Olivia for that matter; my God, she’s delusional.”

“Delusional, huh?” I titled my head to the side, as I looked at her trying to decipher the enigma of her mood “You think that either Liv or Liz have gone off the deep end?”

We locked eyes as she took a large swig of her Coke drink. “I honestly don’t know. I think at this point,” Drea glared over her shoulder towards Olivia, and then back to us. “I tried to help to gain experience, but…”

I put a finger to her soft lips. “Don’t dwell on it. I suggested. “I know you were trying.”

“Come join us and see if Kait needs to be stitched up.” Brittany suggested. “It’ll also help take your mind off things.”

That brought a smile to her face. “Considering the shit,” She focused back on me with a smirk. “You manage to find yourself in, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did need stitches.” She laughed at the end.

As I pulled the chair out to sit at the table, there were times I had to remind myself that Brittany was my sister—even if we didn’t look like.

I mean, hell, we didn’t have the same “Upbringing”; not to mention she a tower of a woman. While she didn’t have the muscles that usually came with her life, she had the speed and sharpness instead. Her brown eyes had a way of piercing right through you and keeping you honest. It was that, or she was determined to start a bar fight and then promptly win. She was dressed in a loose-fitting crop top that slung over one of her shoulders, along with a pair of jeans that were snug at her waist.

“What the hell happened out there?” she started as I was trying to calm myself down from had happened only hours before. “I thought…”

Dimitria bore her deep green eyes into Brittany, almost like she was trying to stare into her soul. “It’s not like we planned any of this.” She pulled out a chair and sat next to me. “I was on the run. From something, or someone. I think the circle is coming back.”

Her jaw dropped at that. “NO!”

I pulled out the mysterious bag that I had found from the person who attacked me along with Dimitria and put it on the table for Brittany to see.

“I found this on the person who attacked me.” Gesturing to the bag with my eyes. “This was what I could only assume what has been used lately during the attacks.” Its soo odd that they would be going to such lengths to create their attacks.”

Just then, I felt a slight rush of a breeze hit me as I heard the sliding patio open, and then gently close behind whoever closed it. I turned my head to see Lauren casually walking to the table, also taking a hit from her vape, and then in the breath, blow out the smoke.

“It’s done.” She said as she sat down in between me and Dimitria. Her and I traded looks knowing what she was referring to. Hell, even Dimitria joined in with a sly smirk.

“T-Shirt.” I silently mouthed to her, letting her know I needed a shirt to cover up with since I torn mine.

“Okay,” Brittany said waving her hand in the air as if she was waving someone off. “What the hell, did you do Lauren?”

“Oh nothing,” she giggled in response, covering her mouth in the process. “Just you know… your everyday, hacking.”

“You did what?!” Brittany stood up, inflamed by Lauren’s actions.

“Jesus’ mom…” She huffed from disappointment. “I stole the footage of the attack from the restaurant.”

“As it was being destroyed or after?”

“Maybe both...” Lauren said, playing with her words, and her hair. Then she let another breath of annoyance out. “Look either way it’s done. Whether it was a clean job or not.” She paused and took a drag of her vape. And blew out another cloud of smoke. “Besides, the footage will be important. I’ll need it for later. It’s better in my possession than it the hands of the media. Or worse someone randomly who could post it online and have it completely taken out of context.” I looked over at her as she slid me her phone. “Here babe, show this to Sis. Help her understand.”

Silently, and quite efficiently I might add, Lauren rushed to her room, and returned to the veranda with a shirt, tossing it to me, and I quickly yanked my arms through it and smoothed out my jet black hair as the shirt fell snug around my chest

I took her phone, unlocked it, and searched for the video that I had been shown before we had gone into the rave and barely come out of alive.

“You’ll wanna see this.” I told her as I slid the phone towards her. “It kinda gives you impression could possibly lie ahead of us.”

I was silent as she watched the footage, but still, the sounds of the screams of innocent people, the screams of horror and blood, was just as painful and gut wrenching to listen back to. Those people didn’t need to die, yet the curious part was how the waves were getting stronger and stronger with each time.

“That….” Brittany started as she put the phone down and slid it back to me. “That’s not normal.” She shook her head in confusion and fear. Then she pulled out her vape and took a hit.

“You hardly take a hit these days.” Lauren remarked with surprise. “If you have to vape, then we know that this bigger than we think.”

These waves…” Brittany replied, still hanging off her smoke cloud as she tapped a vanilla envelope. “they’re not natural, or normal.”

“They’re after something.” I remarked, as I looked away from everyone and towards the wide-open sky. “They have to be. The waves are too intense to not be.

“Either way,” Brittany spoke up after watching me. She knew when I was worried about someone. Someone close to me. For fuck’s sake, even Lauren was watching me with intensity too. I could literally feel her eyes go right through me like daggers. “We have a problem.” Her words snapped me out of my brief haze. “While you went down to Tucson, I sent Sam to Peoria to check on a few rumblings and dark whispers, and with that footage, it’s almost too good to be true.”

“How did that job go?” I asked, curious now. Maybe that was why I struggled a little bit back there. Although I couldn’t linger on that.

“Sam encountered her…” Brittany let her words fall like acid. Slow. Painful. “And she brought a friend along as well.”

“I am going take a guess, I’m not going to like where this heading.” I bit down on my lip nervously, trying to hold my emotions the best I could. I could already feel my hands shaking uncontrollably, and I was forcing myself to fight the feeling. “Sam ran into Julian, didn’t she?”

“You’d be correct.” Brittany confirmed my suspicions.

Julian was another mystery we could never solve, and always had a headache with. She seemed to always show up out of nowhere, cause trouble and in the same stroke, mysteriously vanish like a smoke tendril.

If Sam was sent upwards to track Julian, then there was something cooking. Something was coming our way. I just had to make sure I was going to be dead wrong about all this.

“Julian’s friend that also got involved is none other than Sam’s own mother.” I silently cursed under my breath. “The cut you took while you were down there with Dimitria and Lauren,” I looked down at my own wrist and could see the ragged outline of the scar that had formed, while I was in my haze of getting answers.

“We all know that Julian is doing this to the both of them.” Dimitria spoke up after being silent for a long time. “She wants something that she knows she can never have.”

“She wants the set.” I said in a low voice, but not soft enough for Dimitria to pick it up.

“You know I will never let that happen.” She took my hands and gently took me to the floor. “I’ve never given up fighting for you. Even when we were separated, I always did what I could to get back to you. Back to us.”

“She’s right.” Brittany added on. “I also won’t let her near you. Or Sophie for that matter. If I am breathing, I will fight to protect you; and so, will the House.”

“Julian is hellbent though,” I reminded her. “She’ll keep trying until she’s dead, and even then, I’m not even sure that Death could stop that woman.”

“That’s true, but then again, this information I have come into,” she paused as she helped me up off the ground. “It can change the game.”

I went back to the envelope, and opened the cover, which revealed a pile of pictures, from different angles and on different people. As I looked through them, I knew most of the faces. Carrie, Julian, even Elizabeth. But as I shuffled through them, there was one that I didn’t recognize. A new face, that as I tried to get a read on. Especially since the angle of the picture made this person out as a blur.

“Who’s this person?” I asked her as I turned the photo to face her. “They don’t look familiar. I didn’t come across anyone who looked like that down at the rave site.

“You wouldn’t,” Brittany responded carefully. “I didn’t get this information till just now. Apparently, we had to do some pulling of teeth to even get this information.”

She raised her eyebrows at me, hoping that I would get the message.

“Ah,” I replied with a gasp. “That must have been… really awkward.”

“I’ll say.” Drea finally spoke up. Drea was the one I knew who was shy when you first met her, but once she warmed up to you—she was bubbly and there would be time were you couldn’t get her to shut up. She had that explosive energy about her. “And Brittany wasn’t even the one who had to sleep with the enemy to get it.”

I turned to face her. “You did?” I was shocked. “Why?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “No one else would do it.” She replied as she took a sip of her coke and then passed it to me. “Callen didn’t even want me to do this. That’s how protective Elizabeth is of this information.”

I threw a curious glance back at Brittany. “Elizabeth was hiding this. Is that way Drea had to go undercover?”

“Yes, and even then, it was…risky.” Drea replied, being cautious. “I don’t understand why she’s going to such great lengths to conceal the information.”

“She has her reasons.” Brittany said as she took another hit from her vape mod. “I have my suspicion that, whoever this mystery person is, it goes back to the one person we all know so well.”

I let out a shrieking scream. “FUCK. NO!” So, Olivia wasn’t her only then? This person was her cursed offspring too?” I had become so consumed with rage that I hastily reached for my vape, taking a few quick hits to calm me down.

“House doesn’t know the full details,” Brittany went on to explain. “That’s what we’re being led to assume for now.”

“And as this headache we have goes on, we’ll learn more this person too.”

I turned to Drea again. “You shouldn’t have had to do that job. I’m sorry you had to do it. I should have gone instead.”

“And have her grow suspicious of your intents after you haven’t lived there… in how many years?”

“True,” I agreed with her. “But around me she lets her guard down.”

She shook her head in disagreement. “I’ve been in the family long enough. I wanted to be helpful in other ways and being…” she was terse with her choice of words, and then hesitated before she spoke again. “Being an escort needed to be done. Sam wasn’t available for this, and even if she were—I know she wouldn’t have gone for it.”

I let loose a small giggle. “Even if she hates someone, she doesn’t pass up on a job.” I explained to Drea. “But Sam saw the more pressing issue which was Julian.”

Suddenly, a felt a surge of emotions and energy rush through me that I nearly fell backwards, had I not reacted quickly enough by grasping on to the edge of the table, where the force I felt had brough me to my knees, and then I heard her through me.

Baby, Sam spoke to me. I’m coming in hot, and I’m being trailed by the Darkness; You’re gonna wanna be ready for a brawl.

How much—I was taking shallow breaths, trying to gain control of my own emotions. How much time do we have till you crash and burn?

Maybe five minutes. Sam was telling me as I felt her gaining distance on the compound. Maybe three, whatever it is, you must be-

ARRRGH! I screamed loudly, as I could feel myself being scratched, without being attacked, and then realized that we could both take injuries through our connection. And that’s what had happened when I instinctively reached with my hand to feel the blood and the fresh marks.

Brittany also placed her hand on my back and saw the blood and realized that was how Sophie could break us. Since if one fell, so would the other.

Britany sensed this, along with the others but the one who reacted fast enough was Lauren.

“Kait,” her calm voice called for me. “Listen to me.” She reached for and then held on to my hands. “Your more than this. More than what this is causing you right now. Sophie is scared, so this is how she’s trying to break you.”

As I tried to fight through the pain, I knew we didn’t have much of a choice. A battle was indeed coming to our doorstep, and we had to be prepared. Whether we wanted or not.

I let out a growl as I broke her hold and started to make a sprint to my bedroom. “We have three minutes. Get everyone ready. Do it now!”

Sprinting to the room I shared with Sam, I tore off my jacket and shirt, knowing that it was bound to be covered in blood, but then again, I was bound to have more coming. Chucking them down to the ground, I threw on a tank top from one of many dressers that we had; I also reached and put on my clear rectangular shaped glasses.

As I was making sure I had everything, and went for my sword, I heard her footsteps softly sneak up on me, and when I turned, she was there, just leaning against the door waiting.

“I don’t think you can take her solo.” Dimitria said as she watched me finish up. “If Sam had trouble with Julian, and her mother was there, the fight was definitely uneven. How Sam even managed to get out in the shape she did is beyond me.”

“I know, I was thinking the same.” I looked down at my wrist staring down the tattoo, looking over the intricacies of the lines and whorls, along with how the detailed the wings were in the middle of the sword, held together by a chain. A tattoo which now was covered in a smear of blood. “I could use some help. Even out the scales.” I smiled.

Her brown eyes brightened up when she heard that. “It can also help me by knocking off some rust.”

“Babe.” I said as I walked into my closet, looked around and then spotted one of the spare swords I had, grabbed it and walked back out, tossing it to her. “You were never rusty.”

She caught it and turned it over looking at it. “Not quite my sword,” she remarked, pulling the blade out of it sheath. Admiring the glint of the sliver and how well polished it was. “But for now, it gets the job done.”

One last thing I did was I went to a drawer that I had just for my daggers and pulled out and then slid into the side of my jeans, one of my Smith & Wesson SWK8CP throwing knives.

Once I know I had everything ready, I let out a breath and D took my hand. “We can do this. We will. Trust me.”

“I know.” I came closer to her, and then kissed her. “We don’t have a choice. We have to figure this out and keep Sam alive.”

“Exactly.” She kissed me back and held me. “If there was another way…” She stopped about halfway.

“There isn’t.” I said trying to read her thoughts. “You saw the damage in city for yourself. Julian is relentless; she’ll stop at nothing to get me and Sam.”

I’m a part of the set, didn’t you forget.” She chuckled.

Just as we were walking out of the bedroom, we felt the earth underneath shake violently to where I could hear some glass falling and then breaking. I traded looks with Dimitria, and we knew.

She.

Was.

Here.

I briskly glided over back towards the kitchen where Lauren had gathered everyone else. She too was trying to assess the situation.

“Sam is pinned down by the car.” She pointed out towards the front entrance. “Sophie landed too and started trapping her every which she could.”

“She’s more than likely fucked up from her encounter with Julian.” I said, relying on my injury. “We need to clear her out as safely as we can.”

Should we all take her?” Erin finally spoke up after a while.

“No.” I held up a hand. “It just needs to be me and Dimitria.” I told her. “I ask that you all help me by getting over to Sam as quick as you can. The safest way you can. I don’t know how Sophie will react if she sees us all.”

“Let me and Kait go first, and then everyone fall in behind us, and flank our sides.” D spoke up doing her part to direct traffic. “Only engage her as way to distract her. Your main thing should be getting Sam.” Then D turned to Drea. “I’ll need you to be ready. Can you clear the table and get it ready for Sam; I won’t know how fucked up the damage will be.”

“I’ll do better.” She smirked. I’ll clear the whole fucking kitchen.”

I traded looks with D. “One shot at this.”

“I couldn’t agree more with you.” She agreed.

Opening the door, I let her walk-in front of me while back her up. My eyes looking around trying to assess the whole playing field and looking for any vulnerabilities. As I looked around the bridge that led into our compound my eyes locked on to Sophie and seeing how she was unleashing her hatred for her daughter.

“Now you die.” I could hear Sophie say with a sinister intent. “Daughter of mine.” She raised her own sword. “Now…Daughter NO MORE!”

Before I could put my thoughts into words, D was already off when she had raised the sword and lunged for Sophie.

“D! No!” I screamed but her warrior instincts and training had taken over her completely and she was allowing the scent of the battle and losing Sam consume her.

I ran up to her side, and took my swing, but when I did, Sophie easily moved out of the way, and before I could turn and get my bearings, I felt D being thrown into me, which caused us to fall into the ground. Our swords fallen from our hands.

I helped her up, but she was stumbling. I didn’t know what Sophie had struck her with, but it was enough to knock her out momentarily.

“I can go.” She wheezed as she stumbled to rise to her feet. “I know it.”

“You can’t. Your hurt somewhere.” I tried to reason with her.

I watched as she tried to shake it off, but Sophie kept coming at her. “You should listen to your lover Dimitria.” She mocked her plight.

“She just took me by surprise.” She spit some blood out onto the gravel. “That’s all.” She did what she could to steady herself and then she rushed her again.

However, Sophie was ready and easily countered her moves, and then took her by the collar of her shirt, and easily threw her into the same car that Sam had crashed by.

“Dimitria!” I screamed in horror as I watched her body make a loud hard impact against the frame of the car.

“Valkyrie!” Sophie hissed in my direction. “How dare you and your lover try to get between me and ending my pathetic daughter’s life.”

I let a growl grow inside of me. “Samantha isn’t pathetic, and nor are the things she’s done!”

“I guess a woman like you never had a spine for fighting.” Sophie taunted me. “Fear not. I’ll make you a real woman!”

And like that she flew straight towards me at such blinding speeds that I ended up crashing hard back into the gravel. I had almost no time to react, as I had to my telekinesis to call my sword to me as slowly got back on my feet, trying to brace myself for the next strike.

Blindly, she moved to be in front of me, used her body to launch a kick to my side, which sent me sprawling into the same area as D. However, before I crashed again, I flicked my hand and let out some of the magic I had stored up. The ball of energy connected and struck her, but it didn’t even affect her. I could feel blood running from a side of my head and lip and used what strength I had to try and wipe it off.

“How weak you are!” She masochistically snorted. “And I am to believe this nonsense from Erik, that you were actually taught our arts. HA! How pathetic!”

Weakly, I tried to reach for my sword and get to my feet, yet she was right there again. Her foot stomped firmly over my blade and by extension my hand. The pressure building.

“Give it up!” She laughed at me. Then she forcefully grabbed the collar of my shirt and forced me up. “You’re nothing compared to me. You’re not on my level!”

I knew my training. I knew and believed in myself and those who loved me.

“If you think I’m weak, then prove it by killing me in combat.” I retaliated. “Kill me through battle, and not words.” Using my free hand, I swung in an arcing motion that started from my blindside and came around to strike her—which managed to sweep her off her feet. It wasn’t a lot. But it was enough to get the job done.

“As you wish Valkyrie.” She laughed again, as she recovered from the strike. “Again. It’s your funeral after all.”

She started to rush me, and as she did, I brought my sword to my side and waited. I counted her timing and then when she drew near, I took my moment and swung my sword.

The resounding clang, from the connection caught me off guard. It was almost like she had expected this.

She used her leg and launched a kick to my side which broke our hold and sent me to the ground again. And during the haze, I regained my sense back and quickly reached for my sword and swung. The clang came again; however, this time I had managed to block her strike. Which only enraged her.

“How dare you fight your fate.” She snarled as our blades barely budged in the moment; I was struggling to keep mine steady as well as maintain focus to keep going.

I could feel her anger her rage, that was doing everything in her power to end me. “You were condemned to die that day. Not be here now!” She exerted more force this time, really trying to sink me.

I could feel my legs start to buckle underneath me. However, I couldn’t quit. Not now.

“You know nothing of my life!” I gritted and growled through my teeth as I stared her down with a fire and determination that only a few had seen personally. “You know nothing of what I’ve suffered. What I have been through! And what I’ve had to sacrifice JUST TO GET HERE NOW!” I called on all my strength, everything I had and gave it one good hard push.

“NOW FUCK OFF!” I screamed as loud as I could and then used my sword to push against her and force her off, and in the same motion, delivered a kick that took her to feet and a few feet away from me.

I could feel my body getting worn out. Having used most of my magic to buy time had taken its toll. Not to mention that she threw my body into the ground basically every chance she got.

I had no sense of time right now. I had no sense of…really anything.

I can’t believe your putting everything on the line just for me I heard Sam say to me through our connection. Even when she pushed you to your limit, you never quit.

Quitting doesn’t get you anywhere I told her back. And I’m fighting for us. For you. For me. For D. Fuck, for everyone.

I didn’t even hear her come up on me, grab me and take me into the air and then forcefully throw me into the ground right next to Dimitria. She was alert, and at the same time, worried.

“Now I will reap your life for your interference as I was trying to reap that of my daughter’s.” Sophie said as she towered over me; the tip of her sword firmly pointed at my throat She raised It and when she did, I readied my magic as a counter measure, but I wasn’t fast enough.

Just then, I heard a gun firing, as it connected with Sophie, but she was able to block it. And when I looked back, I saw that Lauren had fired from the Veranda.

It was enough though. D seized the moment, and my throwing knife, that had been lost during the shuffle, and launched it with whatever strength she had left in her and I listened as it connected and then made a ripping noise.

“Next time,” I heard her wheeze as she spoke. “You might as well run a stake through us. Otherwise, we don’t quit. Now, go cry to Elizabeth you cancerous bitch.”

Through my double vision, I saw what looked she was holding her leg. And there seemed to be blood coming out. Was my mind playing tricks on me?

“I nicked your femoral artery.” Dimitra hissed as she did her best to pick me up. “My estimation…” she said. “You have maybe only minutes left of your useless life.”

I tried to stand up, and was making good progress, until I felt my body collapse again. This time, I fell into her arms as she reacted and caught me before I fell again.

“I got you sweetie.” Her soft angelic voice said to me as I started to drift away. “You were there for me. Now, let me be there for you.”

“I’ll be back you bitch!” I could hear Sophie swear as I continued to drift away from reality. “I swear Valkyrie, by the Triple Goddess herself, you will die!”

Finally, I felt my body just surrender to itself, and I passed over into an unconscious like state. Hoping, even praying that when I woke, that the pain I suffered, the blood I took on, and anything else, would be healed.

If not…I don’t how I could go forward from this.

Since this was an ass-beating, flat out. I got my ass handed to me; and it also nearly cost me my life for it to—for protecting the ones I loved the most.

“Remember Kaitlyn….” A voice was calling out to me. Yet, I couldn’t tell who it was, or who they sounded like. “Remember…remember who you are.”

But there remained a question…

Just…

Who was I?

∞∞∞

A FEW HOURS LATER

∞∞∞

“How the hell did we survive that?” I could hear one voice ask another.

“That’s a fucking lovely question.” I could hear another voice sigh in frustration. “The fact we made it out alive in reason enough for me.”

“That fight…” I could hear a third voice and it sounded like they were disappointed with the outcome of what happened earlier. “Was not…”

“Drea, honey,” I finally noticed Sam’s voice. “I’d rather not reminisce about how my mother turned Kait into a fucking rag doll in that fight. I already hate my mother for so many other things about my life.”

“Do you know why Julian was there though?” I heard Dimitra’s sweet angelic.

“She said she was searching for the Valkyries.” Sam replied, her voice was on the soft side.

Finally, after what felt forever, I slowly started to come back to reality. As I started to stir, I was met with pain, but I knew I had to shake it off and push through it.

It took me a few blinks to make sure I wasn’t seeing double, but after I made sure I was seeing everything clearly, I focused on Sam, who clearly looked like she had taken her own beating from hell. Just like me.

“You look like shit.” She joked as I sat up, the covers of the bed falling slightly around my body, not remembering that I always slept nude with Sam and the others. I thought back to the fight, and the words that Sophie spoke to me.

“How dare you fight your fate”

And then the other one I had heard when I was passed out. “Remember who you are, Kaitlyn. Remember”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost honey,” Sam looked over my face with concern. “You okay, besides the beating you took for me?”

I explained to her that during that fight, that Sophie had said that I was fighting my fate against what she thought I was, and was ready to kill me for her goal, or to help Julian further hers. That took Sam by surprise, but at the same time, it was a headscratcher too.

“How would Sophie know that?” Sam pondered aloud. “She never knew you. Never knew your family. And from what you told me, and everyone else, you’ve lost your family to a fire.”

I nodded in agreement. “Exactly. So that’s also why I am confused on that, just like you.”

Then I told her about the voice that seemed like it was calling out to me. Telling me to remember who I was. That I had to, for some reason.

“That’s eerie too.” D spoke up as she wrapped her arms around my chest and pulled me towards her. “I wonder what it means.”

I turned to face her. “You didn’t hear anything at all?”

She shook her head no in response. “Nope, in that moment love, the only thing I cared about was you. And Sam. I was determined to make sure you both were safe and could recover peacefully.” Then she paused and showed me all the dirt and scratches she had on her. “You know me. I don’t want to be taken care of until you and Sammi are taken care of. I even had to force Drea into mending Sam up over me.”

“And you bloody well almost started a fight over that mate.” Sam said defensively. “You know I hate it just as much.”

“You were more of my immediate concern. You did crash into the gravel from like what…three thousand feet?”

Sam superciliously blew a piece of her long black hair out of her face, and then flashed a wicked smile. “I’ve fallen from higher and still survived.” She let out a giggle. “That, while dangerous, is nothing compared to other heights I’ve fallen from.”

I rolled my eyes at the two of them. “I can’t believe you both sometimes.”

“You did get in over your head with us.” Sam giggled. “I mean, me on my own, can be quite a handful.”

I threw my eyes at D. “Not as bad as…her” I gave her a loving smile, knowing it was all harmless jokes.

“Mhm,” D mused in response. “Go ahead.” She laughed. “Soak up all the laugher. That is until one of us has a crisis.”

Just then, Brittany casually opened the door and walked in, leaning against the frame. “Oh good.” She smiled. “You’re awake. You took a beating.”

“Yeah,” I tried to stretch, and I could feel only pain around my ribs. “Don’t remind me. I think I lost my head somewhere with all the throws she had made. Not to mention, being hurled from the sky. Also, not fun.”

Even looking back at it, and all the bruises, and blood I had sustained, I’m surprised that I was still here. Even awake for that matter.

“While you were out of it,” Brittany started. “I dug a little deeper into our mystery.”

“What’d you find?” I asked, as I tried to carefully stretch myself out.

“So, I know Olivia told you about her vison,” Sam spoke up. As she made her way to the bed and threw her arms around me. I could feel her boobs squish up against my back, as she made herself comfortable in the process.

“Are you comfortable too?” I shifted slightly as I tried to get comfortable, and not choked out from her embrace.

She little a giggle. “Yes,” and then she pecked me on the side of my cheek. “But more to the point. Lauren and I pulled her aside.”

“What did we learn?” I said quizzically. As I looked for Lauren, who also loved to hop out randomly. She must have been having another heart-to-heart moment with Erin.

“She’s a Vovla.” D spoke, her tone coming across icy, and cold. “And yet, I don’t know how. It’s like… It…” She stopped, unable to put words together.

“It’s a wonderful, yet dangerous thing.” Sam finished. “I’m curious as to how or why. Isn’t her family lineage…like messy and confusing?”

“For the most part, yes.” Brittany chirped in. “We’ll have dive into rabbit’s hole for this one, if we want to put the pieces together though, and hope that she can figure out her role to.”

“She told me that she had her vision back in Tucson.” Sam added on. “I suspect though, it was her first real strong one; she’s bound to have more. I don’t suspect for a moment, that she was forced to hide it.”

“That’s some Carrie shit for you.” I rolled my eyes. “But alas, at least we know a little bit more now.”

I turned my eyes to Brittany. Sam’s crash landing, while good she had landed, ruined a train of thought. We had to deal with the mystery party crasher that was more than likely lurking at the rave and was more than likely going around doing the one duping everyone’s drink.

I thought it was fitting to make a return and see if being there would cause a repeat performance.

“This mystery person that the House has intel on?” I asked Brittany. “Do we have a name?”

She shook her head. “We don’t. But there seems to a pattern of sorts. I think they’re connected somehow.”

I moved my wrist slightly and used my telekinesis and brought the folder into my hands and opened it again, looking it over. This time Sammi and D both got to look at It, and even D twisted her into a one of disgust. She too, like me, didn’t like what was brewing.

And honestly, I couldn’t blame her.

When Lauren finally popped in after her talk with Erin, we got her caught up on what she missed, including the part where Olivia was apparently the heir of a Vovla family.

When she heard that part, she let out a whistle. Either she didn’t like it, or she didn’t like where it could lead. But she seemed certain of one thing.

She felt certain about how it was all tied back to Carrie.

“It just seems like it’s too…. convenient.” Lauren tried to hint at.

“What aren’t you saying?” I beamed at her. Trying to figure her coded message out.

“I mean, I’m not throwing out the abuse she was dealt. I’ll never throw that out or use it against her. It happened. It’s a part of her. Apart of who she is. Yet….”

“You don’t seem settled with an idea.” I finished for her.

“I feel until we know more, I can’t see the true result. I mean she did snap at Drea.” She remarked, which meant she had hung back long enough to hear some of what was exchanged.

“I agree.” Drea agreed. Her bubbly voice was replaced with worry. “I feel like in a way…she has this…façade up.” There was a pause. “Like she doesn’t want to really know what she’s going through.”

“That or she doesn’t want to get spooked by what we could possibly know.” I answered Drea back. “Since for me personally, I have tried to keep an eye on things that involve her. And by that extension—Erin.”

“Are you concerned for Erin?” Sammi asked me. “Or is it something else?”

I shifted in the bed to look at her. “Babe.” I paused, biting my lip, trying to find the words. “If Olivia is anyway acting out behind our backs or being forced to hide something—something like that—it can create resentment, and her probably seeing us fighting to protect you—a Valkyrie—who knows how she reacted.” I took a moment to mentally step back. “If she thinks that she can be a Valkyrie like you, then nothing will stop her, and she could do unparalleled damage to that closet to her. Including Erin, if Erin hasn’t been put through hell already.”

“Which was what I keep trying to get Erin to tell me.” Lauren chipped in. “After the attack, I tried to pull her aside two different times.”

I craned my head to face hers. “And what happened?”

She shook her head in disapproval. “She didn’t budge.” she shoved her hands into her pockets, sounding like she was defeated. “I tried, and at times, I think I make it worse.”

“You didn’t.” Sam spoke up. “I think it's because she knows Olivia is close by and saying anything that could potentially set her free might do her more harm.” Then she paused, and asked her a new question given the state of the condition Erin was in. “Are there new bruises that you saw or could, see?”

Again, a disapproval head shake. “If there are any, she didn’t give me long enough to look.”

We could worry about that for a later time; for now, we had our hands full with trying to decipher the enigma before us, which was the mystery player from the rave, and they fitted into all this.

I pulled myself off the giant California King bed I had and gingerly walked to the bathroom, which triggered everyone else who were not named Samantha or Dimitria to clear the room.

Sam was faster as she slipped by and started the shower up, and let the steam fill the room. This wasn’t the first time I had taken a shower with multiple women in toe, and it certainly wouldn’t be my last.

With the water running over us, and our bodies protecting each other, we went around trying to put the pieces together with what we knew.

We knew that Julian was chasing down and pretty much hunting (or at least what thought) the Valkyries. We knew that Sophie was there trying to remove Samantha from the picture by any means she could. We knew that Elizabeth was hiding information on this since Drea had to recover the file that Brittany showed me earlier.

And then.... there was this mystery person. And how he was connected to everything was just as confusing; but I had this gut feeling we would be running into them again very shortly.

And lastly...? I had to keep an open watch on Erin. Just to make sure Olivia wasn’t doing unthinkable things to her—for whatever reason she thought fit.

Hopefully I could catch whatever mistakes Olivia would make and catch her in the act—if anything was truly going on.

“How do wanna make the next move?” Dimitria asked. “Should I come with you?”

“We need to follow the trail of wreckage.” I said flatly, as I also twisted, pulled and drained my hair of any dirt and rocks. “We need to see where it leads, and if we can run into this mystery person.”

“So down the rabbit hole some more we go, eh?” Sam giggled. “Like once wasn’t enough already.”

“I’m interested in Elizabeth’s secrecy now, and why she’s holding back suddenly. Especially with these recent waves of attacks growing stronger and stronger.”

“You think that she has something to hide?” Sammi asked.

“I know she does.” D spoke up. Who was also applying the shampoo to our hair as well. “Why else would she show up when asked by Kait, and then have a clam reaction to Drea and Olivia’s encounter, and then leave.” D pointed out. “I was there Sammi. Whatever she’s holding back on, she must have her reasons. Since right after the fight with Sophie...”

“She left?” I guessed.

D nodded in agreement. “She did. Or...” she put a finger to her lip, trying to think. “Maybe it was before.”

“It was after doll.” Sam finished for her.

Which was equally suspicious to me? Why would she leave after a fight between Sophie and me?

What does she stand to gain from leaving early? Or was Olivia her only real concern, and thus she didn’t want to get drawn into a seemingly new issue.

In my distraction, I didn’t notice that the other two had left the shower and already grabbed their new clothes, but soon, it wouldn’t matter.

“Kait! Baby!” Sam’s voice went up in octave in surprise, and quickly and carefully, I briskly danced back to bedroom, wrapped in a towel.

Sam was intently tuned into the TV and what was currently displaying.

“We bring this live coverage from downtown Tucson,” the reporter was saying. “Where it appears that hours earlier, an attack was waged on the city and many people lost their lives. As of a few hours ago, we learned that those responsible were those who call themselves Valkyries. And what you see behind me, is from their destruction.” She paused, pressing her ear, as if she was getting more news. “We just received news that a manhunt has ensued for these who are responsible for the attack, and that the military has unveiled a new task force just for these people who claim to be the Valkyries.”

“I thought Lauren said she got the security recordings at the restaurant, cleanly?” Sammi asked, now clearly worried that somehow, we were caught on another camera.

“That’s what I thought too.” D also said with a hushed tone, also worried.

Had we been played? Had we fallen prey to a trap by Olivia without warning? No, that would impossible. We would have been caught that moment after the initial attack. This...This just didn’t add up.

But now, this made our rabbit hole situation—That. Much. Worse.

“Add this to our ever-growing list of issues. I said as I threw on a pair of jeans and then a fresh bra. “This shit just gets weirder and weirder by the minute.”

“This.” D spoke up as I went to fetch a few of butterfly knives; I could sense the apprehension in her tone. “It changes everything.”

“How?” Sammi asked as I handed her a dagger.

“I can’t go alone now.” D admitted, looking away from the TV and at me and Sam. “I was going to go back to the mansion, and do my own digging but...”

“Now it's too risky.” Sam remarked. “Even if that was a good idea, going this alone was not smart. Sophie may get to you, pick another fight.”

“I know.” D huffed with annoyance. “So, what now, since this throws a monkey wrench into our plans.”

Now Dimitria didn’t have a choice; now she had to tag along if she wanted to stay alive. Or at least until we all thought it was safe for her to leave and dig on her own to find out more.

Now we saw what happened, when two forces started to collide, and the results were just as scary as they were telling, and I had this feeling that it was going to be much worse the further down we ventured.

Yet, what choice did we have?

So far, from what I saw, Sophie, Elizabeth, the media. They were all against us, ready to wage war.

They were ready to raise their pitchforks and fires and call us witches, since we didn’t seem “normal”. But in this damn age, who the fuck was normal anyway?