Shielded: A Valkyrie Saga Book 1

Hypocritical Dating Rules - Chapter 18

Not a single word. He blew in here, compelled Con and started this whole shit show but he didn't utter a single word to me or Con. I mean I know that we weren't close and he didn't approve of the clan we decided to join, but what kind of father didn't say a single word to his son after spending almost an hour at our house. What kind of father tried to talk a female into walking away from us instead of trying to support us. What kind of father accused his sons of something so despicable as a forced linking. 

Did he really think so little of me? I know that I was always a disappointment to him because I didn't have any extra Gifts, but damn this was cold. Maybe he still blamed me for Con turning away from the Hunters when they offered him a place in the Blade Clan. But Connor and I had linked with each other as kids. It wasn't something we could really control. If Con had joined a clan that wouldn't accept me it would have destroyed both of us. Why couldn't our Dad see that. Why couldn't he just want us to be happy and healthy? 

Why was power and position so important to him. More important than family.

--Blake

I was starting to think that Elijah's answer to conflict was to cook. While I was still reeling from everything that happened he started working in the kitchen. I sat down at the breakfast bar between Max and Connor and within moments I had a mug filled with mint tea sitting on the table before me. One thing was for sure, the service at Casa de Elijah was excellent.

"Okay, so I can only tackle one problem at a time. Let's table the whole the royals are coming for me thing until something actually happens. I need to ask some questions about my Gifts because if everything I am reading in the book Max lent me is true, I think I am a freak of nature," I admitted and was thankful when no one laughed. This was something that had been sitting heavy on my shoulders since the first time I met the guys and it was a relief to actually start talking about it.

"You discovered you have a fifth Gift, Tracking," Eljiah prompted when I didn't say anything.

"Yes, and the other Gifts I have seem to work differently than normal," I responded.

"What do you mean?" Derik asked and he was once again leaning against the wall that led to the living room. Better go for broke. If I trusted them with knowledge about the void, I needed to also trust them with this. I could always disappear if things went sideways.

"Well I have a lot more Weapons. Thirteen different types to be exact. And I don't have to be in physical contact to produce a shield around someone. I can produce multiple shields at the same time, and I can make partial shields. I haven't read the chapter about Truth yet, but it has never failed me and it works on things that I read or hear over the TV or radio. The Tracking is new so I don't know much about it yet, and as you guys know my cloaking ability is pretty encompassing," I summarized and tried not to feel like a freak.

My little speal got Blake's attention and he finally came away from the window and joined us in the kitchen. Derik had an iron clad poker face on so I had no idea what he was thinking, but Max looked shocked and Connor looked impressed. Elijah was curious and started asking me questions. Most of them centered around my Cloaking and I ended up bringing him to the void and giving him the entire explanation of how it worked.

"That's how you were able to keep blocking me in the fight," Connor said like he was having an aha moment. "Partial shields!" 

I laughed at how that was his takeaway from all of this. I held out my fisted hand and formed a partial shield just around the curve of my knuckles. Connor was completely fascinated and gently grabbed my wrist and brought my hand within two inches of his face. He then touched the shield with a single finger and I felt the zap of power. Connor snatched his hand away and everyone started laughing. I had almost forgotten that Connor didn't have a Shield Gift, so he must be the most curious about them.