"Shit," Tamsin groaned under her breath trying to gain some idea as to where she was. The last thing she remembered was flooring the gas pedal and speeding towards The Wanderer in her truck with Dyson.
Dyson. She felt her heart drop into her stomach for a moment as she whipped her head around the dark room frantically, trying to see if her partner was okay. She forced herself to her feet, groaning in pain as she did so. Between being shot, and her death match with a certain succubus, her tired body was a little worse for wear.
"Dyson," she whispered feeling her way around, eventually making contact with a cold wall, "Are you in here?"
No answer.
Tamsin placed her hand over her abdomen where the bullet had once been. She could feel some blood seeping through her shirt where she had busted a couple of stitches.
She could feel herself becoming weaker, she ran her hands through her hair and a few long strands came out. She braced herself against the cold wall and lowered herself to the ground, knowing if she didn't sit; her legs would soon give out on her. The Valkyrie closed her tired eyes and allowed herself to drift back off, hoping that she would be able to find enough strength to be able to open her eyes again after some sleep.
When Bo awoke she was lying in a large king sized bed, and covered over by a warm duvet comforter. She stretched out, before shooting out of the bed realizing what had occurred before she blacked out. She was in a beautiful, large bedroom with pale pink walls.
Bo reached to her hip and realized that whoever had put her in bed, knew enough to take away her weapons before leaving. She slowly opened the door to a long hallway lined with multiple doors, all of which were closed. The brunette walked to the door across from her room and entered, to find Dyson asleep in a single bed. She ran to his side and gently shook him, he stirred for a moment and groaned before jolting awake and growling, uncertain of what was going on.
"Don't worry, it's just me. Where the hell are we Dyson? Last I heard, Tamsin was going to get you and I was gonna grab Kenzi, so we could all regroup and meet at the Dal." Bo had a concerned look on her face.
"The last thing I remember was Tamsin and I driving in her truck on the way to the Dal. There was this man in a long black coat and a walking stick standing in the middle of the road, and Tamsin… she…" he paused for a second, remembering the two of them driving off the edge of the cliff, but didn't remember actually hitting the ground.
"She what?" Bo pressed, scared that the Valkyrie had second thoughts and was playing them.
"She said something about him being your father, and then she hit him with the truck, but he just vanished. The cab filled with this black smoke and the last thing I remember was us driving off the edge of a cliff."
Bo sat there for a moment processing this. "My father?" she asked, uncertain of how the Valkyrie would have any idea who her father was, if she didn't even know herself.
Suddenly the door to the room flung open, and tall dark figure was standing before the two fae. His power was evident as he almost demanded an air of respect.
Dyson jumped to his feet, eyes a bright yellow color and fangs showing as he growled, recognizing the man.
"Down boy," the man raised his hand, and suddenly Dyson's legs gave out as he fell onto the bed.
Bo became enraged, standing to her feet after checking if the wolf was okay. Her eyes glowed the succubus blue as she said, "Who the hell are you?"
The man stepped forward, his hands out to the sides in a welcoming fashion. Before Bo knew it, she was in his embrace as he hugged her lovingly.
"Izabo! My daughter! How I have longed to finally meet you," he said, his voice practically trembling from happiness.
Bo pushed the man off and took a step back, sizing him up. "My—my father?"
The man smiled and placed his hand on Bo's shoulder in a supportive manner as she processed, "Yes child, your father."
Bo swatted his hand away, "What the hell have you been doing, I've heard the song multiple times, I've seen the tarot cards, you've been watching me? Why… Why wouldn't you just show yourself instead of screwing around with me and my friends and hiding in the shadows like a coward?"
The man's face softened, "I apologize for hiding myself Izabo, when I finally located you I wanted to make sure that you hadn't been corrupted by your mother."
"Effa gave her mind and her strength to protect me, although we did have a mother-daughter blow out the year before, but she hasn't corrupted me, only protected me. She just has a strange way of showing it sometimes." Bo said in defense of her mother.
The Wanderer sighed, "She does love you child… she loves you more than anything, just as I do. We just each see your potential and disagree about how it should be used."
"So you're after me for my power too," Bo sneered, finally thinking she had figured it out.
The man looked at her offended, "Of course not! You just have yet to fully understand your power, to be able to harness it." He paused, "Izabo, you're not safe."
Bo looked at him, "Is there something coming for me? What do you mean I'm not safe?"
The man looked at her with sad eyes, "No, you're not safe to be around. Not for any fae or human, they cannot rival your power Izabo. Had I have found you sooner, before your dawning, before you started tapping into your real power I could have helped you control it, I could have helped you to stay safe and grant those around you safety as well. But now, things have changed, it will take longer for you to learn due to your new found strength after the dawning. You have to stay with me Bo."
Bo's eyes glowed blue again, "I'm not going anywhere," her fury was beginning to take over as she could feel her other side taking over.
Dyson stood up next to her, glaring at the man who dared threaten to take Bo away.
The man put his hand out, "Wolf, you are extremely loyal to my daughter, protecting her though she is hardly the one who needs protecting."
Dyson snarled, taking a protective step forward as his only response to his comment.
The man smiled, "I thank you for watching over her. I will return her to you wolf. But she needs to stay with me until she understands who she really is."
Bo stepped in front of Dyson, her eyes glowing a brighter blue than ever before as her voice changed and the other side took complete control, "I WILL GO WHERE I CHOOSE! NO ONE CAN DICTATE WHAT I DO, NO ONE CAN CONTROL ME! MY POWER IS MATCHED BY NO ONE, I WILL RULE OVER THEM ALL! THERE WILL BE NO DIVIDE IN POWER, THERE WILL ONLY BE ME!"
Suddenly, the man's voice raised just as Bo's had in a God-like manner, "THERE IS ONE WHO HOLDS MORE POWER THAN YOU CHILD, THE ONE WHO GRANTED YOU SUCH STRENGTH, THE ONE WHO CREATED YOU! YOU WILL NOT RULE, NOT UNTIL YOU ARE READY AND THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO RISE AS THE GREAT LEADER YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!" He paused, lowering his voice back to its normal tone, "Focus Izabo, see through your power that is controlling you and take hold of it, push it back. You need not use it right now, you're emotional, passionate succubus side makes this more difficult, but you can control it."
Bo paused, the eternal struggle on her face evident as she battled for control over her body. Her eyes returned to their normal deep brown color as she fell to the ground, clutching at her chest and gasping for air.
She looked up at her father, who was standing over her. "You see Bo, it still controls you, and this is only the beginning of what you are able to do. If you discover this power without the proper preparations, you will be a ruler of evil rather than one of light bringing an age of prosperity to all of fae and human-kind. I have something to check on, but think about what I have told you Izabo."
Once The Wanderer had left the room, Dyson kneeled at Bo's side. The succubus leaned into his chest and began crying, "He's right Dyson, I don't have control! You saw me, the monster I can become!"
Dyson pulled her back with panic in his eyes, knowing what Bo was going to say next. "Dyson…" she paused and took a breath gaining control over her tears, "He's right, I have to stay."
Tamsin awoke to a bright light and a figure standing before her.
"Wake up Valkyrie," the voice said in a commanding tone.
The blonde rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times, trying to straighten her vision. When she realized who was standing in front of her she jumped to her feet ready to fight.
"Where's Bo?" She asked in a stern voice.
"My daughter is safe here." He said in a calm voice, "You refused to bring her to me. Why?"
"Because I know you; I've been around for centuries, I've seen you take the strongest and most virtuous warriors and watched as you used them, changing who they are from their noble selves and tempting them with the potential of power." Tamsin's voice was smooth, refusing to show him, her fear.
"A daughter should be with her father. Her power is far beyond anything either her mother or I could have anticipated, but she needs help. She is a mix of passion and power. She's unbalanced and can become unstable. She's only learned to control her succubus side, but not the rest. If she allows that passion to control her then who knows what she's capable of." The man reasoned with the Valkyrie.
"Your daughter is strong in more ways than any of you realize! No one sees it!" Tamsin almost yelled, "That passion you are talking about has NOTHING to do with her being a succubus. That's just Bo's heart! Something you will never understand."
"You think you know my daughter's heart Valkyrie?" the man scoffed, "You have been my best for centuries, you have seen and caused more death, and taken more lives under my orders. I know the things you have done, and I know that anyone who claims to have a heart, would be incapable of doing any of those things."
Tamsin stopped for a moment, these orders, these terrible things she was forced to do, that is why she would never allow herself to care for anyone, until Bo.
"Your time is up Valkyrie. You have served me well, and for this I will give you a few more hours to get your affairs in order, but you're finished." He said to Tamsin in a firm voice.
The blonde flinched for a moment, "Bo…" she paused, "that is the only thing I want. As reward for all I have done, I want to see her before I expire."
The Wanderer paused pondering her request, "Why would I grant you such a favor, when you tried to keep her away from me. That hardly deserves—"
"I did everything for you, you son-of-a-bitch!" Tamsin cut him off and her voice trembled with anger. "Every last thing you asked me to do, I did. For lifetimes! I lived with death because you forced me to! I gave up everything!"
The man chuckled, "Calm yourself Valkyrie, aside from this you have served me well. You can see your friends once more before your time is up." He walked towards the door, but stopped and turned towards Tamsin with an evil smirk on his face, "I look forward to doing it all again after your rebirth." He laughed and walked out the door.
A single tear escaped Tamsin's eye. She had finally finished, but would not be granted peace. She would come back and once again serve The Wanderer for another millennium doing his bidding.
"You can't stay here Bo!" Dyson exclaimed, his breath ragged and his voice firm.
"Dyson you can't tell me what I can and cannot do! You don't have that right!" Bo yelled back, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Dyson yelled because he cared and she knew that. She took his hand and sat him down on the bed. "I want to stay Dyson. You know how long I have wanted to meet my father, and to find out who I really am. If I stay I can learn to fully embrace who I am, and can finally get some answers." She placed her hand on his face and gently stroked his cheek.
The wolf looked down and sighed, "What am I supposed to do without you?"
Bo paused, "I'm coming back Dyson," she gave him a reassuring smile.
The door opened again as The Wanderer entered the room. "Wolf, you need to come with me. You need to say your goodbyes to my daughter, and I will take you to your friend before you go home."
"Tamsin?" Dyson said in a concerned tone.
Bo eyes widened, and she felt sick at the thought of the Valkyrie being hurt.
"She's alright, but she will be staying with me as well," the man explained.
"I'll stay instead! Let me stay here and help Bo and let Tamsin go," Dyson begged.
The man smiled, "Very noble, but the Valkyrie is not staying here to help Izabo, she does not need help. It is the Valkyrie's time to expire, she has lived an extended life to begin with."
"You're going to kill her!" Dyson growled, not trusting the man's motives.
"Calm youself wolf, I am not going to kill the girl. This is her natural life process, there is nothing more that can be done." He explained in a calm voice.
Dyson turned to Bo and hugged her tight in his arms. He pulled her mouth to his and kissed her, knowing it may be the last time he would have the chance. "You come back to me okay?" his voice was soft as he pressed his forehead against hers.
"I will," Bo whispered stroking the back of his neck.
"You care deeply for my daughter?" The man asked, breaking the silence between them as they walked down the hall.
"Very much so," Dyson said in a low voice.
"Yet you are not together?" he pried.
Dyson sighed, "Her heart belongs to another, but my heart will forever remain with her as long as she will allow me to be in her life."
The man nodded, "Ahhhh yes, the human doctor."
"Yes, Lauren. She makes your daughter very happy," Dyson replied.
The man chuckled, "And yet they are no longer together either."
"No, I suppose they are not," the wolf retorted.
"Just like her mother," he laughed and shook his head. "Here we are, I will give you a few moments to say your goodbyes to the girl, and then I must send you away. Take care of the human doctor, and the little friend of Izabo's. I can see that the three of you care for her and will be good allies for her when she returns."
Dyson reached out his hand, "On my blood honor."
He opened the door and walked into the room.
Tamsin was lying on a small cot staring up at the grey ceiling, in an empty room, almost like a cell.
"Nice digs," Dyson chuckled, startling the Valkyrie who had been deep in thought.
"Dyson thank God you're okay," she breathed a sigh of relief and stood to her feet, throwing her arms around the wolf taking him of guard, not used to her being so affectionate.
He pulled her back and sat on the edge of the bed with her, "Tamsin… why didn't you say anything sooner?"
Tamsin smirked, "Look, there's some things that even you and Bo can't fix." She paused for a moment realizing that she had requested her presence and not Dyson's. "Where is she anyway?"
"You know she's here?" Dyson said confused.
"Oh ya, her dad and I go a long ways back," she shook her head and looked down at the floor.
"What can I do for you Tamsin?" he asked, placing his arm over her shoulders and pulling her close in a supportive way.
"Take care of her," she whispered, her voice cracking a bit as she tried to hold back tears.
"Take care of who?" Dyson said confused, not knowing that Tamsin had anyone in her life that she truly cared for.
She looked up at him and smirked, wiping her tears away, "The same bitch who has us all doting after her."
"Bo?" Dyson asked, his surprise clear from his tone.
Tamsin nodded, "Dyson listen to me. When she gets out of here, she's going to be strong, but loyal to him! You have to help her see that she doesn't need him to tell her what to do! She can stand on her own two feet Dyson, she's strong, and she has better instincts than anyone I have ever seen in my entire life. She needs to learn to follow them. He will convince her not to, not to follow her heart, but she knows good from evil in the greyest situations. Remind her of that Dyson, and take care of her."
Dyson nodded, "I promise. Tamsin…" he paused, "you—I mean do you lo—"
"It doesn't matter what I feel," Tamsin cut him off, "she deserves someone like you or Lauren, someone good, who can take care of her. I might be able to take care of her, but I'm sure as hell not one of the good ones." She looked to the floor remembering when Bo said those words to her, those words that made her want to keep living, and to live better, happier.
"Will I see you again?" Dyson asked.
"Never know. I'll be reborn again, retrained, turned hard over time, and then they'll send me out on missions again. Probably bigger ones at the beginning where I will be so strong. If we do cross paths, I won't remember you. If you do see me…" she paused, and smirked at him, "Do the smart thing and run the other way."
Dyson laughed, "You've been a great partner Tams." He said, tightening his arm around her.
"And you've been the best pet a girl could ask for," she laughed, petting his head like a dog.
Tamsin stood up, knowing it was time for him to leave while they were on a good note. "Maybe see you on the other side."
"You bet on it," Dyson smiled before walking out of the room.
Tamsin rested her hands on her knees, supporting her body weight, a wave of sadness hitting her. She walked over to the bed and laid down, praying that Bo would soon walk through those doors and give her the strength she needed to let go of this life so she could move onto the next.
Before Dyson had time to say anything to Bo's father concerning what Tamsin had just warned him about, he waved his hand and next time the wolf blinked, he was standing in his apartment alone.
Bo was pacing around the room, waiting impatiently to be able to see if Tamsin was alright.
When her father walked in, Bo didn't give him time to speak. "Take me to her," she said in a firm voice.
"As you wish Izabo," he smiled at his daughter.
When Bo entered the small cell, relief hit her as she saw Tamsin appeared to be in alright form, although clearly weak. Tamsin smiled as soon as she saw the brunette's face.
"Hey," Bo said shyly, not entirely sure why she felt so nervous.
"Fancy meeting you here," Tamsin smirked, and stood up to greet the succubus.
"So… you're—" Bo started, not wanting to finish the sentence, but luckily Tamsin answered before she had time to continue.
"Yeah," she said quietly, looking down at the ground, a sharp pang of sadness hitting her heart, knowing this would be the last time she would see Bo, and feel this way for her.
Bo read Tamsin's face and took long strides forward and wrapped her arms around the blonde in a tight hug.
Initially the Valkyrie's instincts said to pull away and not let her get to close, but she knew there was no need to keep a distance now, so instead she wrapped her arms around her waist and relaxed into Bo's embrace.
When the succubus pulled back she looked Tamsin right in the eye. "How are you feeling?" she asked, concerned she was in pain.
"I feel fine, just a little tired. I hear it's just like falling asleep. Except when you wake up, you're no longer you." Tamsin said, breaking Bo's gaze and looking down to the floor.
"What do you mean? Like you'll come back to life?" Bo asked, seeing a glimmer of hope at seeing Tamsin again.
The blonde looked back up at her, "Sort of, I mean I'll still look the same, but I won't have any memory of my past life. I'll be retrained and serve again for another thousand or so years, but the experiences that made me who I am now will all be forgotten." She smirked at Bo, "So I may not be a total bitch."
Bo laughed, while she admitted the Valkyrie was a little rough around the edges, she wouldn't have it any other way. No one could piss her off like Tamsin, but no one could make her feel the way the Valkyrie did in general. Bo had never allowed herself to wonder why because she had been with Lauren, although deep down she knew.
"So you get a clean slate?" Bo asked, trying to understand this process.
"Yeah pretty much, whole new life," Tamsin answered.
Bo paused for a moment deep in thought, "So you have absolutely no memories from this life at all?"
Tamsin looked at Bo's face, seeing that she was beginning to understand why she had fought so hard to stay around as long as she could. "Nope, I'll be a baby fae like you. I'll need to relearn how to control my abilities, how to fight, I won't remember anyone from my last life, and the feelings I currently have for anyone or anything will be lost. Which means my long time love affair with vodka is officially over, although I'm sure we'll find one another again," Tamsin laughed, not wanting Bo to feel sad or pity for her.
To her surprise Bo looked angry, she stood up and stomped to the door and started beating on it angrily. "Let me the fuck out of here Wanderer! We've gotta talk!"
Tamsin stood up, thinking she was crazy for talking to him like that. She hadn't even had time to warn her about him yet, their time together couldn't be done so soon. "Bo what the hell are you doing?! You can't do anything now!" She whispered loudly to her.
"The hell I can't! Time to see if baby has daddy wrapped around her little finger or not!" She said to Tamsin. "Open the damn door Wanderer or so help me—"
The door opened wide to see the man standing before them laughing at his daughter's outburst. "Strong-willed isn't she?" he said looking towards Tamsin.
"Tell me about it," the blonde said, rolling her eyes.
"We've gotta talk for a moment," Bo walk out into the hall, "I'll be right back." She said, looking in at Tamsin, her voice still dripping with frustration.
The man closed the cell door and looked towards his daughter.
"You want me to stay here with you, follow your orders obediently and not fight you every fucking step of the way!" Bo was practically yelling at him.
"Yes dear, that is all that I want Izabo, I want us to get to know each other, and be allowed the chance to teach my daughter." He said in a sincere voice.
"Then let her keep her memory and comeback with me!" Bo exclaimed, "That's the deal!"
He pondered his daughter's request for a moment, knowing that if they struck some sort of a bargain then it would save much effort where the girl was so stubborn. "I cannot allow her to keep her memory Bo, she needs to pass on to the next life and she cannot go through the proper proceedings of a Valkyrie without being completely innocent and open-minded."
"Well then—" Bo threw her hands in the air, but the man raised his hand signaling for her to be quiet so he could continue.
"But, I can supress the memories, and allow them to comeback over time as different things trigger them after she is through with her training. You have to understand this request though Izabo. The trials that a Valkyrie faces, the death that she has dealt with on a regular basis, all of her pain could be gone. It is considered a gift," he said, awaiting her response.
Bo stopped for a moment, remembering the discomfort Tamsin was in when she had sensed what the person in the cell before them had gone through prior to dying. Maybe it was best for her to forget. But Bo saw the pain in Tamsin's eyes when she stopped fighting her, admitting her fears, and again in the cells she could see that she didn't want to forget. That is what made her more alive than anyone she had ever met. Tamsin's willingness to fight for her life. "Fine. Now what do I have to agree to in return?" Bo asked.
The Wanderer nodded, "It will be done, but after she passes, you cannot tell her about her memory until after you have both returned home. She must remain pure until she has finished her training and is ready to perform her duties as a Valkyrie once more."
"Okay, but I still want to see her, I will be nothing more than her friend I swear, but if we are both going to be here, I want us to be together. And I want to stay with her until she passes. I will not let her go through this alone." Bo demanded.
"Both you and the Valkyrie will be very busy with your training, although if this is what you want, then your request will be granted my child." He paused, "In return for granting these requests, you will listen to all I have to teach you, will follow your training, and will not fight me."
Bo nodded, "I swear on my blood honor."
"Then so be it," he nodded, "your training will begin tomorrow."
"I said I will stay with Tamsin until she passes," Bo said in a firm voice.
"And so you will." He responded, walking away.
Bo stood there for a moment, realizing he meant that Tamsin wouldn't make it through the night. She shook the thought away knowing she had to be strong for her friend, and opened the door to the cell.