Forbidden Arcana: Valaria Read online

  Contents

  Let's Have Some Fun!

  Forbidden Arcana Series

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Acknowledgements

  You may also like

  Copyright

  Let's Have Some Fun!

  That's our goal here. On it's surface it sounds good, right? Everybody likes fun! Well, it's important to clarify that when we say fun we're not talking about family board game night. We're talking over the top explicit content. Now, once again you're probably thinking that sounds good, right? Well, we really want to emphasize over the top really means over the top. This book is meant for adults. You've been warned.

  Forbidden Arcana Series

  Jinx (Book 1)

  Ariel (Book 2)

  Mirage (Book 3)

  Theia (Book 4)

  Sable (Book 5)

  Luna (Book 6)

  Talia (Book 7)

  Morgana (Book 8)

  Valaria (Book 9)

  Chapter 1

  The Goddess

  “Be honest,” Eberis took a careful sip of the radiant wine. Too much of the drink and he’d find himself smiling like an asshole for the next hundred years. The minuscule sip he took was just enough to fill him with an unrelenting elation for a few hours. “Did you set me up?”

  “No,” the otherworldly woman gulped down her glass and began pouring herself another. “I never plan anything.”

  “I’m Valaria,” Eberis said mockingly while holding his fingers on his ears in an attempt to make them pointy like hers. “I don’t plan anything. Things just kind happen for me and everything just works out for me.”

  “I wouldn’t say they work out for me,” Valaria chuckled while gesturing around the large stone room. The only furniture was the small dining table, a king-sized bed, and a wardrobe. There were no windows or doors on the walls, only magic mirrors. “I’m imprisoned. At least you’re free.”

  “Free?” Eberis said as he watched Valaria finish her second glass of wine. It always irritated him how his sister was able to maintain her composure no matter how much of the radiant wine she drank. “I’m not free.”

  “Oh please,” Valaria brushed her long brown hair to the side while rolling her eyes. “How are you not free?”

  “I’m bound to that city thanks to you,” Eberis said cheerfully despite being slightly enraged. The wine ensured that everything he said was delivered like he was greeting customers in a shop. “I lost my soul!”

  “That was your own fault,” Valaria laughed and slapped the table. “That happened because…”

  “I have a gambling problem,” Eberis groaned not wanting to hear it.

  “Yes, you have a gambling problem,” Valaria agreed while finishing her third glass of wine. “You always forget…”

  “I’m the god of gamblers and if I can’t lose it’s not gambling,” Eberis repeated the phrase he’d heard thousands of times before. “Sorry, we can’t all be perfect little Valaria.”

  “I wouldn’t be trapped here if I were perfect,” Valaria pushed a tray of pastries toward Eberis. “At least I have my adorable little brother to visit me and gossip. So, since you’re here, give me the details.”

  “No,” Eberis answered grumpily. “I’m not doing this again. It always turns gross.”

  “Gross?” Valaria pouted while crossing her arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You like him,” Eberis answered while cringing. Just the thought of her sister fawning over that perverted mage made him sick. “I should have realized it sooner. Had I realized you liked him I wouldn’t have made a bet with him. Goddammit! That’s how you orchestrated it isn’t it? When you told me about Raycastle you planted the seed. Suddenly I was hearing his name everywhere. You knew I wouldn’t be able to resist playing him.”

  “You couldn’t resist playing him because you have a gambling problem,” Valaria corrected while gesturing judgmentally with her index finger.

  “Right,” Eberis said cynically. “And you know I have a gambling problem. How did you get him to seek me out though? Okay, let’s work backward…”

  “You’re turning into our siblings,” Valaria groaned while shaking her head. “You all think I make these massive plans that span centuries but what really happens is I do whatever I want and things just work out.”

  “You say that but remember when you went to war with Giseldra?

  “She went to war with me,” Valaria corrected. “I told her I didn’t want to fight.”

  “Whatever,” Eberis laughed while thinking back on the ridiculous chain of events. “My point is she should have crushed you. But the day before the assault her entire army fell to ruin and her followers forsook her. All thanks to a loaf of bread you gave to a young girl two decades earlier!”

  “There was a hungry girl and I gave her some bread,” Valaria said defensively. “I didn’t know the girl would grow up to be Giseldra’s high priestess!”

  “Really?” Eberis took a bite of an absurdly sweet pastry. “We’re going to act like it was just the loaf of bread? We’re not going to discuss the fact you suggested she share it with the hungry little boy? The little boy she fell in love with who eventually became a soldier and went missing during a war? Who miraculously reappeared as the guardian of your temple? Giseldra sent two thousand soldiers to destroy your temple! You sent one guardian and the high priestess halted the attack as soon as she saw him.”

  “I actually didn’t send anybody,” Valaria grumbled while resting her head on her fist. “I ordered the entire temple to evacuate and just let Giseldra have it. The guardian refused to leave. He wasn’t even supposed to be there!”

  “Yeah,” Eberis scoffed. “But it’s still quite the coincidence.”

  “Let me tell you a story,” Valaria said mockingly. “Once upon a time I cleaned out my gambler brother who refuses to deal with his gambling problem. Not needing money, I bought something from every shop I passed. The last shop was a bakery and I bought a loaf of bread. I took one bite and wanted to vomit. I was going to throw it away but saw a hungry little girl so I gave it to her. I then saw a hungry little boy and asked her to split it. Then a couple decades later my idiot family decides I can see the future and suddenly I’m too dangerous to roam free. Whose story makes more sense? Keeping in mind that if I could see the future, I would have predicted the god damn imprisonment!”

  “Yours,” Eberis said reluctantly.

  While he and the other gods were fairly certain Valaria had some type of power to predict or manufacture outcomes there was never any hard evidence of it. It seemed to Eberis that she was imprisoned less on evidence and more on sentiment. That was why he continually visited her despite the objections of their siblings.

  “Now,” Valaria smiled. “Let’s get back to talking about Dayrose.”

  “You mean Jericho,” Eberis corrected as his stomach churned. “He’s the only one you really care about.”

  “Since you brought him up,” Valaria said while trying to hide her excitement. “Has anything interesting happened?”

  “Interesting?” Eberis said while thinking about the various exploits of the mage. He’d been at war with his friend Owl for some time and his victory was virtually assured. “Depends on how you define interesting. He wiped out four enemy forts in a day.”

  “Did he really?” Valaria asked hungrily. “How did he do it?
And do you mean single-handedly or with the help of his familiars? And how big has his city become? I saw you finished the citadel. Some of your best work. What’s his bedroom look like? Has he broken it in yet? Who did it break it in with first?”

  “And there it is,” Eberis grumbled while trying not to gag. “You always make it so gross. Why can’t you just ask about the battles? There have been plenty of them and Jericho pretty much always wins. Not that it’s all wins. The idiot keeps falling for honeytraps Owl sets left and right. He’s been killed at least ninety times in the last two weeks. It’s actually impressive, and a bit sad. Owl hires somebody to seduce him, he falls for it, gets killed, and then falls for it again. It’s insane. But no! You don’t want to hear about any of that! All you want to hear about is what’s happening in his bedroom!”

  “Oh, come on!” Valaria leaned over the table and glared at him. Her brown eyes had a way of getting darker the longer she stared. It was unnerving how psychotically intense she could get when she wanted something. “Stop being such a prude! I’m stuck here all alone! And I know what you do with those priestesses of yours so stop acting all squeaky clean! I’ve seen how they dress! You don’t see me getting flustered at the thought of my brother fucking his cute little priestesses, do you? I’m just asking if Jericho broke in his bedroom. Or maybe you’re jealous of him? Is that it? I know! How about I take off a piece of clothing for every piece of information you give me? Will that help?”

  “Fuck! No!” Eberis shook his head while beaming like an idiot. He wished he never sipped that wine. No matter how hard he tried to be serious, he smiled. “Fine! Yes, he’s broken in the bedroom, many times by now I’m sure with all of his familiars.”

  “I bet he has,” Valaria giggled and returned to her cushiony seat. “I wish I could meet him.”

  “Well thankfully you can’t,” Eberis shivered at the thought of his sister throwing herself at the deviant mage. “He’s not the type of guy you want to see your sister with.”

  “You’re so strange,” Valaria guzzled down another glass of wine. “Any other sibling would say that I deserve an eternity of torment yet here you are worrying about what kind of man I end up with.”

  “Well,” Eberis sighed defeatedly. He didn’t understand it much either. While every other sibling turned against her, Eberis just couldn’t. There was a tiny voice in the back of his head whispering to bet on her and he couldn’t resist. “I suppose it’s in my nature.”

  “How do you mean?” Valaria asked curiously. “If I recall your nature consists of playing games of chance and whoring. I certainly hope it’s not the latter because I was just joking about taking off my clothes earlier.”

  “Ew,” Eberis said shaking his head. “It’s the former. I’m betting that you’re being honest. It’s a bit of a longshot.”

  “And longshots are irresistible to you,” Valaria smiled. “You really do have a problem. But it’s sweet. When the others come to visit it’s mostly to mock me and tell me how awful I am.”

  “They would, wouldn’t they?” Eberis nodded while thinking of his siblings. “They’ve always been kind of narcissistic with the whole mortals are playthings nonsense. And they really didn’t like it when you interfered…I just figured out why you like Jericho so much.”

  “Really?” Valaria leaned forward and tapped her fingers on the table impatiently. Her reaction to Jericho’s name was irritating, to say the least. He wondered if captivity was beginning to mess with her mind. “Tell me.”

  “He does what he wants,” Eberis chuckled. “Just like you. Consequences be damned.”

  “That’s right,” Valaria laughed. “Ever since I first watched him destroy that disgusting city I’ve wanted to meet him. I would have destroyed it ages ago if I weren’t trapped here. I was so excited after those cowardly monsters were crushed that I couldn’t help but tell you about it. I certainly didn’t expect you to lose your soul to him. I swear.”

  “I know,” Eberis smiled while clenching his teeth. “It’s just aggravating. It shouldn’t be, but it is. He doesn’t make me do anything I don’t want to do and actually puts a lot of faith in me. On top of that, I’ve never had so many followers. My temple is constantly bustling with people who want to play against the god of gamblers.”

  “It sounds like so much fun,” Valaria giggled. “I wish I could come see.”

  “I do too,” Eberis smiled. “Really. It’s unfair that you’re trapped here.”

  “You could always break me out,” Valaria said impishly.

  “I’m not going to break you out,” Eberis said. “I’ll advocate for you at the next family meeting in a hundred years but I’m not about to make an enemy of the entire family. You’re my sister and I love you but they’re also my brothers and sisters. I already get enough hate for visiting you every week.”

  “Well,” Valaria smiled. “It was worth a shot. If it’s any consolation I don’t think I’ll be trapped here much longer.”

  “You’ve been saying that every week for the last few hundred years,” Eberis said. “Yet here you are. I do really wish I could help more.”

  “I know,” Valaria patted Eberis’ hand. “And I appreciate it. I’d get lonely if you never came to visit. But when I do get out, we’re definitely going to have some fun.”

  “Are you sure it’s not the wine that keeps you so positive?” Eberis said while wishing he could take another sip. “You’ve finished an entire bottle while we’ve been sitting here.”

  “Oh,” Valaria laughed. “It doesn’t affect me anymore unless I get to about a dozen bottles. There’s nothing to do here other than drink, eat, and watch the world through my mirrors. Well, I guess I masturbate a lot.”

  “Ew,” Eberis shook his head trying to shake the words out before they stuck. “So gross!”

  “Half our siblings are fucking each other and I’m the gross one?” Valaria laughed. “Come on!”

  “They’re gross too!” Eberis insisted. “Why are gods so gross?”

  “Speaking of gross. Did you know Florian likes to go down to the world in the form of a beautiful woman and get himself captured by Orc marauders?”

  “Gross!” Eberis said. “How do you know this?”

  “Magic mirrors,” Valaria gestured at the walls.

  “Ew, ew, ew!” Eberis repeated as he tried to purge the images from his mind. “Wait, are you watching me have sex?”

  “Of course not,” Valaria stuck out her tongue. “Why would I want to watch you have sex? You’re my brother.”

  “So is Florian!” Eberis said insistently.

  “Not when he’s in the form of a woman getting gangbanged by Orcs he’s not,” Valaria smirked.

  “Ack,” Eberis shook his head. “You’re so gross.”

  “It was a joke,” Valaria laughed. “And stop calling me gross. I’m not going to sit here and be judged by a guy who enjoys...whatever it is you enjoy…which I, of course, have no idea about because I don’t watch you…but if I did, I’d say it’s perfectly fine because everybody is different…”

  “Goddammit!” Eberis shivered. “You are spying on me!”

  “Of course not,” Valaria said indigently. “But sometimes I just check up to see how you’re doing. It’s not like there’s a do not disturb option on the mirrors.”

  “Ew, ew, ew,” Eberis’ entire body tensed.

  “That’s what I said,” Valaria teased but Eberis was not amused. “Don’t be embarrassed. We all have different ways of relieving stress…”

  “Shut up,” Eberis interrupted before he ended up getting into a discussion about his sexual proclivities. “Not another word. I will not have this conversation with you. I’m going to pretend I never heard any of this and you pretend like you never saw anything.”

  “Fine,” Valaria laughed. “But it’s not like there’s anything to do here other than watch the mirrors. I eat, I sleep, I watch mirrors.”

  “I know,” Eberis said while still trying to shake his embarrassment. “I kno
w it’s hard for you of all people to be locked away. Anyway, is there anything you wanted or needed? I always offer to bring you stuff but you never take me up on it.”

  “That’s nice of you to offer but after being alone all week, your visits are better than any gift you could bring,” Valaria smiled sweetly at him.

  “Guh,” Eberis blushed. “You always say that.”

  “And it always makes you blush,” Valaria laughed and pinched his cheek. “You really are a sweetheart.”

  “At least you think so. Our siblings started calling me the god of suckers,” Eberis grumbled. “Losing my soul didn’t help.”

  “They what?” Valaria showed the first sign of irritation he’d seen from her in a long time. “Well, if they say that again you let them know…”

  “I don’t need you to defend me,” Eberis laughed at his irritated big sister. “I have more followers than ever before. They can call me the god of suckers all they want but I’m the god of Dayrose. Even if I don’t own my soul.”

  “Don’t worry, when I marry Jericho, I’ll make him return your soul,” Valaria cheerfully said. “After all, if I’m there he won’t need you to protect the city.”

  “I don’t know what’s worse. The idea of you marrying him or the idea of you taking my city,” Eberis said defensively.

  “A city doesn’t need two gods Ebby,” Valaria said. “You can stay for a while of course. But once Rend is rebuilt I’ll expect you to relocate.”

  “You’re seriously making plans to kick me out of my own city while you’re locked away?” Eberis laughed. “Where do you get that confidence from? Walk me through it. How are you going to escape and take my city?”

  “I’m the goddess of life,” Valaria teased. “I find a way.”

  Chapter 2

  Soul Reaping

  “Next,” Jericho said as he collected the signed contract from the scruffy warrior and directed him to the designated waiting area. A blonde warrior wearing all black with a red armband approached. Jericho did his best not to groan at the obvious visual the man was trying to create. “Alright. So, as previously mentioned this is the contract. Just sign here and a full set of orichalcum weapons and armor will be yours.”