Page 126 of The Last Valkyrie

A smile flipped the side of his thin lips. “You know what they call me outside the Isle, Sven? The Great Uniter. The Great Hope of the shifters.”

“I’m happy for you, Da,” I said sarcastically.Uniter ofwhat?I wondered.

He flapped a hand vaguely in front of him, and then hid them in the cuffs of his long sleeves. “It’s true, mentioning an alliance with the humans was simply a distraction. Get the student body focusing on that, while I brought the packs in to claim Vikingrune. They possess magic like us, son. Is that such a wrong thing?”

“You’re trying to change the academy into a haven for shifters? Why didn’t you just tell me that?” I was incredulous, and I wasn’t about to lower my sword, either.

“Because people will have to die to make room for our kind, son. Many people won’t be happy if they learn their classes will be inundated with wolves. There’s still time to join me, youknow. We are strongertogether. As a pack, like we’re meant to be.”

“Did you play a part in Sigmund’s death?”

We circled each other like sharks. With Salos’ hands hidden inside his sleeves, I had no idea what he was doing in there.

Salos sighed. “Sigmund Calladan was blind to the changing of the tides, my cub. Honorable to a fault. His time here needed to end.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” I spat through gritted teeth.

He tried an innocent expression on his gaunt face, his beady eyes getting smaller. I knew better than to trust it, seeing it a thousand times throughout my life.

Raising his hands to his sides in surrender, he smiled. “All I did was write a letter.”

It took me a moment to grasp his meaning.

Then I inhaled sharply, shocked.

The letter to Ravinica, allegedly from her mother. Claiming her sickness. Given to Rav before Father even showed up here—given toSigmundfirst.Things started to rapidly fall into place, and my father’s devious smile grew.

Of course Salos would know Lindi Foradeen. All these bastards went to school here together, a generation ago.

. . . More importantly, so did Sigmund. Da would have known all about Sigmund and Lindi’s relationship.

That letter was never meant for Ravinica. It was penned by my father, placed into Gothi Sigmund’s hand with Rav’s name on it because Da knew Sigmund was obsessed with the half-elf girl from Selby, and that he’d read the letter before giving it to my little menace.

“You knew Sigmund would join us on theWraith.That he would go to Selby Village, ridding you of his presence here in Fort Woden.”

One thing wasn’t clicking, though. My father said nothing, but he didn’t have to. I could see the truth written there, as scheming and wicked as ever. I thought I sawgleethere, a father watching his son unravel the truth.

“. . . But how could you know Sigmund wouldn’t come back?” The words fluttered from my slack jaw. A gasp ripped through me. “You’re in league with Swordbaron Korvan! You partnered with the monster so Sigmund wouldn’t leave there alive!”

A silver blade rushed to meet my face, drawn from Da’s sleeve.

The displaced wind caused me to jolt back. I brought my sword up at the last second, and our steel met with a loud clash.

“Perhaps you’re not as stupid as I took you for, cub,” Salos said as our swords crashed together. “Korvan has promised much assistance in reshaping Vikingrune in a respectable image. What’s happening now is just a means to an end.”

I pushed him back.But whatishappening now?!

He swung again, Shaping with his free hand—trying on another distraction.

I spun away from his blade, whipped my shield out over my back, and smacked it against his wrist to stop his spell.

The rune snuffed out. He growled, shaking his hand, circling again.

A huge black form took residence in the shadows to my right—in front of a door.Inthe room.

My mind screamed.Dark elf! Fuck!

I danced to the left, away from Da and the shadow.

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