Page 155 of The Last Valkyrie

I nodded diligently, enjoying the soft touches of my men’s hands on my shoulders, face, and body, but knowing we had no time to bask in our reunion.

I fought down a lump in my throat. “I’m sure you all saw Korvan overhead just now. We need to find him, guys. He’s the only hope we have of ending this.”

“What do you have in mind, little sneak?” Grim asked.

“I left here to exchange myself for my mother.” I raised a hand before they could argue. “I did it in secrecy because I knew you’d never agree to it. But it’s myMa, guys, and I had to do something.”

“We understand, fox,” Arne said for the group.

Sven looked hesitant. “Do you . . . still have that idea swirling around your pretty head, menace?”

I bit my lip, apprehensive but finally nodding. “Unless we can find a way to distract him long enough to kill him. Even then, I worry we might put Ma in jeopardy.”

Magnus said, “We’ll do what we can to help Lindi, but our objective is onyou. We’ll burn the world down to keep you safe, you know that.”

His connotation was clear.Only for me.

I knew what I suggested was the exact opposite of keeping me “safe.” I could see by the tight lines on my guys’ faces, the tautness of their shoulders, that they hated this idea and the danger it entailed.

But they would do it. Because I had asked.Only for me.

They would stuff down their resentments, their doubts, and do everything they could to help me defeat Korvan and rescue my mother.

Hopefully before Dahlia could aid him.

We continued walking toward the south wall, the jagged, crumbled piles of stone where the hole had been blown open finally coming into view.

“Guys, there’s something else,” I said to my four reunited mates who hadn’t heard my spiel about Dahlia, the Runesphere,and Korvan on Tyr Meadow. “The Hersirs can’t be trusted either. Ingvus—”

“Is dead,” Grim interjected.

All eyes swiveled to him, eyebrows raised.

He said nothing more.

Sven said, “So is Salos.”

With shock turning my eyes into saucers, I looked at my wolf shifter. He seemed unaffected, unashamed, about his father’s death.

I would tackle that issue later.

“Doesn’t seem most of the Hersirs are going to be a problem then,” Magnus quipped. “We know Kelvar won’t. If Ingvus and Salos are dead, and Dahlia is in the wind, that answers that.”

Arne lifted a finger. “Axel Osfen and Thane Canute were aiding in the fight against the dark elves. Hel, Canute was fending off the jotnar by his fucking self. Unless they’re expert shapeshifters, I don’t think we have to worry about those two.”

Sven added, “Canute was there when I fought my father, helped me get out of Fort Woden before it could get overrun by draug. He stood by and watched. His honor was too great, apparently, to raise a hand against warring father and son when he knew what the father was planning. I might dislike the surly, one-eyed asshole, but he’s not our enemy.”

Dagny chimed in. “Gudleif Selken was over in the eastern section near Eir Wing a while back. She was putting up barriers and wards to protect people and buildings. I think she’s still on our side also.”

I nodded, taking in the rush of information. “Good. Then we still have allies.”

Corym cleared his throat. “MaltorVaalnath, Deitryce, Jhaeros . . . we have plenty of allies,lunis’ai.It’s not them Korvan is after, though. It’s you.”

Their eyes drilled into me.

I so wished it was other parts of them drilling into me right now.

Instead of shrugging my mission aside and shrinking at their brilliant gazes, I forced confidence and swagger to fill me, to show them I wasn’t weak and wouldn’t wilt under pressure.

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