Page 157 of The Last Valkyrie

Chapter 50

Ravinica

FUCK. I’M TOO LATE!

I frantically scanned the ground on the wrong side of the wall, noticing the Helbent expressions on the faces of the dark elves as they scowled up at me. The two jotnar closest to our people looked impassive, unbothered.

Beyond them Dahlia was getting closer to Korvan and the trio of jotnar, including the, erm, “big-titted crone-looking bitch” in black with a bull skull on her head. She was raising her hands, speaking in a normal voice I couldn’t nearly hear.

My eyes swept down to our side and my group under me. With my wings flapping to keep me hovering fifty feet up, I chewed my cheek, anxious, trying to think of what I could do.

My gaze moved back to the impromptu meeting near Delaveer. Back to my men. Back to the bad guys—

No. I can’t do it alone. Not without warning again. I gave them my word.

I pitched myself sideways and careened down, noticing Kelvar the Whisperer had gotten to my group and was speaking with them.

When I landed, wings jostling and making me the big fat center of attention, I said, “I have to do something, guys. Dahlia is down thereright now!”

For some reason, I looked at Kelvar. His gaunt face was stuck in a grimace, thinking. Then he looked up from the ground andnodded. “Go, then. The boys just filled me in on what’s going on—the threat Dahlia possesses.”

I reeled. “Wait. What? You’re just going to let me . . .”

“We’ll be along with you shortly, love,” Sven said for the group, giving me a vicious smile. “You can count on it.”

Kelvar spun around and marched toward Hersir Osfen nearby. “Axel!” he yelled, getting the bald battlemaster’s attention. “When will your troops be ready? We need to get down the hill, posthaste. It’ll be bloody.”

Axel stared at Kelvar like he was crazy. But the stout soldier had a stiff jaw, his orange beard blowing in the ashy breeze. “Give the order and we charge, Whisperer. Just . . . do your best not to send us on a death mission, eh?”

I ran over. “It might not get to that, sir. If you can just buy me some time.”

Corym split from my other men and advanced on Deitryce and the elegant, ethereal-looking leader of Heira, Vaalnath. Corym’s father—could have been his mother, too, if things had gone a certain way.

“Maltor,” Corym said while going to his knees in a sign of supplication that still unnerved me. Once his forehead was picked up from the ground, he gave theMaltora desperate look. “I implore you to follow Hersir Axel Osfen’s lead. Distract the Dokkalfar long enough forSer’kariothto do what she needs to do.”

Vaalnath’s placid face tilted like they were looking at an alien. A strange smile curled their lip. “It will be done, my fair son. The soldiers are getting bored of waiting.” They tossed their wispy silver curls over their shoulder, smile widening. “I’ll bring the savages along with us.”

Jhaeros of the Skogalfar gave theMaltora narrow-eyed scowl but grunted and nodded.

With our hurried preparations underway, I lifted a few feet off the ground. “Wish me luck, boys.”

“You don’t need luck, little sneak,” Grim said.

“You haveus,” Arne added, trying on a bit of bravado while puffing out his chest.

“What the iceshaper meant to say is you can trustyourself, silvermoon,” Magnus added with some side-eye at Arne.

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