Page 36 of The Last Valkyrie

“So what, Linmyrr?”

“I need to see her. I request a short leave of absence to sail on aWraithto Selby Village, sir.”

He locked eyes with me. “I am not inclined to allow one of our most impactful students leave so soon after a vicious battle, and frankly, it’s concerning you would suggest it.”

I opened my mouth to speak, wondering what he meant by “impactful”—Does he know about my wings?!—but he raised a hand before I could say anything.

“However, Lindi is an old acquaintance of mine, and if she is ill, my heart aches with yours.”

I didn’t believe that. I knew Sigmund and Ma had attended Vikingrune together as students. I had no idea of what theirrelationship was like, however, which opened up a plethora of new questions for me.

“So, to make sure things are proper, I will go with you.”

My eyes bulged—I couldn’t help it. The startled look on my face was impossible to miss. “Sir?” I scrambled. “Go . . . with me?”

“Yes. In a week’s time, you and I will sail to Selby Village. I have some words for your mother, if she is truly on her last legs. We will not leave before then. Too much is afoot at the academy, and it would look cowardly and suspicious for us to leave before things are settled. Surely you understand.”

My mouth opened and closed, thoughts whirling as he threw this on me. “I—we—wait, sir—”

“Good day, Ravinica,” he snapped, and then turned to disappear behind the held-open curtain, with Thane Canute glaring at me before stepping in behind his liege.

I was left sweating, stunned. My mates walked up.

“What the Hel was that all about?” Grim asked suspiciously, his arms crossed in his customary defiant expression.

“Sigmund wants to . . . join me to Selby Village.”

My mates groaned.

“Like Hel he will!” Sven yelled.

Arne said, “That’s a horrible idea, lass.”

“I know! He didn’t give me a time to argue or make sense of it or anything!” I threw up my arms. “Fuck!”

Corym said, “You have a week until you leave?” When I nodded, the elf glanced at Magnus. “Then that gives us six days to go to Alfheim, speak withMaltorVaalnath, and return.”

“Wait, what?” I said.

Magnus took over, picking up on Corym’s thread before I could. “So we can go with you, silvermoon. Because there’s not a chance in all the realms we’re going to let you sit on a longship with that conniving motherfucker, alone.”

I blinked. I wanted to ask why, but the answer was clear, written on their faces, just now dawning on mine.

With a grunt, Grim nodded his understanding. “You get on that longship with Sigmund alone, little sneak, it’s the last time we see you.”

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