Page 44 of The Last Valkyrie

“I did too,” Magnus admitted with a small smile.

Their voices drowned away as they continued to unpack this new experience with each other. I stared up at the hanging branch, watching as the new spring leaves fluttered in the mild breeze.

I found myself smiling at the simplicity of life at the moment. Training, learning, fucking, loving. It was something I could get used to.

I can’t get used to it though, can I? Because it might all be snatched away from me if we don’t act. I feel like we’reso closeto getting everything we want, me and the boys. The roadblocks ahead are treacherous, dangerous, and could end everything in a heartbeat.

I couldn’t let that happen. I would do everything in my power to save these men from ruin—to save all of us—even if it meant sacrificing myself for their sake.

Of course I wasn’t going to tell them that, because I didn’t need them worrying even more about my safety while they were gone. It was simply a realization I came to while sitting there in the late-afternoon breeze on the bank of the lazy eastern river.

Once it seemed their good-humored banter had died down, I lowered my gaze and noticed the guys were looking at me. They had said something about me, expecting my response, and I’d been lost in la-la-land.

I blinked. “Sorry. What were you guys saying?”

“We don’t want you staying here alone while we’re gone,” Magnus said. “You’ve made too many enemies. Hersir Ingvus,Tomekeeper Dahlia, Damon, Eirik, Gothi Sigmund. Am I missing anyone?”

“Thane Canute?” Arne questioned. “I didn’t like the way he glared at you during the debriefing.”

“Aye,” Corym agreed. “He’s silent and strong. They’re always the most dangerous ones. His allegiance clearly lies with the Gothi rather than the academy, unlike, say, Hersir Kelvar.”

I scrunched my nose, hating how they talked about my safety like it was something they could control every minute of the day.

Grim said, “She won’t be alone. I’ll be with her.”

“Will it be enough?” Sven snapped.

Grim raised a brow. “You’ve seen me fight, Torfen. So have all the other students here.”

“Yeah, and Rav kicked your ass.”

Opening his mouth to reply, Grim stopped short, inclining his chin. He didn’t deny it, simply pouting with a frown and nodding, which made everyone chuckle.

“What if Grim would be better used elsewhere?” I asked.

Their faces veered to me, baffled.

I continued with a small shrug, not enjoying the full attention they gave me as I worked out what I meant. “I . . . I worry about you guys as much as you worry about me, you know. All of you going on these solo trips? I’d rather you went in pairs, like Corym and Magnus.”

With that, I turned my gaze to Arne and Sven, wondering what they had to say about that.

Arne said, “The Lepers Who Leapt were once family, lass, and I’m still my sister’s brother. That counts for something, even with Frida being dead. I don’t fear them. I’m more powerful than any of them. I’m only going to slip in, meet with Dieter whether he likes it or not, and discuss things. I’ll be safe.”

He sounded confident, so I flipped my gaze to Sven across the riverbank. Tapping my chin, I said, “What if Grim went with you?”

They both looked struck.

Grim said, “Sneak, are you trying to get rid of me?”

I flapped a hand at the ridiculous assertion. “Of course not! I’m just trying to make sure we do this the right way. There’s a lot of ground to cover in six days, love.”

Sven remained quiet for a moment, surprisingly, rather than immediately chastising the idea. He had a thoughtful look on his face, staring off down the stream.

He said, “Perhaps wecouldmake use of you, bear.”

“How?”

“Tors and Kolls hate each other. You know that as well as anyone.”

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