Page 64 of The Last Valkyrie

Once we were finished with our tale, Salos said, “I am aggrieved over Olaf’s death. Was he given a proper burial befitting a Torfen?”

It was almost comical how little emotion he had in his voice when he said he was “aggrieved.”

With a nod, I lied, saying, “He was.”

“That’s all we can ask for, then. May he rest in Valhalla.”

In truth, Olaf’s body had never been recovered, because draug scum had eaten the remnants of his corpse after they tug-of-warred his body apart and left me holding his severed, bleeding arm.

Our cloaks fluttered in the wind, our standoff reaching a fever pitch of silence. My heart rampaged in my chest, staring at my deceitful father after so many months—knowing what he had ordered done to me. Wind whistled annoyingly through our two groups.

Salos was a ruthless, cutthroat man who saw no place for weakness. That was why he showed no sadness for Olaf’s death, because if Olaf died, then he must have made a mistake and shown weakness. Such was the way of my father’s thinking.

“I count six wolf shifters among us.” Salos nudged his chin at our tallest member. “Why is a bear shifter among this party?”

“Should we have brought the Lanfens instead, Da?” I spat rudely.

The first sign of emotion showed on his face—a tiny curl at the corner of his lip, a shadow of a smile.

“He’s here to support us,” I added.

“Us?” Salos waved his hand between Ulf and Edda. “You two would go against my edicts as well? Betray your father and kin?”

Edda gaped, struggling for the words. She rarely showed any lack of confidence, but in front of our vicious father, put on the spot, it was hard not to. Years of emotional baggage likely came roaring back to her mind.

“It’s not a betrayal, Father,” Ulf said, waving his hands, begging for peace. “Sven has changed.Wehave cha—”

“Shut your mouth, foolish cub,” Salos grated. “I was speaking to your sister, your elder.”

Ulf clamped his mouth shut in humiliation, grinding his teeth so loud I could hear it.

“So,” Salos said, “Sven does a noble deed during the battle, changing and lifting the hearts of his siblings in one fell swoop, and you’re all in line to depose me or take your revenge against your terrible father. Do I have that right?”

I took a step forward from my pack. “At first I wanted to depose you, Da. Now I just want to know why the fuck you’re here.” I decided to add a bit of fuel to the fire, hating how he spoke to us. “It’s not a great time for elderly statesmen of the academy to be roaming around the Isle, given all the threats.”

I saw the second thread of emotion on his face—righteous indignation—in the twitch of his brow. I was calling him weak and infirm. He knew it, we knew it, and I waited for his reaction.

My father was nothing if not in complete control at all times, however, and he simply sighed as if I was a bother and nuisance. “You have no idea what you’re up against, son, and you don’t deserve to know because I can’t trust you.”

I furrowed my brow. His words confused me—so abrupt and vague. I shook off the confusion and took another purposeful step forward, speaking through gritted teeth. “I fought alongside a bear shifter during that battle, and call him kin. Olaf died for this academy. The Lanfens, who wanted to see our pack dead just months ago, fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Torfens. Don’t tell me I have no idea what I’m up against, Father. You weren’t there. I was. And I’ve seen our people come together like never before.”

More silence.

Then, ever so slowly, my father began to . . . clap.

It was ridicule of the highest order, and I nearly shifted right then and there to challenge him to a fight. I would have if Grim hadn’t grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back, shaking his head with a severe frown to his face.

“That is why I am here, son, to speak with Sigmund Calladan. Change is coming to the Isle, as you said, and I don’t want Vikingrune Academy to be caught unawares.”

“What sort ofchange?”

“A changing of the guard. Of how we do things around here. How we conduct ourselves.Whowe conduct business with.”

Howwedo things around here?I was so angry I thought I would explode.You haven’t been here for decades!

. . . Right?

The idea of Salos Torfen pulling the strings behind the scenes all along, getting more than he was worth with his donations tothe academy, made my stomach sour. I had no idea what my father did in the shadows, but he had essentially just given us the answer: He did much more than I thought.

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