Page 93 of The Last Valkyrie

When all eyes turned to Canute to answer—themanin the room—I rolled my eyes.

“It’s true, theYellowis missing,” the Thane said simply. “Tell me more about the jotnar. Where are they currently?”

Kelvar turned his head, placing his elbow on the table and his chin on his palm. “Made their way south. My contacts say they’re making their home in the Niflbog, along with the dark elves.”

My brow furrowed.How is that possible? The dark elves were just in Selby Village, fighting us. They can’t have returned so fast.

Kelvar scrutinized the expression on my face. He saw the terror fleeting across my features. “Another portal has been opened, near the tree-cave where Lady Elayina was found. In fact, the site might be the tree-cave itself. More dark elves are here. An army.”

A sharp whistle of wind skipped past my lips when I inhaled sharply. “And the Ljosalfar? Skogalfar?”

Kelvar shook his head. “No news of them yet.”

“Fuck.”

“So you see why we’re in a kerfuffle, commander?” Dahlia shot at Canute. Her round face tightened angrily. “The students fear for their lives. We all do. Another attack is imminent, andthis time it will bethemcoming tousto strike the academy’s walls.”

“We don’t have the support to stop them from rolling over us,” Ingvus said.

Kelvar added, “Citizens of Isleton have already climbed to our western gate to request safety inside the walls. They fear their town is next, sitting between the dark elves and their conquest.”

“We were arguing about letting them in or not,” Ingvus said.

My heart sank.Why not?“We could use all the support we can get!” I yelled, throwing out my arms. “Why would we turn away refugees of the very place that has supported Vikingrune for so many years?”

“Necessity and survival, lass,” Kelvar said with a defeated sigh. “Our stores will empty even quicker with more mouths to feed. Could lead to disaster if we’re up against a siege.”

I bit my lip, nodding. There were many intricacies I needed to consider. I was still of the mind we needed to support and protecteveryoneon the Isle, not just Vikingruners. Isleton folk, Lepers Who Leapt . . . whoever needed our assistance, we should be there for them.

The alternative, mass slaughter at the hands of our enemies, was not an option.

“While you bicker about what to do, we have more bad news to add to the tally,” Thane Canute said with a grumbling voice.

The three Hersirs eyed him.

“Gothi Sigmund is dead.”

Chapter 30

Ravinica

FOLLOWING A HEARTBEATof shock, the uproar was immediate. The trio—de facto leaders of the academy now—demanded to know what happened.

So we told them everything, not sparing any details.

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