The Valkyrie Returns and Slays (Raven)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Margaret jumped up, her voice cutting through the air. "Hold it right there!"

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She turned to General Yardley, softening a bit. "General Yardley, we screwed up, and we're sorry. Let us go, please-I'll hand over the Henderson family heirloom. It's all yours!"

Raven quirked an eyebrow, throwing up a hand to freeze everyone in place.

She hadn't even started hunting for it, and now Margaret was just tossing it her way like a gift.

Well, that saved her a whole lot of hassle.

The Henderson family members stood there, stunned, their eyes popping out at Margaret's offer.

A few of them yelled at once, "Margaret, don't do it!"

One guy stepped up, his voice shaky with panic. "That's the heart of our family! We can't just give it up!"

Another jumped in, his face red and worked up. “Grandpa said before he passed- if one of us can tame that thing, we could get the whole Vyrdenia under control! Margaret, I'd rather sit in a cell than watch that dream die for good!"

Margaret's face tightened, her voice dropping.

"You all know what Bastion Prison's like," she said, "These old bones aren't walking out of there. What? You want me dead?"

She kept going, steady and sure. "Anyway, that thing's been collecting dust with us for years, and nobody's cracked it. Maybe General Yardley can actually put it to use!"

Before anyone could argue back, Margaret leaned toward Jonah.

She picked her words carefully. "General Yardley, can my son go get it?"

Jonah's eyes flicked to Raven.

Raven gave Malcolm a quick look, her tone calm. "Go ahead."

The guy holding Malcolm let him loose.

Malcolm took off toward the Henderson family's safe room, finally free.

Five minutes later, he was back.

He held a small, gleaming white platinum box-about two fingers wide-like it was something holy.

He stopped in front of General Yardley, staring at the box with a pang of regret.

"This thing's been ours forever, but nobody's ever gotten it under control. If people knew about it, it'd just bring trouble," he said, his voice shaky.

to himself. "I hope Mom's right-that General

word, just

up to

platinum box, then flipped it

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Chapter 17

shot through

second the box opened up, every

time, their breathing got

up, full

a red crystal card, sitting still as a

edges, with a sharp, blazing flame symbol

Vyrdenia, you had warriors who pushed their bodies

the Starbornes-rare powerhouses who fought with Starcards and outshined

all of Vyrdenia, maybe ten Starborne existed,

one was a force of

any family that raised a Starborne? Vyrdenia piled on the perks, setting

someone could handle this Starcard, the family

eyes glued to the prize she'd rushed back from the frontlines to

little, but her face stayed stone-cold calm while everyone else

already had four Starcards in her pocket: gold,

fire card was the final piece of the Universal Five, the game-changer Vyrdenia needed to

chest and grabbed

touched her

the card, zeroing in on an old,

"lock" for a beat or

a quiet sigh, muttering under

had seen it coming-collecting the Universal Five wasn't going

shock there if this Starcard didn't have some catch, the Hendersons wouldn't be in such

the Henderson

the ancestors ever say anything about how

frowned, looking puzzled. "What

his question and got the picture right

drifted over the other Hendersons standing

it

less how

open.

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22:32 FA, 17 AY5#/

Chapter 17

Ар

Raven a ding look gripping the tard like it belonged to her,