The Valkyrie Returns and Slays (Raven)

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Rex stood there, totally frozen, his jaw practically on the floor.

He'd been so worked up and thrown off that he'd completely forgotten about that Vyrdenia law protecting military higher-ups.

Now Raven was in the clear, and he had nothing to pin on her.

A second later, he looked at her again, this time with a cautious edge.

'This woman's playing chess while I'm stuck on checkers,' he thought.

Raven didn't even blink at his stare and turned to Lorne instead.

+5

"General," she said, cool as ever, "Dane tried-and almost managed-to kill a six- year-old. Jax showed up with a crew to take down a military general. Up to you how to handle it."

Rex snapped out of his daze at her sharp tone.

His chest tightened in an instant.

Scared the General might decide right then and there, he jumped in quick.

"General," he rushed out, panic clear, "Dane and Jax messed up, no doubt, but it's not as awful as she's making it out to be. Nobody died because of them-please, let my last family off!"

Raven's eyes went colder at that.

"It's exactly because they've got a military general like you in their corner that they pull this stuff!" she fired back, her voice hard.

"If every bigwig's family ran loose like this, Vyrdenia wouldn't need an enemy attack-we'd fall apart from our own military circus!" she added, sounding all high and mighty.

Rex wanted to throttle her after that self-righteous rant.

He'd say something, she'd hit back twice as hard.

He'd never felt so cornered.

"Sir..." he tried again.

Rex opened his mouth to keep going, but Lorne shut him down with a raised hand before he could get it out.

"The Grayson family's in the wrong," Lorne said, low and steady. "If I let this go just because you're pleading, what do I do when the next military hotshot tries the same thing?"

Then he turned to the soldiers behind him.

"Guards," he ordered, voice booming with authority, "take Dane, Jax, and this young woman. Lock them up in Bastion Prison. The courts can figure it

out!"

Rex's heart dropped like a rock.

Dane and Jax went rigid, their faces draining of color.

Vivian's expression turned to pure, wild panic.

If this hit the courts, once that 'attempted murder of a military general'

charge landed, it would be death or life without parole at best.

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Chapter 30

desperate move, she threw all caution aside

71%

+5

her voice shaky, "my uncle Drake's a lieutenant general! I just

to me!"

not fazed at all. "Drake? I

it one

twisted with

"If you're still

Valor

changed, and he

your call, sir," he said, dipping his head in

Raven a glare, his eyes full of resentment

"Lieutenant General

before you stepped out-she said even you wouldn't be

when you came out from behind that tree, she talked to you rudely, no rank or nothing,"

then she even threw 'peeping Tom' at you,

respect

attitude, she's gonna mess up bad someday

military down with losses

"What're you getting at?" "Lieutenant General Valor's too young," Rex said, his tone weighty. "I'll give her props-she's done plenty for the country-but she's raw, way

been in the trenches forever, hearing some kid not

he added, "They've bled for this nation their whole lives, and they're still below a punk who's

from losing heart, and to give Lieutenant General Valor

bump her down to colonel for now. Wait till she's at

military will fall

out a sharp, cold laugh

her head, her icy eyes settling

many think I'm not up for this job, no point in

stuck around guarding Vyrdenia because of a promise to A FRIEND. If the military figured she didn't belong, she wasn't about to

even sweat unseal

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Chapter 30

moment Raven said it, a strange

Valhalla crew-gawked at

believe what

the military? She

of her mind?'

she'd

for and never touch-and she acted like it

Rex couldn't process

already climbed this far; no way she'd just

to spook Lorne into keeping her rank.

can't roll without her,' he scoffed

sigh of relief. If Lorne could be shaken by a cheap move like that, he wouldn't be the

She was just screwing herself. Her

gonna regret this," he

right as that crossed his mind, Lorne spun his head

a glare.