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.

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"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

all caution aside and shouted at

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lieutenant general! I just had a small clash with her-she

to me!"

fazed at all.

Rex gave it one more

with even

and he said, "If you're still not satisfied, we can

Valor

changed, and

your call, sir," he

Raven a glare, his

he added, voice thick, "Lieutenant General

you stepped out-she said even you wouldn't be able to

talked to you rudely, no

even threw 'peeping Tom' at you,

she's got zero respect for you!" he

that attitude, she's gonna mess up bad

military down with

said, his tone weighty. "I'll give

how those old colonels felt two years ago? Guys who've been in the trenches forever, hearing some

bled for this nation their whole lives, and they're still below a punk who's barely an adult. You know how much that killed their faith in Vyrdenia's

keep those old soldiers from losing heart, and to give Lieutenant General Valor

she's at least

military will fall into a

cold laugh at

head, her icy

smooth, "since so many think I'm not up for this job, no point in bothering with a demotion-just let me walk

guarding Vyrdenia because of a promise to A FRIEND. If the military figured she didn't

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Chapter 30

moment Raven said it, a strange

at her

what he'd

the military? She actually

she out of her mind?' he thought,

if Lorne took Rex's advice, she'd still

die for and never touch-and

quitting flat-out? Rex couldn't process

Rex muttered to himself, "she's already climbed this far;

keeping her rank.

military can't roll without

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

trick to flex on him? She was just screwing herself. Her

gonna regret

Lorne spun his

a glare.