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.

1/4

16:21 Mon, 14 Apr

Chapter 30

a desperate move, she threw all caution

71%

+5

her voice shaky, "my uncle Drake's a lieutenant general! I just had a small clash with her-she broke both

to me!"

barely glanced her way, not fazed at all. "Drake? I know

it

twisted with even

went icy, and he said, "If you're still not

General Valor handle

and he backtracked

call, sir," he

glare, his eyes full of

he added, voice thick, "Lieutenant General Valor's not

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

talked to you rudely, no rank or

even threw 'peeping Tom' at you, her

got zero respect

end, he added, "With that attitude, she's gonna mess up bad someday

the military down with losses

young," Rex said, his tone weighty. "I'll give her props-she's done plenty for the

in the trenches

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

from losing heart, and to give Lieutenant General Valor some time to cool off, drop that cockiness

to colonel for now. Wait till she's at least thirty before even talking about moving

the military will fall

sharp, cold

tilted her head, her icy eyes settling on

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

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

sweat unseal that Starcard

24

2/4

Chapter 30

it, a strange

at her like she'd gone

what

military? She actually

out of her mind?' he

advice, she'd

military would die for and never touch-and she acted like

Rex couldn't

"she's already climbed this far; no way she'd just

hit Rex-she was bluffing to spook Lorne into keeping her rank. Rex's look at

can't roll

exhaled a sigh of relief. If Lorne could be shaken by a cheap move like

this lame trick to flex on him? She was just screwing herself. Her ego would sink her

regret this," he

right as that crossed his mind, Lorne spun

a glare.