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

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uncle Drake's a lieutenant general! I just had a small

to me!"

glanced her way, not fazed at

Rex gave it one more

face twisted with even deeper

went icy, and he said, "If

General Valor handle

and

accept your call, sir," he said, dipping his

Raven a glare, his eyes full

sir," he added, voice thick, "Lieutenant General Valor's not exactly clean here

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

you came out from behind that tree, she talked to you rudely, no rank or nothing," he said, hammering it

even threw 'peeping Tom' at

she's got zero respect for you!" he

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

the military down with losses we can't

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

in the trenches forever, hearing some kid

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

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

now. Wait till she's at

will

a sharp, cold laugh at Rex's preachy tirade

her head, her icy

think I'm not up for this job, no point in bothering with a demotion-just let me walk away from the

If the military figured she didn't belong,

unseal that

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Chapter 30

said it, a strange quiet

Valhalla crew-gawked at her like

couldn't believe what he'd just

military? She actually

she out of her

Lorne took Rex's advice, she'd still be a colonel at

most in the military would die for and never touch-and

Rex couldn't process

muttered to himself, "she's already climbed

to spook Lorne into keeping her rank. Rex's look at Raven filled with sarcasm

military can't roll without

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

screwing herself. Her ego would sink her sooner or later-Rex

gonna regret this,"

crossed his mind, Lorne spun his head

a glare.