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

she threw all caution aside and shouted

71%

+5

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

to me!"

way, not fazed at all. "Drake?

it one more

with even

icy, and he said, "If you're

General Valor

and he backtracked

sir," he said, dipping

a glare, his eyes full

he added, voice thick, "Lieutenant General

stepped out-she said even you wouldn't be

out from behind that tree, she talked to you rudely, no

'peeping Tom' at you, her

respect for you!"

attitude,

down with losses we

"Lieutenant General Valor's too young," Rex said, his tone weighty. "I'll give

who've been in

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

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

she's at least thirty before even talking

the military will fall

cold

tilted her head, her icy eyes settling

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

a promise to A FRIEND. If the military figured she didn't belong, she wasn't about to keep putting her life on the line for it,

wouldn't even sweat unseal that Starcard if

24

2/4

Chapter 30

it, a strange quiet

at her like she'd

what he'd just

the military? She actually went

out of her mind?'

took Rex's advice, she'd still be

military would die for and never

Rex

hold on", Rex muttered to himself, "she's already climbed

her rank. Rex's look

military can't roll

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

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

regret this,"

that crossed his mind, Lorne spun his

a glare.