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

a desperate move, she threw all caution aside and shouted at

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

to me!"

way, not fazed at all. "Drake? I

Rex gave it one more

face twisted with even

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

General Valor

changed, and

your call, sir," he said, dipping

shot Raven a glare, his eyes full of

thick, "Lieutenant

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

she talked to

she even threw 'peeping Tom' at you, her superior!" Rex

she's got zero respect for you!" he

he added, "With that attitude, she's gonna mess

with losses we can't even

General Valor's too young," Rex said, his tone weighty.

ago? Guys who've been in the trenches forever, hearing some kid

added, "They've bled for this nation their whole lives, and they're still below a punk who's barely an adult. You

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

Wait till she's at least thirty before even talking about

the military will fall into a

cold laugh

her head, her icy

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

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

wouldn't even sweat unseal that Starcard if she

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Chapter 30

Raven said it, a strange quiet blanketed

Valhalla crew-gawked at her like she'd gone

couldn't believe what he'd just

She

her mind?' he

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

for and never

quitting flat-out? Rex couldn't

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

her rank. Rex's look at

thinks Vyrdenia's military can't roll without her,' he scoffed

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

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

regret this,"

mind, Lorne spun his head around and

a glare.