The Valkyrie Returns and Slays (Raven)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

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"Ahem... Raven, listen, Brigadier General Grayson's getting old, and, uh, he's not all there anymore. I'll say sorry for him," Lorne said, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward grin.

Then he even added. "And to make it real clear I'm totally against that stupid idea he had, I'm giving you a promotion."

"As of today, you're the military's fourth general!" he announced, his voice loud and firm.

The place burst into chatters.

The moment Lorne's words landed, it was like a shockwave hit everyone right in the head.

For a second, they thought they'd heard wrong.

The fourth general? Their minds buzzed with disbelief.

Vyrdenia's three current full-on generals were legends-people who'd fought hard

and spilled blood for the country's pride.

And in all of Vyrdenia's history, no one had ever made general before fifty.

But here was Lorne, handing the title to a girl barely past her teens.

He wasn't kidding-he was really doing this.

Next to Raven, Eddie just gaped at her, his jaw hanging loose.

He'd come from Regalhold to "lend a hand," full of himself and ready to play hero.

He'd thought he was the hotshot riding in to save the day-that's how he pictured it.

Yeah, Valhalla master, lieutenant general, whatever, he'd sucked it up and dealt with it.

But now they' were saying she was shooting up to a general rank he could only dream of? His head couldn't handle it.

Someone like that needing his help-he almost cracked up at the thought.

And since he got here, he hadn't done a thing.

the start, telling Raven

always been top dog among his buddies, wearing that pride like a

then, he felt

what she'd done, he-a guy who came to "help"-felt

walking into this, he'd have told his grandpa to forget it, even if it meant getting

been scheming about calling her lieutenant general uncle, stopped cold,

hadn't really seen the badge Raven tossed in Rex's face earlier-assumed Raven

now Lorne was saying Raven was a

general, just the four

throw a whole welcome bash for- big dinner, fancy setup, the

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Chapter 31

some nobody from a nowhere town. The ridiculousness of

acted,

Yet now, she realized she'd played herself-she

blinked out of his daze, shaking his

him like a

suggested bumping Raven down to colonel, and Lorne shot back

insult, and he stewed

turned and glared at

nineteen-year-old snagging a general's spot was already

at that

let himself imagine,

wouldn't let her take that general spot-he promised

as just a lieutenant general, she could

unless she pulled some treason-level stunt or messed up big, no one could touch

threat. Throwing all caution out the window, he leaned forward, his face dead serious, and begged Lorne

him down. "Look, every general in Vyrdenia represents the military-and,

powers hear we've stuck a nineteen-year-old girl in that role, they'll think our military's a laughingstock. It could turn the nation upside down. Please, sir, don't play games

him down, his sharp eyes boring

look wasn't just annoyed-it was

shut, hacked him up, and fed

everything up today, this would've gone smoothly-perfect timing, all lined up. He'd had at least

chance was toast, and Lorne was mad

no, that

go at