Valkyrie's Sacrifice (Academy of Immortals 3)

Elizabeth and I glance uneasily at one another. These women, I could fight—and probably win. Or I can take a bath and see what, or who, is on the other side. Dylan said we have to find the Immortals and Lilith said we needed to complete each ring to get to the City of Dis.

Something about the excess of this bathing chamber tells me we may already be in the second ring.

I exhale and reach for the strings on my vest, loosening them. I shrug the leather off and let it fall to the floor.

I nod to the nearest handmaiden and proclaim, “Have at it.”

“Odin above,” I yelp, balling my fists so I don’t slug one of the poor women charged with making me “presentable.” I’m a warrior by nature, and although Odin and Freya graced me with extreme beauty and superior physique, I’ve crumbled under the scrutiny and beauty regimen of these women. “Do you have to remove all the hair?”

The handmaiden leaning over my crotch with a pair of sharp tweezers responds with a sharp tug. I yelp in response.

“All done.”

“Seriously?” I think I’m sweating enough to take another bath. “How long did that take?”

“Maybe twenty minutes,” Elizabeth says from a chair nearby where a girl combs through her hair. Apparently, fae are naturally light on bodily hair so she wasn’t subjected to the same punishment.

“Are you certain?” I fan myself. I sweated through the entire process. “I’m pretty sure that’s my circle of hell, right there. Can I skip ahead?”

Elizabeth rolls her eyes like I’m being childish. I waddle over to another chair and sit. A sharp comb tugs through my hair, pulling at the tangles. Fed up, I jerk away. “Is this really necessary?”

“The Dark Prince has very specific desires for his concubines,” the girl behind me says, getting the comb through. She starts again at the top.

“Okay, exactly who is this Dark Prince?"

“That’s what bothers you?” Elizabeth asks, looking slightly panicky. “Did you miss the concubine part?”

The comb battles another tangle and I fight a grimace. “No. Honestly, I was ignoring it.” Although it makes sense. Luke says Lust is the theme of this circle. I turn to look at the girl behind me. “Tell me about this Dark Prince.”

“He’s the ruler of this kingdom. Handsome. Very successful in his army. Notoriously mischievous and his nickname is The Devil.”

“Why is that his ni

ckname?” Elizabeth asks.

The girl’s glance at one another. “Because he’s vile and cruel and spending time with him is like visiting Hell itself.”

“And you’re preparing us for his…harem?”

“Yes. The guards keep an eye out for any new females that pass through the kingdom. They’re directed to bring them here and we get you prepared for court.”

“So the Prince relies on kidnapping, then?” I ask, but no one acknowledges me.

“Court?” Elizabeth asks. “You mean like dinner and entertainment with the royals?” I raise an eyebrow. “I’ve been before—back home. It’s fun.”

“Something tells me it won’t be fun for us.” The girl starts sectioning my hair, twisting the locks into tiny braids. “What happens to the girls that go to court?”

“Like your friend says, if you’re lucky, you get a good meal and some entertainment.”

“And if you’re not?”

“Then you’re the entertainment.”

Elizabeth and I quiet as they finish their task, fixing our hair and applying a thick coat of makeup. They both wear a look of pride and satisfaction on their faces when they finish, holding a mirror for us to see.

“It looks nice,” Elizabeth says. “Thank you.”

“You can change into your outfits in there. Then someone will come to let you know if you’ve been chosen."