Valkyrie's Sacrifice (Academy of Immortals 3)

“Having sex with Luke.”

I frown. “No, it wasn’t weird. It was…”

Her eyebrow lifts and a wicked grin lifts her lips. “What? Like robbing a cradle? What’s that other term? Jailbait?”

I give her a shove and she stumbles into the rain. Her violet eyes flicker with life and I yank her back under the shelter.

“It wasn’t like that.” I glance at him again, eyeing the glorious wings, unaffected by the rain. “Admittedly, I wasn’t sure. And yeah, I guess it could have been weird, but it wasn’t. The emotions were very high, sex with these men, the ones that provide balance, it’s not just sex. It’s like finding something holy.”

She nods. “It doesn’t hurt that he’s so hot, though, right?”

I laugh. “No, it really doesn’t.”

“Everyone ready?” Armin calls. I peer out at the tower, nearly impossible to see with the rain. Lucifer isn’t going to make getting Agis back easy, we know that, but it seems like once Luke and I bonded, he cranked up the pressure.

“Yeah,” I reply back, “Let’s do this.”

Darius goes first, bursting into a sprint, then racing down the deck of the boat. He leaps off the pointed end, shifting mid-air. His body transforms seamlessly, arms and legs elongating, face twisting and reforming. In a blink he’s no longer a man, but a six-eyed monster. Massive wings sprout out of his back, leaving us in a gust of wind, his howling cry echoing off the water.

“Gods,” Luke says, walking over. “That was fucking terrifying.”

“Hopefully it’s the last time he has to do that,” I say, facing him. Luke’s arms circle around my body, pulling me against his chest. “You sure you know how to use these things?”

His wings expand, blocking me and Elizabeth from the rain. “I think I can figure it out.”

It’s only a few moments before a familiar, rage-fueled roar crosses the expanse of water. In the distance Agis stands on the edge of the tower railing, swinging his reaper’s scythe at Darius. The monster swoops by quickly, taunting the God of Death. A heartbeat later, they’re both careening through the air.

“It’s time,” I say, and Luke doesn’t hesitate. He pushes off the deck and my body is lifted through the air. He’s faster than Elizabeth, his wings bigger, stronger. But he’s new at this and we veer off course.

“Shit,” he mutters, tightening his grip. The water below is filled with angry, dark waves, and I see the first sign of the demons appearing at the edge of the shore. I know that in minutes, Rupert, Marshal, and Armin will be down there fighting them back. We need time, that’s all, time to get into position.

“Hey! This way!” Elizabeth shouts, waving her arms toward the tower. He shifts directions, pushing into the rain. Rain pelts against us, hard and stinging, but we get moving the right direction, flying over the island and meeting up with Elizabeth at the top of the tower. Luke releases me and we quickly move inside, where he shakes his head like a dog, splattering droplets of rainwater everywhere.

“What the hell,” Elizabeth mutters, using her own wings as a shield from the spray. She gives Luke a stern look, but he doesn’t reply. Instead he’s frozen, blinking at the bed against the wall. Fake Hildi is curled on her side, knees tucked to her chest, still asleep.

“Welcome to hell, where your father makes everything extra crazy,” I say, moving toward the bed. I stand over my copy—she’s disturbingly real.

“Does she ever wake up?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Elizabeth says, from the other side of the bed. “But I do have a theory.”

Well, that’s news. “Care to share?”

“While sitting with Darius last night, I did some thinking about it. I sensed the magic when I was here yesterday. I actually think it’s just a glamour.”

“A glamour,” Luke repeats. “What does that mean?”

“It means that we see Hildi, but really, whatever is underneath the magic is…” She shrugs and makes a worried face. “It could be anything.”

“Or anyone,” I add. An unpleasant feeling twists in my belly, which only intensifies when a wall vibrating howl comes from outside. “Well, whatever or whoever it is, I say we get them out of here fast. I don’t know how long they can hold off Agis.”

The goal is to get her out of here without Agis knowing. Once Luke carries her off, Darius can bring him back our way. Then I can deal with him by myself. Luke bends over her and slides his hands under her body. “Damn this is weird. She looks like you, feels like you, but…” he wrinkles his nose, “she doesn’t smell like you. She smells…weird.”

I guess it’s good to know I don’t smell weird? “Get her out of here.”

He’s halfway to the window when Luke cries out in pain. Elizabeth and I dart toward him. When I reach him, I see bright red blood dripping down the pure white of his wings. Fake Hildi’s nails, pointed and sharp, have clawed into Luke’s neck, leaving a vicious trail of blood.

My eyes shift from his neck, to the nails, back to Fake Hildi’s face. Her lips are twisted and cruel. A dark glint in her eyes. “Elizabeth,” I whisper, dagger held tight in my grip, “can you pull off that glamour.”