Valkyrie's Sacrifice (Academy of Immortals 3)

I sit up, letting the water rush down my head, the ends of my hair tickling my back. From the small ledge next to the tub, I grab a bottle and pour a handful of shampoo into my hand. As I scrub it into my scalp, I look around the massive bathroom. There’s the glass shower I used to wash off the blood, the huge tub and a brightly lit vanity. Behind the tub, there’s a wall-to-wall window that looks out over the city.

I shiver despite the warmth of the water and pour a pitcher of clean water over my hair.

If the bathroom looks like a place of modern luxury, the city itself harkens to the myths of Hell. Blood red sky. Dark buildings clustered together. It’s perpetually clouded in a haze of night.

Exactly how we got here—I’m not sure. Magic, I guess. Something supernatural. Whatever it is that fuels Lucifer’s power. I’m not sure I care. I just plan on kicking his ass and going home.

I stand and step out of the bath, pulling the plug on the way. I step over the dirty clothes and see the outfit hanging on the door. A note in fine script is attached. “For dinner.”

My stomach rumbles at the word.

I stare at the black dress that looks like someone ran through it with a pair of scissors, cutting off the top, bottom and slits across the sides. It makes me long for the white frilly dress from the gluttony circle. Or the harem pants in lust. I glance down at my dirty, filthy clothes and make the decision.

I’ll wear the dress. I’m not getting Victorine’s foul stench on me again.

Before I put it on, I wrap myself in a towel and step into the outer room. It’s a bedroom, dark like everything else in this place. Dark wood floors, charcoal gray bedding. I pause when I see the man sitting on the edge. His eyes flick up to mine.

A shiver runs down my spine.

Agis is here. He’s safe. He’s clean and all I want to do is touch him.

“I—” he begins, closing his mouth and opening it again. “I don’t know what to say.”

My heart jumps to my throat. “Don’t say anything.”

I cross the room and kneel before him. His chest is bare, his body made of hard-cut muscle. I understand why he has the name the God of Death. He carries the weight of anger and loss like an albatross around his neck. It’s who he is, but I also know that it’s why I’ve been drawn to him. Sent for him. I’m here to keep him balanced.

“We’ve all done things in this place that we regret. Gods, my biggest regret is turning you away before it even started—back at Miya’s garden—when you told me the truth. I’m sorry for not listening, for not understanding.” I slide the battered ring off my finger. “I didn’t put this on you in the circle. I want it to be your choice.”

He stares at the ring, then shifts his gaze to my eyes. His shine with emotion. “I never wanted to belong to anyone again,” he says softly. “First it was the rulers I fought for, then Camulus, then the Shaman. All I wanted was my freedom. All I wanted was for the other Immortals to have a choice about where they go from here. Then I met you.”

I nod, ignoring the hot tear burning down my cheek.

“I’ve never felt such pain as I did when you sent me away. I understood it, but I hated it. The way I handled everything…it was bad. It was…cowardly.” His face drops in shame. “I should have waited for you and maybe this never would have happened.”

“No. We’re pieces in a game, Agis, the gods would have found another way to hurt and divide us.”

I’m still holding the ring. He still hasn’t taken it from me. It’s possible that I’m too late. I shift to move my hand, feeling the harsh hit of rejection.

He reaches out and grabs my wrist.

“Yes, I’ll wear the ring,” he says in a quiet but firm voice. “Yes, I’ll bind myself not just to you, but the others.”

Fresh tears fill my eyes, making it hard to see as I slide the ring down his finger. I feel the instantaneous jolt between us and leap into his arms. He grips me tight, so tight, pulling me against his strong chest. I feel his heart pounding and mine beats the same, he lifts my chin and kisses me gently, like he’s testing it out. I don’t want a test. I want him, and I crash my mouth to his, feeling the world explode around us like a bomb.

Agis lifts me into his lap, and I feel his eager excitement. I groan happily, just blissed out to be back in his arms. His fingers tug at the panels of my robe and—

Bang bang bang!

“Go away!” Agis shouts, then resumes kissing my neck. I arch my back as he travels down to my shoulders.

The next bang is louder followed by Marshal’s voice. “I know you’ve got lost time to make up for and guilt to process, but this shit isn’t over.”

Agis groans, his whole body shuddering to a stop. I roll off his lap and lay flat on the bed, staring up at the vaulted ceiling.

“Later?” I ask.

“Later,” he replies, giving me a searing kiss, then standing, adjusting the front of his shorts. I force myself into the bathroom to change. The sooner we finish this, the better.