Valkyrie's Claim (Academy of Immortals 2)

Agis’ frown has morphed into something different. His jaw is clenched tight and he watches me with narrowed eyes.

“Where were you when this happened?” Miya asks.

I take a deep breath. “Right, so,” I say, wrapping my hand around the railing at the foot of my bed. “I got a message to take something up to Victorine’s rooms. Turns out, she wasn’t there.”

Armin opens his mouth to ask. I hold up a hand. “It was Marshal. It was a diversion to keep me from being down here.”

“Bastard,” Rupert mutters.

“So you just run when they snap their fingers?” Agis asks, speaking for the first time. “Why didn’t you check to make sure it was a legitimate request?”

I roll my eyes and walk over to my desk, picking up a few knocked over items. “It’s happened before. I figured it was the same thing.”

The silence in the room is deafening.

I turn and see the four of them in various states of horror, annoyance, and irritation.

“You’ve taken things to Victorine alone before?”

“Oh, no, not her.” I stack a few books. “Roland. He had me bring him this tray of food, I mean, at least is wasn’t rotten, dead animals. But I did have to see him in his robe.”

I shudder.

Armin takes a deep breath. “When was this?”

“The other day.” I glance at Rupert. “Before you and I, you know.”

Rupert’s mind whirls a mile-a-minute. “That outfit you wore to my room. The vest? The shorts? The heels? That’s what you wore to serve Roland?”

“It’s not like I had much choice.”

The only sound is a crack—like metal snapping in two. I look up and see the door knob broken off from the door itself, clutched in Agis’ hand.

“What the hell, Agis?” I step forward, but he’s gone, out of the room before I can get closer. Another sound follows, the whirring of metal through air and the clang of something being hurtled down the long hallway.

Miya shifts on his feet, looking at the others. “I’ll go.”

He exits the room and closes the door. Not before I hear a loud slam.

Rupert, Armin, and I face one another. I run a hand down my braids. “Look, all of this is game play. It’s meant to throw me off by making me uncomfortable.”

“And exploiting you,” Armin adds.

“What they’re doing to me? I can handle. I’m not unaccustomed to sex and bodies being used as weapons.”

Rupert stares at the floor. “Is that why you came to me? Because you’d been in Roland’s room?”

“I came to you because I needed comfort, stability, and balance.” I close the distance between us. Armin watching closely. “I came to you because it was time. You needed me. I needed you. That’s what this is all about.”

He looks up at me, that boyish-handsome face struggling with hurt. Relationships don’t come easy for him. Sex, love, power, domination…it’s all wound up in his head.

“What we shared? It was amazing. You gave me strength while Roland tried to tear me down.” I take his hand then look over my shoulder at Armin. I stretch my hand toward him. He takes it, threading his fingers through mine. I tug him close. “I need you. Both of you.”

All of them.

“They can’t get to me as long as I have your support and your affection. We’re bonded—like Morgan and the Ravens. We make each other powerful.” I assess the messy room. “So powerful it scares them.”

Armin wraps his arms around me, kissing me on my neck, while Rupert finally makes eye contact, his insecurities seeming to fade. I grab the front of his shirt and pull him to me, kissing him. His tongue pushes between my lips and his hips brush against mine—he’s hard. Always.