Valkyrie's Claim (Academy of Immortals 2)

“Hildi—it’s Miya.”

I stand and walk across the room, opening the door. His eyes sweep over me; concerned.

“Hi,” I say.

His lips pull in a tight line. “I need you to come with me.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “To go where?”

“The challenge.”

I bark a laugh. “Oh, hell no. You know I’m not going.”

“It’s important.” His jaw tenses and his eyes flick over my shoulder.

“There’s nothing that could be that important for me to go to the challenge. I mean, odds are I’ll have to clean up the mess when it’s over anyway.” I walk back into the room, glancing at Elizabeth’s bed. Huh. She never came back. I turn slowly. “Where’s Elizabeth?”

There’s zero doubt from the expression on his face that he knows.

“Get your shoes,” is all he says.

“What did she do?” I ask in a quiet voice. We both know who she is and it’s not my roommate.

“Hildi…”

There’s urgency in Miya’s normally calm tone, and I feel like if I just keep stalling, maybe I can pretend none of this is happening.

“It’s happening. Elizabeth is in the challenge tonight. I think you need to come.”

I finally spring into action, rushing to put on clothes; the leather pants Elizabeth gave me, durable and flexible enough for fighting, a tank and my boots. I stop before my trunk and rummage around inside. I feel the hard hilt of the sword Morgan gave me.

Miya’s eyebrow raises. “You just keep that in there?”

I slide it through a strap on my belt.

“Sorry I don’t have a weapons closet like some people.” I push past him and enter the hall. “Where are the others?”

“Doing what we do during challenges.” He follows me down the stairs. “Watching, waiting, staying out of sight.”

“Why didn’t you help Elizabeth?”

He stops and reaches for me, pulling me to a stop. His dark eyes hold mine.

“I did. I came to find you.”

I fight a retort—a low blow about how he could have done better—but it’s weak, and wrong. Victorine chose Elizabeth for one reason.

To draw me out.

38

Armin

Being in the arena makes me glad I’ve avoided the challenges so far. Everything is a spectacle—a platform for Victorine to toy with the students like rats caught in a cage. I wouldn’t have come tonight, except Agis pushed us to. He came back to the training room and hit a punching bag so hard it dismantled from the hook and crashed into the wall.

He’d seen Roland, and whatever our former ally told him didn’t sit well.

Rupert, Agis, and I entered separately, mingling in the crowds. Miya took to the dungeons, checking on the prisoners. I can’t help but look at the emerald green grass. Not a speck of blood from the prior event.