“Well, yeah. Are you playing us? Trying to get one over on us.” I swallow, aware of the seriousness of the accusation I’m about to make. “Are you hoping to start the apocalypse?”
A flicker of hurt crosses his expression. “Our motives are true. If there’s one thing you should know about each of us, it's that we are loyal, through and through. It’s why we were chosen by Camulus in the first place. He couldn’t risk infidelity.”
I nod, feeling a little ashamed. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s been a confusing few days.”
He chuckles, and I see the hint of a smile. “I understand. I think we all assumed we’d be out slaying demons, not living with them.” He leans against the wall. “I heard about what happened with Agis today. Are you okay?”
“What? That he tried to kill me or that I volunteered to give him the chance?”
Again, he smiles, but this time it doesn’t meet his eyes. “We all carry baggage from our years as warriors. Agis, maybe the most—well other than Roland, and you see how that went.”
“Are you telling me to be careful with my allies?”
“We aren’t normal men, Hildi. Our blood is tainted. Our souls twisted. Living among normal people like this isn’t easy.”
“I’m not a normal woman either, Armin. I’m stronger than most.” I match his pose on the opposite side of the wall. “I’m also prepared to help in any way possible.”
“Thank you,” he says, “but getting the Immortals to ask for help won’t be easy.”
“Even if the survival of the world and our mission depended on it.”
“Even then.”
I study the man across from me. I sense the guilt, the need for contrition. For him, saving the Upperworld may be the only thing that gets him through the day. I’ll do what I can to keep him on the right path.
I look around the room and see a large bed and writing desk. The bed looks untouched, the covers flat and smooth, the pillows perfectly placed. On the floor between the bed and the wall is a pile of blankets. I frown. “Is this your room?”
His eyes dart to the blankets. “Yes.”
I walk over and stare at the makeshift bed. “Armin, what’s going on here?”
His jaw clenches and unclenches, words caught somewhere in his throat. He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m not comfortable sleeping in bed
s.”
Something in my heart unfurls. “Can you tell me why?”
“I don’t remember the last time I had a bed,” he says, “other than the cots at the Nead, which I didn’t use either. Old habits are hard to break.”
“You’re not a slave anymore,” I tell him, “and you’re not out on the battlefield. It’s okay to rest for a minute and take a breath, get a good night’s sleep.”
He winces. “Sleep eludes me, Hildi, in any realm.”
He stands awkwardly before me, more vulnerable than I’ve seen him. It’s an odd juxtaposition; his large, commanding frame and powerful features, combined with the fact he can’t even take care of his basic necessities. If I’d been wondering why the Guardians sent me here, in this instant, it all becomes crystal clear.
“Can I help you with this?”
“I think I’m beyond help, Valkyrie.”
I frown. “Of course you’re not. You just need to settle down.”
“But what if—”
“What if what? Someone finds the stone? The apocalypse starts? Agis loses his temper? You can manage all that better if you’re well-rested and, well, acting like a man, not an animal.”
He sighs and rubs his forehead. “I don’t know…”
I walk around to the side of the large bed. It has a thick wood headboard and four posts. I ease onto the soft mattress and pat the other side. “Come on.”