“Okay, everyone!” I shout, “This is over! Go back to your rooms or wherever you came from!” The crowd protests. I look at Armin and Rupert. “Get them out of here.”
Agis throws his hands in the air and mutters another string of curses. Luke watches me carefully. Armin and Rupert use their muscle and brawn to get the crowd out the door.
“Move, Ms. Axel, or I’ll do it for you,” Agis says.
“I kind of like this side of you,” Luke says, sizing me up. “I love a strong woman. It’s sexy.”
“Gods, you really don’t know when to stop, do you?”
“No,” he replies with a leer, “I really don’t.”
“Ms. Axel,” Agis hisses. I kind of like it when he calls me by my last name. I spin and glare at him.
“You’re not fighting.”
Both of them laugh. “Yes, we are.”
“You want a fight? Fine. This started with me, it’ll end with me.” I raise my fists.
Luke’s eyes grow wide. “You want to challenge us both?”
“Why not?” Of course, I’d already failed once in Agis’ classroom. But that was for a demonstration, not for the mission. I push my hair over my shoulder. “Who’s first, or should I just take you both on at once?”
“I’m not fighting you,” Agis says with an air of annoyance.
“Why not? Scared of a rematch when you can’t use your weapon?”
“Ha!” Luke laughs. “He totally is.”
Agis scowls.
“Shut up, Luke,” I say.
“This is about honor,” Luke says. “He interfered where he shouldn’t have.” He flexes his muscles. “He challenged me, and I’m challenging him back.”
“That’s bullshit,” I say, pushing up my sleeves. “You approached me. You tried to force your way on me, Luke, that’s what happened, and if Agis hadn’t interfered you’d be in the infirmary right now.”
He snorts. “Unlikely.”
“Listen,” I say, getting in his face, “we’re all here for the same reasons. We’re all on the same team. We should be spending our time looking for the stone, not getting involved in petty fights. But if you want to fight,” I shove him in the chest with both hands, “bring it.”
Luke’s eyes narrow and flicker with a dark light. “We’re not on the same team, Valkyrie, and this isn’t a petty fight. Just because you’ve interrupted us, doesn’t mean it’s over. I will come after you,” he says to Agis, who looks unimpressed. Then he glances at me again, “And me and you? We’re not done. Not even close.”
He walks toward the door, grabbing his shirt along the way. He flings the door open and Armin and Rupert stand on the other side as though they were waiting to see if they needed to come in. Luke storms past them and I turn to Agis.
“I told you to let this go.”
“And I told you I didn’t like seeing you compromised.”
“I wasn’t.”
He shakes his head. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“And I don’t think you know what I’m capable of.” I snap and jerk my arm back, swinging it into his jaw. It’s the second hit he’s taken tonight and he stumbles back, eyes on fire. “We’re here for a mission, not to beat up people you don’t like that hit on me.”
“Luke hit on you?” Armin says, voice low. “What did he do?”
“Noth—”