Valkyrie Rising ✓

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Caither is asleep when I leave for breakfast; I didn't hear her come in last night, and I'm glad I don't have to talk to her now. I'm not sure what I'd say to the girl who might have a big part in my execution.

The execution that will happen if I don't rank high enough.

Which I'm so sure is the case, I almost can't bring myself to go down to breakfast and face my friends for the final time. But with the alternative being that I stay in my room until Caither wakes, I choose to spend my last hour with people I actually like.

As I near D-hall, I notice Hejae and Anders standing off to the side of the door. Their heads are bent toward each other, but as Hejae's eyes slide over Anders's shoulder and lock with mine, he halts the conversation with a quick shush.

Anders turns, and they both watch me. Anders gives me a dark smile, then says to Hejae, "Just think about it."

He winks at me then goes into D-hall. Hejae gives me a tight nod before descending the stairs. I'm sure he's heading to the conference room, where the floor leaders are meeting with Ritter and the Kuzabn Masters to discuss our placements.

My placement. Or my death sentence.

I force the terror from my face before I reach our table with my bowl of cereal; Eveia, Wick, and Kaz are already there.

"You look terrible," Eveia says, then smiles at me.

"I didn't sleep well." Again, I'm not sure why I don't confide in Eveia and Wick. Especially now that Kaz knows the special circumstances around my remaining with the Kuzabn. Maybe because if Eveia or Wick show even half of the apprehension I'm choking on, I'll lose my grip on my sanity.

Wick breaks the mounting tension. "So as I was saying: she steals Briar's knife and whips it at this kid's head."

"Are you talking about me? I am sitting right here," I say. I don't want to relive my poor choices.

He pretends to ignore me. "Then, she pretends like she meant to miss."

"I did mean to. I didn't want to kill him."

"She's all 'sorry Sharki-poo, my mistake. Briari-bear, tell him I'm an angel'." Wick bats his eyelashes and raises his voice to a terrible, breathy imitation of mine. He makes a kissy face when he's done speaking. Eveia and Kaz laugh.

"They were filling me in on the events after I left the party," Kaz says.

"Well, they're telling it wrong." I cross my arms, pouting, but inside I'm feeling lighter. Whatever the rankings, I can't forget how great my friends are. "I was aiming for the wall beside Milo's head. And I wasn't that fake."

Wick nods enthusiastically. "And then Briar whisked you away on his white horse to save the day."

I give up. "That he did," I say with an eye roll.

I eat the rest of my meal in silence, listening to Eveia and Wick talk about their families, savoring this time.

*

The auditorium is pretty full when we arrive for Second Rankings, but we manage to find four seats near each other. Wick and Kaz take two seats behind Eveia and me, and they amuse themselves by tapping our shoulders or flicking our ears, then looking quickly in the opposite direction.

"Alright, children, that's enough." Eveia stands and turns, arm pulled back, ready to knock some sense into whichever one most recently annoyed her.