Valkyrie Rising ✓

Chapter Thirty-Three

Dmitar is breathing heavily. "Thank you, daughter."

I grab a handful of his sandy-colored hair and jerk his head back.

"The only reason you are still alive is because my brother is so concerned for our mother." I drop his head and reach for Hejae's knife, then the blade still in his throat. "It has nothing to do with any familial relation to you."

I try not to look at Hejae, try not to think about how easy that kill had been. No thought. Just action.

I guess I've become Kuzabn.

I hear more footsteps on the stairs. Finally. I wait expectantly beside Dmitar's seat, but it's Shark who emerges instead of Briar.

He pulls up short when he notices Hejae's body, and curses. "What happened?"

"He was going to kill Dmitar." I'm sinking into a state of shock. Too much has happened that I haven't been able to process. "I don't know where Briar went or what's really going on but—" I take a shaky breath. "I think I ruined everything."

"Calm down, Nadia." Shark teepees his fingers and presses the pointer fingers to his lips. He paces along the bottom of the stairs.

"We have a slight riot on our hands," he finally says. "Hejae really riled everyone up against the Viry."

Shark stops pacing. "I think he's safest here for now. We should find Ritter; he'll know what to do."

I don't know if Shark means Hejae or Dmitar. I follow Shark up the first steps, leaving both men behind.

"Hey," Dmitar yells. "Are you just going to leave me here with a corpse?"

Shark whips around. "If you don't keep quiet, his won't be the only corpse down here. Go, Nadia."

He follows me up the stairs now.

"What do you mean by 'riot'?" I find my voice as we near the door in the wall of Shark's gym.

Shark sighs. "The whole mountain is divided. Most of the recruits are hunting down Dmitar's Americanan guard who came looking for him. A very few of us have sided with Ritter, who has asked for peace." He nods to the knives in my hands. "Still, you may need to use those again. Be ready."

He pushes open the door. His gym is empty, but I can hear commotion above us. Kiira bursts into the room.

"There you are!" She seems relieved, but turns back to the door, holding her hands up.

"He's not here," she says. "We don't want any harm."

Four of the dark-skinned guards enter, holding short, curved, metal tubes pointed at Kiira. They are the strangest weapons I've ever seen, almost like the flare gun Ritter uses to start our races.

One of the guards notices me. "She was involved. You are all traitors to Novy Mir." He points his weapon at me.

"Wait." Shark steps in front of me. "What if we could find Dmitar?"

Find him? We know exactly where he is.

"If you know where he is, you will be executed for hiding him."

Shark doesn't flinch. "Hejae hid Dmitar, not us. And this young lady ended Hejae's life. That should count for something. If we could find where Dmitar is being held, could you ensure the safety of two people within the Viry walls?"

I glance at him, wondering why he made it sound like we don't know where Dmitar is. The guards lower their weapons, though, considering Shark's offer. Kiira steps forward.