Page 157 of Valkyrie Unknown

Kirby rested a hand on his arm, but he didn’t back down. The Valkyrie’s behind her looked between her and me, then at Azzie, wearing expressions of confusion.

“If Azzie has concerns we should listen.” One of the other Valkyrie’s spoke—a redhead with deep auburn wings who made me think of a web. Not that she looked spider-like, but she gave the impression of being connected to everyone.

I didn’t understand this hierarchy. “IfIhave concerns, you’ll listen. What’s going on?” My voice was gravel. As much threat as words.

Kirby frowned and cocked her head while she studied me.

The brunette next to her rolled her eyes and turned to Zeke. “Is he kidding right now? Did you piss him off?”

“Frequently without even trying,” Zeke said. “Do I know you?”

The brunette laughed.

“If this is an inside joke, I don’t get it and it needs to wait.” That was another of the Valkyries, this one with ebony skin and a series of braids pulled into a knot at the back of her head.

I growled my dissatisfaction, and put myself between Azzie and Starkad. “Donotdismiss?—”

“Down.” Zeke shouted and ducked as blinding white flames filled the room, and bits of building rained down on us.

Forty-Two

Azzie

The reflectionof flame flickered through broken windows, dancing off the walls around us, and smoke filled the air. We were in the middle of a war zone.

Where did Finn go?

The thought was hard to grasp. Like when I’d woken up in the Salt Lake apartment.

“Is he kidding right now? Did you piss him off?” The woman standing next to Zeke was dressed like she’d never given a fuck about the weight of anyone’s opinion in her life. Fishnet stockings, a Goonies T-shirt with a black leather vest over it, and a ballet tutu over shorts.

She was also gorgeous and apparently super comfortable with Zeke.

An ex?

Not that I was jealous of a fake vision.

“Frequently without trying.” Zeke didn’t regard her with the same warmth she turned on him. “Do I know you?”

She laughed as if that were the most ridiculous question in the world. Whoever she was, she was flirting while the sounds of battle raged in the background, and that was bullshit.

“If this is an inside joke, I don’t get it and it needs to wait.” That was a black woman about my age, with beautiful wings and armor, similar to what Kirby wore, but this woman’s wings were a deep red instead of black.

Her response seemed appropriate to me. I liked her.

Davyn was more beast than I’d ever seen him. He stepped between Starkad and me. “Donotdismiss?—”

“Get down,” Zeke shouted. White flames filled the room, and bits of building crumbled around us.

Both the fire and debris bounced off invisible shields, rather than hitting any of us. It gave me a heartbeat to glance at those around us. No one hesitated to react to Zeke’s warning. How did he know, and who did they think he was?

Why wasn’t I extending a shield? Where were my wings?

Why would I be capable of doing either thing? More secrets Finn kept?

Where was he?

The split in my mind was similar to what I felt in the apartment—a disconnect between the illusion in front of me and reality—except this was far more dangerous than sharing a bath with Davyn.

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