Valkyrie Rising ✓

Chapter Two

"Nadia? Anyone in there?" Krishel's voice breaks into my thoughts as he taps my foot.

I glance down from the tree I've been perched in since arriving home from Viry Prep. The very tree I cut my face on all those years ago.

"Mot would have a fit if she knew you were up here," Krishel says, grabbing the limb and hoisting himself up beside me. He calls Mother and Father by the shortened Mot and Otz, but I've never deemed them worthy of the endearment. They hardly deserve the terms "Mother" and "Father".

"Her fits don't bother me." I lean against the tree trunk and pull one knee up to my chest.

He grunts in agreement, then squints at the roof of our house. "Looks like a couple of shingles are coming loose."

I glance at him, an eyebrow raised. "What's that you were saying about causing fits?"

Krishel shrugs and reaches for the branch above us, then leans as far back as he can. "Just noticing."

"Mhm." He and I both know he'll be on the roof tomorrow while Mother's at the farmers' market and Father is working the potato fields over in the Golby District.

He'll have to take care of it tomorrow, since the day after is the Kuzabn Selection day. Every year, the Kuzabn parade through town, selecting recruits from children sixteen and over for the city's protection unit. With my features, I never stood the risk of being selected to the Kuzabn. My brother, however, lacks the Viry countenance. His hair is blonde and his eyes vibrant green, but he has a snub nose. His teeth crowd his mouth and his eyebrows are too dark and continue across the space between his eyes. "Holding hands" our mother calls it, as if his eyebrows are friends or lovers.

Krishel will leave to be trained as a warrior, and my life at home will become unbearable without any distractions from Father's wrath or Mother's overbearing nature. I wish, not for the first time, I could go with him.

Or even without him.

"Krishel? What if you didn't join the Kuzabn?"

He laughs. "No chance of that happening. You know Otz won't let me apply for the waiver."

I wave that aside, really considering it now. "But what if you didn't need a waiver? What if I joined instead?"

Krishel looks at me, all laughter gone from his expression. "You know you can't do that."

"Maybe I can. I'm not that high in the hierarchy."

Krishel doesn't change his position, his gaze steady.

"Seriously, though," I say, "what if they let me join instead of you?"

A flicker of hope crosses Krishel's green eyes before he squashes it with a shake of his head. "But your future would be ruined. No, we both have our paths set out for us."

I can't stop thinking about Janika, and her warning. Truthfully, if they Select me to the Kuzabn, it could be the best option for Krishel as well as me. He's always wanted to be a Trood; I've never wanted to be Viry.

"Don't try anything stupid, Nan." Krishel uses his nickname for me, from back when he couldn't pronounce my name. Either of them.

I swing both my legs down, scooting closer to him and taking his hand. "This could be the smartest move on my part."

He just looks at me a bit longer, then removes his hand from mine to pat my knee. "Whatever you say. Come on, dinner's probably ready."

Krishel jumps down then holds his hands up to help me. He keeps his arms around me once my feet are on the ground, hugging me. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."