Valkyrie Rising ✓

Chapter Twenty-Three

We don't say anything as we leave our Training Room. Eveia and Kaz rush toward us from their room. Kaz puts a hand on the small of my back and leans in, showing me his paper.

"Look who I'm fighting!"

It takes me a second to pull my attention from the tingles in my back and the warmth in my stomach caused by his touch to read the name.

"Anders's going to die!" Kaz is elated.

I'm excited for Kaz and I grin up at him. "Man, I'd hoped I'd get to kill him."

"Who did you get?" Eveia asks.

I glance at Caither. "We're fighting each other."

Eveia's eyes widen. "Whoa, I've never thought of that. What if two of us had to fight? Or fight Wick?"

I see his tall head bobbing toward us, and I know from Eveia's voice she was all talk this morning; she'd never really hurt Wick.

"Well, I'm not losing." Caither tosses her curly hair over her shoulder. She's probably miffed Eveia doesn't consider her one of "us".

"Oh, we'll see about that." This match might just be a blessing after all; I can finally take out some of my annoyance with Caither.

She shrugs and goes off to find Jershom.

Because Caither doesn't join us in D-hall, Eveia spends dinner giving me as much advice as possible. Kaz takes his time imagining all the ways he will crush Anders. Then we go down to the lounge for our usual post-dinner games.

"Wanna do something different tonight?" I stop just inside the landing. "Like, I don't know, go up to the pool deck or something?"

Wick shrugs. "I'd be down for some star gazing."

We climb up to the roof. I can hear the waves crashing far below us, but don't venture out to the beach now that twilight has fallen. Instead, I slip off my socks and boots and push up my leggings as far as they'll go. Then I sit on the blue edge of the pool, dipping my feet into the water. It's surprisingly warm, compared to the temperature it usually is during training hours.

Wick stretches out a little ways behind me, laying parallel to the pool, and Kaz sits between us. Eveia joins me at the ledge, dunking her feet, too.

She looks up. "Man, the stars are crazy up here."

"Yeah, I feel like I haven't seen any stars in forever." Wick tucks his hands behind his head.

Kaz lays all the way down, mimicking Wick's posture. He's close enough I don't have to turn my head very far to see his face, which happens to be turned my way. I wonder why he's studying me instead of the beautiful sky, but I decide I like the way he's staring. Sort of like how Wick looks at Eveia.

Wick sits up after a little while. "You guys wanna go for a walk? Around the pool, or something? I feel antsy."

"Wick, this is supposed to be a peaceful situation," I tease.

Eveia sighs and pushes herself out of the pool. "I'll go with you."

Kaz curls his shoulders up. "Are we all going?"

"Oh, no," she says, then smiles a little too impishly. "You two stay here. Enjoy the peace."

Eveia, the master Matcher. They head away from us, strolling into the darkness. Kaz lays down again. I tilt my head back, trying to take in as much of the sky as I can, suddenly feeling awkward.