It has to.
Otherwise all my time spent shoring up my body and mind, developing my willpower, controlling my urges. It’s been shattered by one woman.
I pause before an open doorway. A storage closet. I peek inside and see carts with cleaning supplies and a room full of female workers. In the back, tugging off a black shirt, is the Valkyrie. Our eyes meet and she lifts a hand, fingers wrapped in bandages, asking me to wait.
I step back outside and lean against the wall, waiting for her to emerge. When she does, she doesn’t give me a chance to speak.
“I’ve had a long, shitty day, and I really, really need to get the hell out of here and get a drink.”
“That’s what you want?” I ask, formulating a plan.
“That’s what I need.”
“Believe it or not, I can make that happen.”
16
Hildi
Miya instructs me to meet him on the main hall--the one with banners and thick, woven tapestries that depict a hundred different bloody deaths--after I shower and change.
I wonder if he smelled the toilet bowl cleaner on me or if I just looked like hell.
The shower is a good call. I feel better when I emerge, and even more so once I get on my own clothes.
“Want to come?” I ask Elizabeth. She’s sitting on her bed, hunched over a massive book.
“Nah. I found this book on shape shifting in the library. Thought maybe I’d see if I could tap into some latent magic and give it a shot.”
“Seriously? You think you can do that?”
She shrugs. “My family line is very powerful, Hildi. I doubt I’ve even grazed the limits of what I can do. The Academy, in theory, should have taught me how to master these skills. Unfortunately, we landed here while the gods are playing games.” She sighs. “I’ll have to figure it out myself.”
With one last look in the mirror, feeling confident in my loose gray shirt and tight, black leggings, I head toward the main hall. Students walk past me, all taking a second look. There’s no doubt it’s from my maid work that day. I’ve been taken down a notch. I’m no longer the new girl, the bad ass Valkyrie. I’m the help.
Victorine knows what she’s doing.
I slip down the hall, away from where the students pile into the dining hall. I’m definitely not showing my face in there tonight. I spot Miya by a statue, then behind him, Agis, Armin, and Rupert.
“We’re all going?” I ask, taking in the Immortals. They’re all clean and in more casual clothing than normal. Upperworld clothes. Low hanging jeans and tight T-shirts. They look like they rummaged through the Raven Guard’s closets.
I approve.
And from the way their eyes drink me in? I think they approve of what they see as well.
“You’re not the only one that could use a night away from this place,” Agis says.
“I’m not sure this counts as a night away,” Miya says, looking around to make sure we’re alone, “but it’s the best we can do.”
We’re standing in front of a tapestry, the scene depicted like many of the others. A battle plays out; there are bloody spears and winged demons. Sharp teeth and decapitated heads. Tucked in the back is a small building—made of stone—with a light in the window.
Miya reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small pouch. He unties it and dips two fingers in, coating them in a shimmery powder. He approaches Armin and makes a cross on his forehead. The powder glows for a second, then vanishes. He does the same for each of us, me last. When his fingers drag across my skin, I feel a tingling warmth. I’m not sure if it’s from the powder or from feeling his skin against mine.
“Ready?” he asks. Everyone agrees, despite having no idea where we are going.
Some risks are worth the reward.
“Focus on the tavern,” he says, pointing to the little building behind the battle. It seems insane, but I know Bunny creates similar works. His artwork connects one world to the other. This tapestry must have been created by a similar artist.