Battle Of The Valkyrie

Chapter 2

2

“You. On the cross!” a Raven shouted at me.

Reluctantly, I moved away out of the line and took place on the chalk cross on the floor. A random Raven approached from the sidelines, never once looking at me. “Spread your arms and legs.”

Not intrusive at all.

I did as he asked, just wanting to get it over with. I didn’t know why they insisted on checking us every week, but Commander Folk had to have his reasons.

The Raven ran his hands down my body in a shallow search before nodding again. “She’s clean.”

Of course, I was. Where would I have got weapons from? The school was isolated by the protective boundaries that once used to keep unwanted guests out, now it was what kept us all in.

“Proceed,” the Raven said, allowing me to venture further into the dining hall to the table where Professor Dagwood was seated.

He looked up at me, the recognition flashing through his eyes. For a moment, it was like we were meeting in the Forest Of Illusions again. Then, he averted his gaze and picked up his pen. “Name.”

“Ylva Helgudóttir,” I said, even though I knew he knew. That wasn’t the point.

Professor Dagwood scribbled something on one of his many forms and nodded. “Very good.”

I glared at him as he wrote more things down. That traitor. I still couldn’t believe he was part of the Midnight Raven. How could he betray everyone like that? What did they even want?

“Good,” he echoed, his deep voice more calming than intimidating. “Wait for your turn.”

Right… The girl before me hadn’t passed the next part of the evaluation yet. Rita was still standing on the next cross, her hands balled and her entire body tensed.

Commander Folk was standing in front of her, watching her with intense eyes. “I don’t have all day.”

“I’m sorry, I’m trying!” my classmate whimpered.

Poor thing. Rita always had trouble with her inner wings, not unlike me.

“Do it!” Commander Folk shouted, only making the girl tremble even more.

I could tell she was trying hard, but her back stayed as bare as a field in winter. Whatever she was doing, she was not in control of her inner wings.

The commander growled and slapped her across the face, the sheer force slamming her against the floor. “Useless! Take her away.”

Two Ravens broke free from the sidelines and pulled the girl away, not once bothered by her sobbing and pleading.

Commander Folk steadied himself and nodded to Dagwood. “D rank.”

“Yes, Commander,” the professor replied. He finalised her form before turning to me. “Ylva, step on cross for demonstration.”

Right… My turn.

Fuck.

Nothing so frivolous as expanding my wings just for show, but what could I do?

I took a breath, channeling my thoughts and focusing my mind. Despite my previous successes, I still hadn’t completely mastered my inner wings yet. It took a lot of concentrated thought and focus to make them appear, something that only worked every now and then.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered to myself. I didn’t want to be humiliated like the previous girl. “Come on…”

The only times I’d successfully managed to unfold my wings happened in emotional times. Var threatening to hurt my dusk wolf, Hyde. My friends being trapped in a bunker. Ryoko’s kiss. Moments of great distress or great joy. Moments so special they were etched into my mind and soul, never to be forgotten.

Standing in the middle of the dining hall with dozens of eyes on me… Not so special.

But I couldn’t fail, not now.

I summoned the image of Ryoko, trying to recreate the feeling of when she kissed me down in the bunker.

That overwhelming relief, the heated glow of her skin, the softness of her lips. When I was near her, something within me ignited and sent tremors through my body and power through my veins. It made me tremble, made my head spin.

Everything and everyone disappeared as I channelled the sensation of Ryoko until it became something palpable, something I could mould. A power to harvest. I sent it to my back, forcing my shoulders to part and my wings to fold out.

A sharp pain shot down my spine, but I pushed myself past it. I didn’t want to end up like that poor girl.

Ryoko. Ryoko. Ryoko.

The wings burst from my shoulders, no less painful than the many times before. They cast a harsh shadow over me and to a degree, Commander Folk.

He looked me up and down, his gaze nothing but shallow interest. “Good. Dagwood, rank B.”

“B?” I echoed despite myself. Even if I didn’t care about his stupid rank system, this was offensive. The way I commanded my wings was worth more than his mediocre B rank. Not that I was getting an upgrade anytime soon.

Commander Folk waved me away, never even engaging my question or acknowledging I was a person. “Next!”

Ugh. Asshole.

With a scowl, I allowed my wings to retreat into my back again and stepped off the cross. If only I didn’t have to stay under the radar, then I could have given him a piece of my mind. There was nothing more annoying than this intimidating dictator and one day, he would regret taking over the Afterlife Academy. I would make sure of it.

I passed Astrid on the left. “Good luck.”

She flashed me a smirk. “Don’t need it.”

I stifled a chuckle. Only she could stay her obnoxious self during times of war.