Valkyrie Rising ✓

Chapter Three

My best friend.

Fists pound on the door. I take a deep breath. Squeeze the hand of the only person I've ever cared about.

Then let go.

A man in his late thirties enters and identifies himself as Ritter, Head of New Kuzabn Recruits. Five others crowd around the doorway behind him, three men and two women all appearing to be in their early to mid-twenties. The men vary in size; the shortest one is stocky and bulges with muscles, another tall and lean. The third one is of average height and trim build. One of the women has dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, the other unnaturally red hair.

"Radoslavs," Ritter says, reading our name off a list before rolling it up into one hand, "identify your candidate for Kuzabn training."

Father nudges Krishel; I catch the movement from the corner of my eye, but I step forward before Krishel can.

Mother sucks in a breath behind me, and Father hisses my name. The largest of the men beside Ritter chuckles and glances at the tall one, who looks a bit pale.

"I am Nadia Radoslav," I say into the silence, "and I wish to join the Kuzabn."

"Like hell, you do," Father says.

Ritter gives me a once over. "But you are Viryavati."

"Exactly." Father steps beside me. "You can't take her." He takes my arm, but his grip is surprisingly loose, and I pull away easily.

"They can if I want to join."

"It's against the Law." Father's growl is smug as his hand closes around my forearm again, more firmly this time.

"Actually," the red-head speaks up. She moves closer to Ritter and I see her hair almost has a violet hue to it, and she has dark freckles dotting her nose. "The Law is in favor of the Kuzabn. It makes a concession for the Viry, that we recruit in the three years from the first non-Viry becoming eligible, but otherwise one must get a waiver to be exempt, not chosen."

She smiles at me, and I decide I like her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Father's jaw is tense as he glares at her.

She shrugs, unfazed. "Just saying the Law isn't black and white in this instance."

Father's hand drops from my arm as he turns his stare to Ritter. "So that's it, then? You just take her, just like that? Never mind the years we've spent raising her to be Viry, the money we'll lose if she doesn't rejoin them?"

Ritter's been eyeing Krishel, no doubt preferring his physique to mine. But I noticed Krishel shrinking back from the confrontation, and I know Ritter caught it, too.

"I'm not one to jump at the chance to annoy the Viry," Ritter mumbles, as if to himself, his eyes still on Krishel.

The pale man steps forward. "Of course we're not going to take her. There's no reason she shouldn't join the Viry."

He reaches out and gently pushes me back toward my family. Instinctively, my fist swings up and connects with his jaw.

For a moment, it's as if all the air has left the room.

My first thought is how good it feels to actually hit someone out of anger. No wonder Father enjoys it.

My second is how proud I am of my instincts.

But then I'm afraid I've sealed my fate with the Kuzabn.

The large man is the first of the Kuzabn to recover, as he quickly turns a snicker into a cough. The one I struck gives him a sidelong glance, then rubs his jaw, almost thoughtfully. I search for some way to redeem myself, to prove the Viry don't need me.