The Valkyrie's Guardian by Moriah Densley Page A

I’m not in the club, remember?
    You should know. And I won’t keep secrets from you anymore. I refuse.
    She could see there was more to it but didn’t press her luck. Besides, his confession had already sent her soaring, and she thought she might throw herself at his feet. At last! She arranged her features into a gamely expression but was still not ready to hear whatever filled in the blank for why he didn’t want her. Okay, what happened at the lake?
    The man you had the sudden urge to dismember is one known only as Boris. Russian, low-grade extra-sentient. Known minion of Merodach-the-Oh-So-Dead.
    Did he recognize you?
    Hope so. Mine was the last face he saw before he choked to death on his own blood.
    You killed him?
    Obviously not.
    When was this?
    Four and a half years ago. Before Lyssa defeated Merodach in Paris.
    Cassie didn’t want to distract Jack, or she might have admitted his smoothie concoction was surprisingly tasty. Okay, so Merodach found Boris and healed him, she guessed. No one else could have done it … except Kyros.
    Seems so. He watched her lips on the straw then shook his head as if to clear it. He’s a hunter. A kidnapper. I had a hell of a time keeping him from infiltrating the London academy.
    What does he want?
    What you don’t know is that Merodach set up an operation in the U.S. He had two goals, to infiltrate the government and brainwash captured extra-sentients for his own army. Kyros thinks someone else is running the operation in his legacy, and Boris is his henchman.
    Cassie already knew extra-sentient children were Kyros’ top priority, and having spent four years in his academies herself, she knew how carefully they were guarded. He wants the academies, she breathed, wary of the nervous rhythm of her heart pounding. Who’s behind it? And why Lake Powell?
    The two questions we can’t solve either. My guess is that Boris tracked me there. Chances are he’ll come here too. As for who thinks he can run Merodach’s operation in his stead, I’d like to meet the man myself.
    Cassie watched his mouth pull from a grim smile into a frightening grimace. He flexed his fingers, rippling tendons and muscles from his wrists to shoulders. She hoped Jack got his hands on the mystery villain too.
    Merodach, the Babylonian thousand-year-old extra-sentient with the power of resurrection and mindbreaking, first declared war on Kyros in the eighteenth century. He didn’t appreciate Kyros interfering with his sabotage of the American Revolution, and the vendetta evolved into a centuries-long private war. Kyros’ own family had been the casualties.
    Cassie wanted to ask, “What do we do now?” but reminded herself she wasn’t in the superhero club. What happens now?
    Kyros will reinforce security at the academies. They’re in Inverness, Rio and Quantico now, but he won’t send me in case I’m being tracked. Jack twisted his neck and clenched his jaw, and Cassie could see this rankled him.
    Will Kyros relocate again?
    No. He thinks Boris is waiting for it. I’m going to play bait instead.
    Cassie groaned, just now remembering that Jack had carried his duffel down the stairs this morning. She should have noticed the giant block letters, MACGUNN stenciled below the drawstring — his soldier pack. Jack thought he was invincible, and she hated when he left on black ops missions. She couldn’t take much more of the sleepless nights and fruitless hours waiting for the phone to ring with news of either his safe return or grisly demise.
    Okay, I’ll ask. How are you going to play bait?
    Got asked to do Hell Week in Coronado.
    A smile sneaked past her pursed lips. The only adventure Jack loved more than a dangerous mission was training gullible mortals to go on dangerous missions, and he was Naval Special Warfare Command’s favorite instructor for their grueling initiation.
    When do you leave?
    Today.
    Figures.
    Kyros