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She’d thought once she got the all clear she’d be nothing butrelieved by the prospect of ditching corporate life and taking up the battlebitch banner full time once more. Except, all Shaw felt was kind of… blah aboutit.
Seriously, what was her problem? The battles hadn’t changed. Thefour recent trials had proven that.
Damn it, grimacing, there could only be one reason why Shawsuddenly felt so… off kilter, she was the one who’d changed.
This last year at HQ had irrevocably altered her outlook.
Yes, all the endless meetings were annoying. Though Shaw didthoroughly enjoy watching Stephanie get what she wanted using little more thana steel edged clipboard, the sharp edge of her tongue, and a blinkeredbull-headed belief that she was always right.
Of course, there was no denying their clients were beyond whiney.Although, their constant and rather detailed creative threats of how they weregoing to seek retribution against the Valkyrie Empire never failed to amuseShaw. She’d taken to writing a few of the more imaginative ones down andposting them on the canteen bulletin board, so everyone could enjoy and learnfrom them.
Then there was Shaw’s team. A bunch of annoying heifers if everthere was one. But no more so than any newly formed battle battalion. It hadtaken time to whip everyone into shape via a careful balance of threats,motivation and setting everyone worthy goals. Just like on the battlefield.
But Shaw had actually achieved that balance. Legal was nowconsidered a fast paced, challenging place to work. No longer the last boxretired, infirmed, or anyone taking temporary battle leave ticked to work in.
And to be honest, Shaw enjoyed listening to Jordan’s weeklywhinge, whine and boast fests regarding how much work their top flightLitigation General had on her plate. She’d learnt a surprising amount fromthose phone calls. Not just about the law. But about other species, both theirstrengths and weaknesses. Enough she now realised that if Jordan did requirehelp in the future, then Shaw was intrigued by the idea of what that challengemight entail. Curious to discover how she might personally be able to help untanglewhatever legal knot was looming.
Okay, so she didn’t have Kaleb’s charm and bluster, but Shaw didhave her wits and bludgeoning abilities, sometimes just as useful.
Damn. Damn. Damn. She’d resisted, but some time over the lastyear, Shaw had developed an appreciation for Headquarters and everything theydid here. More so, she’d come to respect and like Stephanie. She even agreedwith Stephanie’s vision, that the Valkyrie Empire needed to continue makingboth big and small changes if they wanted to thrive in this newly emerging hightech era. Thereby ensuring all Valkyries remained challenged and as unfetteredby as few rules and regulations as possible.
Good Goddess, it was official. Shaw was a fulltime HQ drone andnow a weekend battle bitch Valkyrie.
Her sisters were going to tease her mercilessly, and her parents…Shaw winced in anticipation of their response. Worse, it was family dinnertonight and they’d be asking for an update on her final battle test.
Well, she was just going to have to treat her news like she wouldif a Lutloch leech had latched on. If you didn’t rip those suckers offimmediately, then they used your innards as a nest for thousands of theirhatchlings.
***
Despite her best intentions, Shaw was running late that evening.First Helgastein bailed her up requiring Shaw’s signature on a daunting numberof documents. Then Stephanie called to thank her yet again for the baby shower.Seems a little dose of violence had gone a long way to relaxing her boss. Themother-to-be announcing her doctors going so far as to recommend she partake ina daily moderate dose of bloodthirsty carnage.
Stephanie sounding way calmer these days, but Shaw could tell byher breathing pattern that she hadn’t stopped bouncing.
By the time Shaw had finished dealing with several lingeringteam members, who pestered her with inane questions, she realised she wasrunning really late for family night dinner. Okay, so she’d impart her newsover coffee and dessert before making a hasty departure.
Walking out on to the decking Shaw plonked herself down in herusual spot, greeting her parents, asking about their health. Noticing furtherup the table an empty dinner plate and used cutlery had been left behind. “Zuriwas here?”
“Uh, no.” Christina shook her head, golden hair gleaming under thelantern lights.
“Roe? I thought she was still having problems with that Spriggandude. First the prison want him back. Then they don’t. Then they do again. Thenhe’s exonerated or released or something. A contract is issued by a new clientwith his name on it. That got cancelled… or did the client die? Then somelesser Deity steps up and wants his ass brought in. But there was some kind ofpaperwork snafu. Last I heard Monroe has yet to get his ass into holding.”
“No, not Roe. As you said, the Spriggan is proving diabolicallytricky.” Tore reached over, hurriedly collecting all the empty plates and usedcutlery.
“I’ll do that.” Christina offered quickly.
“No. No. I have it under control. And I’ll make the coffee whilstI’m at it.”
A disgruntled expression crossed Christina’s face as she eyed hermate’s retreating form.
“Then who was here?” They did have cousins. Plus, Tore consideredmany of the early Gods and Goddesses who’d walked the plains to be hissiblings. Occasionally they dropped by for family night dinner.
“Kaleb.”
“Excuse me?” Shaw shook her head, that couldn’t be right.
“You heard me.”
“You invited Kaleb to family night dinner?”
