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Marshall snorted. “You’re green if you think they won’t kill you for attempting anything other than what your orders are. They’ve done it before, and they’ll do it again.”

Cold washed through Autumn’s body, filling her chest and freezing her fingers and toes. “What?”

Marshall pointed at her. “Drop it, Walton. That’s what I’m telling you to do.”

Autumn’s heart raced. Did he just threaten to kill her if she tried to give up her commission? She’d just painted a giant red X on her back, and there was no getting out of it right now. Autumn bit the inside of her cheek and winced.

“Understood, sir.”

Marshall gave her a sharp nod. “Just drop it, Walton. I don’t want anything stupid to happen to you too.”

Her too? What did that even mean?

She was about to ask, but the doc came back in, followed closely by a nurse. There was no more time to talk about anything, and doing it in medical had probably been the worst decision on the planet.

Autumn straightened her shoulders and spun in her boots. She left Marshall, her throat tightening so it was next to impossible to breathe. Her ears rang loudly. Her head moved in circles. Autumn pushed her way through the camp, to the edge of it and out into the free air.

But it wasn’t enough.

22

“Ican’t believe you went to see her.”

Soulara’s shoulders tensed sharply, and she stopped mid-swim. She’d been trying to get as far away as possible from Autumn’s little part of the land before Honour found her. It hadn’t been far enough.

“She was going to kill you!”

“She wasn’t!” Soulara’s body pulsed with anger. The fact that Honour kept trying to make Autumn the enemy was getting on her nerves. “I had to make sure she was okay.”

Honour snagged Soulara’s arm and held her firmly. She got up in Soulara’s face, shaking her head slowly. “Since when do you care about the women you fuck?”

Soulara parted her lips, ready to give a rebuttal, but she had no words to say. When had she started caring? At least to this extent. Nothing before had ever made her worry like this.

“What’s your report of the deep soundings, General?” Soulara faced Honour down, putting the impervious mask in place that she knew would work.

Honour hesitated for a brief moment, but she acquiesced and slipped away. “Kaelin is taking care of their general.”

“Their general?” Soulara raised an eyebrow. “They returned with you?”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean you’ve convinced them?”

Honour grimaced. “No.”

Soulara canted her hand to the side, giving Honour the full brunt of her authority. “There’s more to that, since you brought the general back with you.”

“Yes.” Honour shifted, and they started swimming back toward Reine. “You really need to stop leaving without protection, Princess. We’re at war now. Everything is different than it was before.”

Soulara pinched her face. She couldn’t very well have people follow her on her visits with Autumn. Honour and Zendalia were the only two who knew. Honour didn’t have time, and Zendalia was still on leave from her injuries.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Soulara pushed her fluke to pick up speed. “If they didn’t come to fight with us, why did they come?”

Honour pursed her lips. “To continue negotiations.”

“Wonderful.”

Soulara was so sick of talking to people. Having Autumn’s fingers inside of her, having Autumn pressed against her, it kept her more grounded than anything else ever had in her life. Soulara slipped deeper into the water and toward home.