Page 92 of A Monarch's Fall

“What?” I replied, a new wave of rage washing over me. “You know about the children?” I asked in a hissed whisper.

“Of course,” he replied. “I knew you would be amazing with them,” he said with a stupid smile, as if he knew anything about me.

“You know what they’re doing. Child soldiers,” I hissed right in his face, and he had the decency to finally realise I was upset and lowered his arm from over my head.

“It’s not like that,” he said in a whisper, and looked around. “Keep your voice down,” he warned.

“Keep my voice down,” I repeated in fury.

“It’s not what you think. Look how upset you were over Fredrick. Do you want more of us to die?” he questioned. “They’re the future, the reason this war will be swift and a lotless painful than it would be otherwise,” he told me as if that somehow changed anything.

“They are children,” I told him, and pushed him away from me with both my hands against his chest. “You’re the monster,” I accused, “All this time you’ve been accusing her, but look at what you’re part of,” I told him. “You disgust me.”

“Percy?” I looked to my left and saw Ana standing with Kat at the entrance to the path between the buildings. “We were looking for you,” Ana said.

“Is everything okay here?” Kat asked, stepping forward onto the side path, her hand hovering over the firearm at her side like she was ready to use it against Dylan.

“I’m Captain Viridis, and everything is fine here,” Dylan said arrogantly, dismissively.

“I think we should go to the mess —” Kat began, but then her radio crackled to life at the same time as Dylan’s.

“Are you with Percy?” a voice I recognised as Narkissa asked through the radio.

At the same time, Dylan’s radio crackled, “We have incoming! Enemy forces closing in from the north-west treeline.”

“Percy, come with me,” Kat demanded, holding her hand out to me.

I stepped towards her as the sound of shots began to fire, and the stomping of boots running made the ground tremble.

“Ana,” I said, turning to her. I still needed to talk with her.

Before she could reply, there were multiple explosions, and suddenly I was thrown to the ground, my back hitting the stone path hard, as Dylan pinned me beneath him and dust and rubble fell around us.

“Are you okay?” he shouted over the noise, his hair grey with dust.

“Ana!” I said, ignoring him and trying to move out from under him; thankfully, he got up quickly.

“Percy!” Ana shouted, running toward me.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

Kat spoke into the radio on her shoulder and then turned to us. “Royal and allied forces,” Kat answered. “We need to go,” she said urgently.

I looked to Ana and out to the quad behind her. It was chaos, gunfire, people running, people injured, craters scattered across the once immaculate lawns.

Kat stepped forward and took hold of me, and Dylan pushed past us.

“Everything is going to be okay, Percy, go with the sergeant,” he commanded as he ran off towards the chaos.

I turned to find Ana again when Kat stumbled forward, her eyes widening in what looked like fear.

“Percy!” Ana yelled, and suddenly she was beside me.

Kat’s grip on me loosened, and her hands fell away. She stepped back, lost her balance, and fell to her knees.

“What?” I asked, my ears were ringing, and everything sounded like we were underwater.

Kat fell forward, onto her face, not even attempting to catch herself.