Page 20

Marinah

King was still angry, and I didn’t know how to open the door to let this go. I hated the tension between us, and it made me feel insecure in ways I couldn’t fully explain. It bothered him that I didn’t obey his orders, and I promised myself I’d do better. The last thing I wanted was for someone to die because of me.

But deep down, I also knew I’d struggle if someone needed saving, and it was deemed “too dangerous” for the little Shadow Warrior.

I groaned silently. I didn’t like any of this.

We ran at a much faster pace than we’d taken the past day. Even so, it would still take us three days to reach the outpost. No airplane to speed things up this time. We slept for just two hours the first night before starting off again.

The last thing I’d do was complain.

None of us talked much. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ruth and Missy, and I knew Beck was just as worried as I was.

Three days felt like a lifetime when the people you loved were in danger.

∞∞∞

We reached the northern outpost at midnight. The eerie quiet set my nerves on edge. It was too quiet.

“Marinah!” Ruth’s voice cut through the silence, and before I could react, her spindly little arms and legs wrapped tightly around me.

“Ruth!” Missy ran after her, grabbing her daughter and pulling her back. “I told you no! It’s too dangerous. Get back inside, now!”

Missy shook Ruth like I’d never seen her do before. From the look on Missy’s face, I thought better of mentioning how Ruth’s brains were probably rattling in her skull and wisely kept my mouth shut.

Before I had a chance to greet Missy, Beck swept both her and Ruth into his arms, lifting them several feet off the ground. Missy buried her face in his chest while Ruth squirmed free, dropping to the ground. She looked at me with a shrug and an expression that screamed, totally gross.

Missy leaned back slightly from Beck, her voice tense. “We think the attack will come in a few hours. They sent us their conditions three days ago, saying we had a week to comply. They want all able-bodied men and women sent to the Federation.” She paused, her expression tightening. “But they’re not giving us the week.”

She tucked her head back into Beck’s chest, her voice muffled. I barely caught her next words. “We have the Shadow Warriors hidden outside the walls along the upper ridge. We figure if the Federation sends hellhounds first, like they did at the other outpost, it’s safer.” She rested her head against him for a moment, her exhaustion evident. “We didn’t think you’d make it here in time.”

“Inside,” King said curtly, herding us toward the house Missy had been using.

As soon as we were inside, Ruth piped up. “Can we train tomorrow?”

“Ruth!” Missy snapped, obviously at her wit’s end. It was clear Ruth had been a handful since we left. Normally calm and composed, Missy was now visibly disheveled, her nerves stretched thin. Part of it was the stress from the Federation’s looming attack, but the rest? I had no doubt it was due to the pint-sized hellspawn standing beside her.

I gave Ruth a slight smile. “How about we take a few minutes and train right now? You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

Missy’s panic was immediate, her wide eyes darting to mine. I softened my tone. “I’ll just improve her grip on her sword and teach her to strike properly. It’ll take five minutes, and she can practice while the rest of us get ready. No one’s sleeping tonight anyway.”

Missy hesitated, clearly torn, but she knew Ruth needed something to occupy her, or she’d be a hindrance.

“Does it need to be a sharp sword?” she asked, her tone full of the usual “mom” skepticism.

Ruth whooped with excitement. “The sharper, the better!”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Missy mumbled before giving me a reluctant nod.

“Can I use your sword?” Ruth asked, her voice filled with rapt fascination as her wide eyes stayed glued to the shiny silver blade I’d removed from its sheath.

“You can use it only in emergencies when you or someone you know is in danger,” I told her. “Help me unfasten the strap, and you can wear the scabbard on your hip.”

Her pants were held up by a belt that barely did the job, but she eagerly reached for the sword. I moved it back. “You unbuckle me, and I’ll hold the sword. Is there enough room to practice in your bedroom?”

She bounced on her toes, practically vibrating with excitement. “Yes, there’s room!”

“Okay.” I slipped the scabbard off my belt after Ruth handled the buckle, then had her refasten it on her belt under my direction. When she finished, I slid the blade home.

“Do not remove the sword, or I won’t show you how to use it properly,” I warned, handing it to her. “The adults need to talk, and I want you waiting in your room. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“You’re sending her to her room alone with the sword?” Missy’s irritation was written all over her face.

I looked at Ruth and asked, “Will you take the sword out?”

“No, ma’am,” she said solemnly.

Every head in the room turned toward her, jaws dropping at the unexpected “ma’am” that had just come out of the hellspawn’s mouth. I ignored their stunned expressions. “She won’t take the sword out,” I assured Missy.

Missy gave Ruth a wary look, but the child was already racing toward her room. “Walk,” I called after her. Ruth slowed her pace but added a little skip as she made her way to her door, closing it behind her.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Missy mumbled.

“So do I,” I admitted. “But I promise, she won’t remove the sword.”

Missy nodded once. “That child has so much hero worship for you, I doubt she will.” Her lips curved into a small, worried smile. “It’s a mother’s job to worry. Ruth is willful and rash. Maybe she’ll listen to you.”

Her words echoed inside my head. She was saying exactly what King and Labyrinth had told me before: rash behavior will get you killed. And they were right. I was rash. Ruth didn’t obey her mother, and by ignoring her, she put herself in danger.

The problem was, I didn’t like obeying orders either. It rubbed me the wrong way, made me feel like I was being treated like a child. But was that really what King was doing?

The truth hit me hard. King wasn’t treating me like a child. He gave me the same orders as he gave his men. He didn’t leave me behind and he trusted me to fight. He expected me to pull my weight, and I did.

It was exactly like my theory about Ruth. If I made her feel useful, she’d stay out of trouble. King made me feel useful, and when I didn’t follow his commands, he lost his mind. It was all on me. My heart went out to those weaker than me and part of that was I saw myself in them. I didn’t look at the entire picture and sometimes that picture saved more lives. It wouldn’t be easy to change, but I had to. I couldn’t live with someone’s death on my shoulders if it happened because of one of my rash decisions.

My thinking had to readjust or something horrible would happen.

I no longer wanted King to worry about me. I had to do everything in my power to obey his commands and find a way to save my questions for after the threat passed. It was time to grow up and act like a Warrior with a leader and there was no better leader than my mate.

I walked over to King, placing my palm on his arm. He glanced down at my claws before slowly lifting his head to meet my eyes.

“I’ll follow all orders,” I said firmly.

I swear I felt the relief course through his body.

“We need to leave in the next ten minutes,” he said.

“It’ll take me five minutes to handle Ruth, and I’ll be ready,” I assured him.

“If the Federation sticks to their usual strategy, they’ll send the hellhounds in first.”

“Are we waiting for that to happen?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

When a Warrior smiles in true form, it’s unsettling. When King smiled just then, it was downright terrifying. “We won’t be waiting.”

“Do you want me out here while you finish strategizing?”

“No. Get Ruth squared away,” he said, pulling me close. His jaw brushed against mine, the rough texture of his affection reassuring me. For a moment, we stood there, holding each other tightly. I loved this man with everything I had, and tonight, one of us might not make it.

The thought burned in my chest, unsettling me. The last thing I wanted was to break down in Beast form. With one final squeeze, I pulled back.

I headed into the room with Ruth, ready to do what needed to be done.

“See, I didn’t remove it. It’s still in the sheath,” Ruth announced proudly the moment I opened the door.

I couldn’t help but smile. She was so proud of herself. “Very carefully pull it from the sheath,” I instructed. “Remember, it’s double-edged. Both sides will cut you if you’re not careful.”

She slid the blade out slowly, her eyes lighting up as the steel gleamed in the candlelight. “It’s so beautiful.”

“And deadly,” I reminded her. “If a hellhound catches you with a claw or tooth, you’ll die. It won’t matter that you killed the hellhound. Your mother will mourn you for the rest of her life, and I’ll miss you.”

She stared at me for several seconds, her expression growing serious as my words sank in. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

I believed her. “It’s for self-protection only. No charging out to kill hellhounds. Promise me that.”

“I promise,” she said solemnly, then glanced down at the small knife secured to her hip. “Should I leave my little knife here in the room?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Let’s get both situated on you. A girl can never have too many knives or swords.”

She grinned. “No, they can’t.”

I helped her adjust the scabbard, showing her how to hold the sword properly for maximum striking power. Her thin arms managed to lift and hold it, and I had to blink back the sting of tears. Revenge against Federation soldiers was one thing. But this little girl? I loved her too much to even think about her dying tonight.

I pulled her into a long hug. She squirmed in my arms. “Don’t kiss me. That’s gross,” she protested.

I snapped my jaws twice in mock frustration, and she laughed.

“I want teeth like that when I grow up,” she said, pointing to my sharp incisors.

“What? No girly teeth for you?”

She shook her head firmly. “I want to be beautiful, just like you.”

Out of the mouths of babes.