Page 10 of Princess (Marinah and the Apocalypse #5)

Marinah

I didn’t get to watch the complete degradation of Mrs. Barnes.

The old me would never have found it pleasurable, but it was something war did to you.

If President Barnes had me, I would be tortured and publicly executed.

That’s if I was lucky enough to escape the experiments they would perform on my Shadow Warrior body first.

A few minutes of shame for the president’s wife wouldn’t kill her. I would have King tell me all about it over dinner.

I stood in front of the citadel until one of the Warriors alerted me that the motorcade was only a few minutes out.

I gave one last look at Lesley, trussed up, giving me the stink eye because of the gag.

I’d been kind enough to have her tied to a chair so she was comfortable, but I doubted she appreciated it.

I walked to the closet beside the argument room. Okay, dammit, I waddled. On the training field, I had no problem getting into my fighting stance because it required my legs to be apart and my knees bent. Walking was another story, and unless I wanted to walk like I had wet underwear, I waddled.

Pen and paper were waiting for me in the closet.

This would enable me to silently pass Nokita commands if they were needed.

He was just as wound up as I was. Being away from Maylin and the new baby was hard on him.

I planned to send word for Maylin to return and sweeten the deal by promising no Lesley duty.

Nokita and I waited impatiently for the meeting to begin. Finally, I heard the door open.

“Take a seat,” King said.

King and Beck were the only Shadow Warriors in the room with the human group. Water and fruit were placed on the table. If things went well, we would provide a full meal before they left. If not, they could survive on what was in the conference room.

The scrape of chairs against the floor echoed as they settled.

Then, within seconds of sitting down, “What’s your offer?” a deep voice demanded antagonistically.

Not a good way to start with King.

“I don’t have an offer,” King said evenly.

“You either want our help with security and you work with the other outposts, or you don’t.

We don’t need you. The other outposts would be safer with more people, but we have Warriors stationed with them.

The rest of us are safe here, and we can sustain ourselves far longer than you can. ”

The man hesitated, then asked, “What happens if we don’t accept your offer of protection?”

“More than likely,” King said. “You die. The Federation is killing anyone who won’t fight with them. Do you know that they’re injecting humans with the protein that turns them into hellhounds?”

“We think it’s bullshit,” the man scoffed. “Lies being used to scare us into cooperating.”

A woman’s voice cut in before King responded, though I didn’t miss his low growl.

“Dave,” she said, firmly. “The information came from people we trust. We need the Shadow Warriors’ help.”

Silence.

Then the woman continued.

“Dave’s brother lived at the outpost that was attacked. He escaped with his wife and their youngest. Their older son stayed behind to fight.”

She swallowed audibly before finishing.

“The Federation killed him.”

I clenched my jaw. Dave’s brother should have sent his son with his wife and their other child. Inside me, Ms. Beast growled low with disapproval, agreeing fully.

King must have had the same thought I did. I could almost see his eyes gleam, because Dave immediately went on the defensive.

“Jack, my brother, lost his leg two years ago,” he said, his voice edged with belligerence.

I didn’t need to see King to know he gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

The woman spoke again. “The Federation will systematically wipe us out. Our people are split fifty-fifty on taking your help. It’s fear,” she explained. “It’s the history of our country. They fear what’s different from them.”

King’s voice remained steady. “If we send Shadow Warriors, I need to know they won’t be stabbed in the back.”

“We will feed them and give them shelter,” she assured him. “We are at war with the Federation, and we can’t handle an attack from both sides.” Then, after a brief pause, she asked, “Do you have the same poison that turns humans into hellhounds?”

I might actually like this woman.

“We don’t,” King said. “And we don’t want it either.

Once we get our hands on the stuff, we’ll destroy everything we find along with the scientific data.

We do, however, have a serum that keeps Shadow Warriors alive if we’re bitten or scratched.

We’re working on the same for humans, but so far, we haven’t produced it. ”

A chair scraped back abruptly, the legs screeching against the tile.

“So, you can save yourselves but not us?” Dave snapped.

King’s tone didn’t change. “Shadow Warriors heal faster than humans, which enables us to fight off the bites and scratches while the antidote gives us added time,” he said. “If we develop a human antidote, it will be shared freely, with or without your willingness to accept our protection.”

“Dave.” This time, the woman’s voice was sharper and more insistent. “You lost your nephew because of the Federation. They are the enemy, not this man,” she said coldly. If you can’t control yourself, step outside.”

She held authority. And that surprised me.

“Dave is my husband,” she continued, her voice settling into something quieter but no less commanding. “He’s been angry for a long time, and it gets the best of him.” There was a pause. “I am Carmen, the mayor of Tully, our outpost. It was named after Dave’s father.”

She gestured toward the others.

“Kevin is the mayor of Second Son, and Mason is the mayor of Territory Three. They also have questions.”

If this was an act, I’d eat my plastic sandal.

A man cleared his throat. “I’m Mason,” he said. “Landan mentioned you’d allow them to send their children here. Is that true?”

“Yes,” King answered.

Mason hesitated. “Would you allow us to send ours?”

“You may send your children and anyone not capable of fighting with you.”

“Why?”

I actually heard King inhale sharply.

“Shadow Warriors value children,” he said, his voice laced with restraint.

“We do not make war on them. Too many have died. Too many parents have died. We live in harmony with the humans on this island. We protect them, and in return, they fight alongside us and help in all aspects of our care. When the war with the Federation is settled, we will return the island to its people. We’ll move to the mainland and find a home there. ”

“Is there an islander we could speak with?” Mason asked.

I was surprised King didn’t lose his temper.

I quickly scribbled a name on my paper and handed it to Nokita. He left the room, and a moment later, I heard the door open again.

King’s voice followed a moment later. “Fetch Beatriz.”

A beat of silence.

“The woman in charge of the staff will be here shortly,” King continued. “I am trying to hold onto my temper and accommodate you. I understand that you fear us. I still don’t understand why.”

The woman spoke again.

“We were fed lies,” she admitted. “And no matter how stupid those lies are, and believe me, most of them don’t even make sense, but once you’ve heard them enough times, they become hard to ignore.

I worked for the Federation’s development division,” she added.

“So did Dave. We escaped when I was ordered to report to the military as a red stripe.”

Her voice dropped slightly. “Until then, we thought we were fighting you. The Federation made you out to be uncontrollable animals. We stayed away from the outposts that worked with you, but some of our people have relatives among them, and they noticed things were not what we thought.”

The door creaked open.

“Yes, Senor?” Beatriz’s voice came, a little shaky.

King didn’t hesitate. “Take my seat.”

A chair scraped against the floor as he stood.

“These people have questions for you,” he said. “Answer honestly, even if you think it’s something I might not want to hear.”

I knew he had moved toward the wall by the vent because a second later, I heard two small knocks to let me know he was close.

“Please, ask your questions,” Beatriz said, her voice stronger now.

A new voice spoke. A man’s. It had to be Kevin, since I didn’t recognize it.

“What’s the worst thing you can think of to say about the Shadow Warriors?” he asked.

“They eat too much,” she said without missing a beat. I could hear the smile in her reply. “They go through too many shoes, and we are forever trying to find more. It’s hard when their feet are so big.” She stopped speaking.

“That’s it?” Kevin asked with obvious skepticism, after about ten seconds.

Beatriz let out a soft chuckle. “What do you want me to say?” She didn’t wait for a response.

“When they first came to the island, we were afraid, like you,” she continued.

“We attacked them, and they tried very hard to stop us without killing anyone. When we realized we could not win, we accepted our fate. And you know what? It ended up being good. We are safe. Our children are safe. And the only thing they demand is that everyone works for the good of the island. If we choose to fight, they train us. If we choose to work on the island, they find something we enjoy. They ask for our opinions. They respect our wishes.”

She paused for a brief second before adding flatly, “You are stupid for not accepting their help.”

Silence.

“Are there more questions?” she asked, unimpressed.

This was why Beatriz ran the citadel.

A different voice, Mason’s this time, broke the silence.

“We heard there is a female Shadow Warrior?”

“There is.”

“Where is she?”

Ire entered Beatriz’s voice. “She has bigger concerns than you,” she said bluntly. “If you have questions about the Senora, ask the Senor, her mate.”

A chair scraped loudly against the floor, followed by the soft click of the door shutting.

A second later, King retook his seat.

“I think you made her angry,” he said.

“For that, I am sorry,” the woman replied. Then, she dropped a bombshell. “We have children who need care,” she admitted. “We discovered twenty-six in an orphanage fending for themselves. We are struggling to feed them, but we will continue if it is our only option.”

Shit.

It was hard enough for the outposts to care for their own families. Now, they were trying to keep orphaned children alive, too. My heart went out to the children and those trying to help.

My mind kicked into overdrive, and I began making plans. We had families who would help. And if it came down to it, more would step up.

“I have no problem taking the children,” King said. “They can return on the plane after you go back. We have medical personnel. Will any of them need extra attention?”

“If you could send a few women, they won’t be so afraid,” the mayor replied. “A medical person would be helpful, but overall, they’re in good shape.”

She paused for a moment before glancing at the other leaders. “Kevin? Mason? Any more objections?”

“No,” both men said in near unison.

“Dave?”

A beat of silence. “I’m sorry for my belligerence,” Dave said, his tone less confrontational now.

“I don’t know what I expected by coming here, but it wasn’t this.

We have items for trade. My wife has a list. And,” his voice steadied.

“We need help. We promise your Warriors will not be stabbed in the back.”

“If it’s settled,” King said, “help yourselves to some fruit to tide you over for the next hour. We’ll provide a full meal before you return.”

“Thank you,” the woman said, though hesitation crept into her voice. “But we’ll decline the full meal. The children already know they may be coming here, and they’re nervous. Honestly, some are terrified. The sooner they meet their future, the better.”

“I understand.” King said. “The plane has been refueled. I’ll have your meals delivered and food for the children put on board.

I’m sending twenty-one Shadow Warriors as guards, seven per outpost if that works for you.

If needed, we can send more in a week. They will report directly to the three of you.

They are guards, not laborers. When they’re off duty, they rest.”

He laughed slightly. “Beatriz wasn’t lying when she said we eat a lot, so we’ll send extra food for them, too.”

The woman exhaled, the relief in her voice unmistakable.

“Thank you.”