Page 20 of Princess (Marinah and the Apocalypse #5)

Marinah

Desmond was a hell of a fighter. He’d been working with Nokita’s group for two days.

King gave me updates, and today I wanted to see for myself.

Nokita had a tight smile on his face. Maylin had not returned from the southern part of the island, and I could see the strain it was causing.

We’d sent a message after she didn’t arrive.

There was some holdup with a patient. Maylin was one of Axel’s many assistants, though she should have been taking time off since the birth of her third child.

Hopefully, she would arrive at the citadel within the next hour or two.

Desmond had a sword and was fighting against a life-size hellhound dummy.

The early morning sun cast long shadows across the training yard, making the dummy look almost alive.

It stood hunched on its wooden frame, proportioned with tightly wrapped straw and coarse canvas, painted black with crudely painted red eyes because someone had a sense of humor and thought it a great touch.

The teeth and claws were splintered wooden stakes carved to resemble those on an actual hellhound.

Desmond clutched a practice sword, like he was born with it, and circled the dummy. Sweat beaded on his temples, clinging to wisps of hair due to the humidity, which was on the extreme side today. He might not be facing a real hellhound, but he approached it like he was.

The initiated attack wasn’t a charge. He feinted to the left, shifted his weight, and dropped his right shoulder as if to strike a high diagonal.

The dummy, naturally, didn't react, but Desmond used the motion to practice his footwork, pivoting swiftly, bringing his left leg back for balance.

His gaze never left the painted eyes of his target.

The first strike was a horizontal sweep, aiming for the hellhound's mid-section where its guts would be. The blunted edge of the sword thwacked against the tightly packed straw. The dummy shuddered on its frame and a few wisps of straw fluttered free.

He reset, and his next thrust connected with the neck. He spun away, practicing a defensive maneuver, a quick sidestep and a low block that would deflect a clawed swipe. He ended the movement with a short, sharp cut to the dummy's foreleg. Thwack.

He moved around the dummy, assessing angles, practicing different entries. He tried a high overhead chop, and the sword came down with a powerful thud, striking the dummy's canvas head. He followed it up with a rapid series of slashes across its torso. The straw flew, tiny pieces showering down.

With a sudden burst of power, he whirled, bringing the sword around in a wide, sweeping arc. It struck the dummy's wooden support with a resounding crack, splitting the timber. The straw hellhound teetered, then toppled over, landing with a soft thud.

Desmond’s chest heaved, the sword held loosely in his hand.

“He’s too damned good for his age,” Nokita said.

I’d wondered how the children survived, and now I knew. They had their own personal ninja, and I had a feeling the other teens were just as deadly. The outposts would have been smarter to take lessons from them and keep them around.

“I know this is practice, but he needs to put hounds down as quickly as possible and not play with them,” I observed. “It is, however, damned impressive to watch.”

Nokita nodded.

I wandered away and checked on the junior squad next. In just two days, they were up to eight children, not including Ruth and Julia. Togg watched and gave pointers.

“How are they doing?” I asked him.

“They’re little killers,” he said with a grin.

“I don’t think we realize how uncertain and scary their world actually is.

Their confidence went up ten degrees after yesterday’s training, and it was noticeable when they arrived this morning.

I’ve given each of them a knife, and they’ll be carrying them wherever they go.

“Some look too young to carry knives.”

“They understand that they’re weapons and they won’t use them as toys,” he assured me. “I want them to learn to shoot as soon as possible.”

The kids looked to be between the ages of eight and fourteen.

After seeing what Desmond could do, I had no doubt these children could eventually protect themselves.

I didn’t like the idea of killers, though.

We needed peace, but then again, even if we defeated the Federation, hellhounds weren’t going anywhere.

People, including children, needed to be prepared.

“I do not want them carrying guns,” I said bluntly.

Togg smiled. “That wasn’t the plan. They need to understand how guns work. I want shooting practice to be a weekly thing. They’ll also have training in archery”

“I won’t object. Kamen is one of the guards bringing Maylin back. When he returns, he’ll go back to armory duty. Ask him how much ammo he can spare. The shooting will be limited, but you’re right, they need to understand the basics.”

My next stop was Axel at the med bay. I found Garrett inside the first room. He had returned to the citadel before the sun rose. He and Axel had their meeting with Desmond and Julia earlier, and I wanted to see how it went.

“Becky and Derrick are coming for dinner this evening,” Garrett told me. “We want this to be their decision.”

“How do you feel about it?” I asked.

Garrett was a large man who had been special forces in the military before the hellhounds attacked.

He served several years afterward and was one of the lucky ones who survived.

An injury cut his career short, but he recovered, left the Federation stronghold, and became the governor of the outpost that Landan now oversaw.

“If they don’t choose to stay with us, they may see a grown man cry,” he said with a small smile. “I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but that may be a losing cause.”

“You will make great parents. This will work out,” I assured him. We had moved to the hall outside the largest medical bay. I turned when I heard someone running toward us.

“Maylin was attacked on her way here,” Caleb said when he saw us. “Kamen escaped with the children. He just arrived, and they are safe. He said they were outnumbered, and the other two Warriors and Maylin could be dead. Maylin ordered him to keep the children safe.”

My heart dropped into my stomach. “Find King and tell him to inform the guard to be in front of the citadel within ten minutes.”

“Yes, my Queen,” Caleb said.

Garrett looked at me, and I read the protest on his face.

“Don’t start,” I said. “I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”

I moved past him and headed to my room to change into my Warrior clothes that would shift with me. The leather straps needed adjusting after I changed form. The pants stretched and had the expanding front panel now that I had a bowling ball for a stomach but they worked.

Even though I said I wouldn’t ride again, the bikes were faster, so that’s what we took.

We were through the gates in nine minutes.

We’d all shifted to Warrior form. Beck had been informed that he was in charge while we were gone.

Axel would assist in every way he could so Beck wasn’t disturbed.

Unfortunately, that might be impossible.

Fury and fear shot through Nokita’s expression. Kamen came with us, bringing our small force to six. It would have taken too long to form a larger group. Maylin’s and Nokita’s children were turned over to the women at the citadel. There was no keeping Nokita from this fight. He was out for blood.

“They were hellhounds with that thing leading them,” Kamen said before the roar of motorcycle engines drowned out his voice.

I needed to wrap my claws around that thing’s neck.

It took thirty minutes to get to the spot where they were attacked. We didn’t see the two Shadow Warriors. A small curled-up form was on the road in front of us. Nokita was off his bike and running before the rest of us stopped.

He picked up an unmoving Maylin. I drew closer, but the wild look on his face made me stop in my tracks.

He stood still and lowered his cheek to her mouth. After several long seconds, he said, “She’s breathing.”

“She needs to be checked for bites and scratches,” I said.

He turned away, his massive Warrior frame shaking. He wasn’t controlling his rage, and I didn’t want to be the focus of it. If she were bitten, there would be nothing we could do, so I didn’t press the issue.

“Do we follow?” King growled.

“If we do, it weakens us.” I looked at Kamen. “You think there were fifteen of them?” I asked.

“At least fifteen. Possibly one or two more.”

“Maylin must get to Axel,” I told a very angry King. I looked at Nokita. “Get on my bike and hold her,” I told him. I shifted back to human form before he said anything. “It’s the only way we’ll have room.” I hoped with the size of my stomach it wasn’t a lie.

He turned to me, not moving.

“We must get her to Axel. If you want to drive, I’ll hold her.”

He finally shook his head, my words sinking in. It was a tight squeeze, but he managed to get on the bike with Maylin in his arms.

I drove at breakneck speed, hoping Maylin held on.