Page 43 of Princess (Marinah and the Apocalypse #5)

Missy

The massive explosion at the shipyard lit up the sky. A thrill went through my entire body. I was tired of war and living in fear. I wanted my family safe, and that included my bone-headed mate.

“Marriage is a human condition,” he told me after I fell in love with him.

It sounded stupid then, and now it was even more so.

Yes, we were mates in his Shadow Warrior world, but my world counted, too.

He would put a damn ring on my finger and marry me in front of our friends after this was over.

If not, he would be looking for a new mate.

Barrett deserved a real father, and so did Ruth, although she would say she was too old to care.

Beck would do it for me and our children.

“Be ready,” I called to the line of archers.

Shadow Warriors stood behind us. After we took out the first round of hellhounds, they would take over. Each archer had a ground quiver of incendiary arrows ready to fire. We kept our arms down to save our strength until it was time.

The road leading to our position had the ocean on one side and rock ledges on the other. The hounds could only come at us in tight groups. The arrows killed hellhounds if we struck the neck, and the explosion took their heads. We used actual hellhounds when we trained.

I’d tried to talk Ruth into archery. Even though she was a human child, and hellhound venom would kill her, she preferred close-up and personal attacks with a sword.

Ruth and her newly formed team of fighting youth were the last line of defense for the youngest children.

If the hellhounds and soldiers got through us, the Shadow Warriors, and the Shadow Women, Ruth and her team would give their lives to protect the children.

My daughter had sworn an unasked-for oath stating just that.

I had no doubt she meant it. If we survived this attack and she lived to be an adult, she would be the youngest general in history, and no one would convince me otherwise.

She’d told me that she and her fighters planned to hunt the hellhounds into oblivion when they were old enough.

Even though she caused continual havoc, I was damned proud of her. Barrett would be a handful, too. Children were the future.

We heard the horde before we saw them. Their lumbering gait defied the speed they were capable of. The morning was still cool but the breeze coming off the ocean carried the unmistakable odor of hellhounds.

“At ready,” I said.

Fourteen arms lifted. We had formed two rows, with the first row taking a knee. My hands were steady, and my heart rate slowed. I took measured breaths and waited.

No matter how many times I face down hellhounds, I would never get over their horrifying appearance. Their eyes locked on us as they came closer. They never showed fear because they didn’t feel it. Their brains were a one-cell organism living for death.

“Fire,” I yelled.

One hound made it through the first volley. The standing archers fired as we reloaded. The single hound fell along with others behind him. They would be too close soon, but each row could get off two more rounds before we retreated.

Through the center of the horde, something emerged.

The hounds were horrifying, but this creature was worse.

It was more than double their size. I froze when its red-tinged eyes zeroed in on me.

His jaw widened, and disturbingly huge teeth emerged in a semblance of a smile.

He swept aside the hellhounds nearest him and charged.

“Retreat,” I cried.

We turned and ran. Shadow Warriors interrupted the charge. Someone cried out. Then a Warrior’s head flew a few feet away from me. If they couldn’t hold the line, my archers didn’t stand a chance. We had to protect the children and get to the larger force of Warriors.

“Run,” I yelled.

I didn’t turn and look at the sounds of death behind us.

The thing with the hellhounds was Knet. He would not kill my children.

More Warriors ran toward us. I saw Trevor and held up my hand to stop him from running past us.

“Knet is with them, and at least one Warrior is dead,” I said as I gulped for air. “I need to get my archers in the windows, and your Warriors need to protect the tunnel entrances.”

He stared at me for a moment. His gaze finally focused on the road behind us.

“Cal, take three Warriors and guard the entrance to the tunnel with the children. The rest of you with me. We stand our ground here. Knet is with the hellhounds.”

The Warriors split into two groups.

“Hurry,” I told the archers. We lifted our bags and ran again.

“There, there, and there. Find a window and hold your ground until you’re out of arrows, then run for the nearest tunnel entrance,” I directed. “The rest of you are with me.”

We took the stairs two at a time until we were on the top floor.

I had a baby less than a month ago, and my lower body ached from the long run.

Adrenaline pumped through me, but I knew when it wore off, I would most likely collapse from exhaustion.

I would kill my share of hellhounds before that happened.

The first group of monsters rushed in without Knet leading them. Where was he? We fired from eight different windows, working in tandem with another archer. I had two arrows left.

“When you’re out, run,” I told the man behind me.

“Si Senora,” he replied, fired, and then stepped back for me to have my turn.

I had one arrow left when he turned and ran. The others around me retreated and I was the last one there. Over fifty hounds fought against the Shadow Warriors below us. I looked for a hound that wasn’t engaged when my bow was ripped away.

I barely had time to turn when a clawed hand encircled my throat.

Knet.

Thoughts snapped through my head. I wouldn’t see my children grow old. I would never feel Beck’s arms wrapped around me again. I was about to die.

Knet lifted his other hand while mine went to the knife at my waist. He saw the movement and gave me his demon smile. My hand closed around the pommel, and his hand waited to strike, the grin never leaving his monstrous face.

Claws grabbed Knet’s shoulders and ripped him away from me. I flew to the side. I didn’t know if Knet’s claws had punctured skin or not. My fingers closed around the knife as I watched Trevor fight Knet.

Within seconds, I knew Trevor wouldn’t win. Knet was larger and more powerful. The giant jaws opened, then closed on Trevor’s throat. I saw my last arrow laying a few feet away. I dropped the knife, scooped up the arrow, and charged.

I went for the back of Knet’s neck and shoved with all the force I had. I turned my head, knowing I would most likely die when the incendiary device detonated.

The small explosion took me off my feet. I landed on my ass with blood in my eyes and pain in my hands. Did I have hands?

I lifted the blackened appendages and saw stubs where fingers should be. I lay back and draped my arms on my chest. I stared up at the ceiling.

“Missy?” a raspy voice said from a great distance.

I turned my head slightly and saw a very bloody Trevor. His head was still connected to his neck and I guessed that’s why he was able to talk. I giggled then gasped as pain radiated up my arms.

“Tell Beck it was me who killed Knet,” I whispered as the light around me faded.

“No, dammit, you will tell him.”

“Did we win?” I whispered.

Trevor was putting something tight around my hands. I didn’t think it would matter. I forced the words from my lips again.

“Did we win?”

“Yes, now rest. I’ll get you to Kenneth.”

The world went dark.