Page 81 of Red Demon

My breath hitched in my throat. What the fuck was she doing here? Two soldiers picked off by arrows, that’s what. I tried to untangle the knot of conflicting emotions in my chest.

The metallic taste in my mouth intensified, a bitter tang that spread like a slow-burning fire through my throat. Panic clawed at me as my head throbbed.

“Riverhawk,” I rasped through the comm, my voice tight. A wave of dizziness washed over me. I pointed to the treeline as she walked over, my hand shaking. The nausea intensified.

Riverhawk rushed over, face lined with concern. “You all right? You don’t look all right.”

“Just—a minute,” I said, clutching my stomach. The forest seemed to press in on me, the rustling leaves whispering with malevolence.

“Hey!” Riverhawk gripped my arm. “Biohazard, what’s happening?”

Before I could respond, I swayed, doubling over to empty the contents of my stomach onto the forest floor.

She took a step back.

“Looks like Havoc gave you the right name. Fuck.”

I rubbed my temples, reminding myself these soldiers didn’t deserve to die. Command. I was supposed to call Command. I touched my headset, my gaze darting back to the treeline. But the Red Demon was gone.

Stay that way.

“This is Command, Perimeter Guard.”

Riverhawk shot me a questioning glance, then touched her own headset. “Biohazard needs to be relieved. He’s pretty sick.”

“SBO symptoms?” the soldier in our ears said.

My stomach chose that time to heave again, and I’m sure Command heard it all. I wiped my mouth after, disgusted with myself.

“Just puking all over the forest, Ma’am,” Riverhawk said.

“Copy that,” Command said. “Continue patrol until you’re relieved.”

Riverhawk gave my back a sympathetic pat. “Rough first day, huh?”

“Tree line,” I said, even if I couldn’t bring myself to say her name.

She clipped her headset back on and turned away with a nod: all business. “Clear. What did you see?”

Maybe I hallucinated her. My focus came in and out in waves.

I heard running footsteps and looked up to see Havoc, his face a mask of thunder. “Riverhawk,” he barked, “head back to camp. I’m relieving you.”

“Don’t you mean him?” she said, gesturing her head at me.

Havoc glared in response. “Major wants a word with you. I’ll deal with him.”

Confused, I watched Riverhawk salute, then jog back to the camp. Havoc sauntered toward me, his face odd… Angry. Why was he so angry? I rose to my feet from where I sat at the base of the tree. I’d forgotten to salute. Maybe that was it.

It wasn’t. He pulled out a dagger, sizing me up.

My heart hammered. Was he…

A sickening thud. A bolt protruded from Havoc’s eye. His mouth widened in surprise, his hand tightening around the hilt of the knife pointed at me. He crumpled to the ground. Another arrow followed, glancing off the Chaeten leather on his chest.

He’d been about to kill me. Asher’s dahn was right.

Chapter 35