Page 107

He winks and slips away to deal with his people, and I lean my head back against the wall, rolling it to the side to look at Bern. “Mind if I spend the watch with you? There’s no way I’m going back to sleep now.”

“Don’t want to watch the bloodbath?” he jokes.

Looking out at the landscape of sand before us, I grimace. “No, sometimes you just need a little peace.”

“Then find your peace, Ma Queen. I’ll find it with ye.”

The sun rises over the sands, instantly heating the world and making us all sweat.

I climb to my feet and stretch. After spending the last couple of hours with Bern, my body feels stiff.

I nod at him and slip back into camp to see everyone still sleeping.

Archel was right…they do need their rest, and with the sun’s rays only just stretching across the sky, I can let them sleep for a little bit longer.

Unable to sit still, though, I head over to Evan and nudge his shoulder with my boot.

He has his hand stretched out in front of him, like he’s seeking someone even in his sleep, and his face is scrunched up as if he’s in pain.

I nudge him again and he springs awake, his eyes wide and confused, his hair sticking up on one side and his face coated in sand. I smirk at him. “Come on, sleeping beauty, time for your lesson.”

I wander a few steps away then, letting him wake up as I eye a flat, empty space just beyond the bikes to show him some moves to help protect himself.

My life would be easier if I wasn’t worried about him dying all the time…

that’s what I’m telling myself anyway. Not that I ca re what happens to him…

at all. Even my own mind calls me a liar on that one.

Somehow, that grumpy bastard has become my friend.

“It’s fucking early,” he grumbles behind me.

“Sorry, princess, want me to let you get some more beauty sleep? Maybe just watch as you fumble with that dagger of yours and get yourself killed?” I taunt, turning to him and crossing my arms.

“Fuck you, Worth,” he mutters, before sighing and sitting up. He strips off his jacket and throws it to the side as he glares up at me. “Fine, what do I do?”

I lead him past the bikes to the flat area before taking off my jacket too, and leaving my sword sheathed within it, I hold my arms out to the side. “Stab me.”

He recoils a bit in shock. “What?”

“ Stab me,” I repeat, rolling my eyes. “Fuck, you’re slow.”

He narrows his eyes in anger and pulls out his dagger, but hesitates again.

“What’s wrong, princess? Scared of breaking a nail?” I gibe.

He growls low and hard before jumping to his feet and slashing at me. I dodge him easily and smack the side of his head. “Too slow, again.”

He lunges at me again. “You’re transmitting your moves before you even make them, which will get you killed, and you’re too slow.

Stop worrying about hurting people. When it comes to a fight, either you fight with everything you got or you die.

Your opponent won’t care if they hurt you, so don’t worry about hurting them,” I instruct in a firm tone, smacking his hand this time when he tries to upper cut me with the blade. “Again.”

We do this time and time again, dancing across the sand.

Sweat pours down his face, his arm weak as he continues to signal his moves.

I can see some of the others watching us, gathering, but I ignore them.

“No, too fucking slow and you’re still signalling!

Your eyes and feet are giving you away,” I growl, and this time when he goes to attack, I grab his blade, spinning to dislodge it from his arm, and have it across his neck from behind in a second.

“You’re dead. Again!” I yell, giving him the blade and moving back.

When he extends his sword, I kick his legs and he yelps as he falls to his ass in the sand.

With a wordless scream, he gets to his feet and comes at me in a whirlwind, his anger taking over.

I block and dodge each hit. “Good, you’re getting faster.

That’s it, stop worrying about hurting me.

Don’t think too much, just move ,” I order, slipping past as he strikes out randomly.

“That’s it!” I yell, moving around him as he slashes again and again before stopping, and panting as he watches me, his eyes wide and dagger held close. I grin then. “Getting better, but you’re still slow, and I could see you moving a mile away. Let’s go again.”

He groans but nods, which is good. I can teach him everything I know, but he has to want to learn, and he has to want to survive, or what’s the point? We parry for a while until I call stop. By now, people have gathered to watch. I scan the crowd and then beckon Archel.

“Two blades, no deep hits,” I instruct.

I pull my own from my leg sheaths, holding the handles with the blades pointed out as I widen my stance and look at Evan. “Watch what we do, Archel, slow it down,” I command.

He grins as he saunters over, pulling two blades out and flipping them in his hands.

One minute he’s standing, relaxed, facing me, and the next he’s moving.

He’s fucking fast and I have to move at the last minute.

I let everything else go, just concentrating on the fight.

We spin and turn, landing hit after hit on each other, but it’s an even fight.

Where I’m fast, he’s smoother...stealthier.

Stinging cuts line my body, but I also land multiple cuts on him, although we’re making sure to pull the hits so we don’t kill each other.

He laughs as he spins and I join in, loving being able to just let go during an even fight for once. He’s good, I’ll give him that. He feigns right and then spins left, his blade lands at my throat and he grins at me. “I win.”

“Do you?” I whisper, glancing down. He follows my gaze and sees my blade pointed at his cock.

He howls with laughter and steps back, respect in his eyes. “Always the cock, huh?”

I shrug then and sheathe my blades, looking at a gobsmacked Evan. “When I get through with you, I want you to move like that. Again,” I call.

He groans but grips his blade, and instead of just blocking, I actively move with him this time with one blade until we are parrying blows.

His footsteps are unsure and stumbling, but he soon catches up, and what he lacks in finesse and technique, he makes up for in attitude.

He doesn’t quit, not once, and every blow he comes back swinging.

“Again,” I demand after I disarm him.

“How did you learn to fight?” Evan asks as he rips into his meat.

The fire is blazing between us, and the others are packing up while we eat a quick breakfast before getting on the road.

A small cut lines his cheek, but he doesn’t seem to care.

I barely notice the ones on my arms and chest from Archel.

“The hard way—from doing it. I took the strengths and styles of others and made them my own, learned from each clan’s weakness, and then used those against them.” I shrug, sipping my water.

“Weakness?” he echoes, focused.

“Yep, Berserkers are hard hitters. They come at you strong, but get inside that protection and you can take them down easily, and they don’t do well on far attacks or against speed.

Scavs and Roadies are mostly stupid, they rely on weapons and can’t think a few steps ahead, so confusing them is easy.

Worshippers are more reserved, get them angry. ”

“Seekers?” he inquires, stumbling over the name.

“Harder. They’re controlled, smooth killing machines who are fast and good thinkers. It’s a hard fight.” I shrug. “Advice for you? Run, run as fast as you can,” I tease.

“That’s right, pretty boy, run,” Archel jokes.

“Got it, run.” Evan rolls his eyes. “So, you’re an assassin?” he questions Archel.

“The best.” Archel winks.

“Boys, please, if you’re going to measure dicks, at least let me finish eating first,” I grumble, making them all laugh.

“We all know mine is the biggest.” Dray shrugs and stands up, flicking open the button on his jeans.

“Sands below, I swear, if you pull your cock out, I’m going to cut it off and feed it to you,” I warn, narrowing my eyes on him.

He winks down at me and looks at the others who are cupping their junk protectively. “Don’t worry boys, she wouldn’t—she likes it too much,” he teases, but sits back down.

I roll my eyes again. Men . “And on that note, it’s time to go.”

I finish my water and climb to my feet, slipping into my jacket and grabbing my bandana from my pack before throwing it over my shoulder.

Everyone else packs up, and I slip onto my bike and rev the engine.

“Let’s ride!” I yell, hearing some people whoop as more engines roar.

I grin as I cover the lower half of my face and set off through the Wastes.

About thirty minutes into our trip, I’m gunning it hard, wanting to get to Paradise as soon as possible.

Only the sun glinting off metal in the road alerts me to a problem, and I quickly slow down, turning my bike sideways and almost tipping it.

The others follow me, diverging from the broken, cracked road into the sand.

It’s a fucking ambush.

I slip from my bike as fast as I can, grabbing my swords and turning just as a war cry goes up.

I was out in front, so only Dray and Archel are by my side, the others speeding closer as I race towards the charging scavs.

I notice some Berserkers in their midst and frown.

Fucking deserters who are obviously not happy with the change of leadership.

The clanging metal is drowned out by engines revving as the others race towards us.

There must be at least forty scavs and Berserkers altogether, just waiting for us to pass them.

They knew we were coming and laid a trap.

Raising my blade, I block the downward stroke of a sword heading towards my face wielded by a Berserker.

He spits at me, his nostrils flaring and eyes wide.

“Fucking dead bitch walking!” he shouts.

“Not today, motherfucker,” I fire back, and break our weapons’ lock and stab downwards, impaling him. I sweep away, my back meeting Dray’s and Archel’s sides as we move together, protecting each other’s backs.

I rip open a Berserker’s cheek and he roars as he falls back, but a scav quickly takes his place.

I manage to kill four and wound even more by the time I hear engines cut off and the war cry of my people.

I peer through the gaps of fighting bodies to see Bern tossing people away like they’re toothpicks with Henry by his side as they fight to get to us.

I scream back, pushing into the scavs and deserters.

I spin and slash, gutting men and cutting their throats, and even in the red haze of bloodlust, I remind myself who my men are so I don’t hurt them.

My body is tiring, but I keep fighting, never giving up.

Some of them land hits, but the blood they spill only infuriates me more.

Dray stays by my side the whole time, moving with me as we decimate their ranks.

I stop for a moment, panting as I hold my sword in front of me, and some of the scavs who ambushed us look around, obviously realising they’re outnumbered, and start to back away.

We chase them onto the road, but they jump into their cars and onto their bikes and peel away. Gasping, my blood-covered swords hanging at my sides, I watch as they race away into the sands.

“They will come back, they obviously want you dead,” Erik growls.

“They do, but next time we will be ready,” I snap.

I slice through the tripwire they had set up across the road and turn to face my warriors.

“They thought they could kill us! They know better now!” I scream and raise my sword.

They cheer and Archel grins at me, looking way too pleased.

Dray is cleaning his blades, his eyes smouldering as he stares at me.

Evan is panting hard, his knife clutched in his hand and his eyes wide.

I sheathe my swords and step closer, taking his knife and sheathing it for him.

“You did well,” I praise in a low voice.

He blinks before swallowing hard as he nods. Bern claps him on his back, sending him stumbling forward. “We will make a Berserker out of you yet!” he yells, and cheers go up again, making me smirk. Evan looks bewildered.

“The first kill is the hardest, after that it gets easier,” I offer, just as arms wrap around me and drag me back into a hard chest.

“You are a fucking masterpiece when fighting, do you know that?” Dray murmurs into my ear, making my grin grow.

I turn in his arms and kiss him hard before pulling back to gaze up at him. “We need to get to Paradise.”

“Lead the way, soulmate, we’ll follow you.”