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Maxen drops his arm around my shoulder and kisses my head. I smile up at him and lean into his side, my other hand grabbing Jax’s and twining my fingers with his.

“Okay, so we should plan for tomorrow and set up roles for tonight…” I tune out the guard who has made himself in charge. Instead, I close my eyes and let stillness overcome me, helping me push back the memories that came to me today.

“Are you listening to me? I’m sorry, are we boring you or do you simply not understand what we are talking about?

” The sneer makes the room go silent and I slowly open my eyes to see the guard glaring at me.

Maxen tenses and Jax squeezes my hand as I watch the guard.

I know my eyes are cold, still locked in my stillness, but he doesn’t seem to care or understand the warning in them.

“Well, which is it?” He scowls, the condensation dripping from his words.

“Shall I kill him for, you little queen, and offer his head as tribute?” Vasilisy asks casually.

“If I want him dead, I will kill him myself,” I reply, watching as the guard’s scowl deepens, but I see the flicker of fear in his eyes before he masks it.

“Now listen up bitch, just because your daddy thinks he rules, doesn’t mean you get to do whatever the fuck you want. You will shut up, listen, and be a good little girl, so I can do my job and get you and these other savages to your shithole.”

I cock my eyebrow and straighten my pose, it makes him flinch, and I hide my smile. For all his bravado, he is scared of me. I walk towards him and stop when our feet touch.

“Now it’s your turn to listen and listen closely because that is the only slur you will get out of your fucking mouth before I cut out your tongue and wear it as a necklace.

I don’t give a fuck what power you think you had down below.

Out here, you are nothing but feral fodder.

This world is mine. I know how to survive, how to fight, and how to run.

You are nothing but a child throwing a tantrum.

So you better learn some respect and fast, or I will leave you to the cannibals.

” Each word darkens his face with anger, but ignoring him and showing the ultimate disrespect, I turn my back on him and face the others.

“The fact is, none of you know how to survive out here and unless you start to learn, and fast, you are going to die out here. Now, we will have watch at every door and window, switching every three and we leave at daybreak. You will not give away our position with loud noises or lots of light, and you will man the fuck up, or I will leave you all behind tomorrow, I do not have time for dead weight.”

With that I walk away, leaving the stunned silence and Vasilisy’s laughter following after me.

I make my way around the building, searching for possible entrances, and testing the strength of the windows.

Rubbing the dirt and age away from one of the windows, I look outside.

The sand is still blocking everything, with twisters occurring now and then.

I look around for anything else I might have missed.

A metal staircase is hidden at the back of the room leading to a walkway above, I follow it around and find a door I didn’t spot before marked as a fire escape.

I nudge it open, covering my eyes in case the storm is right there.

When the door isn’t flung away from me, I peek outside.

My eyes widen as I step through the door.

A metal railing runs aroundthe square space, with windows just before it, blocking out the wind and sand.

The brick of the walls seals it in on the other two sides.

A metal garden chair is on the floor, rusted and mangled.

I step further out and peer out of the window, it is a perfect vantage point if it wasn’t for the storm.

Dragging my eyes away, I turn around to leave, only to come face to face with the guard. He steps through the door and lets it shut behind him with a bang.

“You ever question me in front of my men again and I will put you in your place.” His face is red and his chest heaving.

“And what place would that be?” I ask curiously, stepping back and letting my hands dangle by my side.

“You are nothing but a savage whore!” he roars, spittle flying from his mouth.

I’ve met his kind before, the ones who think they’re gods, that no one is above them––especially women.

He sees us as nothing more than a place to stick his dick.

Even now, I can see his eyes drop to my chest before meeting mine.

I’m going to enjoy putting him in his place, maybe I will make him my bitch.

Sighing, I start to unstrap my weapons as I speak. “Because I enjoy sex and pleasure that makes me a whore? When a man fucks who he wants and takes what he needs he is called a hero, and warrior.” Finished, I bend over keeping my eyes on his and place them on the floor.

He grins. “You should have kept them,” he taunts.

I shrug and crack my neck from side to side. “I’m not going to need them.”

He moves without speaking, swinging his fist at me.

I dodge and bounce on the tips of my toes grinning at him as the adrenaline rushes through me, my blood lust rising with it.

“See, I don’t think you realise how I came to be a free woman in the Wastes.

” He swings again and I dodge. I start to circle him as he tries to hit me.

“I won my way here, fought like a mad woman, like a Berserker.” He growls and rushes me, but I move out of the way, slipping around him like a dancer in The Rim.

“I didn’t care about dying, I only focused on the next moment, on staying alive.

I learnt how to handle myself around men, especially men like you.

” He yells wordlessly and tries to uppercut me, I laugh as I twist away dancing around the small area.

“You are nothing compared to the warriors I faced. You are pampered.” I slip in and kick his legs out from under him.

“Slow.” I wait for him to get to his knees before bringing my knee up and smashing it into his nose.

“Weak.” Using the toe of my boot, I nudge him over as he screams and holds his face.

The door slams open and Dr. Perfect Face, my men, and Vasilisy are crowding into the doorway.

I throw them a wink and walk around the guard on the floor, I grab my weapons and walk to the door.

“Anyone else hungry?” I ask to the sounds of blood being spit out behind me.

Dr. Perfect Face who is the first one at the door gives me a smile, which throws me of for a second, before his usual bored and irritated face returns and he looks at the man behind me. “Someone get me my bag.”