Page 58 of Shadow

“Haha. Very funny.”

He shrugged. “Your real problem is the hangover. Hellhounds won’t care if your head’s pounding when they go for your throat. If you drink, make sure you can back it up with some ass-kicking.”

That was it. I slammed the water bottle down and stalked back over to him. “Look at my legs!” I yelled, gesturing wildly.

His eyes dropped, scanning me from head to toe. My legs were trembling from the relentless workout, every inch of me drenched in sweat. I was practically vibrating with exhaustion.

“What about them?” he asked, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at his lips.

“They aren’t going to hold me up much longer!” My voice rose, teetering on the edge of hysteria.

His lips quirked into a full grin now, and I wanted nothing more than to punch it off his face. “From what I’ve seen, they don’t hold you up very well, ever.”

Everyone thought they were comedians. If I had the energy, I would have kicked him. “Please give me a break. I feel lousy.” My body felt like it had been through a meat grinder, and I knew Che needed to get out of his hiding spot soon.

Boot shrugged, unfazed. “I’ve told you at least twenty times. This isn’t a choice for me; it’s an order. King nearly killedme when he found out I put you in the isolation room that first day.”

“Please don’t remind me,” I said, trying not to be bitter about the experience that Ihadlet go. I just didn’t need the mental image right now.

“Come on.” He leaned in close to whisper, “We’ll take a break so my son can sneak out. Then you can give the jump rope another go. You’ll improve. Eventually.”

Caught. Both Che and I. All I could do was shake my head at the inevitability of it. Boot gave me a quick wink, and we left the training room, and took our time touring a few corridors. When we returned, the cabinet door was ajar. Che had moved on to more thrilling escapades. Boot’s subtle nod confirmed it.

“Back to the jump rope,” he ordered, pointing at the floor like it was the holy grail of my training.

I wanted to scream. But as the Federation’s secretary of defense, I couldn’t. Screaming would definitely be unbecoming. Instead, I huffed, “If this stupid rope will help me kill you faster, I’m determined to master it.”

He leaned down, picked up the rope, and handed it to me with a straight face. “The jump rope is for coordination. It’s way too soon to start thinking about killing anything or anyone.”

Of course, he saw right through my tough act. I was hopeless, but that didn’t stop me from trying. I twirled the rope once, it snagged on the tip of my shoe, and I took another unceremonious tumble to the floor.

Boot didn’t laugh. But he did groan, and somehow that was worse.

I got up and tried again. If kids could master this, so could I. Or so I told myself.

Two grueling hours later, my sweat had sweat, and I was on the verge of collapse. “Please, save me,” I panted. “I’ll do anything.”

Boot finally took pity. “Maylin packed us lunch. Let’s take a longer break.”

It turned out Maylin hadn’t just packed lunch; she had sent us homemade tamales, and they were better than bacon. I sat against the wall, scarfing one down, savoring every bite and drinking water to replace some of the hydration I had lost. “Tell me about yourself,” I asked Boot between bites. At his raised brow, I added, “I’m not asking for state secrets. Just about you, your family. How did you meet your wife?”

Boot wasn’t the chattiest soldier, and his loyalty was obvious. It took him a moment to decide what to share. “We met a few weeks after the Shadow Warriors came to the island. Maylin came into the city with her family asking for help. She brought her mother and aunt, too. They live with us now.” His face soured. “Maylin doesn’t get along with them. Says they’re too strict with Che.”

“I was standing guard when she brought us tamales just like these.” He held one up as if to emphasize the point before taking another bite. “They were this good, too. Maylin can be difficult, but the woman can cook.”

There was a warmth in his voice that he didn’t quite disguise, even if his expression suggested a little exasperation.

“Was she a fighter?” I asked.

Boot laughed, a deep, genuine sound. “With a frying pan, yes. Weapons? No. But she’ll protect our son, no question about that. I’ve been training her. Back then, her family owned one shotgun, and it didn’t help much when the hellhounds first attacked. They managed to find a reinforced shelter with just enough supplies to survive. Her father and brother died hunting for small game.” His voice grew quieter before he took another bite. “Maylin didn’t feel like she had a choice and was one of the first to put faith in our soldiers.” He paused a moment, then smiled. “I married her for her cooking.”

“Liar. You love her.”

“Mostly for her cooking,” he teased, grinning wider.

Argh. Men.I rolled my eyes. “Tell me about Che.”

Boot’s expression softened, pride lighting up his face. “Che’s a handful, as you’ve discovered. He doesn’t listen, pushes every button he can find, and challenges his boundaries daily. But he’ll make a great warrior. Better than me, even if he’s not a Shadow Warrior.”

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