Page 105 of The Fae Girl 1

I made a point of staying back. Observing. Seeing how some of the more macho recruits responded to being bossed around by a woman. The more primitive villages were still stuck in the old ways. Those were the ones who never sent girls. They were also the ones we had the most trouble with.

I scanned the crowd watching for any show of dissent.

“No Nela to pick out favourites?” Ridley murmured beside me.

I shrugged. “You know where she is.” I replied.

He gave me a knowing look that made me pause.

“What?”

“Doyouknow where she is right now?” He asked.

“What are you talking about?” I said. She was meant to be with Fae girl. She was meant to be guarding her.

“If you’re done admiring your new recruits then I’ll show you.”

I clicked my jaw. Hating that he had one up on me.

“Fine.” I said turning away. It wasn’t like General Gare needed a hand anyway. She was more than capable to managing twice the bunch in front of her.

We walked down the main gallery. In the good old days they used to hold parties here, if that’s what you called them. Bears would be chained up and some of the less promising slaves would be made to fight them.

I scrunched my nose up. Our ancestors were not civilised.

Even when we’d reclaimed this from all the rubble we could still see the coppery stains on some of the stone. I’d had some soldiers bleach it all. Not because I wanted to erase our history but I didn’t want anyone glorifying it.

Around us was a hive of activity. Soldiers practising in all the fighting pits.

A few passing ones stopped and bowed as I walked by. I nodded acknowledging the gesture as much as I hated it.

Down here I wanted to be a soldier, to be one of them, and yet as their commander that was the antithesis of what I was. I had to maintain the hierarchy, the chain of command, because when we were out on the battlefield they had to respect me, to listen to me, to believe in me.

And that didn’t come from being their best mate.

Ridley turned the corner, leading down to where the smaller pits were. Though we had enough space here to house and train everyone stationed at Montefore we tended to keep them to the bigger pits. To keep them together. To create a bond between them. The pits down this end didn’t really fit the bill.

As we walked along the viewing platform Ridley turned grinning.

“What?” I muttered.

He jerked his head just as my eyes registered the movement.

I frowned, leaning in, my eyes widening as I saw them.

Nela was sat up on the wooden balustrade. In the middle of the pit Indi was stood, wooden sword in hand facing off against her.

Against Alice.

I blinked.

What the hell was she wearing?

She looked like a soldier. She was certainly dressed like one. The leathers clung to her revealing, her body in a way that all those dresses had concealed.

I gulped.

Indi moved, clearly playing the aggressor. Alice parried the blow but even from the distance we were at we could see how close it had come to her face.

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