Page 78 of Warrior

King took a brief moment and clasped Beck’s arm in a quick, rough man-hug.“Explain later.Have you seen Nokita?”

Beck smirked.“Federation soldiers had his Warriors pinned down.Naturally, I had to save his ass.”He threw in an exaggerated eye roll, followed by another grin.“Left him to finish off the easy part so I could rescue your sorry ass.”

I moved closer to King, and his hand immediately found mine.The warmth of his touch was exactly what I craved.

“We need to get back to the planes,” King said.“The Federation will be scrambling right now, but that won’t last.”

“We’re leaving?”I asked in disbelief.

King’s eyes darkened, his fury barely contained.“They lured the hellhounds into the tunnels to kill as many of us as possible, then blew the tunnels to seal the deal.The hellhounds that survived will dig their way out.We need to return home and regroup.”

Adrenaline still pumped through my veins, and all I could see was red.I wanted General Smyth’s blood on my hands.I needed to play in it.I wanted the president’s life to end after hours of suffering.The urge to kill them was overwhelming.My vision blurred, and the world started to spin.

“Marinah?”King whispered, gripping my hand tighter.

I raised my free arm, exposing the hellhound scratch on my side.I knew he wouldn’t be happy.

“My syringe with the antidote is still in my room.I could use one of yours,” I muttered, my knees threatening to buckle.

King cursed and caught me before I fell.The sting of the needle came and went, but the process of cutting away my poisoned flesh was another story entirely.By the time he finished, I wasn’t back to normal, but the fog had lifted, and I felt steady enough to stand.

“Can you run?”he asked, sliding the bloodied knife back into its sheath.

“No one could stop me,” I said, though I winced as I got back to my feet.

“It was only a small scratch, baby.”

He was going to pay for that one.

“Remind me to give you a black eye when we get out of here,” I shot back.

He just laughed, the sound oddly soothing in the midst of all the blood and gore.

I walked over to Landan and Mila, who stood a few feet away.“We have a one-way ticket to Cuba with your names on it,” I told them.

“Do we have a choice?”Landan asked, then quickly added, “Wait, I didn’t mean it like that.Yes, we’ll take the tickets.”He glanced down at Mila, a softness in his eyes.“We were planning an extended vacation on the beach anyway.”

Mila laughed, and Landan wrapped an arm around her.Despite the twelve-year age difference, the warmth between them was unmistakable.Love didn’t follow rules.

Next, I approached Skylar, hesitating for a moment before kneeling beside her.She sat on the ground, cradling Harris’s lifeless hand in her own, her head bowed.I hated that I had to interrupt.

“We’re leaving shortly,” I said softly.“We want you to come with us.It’s not safe here.”

She didn’t look up, her eyes fixed on Harris.I already knew what her answer would be before she whispered, “I can’t leave him.”

I swallowed hard and softened my tone further.“We’ll take Harris to the island and bury him there,” I said.

Her shoulders trembled, and I knew my offer had reached her.Whether or not her heart was ready to accept it, I couldn’t say.But I would make sure she didn’t stay behind.

She ran her hands over her grief-stricken face, wiping her eyes before looking up at me.With a quiet nod, she agreed.The Warrior who had carried Harris earlier stepped forward, gently lifting his body while Skylar clung to his hand again.Mila moved beside her, wrapping a supportive arm around her waist, with Landan on her other side.

It took an hour to ensure the Warriors who needed tending were stabilized and able to walk.Twenty-two had been killed, and their bodies were carried like Harris’s.The air felt incredibly heavy.

With Labyrinth’s and Beck’s Warriors, our numbers swelled to nearly three hundred.Nokita had another hundred with him, and they knew where to rendezvous.

I prayed we would cross paths with the president and his soldiers.The rage burning inside me needed an outlet, and I was ready for more death.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

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