Page 14 of Princess

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she launched herself across the three feet between us and threw her arms around me.

I hesitated, then wrapped mine around her in return.

“I really am sorry,” she murmured against my stomach.“I promise I’ll be good at this.”

I leaned back just enough to meet her eyes.“You won’t just be good at it, Ruth.You’ll be the best.”I let my voice soften.“I’m proud of you for doing this.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away, as if realizing what she had done.

If Ruth was actually sincere, I owed Maylin a huge thank you.

“Are you ready to train today?”I asked.

“You bet,” she said eagerly.“Are we using weapons or just conditioning?”

I blinked.

She hated conditioning.

Yep.Aliens were the only explanation.

“Weapons,” I said.

Forty minutes into our sparring session, Alden entered.I could tell by the look on his face that something bad happened.

“An outpost was attacked on the mainland,” he said.

I lowered my weapon.“Have the guards meet me in the argument room in ten minutes.”

“I ran into Cabel on my way here, and he’s alerting them.”

I nodded, turning back to Ruth.“Training is cut short.Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring the person who can help you with your plan.”

“I’ll be ready,” she said, eagerly.

I left the gym, my mind already shifting into battle mode.The attack didn’t surprise me.It had been too quiet.The thought of casualties, though, scared me.We had Shadow Warriors stationed in half the human outposts on the mainland.The other half had refused our help.

I burst into the argument room, which was the name I’d dubbed our conference room.The new name was mostly because of Beck and his never-ending need to be difficult.I would think his contrary behavior just for me but he had been the same way with King.

My guards immediately rose from their seats.These were the men who led their own contingency of Shadow Warriors.My gaze swept the room, landing on Labyrinth’s empty chair.A familiar ache tightened my chest.He should be here.

He’d taken too many Federation bullets during Lesley’s capture.By the time we stopped running, he had lost too much blood.I would never see his unique eyes again.Never hear his laugh.It hurt so much.

His death would stay with me forever.It was somehow worse than Boot’s.

Shoving the grief aside, I took my seat and turned to Beck.“What outpost?”

“The closest one north of Landan’s.It’s one of the outposts that refused our help.”

A small, exhale of relief escaped me.At least it wasn’t one of ours and I refused to feel guilty for thinking it.

“What are the casualties?”I asked.

Beck’s mouth tightened.That wasn’t a good sign.

“Originally, all but the young,” he said.

---