Page 48 of Princess

The baby was a hard knot in my belly.Axel assured me he would be okay.Well, he assured me she would be okay, but I only had energy to give him a hard stare.

We shifted form an hour before the exchange.If the Federation wanted to deal with the Shadow Warriors, that was exactly who they would get.They knew our secrets because of Knet.We needed each Warrior fully in control of their faculties for what could go down.

I stood at the shore, King, Beck, and Nokita beside me.Alden led the forces at the citadel, and Rodrigo manned the mini sub.Rodrigo’s men, which he’d chosen the day before, moved the underwater mines away from the dock so the Federation sub could get closer.His job in the mini sub was to stay out of sight unless he had a chance at picking up one or both our Warriors from the water.The water near the shipyard was thick with fuel and death.Rodrigo knew the area like the back of his hand, and it wouldn’t be a problem for him.Axel stayed behind our troops with Rodrigo’s human soldiers guarding him for protection.Under no circumstances could we lose Axel.

We had planes ready to run interference if we were attacked by air.Though we hadn’t pictured the scenario we faced today, we’d planned for so many possibilities that everything came together smoothly.And still, I had that nagging feeling that we’d overlooked something.

We waited at the end of the dock for about ten minutes.My body stiffened when a barely perceptible ripple in the water caught my eye.A dark column rose up.Droplets of water caught the sunlight as the periscope climbed higher.No splash, no churn, just a quiet, almost surgical penetration of the natural waves.

With a deep, resonant groan that vibrated through the air, the ocean's surface began to boil.A dark mass surged upward, displacing tons of water in a thunderous roar of foam and spray.

I wanted to look at King, but I kept my eyes on the enemy.This display was meant to intimidate.I almost laughed.No one with me was afraid of the Federation.

The hatch opened.A man carrying a rifle climbed out and took a position on the far, left side of the sub’s deck.More men emerged until they lined the deck, holding their weapons at ready.

“Do we do anything this stupid looking?”King asked.

“No,” Beck replied.

“They must have drilled for hours to get it right,” Nokita added.

“Stop it,” I muttered under my breath.“I’m trying to look properly cowed, and you’re going to make me smile.”

“Give the order, and the snipers will take them out,” Beck said.

“Not now,” I replied.

What came next was something out of a horror film.There was nothing sexy about our Shadow Warrior form unless you were one.King found my Warrior body appealing, and I returned the favor, but we were not Hollywood werewolves.We were hairy, muscled, killing machines, and built just for that purpose.The creature that emerged was hideous.Its arms were too short, its head too something.I wanted to say small, but the teeth made up for it.The leg joints bent at awkward angles, making it hunch its body as if trying to decide whether to walk on two legs or four.

Knet.

Two soldiers on the sub’s deck turned slightly and pointed their rifles at the traitor.I found this interesting.They didn’t trust him, which made them smarter than they appeared.

A tall man I didn’t recognize came up next.He looked official, his parade uniform complete with firm creases and shiny pins to mark his significance.

Another man came out.He wore a lesser uniform and carried a megaphone.He handed it to the officer.

The shrill squeak made me fight covering my ears.

“My name is Admiral Fegan,” he said after the squeal subsided.“I need to see that First Lady Barnes is unhurt before we proceed.”

“Bring her forward,” I said.

She was carried by a Warrior and placed on the ground beside me.I pulled a large knife and cut the bindings on her hands.I grabbed beneath her arm and lifted her so she stood beside me.

The admiral showed no reaction to her condition.He said something to the soldier beside him, and within a minute, Ace appeared, followed by Trevor.Both men were chained.They looked straight at us, and my heart clenched.They were ready to die, and more than anything, I wanted them to live.They didn’t show fear; they showed fury.Two men to either side of them had stepped back and pointed their rifles at them.

A yellow, square-shaped object was pulled from the hatch with a rope.A man tossed it over the side and pulled a cord so a raft inflated.The admiral said something to the soldier beside him again.The soldier took Ace’s arm and led him toward the hatch.

Ace gave us one last look, nodded his head, and went below.My heart broke.Trevor’s beast roiled, and I worried he wouldn’t be able to control it.

“If he changes into one of those creatures, shoot him,” the admiral bellowed into the megaphone so we would hear.

Trevor slowly gained control and kept his eyes trained on me.I could almost feel the red-hot rage pouring out of him.His head finally lowered, and he stared at the deck.We knew he would switch places with Ace if he could.

The admiral lifted the blowhorn again.“He will be placed in the raft alone.Do the same with the First Lady.”

We had a small fishing boat waiting.While Trevor was placed in the raft, Mrs.Barnes was situated in the boat.She struggled with the tape but only managed to pull part of it from her mouth.Her face looked even more misshapen after her effort.With a last furious glare at me, she began rowing.

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