Page 70 of Shadow Master
All eyes were now on me.
“You think this is a holiday camp?” I advanced toward the nearest table. “Some kind of retreat?” I scanned the faces, relieved to see that Latrou and Helseth weren’t among them. “You think this is some kind of joke?”
“Justice!” Baron, the man I’d once called father, stood. “Watch your tone. We are the council.”
I shook my head. “No, there is no council on this side of the veil. Only those who are useful and those who aren’t. The council holds no authority, not in time of war. In time of war, the militia rule. I rule.”
Brady came up to stand behind me, and I caught Kash enter the room in the periphery of my vision.
“You have no right—”
Brady brought his ax down on the ground with a clang. “You want to fight me on that, Baron?”
The use of Baron’s first name was a direct insult.
Baron took a step back. “You’re making a mistake. Orion won’t stand for this.”
My lips curved in a wicked smirk. “Orion is at base camp getting ready to fight alongside us. I guess he’s not a coward like all of you.” My gaze grazed faces, men and women, able-bodied, maybe not to fight, but to help in other ways. Washing armor, cooking, building fires. They could have been helping in so many ways, but instead, they sat here on their arses eating.
My attention dropped to the tables laden with food. So much fucking food.
“Armies need good food.” I looked at the head server. He was a man with a wiry frame and a look of disdain on his face, not for me, but for the council. “Hey, you’re in charge of the kitchens, right?”
He nodded, his eyes lighting up as if he knew what was coming.
I grinned. “Pack up the food and stick it in a wagon along with any other food that won’t spoil too quickly.”
He inclined his head. “It would be my pleasure, and if I may, I’d like to offer my services as cook for the troops.”
“As would I,” another server said.
“You can’t do this.” Baron was seething, and it warmed my twisted heart.
“Who’s going to stop me?” I raked over the gathered aristocracy, good only for barking orders and lording over the peons because of their bloodlines. Well, their bloodlines meant nothing right now. “You?” I pointed at a portly man to my right. He shook his head, looking terrified. “Or you?” I pointed at a nightblood who shrank back. “Or you?” I looked at Baron.
Baron’s jaw ticked with the need to do violence, but he kept his mouth shut.
The clip of boots drew my attention to the entrance. Brunner entered the room and surveyed the scene, and then turned her head to look at me.
“What can I do to help, Indigo.”
* * *
It was onlywhen all my new recruits were gathered in the foyer and the food had been loaded into two wagons that it hit me. We didn’t have any armor for the newbies.
Shit.
I looked at Brady and saw my revelation echoed there, but then two figures appeared on the stairs carrying a huge black case between them.
Madam Latrou and Helseth.
“We’re coming with you too,” Latrou said.
Shit. “Listen, you’ll have to stay here until I can get some armor sent back to you.”
Latrou smiled. “Oh, no, dear, there won’t be any need for that. Take a look outside.”
I headed out of the front door and down the steps into the night.
