“Them? But they’re newbies?” Rohan furrowed his brows, staring at us as if we were hiding something from him before turning back towards the Lieutenant.
“Some pups need to be put in place from the start,” the Lieutenant drawled on the words, voice laced in ice cold steel.
We stared at each other. I knew he was my superior, but I didn’t bow to tyrants, my respect had to be earned.
Rohan pulled his jacket over his shoulders. “I’ll inform your team to prepare for departure.”
“Don’t bother.” The white haired man’s voice cut through the room like sharp glass.
Carolyn shrank into her seat, her hands trembling in her lap, fingers twisting themselves raw.
Nate cleared his throat, his voice cautious. “Sir… with respect, none of us has any real experience with demons.”
The silence cracked. The Lieutenant pushed himself to his feet with deliberate slowness, every movement like a predator stretching before a kill. He stalked towards the table. Mey sat up straighter, but her eyes stayed fixed on the wood grain, as if bracing for impact. My jaw flexed, trying to contain my boiling blood.
The Lieutenant planted his hands on the table with a heavythud, leaning over his recruits. His gaze swept across us, dark and merciless, barely lingering long enough on me to make the air between us coil with unspoken venom.
“Then consider yourselves fortunate,” he said, voice low and edged. “I’ll be right there, holding your hands as you slay your first demons. Try not to trip over yourselves and embarrassme.”
CHAPTER
6
We headed out, towards the barbed fences. On our way out, soldiers handed us equipment that had already been prepared.
The smoothness in how a simple order was given, how one moved and everyone followed, the unspoken words, and how they all knew the routine by now—this was what I wanted,unity. Where every piece, every person, was needed to complete the chain.
“You know how to handle a gun, right?” one of the soldiers asked Mey as they handed one over.
“Yeah,” she nodded simply.
“I-I’d prefer a sword… or knife,” Carolyn interrupted, but the soldier stared blankly at her, still holding the gun out in the air.
“You’d be dead within seconds,” Ashley explained, making sure all of her things were in her satchel.
“I’ll be fine… I-I’m quite good at close combat,” Carolyn tried sounding firm, but failed.
The Lieutenant sighed heavily, as he snagged the weapon out of her reach. “Your funeral.”
We were regular recruits, and were offered a sword, a gun and two daggers each.
We helped each other get the protective vests on, they were tight, barely leaving room for breathing.
The gate opened and the Lieutenant took the lead.
“Come on, pups,” he whistled as if we were his pack of dogs.
“Ass,” Nate muttered, before stepping out.
“Shut it. How many demons and mages do you think he’s slayed?” Mey sent an elbow into her brother’s side. “Enough to whoop you, so let’s not cause trouble?”
“I could take him,” Nate smiled daringly, as their voices lowered another notch.
Mey glared at him, before she began coughing. Nate’s smile died off as he patted her back.
“Sorry, my throat is a bit dry,” Mey apologized.
“Water?” Ashley offered a pouch and she accepted with a kind smile.
