Lyrica peered at the camera feed being transmitted from Liam’s vest. He was punching a Kurjan soldier rapidly in the mouth, shattering teeth and then breaking bones. Finally, he knocked the Kurjan down and punched him hard enough in the temple that the soldier floppeddown, out cold.
Lyrica gulped. “Are we sure we’re the good guys here?”
“Today, we are,” Hope said. She looked around the small group. “Can anybody besidesLyrica fight?”
Three other women raised their hands.
“Great. You all come to the front just in case. I don’t see the fight coming this way, but if it does, we want to be ready.” She looked at Lyrica and handed her a gun. “It’s a laser scope. You shoot lasers that turn into metal as they hit immortal flesh. You knowhow to shoot?”
“Of course I know how to shoot,” Lyrica said.
Hope turned back to the phone. “Collin, Liam, there are two Cyst soldiers coming up on your north. Be prepared. They’re working in tandem, and they’re moving fast.”
“Copy that,” Liam said.
“Got them,” Collin said, turningon the screen.
She watched as the battle raged on. The smell of blood, coppery and sweet, filtered inside the barracks, and soon smoke began to accumulate inside. Two of the women started coughing. Hope looked over her shoulder. “Everybody sit down on the cots. The lower you are, the better the air. So far, the battle’s not coming this way. If it does, I’ll let you know. For now, preserve your strength and breathe.”
They all followed her orders except for Lyrica, who remained at her side.
“Has anybody located Ulric?” Hope asked again.
“Negative,” Talen said.
“Not yet,” Dage said. Once more, everyone else replied in the negative.
Hope searched the camera feeds for a sighting of the Cyst leader. Where was he? Was it possible he’d left after Drake had died, expecting an attack? Hope chewed on her lip. She tapped the communicator. “Priority one is finding Ulric. Report in the second you identify his location,” she ordered. If they could take off the head of the snake, perhaps they couldend this thing.
Even as she had the thought, a trap door in the floor flipped open, and Ulric jumped out, grabbing her. “You wanted me, Lock?”
* * * *
Paxton sent healing cells to his pierced eardrum because he needed to hear Hope’s voice more than anything else. Her orders were quick and curt, but the woman definitely knew what she was doing. Even in the midst of battle, pride in her rippled through him. He didn’t deserve her, but hopefully she’d never figure that out.
Because no way was he everletting her go.
He turned and took another Kurjan soldier to the ground, knocking him out instead of decapitating him. After the first attack, all of the Realm soldiers were trying to incapacitate rather than kill. If they were ever going to have peace, they needed to start now. Well, after they won this battle. Paxton kicked him a couple more times in the temple. He wanted to be kind, not stupid.
A Cyst soldier came at him, and he stabbed the warrior in the neck and punched him in the eye before beating on his skull until the monster went down. Pax took out half of the guy’s throat but left the other half. The Cyst would live, but it would take him a while to heal. For now, he could swallowhis own blood.
Paxton methodically went through enemy after enemy as Hunter and Vero did the same at his side.
Vero covered his back nearly the entire time, fighting hard, his face fierce and blood flowing down his arm. He’d been wounded in the neck and hadn’t healedit all the way.
“Heal that,”Paxton ordered.
“Working on it,” Vero replied, turning out and kicking a rushing Cyst in the balls. He followed up with a series of punches that sounded like a bat hitting a metal pole.
The trio moved steadily inward until they finally reached the center of the camp. Pax spotted Dage and Zane—both kings panting, bleeding, but standing. It had always impressed him how the Realms’ leaders were the first to fight, the first to bleed, and the first to die. He thought it was a good example that humans should follow. The humans who sent soldiers to war remained safely at home. The systemwas messed up.
He paused as Realm soldiers lined up the wounded and defeated Kurjan and Cyst soldiers, positioning them on their knees near the main lodge. They’d spared a lot more than they had killed. He settled, his temper mellowing. It was a good thing they hadn’t killed everybody.
Dage strode forward and tapped his ear. “Somebody give me a status.”
Hope’s voice did not comeover the line.
Paxton tapped his ear communicator. “Hope, do you have the stats?”
