“Who knows.” I straightened and turned toward the door. “Maybe this special iron will someday save us from the monsters.”
Back at the barracks,the night guard were filtering out into the yard. It was almost time for my shift on the wall. I crossed the yard to my bunk at a jog.
I opened the door and slammed into an arm that swung across the doorframe and caught me in the neck. I hit the wooden boards, dropped the half-round and journal, and two sets of hands closed around my feet. They dragged me inside and the door thudded shut behind us.
Four faces loomed above me, lit by the setting green-hued sun bleeding through the window. Each of them were night guard like me, recognizable—but not. I didn’t know any of them like Theo. Four young men, eyes cold with anger. One sneered, two others’ eyes were alight with promise, the last was stone-faced.
The fourth stood in front of me, arms folded. He was tall and well-formed with razor-sharp lips. He was used to being followed. “You really fucked us last night, Waters,” he said.
This was danger, lethal-edged and all male.
“How hard is it for a girl,” another said, “to push your lips together and blow?”
This was about the whistle. The Vaelen-damned whistle. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ll be sorrier in ten minutes.”
A feral instinct made my fingers clench against the floorboards. “I ran this morning until I dropped.”
“That’s the regiment commander’s justice,” another said, moving behind me, “Not ours.”
They circled, closing in. Sizing me.
One I could fight, two I could evade. But four? Four was goodnight.
The leader squatted in front of me, crossed arms coming to rest on his knees. “It’s an honor to sit on the wall, you know.”
That was a threat and a promise. Fear flowed like well water down my back.
“You’ll be standing tonight,” another said, “whether you like it or not.”
A bitten-off laugh. Then hands grabbed my arms and hauled me up. Soon more hands were on my body; they carried me toward my bed.
No—if they got me onto the bed, onto my stomach, it would be over. I had been warned about this. My mother had warned me, Aldric, even Theo. They had all warned me in their own way.
The guard was dangerous for a woman. Dangeroustoa woman.
Rational thought receded, replaced by instinct. I knew this feeling; it was adrenaline, wild in my veins, willing me to fight. All I had now was to fight and fight.
This was how I had always been. Cornered, I fought.
I thrashed like a hooked fish and screamed. If I screamed loud enough, someone would hear; the barracks weren’t soundproof, and they weren’t large. Between screams I spat, turning my head left and right. The four guard grunted and strained to keep hold of my limbs. Their momentum toward the bed slowed. I thrashed harder, one of my legs briefly breaking free.
I kicked with everything I had. My boot crashed against something hard but malleable—cartilage. A yell sounded, and I knew I’d made contact with someone’s face.
“Fuck,” the one said, both hands going to his nose. Which meant they were no longer holding my ankle.
I brought my free foot around, twisting my body to kick at the guard who had hold of my other ankle. The heel of my boot thudded into his sternum, but he didn’t let go.
“Get her on the bed,” the one holding his broken nose said, his voice a snarl.
Footsteps sounded on the front porch. Someone had heard. The door opened, slamming into the wall. “What in Vallorn’s?—”
I didn’t recognize that voice. It didn’t matter; it was a man’s voice, someone who was shocked by what they were seeing. That was enough.
The four guard assaulting me stopped. Their holds loosened.
I screamed again, wrenching my left arm free. I didn’t hesitate; both hands went to the other guard still clamping my wrist. His eyes widened, and my mouth opened as I grabbed hold of his tunic, pulling myself closer. My other hand clawed into his short hair, threading in and clenching.
