“Or die,” I finished for him. “I know.”
Hell had a brutal system in place for its own reasons. I didn’t entirely disagree with it or how my father and Ronen led. The circles were designed for suffering. I understood that.
But shouldn’t the Redemption Circle be more… redeeming?
Hadn’t the dead suffered enough?
I suppose that didn’t account for the blood-banded and the deals they made with my father.
I didn’t have the answers. I only knew I wasn’t like them.
Maybe that was more proof I wasn’t cut out to be a leader in Hell.
Or maybe…
“Hell needed to change,” I mumbled
“Hellion?” Ronen prompted.
“Nothing.”
I took in his puzzled face, feeling the hum of his awe and just a touch of anxiety.
Here he was, coming to search for me after I hurt him last night.
And this morning… with Aspen, then Sam and his needle, Ronen had helped me without a thought. He had held me, comforted me.
Even when he probably thought I was in Aspen’s bed.
I stepped toward Ronen.
Flutters bombarded my stomach as I raised my hand to his cheek. They worsened when he gripped my sides, pulling me in close.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, meaning it with my whole heart.
His gaze gentled. “I understand, Hellion.”
He didn’t. But he would soon.
Stepping foot into the arena, I paused.
The large, enclosed training grounds appeared almost empty. Half the squadrons were gone, and everyone left wore a Hell squadron uniform, whether they had earned it or not.
“Patrolling’s begun,” Ronen supplied as I watched MJ direct my squad. She had them split in half, fighting against each other.
She wasn’t alone either.
The other squads were performing similar drills. A Dread, in their darker uniform, stood next to each squad leader, helping them monitor, critique, and pause the fights.
“We have shifts in the city to watch and protect our citizens, shifts around the castle, and shifts to help the Dreads and Nightmares search the forests,” he continued, a touch of doubt lingering at the end of his sentence.
“You don’t think we’ll find any infected,” I said, peering up at him.
He pursed his lips, gazing out at the rest of his military.
“No. Not unless they make a mistake or Alexei finds something in the books he’s been reading. But whoever’s behind this is strategic. They know they have the element of surprise, and they won’t risk losing it.”
“Can we stop them if they attack?”
