She shook her enormous head, flinging a spray of blood and saliva in every direction.The women retreated even farther; their fear written in each expression.Marinah’s heavy breaths slowed, and I saw the moment she regained control.The transformation back to Warrior form started.Her massive body cracked and shifted, shrinking as bones popped and realigned.
A few women gasped at the gruesome process, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away.Within a minute, Marinah stood in her smaller though still impressive Warrior form.When she lifted her head, her intelligent eyes locked onto mine, though her fangs stayed Nova massive.
“What’th impor-thant?”she asked, her lisp through the elongated teeth endearing, though I knew better than to tell her that unless I wanted my own entrails torn out.
“Maylin and Baby Boot are safe, but Che and Ruth followed Federation soldiers.They’re missing,” I said.
Her gaze hardened instantly.“Follow-th them where?”she demanded.
“To the beach,” I replied.
Marinah tilted her head back, and a gut-wrenching roar erupted from her throat, reverberating through the square.My sensitive ears flinched at the sound, but it wasn’t meant for me.The women in the square cowered, some crying softly, their fear echoing Marinah’s rising rage.One by one, Shadow Warriors began entering the square, drawn by her ferocious call.
Abruptly, Marinah’s roar cut off.She whirled to face the Warriors now gathered, her blazing eyes nearly eating them alive with fury.“How dith the Federation geth on-th the island without us know-thing?”she shouted, her voice heavy with accusation as she pointed at the men, daring them to answer.“I don’th care whath it taketh.Finth those kiths!”
Her thoughts had cleared even if her rage hadn’t.I wanted answers too.
“Head to the citadel,” I told the women, who were still staring at Marinah like she had two heads.
“They have a whale!”Che yelled from about ten yards away.
“It’s not a whale, you dummy, it’s a submarine,” Ruth snapped, running behind him, her sword drawn.
“It’s a whale, and you’re the dumbest!”
Marinah let out a huff of air that could’ve filled a hot air balloon.Che, fearless as ever, ran up and threw his arms around her leg.“It was super cool!It came up out of the water and then got swallowed again!”
Ruth planted her hands on her hips.“It wasn’t swallowed.It was electronically controlled!”
“Tell her to stop picking on me.She’s been mean all day,” Che said stubbornly.
Marinah bent low, putting her jaws in Ruth’s and Che’s faces.The roar she let loose had everyone jumping a foot in the air.The kids covered their ears, and I was sure Marinah’s dead hellhound breath didn’t help.
Ruth, her face scrunched in what I thought was fear, pointed accusingly at Che.“It was his idea!”
Chapter Seven
Marinah
During the next twenty-four hours, we received no demands from the Federation for Knet.Not that we actually expected any.Knet had information they wanted, and to them, he was little more than an animal.I never completely trusted this particular Shadow Warrior, but he was one of my people, so his loss weighed heavily on me.
The soldiers who attacked us simply disappeared.At least the ones we didn’t kill.Having a submarine made that easier.From what we pieced together, soldiers had landed, a group captured Knet, returned to the sub, and left soldiers and hellhounds behind to kill as many humans and Shadow Warriors as possible.Those who stayed on the island died, but my rage still simmered.
I turned the corner and saw Maylin and Missy talking.Missy was Beck’s mate, and Maylin was Nokita’s.They were both strong women, but neither of them turned into an alien monster.Yes, this was petty.I just didn’t want to deal with them right now.
They blocked the hallway, and Missy wasted no time getting up in my business.“You haven’t slept.The only way you’ll be of help to anyone is if you’re in top form,” she chided.
Tearing her head off and stomping it wasn’t in my best interest, but the thought helped me hold onto my razor-thin temper.
“I’m heading to a meeting,” I grit out.“We’ll be sending a crew to the mainland to see if they can track the soldiers from the submarine.”Maybe if they understood the danger of this current situation, they would back off.And pigs might fly.
“Have you thought about meditation?”Maylin asked in her strong Cuban accent.
“Meditation?”I repeated, like she was speaking a foreign language.She’d been spending too much time with Cosway, who swore by meditation.Cosway was a young woman we found in the U.S.She loved cats and was a gift to us, even if I didn’t like her very much right this minute.
“If you meditated, your head would be clearer,” Missy butted in.
I couldn’t help myself and repeated between my gritted teeth, “Clearer?”
