I use the holo Ben had tucked into my bag to message Raquel to send supplies to the Upper Woodbridge wayhouse. It’s a longhaul, even for able-bodied people, but it’s the closest wayhouse or town not in the path of the battle. We just have to hope they make it. But I know from Arch that the Koth Chime, the only landed chime in that direction, are out of town. So that is one worry I can put aside.
Once the civilians are gone, I collapse in my own bed. My tiny, hard bed, not surrounded by bodies, not touched in a calm, comforting manner by tails, not woken with a hard cock and a hard orgasm, nor a warm home, or electric lights, and sugared tea.
But I find what I miss most isthem. The way they kindly tease and support each other, the way they quietly check on me, their easy control of my body and the way my body, and mind, allowed it.
My eyes open as my body aches. I hurt everywhere.What in the world?
I sit up and tug my blanket around my shoulders as I shiver in my cold, small home. I slowly stand, hips and knee joints aching as I wiggle my feet into my slippers. I need to get it together because shortly I’ll be face to face with some stone bats, surely.
I struggle through making some oatmeal—which would be infinitely better with raisins—and tea. Shivering, I sit at the table, though the woodstove is kicking out heat. The warm oatmeal and hot tea helps, but I stand and dig around in my cupboard, pulling out a bottle of moonshine.
I don’t make it often, as it’s a vile drink and tends to bring out the worst in folks. But for dealing with injuries and some illnesses, it’s unparalleled. I pour a good nip in my cup and refill it with rich lemon balm tea. The gentle scent of lemons reminds me of Theo and my eyes unexpectedly fill with tears. A hard pang of pain echoes through my abdomen. I blink hard and toss back the drink.
Time to gear up and kill some bats.
LORA STANDS NEXT TOme, short sword in hand, pistol tucked in her back waistband. My pistol is too, but we’re two of only a handful of us that have them. Firearms were widely confiscated, and now, the ones that escaped have severely limited ammunition.
Henry, Wyatt, and Sam have been spread with fighters in an arc around the dam, on the eastern edge of town. The gargoyles tend to split off and send small groups of soldiers in on wings, so the front that Lora and I are leading are not necessarily going to see the most action.
In the dim dawn light, I can see a fire on the horizon. It turns my stomach. Was it started on purpose? By whom, and for what intent? The thought that the goyles are trying to destroy the dam runs through my mind on repeat. I can almost see the scene that will happen, any human who looks remotely competent marked as a Bell’s Rebel leader and hauled to one of the government centers.
It happened back, after the big push that killed my parents.At least they died in the battle.Not publicly beheaded.
“Remember,” I call, looking around at my contingent. “We fight for our lives! Forsafety! For our next generations!”
We were able to rest, due to my knowledge of when the goyles need to sleep. I had been conservative on my estimate, so here we stand, ready and waiting, for the bats to wake and leave their camps, ready to dive bomb back into the battle with us.
And it happens suddenly, like huge eagles, swooping low. I hear a scream as one of my people is lifted into the air. I grit my teeth, spinning, sword out. I catch a thick-skinned leg to a screech.
Through the forest comes the other Rebels. My eyes spare a moment from watching the sky to search for Noah and his second in command—and husband—Liam.I hope they are still alive.
I catch a glance of Liam’s long flaming red-braid as he cuts a wicked slice up a goyle’s belly and relief hits me.
Followed quickly by a pain through my gut, yet no weapon touches me. Movement catches my eye and I turn quickly, blade out just as a bat hits the ground.
“Bitch,” he growls in a manner that reminds menothingofmygargoyles.
I thrust my blade through his wing as I run past his reaching arms, giving my sword a twist.Not today, fucker.
His growl turns into a hair-raising scream but I’m already locked onto the next. This one’s sword dashes down, I block it but he twists, locking our swords. I hear the scream of a woman but my eyes are locked on the goyle’s.A beta, I realize, as I smell him.
“Gods, you human women are ugly,” he grunts in my face.
“No uglier than you,” I respond even as I use my other hand to bury my dagger under his ribs. His sword grip loosens and I dance away, sacrificing that dagger.I have more.
My boot slips on something as I turn again, looking for Lora. I realize it’s someone’s dismembered arm and my stomach revolts, pain shivering through me. I can’t stop though, for I see Lora stuck battling two big alphas.
I cut down another goyle, this one the same cool blue shade of Arch and it makes my stomach ache. I stomp on his wing joint as I step over his wounded body.A downed goyle is a dead goyle, I repeat my father’s often said rule.
I drop to my knees, hamstringing the bigger gargoyle that is battling Lora. He spins, screaming, trying to launch himself into the air but I jam my blade through his wing and slash downwardviciously. His wing skin flaps, blood splattering back and forth as it does.
Lora cuts his throat and his body drops. We turn as one to the other and I manage a glimpse at Lora’s pale face.
“You’re doing well,” I yell above the battle din. “Keep it together.”
She nods and twirls, trying to get around the gargoyle with the long sword.
“Hey you stinky fucker!” I yell, trying to draw him. He does smell though, my nose wrinkling at the scent of this huge alpha. Another zap of anguish through my abdomen.
