Page 210 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

“Two; there were only two that survived from any of the outposts.”

I nod as Sienna turns to me, the drakaths moving behind her doing their own thing. It is weird seeing them do something other than attack or stand still. “I can heal. I’ve put them to work; they’ll do what’s needed.”

I trust her entirely, but the vampires don’t trust the drakaths, remaining on edge as the monsters work around them.

“Great,” I say. “Antonov, begin identifying the dead. We’re going to have to burn the bodies.”

I voice the hard truth because there are far too many bodies to transport home.

“Understood.” He moves off, and I walk over to Sienna, brushing my fingers through her hair.

“Just take it easy for me.”

She nods. “I will,” she replies before she steps back and walks towards the broken barracks.

For the first time since I got here, everyone begins moving with some sense of purpose. Orders are passed along, supplies are gathered from the wreckage, and teams start forming without hesitation.

Nobody questions my instructions; nobody argues, simply doing what’s needed after a battle, even if they don’t like it.

Because right now somebody has to lead, and the tension hanging over the survivors is impossible to miss. The vampires have lost their heir; those stationed here have lost their Commander and hundreds of their comrades in a matter of hours.

They’re grieving, exhausted and angry, and I don’t fucking blame them.

They are placing what little trust they have in me from the time I was stationed here, and obeying.

And whether I like it or not, right now that’s enough.

So, I shove aside the exhaustion, the turmoil, the grief, and everything else demanding my attention, watching as the first teams begin moving out across the ruined landscape.

Because if this is what’s left of our people, then I don’t have the luxury of taking a break and figuring out this entire thing regarding Sienna being bound to me in the one way she shouldn’t have been.

Not yet, not tonight.

Tonight, we regroup, we recover, and we grieve.

A Fragile Alliance

Sienna

Hours have passed, and I’ve done what I could. Aunty Ri and the others have been located. Miraculously, everyone survived, albeit some with injuries; they were blocked off and held back by the Indomitable, too.

Tents have been set up, and the drakaths are lurking like ominous sentries. “Are they just going to stand there?” Jayce’s voice comes from behind me.

“I don’t really know what to do with them,” I admit sheepishly.

A small, faint smile graces his face when I turn to look at him, and he nods slowly. “I can only imagine… It’s not every day you get an army of mindless monsters simply existing and awaiting your command.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” I hum, smiling dryly. It is weird, and kind of creepy if I do say so myself.

Jayce’s hand finds my waist, and he tugs me closer. “You should go get some rest; I’ll join you soon.”

I look up at him, noticing the way he phrases his words, being careful not to order me. We will figure that out later. There’s got to be a way that he won’t walk on eggshells around me. I don’t want that.

I nod. “When are you going to rest? I know you’re in charge right now, but you’ve been doing a lot all night,” I whisper.

“I just need to-”

“She’s right; we pretty much sat this one out and left it to you. So, both of you go get some rest; I’ll take over from here,” Uncle Liam says. But before Jayce can even respond, I sense powerful auras, and we all turn, readying ourselves for anything, when the Vampire Princess, Anya Petrova, walks towards us.