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She wasn’t wrong. She really wasn’t wrong.
I sighed. Heavily. “I really hate a smart fucking enemy.” I was glad when Sebastian and Winston were in the group. Then I found Ceawlin. “I’m going to trust you as my brother-in-law to defend my castle and tree while I’m gone. Do not fail me, got it?”
He swallowed loudly and nodded. “You want your people to handle this to not risk any guest from another coven is injured by the big bullets.”
“It seems wise, but not what she’d expect,” I muttered before looking to Kristof again. “She wants to see who might fail. I don’t want to test them that way. They’re here to raid. They’ve all helped on the lockdowns. So let them be on lockdown duty at the outposts. We can handle this with the three damn covens I’m now in charge of basically.”
“Handle what, Princess?” Branko asked. “How do you want to handle this?”
I shot him an amused look. “Even I need a minute to figure out a plan for this crazy, Branko. We knew we’d have to come out today and like make contact, but I’m pretty sure no one thought one of them would be so focused on trying to prove the size of their tiny dick that they’d send out battalions of troops to come at us after last night. I mean… Bitch be crazy.”
I was glad when several people chuckled.
Another sigh and I glanced back at Kristof. “I want to say go for something bold to throw them off kilter, like blur them down to the convention center, but then we’re going to scare the mom and kids that can’t travel that way.” I frowned when sadness filled his eyes and he reached for me.
“I thought you knew there are no children there, my love. None that were born after the apocalypse began basically.”
“How is that even…” Horror filled me. “No. Tell me—”
“Anyone who was far enough along was allowed to have their babies, but after that all the women and men were warned that they were conscripted into the military, active duty in times of war,” James muttered. “That they stay celibate or take their chances with protection, but any pregnancies would be terminated so know that’s the rule if they stay.”
I ground my teeth. “But they didn’t let them leave.”
“They did any who wanted to keep babies or didn’t make the choice to terminate,” James explained. “The docs wouldn’t perform abortions against anyone’s will. Hard line. Someone was threatened to be shot for mutiny when they refused, but all the docs said they would walk or take the bullet that they weren’t doing medical procedures against patient will.”
“Or they’d be no better than the monsters outside the fences,” I whispered, shaking my head. It was horrible, but that rule probably saved lives. I’d seen people get eaten protecting parents running with small children.
Those children were already born and yes, all life was sacred but… Was it fair to know that in such horrible times that those already alive could die to save the new life someone wanted to selfishly bring into the world as it was? I didn’t think it was, but to also make it a rule and force it when accidents happened but… Yeah, there was no easy answer.
Which was life. Apocalypse or not.
“Fuck, everything is just one fucking extreme or another,” I whispered, blinking back tears. I felt better when Kristof nodded and took my hand.
One settlement was raping women and forcing them to be baby-making factories and another was forcing abortions. Like… Seriously? Those were the options to those who survived?
And we thought anything of the world was salvageable? Deserved to be saved?
Another debate for another time. Right now how to handle today’s crazy.
“Get me all the generals and commanders,” I answered after a moment. “Bring them here. Get out whoever is in charge of those detachments and on the ground as well. Break the tanks or whatever. Don’t leave them sitting ducks in case Keres has corrupted come at them but stop their progress to St. Louis.”
“You want to talk to the people others will actually follow and trust in like how you won over your shifters,” Joi surmised.
I shrugged. “It worked with Chris too. All of that worked because we knew someone who knew Chris. I want James and Chris to talk to these guys and—there’s got to be a way to get at least most of the influential people, right? The better lodgings or they’re probably all in their war room? Let’s just get them here and have it out. We can go from there.”
“And we don’t have much time because she will have the ghosts soon and too many,” Kristof said when people looked as if they might object or suggest something.
That got a reaction. Like people froze and clearly remembered how bad it was last time Keres pulled shit. Hell, even our new norm of not being able to use the shielding rooms and having to really move when I would have a lot of ghosts.
Horror filled me as I realized something. “Someone check that highway. If I was her, I would take out that highway we cleared that I keep using to handle the ghosts.”
“We thought of that as well, so we have several backups now, love,” Cerdic assured me, nodding when I glanced at him.
So were others.
“Good, thank you,” I whispered, rubbing my chest. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. That was so stupid of me.”
“Not everything is yours to think of, Inez,” Cerdic reminded me. “But I was going to tell you. I was just worried that we’ve had dreams of her watching, so I didn’t want to draw attention. It turned out several of us had the same idea. So just know we have extra and extra plans.”
