“They talk about them, but they never explain them. Why do so few Warriors shift to Nova? Were they meant to rule us, or were they meant to protect our rulers? What separates Nova from Shadow Warrior? Yes, they are more powerful, but there were always so few. They were the monster’s monster, and we know too little about them.”
“They were feared and worshiped on the home planet.”
Axel looks at the wall for a long moment before turning his focus back to me. “I’ve read the texts too. They were extremely dangerous. Once a Warrior went Nova, they were never totally trusted even when they became leaders. They had one purpose and that was war. Marinah has a handle on her Nova, but does she actually control her?”
“You think her Nova is the one in control even in Beast form.”
“I think we don’t know. She needs to be watched closely.”
“She thinks her Beast is trying to tell her something.”
“Interesting. After you deal with the Federation, I’ll have her come in for blood tests. It wouldn’t hurt to check her chemical makeup when she’s in Beast form and Nova. There’s always the chance we discover what our differences are and why we don’t all attain Nova form.”
I leave Axel with more questions buzzing in my head and remind him not to be late to the meeting. I enter our room and find Marinah curled on the bed, naked, twisting one of her braids between her fingers, staring at the ceiling.
“Anything you want to share?” I ask after lying down beside her to stare up at the same uninteresting ceiling.
“The female Warriors didn’t think much of their male counterparts,” she says distractedly and waves toward the stack of journals on her nightstand.
“I’m pretty sure the men figured that out when the women left them shortly after arriving here.”
“Hmm.”
I take one of her braids and give it a small jerk so she looks at me. “I’m worried about you.”
Her face scrunches up. “Me?”
“You passed out.”
“Ms. Beast and Nova were trying to tell me something. I’ll have a long meditation session and figure it out.”
I tug a little harder when she continues staring at the ceiling. “Yes?” she asks with just a touch of ire in her voice.
“The meeting?”
“Yes, I know. I need to save the world,” she laments in dramatic fashion and rolls from the bed. She’s distracted and once she’s dressed, she walks out the door without a word.
Mate, my Beast whispers.
Contrary mate, I whisper back.
I slowly drag myself off the bed to follow my queen.
Chapter Sixteen
Marinah
After five minutes of meditation, I take a breath and open my eyes. “Now that our heads are clear, do we have word on the Federation’s location?”
Beck’s eyes snap open impatiently and judging by the tone of his voice, the meditation didn’t calm his nerves in the least. I’ll do a few private sessions with him when this is over.
“Landan notified us about an hour ago that one of his scouting planes located Federation ships about eight hours between Key West and us. Tops, we have eight hours to prepare.”
Weariness takes over and I fight a yawn. “It’s because the hellhounds are already here,” I say and finish with the explanation of the hellhounds chained offshore. The horror on each man’s face says it all. Even Nokita, who had some time to digest what we saw, appears rattled. “This battle is two-fold,” I continue. “They will release the hellhounds first, give them time to cause disruption to our Warriors, and kill as many of us as possible, then send in the troops to finish the job. If we can interrupt the signal to release the hellhounds, it will buy us time.”
Each man nods.
Axel clears his throat. “It might be safer for humans to leave the island and join the outposts.”
I give him my Nova death stare. Ms. Beast adds a little K-5 for good measure, and a small sense of satisfaction hits me when he grimaces. “They are safer here,” I say with finality. “They will not leave.” It was one of the positives I learned from the women. They’re terrified of hellhounds and the Federation, but this is their home and they’re willing to fight for it with the help of our Warriors. I focus on Nokita. “We need a way to jam the frequency so they can’t release the hellhounds. We need it yesterday.”
His eyes go slightly blank while he thinks. “I’ll have it to you as soon as possible,” he finally says.
“You have two hours. Get started.”
Nokita leaves and all eyes return to me. I glance at Labyrinth. “How many working whistles do we have?”
“Two hundred and fifty. The bad whistles couldn’t be fixed and were destroyed. We checked the whistles given to the islanders and they’re good to go.”
“Give the remaining whistles to all Warriors on the perimeter of the island. We need back up if we can’t jam the signal.” I thrum my fingers on the conference table. “Can we bomb the Federation ships before they enter our waters?”
“Yes,” assures Labyrinth.
My gaze fixes on Cabel. “I have a job you won’t like but it’s vital.” He blinks and I continue. “We need a contingency plan if Nokita doesn’t come through with the jammer. You will eliminate as many hellhounds in the ocean as possible.”
He doesn’t question my order. “We’ll take their heads.”
“By King’s estimation, there are thousands chained underwater,” I explain.
His eyes meet mine and he doesn’t look away. “We’ll take their heads,” he repeats with a quirk to his lips that tells me he’ll enjoy it. He’s crazy like that. Ms. Beast grumbles at the eye contact, and Cabel lowers his gaze.
“I also need to know where all the waterlogged hellhounds are located and how far they reach along our coast. Map them and give me an update when you have numbers and locations.”
My attention turns to Alden. “I’m leaving the tanks and artillery to you. Position them around the citadel. Tow in the ones that are non-operational and set them up strategically. They won’t know they can’t hurt them, and it makes us look stronger. Knet was never privy to our battle plans outside of the hellhounds. If we can make him look like a fool, they’ll pay less attention to the other details he spews.”
“If he comes with the Federation troops, he’s mine,” Beck grumbles.
“I like your thinking,” Alden agrees. “Does this mean if I get to him first, I must save him for you?”
I answer both men. “I want him alive, but if he’s only a tiny bit alive, I can live with it.”
“Done,” Alden says. His expression promises he’ll enjoy it. He and I had a difference of opinion about who was boss of who a short time ago. After the dust settled, he fell into line and I value his judgment. I can’t say that about Beck who gets on my nerves every chance he gets. Too bad I like Missy, Ruth, and Baby Boot so much. The image of swinging Beck around by his legs and listening to him scream gives me the slightest bit of satisfaction.
I meet each man’s eyes. “We need a plan B.”
“Why?” questions Beck because that is what Beck does.
K-5 swirls through my insides. I’m not King. I’m tired of Beck questioning everything I say, and it’s something I’ll be taking care of soon. If crossing the table to eat his throat didn’t work, I’ll need to try something more subtle like dislocating his joints. I inhale to control the K-5 and use the calmest voice possible. I don’t answer like I’m speaking to a two-year-old, yay me. “If we can’t stop the release of hellhounds or manage to attack the ships and cripple them before they arrive, we must have a backup plan.” He knows this. He drills me in warfare constantly. He enjoys making me feel inadequate. All of this comes easy to him and King; they were born for war. I, on the other hand, must learn from the ground up. Beck caught me reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu one day, and I had to listen to an hour of why it was an overrated piece of literature and how Vom Kriege’s On War was the definitive book on warfare. Sh
eesh. I’m sure my eyes glazed over five minutes in, but it didn’t stop him from the hour-long lecture.
While thoughts of Beck disgruntle me further, I realize the men are unusually quiet. They glance at me then lower their eyes like they know something I don’t. This continues for several moments.
“What?” I finally ask, irritation filling the word.
My mate answers before my head explodes and I do something crazy like tear their arms off. “You, baby, you’re the backup plan.”
Someone strangle me, please. I’m about to lose my patience when a sound at the door draws my attention. I stand quickly and stride over, pulling the door open sharply.
Two children tumble through. Che with a look that says he’s sorry and Ruth with an irked expression that says mainly she doesn’t appreciate getting caught. I grab Che by the back of his shirt and lift him off the floor, bringing his face even with mine.
“Look at what strong muscles she has,” Ruth purrs.
“I’m sure your mother has no idea you’re here.” I say to Che, ignoring the other brat.
“Mmm, no, but we want to kill hellhounds with you.” His eyes plead for understanding. I carry him to the chair I vacated and drop him into it none too gently. I turn to Ruth with a glare. She stomps over and sits in Nokita’s vacated seat, crossing her arms, letting me know she’s ready for a fight of wills. If there were any way possible to make her Shadow Warrior, I would do it and we would never worry about an attack again. This small girl-woman would conquer the entire world. The last thing I want to do is break her spirit, but at the same time, I can’t allow her and Che to run around interfering or they’ll get themselves killed.
I pace in front of them so they have more time to worry. Ruth tries to speak, but I hold up a hand, silencing her. The men watch me closely without interfering. In truth, they are terrified of Ruth. She’s human and acts like a Shadow Warrior. Add in her small stature and age, and I understand their fear. I take a calming breath and wish for just five additional minutes to meditate. An idea floats into my mind. I stop and turn, catching both kids with my gaze. “I’m assigning you to our most strategic job.” I allow them to see the steel in my eyes. “You might not like that you’re human, but you are, and you will not be fighting hellhounds under any circumstances. I’m putting you in charge of weapons.” Their eyes grow large. “You’ll be stationed in the armory. Take an inventory of what we have. Once everyone is armed, I want to know exactly what we have left in case we need it. This could be the most important responsibility of the battle. Should I ask your mothers to help you?” Yeah, the last question was pure genius.
“No, ma’am,” replies Ruth.
“We’ll be the best armory strategists you’ve ever seen, Marinah,” Che assures me. His use of the word “strategists” is something I’m sure he learned from Ruth. The brat has been reading my war books.
“I’m counting on it,” I assure him. “You can both choose your weapons before the men take theirs. When you’re in charge of the armory, you need to be heavily armed with the best we have. You have a lot of work ahead of you. You also need your sleep or your mothers will not be happy with me. Head to the armory and get started. I want you eating all your dinner tonight so you have strength for tomorrow and you need to be in bed early. Only a well-rested soldier is ready for battle.”
The kids leave quickly after I hand them the key to the armory; the sound of their shoes running pit-a-pat on the tile fades, and the Shadow Warriors give me their full attention again.
Of course, it’s Beck who speaks up. “Didn’t you assign the weapons inventory job to Kamin last week after he was late for training?”
“I did.”
“And you need it done again?”
I shake my head. “I need those two out of our hair and safe. If they have no direction, we’ll be leaping over them to kill hellhounds.”
“Do you know what weapons are in that room?” His voice rises slightly, and he looks away from me when Ms. Beast releases a smidgeon of K-5.
“Did you know they robbed the armory months ago and stashed their favorite weapons?” I don’t wait for his answer. “This way, they’ll head to their stockpile first and not mess up the weapons count Kamin gave me, and they will include their weapons on the new list.”
Beck’s expression goes from irritated to pleased. “Can Missy and I come over and take lessons from you?”
Chapter Seventeen
King
Marinah controls the men like she was born to lead. Her handling of Che and Ruth was pure brilliance. The kids have met their match. We all have.
Her strategy isn’t mine but it’s sound. She’s a gifted strategist when she doesn’t think about it. Her plans are also based on more than military literature. The Federation won’t know if it’s coming or going. I’ve waited until now to fill her in on my place in things. She isn’t happy.
“I’m part of your guard for a reason. Beck babysat me and I’ll be babysitting you.” At her very unladylike snort, I add, “You’re also where the action will be so don’t worry about boredom on my part.”
She gives in gracefully. “You enjoy this entirely too much.”
I flick one of her braids. “It’s called war, baby.”
She gives me a Cheshire grin. “You only use ‘baby’ when you’re pulling my strings.”
I place my hand over my heart. “Caught me. Now eat your dinner so we can get to work and you can save the world.”
She looks at the plate in front of her with a frown. “I’m too nervous to eat.”
“Eat,” I say, making it an order that her Beast doesn’t like. K-5 sparks and Marinah grunts. I cross my arms, plant my legs, and stare. My Beast perks up.
“Fine, I’ll eat,” she whines. Once she lifts the fork to her mouth, she doesn’t slow down. Even a knock at the door doesn’t stop her. My Beast rumbles in satisfaction. She needs sustenance.
I throw open the door and Nokita strides in. “Report,” she says through a mouthful of food.
Nokita comes to attention. Marinah gives me a quick side-eye so I’m guessing this demonstration surprises her. Nokita is comfortable with Marinah, and he’s never responded to her in this fashion. We’re preparing for a battle and he’s displaying respect. “I can jam the frequency, but it will only reach a hundred yards in all directions. It will stop some hellhounds but not nearly enough.”
“Can you make more than one?” she questions before shoveling another bite into her mouth.
“We don’t have the parts I need on the island. I can probably scavenge on the mainland, but we don’t have time. Cabel also asked me to inform you that most of the underwater hellhounds start ten miles from the citadel and continue almost to our doorstep. The key info he wanted imparted is there are no hellhounds in Warrior Bay.” We named the bay after taking over the island. It’s a mile from the citadel. I’m also thankful the Federation is not attacking the entire island. There’s no denying Knet is working with them now. He knows at the first sign of trouble we use our tunnels and bring the humans to the citadel.
Marinah leans back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling as she thinks. “I want our human archers at the shipyard. They’ll pull out once the hellhounds are too close to shore. Have transports ready for them and we’ll move the archers to strategic locations as needed. When they’ve done as much damage as possible, we’ll send them back to the citadel and make our last stand here if needed. Once they’re here, post them in upper windows or on the roof.”
Missy, Beck’s mate, started the archers when she came to the island. The group quickly grew to over two hundred men and women. They’ve become proficient with their weapons. Missy isn’t exactly a human who sits on the sidelines. If any mother deserved a daughter like Ruth, it’s her.
Without a human antidote to hellhound bites and scratches, humans can’t get close enough to remove the heads without risking their lives. The longbows give them a better chance. They’ve been making and stockpiling arrows for m
onths under Missy’s guidance. With their continued practice, their accuracy has improved, allowing the Shadow Warriors to wade into a group of hellhounds and have long-distance assistance killing them.
Marinah thrums her fingers on the table. “Is there any way we could make our own receivers to unlock the hellhounds?”
“We don’t need to; I can use their devices, readjust the frequency and, in theory, use one of our radios as a trigger to release the hounds. It will come down to time.”
“Have Cabel move as many of the Federation hellhounds as possible to the bay. If the lack of hounds near the citadel tells us anything, it’s where the Federation’s attack will be. We’ll have an undead army of surprises waiting when they arrive.”
“You want the frequency interrupter set up at the docks?”
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “The area around the docks isn’t as populated as it is closer to the citadel. Find a location somewhere in the middle that will disrupt as many as possible.”
“I think I have the perfect spot,” Nokita assures her.
“Any luck with the larger sub?”
Nokita cocks his head and looks to the side of us. “There won’t be time. We only have the small one. There are also water mines in one of the military stockades. I won’t have a chance now but when this is over, I’ll make sure their sub can’t get near the island again. I can also rig an underwater perimeter fence to notify us when they attempt it. My good news is the gatling gun is operational thanks to one of the islanders.”
“The Federation doesn’t know we’re aware of them and chances are good we won’t need it. Post two Shadow Warriors along the shore road close to the shipyard with the gun,” Marinah tells him. “If we’re wrong about where the Federation attacks, the extra firepower will stop a good number of soldiers and hellhounds. Also give one of your men a condensed lesson in operating the small sub in case it’s needed then talk to Cabel. He’s in charge of killing hellhounds beneath the water. Have him work away from where you use the jammer and also away from the docks so the archers can warm up.”
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