Page 17 of Renegade Kingdom
He paused, and I could see him weighing his next words carefully.
“I also think he knows more about the sister thing.”
I flinched. Couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to talk about that. Didn’t want to think about what it might mean that Arik had called me…
But Ryder was right. We couldn’t keep running into situations with half the facts and hoping we made it through the other side. We needed all the cards on the table.
“Fine,” I said shortly. “But first we deal with whatever’s happening on deck.”
We headed up together, and the tension hit me before I even reached the open air. People were gathered in clusters, their voices low but sharp. Accusatory glances followed us as we emerged. The freed Endless who’d made it to the ship were mixed in with Rhidian’s crew and the fighters from the Spring Court, and none of them seemed happy.
A man stepped forward as I appeared. He was one of the freed Endless, his face hard with suspicion.
“Where’s the safe passage you promised?” he demanded. “You said you’d get us somewhere safe if we didn’t want to fight. But here we are, still on this ship, and no one’s talking about where we’re going or what happens next.”
Others murmured agreement. More faces turned toward me, and I could see the fear underneath their anger. They thought we were going to use them. Conscript them into another army without giving them a choice. Because that’s what had been done to them before.
I stepped forward, and something in my bearing made them fall silent. Maybe it was the magic still crackling under my skin. Maybe it was just the look in my eyes.
“You’re right that we haven’t told you the plan,” I said, my voice carrying across the deck. “That’s because we’re still making it. This war landed in our laps just like it landed in yours. None of us asked for this. None of us are responsible for what Arik has done to this realm.”
I let that settle for a moment.
“But we’re doing what we can because it’s the right thing to do. It’s theonlything to do. The alternative is lying down and dying, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for that.”
A few faces softened slightly. Not all of them, but some.
“That said,” I continued, “I’m not about to be the next person to take away your voice. I’m not going to force anyone to fight who doesn’t want to. What would be the point? Reluctant soldiers aren’t going to help us win against the odds we’re facing.”
I looked around the deck, meeting eyes, letting them see that I meant every word.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. We need time to figure out our next steps. To make a plan. That includes figuring out how to evacuate those of you who want to leave. I want you to elect two people to represent you and join our planning council. That way you’ll know exactly what’s being decided and have a say in it.”
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Some skeptical, some surprised, some cautiously hopeful.
“You have a couple of hours to get an idea of numbers. How many want to stay, how many want to go? Pick your representatives. And remember: whatever you decide now doesn’t have to be permanent. You can change your mind at any time.”
I turned away before they could respond, letting them process. Tank, Dean, Maddox, and Ryder moved to join me, forming a loose circle near the railing.
“That was well handled,” Tank said quietly.
I shrugged. “It’s the truth. We can’t force them to fight for us. We shouldn’t want to. How is it going with distributing supplies?”
“We have enough medical supplies to tend to the wounded, with enough left over for whatever comes next,” Dean said grimly. “Rhidian had clearly been preparing for something like this. The ship is well stocked.”
“We have food being prepared and some rations distributed for now. The food situation isn’t quite as positive. With this many people we can last a week tops. At some point we need to figure out how we’re going to restock,” Tank said.
“On the subject of decisions,” Dean said, his voice low. “We need a definitive answer on what we’re doing with Damon before we find ourselves in the middle of another fight.”
I looked toward the hold, where I knew Damon was locked away, and felt the weight of impossible choices pressing down on me.
“Has anyone talked to him today?”
Maddox nodded. “He’s sleeping now. First real rest he’s had in days. He stayed awake the entire march watching over those children.” He paused, something shifting in his expression. “Something’s changed, Alyssa. He’s more like the brother we knew before. I haven’t seen any sign of the nightmare since before the battle.”
“You think it’s gone?” Dean asked, but there was no hope in his voice. Just caution.
“No,” Maddox admitted. “But I think Damon’s winning. Whatever seeing those children sparked in him... it’s like it gave him something to fight for. Something to anchor himself to. A reminder of the man he used to be.” He looked at me. “I think Ryder’s right. I think Damon could survive the bite. I think we should trust him to be strong enough.”
