Page 63 of Rising Reign

She spun on Puck. “You told the humans?”

He winced. “We didn’t really have a choice.”

“We thought they were aliens for a while,” Juan explained without worry.

“Gods,” Clara swore.

I squeezed her shoulder. “They’re trustworthy.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Can I show you around?” Juan offered to Clara.

“No, you fucking can’t,” Puck clipped.

It was the wrong thing to say because Clara simply slid her arm through Juan’s and batted her eyelashes at him. “I’d love that.”

Brix sauntered up and clapped Puck on the shoulder. “Rookie move.”

“Oh, piss off,” Puck shot back and strode toward the treadmills, glaring at Juan the whole way.

Brix burst out laughing but moved into my space and brushed his lips against mine. “Missed you.”

“I missed you, too. Want to spar after I warm up?” I asked.

“Hell, yeah, I do. We’ll have to make do with one of the fight mats, though. Clyde’s using the ring for a lesson.”

I looked over to see Clyde working with a man who was vaguely familiar as Franco and Ender looked on from opposite sides of the ring. “No problem.”

King dropped a kiss on my temple. “Make sure your muscles are nice and loose. You’ve had a lot of training these past few days.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” My lips twitched as I saluted him.

“Little Warrior, I like the sound of that a little too much.”

My belly heated. “Don’t distract me.”

King grinned. “I’d never.”

I made a pssh sound but headed for the jump ropes. Before long, I was warmed up and circling Brix in a fighting ring. We wore mouthguards and fight gloves, but I knew neither of us would take it too far.

We traded punches and kicks without any serious heat, but when I saw an opening, I struck out with a sweep, taking Brix to the mat. He landed with a thud as our onlookers let out a series of cheers. I straddled him and pinned his arms, but Brix let me.

I shook my head. “You could’ve tried a little harder.”

“Maybe I wanted to be pinned by you,” he growled low.

I kissed him quickly and leapt to my feet. I offered him a hand up, but a roar of fury had me spinning around. A figure charged toward me. Someone I knew. But also…not.

There were only two things I saw as Franco ran at me. His eyes had gone completely black, and he had one of the largest daggers I’d ever seen.

38

WREN

Everything happened so fast it was like I could only pluck individual snapshots out of the air. Those haunting, dead eyes. The glint of the blade in the air. The pure fury in Franco’s expression.

And then something else—something that had everything in me seizing in sheer panic. A flash of movement I recognized instantly as Ender. Movement that put him directly in Franco’s path at the last possible second.