Page 38 of Barbarian Daddies

“The slums will be easy for us to navigate and spread out through. The soldiers won’t even see us coming until it’s too late,” Kai adds.

“Once we’re inside, we’ll spread the flanks on the left and right to greet the returning soldiers, since they’ll be alerted to our presence, while the main group will continue forward until we reach Selina’s palace and the research lab. We’ll take those two and plant the Fire Tribe flags on the roofs. It’ll be enough to let the locals know we’ve succeeded.”

“The Sky Tribe won’t just let us take them,” Kharo says, raising an eyebrow.

“No, but we’ll make sure to kill as many of them at the gates as we can,” Jewel says. “We’ve been working on the explosive projectiles, and we almost have enough catapults to carry over and mount around the city.”

“Catapults?” I give her a curious look.

She smiles eagerly. “Yeah, not the big and bulky kind, though. I’ve designed some portable models. We only need a few anyway, since the projectiles themselves will do the actual damage. And the white marble quarry north of the city is chock full of explosive minerals. We don’t even need to carry those over from the plateau. Just the catapults. Me and the Yellow Gang will mine for the materials and get them ready, then we’ll put together wooden rafts and take them across the water,” she adds, using a stick of her own to show us their preferred trajectory for that part of the mission. “We’ll have scouts on the other side of the city to keep the drones distracted. Bows, arrows, crossbows with TNT-loaded tips to blow the buzzards to bits and pieces while we reach the eastern gate by sea. At night.”

“Sounds like quite the plan.” I allow myself to grin, thoroughly satisfied with how well our ideas have come together. “I’ll be with the north gate troops, then. I need to be there when we take the lab.”

Kai and Maur both turn to face me at the same time, their gazes dark and locked on mine. My heart skips a few beats. I don’t like this.

“You’re not coming with us, Cynthia,” Maur says.

“You’re staying here,” Kai insists.

“What?” I croak, jumping to my feet. “What do you mean I’m not coming? Why the hell not?”

Kai gives me a half-smile. “You thought you could hide your pregnancy from us, Cynthia. But Maur and I can tell. Your body is already starting to change. I can feel your belly swelling ever so slightly. Your bosom. We noticed your morning sickness, too. There’s no point in lying to us.”

“Well shit,” Alicia gasps, her eyes wide with surprise. Jewel laughs.

“Shut up,” I tell them, then look down at Maur and Kai. “I have to be there!”

“You’re going to be a mother,” Maur says, getting up so he can tower above me. “There’s no way in hell we’re taking you into a war zone with us. That’s our child you’re carrying, Cynthia. I’m sorry.”

The anger and the helplessness are quick to gather in the back of my throat as I try to talk my way back into the action, but there aren’t enough words left in me to convince my men they cannot sideline me for this. Deep down, I know they’re right, which is why I’ve kept this from them in the first place. What a fool I was to think they wouldn’t pick up on it.

“Please, you can’t do this,” I manage, tears pricking my eyes.

“We don’t have a choice,” Kai replies. “We’re not punishing you, my love. We’re protecting you and our unborn child.”

I’m too mad and hurt to accept that. I’m not being reasonable, but at least I’m aware of it. Yet I cannot stay here a second longer, not with everyone looking at me. They’re quiet and letting the Hadana twins lead this delicate discussion, but they seem happy for me. Why shouldn’t they be happy? Another baby will be born on Sunna. That’s so painfully rare these days.

“Screw this,” I grumble and walk away, ready to stomp back to my house and lock myself inside for a while. I’ll be damned if I’ll allow Kai or Maur to set foot anywhere near me, at least for the night.

Dahlen watches me with sparking interest as I walk past him, but I don’t give him a moment’s thought as I leave the meeting behind and head toward my house. Above me, the night unravels in its beautiful shades of black and purple, stripes of brownish clouds and sprinkles of stars stretching above my head. To the east, I see the three moons rising.

I can feel Kai and Maur’s gazes drilling holes into the back of my head, but I don’t turn, not even for a second. Walk away, Cynthia. They need to know you’re angry.

But the sound of incoming jets has my skin crawling and the hairs on my neck tingling as I look to the east again and see them.

“Oh, no,” I whisper.

The flying vessels are fast approaching. A dozen of them.

My heart starts racing as I turn around and scream at the council meeting, now fifty yards away. “RUN! They’re coming!”

Dahlen is already running toward me.

I’m running toward him, eager to get back to Kai and Maur before we’re inevitably separated. But the closer I get to Dahlen, the weirder this whole moment feels. The look on his face doesn’t seem right. He doesn’t strike me as scared at all, but rather determined to reach me, his crimson eyes laser-focused on my face.

“Dahlen, they’re coming!” I call out.

“I know. Selina wasn’t done with you,” he replies stiffly.

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