Page 20 of Princess Broken

“Designed them myself,” Phil says. “Best anti-vampire defense system on the planet.” The pride in his deep voice is clear.

And yet the five of us continue to move with great speed toward the wall of armed soldiers.

We pass through an array of lasers, their light only visible when it lights a mesh pattern on our bodies, but still we keep racing toward the weapons trained on us. Another array of lasers lands over Blade’s heart.

“Shouldn’t we stop?” I whisper against his ear. “They’re aiming at us.”

Smiling, Blade looks into my eyes as he shakes his head. “Trust me.”

Tension rises inside me as our group gets closer to the armed guards. My body wants to climb out of Blade’s arms. Not only are their weapons trained on us, even if the guards don’t shoot, we’re going to slam into the soldiers and a wall of solid metal that’s now barely two hundred yards away, one hundred, fifty, twenty-five.

I cling to Blade. “Stop!” This is not how I’m going to die.

Crusher is barely five feet in front of the guards. And then the massive door shoots up, disappearing into the bedrock. The soldiers leap to the sides, forming two walls, and pointing their weapons toward the ground as we pass by in a flash.

I turn quickly, but not quickly enough. The door has already dropped back into place.

We stop abruptly. Blade loosens his hold, and I slide down his body until my feet touch the ground. My legs are shaky, and I realize how tightly I must have been gripping his body.

Blade’s hand slides up my back, offering both comfort and support, and then he steps back from me. “Welcome to Freetown.”

Chapter Eight

Phil

My entire body is tense, bound up and still ready for battle, even now that we’re back in Freetown.

It’s her fault. This so-called princess.

She shouldn’t be here, and this strange feeling inside me is clearly my body reacting to her alien presence in our carefully curated refuge. I voted no to bringing her here. The princess has undergone none of the seven trials required for admittance. The blindfold didn’t make up for that.

Her long hair swings to the side, brushing over Blade’s arm, and anger threatens to explode inside me. I want to kill him.

But my anger doesn’t make sense. My anger should be directed at her, not at him.

Her excessively long hair is impractical. It should be sheered, even though it will grow back to its original length within a day. I’ll shave her head first thing every morning.

That thought has me rubbing my jawline, now covered in red hairs, spikes that turn to tiny springs, overtaking my lower face without my attention at least twice a day. I know it’s vain, but my only regret about the day The Master turned me was that I had not shaved first. Had I known it would be the day I was chosen, I would have taken more care.

The princess glances around the space, seemingly in awe. She looks up toward the top of the cavern. She keeps moving alongside Blade like they’re attached, even though there’s now a couple of feet between them. Clearly my brother makes her feel safe.

Anger rises inside me again. But this isn’t how anger normally feels. My ire is mixed with some other emotion, one I can’t name. I don’t do emotions.

It’s easier, safer to push them all down. Like I was taught.

“What the fuck now?” I channel my anger into my voice.

Ana startles.

Too bad. Deal with it Princess.

“I don’t suppose taking me back to DEFTA is a possibility?” she asks.

I’m about to bark at her, but then spot her sly smile. She knows that option is off the table for the moment. She’s making a joke.

“She’s tired,” Crusher says. “She should sleep. I’ll take first watch.”

“Watch?” Her eyes narrow. “I don’t need watching, and again, stop talking about me as if I’m not here.” She pats her small-breasted chest, made to look slightly fuller by the cut of her dress, puffy on top with a band around her tiny waist. Falling to the ground from there, and made out of thick silk, it’s as if the garment was designed to conceal. I wonder what.

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