Page 70 of Battle Fluke

“Make it right?” Kyree’s eyes filled with hope, but everything about her hesitated.

“We’re going to show Honour how much she’s worth. We’re going to make sure she knows that her happiness is entwined with ours and is as important, no—that her happiness ismoreimportant than anything else.”

“All right.” The hope that had hesitantly filled Kyree’s eyes now stretched over her entire face. “What’sourplan of action, commander?”

“You and me and Nylah.” Hudson smiled over at the ray that hovered near a rock face. “We’re going to infiltrate the human’s sky ship, and we’re going to get Soulara out of their clutches.”

Kyree’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed a large O shape.

“We can do this.” Hudson had no clue how they were going to do it, not just yet, but she was skilled at making crazy plans that had no chance in hell of working but always managed to get the job done in the end.

“The humans?” Kyree’s lip trembled a little as she asked.

“I’d never ask or expect you to kill, not even for me or Honour. Who you are is who I want. I wouldn’t change either of you for anything.” Well, if one confession was going to fall, she might as well let the rest of them fall.

“But?” Kyree’s mouth worked by no other words came out.

“I’ll keep us safe. I’ll take care of anything and anyone who tries to stop us. Trust me.”

Hudson lifted her hand to Kyree’s cheek and cradled the soft skin.

Kyree melted into the touch, placing her own hand over Hudson’s and pressing her cheek hard against her fingers.

“Together.”

“Yes. Together,” Hudson whispered.

“Okay.” Kyree opened her eyes and met Hudson’s. “Let’s save the princess.”

25

“Are the troops ready for inspection?” Honour asked over her shoulder, staring down at the records in front of her. She’d called up every available soldier possible, as had the Kwights. She’d spent the last several hours locked away with Pregtox, planning a war that she was ready to lead but didn’t want to.

She’d prepared for this from day one, but she’d never thought she’d actually be facing down an enemy from the sky. And she had to get those nerves under control. It was her job to be the calm presence for her troops. She couldn’t let them see what was crawling under her skin and trying to take away her concentration.

But it wasn’t just the impending battle, if she was being honest.

It was Hudson.

And Kyree.

It was the way she’d left, knowing that she was making a mistake, but unable to stop herself from doing it. She had to stop them from following her further down the rabbit hole that would end everything for them. Because she wasn’t worthy of them. She never had been.

“They are,” Zendalia answered, leaning over the table to stare down at the same thing Honour was looking at.

Except, she’d stopped registering anything that her eyes were seeing. She’d been pulled into her own mind, to a place that would never exist. She had to stop doing that!

“Are you ready to inspect them?” Zendalia asked.

No, she wasn’t. But she had to be. And if there was one thing that Honour understood, it was the call of duty. “Yes,” she ground out.

They swam side by side out of the castle and toward where the troops had lined up. Honour wasn’t exactly sure how they were going to take down the sky ship, but she at least had a reasonable plan to scatter all the humans that were in the water and wreck their communication with the sky ship.

The Kwights had been extremely helpful for that. And their troops were numbered with hers. At this rate, they could perhaps win the war in the water. But that didn’t mean they would get Soulara back—ever. And that would mean that Makryn would end up as king, something Honour wasn’t looking forward to. He wasn’t as capable, and he certainly didn’t have the hearts of the city in his favor.

They would all suffer if Soulara didn’t return home.

Straitening her back and pushing those rogue thoughts from her mind, Honour began her inspection. Most soldiers were in fitting form, but there were others who weren’t. Their armor didn’t shine like it should, it was misplaced or ill-fitting. It only took three breastplates not buckled correctly before she went off on an unsuspecting soldier.

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