Page 54 of Echoes of War

My brows pulled in confusion, not understanding what he was getting at. He spared me from having to ask, the screen now showing a picture from one of the scouts. There was snow piled high and wide as I stood tall. Our weapons had barely made a dent.

That wasn’t Amaia’s planning—she knew nothing of defense in the snow. I knew that much. I also knew exactly who had assisted her in laying her little valley of death out, but that was information that need not be disclosed. For now.

Shrugging, I looked at him like I was none the wiser. “There’s a lot of people there. Just because their military sucked, doesn’t mean Amaia wasn’t capable of inspiring innovation. I told you, she has that effect on people.”

“Which is exactly why Salem Territory is our main target. They managed to get some settlements on their side, but others remain hesitant. Monterey Compound is our main priority. That little bitch Amaia has to go. I will not be made a fool of.”

I fought to keep my heart beat steady, fully aware my dad would be able to detect any changes. Moe had done her best to keep me out of her mind, but I was there long enough to know a general idea of what they had planned. Knew enough to keep them all as safe as I could. I didn’t give a rat’s ass about Monterey. Riley could take care of himself as long as Amaia was nowhere nearby. But the others, they would go out fighting with the people of Monterey. Hell, Amaia would go down foranyplace she passed through, left her mark on. And if Amaia went down, that meant my idiotic sister would too. If she did, then Moe would.

The only person who had a chance of getting them all out, even against their wishes but for his own selfish purposes, was Alexiares. I saw the way he watched Amaia. He was my best hope, which is why his name would be left out of things for as long as I could hold out.

“Devil’s advocate here, hear me out, sir.” I forced my gaze to meet his level stare. When he said nothing, I took it as my cue to continue. “We should take a beat to consider the repercussions of directly breaking the treaty. It’s not just one territory we’re talkin’ bout here anymore. It’s three. That’s how many it would take to cross over and get to Monterey?—”

The way he straightened his posture made me stop talking. I knew that stance. “Son, if treaties were abided by then the world would have never fallen to nuclear war. Treaties are for losers, for those who lost. A victor makes a treaty in pity of the loser. No one benefits but those who win. That treaty was made with Salem in mind, which is why life over there is a step out of the ring of hell The Expanse calls home. Now it may surprise you, but I want Monterey for that exact reason. The strong live out there, and that’s why I want them here.”

“They aren’t in Monterey, clearly.” I said nervously.

He offered me a look of disapproval, my omitted truth obvious. “I think we both know it’s not for long. Even if she isn’t there,taking Monterey Compound out would be a hit against everyone’s morale. Effectively dissuading the others from trying to defend themselves. It’d be easier to take them all over. We’ll take what we can along the way, but Monterey Compound is cutting the head from the chicken.”

“What about Reina? Sloan?” I pressed, hoping that maybe he would at least care about them. They were blood, something he claimed was important to him, with only one other thing being top of his list of priorities. “They’re powerful. You know this.”

“Watch yourself, son, lying doesn’t bode well for you. Sloan is about as powerful as she is an effective leader. If your sister and your cousin want to be on the wrong side of history, that’s up to them. If they want to join the cause, then they are welcome to. If not, they go down with your pathetic General.” He paused for a moment, considering his options. “Though it would be nice to breed your sister, Amaia, and that girl you spoke of. Too much power needs to be nipped in the bud. Too much power leads to rebellion.”

“Dad, please, consider the?—”

He struck me, my hat flew across the room at the impact, my cheek flushed with heat and stinging in pain. I resisted the urge to raise my own fist in response. It took every ounce of control in my body to not flinch at the same hand that slapped me. My father reached out, attempting to soothe the very spot he intended to bruise.

“Son,” he said soothingly, “I’m proud of you for coming here. Don’t make me regret it.”

He left me standing there, the faces of my friends now displayed across each of the screens. I gulped down the desire to scream at the picture of Elie down in the corner. A child, she was just a child and had no part in any of this. But she would hurt Amaia, as would Prescott displayed right above her.

In my nearly thirty years on this earth, I had never felt so out of control. So helpless. I bit down on my lip and bent down to grab my hat off the floor, placing it back on my head. I studied my reflection on the screen before me, my face was there too.

I took it for what it was, a warning if I didn’t comply. The only thing I could do to save them all was try to get them to understand and take our side. If not our side, my side. The side of the brother now lost to them but who still cared.

Amaia

Soft lips kissed the crevice between my shoulders, and Alexiares’ warm breath tickled the back of my neck. I smiled to myself, not wanting to separate from him, but the warmth in the room had become oddly intolerable.

“Unless you’re trying to be someone’s father …” I teased, knowing it would get any sane person to take a moment to pause and reflect. It was a fifty-fifty shot given that this man of mine was the furthest thing from sane I’d ever known.

His body stiffened, the beads of sweat dripping from my back as he pulled back, reassessing his actions. “Fuck, I’m so sorry?—”

“Shh,” I said, turning over to kiss him, gently flicking the tip of his nose. “I’m only kidding. Ironically enough, I had a ten-year IUD put in before shit hit the fan. It’ll be another four before I make Reina figure out a way to get it out of me.”

His exhales were still ragged, but Alexiares’ facial expression eased. I, too, would not be comfortable bringing another life into this shitshow. No offense taken. My eyes narrowed, his face had turned a tinge green.

I reached out to place my palm against his forehead. “You’re hot.”

“Hell yeah, I am,” he joked. “I figured that’s half the reason I ended up in bed with you.”

Shaking my head, I moved my hand to his cheeks, double checking it wasn’t an ill assessment on my end. “No, Alexiares, you’re burning up. How are you feeling?”

Before he could answer, a wave of queasiness twisted in my stomach. The tendrils moving up my throat and the sour taste of regret clung to my senses, pleading for relief. I leaned over the side of the bed, bile working its way onto the floor.

His hand rested on my back soothingly. “I’ll go get?—”

“No need to get us, we’re already here!” Reina’s voice boomed from the living room.

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