Page 60 of Echoes of War

“What else?” I pushed, trying to gain a full picture of what we were working with before sending my family out into the field.

Moe placed more rooks down over North Dakota, a small but important group of settlements for keeping the border intact. “Bismarck is being difficult, but Fargo and Grand Forks have it under control.”

“Then it’s decided then. You three will head out to Wyoming and Montana.” I didn’t like my orders, much less felt confident in saying them. The results of me not trusting Abel in this could be catastrophic. I mean, what was being a good leader without trust in my soldiers?

Reina closed her eyes for a moment, opening them after taking a deep inhale in, then out. “Do we have time to go to both and make it back home?”

“We will if we take the horses,” Abel said, tentatively glancing toward Sloan. “Word has spread. As long as we skirt around St. Cloud, we shouldn’t face any issues with the treaty. I’ve already sent word out to connections to secure safe passage.”

I gripped the edge of the desk, leaning over the maps and tossing a demanding glare in Sloan’s direction. She met me with a pleading look.

“Seriously? Our calvary is already under-manned; we can’t afford to lose any horses.” Sloan swore under her smoke-stanched breath.

“You can and you will,” I commanded. “Your cavalry is also under-prepared. They won’t be on your front line, only serve as scouts.”

“You’re the General,” Sloan muttered in response.

I gave her a smug grin, letting her know that sarcasm would only lead to me asking for more if she kept it up. “I am.”

“And you’ll take care of Finley?” Moe asked, redirecting the conversation back at Alexiares.

“Sure, if it comes to that.” He grumbled, hands pushing through his gelled back hair.

I bit down on my lip, fighting off the urge to run my fingers through them myself. I hated having to deal with his difficult behavior from the standpoint of his general, but from a girlfriend’s point of view, his arrogance was sexy as hell. Not to mention the thought of him putting an end to Finley once and for all.

He gave me a once over, pupils dilating in a way that let me know he was reading my thoughts. The corner of his mouth twitched in response.Girlfriend?The word lingered in his heavy gaze and I wondered if I’d said the words aloud. We certainly hadn’t stopped to havethatconversation in the past twenty-four hours. Surely, I was reading into the imaginary situation unfolding before my eyes.

Sloan cleared her throat, and I apologetically took in the uncomfortable energy now filling the room.

“Should we be afraid of whatsureentails?” Sloan mocked.

Alexiares waited for the seconds to pass, making her wait and think the worst of whatever he planned to say next. “Do you really care as long as the mission is achieved?”

Silence was her only answer.

“That’s what I thought,” he said in jest.

Well, only I knew he was kidding.I think.

I reassured them all that I was still the one in charge, regardless of the relationship building between us. “I’ll be the deciding factor in that once we get to Lola’s.”

And it was true. At the end of the day, I would do what was best for everyone. Compound first, after all. If that meant working with the queen of hell, then so be it. Though I wouldn’t stop him from throwing in a few hits or two first. Probably a few of my own slashes to her skin if I had the chance. Payback was a bitch, but revenge was even sweeter.

“That you will, my sister, that you will,” Moe said, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of her lips, a silent acknowledgment of a shared secret.

There was one lingering question remaining. One that everyone had made sure to avoid until we had no other option.

“What’s Transient Nations’ role in all this?” I asked.

Abel sighed. “It’s fifty-fifty either way. They do what’s best for them out there. Whoever brings them the best deal will determine where the people go.”

“That can be arranged.” I surmised, “I imagine we have far more to offer than Covert.”

“They value freedom there more than anything.” Moe confirmed, then paused thoughtfully before adding, “Covert knows that, though. They’ll offer to let them keep their freedom to stay out of the war until they control the rest of us.”

I had full faith in her assessment. She knew the people of Transient Nation better than us all, having lived there for some time before finding Monterey. My sister had been pretty fucked up in the head when she arrived. If her tense perception of humanity was any indication, getting them to join our cause wouldn’t come easy.

“Then let’s make sure they’re aware of what’s at stake,” I replied, thinking of what we had to offer.

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