Page 87 of Princess

“Do not move,” I said.

The woman closed her eyes as I gathered more weapons.Warriors stepped in to help.Once the area was secure, I looked at the men and women on their knees.

“Rise,” I said.

They looked at each other while I waited.First one, and then another rose.

“Cuff them,” I said.

Shadow Warriors held flex cuffs on their straps.The soldiers were cuffed to each other.

“Head that way,” I pointed in the direction we came from.“Another group of Warriors will point out the direction to take in about a mile.If you run, you will die in the swamp.If you lift a hand against one of mine, you will die.I am giving you one chance to survive.Start walking.”

A woman stopped; the man cuffed to her jerked to a halt a moment later.“Thank you,” the woman said.

I nodded.

A group of our men assisted Axel with the wounded Warriors.

The dead Federation soldiers at my feet left a hard knot in my gut, but it was too late for them.I lifted my sword and sliced through the first intact neck I came to.Other Warriors began the grisly task of beheading the fallen.From the corner of my eye, I noticed Desmond helping.He was too young for this but war was war and it always affected the young.I found two men alive and dispatched them quickly.They would not have survived their wounds.

King returned twenty minutes later.“Dead?”he asked and looked at the carnage around me.

“Dead for good,” I replied.

“You’re wounded,” Axel said.

I ignored his statement.“What about our men?How many did we lose?”

Axel grumbled but answered.“Thirteen dead.Another twenty-two critical but they have a chance.Sixteen wounded but they are upright and healing.Now it’s your turn.”

“There’s no time,” I told him.

“Then why am I here?”he demanded.

“Because you’re a pain in my ass.I don’t have any serious wounds.”I held up a clawed hand.“This is enemy blood.”

King walked over and glared.I ignored him too.I need to check on Eagle.

He grumbled but pointed to my right.Eagle’s men were lifting the injured and transporting them to Alpha 1.Eagle directed them but stayed behind after they left.

“We wait here and rest,” I said.

Thankfully it was a large patch of dry land.

Axel examined me and complained even when he discovered the blood did in fact belong to the enemy.I was too tired to give him a hard time.He checked King and Eagle who were fine. Alden had a bullet in his upper thigh.Axel got to work and had it removed quickly.He then went man to man, in search of more injuries.He should have returned to the plane with Eagle’s team, but the stubborn man wouldn’t leave my side.

Just as sunlight came over the horizon, explosions lit up the sky about two miles from us.Our planes were taking out the Federation camp.It was time to run again.

“Return to the landing strip,” I told Alden.

“My leg is good and is mostly healed.I can run.”

I stared at him for a moment then nodded.

The ground beneath our feet rumbled as more explosions detonated.I heard an engine overhead and looked up.One of our planes roared above us.

When we arrived, the Federation camp was in disarray.Fires burned throughout.

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